Forge a path to success

"What big battle? I don't know."

"The library's top students are a bit too much of a fraud."

“Even if I’m incredibly talented, I still need to read textbooks. How am I supposed to know things that aren’t written in the books or taught by the teachers?” Vande spread his tentacles. “I think Mr. Jin has had too much to drink! What ‘Great War That Never Existed’? He’s even making up his own settings. He’s made a mess of a few natives fighting.”

“This doesn’t seem like a fabrication,” Ji Huaisu muttered. “I remember my father mentioning something before, that their expansion into the city was related to post-war reconstruction… saying that many important figures died back then…”

"If you're curious about this, why don't you wait until you get home and ask about it in detail, or read the manual?"

A series of clanging and banging noises came from upstairs. Chu Heng shouted to everyone that he was dismantling the magic puppet. Fan De eagerly turned the page; his curiosity had been piqued as well.

The following content was irrelevant; after proposing this hypothesis, Jin Ye failed to take any concrete action, unable to find a breakthrough. So he turned to simulating "forbidden" data using battle traces, developing a series of new inventions as a reference, hoping to make a name for himself. However, these things had little practical value, and no one believed in his research. During this time, he became increasingly manic, single-handedly pushing forward a short-sighted, profit-driven large-scale factory project to prove his talent.

What followed was a major dust explosion accident.

"Damn it! How dare they criticize me! I am the mayor of this island. Their houses, their food, even the air they breathe—everything they have is given to them by me!!"

A production accident? A bunch of scum who aren't even Ascendants aren't qualified to criticize my research. They're fucking unworthy! Unworthy!!

I'm going to kill everyone at the newspaper tomorrow! Don't think public opinion will work on me!

In reality, Jin Ye dared not go against public opinion, because his research resources still depended on shipping trade, and Huilong City would not welcome a mayor who disregarded human life.

He grumbled for a long time, but ultimately did nothing and showed no reflection. Afterward, he rallied, wanting to return to pure academic research. He wrote a vague and ambiguous investigative report under the title 'Taboo,' intending to send it back to Dustless Land, but just then, Dragon City fell, the sea route was cut off, and his letter could not reach the small Dustless Island.

“Grumbling, complaining, tantrums…” Van Der began to lose patience, turning the pages at an astonishing speed. “He’s done nothing in the last twenty years. So mediocre.”

Ji Huaisu initially felt some sympathy for this man, but after reading his diary, he no longer felt much empathy: "His talent and character are both terrible."

“His temperament is even more mediocre than his talent.” Van Der was merciless. “This has nothing to do with academics. What do you think Chu Hengkong would do if he were here?”

Ji Huaisu replied without hesitation: "Dig a big hole to investigate underground..."

At this point, she suddenly understood and couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Why didn't you do this sooner!"

·

How boring. Shakespeare thought to himself.

The initial deductions were somewhat interesting, but everything that followed was stagnation. This scholar used various excuses to deceive himself, unable to muster the courage to delve into the truth. This person is a reflection of this dull, hellish world, possessing supernatural powers, mysterious paths, and an extremely diverse range of choices. But very few can make good use of these resources; beneath the vast majority of their glamorous exteriors lies a withered, pale core.

"...How could time fly by so quickly? I thought I had plenty of time, but 20 years have passed in the blink of an eye... I can't let this drag on any longer. Tomorrow, I'll order the factory to produce parts; I want to assemble the drilling rig myself. In my lifetime, I must go and explore the depths of the earth..."

Such a decision took twenty years to make, and even such a mediocre fellow could become a mere point 2 wielding staff. Shax missed his homeland more and more, and missed those who could achieve ten times the results with one resource.

"...The person who delivered the goods today looked familiar. On a whim, I checked and found out he was a survivor of the accident from back then."

God is blind! He let such a useless person live. If he had died back then, there wouldn't be so much trouble!

Let's put this matter aside for now; it's not wise to get angry before important matters. Tomorrow we'll go underground and take a look!

"...Let's make some more preparations and activate the self-sealing device that's been designed, just in case something changes, just to have a backup plan..."

The next page is blank.

Ten pages of blank space.

As the pages were quickly turned, suddenly the ink, penetrating the back of the paper, leaped out and transformed into two pages of wild cursive script.

