Forge a path to success

So how did Zhou Lei manage to do that? Why could he continue fighting despite multiple copies existing? His ego...

Ji Huaisu thought of the other party's strange way of speaking and his unusually persistent yet incomprehensible way of thinking.

—Has his ego collapsed?

What is the "thread" that sustains this existence?

As the perceived time ticked away, the brilliance of the sealing formation was about to fade. At that moment, Ji Huaisu stepped out of the formation, grabbing at the lightning with her bare hands, channeling her innate instincts into the elements.

The essence of the path to supreme power lies in emotion. If the Cursed Thunder, whose very self has crumbled, is to function, it can only rely on emotion.

She focused intently, dissecting the elements. Light gave them form, shadow gave them color, and fire brought them heat. Continuing to dissect, approaching the inner layers, she saw wind, which she couldn't yet analyze. The combination of these four attributes constituted thunder, and the thread holding the elements together was…!

She felt pride—the pride of being able to protect everyone, the pride of being chosen. Then came the joy of growth, the satisfaction of learning. Zhou Lei's emotional arc was astonishingly pure, almost entirely devoid of impurities. He seemed to have never understood negative emotions like jealousy or annoyance, finding only satisfaction in his own actions.

He idolized his teachers. He studied magic. He smiled at his fellow disciples who mocked him. He helped his classmates dress up as ghosts to scare the new junior disciples. He fought demons while carrying weapons. He wasn't clever, but he was strong; he wasn't afraid of demons; he was full of courage.

He stood on the battlefield strewn with corpses, watching the charred bodies fall.

These warriors failed the test, so they died. This was the task assigned by the Archmage, and it was the right thing to do, because those who cannot pass the test cannot survive in this cruel world.

He stood in the ruined village, watching the charred corpses fall.

These people also failed the test. They could not survive.

But they wanted to live.

Why can't they survive?

He himself had robbed him of that hope. He himself had killed. But this was the Archmage's mission. The Archmage's principles were correct. The Archmage had given him everything he possessed. How could he disobey the Archmage's orders?

But why are people still dying? Why are we witnessing more and more deaths?

It was my fault.

He was wrong.

It's his fault, it's his fault, it's his fault...

In the long struggle, the foolish youth finally came to understand negative emotions. He understood anger, hatred, resentment, and sorrow, but he could not blame his teachers, nor could he vent his anger on innocent people.

Therefore, he could only continue to accumulate this curse upon himself.

Having committed so many mistakes, we must cultivate heroes to atone for them.

To cultivate a hero capable of saving everyone.

To cultivate a hero capable of killing himself.

The killing cannot be allowed to continue.

Therefore, a hero is about to appear.

A hero, appear soon!

Hero, appear soon!

"—Okay, leave it to me!"

The shouts in reality drowned out the despair in his memories. Ji Huaisu reached directly into the lightning, disregarding the damage, and grabbed the messenger's body. The Holy Trinity Array swirled and amplified due to the heightened emotions, and the invincible elemental form was temporarily dispelled at this moment.

Ji Huaisu sheathed her weapon and struck the messenger with only her frozen gauntlets. Her fist sank deep into the cursed lightning's body, and the transparent water-like color surged with the force of her punch. Wherever it passed, dozens of lightning clones collapsed simultaneously.

She silently threw punches, each one faster than the last, creating hundreds of afterimages with her incredible speed. Her ice armor melted and regenerated continuously during this process, and the dissolved water droplets were smashed into Zhou Lei's body by her punches, drawing out wisps of purified black energy. Zhou Lei wanted to retaliate, but for a moment he had no strength left. He had never felt so weak, as if he had returned to the time when he was an ordinary person.

Power is being constantly stripped away, emotions are being dissolved by conflicting feelings, and I've never learned magic like this before. This method is…

The Discipline Knight's Sealing Technique!

"You are an unforgivable monster, an accomplice of the Nightmare King. You have killed far too many innocent lives; no one can forgive your deeds!"

Light, dust, and water—the three elements fused within Ji Huaisu's gauntlets, transforming into a miniature array that penetrated the messenger's body. Zhou Lei retreated repeatedly, the force of his punches spreading out in a ring behind him, spitting out foul blood from the repeated blows. Ji Huaisu showed no mercy, gathering all his strength, his immense elemental power forming a fist three times the size of his arm, which pierced directly through Zhou Lei's chest!

