Chapter 45: High Returns
The bullet sank into Heizhao's mouth, snapping his head back and forcing him two steps backward.
"Pfft!"
Heizhao turned his head and spat out a mouthful of blood, the bullet within the blood clattering onto the wooden bridge. Having taken D·Assassin's shot to the mouth, Heizhao's skull wasn't penetrated; the bullet only injured the inside of his oral cavity.
Heizhao was clearly different from the Undead. He bared his bloodstained teeth. Though enraged, he didn't go berserk, maintaining the rationality of a human.
The spear, embedded with Immortal Bugs, pointed at Su Xiao. The spear tip had clearly been burned, hardening it through carbonization before being reinforced a second time with the Immortal Bugs.
The wooden bridge was about two meters wide. Heizhao stood on the inner side of the bridge, his back to the depths of the swamp, while Su Xiao blocked the starting point of the bridge.
Su Xiao exerted a bit of force with his foot. The bridge, built from logs and vines, creaked ominously, as if it might collapse at any moment, plunging both men into the swamp.
Heizhao wasn't easy to deal with. While his speed wasn't exceptional and his techniques were 'average,' his physical defense and regenerative abilities were astonishing.
Su Xiao's earlier slash had nearly cut open Heizhao's entire back, but after just over ten seconds, the half-meter-long, gaping wound was already showing signs of stopping the bleeding and was slowly closing as the muscles contracted.
Heizhao focused intently on Su Xiao, knowing that a moment's lapse would mean his death.
Creak~
Su Xiao took a step forward, the bridge groaning under the strain.
Su Xiao's action clearly provoked Heizhao. He gripped his spear with both hands, lowered his body slightly, curled his toes against the bridge surface, and channeled all his strength forward.
The spear tip whistled through the air, aimed straight at Su Xiao's face, even creating layers of air ripples in its path.
Clang!
A sharp metallic ring echoed as the long blade struck the middle of the war spear, deflecting its forward thrust.
The war spear passed by Su Xiao's neck. Su Xiao bent his right leg and delivered a straight kick.
Bang!
Heizhao felt a tremendous force slam into his chest. His ribs caved inward, and a suffocating pressure filled his lungs.
The moment the pressure hit, a sharp pain exploded across Heizhao's face. The blade kissed his flesh, directly slicing his face open.
Stumbling back a few steps, Heizhao shook his head, momentarily confused about what had happened. This was absolute technical domination; even if Heizhao's physical attributes were higher than Su Xiao's, he was still just a chopping block.
"Ugh!"
Heizhao let out a strange roar and charged at Su Xiao again. With a long weapon, the most important thing was an unstoppable momentum.
The spear swept horizontally, bringing a mournful whistle of wind, causing ripples across the murky swamp below.
Su Xiao stepped forward to avoid the spear tip. He bent his left arm, blocking it at his side while a layer of crystal formed over it.
In Su Xiao's perception, the sweeping spear gradually slowed. Just as it was about to strike his left arm, he withdrew his arm along with the spear's force, keeping close to it and matching its speed.
As the spear was about to hit Su Xiao's torso, he pushed off the ground, the logs beneath his feet cracking loudly.
Su Xiao pushed outward with his left arm, the crystal layer encasing it exploding.
Bang!
The sweeping spear was knocked aside. Heizhao couldn't help but lean back, leaving his guard wide open.
'Blade Path: Azure Demon.'
A blue-green blade aura flashed instantly, blood splattering from Heizhao's chest. But Heizhao's reaction was swift. An emerald light surged from the wounds on his body, brimming with life force, rapidly restoring his health, which had dropped to only 65%.
'Blade Path Sword: Time.'
The long blade stabbed downward. A shockwave washed over Heizhao's entire body. He felt like an insect trapped in amber, the surrounding air turning viscous.
'Blade Path: Cross.'
Ding! Ding!
After two crisp sounds of slashing, darkness fell before Heizhao's eyes. His eyes had been blinded.
With a crack, the log under Su Xiao's foot shattered. He stepped forward, entering the optimal attack range for his long blade.
Pfft!
Blood sprayed through the air. Heizhao's arm, still holding the spear, flew off and fell into the swamp.
With a splash, the wooden bridge beneath Su Xiao and Heizhao collapsed, both of them plunging into the muddy swamp water.
The bottom of the swamp was soft, full of thick mud, with slender-stemmed aquatic plants standing upright in the murky water.
Water splashed as Heizhao struggled to stand, but a long blade thrust straight at his face.
Shrrrk! The long blade pierced through Heizhao's head. He froze in a backward-leaning posture, his remaining hand gripping the blade of Dragon-Slaying Flash.
Two seconds later, Heizhao's hand lost its strength and slid off the blade into the mud.
Su Xiao pulled out the long blade and tore a fat, nearly ten-centimeter-long leech from his neck. The little thing had tried to suck his blood but couldn't pierce his skin.
Su Xiao squeezed his fingers, crushing the leech into pulp, and casually tossed it aside.
Leaping onto the broken bridge, Su Xiao lightly flicked the mud and blood off Dragon-Slaying Flash. He had to admit, the Diba Clan's physique was incredibly tough. After taking several of Su Xiao's slashes, they were still lively and could even self-heal.
That said, Su Xiao would rather fight the Diba Clan than the Undead. The Diba Clan were tough, no doubt, but fighting them felt like cutting into flesh, a combat experience that completely outshone the Undead.
[Hunter has killed Diba Clan · Heizhao.]
[Verifying...]
[Origin Island is not in the Eclipse period. Kill reward increased by 40%.]
[You have obtained 3.16% World Source. Current World Source: 5.59%.]
[You have obtained Soul Crystal (Large) x2.]
[As Diba Clan · Heizhao is an elite unit in the 'Ultra-High Risk Zone,' the Hunter may choose one of the following rewards.]