"Entering a deadly situation, one witnesses supernatural powers and understands the universe."

Leave behind your old body, embrace the Great Way, and you will know your true self!

Taboos are a laughing stock; hell is heaven!

"I was so wrong. How could I have believed the tricks of the Dustless Land and learned such third-rate skills? The sacred ground of scholarship is the Spiral Tower. Without detaching oneself from flesh and blood, one will never be able to attain truth in this life! And what freedom or life can one speak of then!"

It's never too late to mend one's ways! Let's start the experiment now. This afternoon, I'll find a fool to enlighten me, and within a week, I must change my ways and find the right path.

"Supreme One ascends to godhood! Supreme One ascends to godhood! Without becoming Supreme One, how can one ascend—"

Shakes looked away and sighed in annoyance.

Clichés, the same old tune. I've seen countless idiots like this; their sheer boredom is almost a talent. What follows is predictable: an experimental accident, a failed attempt to switch to the path of supreme power, and the unfortunate chosen one becomes a wandering ice statue. The path to godhood to supreme power prides itself on individuality, yet the deaths are always equally ugly. I was tired of killing these things when I was using the Bitter Staff, and even after all this time, it's still the same old story.

Is he at work? How many more monotonous idiots does he have to watch? Is this some kind of hellish office, where devils lurk in the air, amused by his boredom?

He suddenly lost all interest. Boring legends, boring people, boring employers—it was all the same, repeated endlessly. He already knew that this illusory hell held no meaning for him, just as he had always known he would never encounter the snake shadow again. He'd rather spend this time tracking the Ice Man; at least the mastermind guiding him would have some fun, at least some power.

(Retreat, Shakespeare.) Wuhe urged again.

(Ah. The location has changed.)

Before putting away his sniper rifle, he took one last look. The green hem of his coat flowed down the stairs, silver threads intertwining into two tangled snakes. The man in the green coat went to the window.

He saw the assassin's face clearly.

The trigger was pulled, the bullet left the barrel, instantly clearing a circular path through the fallen yellow leaves scattered across the hillside. The self-contained ammunition exploded, unleashing a frenzied roar that echoed through the valley. The impact of the bullet shattered the windows of the entire mayor's mansion, and moments later, the crushed bullet was ejected, ricocheting into the sky along with countless transparent fragments!

"Ha, ha, ahahahahahaha!!"

His nerves trembled. An electric shock-like pain, a burning sensation in his blood, a tension as if death were imminent gripping his very being. The boredom vanished instantly, leaving no room for meaningless thought, only a maniacal laugh echoing within—a frenzied, hoarse, almost hysterical laugh. Within that laughter, a fiery red streak shot back into the void, leaving a burning scar on Shax's cheek.

The assassin didn't move, didn't even think, just kept laughing, shouting out his own delusions only he understood. He was terribly wrong. This damned world still had meaning; you still couldn't predict what would happen next… you still couldn't foresee where the gun would be pointed!

"Farewell in hell, you sacrificial serpent!!!"

Chu Hengkong slowly lowered his right hand, the hastily made qi armor nearly collapsing. He heard maniacal laughter in the distance. No, even if he knew nothing of the person's voice, he would not forget the pain in his memory.

Shock, confusion, and bewilderment mingled among a multitude of emotions, and the name of a former enemy slipped out.

“Shax Ibn Ould…”

"—Chu Hengkong!!"

Chapter 121 Lingering Grudges

1700 meters to the north, atop the iron tower. Chu Hengkong instantly pinpointed the enemy's location and used his Qi Armor to deflect bullets in retaliation. He knew this attack was unlikely to be effective; Shaks must have already begun moving, but the enemy's response was equally inadequate. The use of such poor-quality bullets indicated an encounter battle, with neither side adequately prepared.

In this line of work, there's never a battle you're fully prepared for.

“The heretic gunman won’t touch you; he’s after me.” He casually tossed Vande into the light shield, who, like Ji Huaisu, was completely bewildered. “You know him?”

There was no response; the Eye Demon's question was drowned out by the sonic boom. The instant after he spoke, the fluttering green coat appeared in the distance. Ji Huaisu gazed in the direction his partner had gone, feeling that his back looked somewhat unfamiliar.

