Forge a path to success

It was a hand-blade formed by five fingers joined together, its deep purple flesh possessing a sharpness several times greater than metal. Its arrival was swift as the wind, yet it barely grazed the clothing. Because at the same moment, Chu Hengkong leaned backward, dodging with a single-handed backbend. His body rotated ninety degrees around his waist, his toes dangerously rising like a scorpion's tail… aiming to stab at the purple shadow's back! Evasion and counterattack were perfectly integrated; this was the kicking technique from the Three Thousand Sets, the Tail Needle Kick!

Zi Ying raised his forearm to defend, and when the kick struck, his arm rang out with a sharp clang, like metal clashing. Chu Hengkong felt a subtle pain in his leg. The enemy's physical strength was considerable, comparable to the outer armor of a tank based on the feel. A direct assault was not a wise move.

After one exchange, Chu Hengkong made a judgment. In a flash, his tentacles retracted. Chu Hengkong spun around and launched a tentacle lash, while Zi Ying countered with a seasoned high kick. His leg joints bent like an insect's, possessing immense explosive power. The two exchanged blows, evenly matched, the aftershocks sending mud flying everywhere.

After a brief exchange, both retreated simultaneously, their gazes fixed intently on each other. Zi Ying's demeanor was as composed as a swamp lord. "To think you could evade my deadly attack, you've got some good luck," she said. Chu Hengkong, meanwhile, aimed his staff at the alien enemy's brow. "Just as I expected," he murmured, narrowing his eyes.

The true form of the purple shadow was a bald man with a gloomy face, wearing a white robe resembling a cassock, but with deformed lower limbs and deep purple skin. This bizarre, demonic creature was none other than the great wizard Adari!

“You’re not very surprised,” Adari sneered. “It seems the Calamity Knight has noticed my abilities.”

Actually, she's always thought you're a weakling. Chu Hengkong swallowed the truth that was about to come out, after all, there was no point in saying anything more at this point.

In reality, relying solely on simplistic judgment based on experience is insufficient. In a place like the swamp, teeming with demons and monsters, a useless person who can only manipulate others has no chance of becoming the leader of a force. Even if Adari relies on external resources as his foundation, he is no easy opponent. To deal with a seasoned and cunning cult leader, comprehensive preparations are essential.

"Hah!" Chu Hengkong suddenly exhaled and swung his staff at Adali's head. The relic staff shattered on the bald head; his flesh was harder than steel. Adali's hand emerged from the debris, and he unleashed another piercing strike, sharp as a knife. Chu Hengkong used the force of the blow to leap high, launching a flurry of kicks at Adali's chest. Adali countered with a barrage of punches, the two seemingly evenly matched, but Chu Hengkong still possessed a tentacle.

Taking advantage of the chaos, the tentacles lashed out, wrapping around Adali's neck like ropes. Chu Hengkong landed with a powerful thud, flashing behind Adali in a flash. He discarded the broken club, tightened the muscles of his tentacles, and struck Adali's head with his right palm, unleashing a deadly strangulation technique with his tentacles.

Tentacles, inherently as tough as ropes and possessing an inescapable stickiness, are the perfect medium for strangulation. Direct attacks are unlikely to be effective against enemies with steel-like bodies; therefore, a change of strategy is needed—using softness to overcome hardness. Even the strongest enemy cannot survive once its head is twisted off.

Adali realized the danger. He took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and countered with a hammer-like elbow strike. Once, twice, three times. After three consecutive elbow strikes, the ordinary skilled hand was already coughing up blood from broken bones, but Chu Hengkong remained unmoved. A vortex-like outline appeared in the mud beneath his feet, and the secret technique of vortex absorption transferred most of the power to the mud.

Chu Hengkong tightened the tentacles, and Adali gurgled in his throat. He would suffocate in a few more breaths... But then he suddenly released the tentacles and retreated with an acrobatic backflip. Almost simultaneously, Adali unleashed a vicious heel kick! He was just a hair's breadth away from being seriously injured.

