Chapter 488: The City Bathed in Blood (5)

Chapter 488: Crimson City (V) Meng Si's nose was adorned with a pair of tortoiseshell glasses, his head a chaotic tangle of white hair. After finishing his words, he met the cold gaze of Chi Zhi head-on, projecting a scene before him. The scene depicted a burning Edo city, a collapsed thousand-house hall. A wave of human figures surrounded the area, the perspective shifting like the wind, skimming past the long blades dripping with shredded flesh, bursting through the firelight from gun barrels, brushing past blood spurting from wounds, and grazing the unyielding eyes of the dead. The gaze pressed into the crowd, passing through the smoky haze, and Chi Zhi finally saw familiar faces: Gui Wang Da, Fan Wu Guo, Xie Bu An, Qiong Qi, and Bao Wei. The men roared and laughed, like jagged rocks, wielding knives and guns against the surging enemy tide. It was the blank faces of the painted skins, the trembling figures clutching the corpses of night demons, the gaze shattering the tear sliding from her eye, plunging into the cold darkness of the night demon's eyes. The scene darkened and brightened, a sword light rising from the sea of talismans and thunder! It was Chen Qi's pale face, the burning hatred in his eyes. It was the Peng bird darting through the black cloud sea, Li Hua's face split by a cry, tightly clutching Zhao Qing's hair, which the wind stirred. It was that dream not of reality, Du Si pushing forward against the colossal beast. It was Yuan Ming Fei standing atop the towering angry ape, her expression cold as she gazed at the mountain-like golden Buddha. Figures flickered past Chi Zhi's eyes, finally revealing the figure standing in a blood pool, spear upright. The scene enlarged, freezing on the helmet, that single closed eye. "This time I enter the Japanese territory, my purpose is only to bring you back, not to harm others. But if you continue to resist, the four ink armor bodies besides you will lose their ability to act, and those they protect will die immediately. This I say is not difficult, you should also know." Meng Si calmly said, "Chi Zhi, if you hand over the core control, I can give you time to kill Ba Du, let you be a savior again. If you don't care about their lives, I can accompany you to wait. Your and Su Ce's fate is already decided, in the end only more benefits for the other families, I can also take your core. But those involved in this disaster will all perish." Meng Si paused each word: "Two paths, left and right, you choose yourself." Chi Zhi lowered his head, his dark eyes fixed on Meng Si, smiling, "It seems following the Confucian order has made you progress, using those lowly methods more and more skillfully. You should regret not standing with the Three Teachings at the 'Division of the World'." "Because we paid too much for the martial order, we will never repeat the same mistake!" "Those who led the way with the martial order are we, the Ming Gui ink armor! What have those who followed the order sacrificed?" Chi Zhi coldly laughed, "Was it your retreat when the situation turned? Or selling us to the Three Teachings to escape?" "The past has no point in arguing." Meng Si ignored Chi Zhi's mockery, "Su Ce's debt must be paid with his life. Your mistake must be borne by you." "My mistake?" Chi Zhi laughed, "My only mistake was not rescuing those trapped in the Ming Gui realm like commodities on the day I rebelled against the ink order, not uprooting the entire Zhong Fen Institute, killing all these slave-owning beasts!" "Ming Gui are born from the ink order, live for it. Whether you admit it or not, the hierarchy is set. This so-called divine tool that can exist separately from the ink order is a great mistake. Freedom is not for Ming Gui; only 'loyalty' is their true will!" The iron chain creaked, lightning crackling around the dark golden body, restraining it. "Ming Gui are human, not your tools!" "The creator is the master!" Meng Si's brows furrowed, "All you have is from the Zhong Fen Institute, but your betrayal made it the ink order's sin. That's your true mistake. Now we demand you return everything, let Zhong Fen give the ink order a proper conclusion!" "To explain? Fine!" Chi Zhi's body pressed forward, his eyes like boiling flames, "Today I'll give you an explanation, let you be satisfied for life!" "What are you going to do?!" Meng Si, stunned, suddenly realized, his face changing. But before he could speak, the projected image shattered in the lightning. Thunder roared, illuminating Ba Du's horrified face. After forcing Meng Si to take the lead, Ba Du watched the scene, memories of past pain surging, retreating. The eye in the helmet, trembling, opened. The nearly shattered ink armor struggled from Li Jun's body, steps unsteady, but charging into the restless lightning. "Stop fooling, what's the explanation? Better to die here than be humiliated." Ma Wang Ye's weak voice held anger, ignoring cracked armor, tearing the lightning net, only a tiny crack. "You're Chi Zhi, the most feared in the Ming Gui realm, you can't die so pitifully, hear?" "Of course, so I'll kill them all. If I watch you die, that's the real humiliation." "Nonsense, stop!" A arm forced into the lightning, burned to molten iron. Ma Wang Ye gritted teeth, holding the gap, crashing his helmet. "Dong... Dong... Ma Ye, do you think I'm that foolish? Tricked into self-destruction?" Chi Zhi calmly, "I have no time, Su Ce is still in the Buddha Land. His old bones, without my help, can't kill those clowns." "As usual, you teach me to seduce, I teach you to kill." Chi Zhi smiled, "Today I come first. Your lesson, I'll take later." As he spoke, Ma Wang Ye lifted his head, seeing a ripple, spreading through Edo. Edo's northwest. The ripple like a giant hand, covering the sky, hiding stars. The rising talisman sea froze, then fell. Zhang Qing Saint couldn't maintain his celestial appearance, his face twisted, hands waving. But his Dao core couldn't connect to any talisman. In despair, he abandoned struggle, his mind pounding the dragon-tiger cave, transferring consciousness to the distant body. But the cave entrance was heavy, slower than the approaching cold light. "Burn the Ming Gui, explode the core, Chi Zhi, wipe us all out!" Zhang Qing Saint's smile. His eyes met the sword light. Clang! The sword cut through, piercing the Dao core, piercing his body! The dragon-tiger Dao's Zhang Qing Saint, soul and spirit gone. The sword drawn, Chen Qi's lips parted, but before speaking, he saw the corpse. His armor gone, he tore his blood-stained robe, shredded. After, he turned, Long Jun appeared. One person, one armor, looking at the fading lightning. "Chi Zhi."

