Bizarre Survival: I Can Devour Thousands of Talents

Chapter 223, Section 222: Don't subscribe! Happy New Year!

Night fell, and the moonlight was like water.

The silvery-white light shone on the desolate railway tracks.

Ling Xiao stood at the edge of the train platform, gazing at the ancient and mysterious train before him, a sense of oppression rising within him.

The train's body was as black as ink, as if it were swallowing up the surrounding light, and the steam from the front of the train spewed out white mist, like a giant dragon roaring.

Ancient runes were carved on the train carriages, shimmering with a faint blue light under the moonlight, as if telling untold secrets.

Ling Xiao took a deep breath and slowly stepped onto the train's stairs. The carriage was filled with a putrid smell, mixed with a faint stench of blood, which sent chills down one's spine.

The interior of the carriage was dark and cramped, with dust and cobwebs covering the wooden seats, as if no one had ridden there for a long time. Dim yellow light shone from the ceiling lights, casting dappled shadows.

Ling Xiao walked forward cautiously, each step accompanied by a slight creak, as if the entire train was whispering.

"Where am I?"

Ling Xiao muttered to himself, his voice echoing in the carriage, making it seem exceptionally spacious.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew from the end of the carriage, making Ling Xiao's hair dance wildly. He instinctively gripped the hilt of his knife and looked warily toward the source of the wind.

At that moment, a blurry figure slowly emerged from the darkness. It was a woman wearing a tattered kimono, with a pale face, empty eyes, and a strange smile on her lips.

"Welcome to the Demon Train."

The woman's voice was low and hoarse, as if it came from the depths of hell.

Ling Xiao's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly calmed down, and the blade in his hand reflected a cold light.

"Who are you? Why did you make me get on this train?"

He asked in a deep voice. The woman slowly raised her hand and pointed to the end of the train.

"There's a secret hidden here, a secret only you can unlock." Her voice held a seductive quality, as if guiding Ling Xiao to explore it more deeply.

Ling Xiao's gaze was fixed on the woman. He knew this was a dangerous game, but he had no way out. He slowly walked forward, each step feeling like he was treading on the edge of an abyss. The woman's figure gradually blurred and finally disappeared into the darkness, leaving only a low laugh echoing in the carriage.

The train suddenly started moving, its body swaying slightly and emitting a heavy rumble.

Ling Xiao gripped the handrail tightly to steady himself. He could feel the train accelerating, as if it were carrying him into an unknown abyss. The lights inside the carriage grew dimmer, and a suffocating sense of oppression filled the air.

Ling Xiao's breathing became rapid, and his heart pounded like a drum. He knew that countless dangers lurked on this train, and he had to face them.

Suddenly, a sharp scream came from the other end of the carriage, a sound filled with pain and fear.

Ling Xiao's heart sank, and he immediately ran towards the direction of the sound. The air inside the carriage seemed to thicken, and every step felt like struggling in a quagmire.

When he reached the end of the carriage, the sight before him made him gasp.

A gigantic demon stood there, its body tall and twisted, its skin a strange bluish-black, its eyes like burning flames, radiating an evil light.

Its claws, sharp as knives, were gripping the corpse of a passenger, blood dripping from the body with a nauseating sound.

"Let her go!" Ling Xiao roared, swinging his knife and charging at the evil spirit. The evil spirit raised its head, revealing a ferocious smile.

"You think you can stop me?" Its deep voice carried a hint of mockery. Ling Xiao didn't answer; the blade in his hand flashed with a cold light, aiming straight for the demon's throat.

The demon reacted swiftly, blocking the blade with its claws and letting out a deafening roar. Ling Xiao felt a powerful force emanating from the demon's claws, almost numbing his arm. But he didn't back down; instead, he swung the blade even harder.

The blade clashed with the claws, producing a crisp metallic sound. Each of Ling Xiao's strikes carried his anger and determination, while the demon responded with overwhelming power and malevolent aura.

The two engaged in a fierce battle in the cramped carriage, their blades flashing and claws clashing, the air thick with the stench of blood and the clanging of metal.