"However, you have sincerely repented. You are powerless to escape the darkness, but you deeply regret your actions and long for the arrival of the punisher, for you are acutely aware of your sins."

Zhou Lei completely lost his magic, his knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground. Ji Huaisu looked down at the bewildered man, then released her grip above Zhou Lei's head, scattering transparent, glistening water droplets.

Discipline Seal - Ritual of Baptism and Forgiveness. A pure sealing technique without any destructive power, which can only be used with pure positive emotion. Used for the baptism of newborns, the healing of the cursed, and the final confession of sinners before execution.

"To the one who repents, I baptize you with water."

You will pay for your sins with your death.

May curses be banished from your soul.

The baptismal water flowed across Zhou Lei's face, and the silver hammer in his hand fell, shattering into dust on the ground. He clasped his hands together as if in prayer, shedding tears for the one he had once been human before his death.

"The lightning punishment has dissipated, and the curse has been removed."

The Rainbow Wizard smiles while crying.

"You are the light that purifies evil and illuminates the world."

His body disintegrated and vanished without a trace. Ji Huaisu sat on the ground, staring at his palm covered in ice armor.

There are also problems that cannot be solved by force alone... This is a truth that the Calamity Race has long understood.

Perhaps that's why the knights studied sealing techniques in addition to the Holy Judgment.

The second battle of Operation Dawn: Ji Huaisu versus Zhou Lei.

The victor was Ji Huaisu.

Chapter 242 Recollections of the Labyrinth

In the heart of the Nightmare City, in front of the Demon King's castle.

Chu Heng raised his sword to parry, blocking the reverse-blade attack from behind. A black bullet of blood shot from the shadows, but he didn't change his position, only slightly shifting his blade to deflect the bullet. The blood reflected at an acute angle, shooting towards the middle level of a clock tower.

A whooshing sound came from the previously empty space, and Nightwalker appeared, leaping down, blood smearing his hood. He drew his sword mid-air, the short blade striking Chu Hengkong's head like a long nail. Chu Hengkong parried with his own sword, channeling the force into his feet, causing the ground beneath him to sink three meters. Then, he swung his sword, unleashing a powerful strike, the Divine Slash grazing the short blade, its red-hot tip aimed straight for Nightwalker's head.

His mind went blank for a moment, then the God-Slaying Blade flashed with blood-red light, its intense clang resonating through his brain. The world before him turned black and white, like a flowing landscape painting. In this still black and white world, only Nightwalker moved normally.

He sidestepped to dodge the slash, his blade shifting from a thrust to a slash aimed straight at Chu Hengkong's neck. The black dagger flashed like a shooting star as he unleashed Thousand Nights Instant Star in a moment of stillness!

"—Radiance!"

Chu Hengkong's left wrist transformed into an ominous scythe, and the cursed weapon, disrupting order, briefly shattered the frozen spacetime. He swung the scythe to block Shunxing, and the explosive sword pressure during the clash sent both of them flying. Chu Hengkong planted the scythe into the ground to stabilize himself, and with a flash of his night-walking robes, he disappeared back into the shadows.

The Shadow Turning Technique is an assassination technique that uses the darkness of night to conceal oneself and utilize the Heart Remnant Technique.

Chu Hengkong sheathed his sword again, and Ye Xing disappeared. The spiders lurked in the shadows, waiting for an opening. Although he was in front of the Demon King's city, he could not take another step forward.

He spoke with great emotion: "Vander, can you feel it?"

“I see it. This is a tricky one,” said the Eye Demon in the Pocket. “That thing should be the Nightwalker’s Secret Soul Technique, but time-stopping... or any ability involving time... must be mastered by crossing the Second Abyss.”

"Nightwalker didn't reach level 7 before, so that thing is a degraded version?"

“No, so that technique is very strong, incredibly strong. I only know of one family that has a similar technique, no wonder that guy was so nice to Qingye,” Vande said. “The essence of all the Heart-Breaking Techniques is the combination of elements and will. I guess Nightwalker forcibly slows down, or rather ‘severs’ the history’s record of the current surrounding area by controlling photons. When using the technique, he becomes the only interferor, which is why he can move in a static world.”

"Can't understand."

“He severed the vessel of time, you can think of it that way,” Vande said. “I only have two methods in mind right now: either draw my sword and use my Asura state to overpower him, or use the Calamity Scythe to forcibly interrupt the spell’s control. But the Calamity Scythe consumes a lot of energy, so this one will be difficult to use.”

