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Jiang Chen was filled with astonishment, a hint of panic flashing in his dark green pupils.

He twisted his body desperately, trying to break free with brute force.

However, he discovered that his limbs were firmly locked by reverse joints, and his carotid artery was locked by Fang Cheng's thigh muscles like an iron hoop.

The rapid obstruction of blood flow to the brain caused him to experience bouts of blackouts.

The pain was excruciating, as if my arm joints were about to break.

He was a general of the Yu Dynasty, who spent half his life fighting on horseback, and all he had learned were the techniques of large-scale military formations and killing.

Where have I ever seen such a ground-hugging, joint-locking technique?

"What kind of underhanded fighting style is this?!"

Jiang Chen roared in exasperation and struggled with all his might.

But they found that the more they resisted, the tighter the other person's joints became.

Fang Cheng pressed his knee against his back and snorted coldly:
"A secret weapon for treating old bones."

The soldiers and monks around were all stunned.

One second they were top-tier masters, flying through the air and splitting pillars and rocks.

At this moment, they were like street thugs, rolling around in the blood and mud, tearing each other apart.

"What are you all standing there for! Kill him for me!"

Jiang Chen's face turned purplish-blue as he roared furiously at his subordinates.

The soldiers seemed to awaken from a dream, and they all raised their spears and swords, shouting as they swarmed forward from all directions.

Whoosh whoosh—

Sharp blades and spear tips fell simultaneously toward the two men on the ground.

Despite the blade aimed at him, Fang Cheng showed no fear.

He took a deep breath, and his blood and qi instantly surged and boiled like magma.

At the same time, the great sun, high in the inner world, suddenly burst forth, radiating light.

"boom!"

A dazzling golden flame suddenly erupted from Fang Cheng's body, surging wildly.

The powerful fire wave, accompanied by a scorching shockwave, exploded on the ground like a miniature sun.

The first dozens of soldiers who rushed forward were instantly blown away along with their weapons by the violent shockwave.

The tips of several nearby iron spears even began to glow red and melt under the scorching heat of the golden flames.

In the blink of an eye, Fang Cheng seemed to transform into a blazing human torch.

The intense, yang-like golden flames flowed through his tightly bound limbs and into Jiang Chen's armor, igniting his body as well.

"what--"

Jiang Chen couldn't help but groan in pain as he was burned, rolling and struggling on the ground.

A piercing scream echoed throughout the hall, drowning out the sounds of burning wood all around.

This flame is exceptionally mysterious; it does not harm skin, fur, or flesh, but focuses solely on burning away evil spirits and malevolent beings.

Furthermore, it is extremely domineering and cannot be resisted by willpower alone.

Jiang Chen's face showed fear as he finally recognized this force, which seemed like a natural enemy:
"This is... the True Fire of the Sun?! How could you possibly possess such a divine power?!"

The excruciating pain of the flames burning his soul caused his features to contort into a grimace, his face twisted and grotesque.

Jiang Chen could no longer maintain his arrogant and domineering demeanor and angrily rebuked:

"Let go! Let go of me now!"

Fang Cheng snorted coldly, not only refusing to let go, but also tightening the armbar lock by using his waist strength.

The golden flames then burned even more fiercely, almost completely engulfing the two of them.

"You want to refine me? Wishful thinking!"

In the critical moment, Jiang Chen gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain that burned his soul, and let out a roar.

His eyes blazed with green light, and the pores on his entire body opened wide.

A dense, almost solidified, eerie green aura of death surged forth from within the armor like a burst dam.

The stench of extreme decay, mixed with the overwhelming resentment accumulated over two thousand years, intertwined and coalesced, giving rise to a sudden chill.

In an instant, a layer of ice condensed, covering the entire suit of armor and blocking the spreading golden flames.

The golden sun and the eerie green miasma collided violently between the two.

High temperatures and extreme cold clashed and devoured each other, erupting with a piercing boiling sound.

Large plumes of foul-smelling black smoke rose into the air.

The bluestone slab beneath them was completely reduced to dust by the clash of the two extreme energies, and the ground sank in by half a foot.

Jiang Chen possessed extremely profound inner strength, and the energy within his body seemed inexhaustible.

Despite enduring the scorching heat of the sun's true fire, it exerted all its power to unleash its corpse energy, even showing a faint tendency to gain the upper hand.

The eerie green corpse energy climbed up Fang Cheng's limbs, attempting to freeze his blood and energy and cut off his source of power.

Fang Cheng felt a bone-chilling cold seep into his body through his pores, and his legs, which were locked in place by Jiang Chen's joints, became somewhat stiff.

For a moment, the two were locked in a stalemate.

Like martial arts masters in a movie, they clashed palms to test their inner strength, seeing who would give up first.

Fang Cheng knew that he absolutely could not back down now; if he relaxed his guard, he would suffer a backlash.

