Forge a path to success

"The dust hasn't settled yet, so let's not talk about victory or defeat," he said. "I really like this old saying from Longquan Township. It has a kind of tenacity that inspires everyone to persevere until death. Only when the last enemy has bled dry will the battle be over."

Ji Huaisu's hand holding the shield trembled slightly, but his voice remained firm: "Even if you burn this gate to the ground, the city's victory is assured. Look up at the sky; your ambitions have been shattered!"

“I need to correct you on two things,” Kanin chuckled. “First, everyone’s strength has its reasons. The Dragon City Lord’s strength stems from the city he possesses. Once the totem is taken and the rule changes hands, even at his peak, he has no chance of winning. Second…”

He calmly leaped backward, dodging Ji Huaisu's sudden attack. He raised his hand and pointed to the sky, indicating the numerous powerful figures fighting within the chaotic battle formation.

"Human ambition is not something that is easily extinguished!" Kanin's eyes flashed with a fanatical determination. "It is because I have witnessed unparalleled power that I want to reach for that city. It is because I envy the birds in the sky that I want to seize their wings and fly into the sky!"

"As long as the fire in our hearts burns, our ambitions will blaze!"

A cluster of blue flames erupted from his fingertips, within which emerged a phantom image of a demon with a bird's head and a snake's body. The flames spread throughout Kanin's body, merging with the phantom image of the ambitious demon and seeping into Kanin's flesh and blood.

He spread his arms, roared to the sky, and the burst of flames sent Ji Huaisu flying backward. Flaming wings sprouted from his back, his arms transformed into hook-like claws, and long, fine feathers grew from his body, weaving a blue cloak that draped over his back.

A swirling wave of flames accompanied Kanin, stirring up a vortex of fire. He slowly rose into the air amidst the flames, his form both eerie and powerful. The fusion was complete in this moment; he was the contractor of the ambitious demon, the one who exchanged demonic power for an inviolable contract. This form had been witnessed by many natives of the destroyed Dust Isles; a few called it the God of Fire, while more fragmented records referred to it as the Bird of Burning Worlds, an evil god that brought destruction!

"Braised in soy sauce".

Kanin casually raised his claw, and the ground turned a blinding azure blue centered on where Ji Huaisu was. Almost the instant he raised his hand, the azure flames overturned the ground, transforming into a literal pillar of fire. Even Maivia's immense strength paled in comparison to this attack; Bessen's attack was like a flame on a stove.

Ji Huaisu dodged the pillar of fire, her movements labored and clumsy, like an unoiled machine. The Demon of Ambition's spell had taken effect, and blue flames ignited within her as well. Ji Huaisu's mind was stretched to its limit; she used her shield to defend against the attack, but when the pillar of fire vanished, the enemy had disappeared without a trace. A burning pain shot through her back; Kanin was right behind her, unleashing a serpentine volcano of fire!

Ji Huaisu was sent flying backward by the blow. She gritted her teeth and rolled several times on the ground to dodge the successive fireballs. The enemy was faster than her. She only had time to deactivate her large shield and replace it with a spherical full-body shield, but this defense was too weak and could not withstand Kanin's firepower.

As she rolled, she slammed her fists into the ground, leaving three inconspicuous light marks, which she detonated all at once when Kanin caught up. But Kanin remained rooted to the spot; he had studied the club's deathmatch and thus knew Ji Huaisu's methods. He closed his claws, concentrated his blue flames, and unleashed a burst of highly compressed power, like a demonized sniper bullet.

Ji Huaisu realized she couldn't dodge anymore. She desperately used her light shield to block the shot, the intense impact causing her to cough up burning blood. But a burning claw reached over the shield and pressed down on her head from the side. Kanin had appeared beside her without her noticing. He suddenly exerted force, slamming Ji Huaisu into the headquarters gate and slamming her head against the guard headquarters wall.

Kanin moved with incredible speed, covering most of the headquarters in an instant, carving a burning path through the wall. He swung his claws, hurling Ji Huaisu straight towards the headquarters building, using the knight's body to smash through the glass doors and windows of the lobby. After doing all this, Kanin didn't pursue personally; instead, he spread his wings and launched burning feathers. Each feather was like a small bomb, exploding violently after piercing through the smoke and dust, giving the Calamity Knight a relentless pursuit.

