Rip!
The sound of flesh tearing rang out. He Wen's claw slammed into Qin Chen's chest, carving five deep claw marks across half his torso.
Blood poured from the wounds, and, just as expected, Qin Chen's body was sent flying backward again.
The blow had made Qin Chen's already serious injuries even worse.
Violent pain tugged at his nerves without pause.
Qin Chen's body slammed heavily into the ground. A metallic sweetness surged up his throat, and he couldn't help spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Bracing himself with his saber, he forced himself to his feet, his face dark with pain.
Was he really going to meet an untimely end before his great undertaking was half complete?
Just as he had no idea what to do, something seemed to catch the corner of his eye. His gaze suddenly lit up.
An idea flashed through his mind.
Qin Chen gripped the saber in both hands and let out a low shout.
Dragging his severely injured body, he charged toward He Wen.
"Know your place!"
He Wen sneered.
To him, Qin Chen's actions were no different from a lamb's futile struggle before slaughter.
Qin Chen reached He Wen, abruptly veered to one side, and brought his saber down hard at him.
But He Wen was faster than Qin Chen.
His leg shot out like lightning, striking Qin Chen squarely in the chest and kicking him away.
But Qin Chen's saber did not lose its force. As he flew backward, it struck the ground.
In an instant, the ground split open. Countless stones flew through the air, and dust billowed as Qin Chen's body rolled into the cloud.
He Wen furrowed his brow, inexplicably feeling that something was wrong.
But with such a clear advantage before him, he quickly dismissed the unease.
He slowly walked toward the dust.
He'd toyed with the mouse long enough. It was time to break every bone in Qin Chen's body and take him back for more torment.
Yet when the dust slowly cleared, He Wen's pupils contracted sharply. He lunged forward, reaching the center of the cloud in an instant.
A pitch-black opening lay before him, and a stench drifted out of it.
"Damn it!"
He Wen cursed under his breath.
He finally understood what had felt wrong. Qin Chen's saber strike had never been meant to hit him; it had only been meant to lower his guard.
His real target was the entrance to the city sewer right in front of him!
The sewer opening was large enough for an adult to pass through, but far too small for He Wen in his current Bursting State.
Without hesitation, He Wen immediately left his Beast Transformation and returned to his normal form.
The instant he changed back, He Wen staggered, but quickly regained his balance and leaped into the sewer.
At this point, there was no way he would let Qin Chen get away.
Qin Chen ran through the sewer, enduring the pain in his body.
Muyang City's sewer system connected the entire city.
Entering it was the only chance he could think of to escape He Wen.
The difference in their raw strength was simply too great.
As long as the green hills remained, there'd be no shortage of firewood!
When you couldn't win, you ran. Make your decision quickly—don't hesitate!
The sewer twisted and turned. He refused to believe He Wen could track him down so precisely.
But not long after the thought crossed his mind, a familiar presence came from somewhere behind him.
!!!
Qin Chen's pupils contracted. He turned his head slightly and saw a hazy shadow rushing toward him at incredible speed from far behind.
As the distance closed, the dim yellow lights finally let Qin Chen make out his pursuer's appearance.
It was He Wen!
"How is this possible?!"
Qin Chen cried out.
A few seconds later, He Wen's familiar, savage laugh rang out behind him.
"Kid! You thought you could shake me off that easily?"
"The Beast God's power is invincible!"
"Along with giving me strength, it's given me the same innate talents as the beastfolk!"
"I've already memorized your scent!"
"Trying to run? Not a chance!"
At his words, Qin Chen's expression turned incredibly grim.
He truly hadn't expected He Wen to have this ability. Even running into the sewer hadn't been enough to shake him off.
For a moment, even Qin Chen, who considered himself resolute, couldn't help feeling anxious and irritable.
Death...
Was closing in on him.
Elsewhere.
In a room in a grand villa somewhere in Muyang City, a middle-aged, heroic man sat cross-legged. He suddenly opened his eyes.
"Has the Formation Pattern been triggered?"
His voice held shock and anger. He immediately rose to his feet and looked in a certain direction, his gaze dark and cold.
"What on earth is going on?"
"No! The secret realm absolutely must not be exposed!"
"Otherwise..."
As if he had thought of some grave consequence, the middle-aged man shuddered.
He flashed to the doorway, then sprang up and vanished into the thick night.
Back to Qin Chen.
The distance between him and He Wen was steadily shrinking.
The sense of danger coiling around Qin Chen grew stronger and stronger.
But Qin Chen had no intention of stopping. He kept running with all his might.
It was the only thing he could do right now!
Behind him, He Wen watched Qin Chen draw closer, a savage grin tugging at his mouth.
"Kid! Wouldn't it be better to wait quietly for death? Why bother with these pointless struggles?"
"You've held out this long against me at the Body Tempering Sixth Layer. You should be proud!"
"Even plenty of people at the Body Tempering Ninth Layer couldn't manage that!"
As he spoke, he closed the distance by several more meters. Only a dozen or so remained.
At most, it would take him another second to catch Qin Chen.
With that in mind, He Wen slowly raised his hand. The human palm transformed into the claw of some kind of beast.
A chilling aura radiated from its razor-sharp claws as he reached viciously for Qin Chen.
At the same time, Qin Chen sensed the deadly threat behind him.
He abruptly twisted, turned a corner, and darted into another passage.
A faint, alluring red light filled his eyes.
Qin Chen's expression froze, and even his escape slowed for a moment.
At the far end of the passage ahead, a blood-red energy vortex had appeared.
Strands of crimson energy drifted from it now and then, giving off a deeply unsettling feeling.
What was that?!
Why was something like this in Muyang City's sewer?
Two questions flashed through Qin Chen's mind.
Rumble—
Suddenly, an explosion rang out ahead. The water burst apart, sending countless sprays flying.
A massive black shadow, at least three meters tall, appeared up ahead, crouched low to the ground.
Two blood-red eyes gleamed eerily in the dim surroundings.
What was that thing now?!
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