His eyes darkened, and he pushed his mental power to its limit, continuously extracting energy from himself.

The golden flames surged again, like a roaring fire dragon, fiercely engulfing Jiang Chen, who was encased in the ice shell.

The intense heat continued to scorch the area, and the corpse energy launched a full-scale counterattack.

But the true fire of the sun is ultimately the natural enemy of such filthy things.

As time went on, the layer of eerie green corpse energy barrier became increasingly thinner and thinner under the constant erosion of the golden flames, and gradually dissolved.

The resistance was gradually suppressed.

Finally, Jiang Chen's soul could no longer withstand the torture of being burned alive by flames, and his mental defenses were on the verge of collapse.

stab-

A dark shadow exuding a chilling aura was forcibly peeled from Cheng Jiashu's flesh.

"You bastard, you just wait!"

The dark figure let out a venomous roar in mid-air.

It immediately transformed into a streak of light, passed through the main hall, and flew deep into the temple.

Upon seeing this, Fang Cheng immediately loosened his tightly clenched legs, flipped over and leaped up, preparing to chase after the dark figure and eliminate it completely.

Just then, the body lying on the ground let out a painful groan:

"Fang Cheng..."

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Fang Cheng immediately stopped his pursuit and turned around.

Cheng Jiashu slowly opened his eyes.

At this moment, the eerie green light in his eyes completely faded, and he regained the clarity that belonged to a human being, but his eyes revealed weakness and exhaustion.

His voice was hoarse as he managed to call out, then struggled to sit up and said:
"Don't chase after them, be careful of an ambush. That old devil still has some trump cards up his sleeve..."

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng immediately dispelled the protective golden flames on his body and quickly walked to Cheng Jiashu's side and squatted down.

"How are you? Can you stand up on your own?"

He grabbed his friend's arm and pulled him out of the muddy, bloody water.

Cheng Jiashu shook his head with a wry smile, barely managing to stand with Fang Cheng's help, and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva:
"I won't die, but I feel like my body's energy and spirit are being drained."

Fang Cheng frowned, surveyed the dilapidated surroundings, and asked:

"How did you end up provoking Jiang Chen all by yourself? Didn't we agree last time that we would act together if we found any leads?"

Cheng Jiashu sighed, a hint of lingering fear flashing in his eyes:
"It's a long story. I recently gathered some clues about this old ghost in Xishan. I was planning to notify you as soon as I verified them and we could coordinate our operation."

"But I never expected that this old devil would be so cunning, deliberately leaving a loophole for me to trap."

He paused, still shaken, and after catching his breath, continued to explain the situation:

"I was caught off guard and fell into his trap. My consciousness was dragged directly into this nightmare constructed by my subconscious. If you hadn't arrived in time, I probably would have been completely devoured and assimilated by him."

“However, on another note…” Cheng Jiashu raised his head, staring at Fang Cheng with a face full of doubt:

"How did you know something was wrong with me? And how exactly did you intrude into my subconscious?"

Fang Cheng's lips curled up slightly as he casually replied:
"Would you believe me if I said I used a VIP cheat for cross-server connectivity?"

Cheng Jiashu was taken aback upon hearing this.

His previously tense nerves were slightly relieved by the joke, and he rolled his eyes helplessly:
"What time is it? You still have the mind to talk nonsense."

Just as the two were chatting and catching up,

The temperature around them suddenly dropped, and a biting, cold wind swept up from the ground.

Thick black mist, like boiling asphalt, surged from the cracks in the bluestone slabs in front of the main hall.

The two noticed something was wrong and looked around.

To their surprise, the scene before them was rapidly collapsing and distorting.

The temple was originally intact, although it was damaged by war.

At this moment, under the erosion of the black mist, the red paint is peeling off and the beams and pillars are rotten and broken.

In the blink of an eye, it has turned into a desolate ruin overgrown with weeds.

The old monks and novices who were originally sitting on the prayer mats had their bodies weathered away, turning into ashes and dissipating into the black mist.

"Ho...ho..."

A series of eerie and chilling sounds emanated from the surrounding dark fog.

Fang Cheng squinted and looked in the direction of the sound.

Those Yu Dynasty soldiers who had been knocked down or buried under the rubble were now undergoing extremely terrifying changes.

Their bodies were convulsing violently, and their bones were cracking and popping.

The spine arched high like a fully drawn bow, forcefully tearing the armor on the back.

The exposed skin quickly dried out and turned black, exhibiting a deathly gray lividity.

What's even more terrifying are their faces.

The soldiers' jawbones were torn open at an inhuman angle, all the way to their ears.

It grows sharp, interlocking fangs from its mouth, and foul-smelling saliva drips from between its teeth onto the ground, corroding and producing a pungent white smoke.

The tips of their fingers had lost their nails, and in their place were long, hook-like black claws.

