Forge a path to success

Nightwalker, carrying a single-edged sword, stepped aside. The tall and imposing Fallen Soul stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over everyone with a mechanical, indifferent look. He was dressed in solemn black robes and held a book, resembling a pagan priest.

“Wanderers in the mist, it is time for ‘taxation’,” it said. “Who here dares to defy Lord Vansalar?”

There was silence.

No one spoke, not even the slightest movement. Everyone stood motionless, utterly numb.

Luo Hun looked at each person one by one and raised his voice.

"Lord Vansalal is long dead. The one who has been resurrected in this border of the Heavenly Prison is nothing but a reflection of a former god, a mere 'reflection' of a mere point 2."

We, the messengers, are the same. Regardless of what happened back then, now only low-quality remnants remain. Do you understand?

It nodded silently, but still didn't utter a sound. It merely shook its head hastily, as if afraid of angering its master.

"Then I'll ask one more time. Who here dares to defy Lord Vansalal?"

The monsters responded with silence. Fearing the messenger's gaze, they lowered their heads deeply…gazing at the white sand that buried their ankles…

Luo Hun took out a knuckle duster resembling a beast's claw, slowly put it on, and wrapped it tightly with bandages. He walked into the silent crowd and came to the only conspicuous oddity among them, standing before Wolfka, who had just finished making a wish. Wolfka was pale but remained silent.

"Did you make a wish?" Luo Hun asked.

Vovka nodded, his voice trembling.

He grabbed Vovka's head with one hand and slammed it down, his right knee springing up and smashing into the poor man's face. The knee strike shattered the facial bones, and Vovka's features were almost reduced to a pile of mangled flesh.

But Luo Hun didn't stop. He raised his knee again and rammed it into Vovka, as if trying to smash the poor man's head apart, mercilessly inflicting violence. A second time. A third time. The man's face was smashed into a bloody mess. Then he slammed Vovka into the sand, the disfigured man convulsing in the sandpit.

"And now!" Luo Hun asked, "Is there still no one who wants to resist? Is there not even a single person with courage left?"

"there is none left……"

The disfigured man lay in the pit, panting like a dog.

"That's all... Your Excellency..."

We've already lost...we've given up...we...accept it!"

Tormented by nightmares year after year, day and night without respite, suffering has long become a part of their lives. The pain of mere beatings, however deep and intense, is bearable. But more devastating than the physical pain is the mental humiliation. Yet, having fallen to this state, what good is shame?

They actually hoped the messengers would be even angrier and more agitated; if they acted impulsively and killed them, that would be a good thing. Finally, they would be dead!

Therefore, Vovka did nothing. He knew that no one else would have acted either, and he understood even more clearly that he still had a wish to have. Even if it was only for one night, even if he would be devoured by nightmares again tomorrow, it was still a hope worth cherishing. Such a tiny hope was enough to make him endure immense humiliation.

"Alright then." Luo Hun resumed his indifferent demeanor, took out the small book he always carried, and turned to the last page.

"Taxation will now commence..."

His next words sent a chill down the spine of the bloodied Vofka.

"The person who needs to pay taxes this month is Wolfka!"

The man, who had been on the verge of death, suddenly rose to his feet. The monsters didn't cast a pitying glance their way; most of them closed their eyes, unable to bear the sight that followed. Vofka knelt on the ground, clutching the hem of Luohun's trousers, his voice sounding almost like laughter from overwhelming fear.

"Please..." Wolfka stammered, "I just made a wish! Lord Fallen Soul! Please!!"

"History that has already happened will not change because of your pleas. Even if I remain silent now, what was meant to happen has already ended." The title of the book was revealed through the gaps in Luo Hun's fingers: "The Requiem for the Soul." It read out the words from the pages one by one, as if pronouncing a death sentence, reciting the "history" recorded by the hands of a heretic of death.

"Through this field investigation, the origins of Allied soldier Wolfka on Dust Isle and the entire process of the destruction of the 'Kingdom of Lennar' have been officially confirmed."

Your hometown officially ceased to exist 481 years ago!

Vovka jerked his head up: "You're lying!! The Allies saved my homeland, I saw it with my own eyes!! The Allies dispelled the fog you laid!!!"

The fallen soul did not react to his actions or words, but merely recited the past mercilessly.

