It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

"No... The surrounding Shadow Realm ground itself is not so easy to integrate with the magic pattern steel. Now it is all being manipulated by him in a fixed direction, turning into these shadows that are entangled with you."

Damn it. Bai Lin cursed inwardly. It was obvious that the current situation made her helpless. She could only barely move her body and struggle.

Before long, a silver light led a black figure, leaping back and forth within the curtain of shadows. The dark world instantly collapsed, shattered into a million pieces by the instantaneous burst of light and slashing blows, yet not a single sound was heard.

Bai Lin's heart leaped into her throat. She observed once more as Xifa's attack, likely exceeding the speed of sound, began to approach her. Although she could barely see his trajectory, her body was unable to move. Her body couldn't keep up with her eyes and consciousness. She simply saw the facts, but she couldn't understand them, couldn't react.

A metallic humming sound shook the entire space, and a small black figure, emitting an orange glow, groaned and flew off into the distance. Clearly, that was Bai Lin.

Chapter 256: Transition to Inflammation

Bai Lin's abdomen and right thigh were both lacerated with horrific wounds so deep they could be seen through the bone. Copious amounts of blood flowed out, and not only did the wounds hurt, but Bai Lin's internal organs also began to itch unbearably, as if a small drill were driving a pile into her body, extremely torturous.

Gradually, Bai Lin could no longer bear the pain and cried out in agony. The intensity of the pain was random, and she could never predict when it would hurt the most. The physical torture was ultimately stronger than her psychological defenses.

The aftermath of that attack tore through Bai Lin's body, tearing and slicing at her nerves. With her right leg barely able to move, Bai Lin propped herself up and struggled to stand. She still held her sword and shield, but her armor had become a close-fitting style.

"Although there is no way to interrupt his spell, it is still possible to escape early." This is what Qinoli said.

Thus, Bai Lin was able to take that blow with only this much damage. The liquid flowing within the orange-red thread was still churning violently. With a roar, a small amount of black liquid began to temporarily repair the scars on Bai Lin's body.

"Although it won't cause infection, it will be a little painful, so just bear with it."

After Qinoli had prepared her mentally, Bai Lin naturally accepted the repair of her wounds calmly. Once her slightly blurry vision had fully returned to normal and her head was no longer so dizzy, Xifa came forward with a sword strike. Bai Lin quickly raised her shield to block, but after barely holding it off, Xifa quickly shifted his stance and swept down towards Bai Lin's now vulnerable right leg.

Really cruel, Bai Lin thought to herself, but in theory, Xifa's ordinary attack didn't have the ability to penetrate her defense, so she only had to consider the problem of losing her center of gravity after her right leg was hit. After all, her right leg could only move with difficulty, and trying to dodge Xifa's attack was simply wishful thinking.

You need to plan ahead for the angle from which you'll counterattack. Bai Lin held his breath, prepared to endure the pain. But at that moment, a miracle happened again. A large amount of flame light drifted, and although it was only light, Xifa's attack had already avoided Bai Lin.

Crimson flames, like the vibrant crimson blossoms that blanket the mountains and plains in spring, flooded this incomplete world of darkness. They stained the gloom, bringing light and hope. The warmth instantly invigorated Bai Lin, and the source of her strength flowed within her.

Behind the flames, a bird of fire, blazing orange-red, like a ruby ​​​​carved flame, stood between Bai Lin and Xifa. Its tail had three feathers, and its feathers were clearly countable. Its entire body shone as if composed of flames. A large amount of red light also surrounded its body, clearly causing this bright red color.

Bai Lin took a closer look. Isn't this quite similar to the second stage of Klonostia? What's going on? However, the doubts didn't last long, because Qinofu was cheering loudly through Bai Lin's body, as if the battle had been won.

"It's done, Bai Lin! With it to assist you, you can definitely defeat that guy. It can completely crush its shadow by itself. How about it, isn't it impressive?"

After Qinofu finished speaking, the bird's light dissipated, and bright red flames gathered around it. Bai Lin then followed with a shield-slashing blow, forcing Xifa back. The three-tailed, long-feathered firebird gathered a stream of bright red flame from its mouth, following Bai Lin's flaming blade in pursuit, quickly igniting the shadow that had just appeared and blocked Xifa's path. The remaining flames made Xifa hesitant to touch them, and he continued to retreat.

Awesome, so awesome. Bai Lin's previously bad mood was instantly swept away, and he couldn't help but burst into laughter. I don't know if this little girl Qinuofu is really naive or really sinister. Saying such a thing so loudly, I guess Xifa's face must be green with anger. This wave of psychological blow is really great.