Just as Ling Xiao was about to gain the upper hand, the evil spirit suddenly let out a mournful howl, and its body instantly became transparent, as if it had merged into the air.

Ling Xiao's blade missed its mark, and he sensed something was wrong, so he immediately turned around.

However, it was too late. The demon's claws pierced through his shoulder from behind, and blood instantly stained his clothes.

"Ah!" Ling Xiao cried out in pain, but he did not fall down.

He gritted his teeth, endured the excruciating pain, and stabbed the demon in the abdomen with a backhand stroke.

The demon let out a scream as its body was pierced by the blade, but it did not die; instead, it became even more frenzied. It swung its claws, trying to tear Ling Xiao to pieces.

Ling Xiao felt his power draining away little by little, but he knew he couldn't give up.

He used all his strength to plunge the blade deep into the demon's body, while simultaneously gripping the demon's claws tightly with his other hand to prevent it from harming him further.

"Go to hell!"

Ling Xiao roared and twisted the blade forcefully. The evil spirit let out a shrill scream, its body began to tremble violently, and finally turned into a cloud of black mist, dissipating into the air.

Ling Xiao felt the pressure on his shoulders disappear instantly, and he breathed a sigh of relief, but his body was swaying precariously due to excessive blood loss.

"You can't win."

A weak voice came from behind him. Ling Xiao turned his head with difficulty and saw the woman in the tattered kimono standing there. Her face was even paler and her eyes held a trace of despair.

"This is the realm of demons; you cannot leave here alive."

She said in a low voice.

"I will not give up."

Ling Xiao gritted his teeth, trying to stay awake. "I need to find out the secrets here and break this curse."

A complex emotion flashed in the woman's eyes. She slowly raised her hand and pointed to the end of the train.

"That's the train's final stop, and your only hope."

Ling Xiao nodded. He knew this was a life-or-death battle, but he had no way out.

He slowly stood up, enduring the sharp pain in his shoulder, and walked towards the end of the train.

The lights inside the carriage became even dimmer, and a suffocating sense of oppression filled the air.

But he didn't stop; every step he took was firm and powerful, as if declaring war on fate. The train continued its journey through the darkness, seemingly without end.

Ling Xiao's heart was filled with determination and resolve. He knew that no matter how many dangers lay ahead, he would not back down. Because he knew that only by breaking this curse could he truly be free.

The train came to a slow stop in complete silence, the lights inside the carriages flickering as if they might go out at any moment.

Ling Xiao stood at the end of the carriage, the wound on his shoulder still throbbing, but he had no time to pay attention to it. His gaze was fixed on the figure standing ahead, a figure he had never seen before.

The latest novel is first published here!

It was a man wearing a black cloak, the hood of which covered his face, revealing only a pair of deep eyes that gleamed with an unfathomable light.

He stood in the last carriage of the train, like a ghost emerging from the darkness, giving people a mysterious and unapproachable feeling.

"Who are you?" Ling Xiao's voice echoed in the carriage, tinged with wariness. The man slowly raised his head, his voice deep and calm, as if from a distant time and space.

"I am the guardian of this train. You can call me Nightshade." Ling Xiao frowned. He had never heard of this name before, but he could sense the powerful aura emanating from this man.

"Guardian? What are you doing here?" Nightshade smiled slightly, a hint of helplessness in his smile. "I'm waiting here for someone who can break the curse, and you are that person." A trace of doubt flashed through Ling Xiao's mind, but he didn't have time to delve into it.

"Break the curse? How?" Nightshade took a step forward, his figure appearing exceptionally tall in the dim light. "This train is shrouded in an ancient curse. Only by finding the source of the curse can it be broken."

"And I can help you." Ling Xiao's gaze became even more wary. "Why help me? What's your purpose?" Night Shadow's laughter echoed in the carriage, tinged with bitterness.

