Forge a path to success

The thick clouds were blasted to either side by immense magical power, tearing a void open in the center of the sky. Dark blades descended from the valley, like colossal celestial beings bringing scythes to earth. Qingxia's face was reflected on those blades, powerful enough to cleave a city in two.

"Illusory Sky Shadow Technique - Terrifying Execution"

The massive blade that cleaved the sky suddenly fell, like a guillotine magnified a thousand times, slashing towards the two fleeing figures. A vision of blood and gore flashed through Qingxia's eyes—a warning from her intuition. There was no escape, no way to avoid it; this was an execution that could never be avoided as long as fear remained in her heart.

This was the Shadow Magic of the Void Angel; even she couldn't counter it. All the techniques she had learned were useless in this desperate situation, and her fate of death was sealed. Therefore, Qingxia poured her power into her heart, striking out an exceptionally loud heartbeat. Her other heart beat in response, and her power flowed into Chu Hengkong's body through the resonance of their two hearts.

Chu Hengkong's left arm contracted, gathering power as he poured all his strength into his prosthetic arm. The blade of the scythe then expanded dramatically, extending from the ten meters that Olek had used to a hundred meters, exceeding the length of the behemoth. Just before the blade was about to strike, he unleashed his left arm, using the power of doom to unleash the Heavenly Spear.

The Heavenly Spear and the Guillotine were locked in a stalemate in mid-air, and then the silver spear, empowered by the Calamity Wrist, pierced through the darkness and shattered the butcher's blade!

The terror of execution was shattered, and Chu Hengkong's prosthetic arm quickly retracted to a length of 1.5 meters. The prosthetic arm had greedily plundered his power, almost draining him dry. "Are you alright?" Qingxia asked with a smile, though she was sweating from the excessive energy expenditure. "General Chu is so brave!" "When will you ever be serious!"

Wako nodded in agreement: "That's right, you can't be so nonchalant in a life-or-death situation." "You're the last person who has the right to say that!"

Wacroo let out a joyful howl, its roar flowing into the shadowy waves behind it, weaving into thousands of six-pointed star-shaped magic arrays. These arrays collapsed inward like "gates," and a thousand beast heads emerged from behind them, their eyes filled with pitch-black killing intent. They howled along with Wacroo, their bloodthirsty roars converging, merging, and resonating, forming a black tide of annihilation that kills on sight.

Xutian Shadow Technique: Angry voices and roars.

Qingxia took a deep breath, her powerful blood energy solidifying before her face, forming a magic array identical to the one used by Vaklo. This array rapidly multiplied, nesting together to form a 60-layer concentric circle array approximately three meters wide. Qingxia exhaled, unleashing a terrifying roar like that of a dragon. Her roar, amplified by layers of crimson arrays, clashed head-on with the howls of the beast horde. Two ripples, one black and one red, collided in the center of the arena, shattering the surrounding stone stands with the aftershocks!

Void Blood Technique - Roar of Fury. A shadow spell that forcibly simulates magic using blood and qi, reproduced through extraordinary talent.

The concept of sound had almost vanished; all that remained was destruction mediated by vibration. Vaklo held a numerical advantage, but the battle lines remained evenly matched. Because the instant the roar was unleashed, another figure also acted. Chu Hengkong hurled a series of colorless water blades, slicing through the beast heads in the shadows with astonishing accuracy.

10, 50, 100... In the blink of an eye, 376 had been killed. A third of the beast heads were destroyed by the water blades, breaking the balance. The spells of both sides collapsed simultaneously, and the dissipating sound waves even extinguished the raging fire!

Chu Hengkong shook his head violently, using his Undying Technique to regenerate his ruptured eardrums. He had previously covered his entire head with a protective aura; otherwise, his overly sensitive hearing would have caused him to die instantly. But even with his hearing impaired, he could still hear sounds—the frantic heartbeats of his own and Qingxia's chests. In battle mode, he had almost lost control of his heart; his blood circulation completely followed the rhythm of his opponent, as if demons were dancing within his body.