But no matter what, Bai Lin didn't understand what the mystery of the firebird was, so she could only wait for Qinuofu to slowly explain it in her mind.

"This little creature is created from your mental image and flames. I can fine-tune its energy manipulation, but its combat methods generally consist of spitting fire and occasionally charging. While its energy output is relatively high due to the special core I constructed, it's still slightly inferior to the assassin's own attacks."

Although there were a few more interjections, and Bai Lin felt quite uncomfortable with them, the explanation was still relatively easy to understand. Bai Lin glanced at the flaming bird floating beside him, which was half the size of a human. Looking at its figure, he couldn't help but fall into some thought.

She had previously linked her flames with some legendary mythical birds, but she didn't expect that the concrete manifestation would be so realistic.

When Bai Lin was still alive, he'd been fascinated by fantasy adventure games for a while, which led him to research some information about the Vermillion Bird, the Phoenix, and the Phoenix. Initially, these three birds didn't share much in common, aside from being associated with fire. But as time passed and the story spread, the resurrection of fire and immortality gradually became part of all three, a perfect fusion of Chinese and Western cultures.

Of course, Bai Lin was also very satisfied to see such a firebird fighting alongside him. This is the configuration that should be after crossing into another world, directly matching a mythical beast or something. Unfortunately, the one beside Bai Lin was created by his partner after squeezing out magic power from him, which means it only has the appearance and similar abilities.

Despite this, Bai Lin still excitedly raised his flaming sword, facing Xifa, but said to the firebird beside him,

"Come on together, Zhu Xiaoque!"

Zhu Xiaoque seemed to be very pleased with the name. After letting out a loud howl of excitement, it spread its wings and released a small number of feathers. Xifa, who was about to cast a spell, was interrupted again and had no choice but to dodge.

Bai Lin dragged her injured leg, giving chase as best she could. She seemed to have discovered the secret between Xifa and Shadow. When Xifa cast spells, or attacked with all his might, he rarely allowed Shadow to transform and attack. Perhaps it wasn't that he didn't want to, but...

To pull off that kind of maneuver, Xifa himself would need to be distracted. Therefore, the victory conditions became the same as before: simply crush Xifa with a flurry of attacks, and everything would be fine.

Chapter 257 was replaced

"Watch your step, Bai Lin!" Qinuofu's voice shouted.

"I saw."

A shadowy rope, slithering like a python, was barely visible on the dark ground, challenging Bai Lin's vision. With minimal effort, Bai Lin launched a diagonal thrust, piercing it directly. Then, with a bit of remaining strength, he pulled out a circular slash, blocking Xifa's sword-thrusting attack.

"Do you think you can beat me just because you have one more broken bird? Stop dreaming!" There seemed to be anger in Xifa's voice, but his eyes were as calm as water. I don't know what kind of emotions he was holding when he said this.

With a "chi" sound, he exerted force, pushing Xifa's sword down, and then slashed the blade downward, trying to hit Xifa's lower body. However, the opponent reacted immediately after being under great pressure, retreating and creating distance. Then, he took advantage of the gap before Bai Lin could swing the next knife and stabbed him again.

Bai Lin was about to retreat and counterattack when her foot was suddenly dragged, and her already injured leg was restrained by something unknown. She had no choice but to step back on one leg, using her entire hind leg to maintain her center of gravity, while raising the blade and swinging with all her strength.

Blood flowed out, and Xifa's blade stopped at the lower part of Bai Lin's chest, while Bai Lin's knife also cut into him. Warm blood sprayed on Bai Lin's faceplate. Although Xifa's abdomen was scratched by Bai Lin, leaving a fatal wound, Xifa had no intention of pulling out the sword. Instead, he wanted to exert force.

Is he trying to risk his life? What exactly does he mean? Even so, the power of the previous attack was slightly weakened by the black shadow wrapped around Xifa, or perhaps by some other spell. This prevented Bai Lin from launching the next attack directly. Xifa's arm was ready to strike again at any time, and Bai Lin was in danger!

At this critical moment, Xifa, sword and all, was knocked aside by Zhu Xiaoque's flaming meteor-like charge. Bai Lin felt a sudden sense of relief, a stark contrast to the near-death experience she had just had. She hurriedly pulled herself back, slashing through the shadows beneath her feet with her sword, and, sword raised, walked towards Xifa, who was locked in combat with Zhu Xiaoque.

Xifa swung his sword, slashing, while Zhu Xiaoque kept circling at a distance, spewing fire from time to time. Xifa's magic was restricted by Bai Lin's armor, but Zhu Xiaoque's fire was quite lively. If Xifa were to be involved, Bai Lin would definitely feel anxious to death.

