"To think a little brat like you actually forced me to use my Power of God."
The woman's voice turned cold in an instant as she advanced on Duan Ming, one step at a time. "But I have no choice. I don't have time to keep dragging this out with you."
Upstairs, Fang Cheng's pupils contracted sharply.
"P-Power of God!"
Duan Ming felt a tremendous pressure bearing down on him.
The woman's Qi was already stronger than his.
If he hadn't been agile and possessed first-rate saber skills, he might have been defeated long ago.
Now that the woman had also used her Power of God, the situation was extremely unfavorable for him.
Bang!
Another gunshot rang out.
The bullet didn't hit the woman.
The moment Fang Cheng fired, a flying braid knocked the gun out of his hand.
Before he could react, the braid whipped past his face again.
Blood splattered everywhere!
"Fang Cheng!"
Duan Ming shouted.
Fang Cheng fell with a thud.
The next second, the bloodstained braid shot toward Duan Ming.
Duan Ming still hadn't recovered from the shock of his classmate being killed when the braid struck him hard across the chest.
Even though he was wearing Fang Cheng's protective clothing, it hurt just as much. It was as if a sledgehammer had smashed into his chest.
The woman stood motionless, controlling her hair to attack Duan Ming again and again.
Duan Ming swung his saber several times in succession.
But the hair, agile as it looked, was harder than steel. He couldn't cut through it at all.
"This troublesome clothing!"
The woman frowned slightly and sent more than a dozen braids charging toward Duan Ming at once.
Slap, slap, slap!
Duan Ming dodged several times, and the braids struck the ground.
Their tremendous force cracked the bluestone slabs one after another.
When he swung his saber again, one braid coiled around it while another wrapped around his left hand.
Excruciating pain instantly spread from his left hand through his entire body.
Looking closely, he saw that every strand of hair was covered in tiny barbs.
With a whoosh,
the saber was flung from his hand.
Another braid wrapped around his right hand.
His arms were pulled apart, and yet another braid stabbed straight toward the spot between his eyebrows.
Am I going to die?
In less than a second, the events of Duan Ming's life replayed in his mind.
No, I don't want to die yet!
A burst of brute strength came from who knew where, allowing him to break free of the braids binding his hands.
The next moment, a braid swept across his chest, sending him flipping through the air before he fell to the ground.
When he tried to get up again, he found that his hands were starting to go numb.
What's going on? Are the barbs poisoned?
"It's not poison. It's an anesthetic." The woman walked toward Duan Ming one step at a time. "Of course, it wasn't produced by my Power of God. I applied it myself. You're lucky you weren't hit by the braid coated in poison. Otherwise, you'd already have died from it."
"But the ending is the same, really. Even if you weren't poisoned, you'd still have to die." The woman licked her lips. "Honestly, I admire you. It would be a bit of a waste to kill you just like this. You seem to have good potential. As long as you join our Church of the Dark Night, I can spare your life."
Duan Ming braced one hand against the ground. A trickle of lukewarm liquid ran from the corner of his mouth.
He didn't want to die.
He hadn't lived enough yet.
He hadn't even married a wife.
"Join the Church of the Dark Night?" Duan Ming raised his head.
"That's right. Join the Church of the Dark Night and become a follower of the great Lord of the Dark Night, and you'll gain eternal life!"
"That does sound tempting."
"Does that mean you agree?"
"No, I refuse." Duan Ming shook his head. "Although my third uncle definitely wouldn't want me to die, if I chose to join the Church of the Dark Night just to cling to life, he'd kill me himself if I didn't die. Besides, even Fang Cheng is dead. If I didn't avenge him and joined his enemy's side instead, would I still deserve to call myself human?"
"So you choose death?"
"I'm not choosing death. I'm choosing to stand with the human race."
Duan Ming cursed inwardly.
He had one regret.
Before dying, he had never once been a real man!
The Divine Marks that had dimmed lit up once more.
Before he died, he decided to make one last stand!
Even if he died, he would die without holding anything back!
"Hm?" Through his torn sleeves, the woman saw the Divine Marks on both of Duan Ming's wrists. "What's going on? Why are there Divine Marks on both wrists?"
"Dual Divine Marks?"
She was shocked.
That was impossible!
How could anyone in the world possess Dual Divine Marks?
Yet she had clearly seen Divine Marks on both of Duan Ming's wrists.
No wonder the brat had only one Divine Mark, yet his Qi was so strong.
He had Dual Divine Marks!
The next second, the woman's pupils contracted sharply.
Duan Ming's Qi had actually changed from white to green!
"So painful!"
Duan Ming also felt the intense pain coming from both wrists.
He pulled back his sleeves and looked.
A green Divine Mark had appeared on each wrist, both of which had originally borne only one white Divine Mark.
Two white and two green Divine Marks shone especially brightly beneath the night sky.
"The opportunity Du Qinggang spoke of!"
Duan Ming's pupils contracted rapidly.
At the same time, two pieces of information appeared in his mind along with the Divine Marks.
Power of God [Endless Thunder]: This ability fills the Qi in the user's body with electrical current. (Activation conditions: none. Restrictions: none.) Power of God [Demon Cutter]: This ability conjures a demonic blade. (Activation condition: blood sacrifice. A Divine Power Master can only use this ability while bleeding. Restriction: once this ability is used, a life must be taken within twenty-four hours, or it will take the Divine Power Master's own life.)
Two Powers of God!
Normally, a Divine Power Master could only awaken one Power of God.
Yet he had awakened two.
It was most likely related to his possession of Dual Divine Marks.
The first Power of God, Endless Thunder, actually had no activation conditions or restrictions.
The second, Demon Cutter, seemed to be filled with an aura of slaughter.
"He actually awakened a second Divine Mark under these circumstances! No, he awakened two green Divine Marks!"
The woman's expression was extremely grave.
At present, she had one white Divine Mark and one green Divine Mark.
Duan Ming, however, had two white Divine Marks and one green Divine Mark.
In terms of numbers, she was inferior.
But she had a Power of God!
She didn't believe the brat had awakened a Power of God too.
As long as he hadn't awakened a Power of God, she had nothing to fear, even if he had Dual Divine Marks.
But the next second, a flash of electricity crossed her vision.
Buzz!
The woman's head grew heavy.
A ball of blue electrical current flickered constantly in Duan Ming's palm.
It seemed he wasn't very good at controlling the lightning yet.
"Looks like I don't have to die."
Duan Ming slowly rose to his feet and held out his right hand.
A long saber appeared in his hand.
A strange talismanic inscription on its blade gave off an eerie aura.
As Duan Ming took a step forward, a green light lit up the inscription running along the blade, accompanied by a current of electricity that darted across it.