"What's wrong, assassin?" Adali made a vomiting sound. "We were about to succeed, weren't we? Why are you backing out at this crucial moment?"

"Or perhaps..." he smiled sinisterly, "that even you, in your foolishness, have finally realized it?"

A subtle pain emanated from the tentacles. It appeared intermittently and irregularly, as irritating as being bitten by mosquitoes. As soon as this sensation appeared, Chu Hengkong immediately withdrew, because he had felt a similar pain when his initial kick hit the other's body the last time he touched it.

This time, however, he was very close to the enemy and thus discovered the true nature of the stinging sensation. Dark, protruding objects pierced beneath the skin of Adari's neck. They were insect pincers!

Adari let out a hideous laugh. Beneath his skin, taut to its limit from the strangling tentacles, countless tiny, writhing outlines emerged. Like ants building a nest in sand and gravel, like earthworms burrowing through damp mud, countless venomous insects crawled through his flesh. This man was a true madman; he had turned his own body into a nest of venomous insects, and any enemy who dared to touch him would be met with a vengeful attack.

The stinging sensation in his hands and toes intensified, and Chu Hengkong's vision suddenly blurred. He immediately swallowed the antidote he had prepared before the mission. The pill dissolved in his mouth, tasteless like water. Much better. He told himself repeatedly. Much better. But Adali's speed increased strangely. He stomped forward with the force of thunder, striking Chu Hengkong's chest with the sole of his palm.

The vicious force erupted in a short distance, sending Chu Hengkong flying nearly ten meters. He barely managed to regain his footing in the mud, but a sudden burning sensation in his throat caused him to spit out a mouthful of purple blood. The wound from the impact sent excruciating pain through him, as if he had been stung by a thousand bees.

Poisonous insect stings suddenly emerged from Adali's palm; he was using the venom within his body for attack. But why could he see it so clearly? Wasn't he supposed to have been sent flying several meters? It was because Adali was already in front of him. Chu Hengkong raised his arm to defend. Another sharp pain shot through him.

The enemy shouldn't be this fast. It's because he's slowed down...!

"What color is the light in your eyes?" He heard the great wizard's sinister laugh.

The light was green. A vibrant green, like the green of leaves. But the leaves were a bright yellow, twisted like maggots in fire. The swamp swirled slowly, and the great wizard seemed to walk on the side of the world. Vision was blurry yet terrifyingly bright; limbs in his consciousness melted and twisted, and ice seemed to flow through his veins.

His senses were dulling, and his strength was rapidly draining away. The deadly poison had seeped into his bloodstream; he had been poisoned by Adari!

·

"Holy shit! Holy shit! Something's wrong!" Jie An jumped up in a panic. "Chu Hengkong's fighting skills don't make sense... He's been poisoned! We need reinforcements!"

Jie An couldn't help but be anxious. He was familiar with every medicinal herb and every creature in the swamp, which was why he understood how terrifying the plagues and poisons lurked in the mud and dense forests. The foremost of these could turn a wild beast into a maggot's nest within minutes, and even the most skilled hands couldn't withstand them. He pounded on the chair, signaling Ji Huaisu to attack, but she didn't move, looking around as if she hadn't heard him.

"Forget about plans and saving face, hurry up, girl. People will die if you're late!" Jie An was frantic.

"I know," Ji Huaisu said. "It's up to you!"

Suddenly, she kicked Jie An out of the car. Before the shock in Jie An's eyes could fade, it was covered by a scorching blue light. It was a pillar of fire erupting from the ground, like bluish-green lava. The vehicle in the flames was completely carbonized before it even had a chance to explode. Even from five meters away, Jie An felt as if he was about to be scorched by the flames.

He reached out blankly and touched a glowing "wall." It was Ji Huaisu's light shield; at the last moment, she had sent out her life-saving shield, placing herself in the flames.

"Ji Huaisu!!" he shouted frantically.

A black line emerged from the flames, and Jie An immediately held his breath. He saw the heavy, menacing greatsword cleave through the pillar of fire, and the knight wielding the sword stood amidst the ashes.