Of course, she had no inclination to put herself in her opponent's shoes. Bai Lin, mingling with a ball of flames, charged in with a straight slash, once again confronting Xifa with his blades. Unexpectedly, the severely injured Xifa fought Bai Lin just as well as before.

Their blades collided, and Bai Lin noticed that his original wounds were completely covered by a layer of dark shadows. The black shadows surged like pus, making people feel uncomfortable. In this moment of distraction, Xifa stepped forward with his sword and slashed at Bai Lin again.

The armor didn't break, but Bai Lin's body was clearly trembling with pain. She staggered back two steps, and Xifa and another shadow rushed towards her simultaneously. During this situation, Bai Lin steadied her balance and activated the circle.

After disappearing, Bai Lin thought, "Use forward and horizontal slashes to break his attack." Just as she was about to put it into action, Xifa stopped in his tracks, and after the shadow merged with his body, he slashed forward without hesitation.

Circle realm, failed? Bai Lin sighed in his heart that it was impossible.

Bai Lin, already unstable, fell backward after receiving this blow, suffering another heavy fall. Xifa's pursuit was blocked by Zhu Xiaoque. Bai Lin didn't rush to his feet, but endured the pain and thrust his sword forward. Xifa, in turn, released a large number of black shadows with one hand, colliding with Zhu Xiaoque, while his other hand stabbed at Bai Lin with his sword.

The result was simple: Xifa's sword missed its target, instead piercing Bai Lin's clavicle. Bai Lin's sword pierced Xifa's lower torso, but he lacked the strength to strike horizontally to inflict further damage. The situation had changed; whoever could survive this blow first would triumph in this life-or-death struggle.

At this moment, Zhu Xiaoque's resounding voice rang out again, and a flood of flames and heat seemed to transform into a rainbow sun, gradually becoming a blinding incandescence. A unique stray light shattered, accompanied by a somewhat harsh and peaceful aura. Xifa's body was directly repelled by the light, and Bai Lin was also slightly impacted.

Zhu Xiaoque's body remained on Bai Lin's, then dispersed at Qinuofu's command, using her remaining magic power to restore Bai Lin. Bai Lin reluctantly stood up, sword raised, and once again confronted Xifa. The radiance of the tempered longsword in her hand faded, its energy depleted.

The scene briefly returned to the cold shadows. Bai Lin gasped, gazing into the depths of the shadows. Meanwhile, Xifa, on the other side, simply stared at her. While this was likely due to the shadows, Xifa's seemingly severe injuries weren't as severe as Bai Lin had imagined.

"What an ugly fight, Xifa. I didn't expect you to use injuries to deplete my resources. What, are you in a hurry to end the battle?"

Bai Lin asked in a hoarse voice. Her physical condition was far from perfect. Perhaps this was why the circle couldn't be properly activated. I hadn't expected that Xifa was the one leading the violent offensive.

"Same here, you're terrible at fighting too. What? You can't handle this level of attack?"

Xifa's voice was not strong either, and it could be heard that his physical condition was not much better. Bai Lin forced a smile and continued,

"You're amazing! I don't have much strength left. I didn't expect that. I thought I could just fight you head-on with my Anti-Demon Armor, but I didn't expect you to pull off so many tricks."

From the moment Xifa's strategy of trading injuries for resources began, Bai Lin was completely on the defensive. All those seemingly useful analyses seemed futile. Xifa was also quite experienced in choosing tactics, and Bai Lin had to admit that his combat experience was not as rich as his.

But that doesn't mean she will give up.

"Brave man, you can't give up. If you die here, you'll really die!" Qinoli said anxiously. Although she had been encouraging except for her calm suggestions, the cat girl finally became impatient.

"If you really can't win, just run away. I have just analyzed some tricks of this world. It will be ok if you hold on for a while!" Qinuofu also tried very hard to consider Bai Lin's survival.

Chapter 258 Borrow

Bai Lin thought to himself, "Don't worry, I won't really die if I die here. You two should go to Fei'er's side first to support her. I still have one last trump card that I haven't used yet, but it's a life-or-death skill. It won't do any good if you two stay in my body."

"But..." Qinuofu was still hesitant.

Qinoli gritted his teeth, hardened his heart, and said directly,

"Let's go, Qinofu. Hero, if you don't make it out alive, I will, I will..."

Listening to Qinoli's seemingly decisive yet somewhat indecisive voice, Bai Lin couldn't help but smile, and then said,

"Don't worry, you have bestowed upon me the title of a hero, and I will certainly live up to it. I will definitely come back alive, so go with peace of mind."