Actually, there's a third method: using Thousand Nights Instant Star to sever the controlling force of the photon. Nightwalker's current output is too low; the secret technique of Shura Island is the best way to break time stop. However, Chu Hengkong doesn't know Thousand Nights Instant Star; his personality is naturally incompatible with this fighting style, so he can't learn this method of killing enemies without taking damage.

Fortunately, Chu Hengkong now possesses the Heavenly Demon Furnace Heart, giving him a vitality unlike before, allowing him to temporarily manage the consumption of the Calamity Scythe. However, he is more worried about the schemes of the other messenger.

"Don't be impulsive, buddy," Vande whispered. "If you lose your temper here, all your efforts will be wasted."

The figure of the man with the broken heart vanished, and the dark moonlight spilled onto the deserted streets. Sometime during this time, the city's buildings had warped and changed, the black stone houses transforming into skyscrapers. Neon signs shone through the misty haze, and the noise of street rap mingled with the blaring of loudspeakers. In the changing light of the traffic lights, Chu Hengkong saw the bar he used to pass by every day, and the glass-walled building.

The family headquarters in New York.

He gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, his heart pounding heavily, and a murderous aura emanated from him unconsciously. A faint sigh drifted from the mist, the malicious murmur of the fallen.

"Some people live their whole lives in the past."

Dead Body Resurrection: The Labyrinth of Remembrance

Scenes of Earth flashed before his eyes: sirens and cries for help followed, then deafening explosions, and the indelible stain of blood seeping into the rainy night. He was back to the night his family was wiped out, back to the day he lost everything. He saw the members of the Verus family emerge from the fog, repeating the bloody battles he had witnessed in the streets. A long-forgotten feeling of weakness suddenly seeped from within him, like a gunshot wound.

He had just finished his duel with Shakespeare at that time... so his gunshot wound hadn't healed yet...

"Damn it, hold on! Brother Chu has already taken down 5 and 7!" He heard his underling's voice. "Once we finish off these bastards—"

"NO.4 is at headquarters! We're guarding..."

Explosions. Intermittent crackling of electricity. Hysterical laughter. In his memory, Chu Heng hurled two spent shell casings through the throat of an enemy gunman and walked past his underling.

"Go underground and prepare the car. I'm going back to headquarters now." He heard his own voice. "Leave everything to me."

That was his only choice. His boss was still inside; he had to rescue her. The building was about to collapse, so he needed to kill the enemy assassins and retreat to the safe house before that happened. His judgment was correct; that was his only option, but…

He needed to break free of the illusion, so he walked forward. He saw himself climbing the exterior wall, walking in a straight line into the upper floors of the building. Another explosion, and an extravagantly dressed man laughed maniacally in the flames. The assassin was just a step away from the boss. He saw himself rushing towards him, letting out a beastly roar. He killed his enemies in the explosion. He walked into the boss's office.

"Dude! Wake up!" Vande shouted. "This is an illusion, don't fall for the tricks of the Fallen!"

This is an illusion; it cannot be disturbed. The boss was still there then. The car pulled out, and he was going downstairs to help the boss into the car… They went downstairs, and then the car door opened. The henchman got out and handed over a familiar small knife.

"The Dark Reign sends its greetings," the assassin said.

He didn't manage to snatch the knife in time. He should have. He should have realized it was a disguise of royalty. He should have realized that the face was a human skin mask. But he didn't. The Serpent of Sacrifice miscalculated; he watched helplessly as the knife pierced the black suit jacket, the blade about to be stained with blood—

Chu Hengkong suddenly stepped forward, grabbing the small knife. At the same moment, his Divine Slash was drawn, slashing towards the wielder's head with frenzied fury. But the unstoppable strike was blocked, and he saw the enemy's face clearly. It wasn't Wang Quan, it was Ye Xing!

The world stood still in black and white as an irresistible blade slashed directly at his throat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw "the boss" turn into black blood and scatter; it was just a controlled corpse. The Fallen One who controlled the corpse was in the distance, waving pale fingers.

“Look,” the spider whispered, “you can never escape the past.”

