Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 568 Life and Death
Right there in the ancestral hall, a blood-red aura of malevolence began to spread.

The malevolent aura was like clouds and mist, and it did not appear particularly fierce; in fact, it could be said to be somewhat slow. However, the moment those human-faced flowers touched it, they were as if they were cut apart by countless sword energies, and in the blink of an eye, they became fragmented.

The giant looked on, his expression turning serious for the first time.

"A Blood Shadow Sect technique? Refining the Soul into Evil doesn't make sense; how come there's also a righteous energy within this evil aura?!"

And right there in the red mist, Zhou You had already drawn his sword and stepped out.

His face remained unchanged, still bearing that gentle smile, and he wore the same simple Taoist robe, appearing perfectly normal.

However, the giant could still sense it.

—This person has changed.

He couldn't pinpoint exactly what had changed, but even a fool could sense that this person's aura, demeanor, and even his very existence seemed to have transformed.

So much so that he couldn't help but ask.

"--Who are you?"

Zhou You raised his head, letting his murderous aura swirl around him, and then answered with a smile.

"Me? I am who I am."

"No, you—"

The conversation abruptly ended halfway through.

After a while, the giant shook his head and laughed.

"Alright, I admit I've gone down a dead end. You are the Heavenly Sword, who else could you be? No, perhaps..."

When he looked up, he had the same excited, laughing expression.

"That's more interesting!"

Stepping on the blue bricks, the hard stone instantly exploded with spiderweb-like patterns, then shattered into dust!

Like a primordial beast, the giant charged forward in the blink of an eye—

The towering figure, over three meters tall, contrasted sharply with Zhou You's barely adult physique, creating a despairing contrast. It seemed that someone would be completely engulfed by that bloodthirsty form in the next second.

However, he neither dodged nor avoided it.

Just like the giant before him, he took a deep breath, and then a longsword suddenly appeared in his hand.

It is not a towering cliff, but a barrier against evil.

Duan Xie, whom we haven't seen in a long time!
Feeling that familiar touch, and also feeling that joyful emotion, Zhou You laughed out loud, and then...

Cut it out!

The fist and the longsword were unleashed simultaneously, and judging from their reckless stance, it seemed both could deliver a fatal blow.

however.

Zhou You was ultimately better at gambling.

This kind of bet doesn't stem from luck, nor from the anxious anticipation of a gambler.

It's a kind of self-confidence.

A confidence forged through countless life-and-death battles.

—As long as I take action, then in this world...
No one can be faster than my sword!

Of course, he made the right bet.

Just as the fist was about to strike, Duan Xie had already slashed at the giant's neck with a hair's breadth of difference.

Unlike Wan Ren, under the blessing of the Big Dipper Heavenly Star Tempering Technique, amidst the murderous aura that has slain countless demons and monsters, no matter how mysterious the opponent's tattoos are, the giant could never defend against this sword!
Of course, the giant also knew that if Zhou You took his punch head-on, he would be seriously injured even if he didn't die.

But he dared not gamble.

Or perhaps he did put all his energy into the fight, but he didn't have Zhou You's gambler's spirit; his instincts still compelled him to dodge the sword.

And so, the punch missed its mark.

Duan Xie, however, left a bloody wound on that burly body!
This is the first time since the start of the match that Zhou You has truly gained the upper hand.

Even after suffering a severe blow, the giant's fist remained unbroken. With a powerful swing, he forced Zhou You several meters away before he looked down at the deep sword wound on his chest.

There was no anger or astonishment, only annoyance—annoyance at himself.

"Tsk, you really made a mistake. Kid, where did you get this life-or-death swordsmanship? I've never heard of it before."

Zhou You flicked a few drops of blood off the sword and then laughed.

"This was passed down by my master, Master Yun Jingzong Xuan Yuan, but I improved it later. It has not yet been named, so it is called Nameless."

"Yun Jingzong? Xuan Yuan Zhenren? Aren't you from the Five Elements Temple? And to have such a set of sword techniques, you shouldn't be an unknown person. I should at least have heard of you."

The giant chewed on the name for a while, as if trying to memorize it, before raising his head and speaking.