He turned back, peering through the scorched earth, hoping to see the enemy's exhaustion or weakness. But this time, even Chu Hengkong felt immense pressure. Vaklo's agility was as sharp as ever; it remained unharmed, still at its peak, maintaining its strongest state through the immortality depicted in the painting. Its gigantic maw opened as if tearing open, shadows swirling within, forming spheres like miniature celestial bodies.

"Ah, my throat hurts so much..." Qingxia's voice was hoarse. "Please use that biu~ light wave."

Chu Hengkong suppressed the urge to sigh again: "That thing was made from my spine, I can't put it away."

"Really? You can't control your bones?" Qingxia exclaimed in surprise. "General Chu is so weak..."

"That's enough, I'll handle this!"

"Just kidding, leave it to me~"

"Illusory Sky Shadow Technique!" the behemoth cackled. "Pseudo-Celestial Collapse Cannon!"

The giant beast's shadow sphere in the air shrank to the size of a needle, then suddenly burst forth, transforming into a jet-black arrow that pierced the world. The world directly in front of Vaklo twisted like a vortex, the air vanished, the land crumbled, and space itself "flowed" like a waterfall toward the line. That black line was like a crack in the world, and everything in its path was pulled into it by gravity.

This is one of the vicious spells developed by Vaklo, the "Collapse Cannon" that uses the power of planarization to destroy the real world and bring everything into the shadow!

On one side of that inescapable black line, there was a blood-red figure perpendicular to it. Qingxia, carrying Chu Hengkong, charged forward with all her might, mist and soil flowing past them, forming a torrent of matter rushing down. Xinyin grew heavier under the pressure, and Qingxia continuously increased her speed; a moment's slowness would mean being swept into the artillery fire and falling into a place of no burial.

Even now, she was still laughing, her maniacal laughter echoing in the wind like a demon's song. She raised the Qingkun Spear, her back to the black line, and launched a final charge. The gravitational pull from the dragon bones propelled Qingxia away from the annihilating storm, escaping beyond the range of the Collapse Cannon!

The arena's boundaries had long been obliterated by the collapsing cannons, and they ran into the bottomless fog. The cannon fire, now without a target, vanished, and Vaklo pursued them, stepping through the shadows. Fueled by excessive speed, Qingxia could no longer make sharp turns. Her trajectory was veering towards Vaklo, and she hesitated, wondering whether to force herself to stop.

“It’s alright,” Chu Hengkong said. “Let’s continue like this!” The banshee smiled upon hearing this. She turned her position, the tip of her spear pointing directly at the giant beast’s eyes. The two combatants faced each other directly, launching a deadly charge, like knights in an ancient arena about to decide the victor!

Both sides were in a straight line; one more Collapse Cannon shot would end the battle. But Vaklo abandoned that idea. Time was running out. Abandoning the pursuit and choosing to confront each other would result in a collision in a split second, faster than thought. The Spiral Tower's spells were too slow at this point; there was no such luxury in battle. A faster, more destructive, best, most effective, and most direct attack was needed, just like before learning to live—

It closed its eyes. Returned to darkness. For the moment, it abandoned its intellect. The shadowy waves flowing behind the behemoth contracted with a terrifying breath, enveloping Vaklo's body. It grew larger, stronger, more terrifying, like a living building, a moving mountain. The extreme-sized beast roared and charged, as if the vast night itself had transformed into a demon.

Shadow Chase: The Darkest Night!

Chu Hengkong gripped the white spear tightly with his prosthetic hand, and the crumbling weapon emitted a clang. He dispersed the scythe of calamity, and the power of misfortune poured into the weapon, transforming into perfectly round raindrops that embedded themselves into the final rune slot. The rune beads given by Youyou, the fire of ambition, and the raindrops of misfortune—the three forces resonated under the influence of divine magic, transforming into a mottled dragon shape.