Kanin meticulously maintained his attack frequency, giving the Calamity Knight no chance to retaliate. Despite the unpredictable turn of events outside the city, his movements remained precise and ruthless, like a machine wielding a butcher's knife against a human. He mentally calculated the time: 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds. He lowered his claws and smiled at the ruins.

"Truly tenacious."

A golden light pierced through the flames, and Ji Huaisu burst forth from the smoke and dust. She roared and swung her sword, slashing down at Kaning with the blade of her reversed shadow!

At this moment, Ji Huaisu was completely unrecognizable. Azure flames clung tightly to her body, transforming her into a burning human form. But her indomitable fighting spirit still sustained her, transforming into golden light to counter the azure flames. Her sword slashed straight towards Kanin's face; the giant sword formed from the shadows was powerful enough to pierce through elemental defenses. Supported by that frenzied fighting spirit, even a mortal could contend with a demon!

But her sword was blocked by a burning longsword. Kanin used her Heartfire Sword to block the Shadow Blade, parrying Ji Huaisu's selfless attack with just one hand. The difference in their power levels was too great; one was a fusion of a high-level demon's spirit, while the other was merely a knight of particle level 2. Even the most frenzied shadow could not touch the burning sword.

Kanin swung his sword, easily sending Ji Huaisu flying. He transformed his weapon into a spear and hurled it; the flaming spear shattered the light shield, pierced the knight's sword-wielding hand, and pinned her to the outer wall of the headquarters building.

The final struggle ended there, easily extinguished by the demon's raging fire. Kanin put the burning top hat back on, and scorching power gathered between its claws, becoming a blazing fireball capable of obliterating buildings.

“Farewell, Calamity Knight.” Kanin nodded in farewell.

He pushed the fireball toward the knight as if a child were blowing a transparent soap bubble.

Chapter 64 Fearless

Ji Huaisu lay paralyzed in the collapsed hall, blood flowing over her eyes, turning the fireball in her vision crimson.

Time seemed to slow down at this moment, and in Ji Huaisu's eyes, the expansion of the fireball also slowed down, with the flames spreading in wisps, like a blood-red flower about to bloom. This guy was extremely cautious; even at this point, he was unwilling to close the distance, preferring to wait an extra second to create the fireball rather than take a step closer to use the Qing Shao.

Ji Huaisu knew the yellow crystal was flashing frantically, and her companions must be frantic with worry, but she had nothing to say. What could she say? That the enemy was too strong for her? That she had to rely on them all after failing to hold out? That was too pathetic; they weren't even worthy of being captains, let alone knights. A captain shouldn't utter such tragic last words before dying; a captain should use that strength to wield their sword!

But when it actually happened to me, I was still on edge. I couldn't find that fearless bravery; instead, I felt like a little kid, so scared.

I guess there's no one in the world who's truly unafraid of death, right? They're just holding on. If they could hold on like their father until the very end, then they really wouldn't be afraid.

"I'm sorry." Ji Huaisu smiled silently.

The light shield and shadow blade in her hands simultaneously grew larger, the sword's edge piercing the shield's surface, merging the most intense light with the darkest shadow. The two opposing poles collided violently, and the fundamental hostility caused a destructive white light to emerge between the sword and shield.

This was Ji Huaisu's last resort, "Dust Break," a suicide attack that would take the enemy down with her. She endured the pain, breaking the flamethrower that held her left hand in place, and threw the weapon away the instant the fireball exploded.

Flames raged, weapons shattered, and two magnificent beams of light erupted, engulfing both the knight and the ambitious man!

·

Chu Hengkong pressed the accelerator to the floor with a blank expression, and the storm slashed at his face like a blade.

He took everything out of his coat: empty medicine bottles, the Silver-Eyed Book, a small hang glider, jade carvings, unused talismans… nothing was of any use. What he needed at that moment was a helicopter or even a teleportation portal, but there were none on the floating island.

He would certainly take action, and he had already headed to headquarters when he sensed something was wrong. However, the Black Workshop's aircraft wasn't particularly fast to begin with, and the fierce battle above the city had caused energy turbulence to dominate the high altitude. This half-destroyed aircraft was like a tattered kite, swaying precariously in the turbulence no matter how much it struggled. It would eventually fall to the ground, but that would take some time.

