Life-Risking Blade

"Boom!!"

The second cannon blast utterly demolished the sturdy city wall. The soldiers defending the city had never seen such a divine artifact before, and every face turned pale with horror.

"Good! As expected of the cannon the sect paid such a steep price to buy from Xilai Kingdom." Outside Wancheng, a towering figure like an Iron Tower laughed heartily and waved a massive hand. "Brothers and sisters, kill!"

As soon as he spoke, tens of thousands roared in unison.

"Laws distinguish the noble from the lowly—such laws are not good laws! The laws we practice shall make noble and lowly equal, and wealth and poverty even!"

Countless people, faces blazing with fanaticism, charged toward the mostly collapsed city wall.

The next second, the defenders and attackers met in close combat, launching into a bloody and brutal slaughter.

"You few, come with me." The towering figure glanced at several people behind him and gave the order. The group followed the crowd through the breach and entered the city.

He Zhao, who had emerged from Hetu Dao Temple, carried a bundle on his back as he made his way onward. Burning beacon fires were everywhere, along with the sounds of slaughter, furious roars, screams, and groans.

"This shouldn't be happening! In the first Simulation Scenario's vagrant beginning, I never heard of an object like a cannon." No matter how strong a Secret Blood Warrior was, could one withstand artillery fire?

Even after becoming an Original Blood Warrior with Pig Woman's Heart Blood, He Zhao did not have the slightest confidence that he could endure a cannon blast. As for Demon Eater's absurdly powerful recovery—if one cannonball blew him into fragments, was he supposed to glue himself back together?

"Alas! When the winds of change rise, troubled times are near."

This Water Bandit assault on cities and seizure of land was likely the Beginning of Great Xuan being engulfed in beacon fires everywhere.

But what the hell did that have to do with him?

Great Xuan was rotten to the bone. Once a new regime was established, could it possibly be worse than this?

On the streets, several shifty-looking thugs remained calm, their eyes darting everywhere as though searching for prey.

"Stop!"

Several ill-intentioned men had set their sights on He Zhao. With malicious grins, they surrounded him.

"Kid, running into our Seven Brothers is your lucky day. Leave your bundle and clothes behind, then get the hell out of here!" the leader said viciously, casually shaking the bloodstained dagger in his hand.

"Aren't you afraid of the Water Bandits outside the city?" He Zhao was puzzled. The entire city was fleeing for their lives, yet these people were taking the chance to rob others. Their professional dedication was a little too impressive, wasn't it?

"Why the hell are you talking so much? You—"

Before he could finish, his forehead turned cold. Something seemed to have pierced into it. Before the thugs could think any further, darkness swallowed them whole.

"Thud!" "Thud!"

The corpses fell. He Zhao frowned, one hand pressed against his lower abdomen.

Although the Black Broken Blade had failed to kill him, a strange power remained in the wound on his abdomen. Even Death Resistance + High-Speed Regeneration could do nothing about it for the moment.

He tore a strip from Hetu Dao Master's Purple Robe, smeared it with potent wound medicine bought from an Herbal Shop, and tied it around his waist to temporarily slow the bleeding.

But fighting again had worsened the wound further, increasing the blood loss.

"Clap!" "Clap!"

Applause came from the depths of the night. His Sixth Sense issued a warning. Instinctively, Ruthless He Zhao vanished from the spot with a whoosh, fleeing in the direction opposite to the earlier cannon fire.

With a full 20 points of speed, he was fast enough to fly. In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the vast night.

"???"

The third party, who had been preparing to make a grand entrance and show off, watched He Zhao's string of movements with his mouth slightly open, frozen in place.

No, I... you... he... Why did he just run away?

Even rabbits had more guts than you!

"Chase him." The man gritted his teeth.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

Several figures flashed past, pursuing He Zhao in the direction he had fled.

Outside the city, the bandit leader responsible for surrounding the north gate saw a black figure leap down from the wall. He immediately raised a hand to signal his men—fire!

"Whoosh—"

A dense rain of arrows shot toward him head-on.

"Pfft!" "Pfft!"

With nowhere to brace himself in midair, He Zhao could only shield his face with both hands.

"Thud!"

A corpse riddled with arrows from head to toe fell limply onto the ground.

To be fair, although Demon Eater's speed and recovery outclassed all other Aberrations, its defense was truly pathetic—far inferior to Pig Woman.

Play dead and wait for the mysterious force inside the city and the enemy Water Bandits outside to fight to the death. It would be best if they both ended up badly wounded. Even if that doesn't happen, no one would do anything to a corpse. Hehe, this is foolproof!

I really am such a clever little genius!

Why not force his way through their formation?

The abdominal knife wound was dragging him down too badly. During his frantic run, he had no idea how much blood he had spilled along the way. Now his face was frighteningly pale, and his head was even beginning to swim.

