Forge a path to success

"A very interesting bedtime story." Chu Hengkong stared at the mouse, and the black mouse looked back at him. "That thing has a few points."

“Point mass 6,” Duran said, “is an immortal ‘ghost.’”

Chapter 221 The Trap of the War Demon (The End)

The black rat opened its mouth, emitting a strange chirp, like an ethereal flute melody. A rustling sound arose again, from behind, from above, from underground; the sheer number of rats amplified the subtle sounds into a thunderous roar. In the darkness, tiny points of light appeared—pure white beastly eyes that opened simultaneously.

Darkness itself was an endless swarm of rats. The rats blocked their path, and Chu Hengkong smiled at them.

"Get the hell out of here!" Chu Hengkong roared, addressing both the black rat and the mangled body. With one hand he dragged Du Lanbai and the other he pulled the murderous knife, letting the blade sink into the moving ground to suck the blood from the giant's belly.

He knew he should run, but it was a miracle that Chongming could even move. He dragged Dulanbai forward inch by inch. The herd of beasts was still gathering, their dark mass obscuring the light ahead.

"Now our funerals will be a joke!" Duran shouted. "The hero who slew the evil god will be bitten to death by rats!"

"If you have the energy to spout nonsense, then come up with a solution for me."

"I've lost my legs, what other options do I have! The only option is for you to throw me away, grab my badge, and use your Radiant Flow to fight your way out!" Duran struggled desperately. "Don't make me die like a coward, okay? I don't want to be a burden to you until the very end!"

Chu Hengkong remained silent, pulling the knight forward. In the short span of a few words, the beast swarmed forward, climbing onto their feet and enveloping them in armor.

Chongming and Du Lanbai's armor were formidable pieces, treasures worth risking their lives for in Chu Hengkong's era. But against the Black Rat of Point 6, no relic armor was any different from paper. The Black Rat bit through the plate armor in one bite, its sharp teeth piercing into the flesh along with metal fragments, its barbed structure digging out teaspoon-sized chunks of flesh.

This was the first direct injury Chu Hengkong had suffered; the pain in his instep nearly killed him. Immediately afterwards, a dozen or so excruciating pains erupted simultaneously as the first batch of black rats opened their mouths and began to feast.

Chu Hengkong roared, his anger erupting as he sent the greedy black rats flying and slicing them into pieces. Some of the rats touched the blade and were severed by its sharp edge. But the dead rats vanished as if by illusion, and a new swarm followed closely behind, once again advancing along the same path.

The number of rats is truly endless, like a hopeless black ocean; you wipe away a ripple, and a new wave will rise. They move slowly, even sluggishly, because they have no need to eat quickly. Once they encounter food among the rats, there is nowhere to retreat; no matter how much they struggle or fight, they will ultimately become scraps in the rats' bellies.

This is what makes black rats so terrifying. A single black rat is no different from an ordinary wild animal, but the number of rats in a swarm is "fixed" and will never change. These hungry rats have no concept of the individual; the swarm as a whole is a ghostly being of mass 6, immortal and indestructible, endless, and once encountered, there is nowhere to go.

The black rats were repeatedly smashed down by the rage, but new rats kept climbing up. The wild samurai couldn't move more than a few steps before being dragged into the living mud. The blood on the blade of the murderous sword deepened, like the red eyes of a desperate fugitive, as if the weapon itself was enraged by its predicament. Chu Hengkong knew that now was the time to swing his sword, for the murderous sword was eager to kill these rats.

But he didn't move. He turned to look at Duranbe, whose condition was even more miserable as he was dragged on the ground. In this sea of ​​despair, he was the lowest in the water. His plate armor had been completely pierced, and only a pale face remained amidst the dark swarm of rats.

He suddenly took flight, the swarm of rats clinging to him shattered by his frenzied energy. Chu Hengkong concentrated all his energy in his left arm, and with one hand, he hoisted Du Lanbai up, holding him high above his head!

The frantic heartbeat drowned out the knight's screams; his volatile heart nearly exploded, but was forcefully suppressed by an even more violent surge of emotion. Chu Hengkong held the knight firmly in place, practically using his spine as support to lift Du Lanbai; in this situation, there was no possibility for him to move.

“Hey, Duranbe!” he roared hoarsely, “We’re about to die! Any unfulfilled wishes before we die?”

"What's the point of saying this if it only makes me regret it more?" Du Lanbai said, both amused and exasperated.

"Go ahead and say it! You'll never have another chance if you don't speak now!"