The dragon stretched its neck and roared, channeling its energy into the shadows. The white spear shattered upon leaving its hand due to overload, yet the concentrated power remained undiminished. It pierced through the dense shadows and plunged into Vaklo's skull. The behemoth's counterattack slowed, and the distance between them narrowed to only 5 meters... 3 meters...!

At that moment, a beam of black light flew out from the distant painting and plunged into Vakuro's body. The black light transformed into another ferocious head—the half of its body that had been separated from the painting! At that instant, Vakuro deliberately retracted its half of its body and used all its strength to bite and kill its opponent who was right in front of it!

"—A duet!"

The two clashed head-on, only inches apart. Qingxia's lance pierced Vaklo's chest first, while the second beast head snapped down, its canine teeth sinking into Chu Hengkong's shoulder!

At this point, all means had been exhausted. Relics and divine arts alike—there was nothing left to use. All that remained was himself, his unwavering will to never give up, and his courageous heart. Chu Hengkong's right hand thrust out like a spear, piercing the giant beast's mouth. His fingertips swayed with a blood-red aura; the life force burning under his steely will illuminated the night like a real fire.

Dragon Village Fist Technique, Third Secret Transmission. A method of transforming one's suffering and pain into power, a burst of fiery energy!

Burn the night!

The man's powerful punch shattered the beast's skull, his burning energy piercing the shadows and incinerating the beast's fear. Chu Hengkong's right hand, sharp as a spearhead and amplified by incredible speed, sliced ​​through the beast's mouth, cleaving through Vaklo's massive body!

Then, the two passed each other. They barely managed to control their speed, stopped sprinting, and turned back almost simultaneously. Qingxia and Chu Hengkong were panting heavily from exhaustion. Wakolo transformed back into human form, clutching his chest; a fiery red slash mark marred his upper body.

Their gazes met in the air, both urging themselves to raise their hands faster. Qingxia raised her spear, while Wakolo extended his razor-sharp claws. They crouched, preparing for their next charge—

But suddenly, Wacro's movements slowed. Its wounds hadn't healed, and a burning resentment seared its broken body. It braced itself with its claws, trying to keep from collapsing.

Inside the mural, Qingye sheathed his sword and simultaneously severed the execution platform and the statue of Van Salal.

“Oh dear…” Vacklo scratched his head in frustration. “I was too impulsive. How should I put it? I got carried away after a few words from the young people. A more measured approach would have yielded different results. I kept going in circles with you guys, then tried to snatch the paintbrush back!… But that would have destroyed the mechanism in the painting first… So let’s allocate our resources more carefully! A smaller share here, and a larger share there!”

It chattered on and on, meticulously reviewing the battle, constantly searching for any possibility of turning defeat into victory. If only they hadn't made mistakes, if only they had been more cautious, if only they had anticipated the enemy's moves… Chu Hengkong and Qingxia remained silent, standing still. Like helpless young people yielding to the old man's nagging.

“Yes, just kidding.” Vaklo laughed. “Sorry, Lord Vansalal.”

"Well done, I admit defeat."

It vanished and shattered in the flames, like a swarm of black butterflies.

The Nightmare King's strongest emissary met his belated death.

Chapter 179 A Moment of Respite

In the heart of the desolate wilderness, in the city of nightmares.

Terrifying shrieks echoed from the dark, cold throne.

"Hahaha, ahahahaha! Unprecedented good news!"

"Finally, even Vaklo is dead this time! They truly are the new recruits I placed so high hopes on!" Vansalar covered his face and laughed wildly. "This wilderness... is welcoming dawn!"

It lavishly expresses its joy, praising the warriors' bravery and quick wit. That unusual yet utterly sincere demeanor would even frighten its adversaries. It's as if a spectator sitting on a high platform is applauding, their heartstrings tugged by the actors' every word and smile. The audience doesn't care about the characters' lives or deaths; they only care about the story's brilliance, watching their beloved heroic drama.