When he first arrived in Huilong City, he was like a cynical young man. Once on the right track, he became a responsible and competent detective. But the moment he caught the bullet, his expression was completely different. A pleasant smile unconsciously spread across his face, and a violent killing intent appeared in his sharp eyes. It was the aura of an assassin, but it was more than that.

At that moment, he was like a venomous snake that had spotted its prey, eagerly lunging forward and baring its fangs at its distant prey!

"Brown gunpowder, refined iron beads, owl and wolf bone fragments, and a quarter of a manic dose—"

Shax leaped off the iron tower, sliding down the building's surface. Materials he touched poured from his pouch, rapidly mixing and fusing. His index finger plunged into his temple, extracting a wisp of frenzied white energy from his brain, as if ripping out a soul. "Rage" entered the vortex of materials, the bullet completing its blending as it hit the ground. Shax loaded the bullet and fired into the distance; the specially made bullet hovered above the hill, exploding like fireworks.

"Black Orb, self-replicating barrage!"

Another ability of the level-two relic, Black Orb, is to consume mental energy to multiply bullets. Originally a simple design for increasing ammunition, it has been transformed into a deadly weapon by combining it with Shax's blended bullets. The multiplied white bullets burst forth like rain, tearing apart any blades they touch. These bullets contain the power of the alien beast, the Owl Wolf; once they strike flesh, it will be sliced ​​to pieces from the inside.

Chu Hengkong focused his energy on his left arm, causing the tentacle to be enveloped in crimson qi armor. This light armor, composed of layers of rings, resembled the flexible, retractable exoskeleton of an insect, perfectly suited to the tentacle's agile fighting style. He swung the tentacle to protect his side, deflecting approaching bullets with the qi armor and, aided by the Immortal Machine's calculations, redirecting them towards other projectiles. In less than two seconds, his vision cleared, and the tentacle seized the opportunity to retract, unleashing a Sky Spear!

The projectile suspended high above was destroyed, and white smoke instantly poured down, covering the hillside with a pungent, acidic smell. This was undoubtedly Shakespeare's next move, but Chu Hengkong didn't bother to clear the smoke. He decided to play along, stealthily moving through the fog and using his spiritual senses to search for any unusual objects in the mountains.

Shax himself is far beyond the mountains. If he knows the sniper location, there must be other observation points in the mountains. Find them, destroy them, and close the distance while the sniper repositions himself.

Based on the initial shot and the preceding hail of bullets, determining the approximate area of ​​the observation point was not difficult. Chu Hengkong closed his eyes as he ran, then opened them, his pupils covered in blood-red slash marks. He proactively invoked the power of the Immortal Machine, using the computing power of the true machine to analyze the environment and locate the observer. This action was accompanied by immense risk; his killing intent surged, and the steel worm seemed to be crawling on his back, but it didn't matter. There was no need to have any scruples when fighting against the alien gunner.

A point of white light appeared in the blood-red field of vision. Shax's observation device, a technological construct, was utterly useless against a true machine. Chu Hengkong stepped into a pile of withered leaves and grabbed an inconspicuous scope from among the flying foliage. In that instant, a new attack struck; a brass-colored bullet came from behind him.

Several metal wires emerged from beneath the scope, temporarily constructing a trigger-based trap. The firearm used as the trap was ordinary, but the bullets were of top-quality. They were the "Bitter Bullets" from the Asura Island Corruption Sect, enhanced with penetrating power and capable of injecting biological toxins through elemental contamination.

Shax had used this bullet to kill more than one point 3, and knew its insidious and powerful nature well. Through the trap's view, he watched the bullet strike the snake's head on the green coat, piercing Chu Hengkong's back...

No, not penetrated, but swallowed! The bullet came to a standstill the moment it touched the back; it was sucked into the flesh, like a stream of brass-colored water flowing beneath the skin, before entering the pale white bone in the center of the back. The structure of that metallic bone was almost perfect, its inorganic pure white painful to the eye.

The top-tier level 3 relic was actually devoured!

Shakes recalled the song he'd heard on the ship, that absurd tale about skillful hands and real machines. In an instant, he understood.

"A monster as always! Silver Arm, is that you?! The Viper has finally grown arms and learned to climb? Did you report to your boss before evolving? Hahahaha!!"