Du Lanbai gasped for breath a few times: "I originally planned to go back to my hometown to get married after this battle!"

Despite being in a life-or-death situation, Chu Hengkong couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"What are you laughing at! I spent the whole night doing ideological work before I went into battle! I was thinking that after a great victory, I would confess to that grumpy fiancée and tell her that I have military merits and am now a man qualified to marry her... But now I can only tell her to forget about me and find a good man to marry!"

Black rats swarmed up, fell, and climbed up again, endlessly. Their flesh vanished rapidly as they were devoured, turning into two pale skeletons. Chu Hengkong leaned against a rock and laughed, “Are you willing to die here? Are you willing to watch your fiancée marry another? She will share a bed with a man you don’t know, raise his children, and long afterward, with white hair, she will tell her children that a knight named Du Lanbai once pursued her diligently, and she was even planning to accept him, but unfortunately, he died in the swarm of black rats, and everyone laughed at his funeral.”

"Seven Stars, Double Brightness, shut the hell up!" Duran's eyes were bloodshot. "Are you a demon? Even at this point, you're still torturing me?"

"Are you still willing to die now?" Chu Hengkong interrupted him. "You feel you're inferior to Chongming. You are indeed inferior to Chongming. Because you gave up on dying long ago, while Chongming planned to fight his way out with you!"

Black rats swarmed onto Chu Hengkong's upper body, biting through his breastplate first. Their sharp teeth severed bones, and in two seconds, they would reach his heart. Chu Hengkong ignored them, roaring fiercely, "You all have unfinished business! You want to achieve great things, to make a name for yourselves, to shut those idiots who look down on you up in obedience! But before all of this is accomplished, you're about to fall, so he's unwilling to accept it..."

So no matter how painful it is, he will try his best to live!

He thought of the ghosts forcing smiles, of the ice-man guarding the city, of Qingxia struggling against her true nature. Those tormented lives, knowing their pursuit was futile, persisted to the very end. He roared, "If you're not resigned to this, then get moving!"

Duranbai saw a gleaming golden badge fly past his eyes and land on his head. That badge was his last bit of strength. He knew from the beginning that he was beyond saving, and Chongming's normal state was no different from when he was seriously injured, so he deliberately left this bit of strength to Chongming, hoping to increase his friend's chances of survival.

He kept shouting that he wanted to die not because he was a cowardly coward, but because he was worried that he would be a burden to his friend who had a chance of survival. But his friend didn't think so. Chongming returned the badge to him; they would get out of here alive together.

Duran gripped his badge tightly, raised his right arm amidst the swarm of black rats, and roared, "Pegasus!"

The badge lit up, transforming into a dazzling light. That light blew away the endless swarms of rats, turning them into a terrifying blue hurricane that shook the darkness!

It was a winged celestial horse, majestic and handsome, like an angel's mount. Its body was a translucent blue-green, with swirling marks slowly flowing within it—the "wind mark," a symbol of a knight's identity. The celestial horse carried the two dying figures, and the black rats that tried to approach were all swept away by the hurricane. It trampled through darkness and herds of beasts, breaking through the black rats' blockade, and carried the knight and the broken-hearted towards a ray of light.

Chu Hengkong hugged the celestial horse's neck and laughed heartily: "That's right, knight!"

"I don't care anymore!" Duranbai desperately tried to maintain the Pegasus. "If this happens, we'll have no way to deal with what's outside. You'd better tell me you have a plan!"

"Resolve it with momentum."

"I really left you behind, you bastard!"

"I have a plan," Chu Hengkong said with a smile. "Trust me!"

Duranbe began to laugh too, and they marched forward amidst their wild laughter, the galloping Pegasus like a blue arrow. The black rats pursued relentlessly; though slower than the Pegasus, their numbers far surpassed theirs. All the black rats dwelling within the giant object received the signal, and they surged forth incessantly, like waves of despair crashing down again and again.

The celestial horse was about to be devoured by the rats, but each surge of the tide was cleaved by the flash of the blade. The murderous blade trembled amidst the men's laughter, the ferocity that had seeped into its blade during the long battle being aroused. It exerted its power spontaneously without its wielder's intervention, for it wanted to preserve Chongming's strength until the very last moment—the moment that would decide victory. Countless rats crashed against the blade, its color deepening, a piercing red tinged with black.

The slashes carved out a bright path, and the light ahead drew ever closer. The celestial horse neighed and galloped forward, carrying them out of the cave. Hungry rats leaped up, forming a monstrous wave that blotted out the sky. They trampled over the rats as they raced towards the light outside the cave.