Ji Huaisu turned around and saw the panic and helplessness in the man's eyes. He was clearly over 30, yet he acted like a powerless child, a pathetic sight. There was nothing that could be done; Jie An was a man without fighting ability. He had no talent for combat; his greatest help was in preparing food and medicine. But Ji Huaisu still gazed at him intently, looking at a warrior, not a cook.

“Jie An, you’re an Ascended One too, right?” she said. “Then stand up and run forward! Go to your battlefield!”

Two team members rushed over and pulled Jie An up from the ground. Jie An was completely stunned, his mouth agape but no words came out. Ji Huaisu shouldered her greatsword and dashed out, no longer paying attention to anyone or anything behind her. She couldn't afford to be distracted any longer; even a moment's delay would mean death for everyone.

A distant, azure fireball flew towards the dense forest, about to land in the direction of Chu Hengkong's battle. She hurled her greatsword and extinguished it before continuing her advance, giving her opponent no more opportunities to strike.

Ji Huaisu's trajectory was a straight line, smashing away all obstacles in her path, even breaking through walls when she encountered houses. After several breaths, Ji Huaisu arrived at the edge of the Deep Roots settlement, where countless tree roots intertwined to form a brown "basin." She wielded her greatsword like an iron fan, the wind from the sword blowing up a white top hat.

"What a pity," the man said casually. "It was so close to success."

He grabbed his top hat and put it back on, his pure white tuxedo making him look like a gentleman attending a funeral. Ji Huaisu gripped her greatsword firmly, assuming a fighting stance, and warily watched the man before her. She had never seen this man before, just as she had never seen a tuxedo as white as paper. This in itself was unbelievable, because she was the person most familiar with the criminals of Huilong City.

"Who are you."

"I'm a businessman, here to provide some after-sales service." The man held up one finger. "My customer quite likes this product... Could you please not disturb him?"

A small blue flame ignited at his fingertips, transforming into an eagle-like claw that lunged at Ji Huaisu's face. Ji Huaisu extinguished the fiery claw with a single sword strike, and the man in the top hat elegantly waved his hand, sending a series of fireballs the size of his head flying at his command. Behind him, a towering pillar of fire erupted, the blue flames rising from the roots of the giant tree and burning towards the settlement beside it.

Deep within the flames, unseen by anyone, those who wield the elements begin their battle!

In an instant, the fire raged, turning the southern part of the deep-rooted settlement into a sea of ​​flames. Even Chu Hengkong, trapped by the poison, could feel the heat in the air. The situation had changed; reinforcements were not coming, and they had to find a way out on their own. The pile of corpses in the torches was recovering from its previous injuries; they had to kill Adari before the poison could kill them, or they would die.

Chu Hengkong barely managed to parry the next heavy punch; the shock aggravated his wounds, bringing excruciating pain. But he didn't fall; a defiant smile appeared on his pale face. Adari swung his blade-like hand downwards, but Chu Hengkong retreated with minimal movement. The two barely created some distance, the assassin still smiling.

"A troublesome kid." Adali frowned. The technique he used was the "Heart-Corroding Poison Hand," inherited from Shura Island, further enhanced by the venomous insects within his body. It was a unique skill that could be effective even in cross-particle combat. A minute had passed since he was poisoned. Based on experience, even the most skillful hand should have succumbed to the poison by now. But this assassin still had the ability to fight…

Is it a secret medicine? No, after the Great Master Jingzang, the inexperienced members of the resurrection troops had no way to detoxify. Therefore, it must be a method other than medicine…

Martial arts?

Chu Hengkong desperately suppressed his breathing, controlling his heartbeat in an almost self-destructive manner, contracting specific muscles to slow blood flow and thus reduce the spread of toxins. The Turtle Breathing Technique, one of the Three Thousand Sets of Techniques, is a secret method for suppressing life activities to a minimum, a way to survive even in the face of death.