But Vansalar's laughter continued, yet it never removed its hand covering its face, so even in a room, its expression was not visible.

Looking out the window, Ye Xing saw that the dark sky had brightened a little, and dark drizzle was weaving through the clouds and falling to the earth.

He thought to himself, "So even the Demon King cries."

·

Inside the mural in the arena.

"Stop fighting, little knight! Stop your magic!"

The False Light lay upside down on the ground, emitting a weak, pleading sound. Nothing grew around it; it was a scorched wasteland. The shattered and mangled corpses of the glowing carcass lay scattered on the ground like mud, and charred demon corpses were everywhere.

Ji Huaisu took a few deep breaths, then, carrying the Shadow Blade, shouted, "Who else!"

"Aaaaaah..." The shivering ape lying on the ground tried to raise its hand in surrender, but it fell limply to its side due to lack of strength. The rotting dust on its back glared resentfully: "If this were back in the day!"

"What do you mean 'back then'?" Pseudo-Light asked weakly. "You weren't much stronger when you were first resurrected than you are now."

"I was saying she wasn't dead yet!" Fu Chen shouted, "I wasn't even this badly beaten up when I was fighting her father back then!!"

Ji Huaisu had originally planned to cut down these calamity-inducing creatures with one sword and quickly rest, but upon hearing this, he became anxious: "What do you mean?! You know my father?! How do you know who my father is?!"

"Isn't this obvious?" Fu Chen looked bewildered. "Your old man may not be anything special, but he's still somewhat well-known..."

"Shut up, you idiot!" Pseudo-Light hurriedly interrupted. "Haven't you noticed? This tone screams 'a long-lost only daughter embarking on a solitary journey to find her family with a clear conscience'! If you keep talking, you'll give them a clue! Guwa—"

Ji Huaisu leaped up and kicked the fake light to the ground. Fu Chen seemed to wake from a dream and used sand to make a big X: "Ha, crazy woman, you won't get any information from me!"

"I've already died twice and you're still such bastards! Tell me!"

"Hehehe, we absolutely won't say a word for you~" "If you're so unwilling to accept this, go find Lord Vansalal and interrogate him, ahahaha~"

The False Light and the Corrupting Dust dispersed with wicked grins, having dutifully stood their last post for the Demon King's army, and had garnered a huge wave of hatred for their Demon King. The Frost Ape wouldn't mind saying a few words to the newcomer, but it couldn't speak. The utterly conflicted ape could only give a thumbs-up, revealing a tough-guy smile.

"Aww!" (Special translation: Keep it up!)

"Say something! Stop yelling and talk to me! Don't just walk away like a veteran who's finished a mission, give a thumbs up and leave, okay? Are you some kind of gorilla, you bastard!"

Having given Mr. Han a good beating (and been badly beaten in return), he died contentedly. Silence returned to the painting, and Ji Huaisu, furious, ran her hands through her hair: "Damn it...!!"

"What's wrong, Sister Huaisu?" Qingye rushed over as if flying, carrying her own knife.

"It's nothing, I was just envious of your amazing figure," Ji Huaisu said sourly.

Qingye was taken aback: "Huh?! What reason do you have to be jealous of me?!"

"Yeah, I'm so envious. After all, I don't have the courage to fight alongside an adult male I've only known for a few days while wearing body paint..." Ji Huaisu felt a pang of envy for the second time.

"Wow, you're actually jealous of me? I misjudged you, Sister Huaisu." Qingye pretended to wipe away tears. "You just wait, I'll seduce Mr. Chu and get revenge on you later."

"You've grown quite bold, little girl," Ji Huaisu sneered. "I'll strip you of your armor."

"No! I don't want this one!"

Half-asleep, Vande suddenly looked up: "Who wants to skin me alive?"

"Nobody's calling you an idiot squid!"

Amidst the girls' laughter and chatter, the nightmarish mural slowly faded away. They emerged from the mural and returned to reality, discovering that the eastern wall of the arena had vanished. An empty chasm rose from the center of the arena, stretching for thousands of meters.