In an instant, the world dimmed, and a murky, viscous gravity surged towards their hearts. They felt a chill, yet also a warmth; contradictory emotions arose the moment they leaped out of the cave, like paradise at the bottom of an abyss. They saw the true form of the light outside the cave: an eye, an eye like a full moon hanging in the sky!

Outside the cave, there was no heaven or earth, only blood and hordes of beasts. The filthy black blood was the night sky with the moon hanging in the sky, and endless black rats formed the moving earth. Countless giant arms clasped together, forming the edge of the circular earth. Thousands of rotting hands and feet with eyeballs supported the fleshy continent, making it float above the sea of ​​illusion.

They escaped the giant's stomach, but remained in its grasp, for the giant had long since merged with heaven and earth, and the entire battlefield was assimilated by its presence.

This is the host of the Black Rat, a mobile hell, the ultimate life form favored by the Dark Moon. It is the Holy Son representing the Full Moon, and also the sole survivor of terror until the very end—the abyssal spider with a thousand eyes and ten thousand hands!

"Dark Moon Divine Art - Blood Piercing the Void," it said.

A foul, demonic sound shook the heavens and earth. The demonic power of the First Abyss, drawn by the Holy Son, fell upon his crescent-shaped eyes. Black blood, imbued with the divine power of the Dark Moon, formed a colorless "arrow." A long-prepared divine spell was unleashed, striking the dying warrior at the most fatal moment. Wherever the divine arrow struck, the gravity of the abyss caused space to collapse. The malevolent spell originating from the First Abyss would tear apart all those not blessed by the Dark Moon. Behind Pegasus, a tsunami created by the surging black rats, left him with no way to retreat, no way to escape.

At that very moment, the ash from the murderous blade scattered. The blood it had drunk along the way fully revealed the blade's sharpness. The ashen ash on the blade disappeared, replaced by a vibrant crimson, with vein-like patterns extending from the hilt to the tip, like the gills of a breathing shark. This was the moment the murderous blade was drawn, the moment to deliver the final blow. Chu Hengkong slowly raised the blood-red blade.

He sheathed the murder weapon.

Gravity erupted, the Pegasus descended, and the Dark Moon Arrow pierced the eyes of the one with a broken heart. Chu Hengkong simply closed his eyes, ignoring the impending death. The flowing energy slowed time to its limit, allowing him to recall, within that frozen moment, the blade he had once witnessed.

He needs to wield his sword; his only chance of survival now is to do so. Not some cheap trick like a reverse blade, but a true, one-hit kill. He can't use muscle power. His muscles will snap before he strikes. He can't use his bones. The recoil will shatter him instead. He has only one chance. Only one split second. When he's at his limit with his enemy, he must draw his sword with the slightest effort.

There is only death, no chance of survival. There is only death, no chance of survival!

Yes, he had seen such a strike before. On his very first day in the wilderness, he had tried to imitate it but had failed to grasp its essence. And now, the time had come to draw his sword; what else could he use?

What else does he have to offer?

Chu Hengkong suddenly opened his eyes, breathing heavily with a powerful roar like that of a dragon. A surge of magical energy rushed into his body, his fragile heart contracted, and an explosion capable of destroying everything was imminent.

He still has a heart. He still has this dangerous heart. He needs the strength of his heart to pull it out, the power of his heartbeat to draw the knife!

Memories dormant within his body were awakened at this moment, and an inconceivable power within his heart was channeled through his bones, flowing into the murder weapon with perfect efficiency. At the instant the sound of the blade clashing and his heartbeat overlapped, Chu Hengkong drew the murder weapon!

At that moment, the world fell silent, and a line of blood appeared in the darkness.

A fierce fire erupted from the blood!

Centered on the crimson slash, the divine arrow was severed in two, and the entire world collapsed. Spirit, heart, and blade—everything was contained within this perfect strike, without the slightest leakage, erupting decisively within the enemy's body. A massive, scorching wave swept from the slash, simultaneously annihilating the swarm of black rats. The power unleashed in that strike incinerated the Moonlit Saint's massive body into ashes, flames erupting from its corpse and turning the sky crimson!

Shadows appear in the blazing sky, a fire burning in the withered heart.

There is no other swordsmanship in the world like this, where the swordsman dies before slaying the enemy. It is a mad sword of annihilation, destroying both the enemy and himself. Only a madman who fights to the death can wield such a sword. That desperate madness will one day pierce the shadows and illuminate the sky.