"The cause of death in the Kingdom of Lenna was the pollution caused by the passage of the Calamity Seed, the Wrathful Demon. The local Bone-Praying Monks had given warnings beforehand, but the people chose to die."

"Your country is lucky. It was not captured by the Rainbow Demons to be used for evil experiments, nor did it encounter an evil god like you... It simply lost itself in the erosion of the light poison, devoured each other, and dissolved in the process of killing each other, turning into a huge pile of light torch corpses."

"The glowing corpse, formed from the lives of an entire kingdom, still roams among the dust isles. It has turned 270 dust isles into dead lands, known as 'Lennar's Mountain of Corpses.' So you don't need to be too sad, at least your country has not been forgotten."

Wofka's fingernails dug into his flesh as he clutched his bloodied head and howled.

A heart-wrenching scream.

For those who have long been lost in the fog of uncertainty, unable to return to the shadows of reality, their greatest longing is for their hometown. Unable to hear news from the outside world, they can imagine it existing peacefully. Without contact with former relatives and friends, they can fantasize that they have lived out their lives safely.

But this illusion will always be cruelly shattered. The messengers will reveal the truth, plunging the people in the fog into extreme suffering. Only with this premise can taxation officially begin.

The groaning man had no intention of stopping. Amidst the pitiful wails, he calmly read aloud, delivering the cold truth to everyone's ears.

"Now we will begin reading the account of the deaths of Allied soldier Wolfkach's wife and daughters."

"For four years after Wolfka joined the Allied forces, his wife and daughter frequently argued with the townspeople, defending their husband's image and thus becoming unpopular. After the outbreak of the Firefly Horde, the couple followed the crowd to the port, but failed to secure tickets to leave the island, missing the last escape ship and becoming trapped in the Kingdom of Lenna. At this time, the Fireflies surged towards the port, causing a commotion. His wife, in an attempt to protect her daughter, was injured in the trampling and became incapacitated, being the first to be devoured by the Fireflies. His daughter…"

"Stop talking!!!"

Large tears mingled with blood and fell onto the sand; the man's wails were no longer human. The vengeful spirit looked down at the sobbing figure. Was it pity, or contempt? He spoke words of comfort.

“There’s no need to be so sad,” Luo Hun said indifferently. “Even if you hadn’t joined the Allied Forces and had stayed in the kingdom, what was destined to happen would still happen… Your wife and daughters would still have died in the same way. That’s fate.”

"—I told you to shut up!!!"

Wofka scrambled to his feet, howling, and charged frantically at the messenger. The difference in strength between them was too great; his fingers were broken, his bones shattered, and his desperate charge only resulted in his own devastating injuries. Yet, the man continued to howl, smashing his emaciated hands against the heretic messenger. He cared for nothing anymore—nothing for life or death, no matter the pain or the fall; he only wanted to kill these heartless heretics, he only wanted the annihilation of the Scourge's lackeys!

But that pitiful power only added a few drops of blood to Luo Hun's black clothes. Luo Hun pulled a dark sphere from the book, grabbed Wofka with one hand, and pressed the sphere against the man's chest.

“Indeed, I don’t need to explain any further,” Luo Hun said calmly. “This is drawn from the past, the emotions of your wife and daughter before their deaths. Just use your own spirit to personally experience their death and their fear.”

"This is the tax you have to pay!"

Wofka was held like a puppet in one hand, his tears and blood dripping from between his fingers. The sphere of fear touched his clothes, threatening to strike his heart. But the sphere stopped before his clothes, because another hand gripped his wrist tightly.

He looked down and saw a fist with bulging veins. That fist pierced his face, sending the messenger of fear flying!

A glimmer of light ignited in the soul-destroying eyes, a light so dazzling it was almost blinding, as brilliant as the blazing sun. The flames pierced the mist, shattering the astonished monster, and transformed into a sharp sword that slashed straight into the sky. The bystander, Nightwalker, drew his sword with one hand; his blade, dim as the night, neutralized the purifying fire sword with just the right amount of force.

Luo Hun landed using the opening, wiping the blood from his lips. He saw the source of the hostility: the blonde woman carrying the flaming greatsword, and the man protecting Wolfka.

"This place is a gathering place for cowards; quickly extinguish your swords!" the Fallen Soul declared. "According to the rules of the Nightmare City, those who have lost their courage must not light a fire!"