"I'll ask my fellow disciples about it later. As for now, I'm about to risk my life. Be careful."

He spoke the word 'risking his life' so casually, as if it were something completely ordinary—however, Zhou You suddenly frowned and his face turned serious.

next moment.

The giant took a deep breath, squatted down in a horse stance, and assumed a boxing position once again.

The situation is different from before, but this time, the sense of crisis is even greater.

The ferocity of their momentum was so great that even the two groups fighting fiercely nearby couldn't help but take a second look.

Among them, Khenpo Wangmo abandoned his high monk demeanor and started cursing loudly.

"Kai Tian Shi Chen Luo, have you gone mad? Using such a trump card against a third-generation disciple? Are you even planning to work after this?!"

The giant did not answer.

Only he knew that the moment Zhou You uttered those two words, he was not facing a mere disciple of the Five Elements Temple, but a mortal enemy with whom he had to fight to the death!
Even though he was the deputy chief steward of Wanfa Mountain and had made a name for himself at the Tianyuan Conference, he was still a formidable enemy that required his full strength to overcome!

It was clear that the moment he adopted a boxing stance, Zhou You did not back down as he had before.

Instead, he summoned the Crescent Moon Bow and fired several arrows in an instant.

And I, following closely behind, charged forward with a sudden burst of speed—

Ultimately, the time allotted for this liberation is less than half an incense stick's time. The other side may not know this, but in any case, I need to finish this quickly!

The giant, still relying on his savage tattoos, withstood all ranged attacks, but faced with Zhou You's slashing sword, Duan Xie, he had to react—but with a roar, he bent his elbow, his forearm covered in a giant python, and layers of scale-like hard skin instantly appeared, blocking the sword strike—

But Zhou You did not dwell on it. Instead, he suddenly lowered his body and took a different approach, thrusting his sword at the giant's throat bone once more!

This time, even the giants had no way to avoid it!

but.

Just as the sword was about to strike him, he took a deep breath. Then, he roared.

"open!"

In an instant, it swept in like a whirlwind!

A storm exploded in front of the giant, its force so strong that it blew Zhou You's body away—but he adjusted his body in mid-air and used the pillar to push off, landing relatively steadily.

In those few short breaths, the giant had already completed gathering its strength.

The next moment, the fist slammed down like a heavy hammer!
A roar followed.

"Open the sky!"

The world seemed to have split in two.

One segment is real, while the other is shattered in the blink of an eye.

Wangmu Khenpo couldn't continue chanting. He quickly used several of his treasured ritual implements and flashed several feet away in the blink of an eye, trying to get as far away from this killer as possible. Meanwhile, Master Chongxu frowned, and in the next instant, countless branches and leaves wrapped around his body. When he looked again, he was already on the other side.

The two escaped, but the disciples who were locked in fierce combat with Vajra had no chance of escaping.

Those who were closer were a little better off; in the blink of an eye, they shattered along with that world, leaving not even a trace. However, those who were farther away either had their limbs torn off or their internal organs brutally crushed. Although they did not die immediately, they could only lie on the ground screaming and wailing in agony!
If being merely affected is already so bad, then Zhou You, who is right in the center, is even worse off.

But he remained calm, and with a flick of his wrist, a rusty copper coin appeared in his palm.

Then, flick your fingers and release.

The copper coin seemed to have dried up in mid-air, turning into dust, but the surrounding area also seemed to be slowed down several times.

Of course, this was not enough for him to escape—the giant's fist seemed to have a locking ability, and no matter where he ran, he could not escape. So, Zhou You used something again.

—That Buddha relic.

This time it's not about summoning gods, so it won't require too much effort. As for how to use it, he's already figured it out.

A deep black hole appeared in the space in front of them, but nothing appeared—until a moment or two later, a helpless voice came.

"I'm begging you, please don't keep trying to fleece us. How many times has this happened? We're just a small business owner, not rich. Can you please let us off the hook?"

Zhou You replied with only one sentence.

"Stop talking nonsense. The fact that the Black Book has chosen to exploit you so many times only proves that your family is powerful and wealthy—now that the situation is urgent, are you going to give it or not?"