Then the dark world collapsed, and blood rained down from the sky. His drained heart pounded in his chest, and Chu Hengkong thought he was going to die again, but he felt strangely relieved.

He felt no more pain; his bones were strong, his limbs were powerful, and his heart was beating steadily in his chest. Chu Hengkong realized that he had finally become himself again. The murderous blade remained still, the blood on its surface fading after the strike, resembling a narrowed eye.

Only those who can unleash the Radiant Heaven Stream are qualified to draw their swords...?

"You're even more outrageous than heretics."

He sheathed his sword, turned, and gazed at Duranbai in the white blur. The knight's limbs returned in the blink of an eye. Duranbai paused for a moment, seemingly understanding. He shouted to Chu Hengkong, "Young man! You must live too!"

"I will." Chu Hengkong turned around. "I will survive, and then I will win!"

He grabbed the murder weapon and ran towards the light, towards the battlefield that awaited him!

Chapter 222 Betting on the First Shot

“Almost all point mass 4 is proud of its speed. We have no room for guerrilla warfare in front of that banshee. If we try to split up and confuse her, she will surely defeat us one by one.”

"So, how do you suggest we play this round?"

“A defensive battle,” Shakes said. “We’ll defend the city.”

After Chu Hengkong entered the cave, an ice wall sealed the entrance. Ji Huaisu carved layers of array patterns on the rocks. Standing atop the mountain, she struck down with both hands, awakening the magic of light, water, and dust through the array. Magnificent ice pillars rose around the mountain, supporting a steel dome. Layers of light and spider silk wove a net, instantly creating hundreds and thousands of protective spells.

Bunkers and arrow towers were carved from rough ice blocks, and smooth walls were covered with iron thorns. In less than half a minute, the reddish-brown mountains had vanished without a trace, replaced by an ice fortress built on rock.

Ji Huaisu landed atop the arrow tower, clapping his hands smugly: "This is an improvement on the Guangwei Ice House—"

“Please, don’t mention the name of your move; I’m afraid it will dampen morale,” Van Der said.

Ji Huaisu pursed her lips: "Isn't it too flashy?"

“With the Heavenly Demon Furnace in place, that woman can sense the snake’s location, so it doesn’t matter where she hides.” Shaks was the first to enter the fortress, his face sickly pale. “We discussed the plan on the way here. Make sure to keep track of how many people are coming.”

"Oh, oh." Ji Huaisu rubbed his hands together. "Everyone should try to live as long as possible!"

"Relax, everyone. Chu Hengkong might come running out in a few seconds." Vande said, trembling. "I've seen his integrated blueprint for running with his spine. That thing is incredibly powerful; he's absolutely invincible..."

"Please don't tremble when you're trying to boost morale!" Qingye grabbed the Eye Demon and disappeared.

Shax is the most vulnerable member of the team; he would die instantly if Wenyao got close. Therefore, he hides in the fortress, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Qingye is responsible for leading Vande around; her direct combat ability is not as good as her teammates, so Shax assigned her the task of assisting her teammates or assassinating them when the opportunity arises.

Now only Ji Huaisu and Qingxia remain before the fortress. They are the two strongest fighters on the front lines, and how long they can hold out will directly determine the outcome of this battle. Ji Huaisu has already switched to her fastest steel armor, while Qingxia, holding the Qingkun Spear, quietly regulates her breathing.

"You seem to be adapting quite well?" Ji Huaisu broke the silence. "I was worried that A Kong's heart wouldn't be able to support you."

“To be honest, it’s very difficult.” Qingxia smiled. “Breathing is difficult, moving around is difficult… His heart is much more fragile than I imagined. I live like a paper doll, very cautiously.”

The thought of him fighting with such a strong heart makes me think he's amazing.

Ji Huaisu noticed that Qingxia's lips didn't move when she spoke, perhaps to conserve energy. Like Chu Hengkong at times, she relied on vibrating the air to make a sound. She patted Qingxia's fur: "The male chauvinist killer will be angry if he hears you say that."

"I'm sorry, I just can't seem to break my bad speaking habits." Qingxia paused, "and I apologize to you too."

Ji Huaisu raised an eyebrow: "Still being coy at a time like this?"

“It’s not about what happened before…” Qingxia lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry for always taking your place. You are the true Discipline Knight, and I’m just an amnesiac lust demon.”

Ji Huaisu tilted her head: "What is a true Discipline Knight like?"

"...You're like this?" Qingxia asked, puzzled.