A period of time that can never be caught up with again.

He knew he wouldn't make it. The battle between the battered knight and the near-peak craftsman was not about victory or defeat, but about how long the knight could hold out. But in the heat of battle, there wasn't that much time for her. This wasn't even a one-on-one fight; Kanin had that damned demon behind her. How could she win? How could they possibly win?

Therefore, Chu Heng remained expressionless, not uttering a single word. This battle had been meticulously planned by Kanin from beginning to end; even though he unexpectedly landed on the sky island and even though he fought valiantly to kill Besen, he was only presented with yet another Plan B.

Chu Hengkong sensed a destiny, an inescapable fate. He had tried his best, giving his all each time. He was certain he would defeat the enemy; his assassinations had never failed. But he was ultimately just one man, his short-sightedness blind to the bigger picture. The victories of individual soldiers were irrelevant to the final outcome; the accumulation of countless individual victories could not alter the predetermined ending. It was the same on the day his family perished, and it was the same now.

He felt a tightness in his chest, unable to speak; so many things were stuck in his throat, unable to escape. He wasn't just an assassin anymore; he was now Detective One, a new subordinate with new friends. But would he repeat the same mistakes again?

Once again... watching the person next to me die?

"I still owe you my life," he muttered to himself. "At least give me a chance... let me pay it back!"

Chu Hengkong suddenly roared, pounding his fist on the dashboard with the rudeness of a common thug. He'd had enough. He hadn't become a skilled craftsman and learned the Dragon Township Fist to lament his fate at a time like this. His skills were meant to turn the tide!

There is still a way, there is one last way!

Chu Hengkong stood up against the wind, staring through the insurmountable energy turbulence at the giant tree in the city center, and at the indistinct city beneath it. The gale whipped against his body, feeling as if countless invisible blades were piercing through him. The talisman was held between his fingers, the incantations on the paper as red as blood.

Blood-Burning Qi-Controlling Talisman. The final method Ji Qiufeng entrusted to him, allowing martial artists to briefly control their "intention and qi" at the cost of burning their blood!

Chu Hengkong slapped the talisman onto his body, and the out-of-control aircraft spun wildly. He tensed all his muscles, using the aircraft as a springboard to leap out, plunging alone into the turbulent air currents high in the sky! Like an eagle soaring through the heavens! Leaping towards the final battlefield that would determine fate, thousands of meters below!

A storm. Clouds. A deafening roar. Vision rapidly turning red. Eardrums vibrating violently. His brain felt like it had been struck by a blunt object, confused and empty. He smashed through the gray clouds, his body burning from the heat of high-speed friction and the streaks of fire shooting from the sky. But he could still hold on; the weakness from blood loss continued to grow, and a different kind of "qi," distinct from blood, was circulating within him.

It's as if another self is roaring within, burning with unwavering will as fuel. That will is the spirit of a martial artist. As long as the martial artist lives, that spirit will not dissipate!

The muscles in his back signaled an approaching strong wind. Chu Hengkong unfurled his hang glider, using the wind to propel himself forward at a great speed. The hang glider shattered the moment it unfurled. His vision was filled with blood red. His limbs felt frozen. He continued to tense all his muscles, unable to use his protective shield. He could see almost nothing, only the blurry outline of a city.

The heat lay ahead. He had to keep going. The sails were gone. Chu Hengkong took off his coat, the symbol that had accompanied him since his days as an assassin, and unfurled it like a sail! Using the fleeting wind, he propelled himself forward, approaching the sky above his destination. He focused his energy in his eyes, forcing them open. He saw a burning silhouette, a familiar figure. A demon, a fireball, a dying girl, light gleaming between sword and shield—

He flung out his tentacles, stretching his arms as far as he could. His tentacles transformed into silver lightning, engulfing Ji Huaisu and lifting him into the air!

Two explosions occurred simultaneously on the ground, and the airflow slammed into Chu Hengkong like an invisible wall. He held Ji Huaisu tightly as he fell to the ground, bounced up due to the recoil, and then fell one after another like a stone skipping across water.