Chu Hengkong laid down the severely injured man and allowed the Pure Fire to heal his wounds. He stood before the envoy, unyielding, like a steel blade drawn from its sheath.

"This rule is hereby abolished, effective today!"

Chapter 166 The Fearless

"Can you two calm down! The prosthetic arm isn't even here yet..."

Vande rushed out of the sand house, cursing his companions' patience in his heart. Even waiting another half a minute would have made things much better; instead, those two idiots had dashed out faster than rabbits, and they'd probably already been confronted by the messenger…

It stopped behind the monsters, just as dumbfounded as everyone else. The narrow entrance to the valley had been cleaved into a plain by Ji Huaisu's sword, and Fan De witnessed Chu Hengkong punch Luo Hun, sending him flying into the sky!

"Would it kill you to just endure it for half a minute?" Vande groaned.

Luo Hun spun in mid-air, then landed silently with his arms outstretched. Despite the heavy blow he had suffered, there was no visible injury on his face, and his tone remained calm.

“That demon is right, you really should have waited longer... Without the protection of the Holy Pillar, rushing onto the battlefield, no matter how courageous you are, will only lead to your death.”

"Such a big mouth, huh? You're just a coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong!" Chu Hengkong said.

He made no attempt to hide his anger and contempt, like a chivalrous knight-errant in a tale of chivalry. There was no reason or grand cause; he simply couldn't stand injustice and couldn't tolerate evil deeds, so he flew into a rage, his blood boiling.

For the first time, emotion appeared in Luo Hun's eyes, a shadow cast by the offense. He tied the small book to his waist and slowly tightened his grip on the knuckle duster.

“Excuse me, Mr. Nightwalker. Please hand this person over to me…” Luo Hun said slowly, “It is my duty to educate newcomers who have just arrived.”

Ye Xing nodded slightly, without speaking. The two leaped simultaneously, floating into the air as lightly as paper. Almost at the same moment, gleaming, blazing swords slashed horizontally across the space they had once occupied. Ji Huaisu stood still, drawing her sword. Her blade was extremely long and wide; the fiery sword pierced the sand and gravel, like a fan of light sweeping across the valley. Then, the sand and gravel-laden mountainside collapsed, a massive amount of white sand crashing down on the two leaping figures.

With just one sword strike, she leveled nearly half of the valley.

The figures of the two envoys were obscured by the dust and sand. Without needing to communicate, Chu Hengkong and Ji Huaisu separated. A smooth, jade-like ball of light formed in Ji Huaisu's palm, which she tossed overhead. At that moment, the howling sandstorm abruptly ceased, and a mere line of blank space tore through the sand. A hooded man silently appeared behind Ji Huaisu, his long sword flashing out in a backhand strike aimed straight for the knight's head.

The black blade slashed into the ice shield, and Ji Huaisu held the shield behind her back with her right hand, blocking the deadly strike that was silently approaching!

The slash penetrated deep into the ice shield, shattering Ji Huaisu's shield in a single blow. His gaze, hidden beneath the hood, fell upon the ice crystals, then upon the yellow steel armor and the sphere of light in the air. "Impressive," Nightwalker said. He drew his sword and vanished into the dust, the sphere of light expanding and exploding above their heads, transforming into a dense rain of light.

Light, fire, dust. Precepts and divine judgment, light, gravel, and flowing fire.

Ji Huaisu raised his hand and remotely controlled the flowing fire. Two-thirds of the flames chased after the night, while the rest fell uncontrollably onto the other side of the battlefield. Two figures darted through the flowing fire, unharmed despite being surrounded by flames. Chu Hengkong dodged the attacks with his agility, while Luo Hun, though large, was no less fast.

He threw a punch amidst the rain of fire, a massive swing aimed at Chu Hengkong's temple. Chu Hengkong blocked the attack with a high kick, then spun around and unleashed a downward spinning kick. Luo Hun dodged the kick by pulling his calves back, his massive upper body leaning forward dramatically, his arms crossed in a grappling move.

But Chu Hengkong dodged the grab by leaping up with one hand on the ground. In mid-air, he flipped his body and kicked out, his toes striking Luo Hun's left shoulder. Luo Hun's left shoulder sank strangely, and his upper arm stiffened instantly. This was a Qi-intercepting strike executed with an inverted hook kick, a technique that relied on the explosive release of Qi to kill heavily armored enemies. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Chu Hengkong leaped up again, the Qi-intercepting strike's effect blocking his dodge, and his heel slammed straight towards Luo Hun's face.

