The Life Spirit Evil

The damp, slippery bluebrick wall was seeping with mold, while rainwater gathered into thin streams across the pothole-riddled stone slabs.

The pooled water reflected the scattered glow of the distant streetlights.

Two people stood in the alley, staring at each other.

"You're insane?"

Fang Qingyu was startled at first, then confused, and finally silently looked toward the other person.

He had considered many possibilities.

Perhaps the mixed martial arts fighter he had beaten badly before, or someone from the Le You Merchant Guild who had lost his temper and sent people to retaliate after he refused them.

Or, more ridiculously, perhaps his biological parents or family from this life had sent someone to kill him.

But the one thing he had never imagined was—

that the person facing him was Ying Kai!!

As fellow martial arts academy disciples, Ying Kai should have known very well that Fang Qingyu had held back at least two parts of his strength with Tie Shan Kao that night.

Besides, Fang Qingyu had always held a favorable impression of the academy disciples.

It was all healthy competition.

He had never encountered anyone who secretly tripped others up.

Yet the first time he did, he encountered a madman who wanted his life.

"I'm not insane. You don't know what the Le You Merchant Guild means to me."

Looking at the confusion in Fang Qingyu's eyes, Ying Kai seemed to have become a different person. The madness in his gaze grew more intense as he slowly drew the long saber from his waist.

"What does it mean?"

Fang Qingyu slowly assumed the starting stance of Baji Quan.

Since things had already reached this point, there was nothing left to say. Ying Kai clearly intended to fight to the death!

But Fang Qingyu was genuinely curious why Ying Kai had come to him with the determination to die.

"Heh heh."

Hearing Fang Qingyu's question, Ying Kai did not answer. He merely let out a cold laugh, his eyes filled with utter lifelessness.

Only the Fang Qingyu reflected in his pupils brought him a trace of light.

"Die!!!"

Without another word, Ying Kai leaped down from the vehicle.

The long saber in his hand split through the curtain of rain and came straight for Fang Qingyu's face.

Fang Qingyu instantly entered the Dragon Hibernation Breath state. He shifted slightly to the side, letting the long saber slice down past his clothes, while his left hand pressed against Ying Kai's saber-wielding right hand and forced the blade downward.

His right hand bent upward, and a Ding Xin Elbow slammed into Ying Kai's heart.

In a fight for life and death, every move was fatal!

Bang—

Ying Kai was knocked back several meters by the elbow.

However, once he steadied himself, he merely rubbed his chest and grinned.

"You think I came unprepared?"

Fang Qingyu frowned slightly as he withdrew his right hand. His elbow bones were throbbing with pain.

He looked toward Ying Kai's chest.

An iron plate?

No. Even if it were an iron plate, that elbow should have caved it in.

It seemed more like soft armor capable of absorbing kinetic energy.

But—

that was not enough.

Fang Qingyu adjusted his breathing. Before Ying Kai could make a move, he took the initiative and attacked.

Although he still did not understand the cause of everything—

as long as he subdued Ying Kai, everything would resolve itself.

"Arrogant!"

Seeing this, Ying Kai glared furiously and charged forward with his saber.

The instant the saber flashed like a silver snake through the curtain of rain, Fang Qingyu's spine suddenly arched.

Before the blade touched the front of his clothes, he shifted three inches to the side. His right forearm swept toward Ying Kai's saber-wielding wrist like a steel whip.

His five fingers precisely slipped into the gap beside the radius.

"Drop it!"

Amid his shout, Fang Qingyu twisted his waist and turned his hips. His rain-soaked shoe spun half a circle across the blue bricks, leaving a trail of water.

Ying Kai's entire right arm was twisted into a crooked braid, and his fingers instinctively released the Sword Hilt from the agony.

But Fang Qingyu's movements did not stop. He smoothly drew the seized long saber across his chest, then brought his right elbow crashing down with the force of his entire body!

Clang—!

The metallic wail pierced through the rain.

Water exploded between the two men into a white mist.

"Now, continue."

Fang Qingyu tossed the Sword Hilt aside and looked toward Ying Kai, who had retreated rapidly.

This was bad.

Ying Kai panted heavily and looked at Fang Qingyu as if he were a monster.