But merely clinging to life is useless; the spread of the toxin means the countdown to death has begun. To defeat the enemy before death arrives, a way to turn defeat into victory must be devised…

Adari appeared as thin as a noodle in my field of vision; sight was no longer reliable, and I had to rely on intuition. A heavy punch came, and unable to judge its speed, I foolishly crossed my arms to defend. Barely not knocked down, I used my tentacles to grab onto the opponent's arm. Forcing myself forward, I threw a punch aimed at my heart with reckless ferocity.

Chu Hengkong's punch landed, but it failed to cause any damage. Adali's chest was churning like mud, and black pincers protruded from beneath his skin, biting Chu Hengkong's fist like centipedes lurking within flesh! Chu Hengkong only managed to hit the pincers; his desperate counterattack only poisoned him again. Meanwhile, Aguda seized the opportunity, delivering an upward palm strike, his palm unleashing a poisonous bee's sting!

A palm strike and a poisoned needle landed simultaneously, causing Chu Hengkong's vision to blur violently. However, he spun in mid-air, seizing the opportunity presented by his enemy's attack to counterattack with a kick. Adali was knocked back a step, and Chu Hengkong landed and continued throwing punches, unleashing attacks as unpredictable as a drunkard's. Fragments of movements flashed through his chaotic mind; he was still analyzing the weaknesses in his enemy's fighting style. The assassin could still fight; he hadn't lost all hope of victory.

But his next attack was blocked by slippery flesh—a glowing corpse, separated from the pile of torch-bearing corpses. The luminous body, like a biased referee, stepped between the two, declaring the "battle" over with the utmost irony.

Yes, not a fight. The insidious high wizard had no intention of fighting the assassin. Adari only responded with a cold laugh, a sculpted, emotionless smile. He took the staff from his other glowing hand, and as the pile of torch-like corpses disintegrated, dozens of glowing corpses surrounded Chu Hengkong.

The warrior's tenacity was overwhelmed by sheer numbers; no matter how strong his willpower, he had no chance of winning in such a situation where he was outnumbered.

"Afraid to fight the patients?" Chu Heng laughed weakly, unable to stop spitting out blood. "What a weak man."

“Don’t be so arrogant, kid,” Adari said contemptuously. “Your wretched life is not worthy of my attention. Your worthy enemy is this filthy and foolish corpse.”

The high wizard raised his staff high, the bell at its tip jingling. A sharp, clear sound rang out. Chu Hengkong felt another sharp pain in his brain; the mental attack instantly halted his movements. Meanwhile, the mud-covered corpses rapidly approached Chu Hengkong, the light emanating from their bodies growing brighter and brighter…

"Corpse explosion." Adari sneered.

Then, the fireflies that were close to Chu Hengkong all swelled up and exploded, stirring up a mushroom cloud of golden light in the dense forest!

Chapter 37 Shattering the False Idol (Part 2)

A raging fire erupted in the south, while the northern sun shone blindingly. Explosive blasts swept from the depths of the dense forest, nearly knocking down residents near the settlement. A sharp-eyed observer saw a blood-red figure burst forth from the light, blown to the ground like trash by the storm. The ominous light persisted, and one after another, limp, glowing corpses emerged from the forest, silently shattering the hopes in people's hearts.

"It's the end of the world," said the desperate residents. "The end of the world has come."

The sliver of confidence they had managed to muster was quickly extinguished by the series of unexpected events. Some cried out softly, while many more stood frozen in shock, bewildered and helpless. Then, the armed monks appeared, vigorously shaking small bells. The great wizard Adari, who had appeared on the rooftop sometime earlier, smiled at the confused crowd.

“Pray. Sing my name,” Adari said solemnly. “In this way, calamity will depart and you will find peace.”

So many people did as they were told. Like desperate people grasping at a straw, they knelt and prayed. "Adali!" "Adali..." "Please save us, great Adali!" Their pleas were so humble, like the cries of the weak for divine favor. And the culprit who had caused the disaster was mingling among the fireflies, brazenly accepting the prayers of the crowd.

But how could this be? Wasn't the great wizard Adari fighting Chu Hengkong? Yes, this was just a false illusion created with relics, a last-ditch effort to thwart the Judgment Day plan... while the real Adari stood in the north of the settlement, watching the wounded human figures in the ruins.

