Chapter 143

"Sorry, Chen Ce..." Sejuani smoothed her hair sheepishly, but she couldn't help but smile. "Actually, you really don't need to be afraid. That so-called demon only slaughtered a few Hearth-Home Tribe; his strength might not be that great."

"I'm not exaggerating." Chen Ce frowned.

Sejuani remained confident. "We, the Winter's Claw, have sentinels. If that demon really comes, the sentinels will sound their horns—look, the horns haven't sounded yet, have they? This proves the demon hasn't arrived yet, and we have plenty of time to prepare for battle."

"The sentries are useless." Chen Ce lowered his voice, becoming very serious. "By the time the sentries spot him, you won't even have a chance to escape."

"No, no, no, you have to believe in our war--"

Thump!

A sudden loud noise interrupted Sejuani's words.

A black object fell to the ground—right in the middle of the crowd.

Everyone looked at the dark, spherical object without prior arrangement.

Then, a scream shattered the tribe's tranquility.

"A person, a head--!"

Boom--!

Another loud bang came from afar, followed by the earth trembling.

Rumble...

An avalanche occurred, all because a terrifyingly large figure swung a sword over there.

Without a doubt, that was the opponent Rhaast most anticipated.

[Aatrox!!!]

Rhaast roared madly in his mind, while Chen Ce quickly kicked away a Winter's Claw tribesman who was still in a daze beside him.

"What are you waiting for? Run!"

In an instant, the crowd began to flee.

Chen Ce could feel his heart racing—a feeling of adrenaline surge he hadn't experienced in a long time.

It's no exaggeration to say that this enemy is the most powerful opponent he has ever encountered—and perhaps one of the strongest in the entire Runeterra.

In a one-on-one fight, even Syndra probably wouldn't be a match for him...

However... when it comes to one-on-one combat, Aatrox has another terrifying characteristic—if you want to take him down, you'd better make sure every participant is strong enough.

Human wave tactics were ineffective against him.

For him, the more weak mortals, the better.

His blood magic can transform all flesh and blood into his own, and weak mortals will only become his mobile blood bags in battle...

This is also the main reason why Chen Ce was so eager to get rid of everyone.

His chances of winning were already slim, and he didn't want to have to carry an even heavier burden on himself.

"Sejuani, take your people and run as far away as possible." Chen Ce gripped his giant scythe tightly, the Darkin energy quickly enveloping him. "Ashe, retreat to a safe distance and observe the situation. If you have the chance, shoot a few arrows to support me; if not, escape."

"...Alright!" Given the situation, even if the two girls had a lot of inner conflict, they had to obey orders immediately.

This is not the time for arguing and saying things like, "I'm not leaving, I'm fighting alongside you."

Perhaps Chen Ce isn't the most suitable leader, but there can only be one leader now—questioning orders and delaying will only lead to everyone's downfall.

The two girls quickly ran away.

The "earthquake" in the distance gradually subsided.

Chen Ce stood silently in place, the only sound the howling wind in his ears, and even Rhaast remained silent. It was as if the whole world had fallen silent.

Until a black dot gradually appeared on the horizon.

That deep voice followed—transcending the distance, like a whisper in your ear:

"Oh... Rhaast ... my former brother, how could you succumb to the hands of mortals... You have disappointed me greatly..."

The moment he heard the sound, Chen Ce tensed up, then immediately swung his scythe to the side.

But he was still a step too slow.

Aatrox appeared before him almost instantly, and the terrifying Darkin Blade slashed towards his waist in the blink of an eye.

Clang--!

The giant scythe and the giant sword collided, and the extreme impact sent Chen Ce flying hundreds of meters away—only stopping when he crashed into a distant hillside.

In just one exchange, his throat was filled with blood.

He could no longer even feel his hand gripping the giant scythe.

Looking down, I could see that a large area of my right arm was blackened, and the bones and tendons in my wrist were completely torn.

If it weren't for the massive "health points" boost from the Heartsteel, this attack would probably have killed him...

"That's incredible... that power..."

Chen Ce struggled to his feet and then gripped the Darkin Scythe with the other hand.

Before he could even regain his footing, the enormous figure teleported back to him once more.

This time he finally saw Aatrox's true colors.

A pulseless body... composed of the flesh and blood of others... a clumsy imitation of his lost glory...

"Hmm... a scythe, a scythe..." Aatrox's sword hung on his back. He crossed his arms and looked down at the mortal before him—and also scrutinized the giant scythe in the mortal's hand.