But the heel strike only pierced the air; the gigantic, terrifying messenger vanished into thin air. A roaring gust of wind swept in from the left, and Chu Hengkong immediately raised his deformed left arm to defend. Luo Hun's heavy punch struck his arm; the knuckle duster on his fist vibrated upon impact, and a strange burst of power slammed him into the ground.

"Residual Light Fist - Decay".

Chu Hengkong sprang up, his right hand bracing against the ground, using a series of backflips to dodge the heavy punches. The blows landed on the sand, turning the white sand into gray dust. He clutched his left arm as he rose, temporarily refraining from attacking. His struck left arm had turned from black to a decaying gray; his flesh was aging at an alarming rate, his muscles becoming fragile fibers, festering and spreading like a spiderweb, only to regenerate again due to the powerful life force of the Fallen.

Two opposing forces were locked in a fierce battle, using his left hand as the battlefield. Had he been struck elsewhere, he would be in mortal danger. However, his left hand was useless in the fight, as it stubbornly continued its stabbing towards Chu Hengkong's chest. He had to use his right hand to firmly restrain his left arm, thus blocking his upper body attacks and rendering him unable to use both arms in the battle.

“You demanded too much from the old man. If you knew when to stop, you wouldn’t have had to tie your own hands…” Luo Hun cracked his knuckles, “and you wouldn’t be facing me, a former Bone-Praying cultivator, in such a terrible situation.”

"The path of death..."

Chu Hengkong cracked his neck: "Still a coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong, one hand is enough!"

"It seems you have no attachment to your own life whatsoever."

Luo Hun changed his fist into a palm, his large hands crashing down like two walls. Chu Heng leaped into the air and kicked out, his instep striking straight at Luo Hun's head. Luo Hun did not dodge, maintaining his forward momentum, gray mist rising around him—the historical fog that marked the arrival of death.

"Sink".

The kick disappeared into the mist, as if trapped in an infinite space, seemingly so close yet unable to advance an inch. Taking advantage of the situation, Luo Hun grabbed Chu Hengkong's ankle. The decaying power invaded his flesh, instantly withering and turning his limbs beneath his trousers into a shriveled, withered branch. Luo Hun thus gained the advantage in strength, crushing his ankle with terrifying brute force, and then slamming the incapacitated Chu Hengkong into the ground like a club!

The immense force caused the ground to tremble, and the sound of bones shattering made the monsters cover their ears in pain. Luo Hun didn't stop; he raised his left foot and slammed it down with all his might, relentlessly pursuing his attack. But Luo Hun's foot bounced back into the air, and his hastily generated protective aura intercepted his attack.

Chu Hengkong rolled out of the sandpit, barely recovering from his injuries with his Undying Technique. He then used a sweeping leg kick to trip Luo Hun's right foot, which was supporting his body. This strike accurately disrupted the center of gravity, and the massive man was tripped and fell backward. Chu Hengkong seized the opportunity to rush forward with his arms crossed, his elbow aimed straight at Luo Hun's vitals.

At this moment, Luo Hun had nowhere to draw strength. Even if he used the mist to block the attack again, Chu Hengkong still had time to change his move. But the elbow strike to the heart missed again, just like the previous inexplicably failed heel strike. Was it similar to the Shadow Giant's teleportation? Or an extremely fast speed beyond reaction time? Absolutely not! Chu Hengkong clearly saw the whole process. Luo Hun's massive body blurred and faded in the mist. He disappeared into the historical mist a moment before being struck!

"Disperse."

A voice called from the mists of history, and the Fallen Soul materialized, appearing behind him. He struck Chu Hengkong in the side with a vicious elbow strike, then shoved the assassin forward, crashing him into a boulder! The hard elbow slammed straight into Chu Hengkong's heart!

Chu Heng coughed up a mouthful of blood, and with a forced effort, he tilted his head back to smash it into Luo Hun's head. However, the headbutt landed in the mist, and the unreachable barrier once again blocked the attack. Luo Hun spread his arms wide like wings, and swirling mist swirled around his fists.

"Residual Light Fist - Lingering".

