Chapter 188: 【Asura】 and 【Asura】

Chapter 188: Asura and Asura

Chen Ling looked at the face covered in bandages, his brows furrowing unconsciously.

The shadowy figure had appeared too abruptly; Chen Ling hadn't even seen how he arrived. However, the man's ruthless actions – instantly kicking one person to death and throwing two others into the incinerator – were not something an ordinary person could achieve.

Who was he?

The person was clearly not allied with this group. Judging by his methods, he might even have a grudge against them. Was his target also the hollowed-out corpse?

"Who are you?!" Brother Chen exclaimed, aghast at seeing three of his subordinates killed instantly.

"Me?" Jian Changsheng scoffed, "I am the vengeful demon who has come for you."

As he spoke, Jian Changsheng blurred into a swift afterimage. His fist tore through the air with a booming sound, carrying terrifying force as it aimed for Brother Chen's face!

Brother Chen instinctively raised his hands to block, but he was sent flying backward as if hit head-on by a car. A sharp pain shot through his forearm; it seemed to have been broken by that single punch.

His body slammed heavily against the wall, the impact reverberating through his internal organs. His vision went black, and he slumped down like a rag doll.

Jian Changsheng didn't kill him. Instead, he grabbed Brother Chen's belt, hoisting him up like trash, while simultaneously shouldering the corpse wrapped in the white sheet. He then quickly walked toward the exit.

He was leaving.

Seeing this, a cold glint flashed in Chen Ling's eyes.

The next moment, Jian Changsheng felt a bone-chilling coldness emanating from his side. His pupils constricted slightly, and he lunged sideways without hesitation!

Whoosh—!

A blade reflecting moonlight grazed his cheek.

This sudden murderous intent made Jian Changsheng recoil several steps like a startled bird, a cold sweat breaking out on his back. Instinctively, he drew a short sword from behind his waist and held it horizontally across his chest, then fixed his gaze on where the attack had come from.

Dim light streamed from the window, spilling onto the desolate ground outside the crematorium. A figure in a brown overcoat stood quietly on the boundary between light and shadow. As he slightly raised his head, a black smiling mask came into Jian Changsheng's view.

The moment he saw the mask, Jian Changsheng's heart trembled. Both the eerie crimson eyes and the exaggerated smile stretching to the ears gave him an inexplicable sense of dread...

Who exactly was this person??

The same question arose in Jian Changsheng's mind.

The two figures stood silently before the crematorium, the air suddenly falling still. They coolly scrutinized each other, each speculating about the other's identity and allegiance.

Audience Expectation 3

"Are you with them too?" Jian Changsheng asked in a low voice.

"No," Chen Ling shook his head. "I don't care about their lives, but you'd better give me that corpse."

"Oh? And what if I don't?"

"Then I don't mind turning you into a corpse as well."

Jian Changsheng naturally wouldn't hand over the corpse; it was a crucial tool for him, potentially even allowing him to threaten the Starfall Merchant Guild if necessary. Chen Ling, likewise, wouldn't allow vital evidence and clues to be taken away.

At this point, further probing or negotiation was meaningless. After a brief silence, both figures charged at each other simultaneously!

Chen Ling had witnessed Jian Changsheng's entire assault and knew the opponent was likely also a Divine Path Holder. Not daring to be careless, he gripped his short blade in a reverse grip and, without hesitation, stabbed himself three times!

Crimson blood instantly stained the blade, and Chen Ling's speed and strength surged dramatically!

Jian Changsheng, charging from the opposite side, was momentarily stunned by this sight. Before he could react, Chen Ling's figure, so fast it left an afterimage, was already before him, slashing a deep, bone-exposing wound across his body!

What was going on?!

Jian Changsheng was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected someone to stab themselves before a fight. Could it be that the opponent also followed the Asura Path, becoming stronger with each injury?

Jian Changsheng came to his senses with a jolt of pain. Seeing Chen Ling's second punch coming, he immediately raised both hands to block. But Chen Ling, despite being heavily injured, clearly possessed superior strength, sending him flying backward with one punch like a broken kite.

As he landed heavily, dust billowed around him. Jian Changsheng struggled to his feet, a ruthless glint in his eyes.

He also raised the short sword in his hand and, with a brutal sweep, forcefully cut himself across his waist and abdomen. A gushing wound was instantly exposed, crimson blood continuously pouring out.

"Blood Robe?" Chen Ling uttered in surprise.

Seeing this familiar move, Chen Ling raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected to encounter an enemy from the same Asura Path, who had learned his technique, after using it for so long... Judging by the wound, however, the opponent seemed even more ruthless than him.

Jian Changsheng clutched his blood-stained short sword, his gaze fixed on Chen Ling like a violent beast. He no longer ran to approach Chen Ling; instead, he flicked his short sword through the air, and droplets of blood on the blade were flung out by inertia!

As these blood droplets approached Chen Ling, he immediately sensed something was wrong, recalling the opponent's mysterious appearance out of thin air earlier. He instinctively retreated.

The moment he retreated one step, Jian Changsheng's figure instantly flickered to the position of the foremost blood droplet. The blood-stained short sword sliced through the air, whistling as it thrust towards Chen Ling's neck!

Chen Ling reacted with extreme speed. Driven by the 'Dance of Slaughter', his short blade rapidly clashed with the short sword. With similar force and speed, blade and sword collided repeatedly at close range, so fast that sparks flew into the night sky!

Was that perhaps the second-tier skill of the Asura Path?

Chen Ling's mind replayed the scene of the blood droplets instantly transforming into Jian Changsheng, and he already had his answer. After all, not everyone possessed the ability to learn others' skills as he did. Since the opponent's first-tier skill was 'Blood Robe', the next skill must also belong to the Asura Path.

As the battle progressed, more and more blood oozed from Jian Changsheng's waist and abdomen. His eyes narrowed slightly. During a lull in the exchange, he wiped his short sword over his wound again, completely coating the blade in red with his blood.

Clang—!

The short blade and short sword clashed again. The next moment, fine droplets of blood were shaken from the blade, splattering in all directions!

Almost simultaneously, Jian Changsheng, who had been directly in front of Chen Ling, vanished instantly. When he reappeared, he was behind Chen Ling, and his crimson blade plunged directly into his spine, embedding itself.

Excruciating pain shot through his back. Chen Ling, beneath the mask, let out a muffled groan and swung his blade backward at Jian Changsheng, but the latter agilely retreated and evaded.

This skill, it could be used like that too?

It was Chen Ling's first time encountering a second-tier skill from the Asura Path, and he was caught off guard, taking a hit. As he felt the surge of power continuously emanating from the wound, his eyes beneath the mask grew even colder.