Vitality Smoke

The scene reached a sudden stalemate.

Neither man could do anything to the other.

Relying on the immense power and mobility granted by [Blood Burn: Volcano], combined with his own combat talent, Lu Bai moved through the narrow confines of the building like Jackie Chan in a furniture store.

The Bandit Leader, relying on his perfected Iron Shirt, was now a massive block of rebounding steel; whoever struck him only ended up hurting themselves.

Furthermore, due to the rebounding force within his body, every move he made carried the strength of nine bulls and two tigers. While his movements weren't exactly agile—cracking bricks and shattering stones with every step—he was far from slow; in fact, he was incredibly fast.

After discovering that rebounding force, Lu Bai stopped attacking the Bandit Leader directly, instead constantly finding various objects to use as weapons.

Wooden stools, abacuses, wine jars, tables, and even pillars.

These all became weapons, yet they were merely disposable consumables. As soon as these items struck the Bandit Leader's body, they were shattered by the rebounding force, a shock that would even travel back through the weapon toward Lu Bai.

It was at this moment that the warriors of Lianwu Mountain understood the gap between the weak and the strong.

They had essentially become consumables themselves.

Even if they didn't rush in, they would be hunted down by Lu Bai and the others, then killed for their modules.

The gap between the two sides was too vast; they had no way to inflict sufficient damage on Lu Bai.

Instead, their attacks were utilized by Lu Bai, each of them becoming a flesh-and-blood weapon.

Lu Bai would grab them by the arms and hurl them directly at the Bandit Leader.

And one such collision was often enough to end a life.

The warriors of Lianwu Mountain, who had already been prepared to die, were actually scared off by these circumstances.

They dared to trade their lives for his; as long as the mastermind Lu Bai died, they were not afraid.

But what they feared was not only failing to cause Lu Bai trouble but becoming his tools—that was the most unbearable thing of all.

The Bandit Leader stepped back, slamming into a pillar. He added a few newly acquired modules to his skill bar, then turned and punched the pillar.

The pillar snapped with a groan, and the entire Heshan Pavilion shuddered.

After Lingfeng Tower had collapsed, this Heshan Pavilion was now falling as well.

Lu Bai threw the broken mace in his hand toward the Bandit Leader.

Watching the intimidating Bandit Leader, Lu Bai feinted a charge, then turned and bolted.

With the building collapsing, the Bandit Leader might not die thanks to his hard-body martial arts, but Lu Bai's flesh-and-blood body would certainly be finished.

If he didn't run now, when would he?

Moreover, having activated [Blood Burn: Volcano] twice, his physical state had deteriorated to a critical point; he was essentially suffering from damaged tendons and broken bones, requiring two or three months of recovery.

"Life is endless, the battle is endless"—whoever said that nonsense, you must never believe it.

However, at that very moment, Lu Bai stopped his dash toward the exit and rolled to the side as an arrow whistled past.

It still failed to hit Lu Bai, but it successfully blocked his path out.

"Be buried in this building with me, Lu Bai!" The archer at the second-floor staircase collapsed to the ground, his pale face wreathed in a smile.

Cracks appeared on the walls at the building's entrance before they rapidly disintegrated.

With a loud crack, the ceiling collapsed at an angle, completely sealing off the escape route.

"Don't even think about escaping, Lu Bai!!!!"

"Hulalalala!" The Bandit Leader hugged the broken, massive pillar, letting out an angry roar as he charged toward Lu Bai.

"So you're really forcing me to fight for my life!" Lu Bai exhaled, yet he felt no regret.

He could enjoy a battle, and he could run to save his life.

Follow his heart, do as he pleased.

"Then once more: life is endless, the battle is endless!"

Lu Bai turned to meet him, surrounded by collapsing structures, with a roaring, pillar-wielding monster about to collide with him.

The blood-red aura on Lu Bai's body grew increasingly dense; the fragrant scent remained distinct even in the chaotic environment.

It was at this moment that the blood-colored aura on Lu Bai seemed to reach a certain limit, and a long river of blood-qi extended from his body.

Like a plume of wolf-smoke, it spread into the surroundings.

The blood-red color surged outward like a flood.

"Alala-alala-alala-ala!!!"

Lu Bai punched the pillar, shattering it piece by piece.

Wood chips flew everywhere, and debris continued to rain down from above.

Dust, blood-qi, wood chips—the environment inside the building was completely submerged in an instant.

The wooden pillar was thoroughly pulverized, and Lu Bai's streak of red met the Bandit Leader's streak of white at that very moment.

Upon their first meeting, the two collided, and the rebounding force caused Lu Bai's skin to split open.

Meanwhile, on the Bandit Leader's white-jade skin, a multitude of red spots emerged from within, turning him from white jade almost into red jade.

The force of the recoil was indeed powerful, but it could only reflect seventy percent; the remaining thirty percent still had to be endured by himself.

Of these two, one had a long health bar, while the other had equipped a defensive thorns-mail.

Both were using desperate, life-risking methods; fighting on like this meant the contest was simply about who would be the first to collapse.

In a Combat of this intensity, wherever they collided, the structure would cave in.

However, Lu Bai was ultimately more agile, guiding the Bandit Leader's movements and using the man's body as a shield to block the various debris collapsing around them.

"We might die here, but you will definitely be the first to go." Lu Bai smiled as he fought, coughing up blood that stained his originally white teeth crimson.

His body was covered in extensive cracks, and blood flowed incessantly, making him look like a man made of gore.

The Bandit Leader was in an even worse state; he was also drenched in red, some from Lu Bai's blood and some seeping from his own body, with jagged, cracked wounds appearing all over him.

As the fight dragged on, his recoil force diminished along with his physical condition, and the efficiency of the reflection continued to drop.

His Iron Shirt was on the verge of collapse, and when that moment came, he would die here even without anyone else dealing the killing blow.

The notion that he was invincible, bolstered by his vast internal energy, was rapidly fading at this moment.

He hated Lu Bai; that kick had completely ruined him. While his physical mutilation could be mended by advanced external technology, the psychological trauma was not so easily healed.

This hatred had sustained him in his quest for revenge against Lu Bai, but unfortunately, he had overestimated himself.

Forced by Lu Bai into a life-or-death struggle, he fought with ferocious bravery, driven by the thought that since he was already risking his life, he had to kill Lu Bai.

The martial prowess supported by his perfected Iron Shirt also made his blood boil.

Yet, hot blood is only ever temporary; when death arrives, that fervor inevitably fades away.

At this moment, the Bandit Leader's courage broke.

And Lu Bai grasped the foundation of victory.