Silencing the Witnesses

Chapter 41: Silencing

"Senzu Bean: According to legend, cultivated by the Cat Sage who lived atop Korin Tower. Extremely scarce, it could instantly restore the body to its optimal condition. (From the Dragon Ball world.)"

Watching Chen Lin take out an utterly unremarkable bean, the Rhino Demon that Jiang Yue had transformed into flashed a look of derision in his eyes. "You little bastard, you think you can beat me with one lousy bean? Hahaha! Looks like your injuries are so bad you've lost your mind!"

In Jiang Yue's eyes, Chen Lin was a dying man, struggling in vain.

"Heh..."

Chen Lin only gave a strange laugh. He looked at Jiang Yue as if he were already a corpse, then pinched the Senzu Bean between his trembling thumb and forefinger. He opened his mouth, chewed it twice, and swallowed it.

"Hmph! Quit your spooky tricks. I'll tear you to shreds right now—uh... What?!" Jiang Yue hadn't even finished his vicious, mocking words when something happened that left him dumbstruck.

Chen Lin, who had been gravely injured and on the verge of death, was rapidly recovering before Jiang Yue's very eyes. The gaping wound in his abdomen, which had been pierced clean through and hollowed out, quickly rippled and closed. In the space of a few breaths, it scabbed over and shed its skin, revealing fresh new flesh!

Jiang Yue's bull's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He thought he was hallucinating and couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Impossible!"

Jiang Yue's eyes bulged with fury as he roared again and again. At the same time, the Rhino Demon he had become braced his thick hind legs against the ground and sprang up, swinging a huge dark-green claw down through the air to smash Chen Lin to pieces. He was afraid. Chen Lin's bizarre transformation had stirred a powerful fear in his heart, and to wipe it away, he chose to strike first!

Feeling the surging strength return to his body, Chen Lin's blood-red wings twitched lightly behind him. He sneered and charged forward without a trace of fear.

At once, the two physically powerful demons clashed again. This time, though, Chen Lin held the advantage. But the Rhino Demon was indeed formidable. Chen Lin could only pierce its hard scales and deal it a heavy blow by repeatedly using the Shattering Nirvana Finger, concentrating all his force into a single point!

"Argh!!"

In the middle of the fight, the strange Source Blood suddenly spun wildly in Chen Lin's mind. His eyes gradually turned a bloodthirsty crimson. He threw his head back and roared, then shot into the air, abandoning all defense. He let the Rhino Demon's huge claws rake terrible wounds across his chest, while one of his scythe-like arms clamped tightly around the monster's head. His other scythe suddenly rose, its sharp tip tearing through the air before stabbing down hard!

"Pfft—"

The strike was swift and vicious, plunging straight into the Rhino Demon's right eye socket and deep into the bone!

"Mooo!!"

A heartrending wail rang out. The Rhino Demon cried in terror and pain!

"Let me absorb your blood!"

Chen Lin frantically circulated his spiritual energy. The Source Blood Seed spun rapidly, wisps of hazy blood-colored vapor rising from its surface as red light flashed along his scythe!

"No!"

Feeling his blood draining away at a furious pace, Jiang Yue seemed to realize what was about to happen and went completely berserk. His limbs thrashed violently as he tried to throw Chen Lin off, shattering huge swaths of rock around them!

"You... You can't kill me! You can't break the sect's rules! I'm a personal disciple of the Yuanwa Branch. Killing a personal disciple is a grave offense! The sect elders will investigate everything!"

Jiang Yue's movements grew slower and slower. Feeling his blood and vitality drain away, he was thoroughly terrified. He wanted to escape the fight, and regret began to creep into his heart. Why? Why had he gone out of his way to provoke such a baleful star?

"Now you remember to lecture me about sect rules? Heh... Die!"

Chen Lin spat blood in great mouthfuls. Jiang Yue's final resistance had grievously wounded him, but his eyes were cold and cruel as he clung on and refused to let go. After a long while, the Rhino Demon finally let out a mournful wail. Its massive bull's head withered, followed by its body and thick limbs...

All the Rhino Demon's flesh and blood had been devoured, leaving nothing but its hide and scales draped over a skeleton. The sight was eerie beyond words!

A dense stream of Death Energy floated up from the Rhino Demon's corpse and entered Chen Lin's body.

Buzz!

The spiritual energy within him roiled violently. Having devoured the essence of a Sea Opening Realm Demon Cultivator, Chen Lin's cultivation finally reached the mid-stage of the Xiantian Realm, and his wounds also began to heal at a bizarre speed.

"No... Impossible!"