The creature inside the black hole held back for a long time before roaring angrily, as if it had suffered a great injustice.

"Damn it, you're such a tough nut to crack—you can't cook it or break it! I'll give it to you, I'll give it to you, okay?!"

A skeletal hand emerged from the black hole, viciously giving the middle finger. However, this time it didn't offer protection—presumably because they felt they couldn't withstand the punch—but instead, at the cost of half its own hand, it helped Zhou You break free of the lock amidst the sacrificial flames.

With the lock gone, the rest is easy.

The third and final paper figure was used, and Zhou You's figure instantly detached himself dozens of meters away. At this moment, the effect of the copper coin finally ran out, and the fragmented space instantly closed up.

As a result, everything that was caught up in it vanished into thin air.

The giant, panting heavily, looked at the unharmed person and opened his mouth as if to say something.

But soon, two winding streaks of blood appeared between his noses.

Clearly, this earth-shattering punch also placed an extremely heavy burden on him.

However, he simply wiped away the bloodstains and then said with a smile.

"That was exhilarating! That was exhilarating! This trip was definitely worthwhile. How long has it been since I felt this good? You're a true master swordsman, I acknowledge you now!"

With a loud laugh, the giant did not stop moving, but instead took a deep breath—as if he were about to burst his lungs—and his face instantly turned red.

However, the smile did not stop, but became even brighter.

All the giant could feel right now was excitement.

Complete, utter, genuine, and pure excitement.

Admittedly, although he has made a great name for himself over the years and everyone fears his Hunyuanquan style, he knows that he has actually been stuck in a bottleneck for many years.

He was indeed a prodigy, and with this skill, he rose through the ranks step by step, reaching a high position in a sect at the age of thirty-something. Such achievements are rare even in the entire world.

However, the position of deputy chief steward of Wanfa Mountain was an honor, but it was also a heavy shackle that prevented him from making any progress for more than ten years.

But today, in this life-or-death struggle, he vaguely glimpsed signs that this bottleneck was beginning to loosen.

It's not much, but compared to a stagnant pool, it's a glimmer of hope.

Then
If this junior can risk his life for his, why can't I?

Could someone who has roamed the martial world for decades be more afraid of death than this young upstart?

He cast aside all thoughts of the mountain lord's instructions and the sect's interests—at this moment, all that remained in his heart was lofty ambition.

The giant panted, then raised his fist, which felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, yet for the first time moved with such ease and dexterity.

It was still a boxing stance, but this time, it was the move he had tried countless times but could never execute.

Then, a burst of laughter suddenly erupted.

"Heavenly Sword, watch closely, this is the final killing move of my technique. Once I use this, it's either you or me—if you want to run, the door is right behind you. Since this is my first time using it, I'm not very familiar with it, so it shouldn't have the power to lock souls. Also, the range of this move isn't very large, so get out of the way!"

At this point, the giant was no longer seen as an adversary, but rather as a release from years of wasted time. Therefore, the giant made no attempt to conceal his own weaknesses.

But Zhou You did not move.

He raised his eyes and looked at the unrestrained and arrogant giant, who seemed to still be a teenager. After a long while, he also laughed out loud.

Then, he put away Wanren and only picked up Duanxie—not to launch a preemptive attack, nor to obediently run away, but simply tossing it aside.

The sword did not land, but floated in mid-air.

The giant wanted a fierce and exhilarating battle, and so did he.
As has been repeated countless times before, his martial arts skills are inherently a gamble with life and death—and to break through, one must also take a life-or-death journey.

It's easy to find a good opponent, but a good one is really hard to find.

However, at this moment, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is right before our eyes.

If I don't fight like this, wouldn't I be letting myself down?
With the full power of the Big Dipper Heavenly Star Tempering Technique, Duan Xie seemed to transform into a black hole at this moment, with the surrounding blood-red baleful energy rapidly gathering from it and finally condensing into a single point.

Finally, both of them looked up and smiled at each other.

then.

In the blink of an eye, the fist slammed down.

And at the same time.

Duan Xie also transformed into that legendary flying sword, like a streak of light.

It shot straight forward!

(End of this chapter)