What's most chilling is that when they suddenly raised their heads, the pupils of their eyes had completely disappeared.

Instead, two flickering, eerie green flames burst forth with bloodthirsty light.

Dozens, hundreds, even thousands...

Within the thick black fog, countless eerie green lights, like will-o'-the-wisps in a graveyard, stretched out in a striking pattern.

"It's a ghoul!"

Cheng Jiashu's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in surprise.

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng's gaze suddenly swept across the surrounding ruins.

A thousand mutated ghouls were gathering from all directions, completely surrounding the main hall where the two were located.

Sizzle, sizzle—

Sharp claws scraped across the stone slab, making a harsh grinding sound.

An overwhelming sense of oppression and a strong stench of decay filled the air.

"Fang Cheng!"

Suddenly, an extremely cold voice came from the depths of the thick fog.

It was Jiang Chen, who had just vanished in a flash of light, who was speaking.

"When I roamed the world, you ants didn't even have the right to be my food!"

"You colluded with the army to launch a sneak attack and harm my body, and today you have ruined my plans. This is intolerable!"

"I will skin you alive and make you into a human skin lantern to be carried by my side for eternity, never to be reborn!"

Jiang Chen shouted fiercely, his tone revealing a chilling murderous intent and resentment.

Then he changed the subject, scolding the student as if he were disappointed in him:

"And you, Cheng Jiashu! How could the Cheng family have given birth to such a traitorous good-for-nothing like you?"

"Not only have you defied my will, but you've also colluded with outsiders to betray your master and ancestors! Today, I will make you, this unworthy descendant, die at the hands of your own ancestors as a warning to others!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Cheng Jiashu in surprise.

Ancestors? Unworthy descendants?
Cheng Jiashu and Jiang Chen are actually related by blood?
Faced with such a shocking family secret, Cheng Jiashu could only respond with a bitter smile.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, tilted his head back, and retorted into the darkness:
"Stop trying to glorify yourself! My Cheng family has been upright and honorable for generations. I don't have a blood-sucking, flesh-eating old zombie like you as my ancestor!"

"If you want to kill me, then don't hide in the shadows. You can come out and try."

"presumptuous!"

Jiang Chen was thoroughly enraged, and his roar shook the crumbling walls, sending dust and debris flying.
Tear them to pieces!

At this command, the thousands of ghouls erupted in frenzied roars.

They crouched on all fours, like a pack of wolves drawn by the scent of blood, trampling over the pebbles as they pounced on the two people standing on the steps.

The noise was so great that the ground of the entire courtyard trembled violently.

"Retreat to the main hall."

Fang Cheng pushed Cheng Jiashu into the main hall behind him.

He took a large step forward, blocking the broken door frame like an iron tower.

"Hmph, over your own strength!"

Jiang Chen's cold laughter rang out again, echoing through the fog-shrouded ruins:

"I'd like to see how you, all by yourself, can stop my army of thousands of ghouls!"

Fang Cheng did not answer, his expression calm as he watched the swarming monsters approach.

He twisted his neck, and his joints made a crisp popping sound.

The next second, he took a deep breath, and the power within him was like a powder keg that had been ignited.

"boom!"

A dazzling golden flame erupted from his body once more, its intense heat instantly dispelling the surrounding chill.

Flames coiled around his fists and legs, spitting out long tongues of fire.

The four fastest ghouls rushed up the steps first, their sharp claws aimed straight for Fang Cheng's face and chest.

Instead of retreating, Fang Cheng advanced, stepping forward with his left foot and extending his right arm like lightning.

A highly penetrating jab landed precisely on the bridge of the nose of the ghoul in the very center.

Amidst the cracking of bones, the ghoul's body arched backward, and its head exploded with a deafening roar.

Immediately afterward, Fang Cheng twisted his right shoulder and used his waist and hips to generate power.

A powerful, heavy right hook slammed into the chest of another ghoul.

"boom!"

With a sickening thud, the ghoul's sternum caved in and shattered instantly.

The true fire of the sun flowed into its body through the fist, piercing through its back and going straight through its chest cavity.

Before the ghoul could even let out a scream, it was transformed into a burning fireball and sent flying backward.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the two ghouls pounced on Fang Cheng, grabbing his arms tightly and biting him with their gaping maws.

Fang Cheng's eyes were cold, and he stood still.

His arm muscles suddenly swelled, forcibly breaking free from their restraints.

Then, he grabbed the two monsters by the back of their necks with both hands and brought his arms inward.

boom!
Like striking a bell, the two hideous monster heads collided violently.

With a crisp "splat," red and white brain matter mixed with dark blood splattered everywhere.

Fang Cheng released his hands, letting the two headless corpses slump to the ground.

At this moment, the remaining ghoul army surged towards the steps like a black tsunami. (End of Chapter)