The Heart of the Routine

Each strike was heavier than the last, eventually triggering a "Crystal Explosion" on the fourth hit, causing all the shadow crystals within its body to detonate simultaneously and tear it apart from the inside out.

Fortunately, he had dodged it!

However, before Tang San could even catch his breath, the Terror Aggregate, which had just used its Crystal Strike, suddenly saw its dim crystal shell light up without warning.

Countless fine, purple-black electric arcs, like living vipers, crawled and intertwined frantically across the surface of the crystals.

These arcs did not burst outward but collapsed inward, condensing into a constantly rotating miniature black hole at the core of the Aggregate, greedily devouring the surrounding air and emitting a teeth-grinding "hissing" sound.

In an instant, with the Terror Aggregate as the center, a visible dark purple shockwave rippled outward in a ring.

This shockwave was not physical energy but rather a tremor of space itself; it left no marks on the ground as it swept through, instantly expanding to a 30-meter radius. Tang San didn't even have time to dodge before he felt a sharp, piercing pain deep within his soul, followed by his vision being instantly covered in purple-black static, his ears filled with the shrill, mournful shrieks of countless vengeful spirits.

Tang San felt as if countless cold steel needles were stabbing into his brain at once, and his Mysterious Heaven Skill was thrown into instant chaos by this mental shock, his once-fluid soul power circulation becoming sluggish and obstructed.

With every passing second, the agony of his soul being torn apart intensified.

Tang San gritted his teeth hard, enduring the pain with veins bulging on his forehead, and activated Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track beneath his feet.

Though he could not see, he moved according to his memory of the terrain, desperate to escape the range of the "Void Shock."

Tang San had not forgotten the intelligence Su Yun had shared with him when they killed the cracked Skading!

30 meters!

Tang San did not know how much time had passed; it felt as long as a century.

When his vision finally returned to normal, he had no time to rejoice before he suddenly heard Su Yun's exclamation.

"Brother San, look out!"

At the same time, Tang San sensed a threat of death and instinctively looked up.

He saw the Terror Aggregate emit a low hum as countless jagged rock fragments, shimmering with cold light, sprayed outward like a torrential rain.

These fragments did not scatter randomly; they followed eerie, rotating trajectories, leaving trails of purple-black flames in the air like a cursed meteor shower.

When the first fragment struck the ground, it did not explode violently but instantly shattered into dozens of smaller crystal spikes that splashed outward in a ring.

These crystal spikes persisted for several seconds after landing, forming an "Ominous Crystalized Zone." Tang San, having just recovered his vision, had no time to dodge and was instantly sealed in.

The dense crystal spikes instantly sliced through his skin, and purple-black shadow energy rapidly spread through his wounds, bringing a continuous burning sensation as if he were being scorched by the flames of a red lotus.

Even Tang San struggled to hold on; cold sweat poured down his forehead as he let out a muffled groan.

But the lethal killing move from the Terror Aggregate would not spare him; a crystal heavy hammer, its edges flickering with purple-black electric arcs, struck straight toward Tang San.

!!!!!!!

Looking at the rapidly approaching crystal hammer, only four words filled Tang San's mind.

My life ends here!

At this moment, time seemed to slow to a crawl.

At this moment, Tang San thought of many things.

He thought of his past life, his current life, that unreliable father of his, and most importantly, the girl who had made him feel the warmth of family.

Tang San instinctively looked toward Su Yun, seeing him frantically dodging the crystal barrage, yet the worry in his eyes was plain to see.

"Brother San! Look out!"

Watching the girl's worried expression, a surge of energy welled up in Tang San's body, and he used every ounce of his strength to shout.

"Yun! Run!

Don't worry about me! You must survive!"

[Friendship points from Tang San +1888]

[Friendship points from Tang San +1999]

[Friendship points from Tang San +2000]

A massive explosion!

An unprecedented, massive explosion! Tang San felt this was his most sincere outpouring of emotion before death.

It directly yielded nearly a month's worth of points!

But this left Su Yun somewhat stunned; he had made the Terror Aggregate exert its power specifically for this, but it wasn't supposed to explode at this time.

In Su Yun's plan, at the most critical moment, he would charge in and rescue Tang San.

He would use his own body to tank the crystal attack; with the support of his Superman Physique, he was confident he could withstand it, suffering at most some injuries and looking a bit miserable, which would be perfect for harvesting more of Tang San's friendship points.

Yet Tang San had exploded right now.

Forget it! It was a good outcome regardless.

"Brother San!"

Su Yun's voice was filled with grief and indignation, using every bit of his acting prowess. The Shadow Scythe in his hand vanished, his Superman Physique took hold, and he exerted force beneath his feet.

"Shave!"

"Bang!"

The ground shattered, leaving behind a massive crater as Su Yun's figure vanished from the spot, reappearing instantly beside Tang San to hurl him away.

Only then did Tang San snap back to reality, staring at the spot where Su Yun remained.

"Yun!"

His voice was hoarse and desperate, brimming with grief and indignation; in this moment, he loathed himself beyond measure.

Hearing Tang San's cry, Su Yun tilted her head, leaving him with a glimpse of her breathtaking profile.

From Tang San's angle, he could see her lips move.

"Brother San, I'm sorry~"

After speaking, she offered that signature smile, her eyes curving into crescent moons—so warm, so sweet.

"Ah!!!!!!"

Tang San felt a pain that pierced his very soul! His heart ached so intensely he could barely breathe.

He hated—he hated himself for being so weak!

If only he were stronger, Yun would not have had to put herself in danger just to save him!

[Friendship points from Tang San +2599]

[Friendship points from Tang San +2899]

[Friendship points from Tang San +2999]

"Thud!"

Tang San, sprawled on the ground, ignored his own injuries entirely, his eyes splitting as he watched the Terror Aggregate strike at Su Yun.

"Yun!!!!"

His voice was filled with desolation.

Boom--!

The crystal collided with Su Yun, who let out a muffled groan as a mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips!

Tang San felt as if his heart had shattered!

[Friendship points from Tang San +3000]

Pain!

It was too painful!

Tang San felt his breathing grow labored.

"Pfft!"

He actually spat out a mouthful of blood himself, then his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.

At the same time, Su Yun was not faring well either; although she had blocked the physical impact, that frigid, resentful energy still seeped through her skin and into her marrow, making her shiver.

She glanced at Tang San and realized the guy had already passed out.

It seemed she couldn't farm any more friendship points, so it was time to end this.

Although she could finish off the Terror Aggregate in an instant, Su Yun still felt it necessary to make the performance convincing.

After all, she truly didn't know if Tang Hao had followed them; while she was fairly certain he hadn't, it was always better to be safe than sorry.