Each landing created a vortex-like trail, and Chu Hengkong used the Dragon Township Fist technique to deflect the force, finally coming to a stop in the lobby of the headquarters building. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, almost collapsing into the rubble. Ji Huaisu lay in his arms, her eyes glazed over as if in a dream.

"...Ah Kong?"

"Apologize...what...?" Chu Hengkong mumbled, "Even if I die...I'll die laughing...!"

Kanin stood at the headquarters gate, staring blankly at them. A crater-like wound ripped across his upper body, so deep that his heart, scorched by flames, was visible. It was a wound inflicted by "Dust Breaker," meant to be the last mark Ji Huaisu would ever bear. But Ji Huaisu had been rescued by tentacles. By tentacles…?

How can there be tentacles?

(Kanin! Pursue her immediately!) Bessen roared in his mind, (Damn it, I didn't even remember... she's a Discipline Knight! We can't let her live!!)

Chu Hengkong, Ji Huaisu, and Kaning. None of them are currently able to move normally. Kaning is trying his best to sort out his thoughts and recover from the damage caused by Chen Po. Because he is still not fully awake, he asked a very naive question.

"How will you be here?"

Chu Hengkong smiled. A very smug smile. Kanin used flames to heal his wounds. He pointed to the sky.

“Don’t do that, assassin.” He chuckled. “Did you jump from the sky?”

“Yes.” Chu Hengkong touched the pocket of his partner’s clothes containing the pills, and Ji Huaisu moved aside.

"Haha, hahaha, hahahahaha..."

Kanin couldn't help but chuckle, his laughter broken and intermittent. He covered his face with his hands and laughed a few times. Suddenly, he flung his hands away and roared without any decorum, "Are you out of your mind, Chu Hengkong?!"

"Not happy?" Chu Hengkong laughed fiercely. "Come and kill me if you dare, you bastard!!"

Kanin swung his arm, unleashing a cylindrical flame cannon that shoved the two men in the rubble towards each other, using the recoil to dodge to the left and right. The brief exchange of words had given them enough time to catch their breath; they leaped from the wall, launching an attack from both directions!

"I just used my ultimate, and now my damage output is too low!" "I can hold on for another two minutes." "Watch out for his speed." "We'll split the pills." "I'm playing support this time..."

"I'll take the main attack!"

Ji Huaisu ducked to dodge a rocket, swallowed half of the Chang Le Dan, and tossed the other half into Chu Hengkong's mouth. Chu Hengkong swallowed the pill and raised his sword to parry the claw attack. Kanin's wings flashed, and he rapidly shifted his position to appear behind Chu Hengkong. However, his next attack only struck an afterimage; Chu Hengkong dodged the sneak attack by shifting his feet.

After using the Blood Burning Rune, his speed was comparable to that of Kanin, who had fused with the demon!

The two exchanged blows several times in an instant. Chu Hengkong, using his rock-blade and superb swordsmanship, parried each attack. With the flowing protective energy and half a Chang Le Pill, the burning flames of ambition could not decisively interfere with him. He seized an opportunity and launched a series of kicks, delivering a painful blow to the elemental body with his energy. Kanin was struck and retreated, shooting blue flames from his eyes in retaliation, which was blocked by a light shield that appeared out of thin air. Ji Huaisu followed closely behind, providing support with a spherical light shield. Her shadow blade shrank to the size of a regular short sword, and she used the shadow blade to stab at Kanin's shadow.

Even Kanin, in his current state, would be harmed if struck by the Shadow Blade. Kanin, wary of harming the enemy, distanced himself, and with a flap of his wings, dozens of feathers shot towards Ji Huaisu, who was about to unleash her sword. A flash of silver light, and Ji Huaisu vanished. Chu Hengkong used his tentacles to rescue his partner, then carried her forward on his back.

Kanin's gaze flickered several times, and six cyan rings appeared on the ground, unleashing six consecutive cylindrical attacks of cyan fire. "You can't withstand this," Ji Huaisu warned. Chu Hengkong immediately changed his strategy, leaping to dodge, but his dodge routes were predictable due to the limitations imposed by the cyan fire. Kanin seized the opportunity to create a longbow from cyan flames, simultaneously nocking and firing several flaming arrows.

"Fire Arrows and Poisonous Rain".