Indifferent, ruthless, and cold-blooded—none of these words were present. What emanated from the trap was a loud laugh reminiscent of the desert. Chu Hengkong casually tossed the scope aside, channeling his strength into his back to accelerate the disintegration. Generally, assassins don't and shouldn't waste words in the heat of battle, but this was different. Even he, let alone the exceptionally excited Shax, wanted to exchange a few words with him.

"The Other Gunslinger" Shakhs Ibn Ould, a freelance mercenary from the Middle East, ranks third on a list that some idle people in his hometown enjoy talking about. He is extremely skilled at long-range sniping and also performs well in urban warfare, trap warfare, and close combat, making him a well-rounded player with some specializations.

There were three encounters between the two. The first was at a fashion show during Paris Fashion Week, where Shax was hired to assassinate his boss, and Chu Hengkong happened to be accompanying his boss to the exhibition.

The second confrontation takes place on the Shinkansen bound for Kyoto, where an assassin skilled in electronic warfare launches a long-range attack on the family from the train. Coincidentally, Shakes, who happens to be going to see the cherry blossoms, discovers a monster chasing the Shinkansen.

The final confrontation took place two years prior at the family headquarters in New York, on a stormy night filled with the roar of gunfire. The Serpent's fatal wound became the prelude to a series of tragedies, while the man who pulled the trigger died by the knife.

“I killed you two years ago,” Chu Hengkong said.

"Time doesn't pass that quickly in hell!" Shaks laughed maniacally. "I'm laughing so hard I want to vomit. So monsters die too. Who killed you, No. 0?"

"The 'White Wolf' is still missing a breath... Is it really 'Royal Power'? Or has the Verus family turned against you?"

"You're still so fixated on those boring rankings." Chu Hengkong crushed the scope.

The pleasantries between the visitors from another world ended there; communication had never been an option from the beginning. The man who had faced death was determined to seek revenge, and the man who killed him would not evade past grievances. Therefore, only confrontation and a death match were possible; they were both assassins, and the only means to resolve their grudges and hatred was through swords and spears.

"The hind legs of locusts, burnt straw, and powder from the claws of eagles..."

The materials were summoned one by one, and new bullets began to be mixed. This was a capability that Shax was extremely satisfied with, one aspect of the "weapons" that could only be obtained after reaching level 3 in the Path of Light. By preparing enough materials in advance and injecting a certain amount of self-element, bullets with different effects could be created on the spot.

Chu Hengkong has now been implanted with a real weapon. Although the extent of his modification is unknown, his back should be impervious to any gunfire. Prioritizing the sniping position over the bullet's power, he decided on the purpose of his next bullet.

"...the slime of a demonic illusion, plus a third of the restlessness." Shax leaped onto a construction site using scaffolding and fired into the smoke, "Quickslide!"

The semi-transparent bullet disappeared into the smoke screen. Once out of sight, the bullet missed Chu Hengkong and struck a maple tree dozens of meters away. However, instead of penetrating the tree trunk, the bullet bounced off like a rubber bullet. At the moment it hit the smoke screen, a similar white pellet shot out from the smoke.

Sensing the anomaly, Chu Hengkong flung out his tentacles, attempting to halt the proliferation midway. However, this time the bullets failed to shatter; instead, they bounced off thanks to the properties of his protective armor, accelerating the process. White bouncing bullets continuously darted through, bounced, and crashed into the smoke screen, generating new ones. Moments later, a barrage of bullets formed within the smoke screen, where even taking a single step forward would trigger countless counterattacks.

A miniature, variable metal curtain that reads projectile materials to create bullets of the same nature. Also a relic designed to work with special bullets, it's typically used when hunting large monsters. Shax is incredibly generous with his materials, throwing cards around like they're free as soon as the battle begins.

Chu Hengkong shielded his body while observing the situation. The dense network of bullets turned every inch of space into a trigger-based trap. At the current rate of proliferation, he wouldn't be able to keep up with the attack frequency before he could break through the smoke screen defense. The key to breaking this attack was still the bullets; their semi-transparent texture looked somewhat familiar…

The phantom of the demonic illusion. The initial physical attacks were ineffective. Chu Hengkong drew upon his extensive combat experience to find a clue. With a flick of his wrist, the demonic remnant fire, which had upgraded along with the transformation, fell into his palm. The remnant fire brushed against his tentacles, and scorching blue flames rose. He lashed out with a blue whip, using the fire of ambition to dry the untouchable bullets.