"I'll give you one compliment, after all, you took the measures I predicted," the high wizard sneered. "However, they were incredibly crude and foolish!"

A bloodied hand pressed against the rubble, swaying precariously as if about to collapse at any moment. The heavily wounded Chu Hengkong stood up. His right hand was blackened from the intense heat, the charred wound revealing stark white bone. Tiny wounds accumulated on his tentacles, from which silver blood flowed. A penetrating wound in his left abdomen, bones shattered in the previous exchange, and now a deadly poison eroding his life… countless misfortunes had accumulated on the assassin, yet he was still alive, a survivor of the earlier explosion.

Before the corpses exploded, Chu Hengkong leaped into the air, using his last bit of strength to get away from the center of the explosion. He was indeed unable to control his body due to the mental attack, but his body could still move on its own. This was the preventative measure he had prepared before the battle, a conditioned reflex he had trained over three days. If he suddenly stopped moving at high speed, he would immediately jump away from the battle.

This strategy sounds utterly absurd, but a skilled hand capable of desperately controlling its body has the ability to employ such a crazy fighting style.

However, merely escaping a fatal blow wouldn't reverse the tide of the battle. In contrast to the gruesome assassin, Adari was unharmed, nearly perfectly healthy. Chu Hengkong forced a smile, staring at the blurry, distorted silhouette in the distance: "What are you doing standing there? Afraid of having your ugly true face seen?"

But Adari struck the ground with his staff, and a mud-covered firefly melted, enveloping the great wizard's body like liquid clothing, making him indistinguishable from an ordinary firefly. A skilled warrior like Chu Hengkong could discern the difference, but ordinary people couldn't. He had even considered such a subtle oversight.

That's why I said, "Incredibly dull."

Adali indifferently issued the order, and the mud-covered fireflies that had followed him leaped out, like glowing insects greedily consuming flesh and blood. Left with no other choice, Chu Hengkong retreated again, wielding his wounded tentacles like whips to drive back the fireflies' encirclement. But the fireflies struck emitted a bright light and exploded once more!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Three more explosions occurred in quick succession, blasting Chu Hengkong away through two buildings before he landed in the square of the Deep Roots settlement. Here stood a bronze statue of the Great Wizard Adali. Outside the square, a crowd of residents were praying around the phantom; after witnessing the light of the exploding corpse, they frantically thanked the Great Wizard for his protection.

Adali maintained a safe distance, preventing Chu Heng from getting any closer. He smiled smugly, his voice barely audible, knowing that only a skilled hand with exceptional hearing could hear him.

“You should have taken the opportunity to hide inside the building, but I know you couldn’t. Because you didn’t want to hurt innocent people… and it was this arrogant self-righteousness that decided your death!” Adari laughed disdainfully, looking down on the assassin who was his enemy, and on everyone in the swamp.

There was nowhere left to hide. The assassin lay dead in the ruins, the mud-covered corpses closing in on him. Chu Hengkong desperately flung out his tentacles, not giving up even in this moment, still thinking of fighting back. But the poison had completely impaired his senses, and his tentacles lashed out to the empty side. His dying counterattack failed to defeat even a single enemy. The mud-covered corpses swarmed forward, and a mass explosion of corpses was about to begin.

A blinding light shot out like a sword, piercing through everyone's eyes!

The light wasn't a sign of the zombie explosion; the glowing zombies weren't that fast yet. The light came from the bright headlights of a car. A deep blue SUV roared as it crashed through the wall and into the enemy ranks, its excessive speed turning the glowing zombies into mud under its wheels. The driver's side door was wide open, and a thin hand gripped a tentacle tightly.

"Get in the car!" Jie An's voice was hoarse.

Chu Hengkong mustered his last strength to retract his tentacles and climbed into the SUV just before the explosion. The explosion of the pile of corpses sent the vehicle flying into the air! The Grand Wizard was completely wrong; Chu Hengkong's decision not to hide was a deliberate attempt to reveal his location. He needed to create a large enough commotion in an open area so that others could find him.