The bowstring trembled, the sound of arrows piercing the air incessant as flaming arrows shot towards the inescapable blind spot. "I'll handle this!" Ji Huaisu patted her partner's shoulder, and Chu Hengkong charged forward recklessly. Ji Huaisu set up a light shield in front to block four arrows, but the fifth and sixth arrows came from behind, which she cleaved into pieces with her shadow blade. However, the flaming arrows exploded into a red poisonous mist, temporarily blinding the two trapped within.

"Three meters to the left." Chu Hengkong used his hearing to report the location, while Ji Huaisu swung his sword to cut off the fireballs that were being launched from the shadows. "Five steps forward, then turn left." Ji Huaisu used his light shield to slightly illuminate the path ahead, reminding his partner to adjust their direction. The two constantly reminded each other, cooperating closely as they had on their first mission. A few breaths later, they burst out of the poisonous fog, and Kanin used this time to launch a new offensive. Boiling blue flames appeared between his claws, and from the flames flew a flock of cawing blue fire crows!

The crows moved with the speed of stars, carrying deadly poison and fire with tremendous force. Chu Hengkong threw water bombs at maximum speed, knocking down crows and clearing a path for one person through the flock. However, more crows surrounded him. He could see nothing but countless burning feathers. The crows' beaks and claws pierced his already tattered light armor, tearing more than a dozen scorched, bloody holes in his body.

But Ji Huaisu was still there. The knight leaped into the fleeting path, raising his shortened shadow blade high in both hands. Seeing that the distance was too close to dodge, Kanin created a wall of fire to defend against the shadow blade's attack. But Ji Huaisu did not strike down; instead, she hurled the shadow blade like a dart, striking Kanin's shadow, which had momentarily appeared due to the wall of fire.

"on!"

The shadow blade struck, and Kanin froze. Chu Hengkong, who was in the crow flock, had already sheathed his sword. He took a step forward and rushed out of the crow flock, using his senses to determine his location, and unleashed an invincible vertical slash.

The surging power within the rock blade erupted, severing Kanin's right hand and one of his wings!

Chapter 65 Heavenly Spear

Severed arms and flesh flew through the air, fiery blood gushing from the cut surfaces. Now, Besen and Kanin's bodies were fused, so he was no longer an intangible illusion. Only with a physical body could power be exerted, but precisely because of this, he could be wounded!

Chu Hengkong only had time to open his eyes after drawing his sword. He met a pair of burning eyes, the vertical pupils resembling bluish scars. Kanin didn't look at his missing limbs; he only stared at Chu Hengkong's sword.

“You’ve got it, assassin,” he whispered, his voice like a snake’s. “But I…don’t want to lose either!!”

Blood gushed from his wound like a fountain, instantly transforming into a flaming snake's head. The giant snake bit Chu Hengkong, pushing him backward. Blinding flames erupted from its mouth; it intended to self-destruct along with Chu Hengkong!

Ji Huaisu rushed out from behind, striking the snake's head with her light shield and forcing it to release its grip. She landed with Chu Hengkong, but a second snake head emerged from its forked body, biting Chu Hengkong's sword. Taking advantage of the assassin's distraction, it pulled the rock sword away and threw it far off the battlefield.

There was no time to retreat and retrieve the sword. Chu Hengkong steadied himself and had no choice but to fight bare-handed. Kanin was protected by the two giant snakes. He drew several magic circles with flames and thrust his claws into the center of the magic circles.

(Wake up, Kanin!) Besen shouted in his mind, (We've been struggling for so long to win, haven't we? But if this continues, you'll burn yourself out. A dead man can't be a city lord...)

Besen's calls weakened; after merging with the contractor, he could sense Kanin's thoughts. Kanin was actually thinking about crows, about birds soaring across the sky, gazing at the magnificent sights above.

"Don't do that, friend." It heard its partner laugh. "When have we ever been afraid of dying?"

(You really are insane beyond belief.) Besson's voice faded away. (Go for it, you big lunatic.)

Kanin let out a nasty laugh: "Deep Fusion... The Fire Serpent!"

His entire body melted in the blue flames, and several "bubbles" swelled up in his lower body, from which emerged nine blue snake heads. These giant snake heads formed the most aggressive feature of the ambitious demon. A single, burning eye opened amidst the many snake bodies, emitting a beam of pure, light-like power. The two who were about to attack immediately dodged, the line of fire cutting through the ground and burning a fiery path across nearly half of the courtyard!

