Chapter 693: Collapse
Translator: TYZ Editor: Lucas, TYZ
The thick layer of ashes on the ground was still warm and spiralling traces of black smoke were rising into the air. A single plant couldn't be found in the area.
A gust of wind blew across the area and swept away the smoke.
A man bent down and touched the girl lying below him. His body was motionless and his facial expression had frozen. The girl was exceptionally beautiful, but her body was utterly destroyed, resembling a ragdoll that had been shredded. Her joints were in awkward positions, resembling twisted iron wires. The wound that cut open her chest was neat and clean, displaying the proficiency of the cutter. It was so neatly cut that it wasn't overflowing with blood, resembling the poultry that was killed and hung on the butcher shelves in the marketplace.
The heart within the chest was still thumping vigorously.
It was so powerful that the whizzing wind in the air couldn't conceal its thumps.
Chi Tong, who was afflicted with [Star Divine Hallucination], was woken up by the heartbeat.
Every time the heart beat, a wave of fear swept across Chi Tong's body. He instinctively felt a sense of danger. His disorganized eye pupils regained focus while his mind gradually regained clarity.
It was an unexpected failure!
He did not expect his opponent to retaliate when she was in such dire straits. It was a careless mistake! Regret arose in his heart. However, he was able to regain his composure very soon. Now wasn't the time for him to feel regretful.
Thump. His fingertip felt the pulsation of She Yu's heart. At the same time, a wave of attractive force swept over him.
Chi Tong's facial expression changed.
He wanted to run away, but to his horror, he couldn't even move his fingers.
Damn it!
What's going on?
Thump, thump, thump. Chi Tong's face darkened as the heart continued to beat. Every time the heart beat, his mind would tremble and he would be dazed momentarily. He felt a deep sense of fear. If this continued, his mind would be completely shattered. When that moment arrived, he would be like a delicacy that had been cut into small pieces waiting to be eaten.
Why would things turn out like this...
This heart could actually subdue [Deathly Seeds of Demonic Consciousness].
No! Chi Tong was snarling deep in his heart, resembling a lone wolf that was trapped in desperate straits. Who!? Who created this heart!?
It was a pity he couldn't make any sound and no one could hear him.
Other than Ai Hui, who was protected by the Banner of God.
Ai Hui was indescribably delighted despite the fact that he was in dire straits as well. The sword embryo that was revolving around him was utterly broken. There were only a few swords that were still flying. These swords were covered with cracks and they were no longer as nimble as before.
However, he did not feel sad at all.
Compared to Chi Tong controlling his body to harm his friends, this outcome wasn't bad at all.
At the critical junction, Ai Hui controlled the blood swords to protect She Yu. Chi Tong's terrifying power almost destroyed all of the blood swords and Ai Hui's sword embryo. For the first time, his sword embryo was damaged so severely.
Chi Tong was truly terrifying!
Chi Tong had just revived and he had a shallow understanding of this world and the elemental energy system. However, he was able to utilize elemental energy effortlessly after experiencing the Sky Leaf Division's killer move for only a short while. If he was given a few more days to gain a deeper understanding of the elemental energy system, his [Deathly Seeds of Demonic Consciousness] would be even more powerful.
Ai Hui did not dare to imagine the consequences if that happened. Could anyone stop Chi Tong if that really happened? Perhaps even a Grandmaster couldn't stop him.
It was most likely that no one in this world was more dangerous than Chi Tong, not even the Holy Emperor.
Ai Hui's mind was severely damaged and his sword embryo was on the brink of being destroyed completely. He could feel the adverse effects on him. If it weren't for the protection of the Banner of God, he would have been annihilated.
At this point in time, he was like a withering candle that could be extinguished at any moment.
"Hahahaha...."
Ai Hui was laughing happily.
"It's you!" Chi Tong roared.
Ai Hui felt an indescribable sense of relief. His biggest worry had been settled. Even if he was annihilated, he would die with no regrets. The fear and reverence he had for Chi Tong had vanished completely.
Ai Hui let out a whistle happily. "Are you surprised? Are you surprised?"
The enraged Chi Tong calmed himself down. Then he sneered, "Do you think you can survive? It will devour your consciousness as well, so neither of us will survive. The Banner of God can stop me, but not her."
Ai Hui let out a mocking laugh and replied, "You still think that I want to live? I didn't know that a demonic god could be so naive."
Chi Tong became silent. Soon after, he lowered his volume and replied, "Alright, I was wrong about you! However, I can promise you that I will find a new host body if you help me survive this ordeal."
With a gentle voice, he continued, "Both of us can survive. If this is the case, why should both of us die? Why make it convenient for the enemy? Don't you hate the blood elementalists the most?"
Ai Hui looked at Chi Tong with doubt.
Chi Tong continued with a sincere tone, "I can promise you that we will part ways after this incident. I'm willing to apologize for the mistakes I have made. I can teach you [Deathly Seeds of Demonic Consciousness]. It's a supreme absolute art and you're naturally suitable to learn it. Your consciousness is much stronger than ordinary individuals'. I can promise you that you will become a Grandmaster in three years' time. And in ten years' time, you will be peerless. This world will be yours, and who else will dare to defy you by then? You hate blood elementalists and all of them shall die in your hands. Even time will not be able to defeat you, you will be indestructible eternally."
Chi Tong's voice was filled with temptation. He was able to use only a few words to draw a comprehensive blueprint for Ai Hui.
Ai Hui was still looking at him with doubt.