"I've already told you, Rhaast ... your weapon is laughable. A sickle? Is your enemy a vast wheat field?"

[Shut up, Aatrox!] Rhaast's roar pierced the shackles of his weapon, his single crimson eye glaring at his former comrade. [Put away your arrogance! You and I are the same kind! Darkin! You are no longer a glorious Ascended!]

After saying this, Aatrox fell silent for a moment.

Chen Ce's eyebrows twitched.

As expected, these two pointed criticisms enraged Aatrox.

"You succumb to mortals... while I will always be myself. You are ridiculous, Rhaast."

Aatrox raised his right arm, and the sharp Darkin Blade fell into his hand on its own.

"Even if you cannot rebuild your physical body, you should not become a weapon of mortals... You should walk freely on this decaying earth..."

"Rhaast, oh Rhaast..."

"You..."

"Damn it--!"

The enormous Darkin Blade slashed down heavily, its extreme power capable of crushing mortals into mincemeat with just a gust of wind.

Chen Ce naturally couldn't confront them head-on.

But this doesn't mean he'll just surrender.

"Deceive..."

Boom--!

The Darkin Blade fell, its terrifying force instantly cleaving half a hillside in two.

Aatrox clearly sensed that he had missed his target.

He swiftly sheathed his greatsword, and the cunning mortal had already appeared behind him.

The giant scythe swung straight down toward his neck.

They even incorporated various skills into this single attack.

Three Talon Strike, Way of the Wanderer, Deceive Damage Bonus...

This was Chen Ce's strongest attack.

Click!

The scythe struck Aatrox squarely in the neck.

But... it couldn't be cut off directly.

The scythe blade is stuck in the carapace...

"A sneak attack... a wise choice..." Aatrox didn't even turn around, his hoarse, mocking voice seeming to ridicule the mortal's overestimation of his abilities. "But didn't anyone tell you... I'm unkillable...?"

Chen Ce did not respond, but gritted his teeth and continued to exert force.

He knew this body was merely Aatrox's "puppet," and even cutting off its head wouldn't do any effective damage, but... it could buy him time.

Once we cut off his head, we can escape...

This monster is impossible to kill...

First, cut off his head...

As long as it can be cut down...

If only...

Whoosh--!

After exerting himself continuously, Chen Ce suddenly felt a sense of relief—a sudden feeling of exhaustion. It was as if he had finally severed something after a stalemate.

He was overjoyed.

But soon, his smile froze on his face.

Because...

It wasn't Aatrox's neck that was broken, but...

His hand.

The Darkin Blade — Aatrox's true form—detached itself from the flesh puppet's grasp and severed its hand with a single upward slash.

Thump. The Darkin Scythe and the severed arm fell to the snow.

The intense pain caused Chen Ce to bite his lower lip until it bled, while the powerlessness of losing his Darkin energy made him prostrate on the ground.

"How ridiculous..." Aatrox gripped his greatsword again, a grotesque smile spreading across his almost deformed lips. "Ah... a comical performance, you look like a theatrical master..."

He finally turned around and stepped on the giant scythe.

"Rhaast... why did you choose a Shaco as your host? Hmm... but the combination of Shaco and a scythe doesn't sound too bad, like a slave who can till the land... hahahaha..."

[Shut up, Aatrox! Shut up!!] Rhaast roared angrily, looking like he was in a fit of impotent rage.

But of course, this is only "appearance".

A wisp of scarlet energy, like a thin thread, detached from the giant scythe and then stretched towards Chen Ce, hidden beneath the snow.

Through this connection, their consciousnesses reconnected.

"[Give me your body, mortal!]" Rhaast's roar wasn't just directed at Aatrox. "[Your body is more than capable of bearing my power! With a hundred percent effort, we can cut this damned megalomaniac as easily as wheat!]"

Chen Ce hesitated for a moment.

But the fading heartbeat and the continuous bleeding from his severed arm forced him to make a decision quickly.

And his choice... seems to have always been only one.

If he doesn't want to sleep covered in snow for a hundred years.

"I don't eat cilantro, but you can have whatever you want..." Chen Ce forced a smile as he accepted the wisp of Darkin energy.

The next moment, all the pain vanished.

His consciousness sank to the depths of his heart.

Now, someone else is controlling the body.

It is... Rhaast.

Thump! The giant scythe on the ground suddenly shot up, slamming Aatrox heavily to the ground.

And Chen Ce —or rather, Rhaast— stood up again.

He reached out, Darkin Scythe flew back into his hand automatically.

His body also began to "mutate".