"Lord Chi."

The ripple drifted into the dreamscape, brushing past the flame-red hair and settling into a pair of cool, detached eyes, yet it was like a colossal boulder cast into a tranquil lake, instantly whipping up a tempest of crashing waves.

Shouyu slowly raised both hands to cover his face, tears pouring like rain through the crevices of his fingers.

In the sky, the numbers belonging to Lyu Chou dissolved into nothingness like a pile of shifting sand under the brushing of the ripple.

Zou Sijiu's eyes were engorged with blood as his long spear impaled the great beast's nape, pinning Lyu Chou's body relentlessly to the earth.

Amidst shrieks of agonizing pain, Zou Sijiu resembled a victorious, starving beast, his entire body draped over Lyu Chou's head as he tore away mouthful after mouthful of flesh.

As his bobbing Adam's apple swallowed down the masticated flesh and blood, Lyu Chou's frame withered at a pace visible to the naked eye, and his shrill curses gradually dissolved into weak, low growls.

Roar.

Roar!

The sky-propping giant ape bellowed fiercely toward the heavens, the ripple passing over the iron staff gripped in his palm, tinting the shaft with a layer of golden light and wrapping a brilliant golden band around its end.

The staff stirred, shattering the clasped, prayer-joined hands of the Buddha before him, and carrying a sinister wind, it swung heavily against the Buddha's skull.

The mountain-like Buddhist form crashed down, its chest trampled beneath the furious ape's foot, as the giant staff—now swollen like a celestial pillar—was raised high within his embrace, aimed directly at the loathsome visage beneath him and smashed down with fury.

Thud!

The sweeping gale stirred the long hair at Yuan Mingfei's temples; she lifted her face, her once-coquettish features now stripped of all but a solemn, august dignity as her gazing eyes chased the receding ripple.

Her gaze seemed intent on piercing through this Buddhist realm to look upon another.

"You're here?"

"Yeah, am I a bit late? I knew you couldn't do without me; to think these three trivial things actually managed to draw your blood."

"Cut the chatter, did you close the door?"

"Rest assured, it's been closed for a while."

"Good."

The aged martial artist wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, lifted his head to look upon the sky full of standing immortals and Buddhas, and asked with a smile, "Lord Chi, how long has it been since we last did this kind of door-closing, dog-beating business?"

"Hiss... now that you mention it, it really has been a very long time."

"Then shall we relive it today?"

"Sure."

Amidst the wild laughter that rose simultaneously, the silhouette of Lord Chi manifested behind Su Ce and took a step forward.

The very instant their silhouettes coalesced, a dark golden sheen completely dyed his body, and a ferocious suit of armor materialized out of light and shadow.

Lion teeth and ghost horns framed his visage, and a flame-like crimson leaped into his eyes.

"Leave none alive?"

"Why leave any?"

Boom!

The ground within a ten-zhang radius abruptly collapsed, and the kicked-up dust and smoke were dragged into the sky by the soaring figure.

"Execute!"

The voices of the immortals and Buddhas resonated like great bronze bells, yet they were entirely drowned out by a low shout.

"Shut up."

Skybound, Su Ce crashed straight into the howling torrent of flying swords rushing toward him, ignoring the illusionary immortals and false Buddhas cluttering his vision. His splayed fingers clamped onto one of the terror-stricken faces, and with a swing of his arm, he hurled it toward the ground.

The shrieking, tumbling figure smashed out concentric rings of shockwaves in midair, and the moment it plunged into the earth, a pursuing shadow of a fist fell upon its body.