Whether it was a sign of reconciliation or farewell, the cat girl finally left. Bai Lin's vision gradually returned to darkness, but the armor was still draped over her body, providing some incomplete resources. However, the light still dissipated, leaving only a tattered set of armor.

"Are you ready to die?" Xifa asked in surprise.

"One move, one move will end it all. This will also be beneficial to you." Bai Lin said.

"You're planning on using that deep purple flame from last time, aren't you?"

Xifa had a firm grasp on Bai Lin's thoughts. He clearly remembered the dragon spear that had killed countless people. Bai Lin did not intend to hide anything and replied frankly,

"Let it face your supersonic slash. What will happen? I'm looking forward to it."

Xifa sighed and shook his head. He simply assumed Bai Lin was a foolish act, his sigh only for the dying hero. His eyes narrowed, the last bit of respect vanishing from them, and he was about to bring about the hero's demise.

"Then, come on."

The reason why Bai Lin wanted to drive the two cat girls away was, on the one hand, that he firmly believed that this was the only way for him to go, and on the other hand, he was worried that if he saw Kronostia again like last time, the cat girls in her body would be affected.

She didn't know why Xifa suddenly changed his fighting style, but she had to admit that although the two of them exchanged resources without any skill, it was difficult to watch. However, Bai Lin, as the slower and worse-off opponent, could only be restrained by this situation.

I originally thought that I could hold on longer by relying on skills and high mental concentration, and maybe I could even seize the opportunity when Xifa made a mistake to win... I didn't expect that after being hit by the sonic slash, I couldn't even maintain the best combat awareness.

Bai Lin's mind felt extremely exhausted. After experiencing two battles in one day, with almost no rest except for the time for healing, she placed all her hopes on this one fight.

Taking a deep breath, Bai Lin took out the spear tip, which he hadn't seen in a while, and struck it against the shield. Purple flames once again lit up from the tip of the spear, and the deep flames instantly illuminated the entire shadowy space.

The sky roared, the earth trembled, the shadows were drawn up and leaped with the flames, the entire world shook. As the vast flames burned, Bai Lin, already in poor condition, became even more confused by the sudden appearance of the scorching flames. She took a step back, barely holding her body, and endured the pain of every inch of her skin being tortured by the flames.

Finally, the flames burned in front of Bai Lin's eyes, bringing her to another dark and silent world. Bai Lin shook her empty hand, looked up and saw the figure of Kronos.

Even though it was confined to this very narrow cave, its huge body was still very majestic, and its eyes were full of disdain. Bai Lin frowned and said,

"Hey, dead dragon, what do you have against me?"

The dragon grinned and smiled, then said in an unprecedented mocking tone,

"No, it's nothing. I expected you to come. After all, humans are creatures who seek miracles when they are in dire straits. And isn't this weapon a miracle to you?"

The very stinging words stung Bai Lin. She bit her lower lip and was about to say something, but changed her mind.

"Hmph, there's no point arguing with a dead guy. If you just stayed here while I was still fighting desperately, you certainly wouldn't understand my hard work."

After hearing Bai Lin's words, the giant dragon straightened its body slightly. As a dragon that symbolizes darkness and fear, even if it is dead, the shadow under its body is still several orders of magnitude higher than the shadow on Xifa's side. It lowered its head and stared at Bai Lin, and said,

"I really can't understand. But when did you start to feel complacent even after defeating a guy like Gelulu?"

At this point, the dragon took a breath, and after seeing that Bai Lin was fine, he turned his head away and laughed mysteriously again, which made Bai Lin feel uncomfortable.

"Never mind. You're going to say something like, 'I still beat you, right?' Use it if you want. Indulge in this power before you, and then regret it later because of your own lack of strength."

"Just a little reminder, even if you get it, you may not necessarily win, hahahahahahahahahahaha..."

Just like that, Kronos's illusion dissipated, and the chains wrapped around it began to burn, then disintegrated into countless balls of light that flew towards Bai Lin. The immense impact shook Bai Lin's body, and as her blood surged, she spat out another mouthful of blood. In a flash, Bai Lin saw in her own hands the dragon spear imbued with the evil dragon's resentment and the familiar ground. She immediately straightened her body, clenched her hands, pointed the spear downward, and faced forward.

Tsk, this is really frustrating. Although Bai Lin felt disgusted by Kronostia's unclear attitude for a moment, she obviously didn't have the energy to think about it.

Although his armor was still intact, with little damage except for the flames blazing on it, Bai Lin's body was actually quite damaged. This was not limited to the damage caused by Xifa, but more importantly, the burning sensation caused by Kronos's energy.