Adali, realizing what was happening, roared angrily. The SUV bounced violently after hitting the ground, while Chu Hengkong lay on the passenger seat, laughing hysterically. Jie An frantically closed the car door, driving with one hand and holding a pestle in the other, his voice trembling: "Laugh! You're about to die and you're still laughing your ass!"

"You should only laugh when you're about to die..." Chu Hengkong coughed uncontrollably, yet his eyes held a hint of pleasure. "Where are the others?"

"Ji Huaisu is fighting the fire-breathing monster, the other team members went to get reinforcements." Jie An's legs were trembling uncontrollably. He released the steering wheel and pounded his legs hard, but his hand holding the pestle was still moving in the mortar, without stopping for a moment. "You have to hold on! Say something and don't close your eyes!"

Chu Hengkong was still laughing, a weak and ugly laugh, his facial muscles almost out of control, death looming. "Why are you here?" He completely ignored Jie An's words, continuing his unfinished topic, "Too risky."

"It's not your turn to fight to the death," Jie An gritted his teeth. "This is my gold...my medicine!!"

He's the one who wants the gold the most, not just to save Ji Qiufeng. The gold is a promise he made to his father, the meaning of his life. Now everyone is fighting tooth and nail while he's hiding in the back—what kind of bullshit is that, trying his best?

This is his battlefield, it has nothing to do with assassins or knights, he, Jie An, is the one who should risk his life the most!

The SUV rampaged through the city like a ferocious beast. He kept the accelerator pressed down, skillfully shifting gears with one hand, changing direction at the last second, leaving the muddy corpses far behind without harming a single civilian. His driving skills were phenomenal, for he was also a cornerstone of Point One; even with weak talent, the power to manipulate tools and machinery was etched into his very being.

But Jie An's expression grew even more somber. The light in the rearview mirror faded, revealing a human figure that gradually grew larger. It was Adali, who had personally pursued them! He had taken another dose of the drug to stimulate the poison within his body, causing his leg joints to buckle and transform into a hideous structure resembling insect legs. This mutated body granted him immense explosive power; he was faster than an off-road vehicle. Each step Adali took left deep footprints on the road, the heavy echoes of his footsteps approaching like a death knell!

"You fucking monster. You're a worthless cornerstone!" Jie An cursed.

He struck the pestle one last time, then shoved it and the mortar into Chu Hengkong's arms. Chu Hengkong fell silent. Jie An couldn't relax; he jerked the steering wheel, trying to turn and shake off the pursuers, but Adali threw several purple poisoned needles. The needles, like bullets of poison, pierced the tires, penetrated the car body, and deeply embedded themselves in Jie An's hands and lungs.

He suddenly felt breathless, his vision blurring as if an earthquake had struck. The great wizard in the rearview mirror was still approaching. The car was about to stop. He knew he had no chance. He snapped into reverse, accelerated, and rammed into Adari behind him!

Adali nimbly leaped over the vehicle and threw another poison needle. Jie An's desperate struggle was futile; the SUV veered off course and exploded after a short distance. Adali stood in the distance, watching the fools die.

"Adali." "Adali..." "Adali!"

The fools continued to pray, chanting his name to the phantom. The great wizard stretched out his hands, basking in the omnipotence that worship brought. This was the end of the farce, just as Sanga was banished to the backwaters, just as Alex was exiled to Midgard; those who were his enemies would ultimately be defeated, as was the fate of those who were enemies of God.

In the swamp, everyone worships gods, yet these idols are nothing but illusions in the eyes of fools. In this land of self-deception, only the ruler who controls people's hearts is worthy of being called a god. And there is only one god who controls all, and that is him, the great wizard Adari!

However, at this moment when he should have been enjoying himself, a look of shock appeared in Adari's eyes. He saw a black silhouette emerge from the firelight, and in the center of the ruins caused by the explosion, a blood-soaked killer stood up.

"Thank you," Chu Hengkong said softly. "I feel much better."

