Face Paint

Li Yèlái's actions stirred Doctor Wang—or rather, The Skinner.

Ever since gaining this ability, he had hunted many humans, assumed the identities of different people, and indulged freely in different lives.

He particularly enjoyed wearing someone else's face and committing crimes the original owner would never have committed while watching the victim's disbelieving expression.

There had been resisters among them, of course. But prey that still dared to approach him and attack after seeing his true face? This was the first!

Panicked flight was the normal reaction of prey, yet this guy wanted to go against the current and face him head-on?

His courage was commendable, but it was all futile!

He was one chosen to ascend to a higher level of life, an existence with the potential to become a god!

How could a mere mortal compare to him? So what if he resisted? So what if he fought for his life?

Before absolute strength, there was only one ending!

With that thought, he swiftly hunched forward, his abnormally powerful muscles tensing as he assumed an attacking stance.

He had targeted Li Yèlái because Doctor Wang's patient records had revealed that he was an exceptionally suitable candidate.

Abandoned by his father, with his mother dead from illness, he had only a younger sister who could not leave the house because of some psychological condition.

For The Skinner, who wanted to hide away, this was perfect. No one would notice if he replaced Li Yèlái.

Yet the instant The Skinner lunged forward, Li Yèlái gathered all his strength and charged forward instead of retreating. At the same time, he reached his left hand into his backpack, hurled the bag at The Skinner with all his strength, and pulled something out.

The Skinner did not care in the slightest. Without even pausing, he swiftly raised a hand and slapped away the backpack flying at his face.

However, the instant the backpack was knocked aside, Li Yèlái swung his left hand again, sending a cloud of white powder shooting toward The Skinner's face.

Caught off guard, The Skinner was hit squarely in the face by the powder. It clung to his flesh-only face and naturally covered those eyelidless eyes, robbing him of his vision in an instant and forcing him to halt his charge.

It was quicklime!

One of Li Yèlái's methods for dealing with the Black Shadow.

He had long prepared for the worst regarding the Black Shadow's existence and had made many preparations for it.

He had even specifically sought advice from the Scavengers who came to the Antique Shop to sell goods.

While The Skinner was blinded by the quicklime, Li Yèlái burst forward, swung his axe, and slashed horizontally at The Skinner's neck!

Against a monster like this, he could not consider himself safe unless he chopped off its head.

Yet The Skinner raised his left arm and accurately caught the axe blade. He even clamped down on the axe tightly.

Even with quicklime all over his face, he could still catch a blade barehanded so precisely?

Li Yèlái was horrified, but he did not dare pause. At this point, there was no way back!

He decisively abandoned the trapped axe.

He burst forward into close range, clenched both hands into fists with his middle fingers protruding, and smashed them together into The Skinner's temples from both sides.

Then Li Yèlái seized The Skinner's neck, yanked him violently toward himself, and drove his right knee swiftly into his forehead.

After taking the heavy knee strike to the head, The Skinner's body involuntarily tilted backward.

Li Yèlái stepped into a bow stance again and smashed his elbow into The Skinner's chest!

He sent The Skinner staggering back several steps!

Twin Peaks Piercing the Ears! Neck Lock and Knee Strike! Bow Stance Elbow Strike!

This was a highly dangerous, even insidious, set of fighting techniques. The first move in particular, Twin Peaks Piercing the Ears, was originally meant to strike the ear bones with the fists, but Li Yèlái had struck the temples directly. It was a dirty move capable of killing in a single blow.

If he had to pay medical bills, this set alone could leave Li Yèlái in debt for decades.

Yet after unleashing that combination, Li Yèlái quickly covered his own neck. He felt blood gushing rapidly between his fingers and dropped weakly to one knee.

While delivering that string of attacks, Li Yèlái had also been attacked. A concealed blade had swiftly slit open his throat.

"If I were still a mortal, I would probably be dead already. You're a little more dangerous than I imagined." The Skinner raised his head to look at Li Yèlái, revealing a horrifying smile. "What a pity."

His right arm hung limply at his side. His skin had split apart, yet no blood flowed out. Instead, crimson muscles were exposed, writhing and extending. Then a sharp blade emerged from beneath the muscles of his crimson arm. It was the weapon The Skinner had hidden beneath his skin.

It was this bizarre blade that had slit Li Yèlái's throat in an instant.

Only then did Li Yèlái notice that the air around The Skinner had visibly thickened.

The gelatinous air was like an invisible barrier.

The quicklime, the axe strike containing all of Li Yèlái's strength, and the following combination had all been stopped by that barrier of air, unable to get even a fraction closer!

The gap between them was far too great.

Even after using every method he had, Li Yèlái had failed to harm him in the slightest.

Instead, his throat had been slit by the other party.

Li Yèlái knelt on one knee, his vision darkening as the immense terror of life and death made his entire body stiffen. He futilely covered the wound on his neck.

As the danger of death descended, he felt both unwillingness and fear.

In that instant, countless scenes flashed before his eyes.

He saw his younger sister reminding him to be careful on the road from inside their home.

He saw his mother's gentle gaze before she died from illness, as well as the sign language she had used to comfort him.

He saw his father's back as he headed into the wilderness to make a fortune, never to return.

At the same time, he saw the pitch-black figure in that endless dim dream turn its head in an instant!

Was this a Lantern Show?

No, I don't want a Lantern Show!

If I die, my younger sister will truly have no one to rely on. What will happen to her illness? I still haven't earned money to treat her!