Suddenly, a moment of daze swept across Chi Tong's consciousness. He could sense that he was collapsing. If he could see his own body, he would be shocked. Needle-like traces of black mist were seeping out of his pores now.
He knew that time was running out.
His only chance of surviving and resisting this horrifying heart was to join forces with Ai Hui.
"Alright, let's not talk about these unrealistic goals. Think about it, if you become a Grandmaster, you will be qualified to establish a nation of your own. Don't you want to secure a home for your friends? After all, they have risked their lives and limbs for you."
Chi Tong sensed that Ai Hui had wavered for the first time.
Chi Tong knew he was going to succeed soon,and his voice became much gentler than before. "They also have families, right? Who doesn't want his or her family to lead a good life? You can easily achieve this goal. Once you become a Grandmaster, you can establish a nation of your own and they will be taken care of then. Think about the family members of those who have died on the battlefield. Right now, their family members are in such a miserable state. Some are impoverished, some have died of hunger, and some even have to sell their sons and daughters for money. You can be the one that stops these things from happening."
"You don't need to worry for your safety. I can make a blood pact and I will definitely not harm you."
Ai Hui turned silent.
Chi Tong knew he had succeeded.
Thump, thump, thump. The heartbeat was earth-shattering. Chi Tong knew his time was running out, but he still maintained his composure.
After a while, Ai Hui spoke with hesitance, "Teach me [Deathly Seeds of Demonic Consciousness] first."
Chi Tong feigned hesitance for a moment before replying, "Alight, you have to enter the Banner of God first."
"So it's the Banner of God." Realization dawned upon Ai Hui. He almost believed Chi Tong's words when he said that the Banner of God couldn't save him.
"That's right," Chi Tong said calmly. "After all, the Banner of God used to be my body. It is a very useful artifact for one's mind, it's just that you still don't know how to use it. I have already severed my karma with it and therefore I can't control it, but you're able to do so."
Time was running out and Chi Tong did not dare to stop talking. He continued with a rapid tone, "It was a place for me to carry out my cultivation so that even if my physical body is destroyed, my soul has a home to continue to exist. It has absorbed your blood and you're its master, but you have yet to activate it."
"This totem was born out of fire, which iss why I left a wisp of heart flame in it. You need to leave your mind seal on it before you can control it."
Mind seal?
Ai Hui's mind jolted. Suddenly, he reached out his hand to grab one of the few broken swords flying around him. Then, he threw it towards the Banner of God.
The sword was quickly devoured by the Banner of God.
The next moment, the blood eye on the Banner of God disappeared and was replaced by a picture of a blood sword.
Chi Tong had mixed feelings. He could sense that the last trace of connection he had with the Banner of God had been severed. From today onwards, he was no longer related to the Banner of God in any way.
The remaining swords that flew around Ai Hui entered the Banner of God and disappeared as well.
A faint sword gleam engulfed Ai Hui.
"Faster, let me in," Chi Tong said with an anxious voice.
His mind had already begun to destabilize, and it was showing signs of collapsing.
"Teach me the [Deathly Seeds of Demonic Consciousness] first!"
Chi Tong clenched his teeth. Following which, a pigeon-egg-sized light orb shot out from his mind and flew towards Ai Hui.
Ai Hui did not dare to receive it hastily. The sword gleam surrounding him gathered in front of him and transformed into a palm and caught the light orb. After making sure it was harmless, Ai Hui reached out his hand to take it.
"Faster! Let me in!" Chi Tong urged Ai Hui.
A boundless amount of profound information gushed into Ai Hui's mind. Following which, his mind was thrown into a daze, appearing as though it was flooded by a tsunami. Even though the light orb was very small, the amount of information it contained was surprisingly immense, stunning Ai Hui in the process.
He had no time to process the information carefully as it was too rich in content!
"Faster! Faster!"
The pitch of Chi Tong's voice changed uncontrollably. His mind was unstable, resembling a raging cloud of smoke that could dissipate at any moment.
Ai Hui's voice came out from the sword gleam. "Mr. Demonic God, thank you for your gift!"
"Bast*rd! You're a treacherous scumbag!" Chi Tong shrieked with menace.
Standing under the sword gleam, Ai Hui looked on as Chi Tong's mind churned and dissipated bit by bit. A black-colored mist was spiralling around Chi Tong's physical body, and it was surging towards his fingertip rapidly.
When She Yu's heart devoured a trace of the black-colored mist, it beat with more vigor.
"Dear Mr. Demonic God, no matter how pleasant you put it, I will never believe you. I'm not as ambitious as you think, and I don't think I am a very formidable person. I also don't really think about the future. I think killing you is worth more to me than establishing a nation. I will feel at ease that way even if I die."
"Hahaha!"
A howling laughter came out from the churning, black-colored mist.
"Kill me? Do you think you can really kill me? As long as I have the God's Blood, I will able to revive again."
Following which, Chi Tong's tone changed, sounding as though he was Ai Hui's old friend.
"Speaking of it, other than the [Deathly Seeds of Demonic Consciousness], I still have a skill that is unrivalled. My physical body is formed by fusing the blood of ten thousand beasts and my blood refining skill is peerless in the world. Initially, I wanted to carry out my blood refinement slowly in order to prevent this physical body from being destroyed. Before I go, I will give you another present."
A premonition arose in Ai Hui's mind.
"Let me tell you a secret. In everyone's body, there are a few invisible sluices. This is the real secret to blood refinement."
Chi Tong's voice was as gentle as water.