"What the hell is this ridiculous thing?" Ji Huaisu shouted.

Chu Hengkong roared back, "How the hell would I know? Aren't you a demon expert?"

"I've never seen anyone play this crazy before! Holy crap, jump!"

The ground rumbled and shook, and countless points of light emerged from the cracks burned by the fire. Each point of light was a snake's head, and countless snake heads burst forth from the ground, like a burning forest rising from the earth and dancing wildly in the city!

Chu Hengkong and Ji Huaisu barely managed to stand, leaping and bounding forward on the snake's body. New snake heads appeared every moment, ready to bite; they seemed to be weaving through a living net, at the center of which lay the ambitious Kanin. Ji Huaisu charged recklessly using her light shield, while Chu Hengkong leaped and dodged repeatedly.

The fire of ambition burned within them constantly, and the spirit fueled by the talismans was waning. They had to eliminate Kanin before the critical moment, or face certain death. But the Fire Serpent Forest grew endlessly, and despite their desperate efforts, they drifted further and further away from Kanin. Kanin's objective was different; he controlled the swarm of snakes to block their path from afar, while he himself rammed into the headquarters building with brute force. The nine heads of the Fire Serpent possessed immense destructive power; its massive size could crush several floors into dust with a single sweep.

It's almost at the 30th floor of the temple! When the totem of the core of the dragon is destroyed, Ji Qiu Peak outside the city will lose all support!

"Use your ultimate move again!" "I said I can't use it! Where's your lightning whip?!" "Not enough range!"

Their space for movement dwindled, and they were forced to stand back to back, completely surrounded. There was no room to maneuver. The sounds of destruction echoed from afar, like the final note of a world's demise. Burning snakes surrounded them on all sides, an endless swarm pressing down like a collapsing blue sky.

At that moment, Chu Hengkong heard a slight disturbance, and a clear light flashed in his vision. A water cannon pierced through the blue flames, carving a bright path through the swarm of snakes!

The second and third water cannons followed, a dozen or so identical attacks closing in, suppressing the Flame Serpent's advance with a desperate, all-or-nothing momentum. The water bubbles originated from the edge of the battlefield, from the hastily assembled resurrected troops. Every able-bodied soldier had arrived, maneuvering armored vehicles to break through the encirclement. Jie An, standing at the forefront, shouted: "All troops, water power mobilize! Pave the way for the captain and scout!!"

"Order!"

The soldiers adjusted the cannons, linking them together to form a transparent bridge. Chu Hengkong and Ji Huaisu leaped up, breaking through the swarm of snakes to reach the bridge, and charged towards the demons through the gushing water!

Sensing the anomaly, Kanin manipulated his swarm of snakes to attack the tank, but new troops quickly followed, extending the fragile bridge directly to his main body. Within moments, the two enemies were upon him, but Kanin's movements slowed due to the immense strain on his body.

He squeezed the power within him, manipulating the flames amidst agonizing pain to create dozens, even hundreds, of miniature magic circles. He stared at the relentless pursuing enemy, his roar like a rumble from the depths of the earth: "To this extent! Are you so willing to be driven by others?!"

"If I want to be the city lord..." Chu Hengkong clenched his fist, "I will build my own city!"

They reached the end of the water bridge, where cyan "seeds" emerged from the hundreds of miniature magic arrays created by Kanin, flickering like candlelight. The seeds of fire erupted erratically, creating a deadly minefield in the air. Ji Huaisu was struck by the flames and fell, but Chu Hengkong broke through the fire seeds' blockade. He held a shield of light in his hand.

"Catch!" Ji Huaisu swung his arm with his last strength, the shadow blade that had been released from his hand spinning back and forth before landing in a firm hand. Chu Hengkong gripped the shadow blade tightly, twisting his body, and all nine snake heads surged forward simultaneously, with the blue eyeball among the many snake bodies. The first snake head lunged at him head-on, but he used the snake eye as a springboard to leap again, dodging the encirclement of the second and third snake heads. He raced across the burning snake bodies, approaching his target amidst the excruciating pain of his burning flesh.