Intense unwillingness and fear drove Li Yèlái to rise, but his vision gradually blurred, and his pupils slowly dilated.

He was going to die.

"I'll take your place and take good care of your younger sister. Don't worry, she'll be very happy." The completely unharmed Skinner approached step by step. He intended to carefully peel off Li Yèlái's skin and become the new Li Yèlái.

He did not know that those final words made Li Yèlái's eyes widen.

The intense fury caused his already dilating pupils to focus again.

This bastard actually wanted to hurt my little sister?

No. He absolutely could not let this monster live!

He still had a trump card!

His final, most dangerous trump card!

At that moment, The Skinner, who was approaching, suddenly sensed immense danger.

Every organ in his body trembled, while his formerly vague intuition had never been clearer.

Confusion flashed through The Skinner's eyes, but he suddenly accelerated toward Li Yèlái.

He did not understand why a dying prey would give him such a sense of crisis.

But he had a feeling that he had to kill Li Yèlái immediately!

Otherwise, something utterly terrifying would happen!

But... it was too late!

Li Yèlái clutched his heavily bleeding throat and spoke with difficulty.

"I'm... here!"

Li Yèlái had to kill this monster, kill the monster that threatened his younger sister, at any cost!

Even if... it drew an even greater monster here!

That was right. He had actively called out to the Black Shadow that had haunted him for years!

And with Li Yèlái's active call, it was as though some Pandora's box had been opened.

Everything around them froze. Scattered quicklime and flowing blood all came to a halt in that instant. Even The Skinner was frozen in place.

Some power beyond Li Yèlái's understanding had frozen everything in an instant.

At the same time, Li Yèlái saw that pitch-black figure again.

Its twisted body dragged four thick chains as it walked through this frozen space, passed The Skinner, came before Li Yèlái, and looked down at him.

It seemed to be mocking Li Yèlái's miserable state.

"Finally, I found you."

The Black Shadow's words were obscure and profound, and its voice was neither male nor female, yet Li Yèlái understood its meaning.

Even now, with less than a meter between them, Li Yèlái still could not see its appearance. He could only vaguely make out a monster in a black robe, with countless tentacles and fangs behind it.

It slowly extended an arm, as though inviting something. Or perhaps making a deal.

Several faint voices seemed to warn Li Yèlái to reject it! Even if he died, he had to reject it!

Otherwise, this world would meet a terribly frightening end!

A frightening end?

Ha. What could be more frightening than his own death, or his family suffering danger and hardship?

Ignoring those vague voices, Li Yèlái did not hesitate. He reached out with difficulty and grabbed the Black Shadow's arm.

In that instant, it was as if something had changed in the world, yet also as if nothing had changed at all.

"Hahahahaha!" The Black Shadow laughed softly, its laughter gradually rising until it became a proclamation that shook the world.

At the same time, one chain binding it shattered with a thunderous crash. It seemed that its deal with Li Yèlái had allowed it to further escape its restraints. If all those chains broke, who knew what sort of disaster would occur?

Still laughing, it extended a finger and pressed it against Li Yèlái's forehead, driving the finger into his brain.

Li Yèlái's brain convulsed in pain, and his soul felt as though it were being torn apart.

Some power was forcibly awakened. His soul seemed to break free from his dying body and see a broader world, a broader universe!

"Go witness heroes, imitate heroes, become heroes! Make your choice and advance in the direction you desire! Even from these Yellow Springs, go against the current!" The Black Shadow vanished into Li Yèlái's shadow, leaving only its words echoing in his mind.

Then scenes of a bloody ancient battlefield flashed before Li Yèlái's eyes.

Upon that bloody battlefield, a Matchless General clad in armor silently embraced a woman in red who had drawn her sword and cut her own throat before him.

Then the general took up his halberd and led twenty-eight riders in a charge against several thousand armored cavalry!

"'Heaven destroys me, not war!'"

"'Follow me as I slay their generals, break their enemy, and defeat their army once more!'"

With unstoppable might, he slew hundreds of soldiers in succession. Wherever he went, men and horses were shattered!

The riders following behind him grew fewer and fewer, yet his momentum became ever more overwhelming.

One man and one horse, yet he carried the bearing of an army of thousands!

No one on the battlefield could oppose him!

When his Warhorse finally neighed and collapsed.

The general cast aside his halberd and drew his treasured sword.

His terrifying Double Pupils looked down upon the thousands of armored cavalry as he laughed fearlessly.

Not one of those thousands of cavalry dared to attack first.

At that moment, Li Yèlái felt as though he were there, as though he himself were that Matchless General!

"'Yù's courage was unmatched through the ages!'"

On the other side, The Skinner's expression changed as he charged forward. The overwhelming sense of danger made him react in an instant.

He immediately retreated!

Yet in the next instant, a figure had already appeared before him.

The Skinner saw the other party's face. There was no trace of fear left on that handsome face; instead, a face paint mask had appeared.

A black-and-white face paint mask.

Black forehead, white brows.

And within those eyes... was a terrifying pair of Double Pupils!

Li Yèlái? No, absolutely not!

"Just what are you..." The Skinner was utterly shaken, only to see Li Yèlái raise his right hand, turn it into a blade, and slash downward!

In that instant, he vaguely saw a long weapon appear out of nowhere!

The Double-Pupiled Hegemon in heavy armor wielded his halberd one-handed and slashed down!

Overlord Wielding the Halberd, Single-Handed Eighteen Thrusts!

"The Overlord of Western Chu!"