Chapter 469: Doesn't Know Pain
"Disgusting." Di Ma frowned and spat out two words, then raised the ice ball over her head and hurled it violently at Qiao Jiajin.
Qiao Jiajin used the same tactic again, roughly inferring where the ice ball would land based on Di Ma's movements, then swung the bat horizontally to meet it head-on.
"Brother Qiao..." Bai Jiu blinked as he watched, his heart filled with an indescribable anxiety.
This time, Qiao Jiajin had not only taken three steps forward but also swung the bat earlier than before.
Even now... was he still growing?
Could he really adapt to an "Earth-level" attack?
*Crack!*
A sharp, loud sound rang out. Qiao Jiajin's bat had struck the ice ball squarely. This time, the ice ball didn't go flying wildly; it simply shattered into countless white fragments on the bat.
What should have been a moment of celebration for everyone instead saw Qiao Jiajin's hand holding the iron bat trembling slightly.
Seeing this, Qi Xia sensed something was wrong. He wanted to check on Qiao Jiajin but remembered Di Ma's earlier warning: "No one is allowed to enter the game area."
"Damn it..." Qi Xia's eyes widened slowly. "I need to think of something... I need to think of something right now..."
Zhou Liu noticed the worried look on Qi Xia's face beside her, but before she could ask anything, Qiao Jiajin staggered and dropped to his knees in the distance.
His hands were bleeding, his forearms were bleeding, and his bare upper body was also streaming blood as if pierced by countless needles.
"Ice that shatters into fragments at this distance..." Qi Xia gritted his teeth. "What the hell am I supposed to..."
Qiao Jiajin used the bat to support himself on the ground, staying still for several seconds before slowly standing up. He then raised the iron bat again, resting it on his shoulder.
"What a pain..." Qiao Jiajin said with a bitter smile. "I can't hit it... and I can't not hit it... I really don't know what to..."
Before he could finish, Qiao Jiajin coughed lightly.
He felt those shattered ice shards like tiny bullets embedding themselves into his body. He had no idea where they had struck him now, only that it hurt—his entire upper body ached.
"Hey!" Someone suddenly called out from a distance.
Qiao Jiajin turned his head with difficulty to look. It was Luo Shiyi, the man who had been tortured to death by pain earlier.
"No way?" Luo Shiyi shrugged. "An ice ball is just a water ball, isn't it? You got a little wet and you're down on your knees? How could a bit of water possibly make you feel pain?"
Qiao Jiajin looked at Luo Shiyi with some confusion and muttered, "Aren't you the one who 'doesn't know pain'? If you're so capable, why don't you try..."
Before he could finish, Qiao Jiajin suddenly felt the pain in his body vanish completely. His grip on the bat grew stronger.
"What 'doesn't know pain'?" Luo Shiyi frowned. "I'm 'Forget Sorrow' Luo Shiyi. Last time, you didn't earn my respect, but this time you might. Take my 'conviction' and smash everything she throws into pieces."
"Hah, 'Forget Sorrow'." Qiao Jiajin nodded. "I'll remember you."
Di Ma saw that Qiao Jiajin, despite being severely wounded, had regained his spirit, and she felt a flicker of doubt.
What the hell was going on? How many "Echoers" were still left on the field?
Had they mastered their "Echo" so well that they could now cast it remotely through words without needing physical contact?
Qiao Jiajin swung the bat a few times forcefully, feeling like he was in peak condition. Not only was he free from pain, but he also didn't feel the cold anymore.
However, after those vigorous swings, the amount of blood he was losing increased noticeably.
"Let's end this quickly." Qiao Jiajin waved at the people behind him, signaling them to push their carts a few more meters forward.
At the same time, he himself advanced another three steps, moving even closer to Di Ma. Now he could clearly see every strand of bristle on her face.
But strangely, Di Ma didn't take another ball from the bamboo tube. She just stood there quietly, letting the seconds tick by.
Qiao Jiajin glanced at the countdown on the wall and frowned. "Son of a bitch... Are you stalling?"
From the very start, the rule of this game was: "Everyone must complete a round trip within fifteen minutes." If Di Ma stayed put, everyone would have to wait along with her?
Qi Xia suddenly realized something and said to the group, "Keep moving. The first round of attacks is over."
"It's over?"
Everyone nodded upon hearing this and pushed the carts step by step toward Di Ma. As Qi Xia had predicted, Di Ma made no move until they all reached the finish line.
Only when the carts began the return trip did Di Ma finally pull a black ball out of the bamboo tube—but not just one; there were two connected by a rope.
Since everyone was now extremely close to Di Ma, Qiao Jiajin simply stood right in front of her, staring straight into her eyes.
"So your attacks come in stages too?" Qiao Jiajin said. "What nasty trick are you gonna use this time?"
"This time..." Di Ma gave a hollow smile as she stared at Qiao Jiajin. "Guess."
"I'm sorry, but I can't guess your despicable methods." Though his tone was calm, Qiao Jiajin remained fully focused on every move Di Ma made. If she managed to throw the ball and hit the "wooden ox and flowing horse," all their efforts would be wasted.
"Too bad for you then." Di Ma tossed the black ball a few times in her hand, and Qiao Jiajin finally got a rough idea of its material.
The two black balls were perfectly smooth, made of something that looked neither like coal nor iron. Their size was also noticeably larger than the other balls.
When the group had turned the carts around and retreated a few steps, Di Ma slowly shifted her feet, dangling the black ball by the rope in her hand.
Seeing this, the two men in the group wanted to push the carts faster toward the starting line, but Qiao Jiajin felt something was off. Bai Jiu also stopped them.
"Stop!" he called back. "If we go too fast, I won't be able to protect the people on the carts!"
Based on the length of the bamboo tube, Di Ma had at least one more ball besides the two in her hand. She had three balls and two chances to throw.
Considering the speed of her throws, the people on the carts would surely be hit and die before they could coast back to the start.
Di Ma grabbed the rope connecting the two balls and slowly raised them over her head. Qiao Jiajin quickly swung his bat in response.
But this time, Di Ma's angle was tricky. Qiao Jiajin kept adjusting his stance within a split second.
Low—the trajectory of these two balls was very low. Still, Qiao Jiajin managed to hit one of them with the tip of his bat.
He had thought she was aiming for his feet, but unexpectedly, Di Ma threw the two balls directly at the ground between his legs. The black balls hit the ground with a crisp sound, shattering instantly. A thick, dark liquid spilled out, spreading rapidly across the ground beneath everyone's feet.