How had only a few days passed?

Why was this kid's strength so different from what he had shown in the ring before?!

I can't beat him.

The thought surfaced in Ying Kai's mind.

Even wearing scale armor, he still could not beat him.

But I have to live!!

Ying Kai suddenly lowered his guard. The madness in his eyes and the killing intent throughout his body faded away. As if he had given up struggling, he spoke in a helpless tone.

"Do you know what joining the Le You Merchant Guild means?"

Hearing this, Fang Qingyu abruptly stopped his advancing steps, his pupils widening slightly.

The hairs all over his body stood on end.

In the Dragon Hibernation Breath state, there seemed to be a Great Terror behind Ying Kai!!!

Yet he still instinctively asked,

"What?"

"It means a chance to step into the extraordinary."

"The Formal Class at the martial arts academy requires a strength of 300 kilograms before one can practice the Contemplation Method. As long as you practice the Contemplation Method, you have a chance to step into the extraordinary!!!"

The more Ying Kai spoke, the more agitated he became.

"But for three years—three whole years—I couldn't even touch the threshold of 300 kilograms!!!"

"So I could only join the Le You Merchant Guild, hoping to catch a glimpse of that world that did not belong to me."

"But now I understand. That world belongs to geniuses like you. It isn't a place I can meddle in, so can you understand me?"

"I can."

At this moment, Fang Qingyu not only did not advance, but slowly began retreating.

"Then can you let me go this once?"

Joy immediately appeared on Ying Kai's face.

"How much money do you want? I can give you anything, and you'll have trouble explaining yourself if you kill me."

"I can. Goodbye!"

When a shadow faintly emerged from the darkness, a black string of titles appeared beneath the vehicle's headlights.

Fang Qingyu left those words behind, then turned and ran.

Life Spirit Evil.

There really were black titles!!

But this thing was completely different from what he had imagined!!!

With just one glance, Fang Qingyu had formed a deep impression of it.

It was roughly 1.5 meters tall. Its skin was swollen gray-white, like that of a drowned person. Black suture lines covered its entire body. Its head retained the outline of human facial features, but its mouth was torn vertically down to its sternum, and its split-open maw was densely packed with hooked baby teeth.

Most disgusting of all, an undetached mass of flesh still dragged from its navel.

This thing is human!!?

I have to run.

Otherwise, I'll die!

This was the limit of what Fang Qingyu's level-three Alertness skill could accomplish.

"Ah—"

He had only run a few dozen meters when Ying Kai's screams rang out from behind him.

Fang Qingyu currently had no Attribute Points.

Otherwise, he would definitely have put them into speed.

Less than three minutes had passed since Ying Kai had stopped him.

The police probably could not arrive that quickly.

So if he wanted to survive now—

he could only rely on himself!!

So he had not been mistaken that day when he got off work at the bar.

There really had been a black title.

And the video from Old Li on the day he ate with several Delivery Drivers had been real too!!!

His panting exploded in his chest. Wind and rain roared in his ears, along with the splashing sound of his soles crushing through puddles.

And some kind of inescapable—

sticky, gurgling noise, like something being squeezed through a meat grinder.

Fang Qingyu suddenly slammed on the brakes.

The streetlight ahead burst with electrical sparks. Within the blue-white arcs, the Umbilical Flesh Mass hung from the streetlight, writhing.

The Life Spirit hung upside down, its mouth split down to its sternum. Purple-black fluid dripped between its hooked baby teeth, while the mass of flesh at its navel suddenly contracted and swelled like a beating heart.

The sound of bones breaking came from within.

Ying Kai was dead.

His body was currently being devoured by the Life Spirit's fleshy mass.

"Hh."

The hairs on the back of Fang Qingyu's neck stood straight up one by one, and the Dragon Hibernation Breath state activated instinctively.

Damn it, the rain was still falling.

Listening to the rain's usual peaceful sound—

Fang Qingyu suddenly took a deep breath.

At this moment, it felt a little like his childhood.

As if he had been unable to escape no matter how hard he tried to hide from all those acts of bullying.

Since that was the case—

then he would fight!!!

But this time, it was not to beat it into submission or frighten it.

It was to kill it!!