Boom!

What flying swords, talismans, Buddhist chants, guardian deities, yellow-scarf giants, Taoist patriarch artifacts...

Su Ce paid them absolutely no heed, allowing the barrage of attacks to rain upon his back. His frigid eyes remained fixed unblinkingly on Zhang Xiliang of Longhu Mountain, whom he had pinned to the ground, bringing his fist down stroke after stroke.

The shuddering earth sank inch by inch amidst the continuous, muffled roars, cracking into chasms a zhang wide; the surging dust had barely risen before it was scattered by the fierce wind pressing down from above.

With one final roar that resonated between heaven and earth, the ground finally ceased its fracturing.

"You newly risen Sequence Threes, how is it your strikes don't even itch?"

Twisting his neck, Su Ce turned his head to spit out a mouthful of bloody phlegm, casually tossing aside the mangled corpse that no longer resembled a human form. He lifted his hand to point a finger straight at the canopy of the sky, his tyrannical aura boiling over into the heavens!

"Next is you."

The pointed-at Liang Ji of Qingcheng Mountain wore a grim countenance, his hands hidden within the sleeves of his Taoist robe tightening abruptly, only to slacken immediately after.

"Quick—"

Liang Ji turned his head sharply, glaring furiously at Mi Le of Sangyan Temple standing beside him, an unhideable tremor lacing his roar: "Quickly dissolve the Buddhist realm!"

"Thinking of running only now? Too late!"

"Ba Du, Lord Chi's Minggui consciousness has already entered Mi Le's Buddhist realm; right now, what stands before you is an empty husk. If you're going to keep watching the play, once Su Ce truly breaks free from the Buddhist realm, everyone dies here today!"

Amidst Meng Xi's nearly voice-cracking shriek, Ba Du's silhouette had already surged forward.

This very moment was the genuine opportunity he had long been waiting for!

The joy filling his soul wove into a wild, savage grin upon Ba Du's face, and a sharp, ear-piercing howl emitted from within his body—his mechanical heart had entered over-frequency.

Soundwaves capable of shattering human lungs outpaced his rushing silhouette and raised blade-glint, striking first against the figure standing with a spear planted in a pool of blood, smashing into Li Jun's chest.

Thud!

A dull, drum-like sound resonated by Ba Du's ear. Without the slightest hesitation, he instantly recognized it as the sound of a beating flesh-and-blood heart!

In the next instant, the two figures standing front and back opened their eyes at the exact same time!

A wave of dread surging up from his genes gripped Ba Du's mechanical heart tightly in this moment, making his advancing steps hesitant and heavy.

Just as his forward-charging silhouette was about to grind to a halt, Meng Xi's hoarse roar exploded by his ear once more.

"Lord Chi is dead, and Su Ce is at his wits' end!"

Ba Du's abruptly halted mechanical heart kicked up an ear-piercing hum once more. Spurred by shame and rage, he hesitated no longer, and the horse-chopping saber in his grip, shrouded in a soul-striking tide of sound, slashed down fiercely!

Clang!

The spear-tip blocked the blade-edge, and the bursting sparks fell into Li Jun's eyes, yet what he stared at were the densely packed characters streaming across his vision at this moment.

And that single drop of blood that had fallen into his body, igniting a prairie fire!

[Taotie (Rank Four Combat Technique) learning complete, advanced to Rank Four Great Perfection]

[Cuicheng (Rank Four Combat Technique) learning complete, replaced Jianlong Xiejia (Rank Five Great Perfection) and Fenjin Cuogu Hand (Rank Seven Great Perfection), advanced to Rank Four Great Perfection]

[Dengyue (Rank Four Movement Technique) learning complete, replaced Tafeng (Rank Five Great Perfection), advanced to Rank Four Great Perfection]

[Shentang (Rank Four Body Tempering) learning complete, replaced Shangu (Rank Five Great Perfection), advanced to Rank Four Great Perfection]

[Zhenlu (Rank Four Internal Cultivation) learning complete, replaced Dongjian Wushen (Rank Five Great Perfection), advanced to Rank Four Great Perfection]

Click!

It was the crisp sound of a bronze lock about to shatter in the unseen depths.

Deep within Li Quan’s body, that sealed door, just a sliver away, could be fully breached!

Don’t look back—now you’re the protagonist! Let me witness firsthand how you finish this mess, complete this rite, cross this precipice, and step out on your own path.

Suzi leaned back with a smile, gazing at the silhouette before her.

At this moment, the sky had faded into darkness, only flickering lights piercing the gloom.

“Long night ahead! Unless you want to take this step, call it the payment of the master!”

The old man raised a hand, brushing the icy armor on his back, and laughed: “Suzi, your name suits you well. You’re a lone warrior, four in the art… the payment of the master.”

“Li Quan, you’ve brought the guest!”