He swallowed the last mouthful of medicine, and a cool sensation flowed through his body. His vision cleared, his sense of direction became fixed, and distorted, slender objects returned to normal; the light returned to its yellow hue. It was as if a clear spring had washed away accumulated stagnation and poison, and the vile toxins had been uprooted. The miracle came from the miraculous medicine that Jie An had risked his life to create along the way—a prescription known to everyone in the swamp.

A panacea for curing evil and poison.

Chu Hengkong carefully put away the pestle, rolled up Jie An with his tentacles, and placed it some distance away. A poisoned needle flew from behind, which he slightly turned his head to avoid.

The assassin turned, clenching his fist, his body transforming into a jet-black light due to the incredible speed. The next instant, a vengeful punch tore through the air, a devastating blow slamming into Adali's face!

Adari's vision went dark as a circular shockwave radiated vertically from his head. The punch was incredibly heavy, slamming Adari to the ground. His body sank deep into the mud!

"You lowly commoner!!" Adali roared as he rose to his feet, his corpse disguise shattered instantly, revealing his wretched true form. Adali swung a poisoned hand chop, while Chu Hengkong retracted his right arm, meeting the attack with a lash of his tentacles. The fierce strike landed squarely on his wrist, completely dispelling the poisoned hand chop.

Adali calmly stepped back, secretly channeling his energy to stimulate the poison within his body. He saw his enemy preparing to unleash a powerful punch, the perfect opportunity to inflict further poisoning. However, his right hand, retracted to his waist, flicked out two fingers, the water bullet striking Adali's shoulder first. Adali's flesh twitched, the stimulated poison bursting forth, its fangs protruding, yet it only managed to shatter the water bullet. At that moment, Chu Hengkong roared and unleashed a punch, smashing the poison into a bloody pulp, then shattering the Great Wizard's shoulder blade!

Adali roared in agony, his eyes filled with disbelief and confusion for the first time. Chu Hengkong, however, remained indifferent. "It's just a petty trick."

That vicious protective technique has been completely seen through. Ultimately, Adali is not a true martial artist. The "counterattack" from the poison within his body is merely an automatic defense mechanism formed in a program-like manner, which can be completely broken by triggering it with a probing attack first. A battle-hardened assassin will not be fooled by such a petty trick.

Now only strength can determine the victor; he'll use his Deadly Heart and Poisonous Hands to counter the Dragon Township Fist. Adali leaped onto the rooftop as if flying, intending to create distance and wear down his opponent's stamina. But Chu Hengkong appeared on the rooftop at the same time, their speeds nearly identical. The two ran, leaped, and used their unarmed combat skills to whittle down each other's strength within the deep-rooted settlement. One round… ten rounds… thirty rounds!

Adali unleashed a side spinning kick, sharp bone spurs sprouting from his shinbone. Chu Hengkong countered with an identical spinning kick. At the moment of impact, the sound of bones snapping rang out; Adali's right leg was broken on the spot!

This was the obvious outcome. In terms of strength, the two were evenly matched, and Adali even had a slight advantage in speed and reflexes. However, in the most crucial aspect—skill—the difference between them was like heaven and earth. How could a conman who had spent ten years deceiving people possibly defeat a seasoned killer in hand-to-hand combat!

Adali's right leg bent in an unnatural direction as he rolled awkwardly across the rooftop. Chu Hengkong immediately gave chase, but without warning, a wall of blue fire rose between them.

It was the man in the top hat who, sensing Adali's predicament, intervened to change the course of the battle. And the blue flames weren't confined to one place; Chu Hengkong felt an astonishing heat emanating from behind. Five meters behind him, the flames transformed into a ferocious, gigantic bird's head, pecking at his back. The firebird was the size of a car, yet moved with the speed of a bullet. Even Chu Hengkong had to abandon the pursuit, or he would be pierced through the heart by the raging fire.

Chu Hengkong did not dodge; he leaped over the blue wall of fire. In the instant the firebird caught up, a golden shield of light appeared behind the assassin, blocking the inevitable attack.