If this continued, he feared that before anyone else could act, he would bleed to death alive.

Death Resistance + High-Speed Regeneration could not create blood out of thin air!

"Boom—"

The city gate was opened from within, and the mysterious force pursuing Ruthless He Zhao revealed itself.

"Greetings, Wu Jingang!"

Upon seeing the man built like an Iron Tower, the bandit leader respectfully bent at the waist and clasped his fists.

???

I fucking—

He Zhao, lying on the ground playing dead, felt deeply wounded. After all that, these people were in the same gang!

"Dead? I had wanted to recruit him as a subordinate."

"Alas!"

The Iron Tower-like man sighed, his face full of regret.

This person struck ruthlessly and made decisive choices in a crisis. He was unquestionably talented.

Moreover, he was incredibly fast. Even the capable men at his side could only barely trail behind him. Clearly, the Aberration Heart Blood he had used was not some common Blood Bear product.

"What a pity."

He took a waterskin from his waist and sprinkled its contents over He Zhao's corpse.

That smell? Fierce Fire Oil!

"Dust to dust, earth to earth."

With that, the Iron Tower-like man took out a firestarter from his robes and blew it alight, preparing to burn Someone surnamed He in one go.

Ruthless He Zhao gritted his teeth and sprang up at once.

Everyone around him was aghast. The corpse had risen!

Before they could make any move, He Zhao raised his hand and flung it out. Poison Powder exploded and scattered on the wind, filling the entire area in an instant.

"Aah—"

"It itches so badly!"

Hundreds of Water Bandits were seized by unbearable itching. They threw down their weapons, tore open their clothes, and began scratching themselves.

The sight was utterly eye-searing!

"Whoosh—"

Leaving chaos in his wake, He Zhao endured the agonizing pain in his abdomen and fled into the depths of the night.

The moment he threw out the Poison Powder, the experienced Iron Tower-like man had held his breath. Only a little powder landed on his exposed skin.

Wu Jingang watched his subordinates howl in heart-rending agony and secretly thought himself fortunate. He had nearly fallen for it.

"Hmph! You don't know what's good for you. I can't let you live."

After saying that, he chased after He Zhao with a thunderous rumble, like a maddened bull.

People and objects blocking his path were all sent flying, while the ground itself cracked apart.

It was as if the Vicious Poison Powder had barely affected him at all.

"You're like a ghost that won't leave!"

Ruthless He Zhao tilted his head to look at the dust cloud rising behind him and cursed through gritted teeth.

He only wanted to leave Wancheng. Whom had he provoked?

Thanks to the elite in his title, although his spirit was somewhat exhausted after successive battles and he was severely injured, his stamina had not been affected and remained abundant.

It was just that—

He Zhao lowered his head and looked at the Purple Robe around his lower abdomen, dyed blood-red, and the large amount of blood pouring out. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.

You like chasing me, right?

Come on!

Let's perish together!!

After making up his mind, he abruptly turned around while running. Wu Jingang was overjoyed when he saw it. Was he finally no longer going to scurry around like a rat?

A Black Broken Blade appeared in He Zhao's hand. After ambushing Old Jin, using the Sacrificial Vessel's Fatal Strike twice, and repeatedly using the Jade Register to accelerate, little Spirit Power remained in his body.

Unfortunately, the Bone Dagger required devouring a huge amount of Spirit Power. Otherwise, why would he need to die together with his enemy?

He mustered every ounce of strength and squeezed out the last thread of Spirit Power within him, viciously swinging a blade meant for mutual destruction at the Iron Tower-like man.

"Hummm—"

Invisible blade energy burst forth. The hairs all over Wu Jingang's body stood on end as he inwardly cried that things were bad!

"Pfft—"

Wu Jingang's upper body remained where it was, while his lower body continued charging toward Ruthless He Zhao.

"I'm a Martial Artist about to undergo aberration! I refuse to accept this!"

"Thud!"

The corpse fell.

"Bang!"

He Zhao was struck by the robust lower body and immediately sent flying toward the nearby Xiaohe Luoqu.

"This blade is freaking awesome. It can automatically adjust its power according to how much Spirit Power you have. Bone Dagger? Heh~~~ptui! Even dogs wouldn't use it."

With that said, he fell into the water.

"Splash!"

"Boom—"

A fierce blade energy slashed out from the river. Beneath the moonlight, the river water in the pitch-black night gradually turned red.

Thanks to [Miraculous] for the 2 Qidian Coins tip, thanks to [Waiting for You Beneath the Bodhi Tree] for the 2 Qidian Coins tip, and thanks to [Exploding Heavens Faction Kirito] for the 2 Qidian Coins tip.