The ground was covered in debris; not a single intact part could be found.
And those elite Soul Engineer... had lost their human form.
On the ground lay countless severed limbs, some chopped into pieces and others shredded, their colorful entrails and thick blood mixed together to form horrifying swamps.
The thick blood even pooled together to form streams, flowing along the cracks in the ground.
Apart from himself, the entire encirclement, everyone and their Soul Tool, was destroyed and wiped out!
In the center of that pool of blood and ruins, a figure slowly solidified.
Toji?
The broadsword in his hand pointed diagonally at the ground, and viscous blood droplets slowly slid down the cold, smooth blade, which seemed to never be stained with blood, dripping into a pool of viscous blood below, making a soft "tap, tap..." sound, like the footsteps of death.
He slowly raised his head, his deep, abyss-like eyes calmly looking at Jing Hongchen, the only one still standing.
step.
Toji took a step forward, his shoes making a sticky sound as they stepped on the ground, which was mixed with blood and pieces of internal organs.
Another step.
He was like a demon emerging from a pool of blood in hell, walking step by step toward the stunned Jing Hongchen with a suffocating, soul-crushing sense of oppression.
Each step he took felt like stepping on Jing Hongchen's heart, almost freezing the blood in his body!
Finally, Toji stopped in front of Jing Hongchen, less than a meter away.
The intense stench of blood and the menacing aura emanating from the blood-dripping greatsword nearly suffocated Jing Hongchen.
Toji his elevated position, he calmly looked down at the Illustrious Virtue Hall, who had once shown him kindness but now looked ashen-faced.
His face, splattered with a few drops of blood, showed no victor's triumph, nor the excitement of slaughter, only absolute control and indifference.
He spoke, his voice not loud, yet it resounded like thunder in the deathly silent ruins and in Jing Hongchen's blank mind:
"Now, do you understand?"
These words, like the final hammer of judgment, shattered all of Jing Hongchen's perceptions, pride, and illusions.
He understood.
He finally understood!
Why did Toji say it was just to give you face?
Why did he dare to single-handedly storm into the most crucial national treasury of the Mingdu?
Why was he able to so easily slaughter all obstacles, including Titled Douluo?
Because... the person in front of him was no longer the assassin he knew, and might even... have transcended the realm of humanity.
What speed was that?
What kind of power is that?
An unprecedented, bone-deep fear, like the most poisonous ice water, instantly filled every part of Jing Hongchen's body.
His body began to tremble violently uncontrollably, his teeth chattered, and his legs gave way, causing him to collapse with a thud onto the cold, sticky ground soaked in the blood of his own men.
He stared at the demonic figure before him, at those eyes so calm it was almost despairing, his mind went blank, and only one thought roared wildly:
After all these years... how could he have become so strong?! He's a monster! A demon!
Jing Hongchen slumped in the mire of blood and metal debris, the viscous, warm liquid soaking through his magnificent Level 9 Soul Engineer robe.
He tilted his head back, his pupils unfocused, his lips moving unconsciously, but he couldn't utter any meaningful sound.
That once confident and refined face, which once commanded Illustrious Virtue Hall, is now nothing but a blank, utterly crushed image and a deep-seated fear.
Toji's gaze calmly fell on Jing Hongchen, his deep eyes showing no triumph of a victor, nor any lingering affection for their past relationship.
There is only one kind of absolute, indifferent detachment, like looking down upon dust.
Then, Toji looked away, as if she were merely brushing away a tiny speck of dust.
He gave the broadsword a slight tremor, and the last drop of viscous blood on the blade was flicked off, blooming into a small, dark red flower on the ground.
The menacing weapon vanished from his hand as if it had merged into the shadows.
He didn't look at Jing Hongchen again, turned around, and walked over the mess and warmth on the ground towards Du Busi, who had been watching from the sidelines.
His steps were steady, the soles of his boots making a grating, sticky sound as they trod on the blood and bits of flesh. Each step felt like stepping on the remnants of consciousness in the Jing Hongchen, crushing them even more.
"Let's go, teacher." Toji's voice was flat and emotionless.
A complex emotion flickered across Du Busi's rugged face. He glanced at Jing Hongchen, who was limp and seemingly lost in thought, and then at Toji's unmoved back.
He strode after him, walking Toji, and asked in a low voice:
"Not eliminating the threat completely? This Jing Hongchen is no small fry; he's the head of the Illustrious Virtue Hall, and even as Level 9 Soul Engineer, he's among the strongest... Keeping him around will only cause endless trouble."
His gaze swept over the hellish ruins, his tone carrying both apprehension about Jing Hongchen's strength and consideration for the future.
He didn't Toji stop walking, nor did he even turn his head.
"No."
His voice sounded exceptionally clear and cold in the blood-soaked air.
"It's better to keep him alive. Besides, I can kill him anytime I want."
There's no need to kill them now.
Du Busi frowned slightly, pondering those words.
As long as Jing Hongchen lives, the spine of the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Engineer is broken in half. This fear and shame will spread like a plague, disintegrating the enemy's morale even more than killing him.
Or perhaps... deep down, this cold and hard-hearted young man harbors a Sisi, almost imperceptible affection for those two brats Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, a affection he himself is unwilling to admit?
He couldn't fathom Toji's thoughts, but the kid always had his reasons for doing things, and the results were often surprisingly good.
And Toji is absolutely right.
He could kill Jing Hongchen at any time.
"Teacher," Toji's voice interrupted Du Busi's thoughts, "Take these Storage Soul Tool and go back to the Heaven Dou Empire to rest."
Du Busi looked at the several Soul Tool that Toji handed over, each with a different shape but emanating subtle spatial fluctuations. These were the materials they had retrieved from the depths of the Sun Moon Empire's treasury on this trip.
He reached out and took it; it was heavy, not only because of the supplies inside, but also because of the weight of this trust and entrustment.
"Next, I'm going to infiltrate the palace," Toji added, his tone as casual as if he were talking about going for a walk.
Du Busi weighed the Soul Tool in his hand and asked, "Do you need me to help guard outside?"
"No need, teacher."
Toji finally turned his head and looked at Du Busi.
Moonlight fell on his sharply defined profile, making his deep eyes appear even darker in the shadows.
"I'll do it myself. I can handle infiltration by myself."