Chapter 1197: The Death Knell
Song Qi's gaze slowly dimmed at this moment, his entire body standing there like a statue.
A few seconds later, he slowly raised his head, a maniacal smile spreading across his face.
"What kind of move is that..." Song Qi said with a laugh. "I thought you had some real skill... turns out you're nothing special?"
The forced "Soul Transfer" could almost instantly kill the original owner of the body. Vermilion Bird lowered his head, looking at his own palm.
At this very moment, he was Song Qi.
It was a pity this body was on a countdown; otherwise, he would have made good use of this trustworthy vessel to torture and slaughter the remaining few rats to death.
Vermilion Bird knew that transferring his soul into Song Qi's body was only to ensure the boy's absolute death.
Whether he added "Detonation" to his own original body or Song Qi's, Vermilion Bird would never let Song Qi survive.
Anyone who dared to anger him must be reduced to less than ashes.
"After your body shatters, I'll pick out a corpse and blend into the 'Train,'" Vermilion Bird's maniacal smile reappeared. "I'll make you all understand... that things in this world aren't achieved through 'unity.' If 'Detonation' couldn't kill me the first time... it means it can never kill me."
Vermilion Bird noticed that fragments of Song Qi's memories still lingered in his mind.
He chuckled as he examined them, discovering that this young man's memory actually contained quite a few carefully laid plans.
For instance, constantly provoking him with words to make him use "Soul Capture" to steal his sanity, then, while delirious, unleashing a maximum-scale "Detonation."
In all the memories, Song Qi indeed had left no backup plan.
His plan ended the moment he blew himself up.
What a pathetic and pretentiously grand plan this was?
It seemed all his previous provocations were just bluffs. Even Song Qi himself had doubted whether he could unleash a massive "Detonation."
The more Vermilion Bird thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed. These insignificant mortals actually wanted to slaughter a "Divine Beast."
"What a shame... it's a shame your calculations were good, but your enemy won't follow your script."
Vermilion Bird raised his head with a smile, quietly waiting for the fireworks to begin.
The next second, he suddenly felt someone tap his shoulder.
He spun around sharply. Behind him was empty—no one there.
He was slightly stunned, a foreboding feeling flashing through his mind.
Then, another hand tapped his shoulder. Vermilion Bird's scalp instantly went numb.
He whirled around again, finding the space before him still empty. But on a nearby rooftop stood an aged figure.
They stared at each other from over ten meters away, both wearing complex expressions.
"One 'Detonation' certainly isn't enough..." White Tiger said hoarsely. "But these young people have earned themselves a second one."
"You..." Vermilion Bird asked, incredulous. "You old bastard... are you trying to kill me too?!"
"No." White Tiger shook his head. "Don't falsely accuse me. The one who cast 'Detonation' is that kid Song Qi. I'm just here to deepen his 'Detonation.' I hold no prejudice against you."
"White Tiger... you're fucking insane..." Vermilion Bird said. "Don't you want to return to the 'Train' anymore...?"
"Me, insane?" White Tiger shook his head. "Vermilion Bird... you're the one who's insane. I'm here to wake you up. The life you're living now isn't the one you were meant to have."
Vermilion Bird took a slow step forward, intending to launch an attack, but felt his limbs gradually stiffen. The body he had shrunk into Song Qi's throat was also becoming difficult to move.
"Wake me up...?" He laughed angrily. "Don't stand there acting sober and lecturing me... Both our hands are dripping with blood. What right do you have to preach to me?"
"I don't deny I've killed many people," White Tiger said. "'Peach Blossom Spring' fully awakened the 'evil' within us. The three of us possess power far above the vast majority here. This causes us to gradually lose ourselves in slaughter. Even if you think you're still clear-headed, by now you're thoroughly insane."
"That sounds so nice..." Vermilion Bird continued walking forward. "Not wanting to lose yourself—is that the reason you suddenly left the 'Train'?"
"Yes. We were all insane. To stop the killing, I had to distance myself from the 'Rules,' so I left." White Tiger sighed deeply. "Vermilion Bird... among the three of us, perhaps Xuanzi, who seemed the most insane, was actually the sanest one."
"Don't make me laugh..." Vermilion Bird said. "Black Tortoise went mad earlier than anyone. She's just a killing machine. I'm a thousand, ten thousand times better than her. You've not only aged overnight—has your brain become senile too?"
Hearing this question, White Tiger slowly lowered his head, a look of loss spreading across his face.
"Yes... you noticed I aged overnight, but you never realized the seriousness of the problem." White Tiger gave a bitter smile. "Because in 'Peach Blossom Spring,' anything incomprehensible is unremarkable, isn't it?"
"What else?" Vermilion Bird glared coldly at White Tiger. "Should I offer you my condolences?"
"Fine. This means everything has its fate. What must happen will happen. What must return will return." White Tiger said. "Vermilion Bird, you are liberated."
"Don't talk to me in that sanctimonious tone..." Vermilion Bird's body trembled violently as he felt it swelling at an accelerated rate. He quickly spoke, "I don't want 'liberation' at all! Old bastard... this place is my paradise! What right do you have..."
"That's why I said you need to wake up," White Tiger said. "Become your former self again."
"You're asking for death... White Tiger... you're asking for..."
Song Qi's body had already swollen to an extremely grotesque degree. Even his throat was completely blocked. Vermilion Bird couldn't make a sound; all his taunting words were choked back.
Vermilion Bird had never imagined that having White Tiger's "Detonation" poured into his body would make him unable to move. This left him trapped in Song Qi's throat, completely helpless.
"Give me... a reason..." Vermilion Bird said. "Why..."
"Because Xuanzi pointed her finger at you."
White Tiger turned around, no longer looking at Vermilion Bird, and vanished from the spot.
No matter who witnessed this scene, they would believe it was Song Qi who killed Vermilion Bird. It was as if White Tiger had never appeared.
This was the honor Song Qi had earned, and the glory of the "Cat."
"Boom—"
A massive explosion spread across the arena.
The nearby corpses, the ground pigs' game field, and the surrounding low buildings were instantly reduced to fragments, then blown away by the gale.
The entire "Land of Finality" trembled several times from this violent blast.
This thunderous sound—casting "Detonation" upon "Detonation"—was also the death knell tolling for Vermilion Bird.