Not far away, terror and despair filled Lan Xin's eyes. But she clearly wasn't willing to sit and wait for death. She fled at top speed, and Chen Lin gave a cold laugh before darting after her. With Jiang Yue no longer in his way, he dispatched her without the slightest difficulty.

Chen Lin casually tossed Lan Xin's bat corpse aside and silently circulated the Soul-Devouring Soul-Refining Scripture. At once, a bat soul, shrunken countless times, struggled free from Lan Xin's skull and drifted into Chen Lin's forehead.

Next, Chen Lin used the same method to draw out and refine Jiang Yue's soul and that of the other woman. And so the life imprints of all three were erased from this world forever.

Not far away, Situ Kong and the other two watched, chilled to the bone.

Returning to human form, Chen Lin let out a long breath, took a robe from his Storage Bag, and put it on. Then he walked over to Situ Kong.

When he reached Situ Kong, Chen Lin frowned. Situ Kong was in bad shape. Chen Lin immediately communicated with the Main God Coffin and exchanged for several healing pills, then fed every one of them to Situ Kong.

Situ Kong felt a little better and struggled to his feet. Smiling bitterly, he said, "Brother Chen, I never imagined you had such formidable methods. We owe you our lives this time. Otherwise, I'm afraid we'd all be dead by now."

Chen Lin smiled faintly and was about to speak when Han Shuitong's charming laugh came from beside him. "Indeed. I was just as impressed by your methods, Brother Chen. I never expected there to be someone as formidable as you among the registered disciples."

Liu Han walked over too. He managed a strained smile but said nothing. The deep wariness in his eyes said it all.

"Heh, not at all. My methods are crude. I've made you all laugh..."

Chen Lin gave a strange smile, waving his hand in feigned modesty. But the moment he finished saying "laugh," he suddenly attacked!

Han Shuitong still had a smile on her face, but in the next instant, her pupils contracted slightly. Chen Lin's right palm crashed toward her head like a raging tide, a Wild Continent beast descending from the heavens and sweeping all before it!

"Pfft!"

With no time to defend herself, blood instantly welled from her eyes, ears, and nose. Han Shuitong's eyes widened. Her throat gurgled, and shock, confusion... and bitter resentment filled her gaze. Her mouth parted as if she wanted to say something, but only gushing blood spilled out before she crashed to the ground!

"Brother Liu, you're next." Chen Lin had dealt with Han Shuitong as casually as if he'd done something trivial. He turned and smiled calmly at Liu Han, though in Liu Han's eyes, that smile was chillingly cold.

"You!"

Liu Han felt ice run through his body, his heart and guts seized with terror!

He understood in an instant. Chen Lin was going to kill him! He didn't have time to think. He turned and ran.

Chen Lin's strength had been seared deep into his heart. He didn't have the courage to fight him at all.

Run! Run! Run!

Liu Han screamed inwardly, eyes bulging with desperation.

But beneath the Immortal-Descending Formation Flags, everything Liu Han did was futile.

"B-Brother Chen... We're both disciples of the Myriad Demon Sect, after all... Could you spare my life?"

Liu Han's mouth felt parched. His voice had long since begun to shake, yet he forced out a smile.

"If those are your last words, then you can die."

Chen Lin shook his head, expressionless. He showed no intention of sparing Liu Han.

"Chen Lin! Don't push me! We accepted this mission together. When we report back, the sect will surely ask questions. If they investigate and find out you killed your fellow disciples, you'll die without a doubt!"

Despair and malice showed in Liu Han's eyes as he made one last hollow, blustering stand.

"Are you out of your mind? Would the sect care whether registered disciples live or die?" Chen Lin clasped his hands behind his back and smiled freely. "Besides, who knows how many disciples of the Myriad Demon Sect are buried in the Demon Prison every year? You weren't killed by me. You were killed by a Yin Corpse at the Sea Opening Realm. Brother Situ and I fought desperately to save you, but we couldn't save you or Senior Sister Han Shuitong."

As he spoke, Chen Lin shook his head with what looked like deep regret, as if it were such a pity.

He had planned everything from the start!

Liu Han finally understood. Chen Lin was determined to kill him! At last, in despair, he roared and revealed his true form, trying to fight Chen Lin. But in a battle of physical strength, it was clear he was no match for Chen Lin.

"Rip!"

Before even the time it took to brew a cup of tea had passed, a savage, bloodthirsty red light flashed through Chen Lin's eyes. He tore with both hands, and before Liu Han could even scream, the enormous serpent body split in two. A rain of blood scattered through the air, splashing all over Chen Lin.

Chen Lin's face was covered in blood. The robe he had just put on was instantly soaked through, turning into a blood-red garment. But soon the blood began to ripple and sink into his body, disappearing without a trace.