"My goal is simple. I've been trapped on this train for far too long, and I yearn for freedom. Breaking the curse is our only hope." Ling Xiao was silent for a moment. He knew there might be some truth in Ye Ying's words, but he couldn't easily trust anyone.

Especially on this train filled with demons.

"Then what price do you want me to pay?"

A complex expression appeared on Nightshade's face, a hint of struggle flashing in his eyes. "The price... is your soul." Ling Xiao's heart skipped a beat, his gaze turning icy. "My soul?" Nightshade nodded.

"Yes, only a pure soul can be offered as a sacrifice to break the curse. And you possess the purest soul."

Countless images flashed through Ling Xiao's mind: his family, his friends, and his unwavering beliefs. He couldn't easily give up on his soul, but he also couldn't give up the chance to break the curse. He took a deep breath, trying to remain calm.

"Is there any other way?" Nightshade shook his head. "No, this is the only way. If you don't want to, I can take you off this train, but the curse will remain forever."

Ling Xiao was filled with conflict. He knew Ye Ying's words might be true, but he couldn't easily give up on his soul. He needed time to think, to explore other possibilities. He slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed firmly on Ye Ying.

"Give me time to find another way."

Nightshade was silent for a moment, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes, but he finally nodded. "Okay, I'll give you time. But remember, time is running out."

Ling Xiao nodded; he knew this might be his only chance. He slowly turned and walked towards the front of the train.

His heart was filled with doubt and unease, but he knew he had to find a way to break the curse, or he would be trapped on this train forever. The train started moving again, its carriages swaying slightly and emitting a heavy rumble.

Ling Xiao stood in the center of the carriage, his eyes fixed on the front, as if searching for something.

His heart was filled with determination and resolve. He knew he had to find a way to break the curse, or he would lose his freedom forever.

The train moved slowly through the darkness, its carriages creaking softly as if whispering. Ling Xiao stood in the center of the carriage, his gaze fixed ahead, his heart filled with unease and doubt.

The train lights flickered on and off, and a suffocating sense of oppression filled the carriage. His shoulder injury was still throbbing, but his attention was already completely absorbed by Nightshade's words.

"The source of the curse is on the train?" Ling Xiao muttered to himself, his voice echoing in the carriage, sounding particularly empty. He walked slowly forward, each step feeling exceptionally heavy. The air in the carriage seemed to thicken, each step feeling like struggling in a quagmire.

His heart was filled with conflict. He didn't know if he could find a way to break the curse, but he knew he had to try. An unsettling atmosphere permeated the train carriage, as if countless eyes were watching him in the darkness.

Ling Xiao's breathing became rapid, and his heart pounded like a drum. He knew that countless dangers lurked on this train, and he had to face them.

Ling Xiao entered the next carriage of the train, where the lighting was even dimmer and a musty smell filled the air. On both sides of the carriage were some ancient wooden boxes, covered with mysterious runes that shimmered with an eerie blue light in the dim light.

He slowly walked towards one of the wooden crates and gently touched it. The surface of the crate was cold and rough, and the runes trembled slightly under his fingertips, as if they were alive.

A sense of unease flashed through Ling Xiao's heart, but he did not back down. He took a deep breath and forcefully opened the wooden box. The box was empty except for a yellowed parchment. On the parchment was written a passage in ancient script. Ling Xiao carefully deciphered it and discovered that it was a record about a curse.

"This train is shrouded in an ancient curse, and only by finding the source of the curse can it be broken."

The source of the curse was somewhere in the train. A glimmer of hope flashed through Ling Xiao's mind; he knew this might be the key to breaking the curse. He carefully put the parchment away and continued walking forward.

The train continued its journey, its carriages emitting a heavy rumble. Ling Xiao entered the next carriage, where the lighting was even dimmer, and an unsettling atmosphere permeated the air. Suddenly, eerie music drifted from the far end of the carriage.

It was a low, hoarse melody, as if it came from the depths of hell. Ling Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively gripped the hilt of his knife, looking warily toward the source of the music.

He walked slowly forward, each step seeming exceptionally heavy.

(End of this chapter)