“Then you’ve misunderstood. For the past 23 years, I’ve lived in Huilong City, spending most of my time catching thieves and villains, and serving as a captain.” Ji Huaisu shrugged. “It wasn’t until I was in Jinye City that I learned that my clan was called Discipline Knights, but I’ve never followed any rules or regulations. In my hometown, they call me the Disaster Knight and protest against my violent law enforcement.”

“But…” Qingxia hesitated, “you are indeed…”

"Do you think A-Kong is a martial arts practitioner?" Ji Huaisu suddenly asked.

"Of course he is," Qingxia replied without hesitation.

“But A-Kong has always been an ordinary Ascendant, without any bloodline or following the Dao path, and he has never been to Longquan Township in his entire life. He just practices martial arts like any other martial artist, and he also exorcises demons like any other martial artist, so everyone who sees him naturally assumes he is a martial artist from Longquan Township,” Ji Huaisu said. “Although bloodline is predetermined, identity is always earned. If a person’s fate is set from birth, then there would be no need for the Path of Unifying Destiny.”

“You’ve always dedicated yourself to protecting everyone, haven’t you?” She smiled brightly. “Then you are the knight of the desolate wilderness!”

A look of surprise flashed in Qingxia's eyes, and she gripped the gun handle tightly.

"Thank you," she said softly. "It was an honor to fight as a knight in the final moments."

"Don't be too happy yet. You'll have to carry this title for the rest of your life, even after you leave here," Ji Huaisu laughed. "Be prepared!"

A distant cluster of flames went out, signifying that the outsider had passed the first reconnaissance post; the wind pressure generated by her rapid movement had extinguished the flames. Qingxia's warning had arisen even earlier; the pull of her bloodline made her aware of her kin's actions. Before Ji Huaisu could speak, she stomped heavily on the ground, the shockwave reaching deep into the fortress, warning the snipers and the Remnant Hearts.

The sniping position was located at the highest point of the fortress, fortified with 43 layers of defensive spells, leaving only a dark window for the sniper to observe. Behind the Holy Lance, Shax held his breath. He had anticipated several possible scenarios. One was that Wen Yao and the three Blood Knights would rush in together, or that the three Blood Knights would split up and attack the fortress. Adopting this tactic indicated that Wen Yao was becoming impatient; she was worried about the presence of weapons and decided to end the battle quickly. They would be under immense pressure, but it was also an opportunity, because the Death Shot could kill one or two Blood Knights before the battle even began—Shax was confident in his abilities.

The worst-case scenario is that Wen Yao arrives alone, indicating that the enemy is not only confident but also calm. She plans to force them to play all their cards alone before using the Blood Knight to finish them off. In this situation, they only have one chance, and the first strike at the start will be crucial to victory.

Shax activated all the searchlights, providing him with a 360-degree spherical field of vision, offering a comprehensive and unobstructed view. Vande. The fog concealing the night. His vision swept across the middle layer. Ji Huaisu and Qingxia floated into the sky from in front of the fortress. A flash of color appeared at the edge of his vision; that location, based on the previous speed calculations—

"Where are you looking?"

A woman's soft laughter rang out, echoing heavily against the ice wall. Shakes's clothes were instantly soaked with cold sweat; Wen Yao was here! She was standing right next to the sniper rifle!

The two main fighters below were still on guard against the approaching enemy, unaware that the outsider had already appeared behind them. The chase on the ancient battlefield was merely a whim for her; now, Wen Yao was unleashing her true speed. The meticulously crafted fortress was no different from paper before the Plague Demon. She shattered all the spells with a single sword strike, slipping like a ghost through the thin, cicada-wing-like gaps to reach the sniper rifle. Even as the sound of her attack rang out, Wen Yao had already struck, a claw piercing the sniper's back!

Wen Yao's fingertips pierced through Shax's chest, his palm holding a still-beating heart. But the heart was purple, like a slippery leather bag, filled with fresh blood.

That was more than half of the blood in Shax's body, enough to deceive the lustful demon's senses into having an artificial heart!

—Point 4 of the path to the unity of destiny is known for its extreme speed.

What is extreme speed?

Speed ​​is an undetectable phantom, an undefendable ghost, a death that arrives without warning. In the world before death, speed is the bullet of a sniper rifle; in the hell after death, speed is the wings of a plague demon. Shax is not a sacrificial serpent; he cannot escape the death of speed. So he uses himself as bait, gambling that Wen Yao will kill the most vulnerable opponent first!