The environment around the battlefield underwent drastic changes, a result of the "pseudo-celestial collapse cannon" firing in just a few seconds. Not far from the end of the valley, Chu Hengkong rolled off Qingxia's back and lay on the ground, gasping for breath.

After the release of the Thousand Autumns Qi, a sense of weakness and pain surged forth as if in retribution. The flesh and blood lost due to the flattening had to regenerate as quickly as possible, and his already depleted strength was now completely exhausted. Qingxia looked down at him, her golden eyes blinking.

"Maybe you shouldn't use that breathing-holding evil technique next time? If you do that every time you fight, you're bound to die."

Chu Heng laughed in the air: "What evil magic? This is a righteous and legitimate method!"

"How could someone from a prestigious and righteous sect commit suicide every time they fight?" Qingxia asked.

"Originally, it was only used by point mass 3..." Chu Heng was speechless, "I'm not strong enough."

"So it turns out General Chu was just too eager for quick success!"

Qingxia smiled mischievously, reminding him of those teasing girls in school. Although her appearance and figure were mature, her speech and thoughts were like those of a quirky and unpredictable young girl.

Meanwhile, Qingxia's wounds were healing rapidly, almost as fast as when he used the Undying Technique. She casually brushed her healing wounds aside and presented her bloodied fingertips to Chu Hengkong.

"Want me to lick it?" Qingxia asked.

"Of course not!" Chu Hengkong exclaimed, his head aching. "Why ask such a question?"

"|`) You seem to care a lot, which is good for healing."

"I don't need it! Put away your overly high self-esteem, and you're not an egg anymore, so stop writing emoticons on your armor!"

“σ() woo~~~”

"No booing allowed!"

One must be calm and collected when speaking to centaurs; reasoning with them is useless. Chu Hengkong repeatedly reminded himself, trying to extricate himself from this quagmire of conversation. As he stood up, something dark fell out of his coat, and he realized that Vacklo's paintbrush was still on him.

He opened the manual and began to examine Vaklo's belongings. Qingxia also curiously peeked over to look at the spoils of war.

[The Twins' Paintbrushes]

[Rating: 5 (Faint handwriting)]

【Origin: Mysterious Realm of the Underworld - Spiral Tower】

[Effect: The favorite pen of "Twin" Vaklo Lockva. Greatly enhances the power and range of all shadow spells and reduces the casting time.]

Fear can be used as paint to depict distorted reality. The art of painting can exert influence on lower-dimensional existences.

Having lost its original owner's support, its connection to the user has weakened, and it cannot be used for long. Current usable uses: 2.

[Curse:]

1. This relic is a product of the paradoxical external path, and cannot be used by non-external life forms with a particle size of 5 or lower.

2. This relic has been corrupted by heretical forces. The holder will gradually be controlled by negative emotions and simultaneously learn the elemental magic of the Spiral Tower. Upon fully mastering a particular spell, the holder will be transformed into a Calamity.

3. This relic carries the blessing of "Nightmare King" Vansalal. If one completely submits to the Nightmare King, or demonstrates courage worthy of his approval, one can learn the Void Shadow Technique while retaining one's individuality.

[Longing: The Nightmare King gave him the Ghost-Slaying Pen and his name, hoping he could find pleasure in it.]

Lu Gui created many exquisite works and was hailed as the Demon King's personal painter.

However, it had absolutely no interest in painting.

I happily wield my paintbrush every day, hoping only to bring joy to the Demon King.

While the relic was of high grade, it was utterly useless to them. The paintbrush's bonus was entirely focused on "shadow magic," and since they weren't Cataclysmic beings, they naturally couldn't learn heterodox magic. The "reality distortion" effect could only be used twice, and required a high-quality heterodox spell to activate; hoping to use it for a last-ditch counterattack was futile. Not to mention the disgusting curse that continuously corrupted and transformed Cataclysmic beings…