The mist seeped into the brass knuckles, deforming Luo Hun's weapon into sharp, bone-like claws. He stepped back, creating more space for his attack, and then delivered a cold and precise punch, like a butcher chopping at a hanging livestock.

"scapular."

The beast's claws struck Chu Hengkong's right shoulder. The decaying power of time breached his mental defenses, the sharp claws shredding the assassin's shoulder blade! As he retracted his fist, the curved claws ripped out large chunks of flesh! Luo Hun's profile resembled a butcher sculpted from rock. He used mist to block Chu Hengkong's kick and threw another punch. "Right arm." The right arm bone shattered! "Right wrist." The right wrist shattered! "Throat." The beast's claws pierced his throat! "Leg bone." Both fists shattered his legs!

"Wrist bone." "Rib bone." "Front bone." "Ankle." "Liver." "Lungs." "Kidneys." Luo Hun maintained a steady rhythm as he threw punches, using the mist of history to defend against Chu Hengkong's counterattacks. He suppressed Chu Hengkong in the boulder pit with relentless attacks, then continued to beat him! Continued to beat him! He used his cold, ruthless attacks to completely dismantle the enemy who dared to resist!

"Please stop!" the monsters cried out, covering their ears. Even driven to the brink of despair by fear, a remnant of humanity still managed to make them speak. "Your Excellency! Please! Have mercy!"

"I have a duty to make new life realize..." the Fallen Soul said coldly, "what the consequences will be for resisting the Nightmare King!"

"Afterglow Fist - Cluster!"

He unleashed a powerful punch, his concentrated strength exploding from his fists, sending Chu Hengkong flying off the battlefield and into the depths of the misty sand houses. Luo Hun wiped the blood and flesh from his fists and walked step by step into the mist, pondering what he would say to the audacious rebel… pondering the regretful howls he would hear…

But none of what he could imagine appeared. Luo Hun only saw the figure of the warrior. Beyond the mist was a fearless human figure, dragging his broken body to his feet! His eyes were exactly the same as when the battle began, so fierce that even Luo Hun felt a chill run down his spine.

Behind the man, a group of people dragged out with arms as hard as steel, and the leader, the Eye Demon, roared, "Brothers! Use this!"

"Don't think about it."

Instinct compelled Luo Hun to act; he rushed into the crowd, attempting to seize the prosthetic arm. However, a cyan ring appeared, and a blazing pillar of fire shot into the sky from the spot where he had landed.

"Braised in soy sauce".

The power of a high-ranking demon?

Luo Hun hastily constructed a fog barrier, sealing off the surroundings to block the demon's flames. The sound of gears meshing echoed from the opposite side of the flames, and he vaguely saw the assassin raise his arm. Luo Hun decisively vanished into the fog, gathering his strength in the absolute safety of the mist. Then, Luo Hun appeared behind Chu Hengkong, his fists, trailing fragments of light and shadow, unleashing a simultaneous punch.

"Residual Light Fist - Reverse Light Wheel!"

It missed. No feel for it. The teleported punch only struck the rapidly moving afterimage. Luo Hun saw the shadow of a man thrown from behind; Chu Hengkong was coldly watching him from behind. He shielded his back with mist, preparing to pounce, but didn't attack. The assassin remained standing.

After dodging the attack, Chu Hengkong remained motionless, his body still bearing horrific wounds. The only difference from before was the addition of a silver left arm. Luo Hun realized the truth: Chu Hengkong had not recovered from the previous blows at all; he was merely enduring through sheer willpower.

"Disperse." The Fallen Soul vanished into the mist once more, this time flying towards the assassin's left side, intending to pierce the assassin's head with a single blow—

Then, Luo Hun's vision was covered by darkness.

Chu Hengkong swung his arm and threw a punch. His silver left fist pierced through the mist, the clearly defined knuckles of his fist striking Luo Hun squarely in the face. Luo Hun's features twisted like a vortex, his massive body rising like a chick. Then, a deafening explosion erupted, a gale dispersing the mist, and the entire underwater valley began to tremble. The assassin, fueled by rage, slammed the messenger of terror into the ground!

Luo Hun sank deep into the earth, his eyes rolling back from the immense impact. The sound of bones shattering echoed within his body; all the damage he had inflicted on Chu Hengkong with his previous flurry of blows erupted simultaneously within him with this single punch!