Each strike grew heavier than the last, until the fourth triggered a "Crystal Burst," making all the Shadow Crystals inside him explode at once and tearing his body apart from within.
Luckily, he dodged!
But before Tang San could breathe a sigh of relief, the dim crystal shell around the Terror Aggregate—which had just used Crystal Strike—suddenly lit up without warning.
Countless fine purple-black arcs of electricity, like venomous snakes come to life, raced and tangled across the crystal's surface.
Rather than bursting outward, the arcs collapsed inward, converging at the Aggregate's core into a tiny, spinning black hole. The air around it was devoured in a frenzy, making a teeth-grinding "sizzle."
In an instant, a visible dark-purple shock wave spread out in a ring, centered on the Terror Aggregate.
The shock wave wasn't made of physical energy; it was more like space itself trembling. It left no trace on the ground as it expanded out to a radius of thirty meters. Tang San didn't even have time to dodge. The next moment, a stabbing pain flared deep in his soul, and purple-black static instantly covered his vision. His ears filled with the shrill screams of countless tormented spirits.
Tang San felt as if countless icy steel needles had pierced his brain all at once. The mental shock threw his Mysterious Heaven Skill into chaos, and the Soul Power that had once flowed smoothly through him became sluggish and blocked.
With every passing second, the pain of his soul being torn apart grew worse.
Tang San clenched his teeth, forcing himself to endure the pain. Veins stood out on his forehead as he used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.
Though he couldn't see, he still moved according to the positions he remembered, trying to escape the range of Void Shock.
Tang San hadn't forgotten the information Su Yun had given him when they killed Cracked Skardin!
Thirty meters!
Tang San didn't know how long had passed. It felt like an entire century.
Just as his vision returned, before he could feel relieved, he suddenly heard Su Yun cry out.
"Brother San, watch out!"
At the same time, Tang San sensed the threat of death and instinctively looked up.
With a low hum, the Terror Aggregate fired countless jagged rock fragments gleaming with cold light in every direction like a rainstorm.
The fragments didn't scatter randomly. They spun along strange trajectories, drawing purple-black trails of fire through the air like a meteor shower cursed by evil.
When the first fragment struck the ground, it didn't explode violently. Instead, it shattered at once into dozens of smaller crystal spikes that sprayed outward in a ring.
The spikes remained on the ground for several seconds, forming a "crystallized zone" that glimmered with ominous light. Tang San had only just regained his vision and had no time to dodge before he was trapped.
The dense crystal spikes tore through his skin. Purple-black Shadow Energy quickly spread from his wounds, bringing a relentless burning sensation, as if the karmic flames of Red Lotus were scorching him.
Even Tang San could barely hold on. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, and a muffled groan escaped his lips.
But the Terror Aggregate's deadly attack showed him no mercy. A crystal warhammer edged with purple-black arcs of electricity hurtled straight toward him.
!!!!!!!
As the crystal warhammer drew closer, Tang San had only four words in his mind.
I'm done for!
In that moment, time seemed to slow to a crawl.
In that moment, Tang San thought of so many things.
He thought of his past life, his present life, his unreliable father, and, most importantly, the girl who had made him feel the warmth of family.
Tang San instinctively looked toward Su Yun. He was frantically dodging the crystal barrage, but the worry in his eyes was unmistakable.
"Brother San! Watch out!"
Seeing the girl's worried expression, Tang San felt another surge of strength rise within him. He summoned all his remaining strength and shouted,
"Yun! Run!
Don't worry about me! You have to survive!"
[Friendship Points +1888 from Tang San] [Friendship Points +1999 from Tang San] [Friendship Points +2000 from Tang San] ...
A massive haul!
An unprecedented haul! Tang San had poured out his truest feelings right before he thought he was going to die.
It had earned him almost a month's worth in one go!
But Su Yun was a little stunned. He'd made the Terror Aggregate go all out for exactly this reason, but the points weren't supposed to pour in now.
According to Su Yun's plan, at the last possible moment, he would rush in and save Tang San.
He would use his body to take the crystal attack. With his Superman Physique bolstering him, he was confident he could endure it. At worst, he'd suffer a few injuries and look a little worse for wear—which would give him the perfect chance to collect even more Friendship Points from Tang San.
But Tang San had already given him the points.
Oh, well! At least it was a good thing.
"Brother San!"
Su Yun's voice shook with grief. He put every ounce of his acting skills into it. The next moment, the Shadow Scythe vanished from his hand, his Superman Physique took hold, and he drove off the ground with explosive force.
"Shave!"
"Boom!"
The ground exploded, leaving a deep crater. Su Yun vanished from where he stood and reappeared beside Tang San in the next instant, hurling him away.
Only then did Tang San snap out of it. He stared at Su Yun, who had stayed behind.
"Yun!"
His voice was raw and grief-stricken. In that moment, he hated himself more than anything.
Hearing Tang San's cry, Su Yun tilted his head, leaving him with a breathtaking profile.
From Tang San's angle, he could see Su Yun's lips move.
"Brother San, I'm sorry~"
Then came that trademark smile, his eyes curving like crescent moons—so warm, so sweet.
"Ah!!!!!!"
Tang San felt as if his heart had been ripped apart! His chest ached so badly he could barely breathe.
He hated it. He hated how weak he was!
If only he were stronger, Yun wouldn't have put herself in danger to save him!
[Friendship Points +2599 from Tang San] [Friendship Points +2899 from Tang San] [Friendship Points +2999 from Tang San] ...
"Thud!"
Tang San hit the ground, paying no heed to his own injuries. Eyes bloodshot, he stared at the Terror Aggregate as it charged at Su Yun.
"Yun!!!!"
His voice was filled with anguish.
Boom—!
The crystal slammed into Su Yun. He grunted and spat out a mouthful of blood!
Tang San felt his heart shatter!
[Friendship Points +3000 from Tang San] ...
Pain!
The pain was unbearable!
Tang San could barely breathe.
"Ugh!"
He spat out a mouthful of blood, then his vision went black and he passed out.
Meanwhile, Su Yun wasn't doing so well either. He had blocked the physical impact, but the frigid resentment still seeped through his skin and into his bones, making him shiver.
He glanced at Tang San and saw the guy had already fainted.
Looked like he couldn't keep milking Friendship Points. Time to wrap things up.
Though he could finish off the Terror Aggregate in an instant, Su Yun still thought he should make the act convincing.
After all, he had no idea whether Tang Hao had followed them. Though he was fairly sure he hadn't, it was always best to be cautious.
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