In that desperate moment, Xu Ziming twisted his body with all his might, shielding his vital points.
"Riiip!"
Unlike the imagined scene of flesh torn open, Song Wenkang's claws scraped across his skin and sparked, but didn't break through.
Iron Cloth Shirt!
Although his flesh hadn't been torn open, the impact brought a piercing pain that surged from his skin, making his internal organs churn.
"How is this possible?!" Humanlike terror spread across his rat-like face.
Xu Ziming's temples throbbed. Adrenaline surged through him.
He abandoned all attempts to evade. There was no way he could escape Song Wenkang in this filthy sewer.
His only chance was to risk everything and fight with the sword in his hand!
The pressure of life and death, together with the rush of adrenaline, helped Xu Ziming comprehend a unique sword technique in his desperate situation.
With this strike, he would tear the entire space apart!
"You traitor who consorts with the foreign races, die!!!"
With a thunderous roar, Xu Ziming unleashed his full momentum. The sword in his hand drew on every ounce of his blood and energy, wasting not a bit.
In the abandoned sewer, he unleashed a sword flash rarely seen in the mortal world.
This strike carried the power of a Martial Artist!
"Pfft!"
Sword Qi sliced through Song Wenkang's skin, spraying his foul-smelling blood across the sewer.
Song Wenkang went completely berserk. He abandoned all defense and became a mindless beast, charging Xu Ziming without regard for his own injuries.
Claws and Sword Qi collided again and again, shredding the air, the silence, and the last remnants of reason between the two of them.
Xu Ziming kept swinging his sword, focusing on each attack. He blocked what he could and took the rest with his body, without the slightest fear.
[Basic Sword Method (Minor Completion 2.7%)] [Iron Cloth Shirt (First Realm 31.5%)]
Both techniques continued to improve amid the fierce battle. Song Wenkang had become one enormous bundle of experience points.
Life Energy Level breakthrough: 3.2!
The E-Grade Life Potion inside his body was also fully absorbed amid the onslaught, and his long-stagnant Life Energy Level finally broke through.
Xu Ziming seized the instant his Life Energy Level rose. The sword in his hand became a blur.
Sword Dance: Startling Swan Slash!
Pfft!
His body vanished from sight. When it reappeared an instant later, he was already behind Song Wenkang, and a thin line had appeared across Song Wenkang's neck.
The line widened, becoming a gaping wound as blood gushed out.
The enormous rat's head fell to the ground, leaving a long streak of blood.
Song Wenkang was dead!
At the same time, the sewer ceiling blew apart. Stones scattered across the ground with a series of thuds.
"Whew—"
Xu Ziming collapsed to the ground, utterly drained.
All the strength had left his body. Only his sheer will drove him toward Song Wenkang's corpse.
When a monster died, you had to loot the body. It was basic procedure for every gaming addict.
He rummaged through the corpse on the ground. Two minutes later, he found a small cloth pouch on the rat monster's leg.
After searching it carefully, he found three items.
The first was a bank card with no password and thirty thousand yuan in it. Xu Ziming slipped it straight into his pocket.
The second was a strange book. He flipped through a few pages and found nothing but rituals for sacrificing to evil gods.
It was basically a step-by-step guide to becoming a rat-man. Xu Ziming felt sick just looking at it and stuffed it away again.
Only then did he find a small bead radiating an unusual light.
[Detecting equippable item: Qilin Source Blood (Thin)] [Expected trait acquired: Qilin Body] [Trait effect: After activating Qilin Body, your physical form can change according to your will. Your total blood and energy, attack power, and speed will all double. All attributes you possess will double. Activation duration: ten minutes. Cooldown: one day.] [Permanent solidification condition: Avenge the Qilin! The True Martial Sect destroyed the treasure the ancient Qilin left for its descendants and took the Qilin Blood to cultivate their own powers. Destroy the True Martial Sect and avenge the Qilin.] [Note: Upon activating Qilin Body, you will automatically gain affinity with fire. All fire-based attacks will be completely ineffective against you. You will gain the fire-based skill Heaven-Burning Fire: tear everything apart with flames, even the firmament.]
"Rumble!" Just then, the sound of a Flying Boat landing suddenly came from outside.
Xu Ziming immediately unequipped Iron Cloth Shirt and equipped Qilin Source Blood. The moment it was equipped, the Qilin Blood vanished from this space.
"Student, are you all right?"
Sun Wenbin stepped out of the Flying Boat. The first thing he saw was the enormous monster lying on the ground; only after that did he notice Xu Ziming, covered in blood.
"Finally, they're here..."
Xu Ziming's consciousness blurred. Then he collapsed.
"Wake up, wake up! Wang Hu, hurry and take him to the hospital. As for this monster, contact the police station and have them work through the night to take it to the station."
"You're awake, A-Ming. You're finally awake."
Xu Ziming slowly opened his eyes. The smell of disinfectant filled his nostrils, and he could hear his mother's voice beside him.
"What happened?"
"Brother! You're finally awake! You scared me to death. Does anything hurt? The doctor said you had internal injuries, but your skin wasn't hurt at all."
Xu Zhiyao's voice came from beside him too.
Xu Ziming listened for a while before realizing he had been unconscious for two days.
During those two days, the police had already reported that he'd killed Song Wenkang, a True Martial Sect Disciple with the strength of a Martial Artist.
He'd become a celebrity in Pengcheng, and his teacher, Ma Mingyu, had visited him many times. She'd only just left.
"Are you hungry? I'll buy you something to eat."
"No need, Mom. I'm in great shape. Even that True Martial Sect Disciple didn't manage to hurt me, did he?"
"Yes, yes. But I still need to tell Officer Sun first. He's the one who saved you, after all."
At that, Xu Ziming turned his head. His sword was beside the bed, and he'd stored the bank card in his watch before passing out. It hadn't disappeared.
As for the Qilin Blood, it was still sitting in his Equipment Slot.
But the technique that let him turn into a rat-man seemed to have disappeared...
"Xu, you're finally awake. You seem to have recovered pretty well?"
Just as things had settled down, a rugged-looking man appeared in the hospital room.
"Oh, I'm Wang Hu, one of Officer Sun's men. I came to invite you to the police station to discuss the reward for your service."
Wang Hu wore an honest smile that made him seem very reassuring.
Xu Ziming tried moving and found that his injuries had indeed mostly healed. He simply climbed out of bed.
"Sure. Please lead the way, Officer Wang."
With that, he turned and nodded at his mother and sister.
"Don't worry. I'll arrange for someone to take your auntie and your sister home. We've already paid the medical bills."