There was no time to react. The calamity was restrained. Should he use the Soul-Reversing Reincarnation technique now? Or—

Then he saw a golden arc of blade, a slash as bright as sunlight. The blade pierced through his body from behind, but instead of causing pain, it cleared his mind. Chu Hengkong instinctively dodged, his speed surprising even himself. At the same moment, a flashing longsword slashed down with incredible speed, perfectly blocking Ye Xing's attack!

"Surprise attacks in illusions aren't our style, Mr. Nightwalker." A clear female voice came from within the light. "Battles between martial artists should be fair and square, a test of hearts and swords!"

Nightwalker slowly sheathed his sword, and a girl in a yellow combat suit stood before him. Her longsword gleamed under the enhancement of the Heart-Breaking Technique, and her scarf billowed in the wind behind her. The girl's attire remained unchanged, but something had changed. Something crucial on the battlefield.

“Mr. Chu, please leave this to me.” Qingye turned around. “I still owe him a defeat.”

"Don't lose this time, you genius with a broken heart."

He sheathed his sword and fled, leaving the young girl to deal with the formidable foe. Two-colored slashes crisscrossed behind him; the battle, a fight reserved only for those with broken hearts, had begun. He ran through the streets of the illusion; the familiar New York City now seemed sinister and terrifying. The surrounding alleys were blocked by eyeballs and veins, leaving only one path open for travel. The last vestige of fear blocked the only exit, like a spider coiled in its web.

The limb spider's face was ashen; its plan had failed once again. Chu Hengkong had regained consciousness, so he had no choice but to take matters into his own hands. Perhaps he would die, perhaps he wouldn't be able to force out all of the opponent's trump cards, but if he could at least weaken the War Demon, that would be a victory.

Their lives are entirely in the hands of Vansalal. As long as the Demon King lives, they can be resurrected countless times, endlessly rising from nightmares!

The spider raised several hands, and a filthy, foul-smelling web descended from the city's rooftops, carrying the magic of the dark moon as it reached for the war demon. Chu Hengkong was about to make a move, but he released his grip on the hilt of his sword and charged forward relentlessly.

He saw specks of crimson, like rain falling from a night sky ablaze with sunset colors. The crimson dimmed in the black blood, then burst forth with dazzling brilliance. Such a violent force tore through the spiderweb of the fallen, and the entire illusion burned in intense heat!

The Fallen Ones blocking their path suddenly vanished, and the Spider-Legs instantly appeared at the other end of the city, their massive bodies buried deep within the mountain of corpses. The source of light floated above the maze's exit, and warm strands of hair brushed against Chu Hengkong's ear.

"That's how it should be. Don't be confused, don't hesitate, just keep charging forward."

"You're not the kind of man who's haunted by the past!"

"They've started lecturing me..." Chu Hengkong chuckled, "They've really grown up."

He stumbled through the light, bursting out of the shattered illusion. In the distance, the spider-like creature propped itself up; its super-fast regenerative abilities had healed its wounds, yet its blood still trembled from the impact. It had analyzed the enemy's tactics using its vast experience, but its conclusions couldn't match the scene before it.

That race could never have become like this!

"What...have you become...?!"

The crimson light receded, revealing the true form of the luminous body. The wild horse was gone, replaced by long, powerful hooves. A bone-white combat suit clung to her tall, slender figure, and fluorescent red veins embedded within her bone armor extended throughout her body like energy conduits. Her blood-red hair reached her waist, the ends gradually turning a fiery orange. Teardrop-shaped sunglasses concealed her pupils, making the golden light appear restrained and soft.

Yet her spirit remained undiminished, her powerful aura imbued with the resilience gained through experience. She floated above the Nightmare City, arms crossed, her confident smile radiant. Her translucent cloak billowed in the storm, like flames dancing behind her.

No, that wasn't a cloak. Those were transparent wings, as thin as cicada wings, the very reason she was able to transform herself. Beyond a fleeting burst of speed, reaching a sustained peak, the wings allowed her to traverse the barriers between dust islands with her physical body.

The Path to Unifying Destiny: Point 4, Embracing the Wings of Space!

"I am Qingxia, the passionate Blood Knight, the champion of countless battles in the desolate wilderness!"

Chapter 243 Leaping Over the Whirlpool of Fate (Part 1)

That face was so familiar... the ears were pointy too... only she'd become even more beautiful...

The combat suit... is probably a modified exoskeleton inherited from the time of the Hungry Shell, and that cape-like organ is wings...

So, this familiar-looking Cheng Kongyi is...