The bullets scattered amidst the flickering flames, and the smoke was burned away by the fire. At that very moment, the first bullet fired bounced in at an unexpected angle. This bullet contained Shax's spiritual power; he had been waiting for this exact instant when Chu Hengkong made his move, intending to launch a surprise attack from the front!

Bounce, reflect, accelerate—the bullet hurtled through the air, its trajectory like a white lightning bolt. Chu Hengkong focused his attention to the extreme, and just before the bullet struck, he threw a powerful punch, his steel fist hitting the bullet squarely in the head—

But the punch landed on empty air, because the bullet suddenly became nothing. The moment it was struck, it literally became something that didn't exist; it solidified instantly after passing through the fist, hitting the right chest.

Bullet switching, ghost shooting!

Large blossoms of blood erupted on Chu Hengkong's chest as he committed suicide, the impact sending him crashing backward. He hadn't had time to condense his protective aura, and his static stance couldn't provide complete defense; the bullet piercing his lung had undoubtedly caused an extremely severe injury.

But the bullet was ejected by the pressure of the muscles, blood flowed back into the body as if flowing backward, and the damaged organs healed rapidly. The blood blossom that heralded death closed up again, and the will to die was abruptly severed by sheer willpower!

The secret technique of Yueque Palace: Immortality and Indestructibility.

"You've become stronger than before." Chu Hengkong stretched his shoulders.

He mustered all his strength and shouted, his voice shaking the mountains and forests, astonishing everyone in the city.

"How do you want to die this time?"

Shax responded with a wild roar: "I'll smash your head before I'm willing to go back to my grave!"

Chapter 122 The Stone Demon

The battle entered a fierce stage, the atmosphere reaching its peak from the very first bullet fired. Nerves pounded, blood surged, and the sound of his heart pounding in his ears like a hammer blow. Chu Heng activated his Qi Thousand Autumns technique, accelerating his journey to the city. This battle was both familiar and strange; he understood the enemy's thought processes and methods, but was completely unaware of their tactics.

If they were still on Earth, the battle would have been over long ago. The sniper missed three shots in a row, and the assassin was hit in a vital spot by a specially designed bullet—this would have been enough to signify death, or at least defeat. But after becoming Ascended, the situation is completely different. Both sides' physical abilities are now vastly different, and the relics and abilities they possess are unknown.

Battles fought across thousands of meters, previously unimaginable, are now underway. Invulnerable bodies and even regenerative abilities offer martial artists far more opportunities than ever before. It is precisely because they understand this that they haven't revealed all their trump cards at the outset.

Mastering the rhythm of the battlefield, forcing the enemy to reveal their tactics in every second, incorporating analysis and simulating scenarios, until the crucial moment arrives to determine life or death. Currently, intelligence is paramount; the more you know, the greater your chances of victory.

Shakes reactivated the communication: (Hey, Wu He! Does your Longquan Township have any martial arts techniques for super-fast regeneration?)

(Super regeneration? You mean immortality?) Wu He found it hard to believe. (That's the true skill of the Yueque Palace—)

(What to do!)

(The true martial arts practitioners of Yueque Palace possess invincible physical bodies. As long as their spirit is strong enough, even their hearts and brains can regenerate. Don't even think about breaking through with your own methods!)

(Just use Ghost Body, right? Got it!)

Wu He visibly panicked: (Wait a minute! What are you fighting against?!)

Shakes tore off the communication talisman and stuffed it into his pocket, already having made up his mind. The back was bulletproof, and from other angles, there was super-regeneration of flesh; physically, there were no vital points. That man was even more monstrous than before. However, ultimately, he was still a martial arts practitioner, at a low-quality stage, and the lack of mid-to-long-range techniques wasn't so easily overcome.

In the blink of an eye, a green gale had swept across most of the hillside, and the enemy would be approaching the city in less than three seconds. Shax fired four shots in quick succession with his Black Ball, the bullets kicking up plumes of smoke as they hit the ground. He holstered his weapon, switched to another, and new equipment appeared one after another: a jetpack on the back of his combat suit. The legendary gunslinger was ready to pounce.