"I'm practically roasting myself!" The scorching heat overwhelmed the pain, but Bai Lin still maintained her last remaining consciousness, determined to deliver this blow with certainty. Deep flames lit up on the ground like a ring of fire, slowly gathering at Bai Lin's feet. Her gaze remained unwavering as the silver blade gradually lit up in the distance, ready to shatter with it.

Chapter 259: Side thorn

The dragon flames, seemingly intent on subverting the entire space, began to stir near the spear's owner. The flames burning on Bai Lin grew even more intense, yet they didn't advance into her body, instead extending outward. It was as if these flames were moving with conscious intent, no longer threatening Bai Lin herself.

Although the dragon flames danced and burned recklessly, they only moved around Bai Lin and her spear, remaining dormant. The ferocious spear, which made people feel dangerous at first glance, and the flames were lurking, waiting for the moment to burst out.

In Xifa's eyes, it was as if he saw a crawling dragon. Although it had not yet stood up, just by being stared at by those eyes, he could realize that a battle was inevitable.

Bai Lin, the Dragon Spear's master, felt a frenzied and immense force surge recklessly from her body, surging wildly and driving her to strike first. It was clear Bai Lin's body couldn't withstand the dragon's flames. Her vision was blurring, and she was teetering on the brink of life and death. At most, she could only strike once, and after that, she would have no strength left.

If Xifa had some evil intentions and didn't confront Bai Lin head-on, she would definitely end up dead. So even though it was the most dangerous move, Bai Lin had no choice but to counterattack after Xifa's attack.

Bai Lin's sharp martial arts intuition cleared her mind. Xifa seemed about to move, and this set off alarm bells in her mind. She immediately fired a spear in front of her. In an instant, the flames formed an encirclement and soared into the sky. With the momentum to break through the darkness, it seemed to transform into sunlight and shoot straight up.

The dragon of flames surged upward with a fierce, roaring roar, then circled for a moment before ceasing to advance. Standing within the curtain of flames, Bai Lin's vision blurred again, and she nearly fell forward. But she finally steadied herself, raised her spear tip with all her might, and unleashed the most exhausting thrust of her life.

The reason why she laid out this flame curtain was because she no longer had sufficient martial arts skills to release a circle towards Xifa. Therefore, since she was not at an advantage in speed, she had to rely on her fake state, which appeared to be in good condition, to confuse Xifa.

The two times Xifa had used slashing attacks, whether it was the initial slash or the subsequent dashing slash, Bai Lin had captured every detail. With each slash, Xifa had used a straight-line approach at the speed of sound. As he braked to Bai Lin's side, he even turned before launching his next attack, indicating that his path was a fixed straight line.

So Bai Lin could only take a gamble, betting that just as he was about to strike, she would thrust her spear directly along the path. Bai Lin's spears shot out in a stream, and a deep purple, closer to black, condensed from her body and surroundings. Unlike the previous agitation, the flames took on a shape closer to purple crystals, tightly enveloping the spear tip.

Although it seemed quiet, the surging energy within was apparent at a glance. Before Bai Lin's spear could break through the flame curtain, her pupils suddenly contracted.

Sparking the flames and devouring the light, pure white light cleaved space, abruptly intruding into this world of flames along with black lightning. The blade traced Bai Lin's spear tip, and large flames exploded upon contact, yet it didn't affect the black-robed man in the slightest.

As light as a swallow, he moved nimbly, his red eyes radiating confidence and a certainty of battle. He moved freely in this small world of danger. The illegal free runner left all dangers behind him gracefully, and then, with a sword—

Piercing Bai Lin's heart perfectly.

Bai Lin's expression gradually twisted, and the dragon spear in her hand could only react belatedly. Purple dragon flames instantly erupted, enveloping Xifa's entire side and sending him flying far away. The surrounding flames roared and roared, unwillingly dispersing into streams of light and magic.

The place that was once filled with fierce fighting and noise suddenly had only a few flames burning. The few flames looked very pitiful, as if they were mourning for their dead master.

Gradually, a hand emerged from the silent darkness. It was a hand shrouded in shadow, encompassing the entire upper half of his body, even his face, painted in the same hue. Xifa slowly rose, standing in this shadow-filled world, yet it felt as if he hadn't stood up at all.

Looking at Bai Lin in the distance, who had completely stopped struggling and was dissolved into this space along with the Dragon Spear, Xifa couldn't help but think.

"Did I really win?"

Half of his body had become inhuman. The price of victory was heavy, but he also felt that he had gained something. He paced in the dark forest, thinking alone.