Forge a path to success.

Chapter 108: The Demon Kills the Girl (Part 1)
Beneath the flowing waitress's uniform was a pale yellow outfit, and a long, jet-black scarf covered half her face, revealing only her fluorescent green eyes. She was undoubtedly a beauty in the making; her age, around the time of her senior year of high school, gave her face a touch of youthful innocence, yet also a unique vitality that, along with her shapely figure, her face hinted at a bright future.

She was none other than the Heartless One, Guang Shi Qingye, a visitor who had come to this dusty island to slay demons. This heretic's aura was extremely complex; at first glance, his tentacles seemed those of an ordinary demon possessor, but his eyes held a coldness reminiscent of an imperial creation. Such creations, a mixture of multiple heretical powers, were the most troublesome. He might very well be a creation of some great demon, or even an escaped imperial experimental subject…

If he possesses the Imperial Beacon, then the Ultimate Mech could descend at any moment. We must act swiftly and kill him immediately!

Chu Hengkong admired the scene for a moment, then released a wisp of smoke-like energy, which resembled an invisible snake biting at the girl's brow. The girl in yellow frowned, and with lightning speed, she unleashed a slash of energy that sliced ​​the snake down like a sharp blade.

The lingering aura from slaying the snake touched Chu Hengkong's cheek, and the slight pain brought a smile to his face. He lowered the spear, his index finger lightly scraping the back of the white spear.

"Aren't you going to give your name?"

"There's no need," Qingye said coldly. "Those who follow heretics must be killed without mercy!"

Chu Hengkong's smile deepened. The tip of his spear, which had been hanging low, fell straight to the ground, then suddenly snapped back up, like a dragon rising into the sky! The gleaming spear light almost formed a straight line as Qing Ye spun around, wielding her blade and striking past the spear light. A dark, flame-like hue appeared on her short sword, strengthening the blade and thus protecting it from the bursting spear intent.

The moment her toes touched the ground, she had already taken control of the situation. The blade was only two fists' distance from her target, a distance so close that the enemy wouldn't have time to withdraw his weapon and defend. With a flick of her wrist, she thrust out the short knife, the blade aimed directly at Chu Hengkong's brow. Her five fingers, gripping the knife, flashed in succession, conjuring up five identical sharp blades that thrust forth.

The Illusion Blade Technique, the foundation of the "Flash Finger" remnant, is a remnant technique that creates illusory blades using light and shadow at different frequencies. Although it seems like a trivial trick, it can be surprisingly effective in actual combat. It takes only a moment to distinguish the real from the fake, and that moment can determine life or death.

She was prepared to change her tactics, this move was only to probe the enemy's strength, but the next turn of events exceeded her expectations. Chu Hengkong took the initiative to step forward and smash his head into the blade. His skull was incredibly hard, and the short sword's thrust only left a shallow bloodstain! At the same time, a flash of silver light appeared at the edge of her vision, and that tentacle-like left arm shot out, taking the opportunity to wrap around her left wrist!

The tentacles coiled and tightened, their immense strength, incongruous with their appearance, reminding the girl of a hunting python. A sharp pain assaulted her nerves, and the thought of her wrist shattering flashed through her mind. Despite the agony, Qingye's expression remained unchanged. She tossed the dagger aside and caught it in her mouth; five beams of light extended backward from her fingertips, making her left hand shimmer like a luminous object. She endured the pain and gripped the tentacles tightly, the acrid smell of burning flesh instantly filling the air.

The Blazing Hand, a basic technique of the Flashing Finger, can kill enemies with the intense heat generated by strong light; a skilled Flashing Finger can melt steel with a single palm strike. This Heart-Binding Technique is precisely the counter to the wet, slimy tentacles; the part grasped dries up at a visible speed.

A look of approval flashed in Chu Hengkong's eyes as he swept his spear horizontally in his right hand. Qingye leaped high to dodge the attack, using the walls of the alley to create distance. Her spear shone brightly, aiming to burn the tentacles in one fell swoop. Chu Hengkong steadied himself, swung his arm, and slammed the taut tentacles, dragging the girl to the ground. A white spear beam shot out simultaneously, aiming to pierce her skull.

In a moment of desperation, Qingye decisively changed her move, slashing at the tentacle with her right-hand longsword. A dark aura surged across the blade, as if coated with a layer of chilling oil. Chu Hengkong released the tentacle to dodge the attack, and with a light flick of his right spear, slashed a deep, bone-revealing gash in the enemy's right arm. Her blood was clearly different from ordinary blood; its striking crimson contained a deep, dark tinge, as if soaked in shadow.

Could that be the black blood of the Fallen? Is this girl a chosen one of the First Abyss? Not at all! With the dynamic vision of a martial arts cultivator, one can discern the truth: the blackness originates from beneath the wound, and supporting that arm is actually black jade-like bone. This is precisely the characteristic of a Point 2 Remnant Heart: Sinful Bones.

A shadow-like power seeped from the bones, merging with the blood splattering in the air. Blood droplets swirled and exploded, forming projectiles the same color as the night. Those were the signature techniques of the Heartbreakers, the Shadow Shuriken that had severed countless heads on the battlefield!

"watch out!"

Despite the pain, Qingye swung her arm, sending four shadow shurikens flying in a whirlwind. An electric shock-like sensation crept up her spine, her spinal response warning her of the technique's danger. Chu Hengkong deftly deflected all four shurikens with his spear, taking extra care to prevent them from touching his shadow.

His response was flawless. The shuriken that was knocked away pierced the ground and the wall. However, the falling girl formed a hand seal with one hand, and a dangerous aura emanated from her side!
"Extremely Heavy Crime Technique!"

Beneath her soft, jade-like skin, the dark color of her sinful bones deepened abruptly. A black skull flickered in and out of view beneath her beautiful appearance, like a demon lurking within her body. The four shurikens that had been knocked away cast long, linear shadows that intertwined, instantly slowing Chu Hengkong's movements to an unbearable degree. An indescribable weight pressed down on his back, as heavy as an entire mountain!
The Super Heavy Sin Technique is a profound and rare technique, even among those at the higher level of the Secret Soul Remnant Heart Masters, few can master it. Its principle is to use the yin energy of the Reverse Shadow to influence the ghostly body, transforming the enemy's sins into real weight. The more people the victim kills, the stronger the technique becomes. The suppression Chu Hengkong is currently experiencing is enough to crush an ordinary point mass into dust! Incidentally, if Ji Huaisu were to be affected, the effect would be several times stronger!
The girl with the broken heart vanished from her spot and reappeared in the shadows to Chu Hengkong's side. She simultaneously unleashed her long and short swords, which, imbued with the power of light and shadow, pierced towards his brain and heart!
The Way of the Broken Heart Sword. The Way of the Unthinking Reverse Heart - Reverse Yang.

Creating an opportunity with an overwhelmingly powerful technique, combined with a devastating, explosive strike of reversed yang energy to defeat the enemy, this was an absolute first-time kill. This heretic was as strong as a monster; there would never be a better second chance. Therefore, she held nothing back when she drew her sword, killing intent etched onto the blade, her inner energy surging to its peak.

But her gaze suddenly froze. From this angle, she saw the rear half of the spear, where there were three circular grooves, and a transparent bead was held between the fingers gripping the spear. She recalled her opponent's strange action before the battle, the pointless scraping of the spear.

Mystic weapon… He took off the mystic bead on his own initiative… That means…!
The blade of Qingye slowed for a moment. In that instant, a golden light flashed behind Chu Hengkong, and the Annihilation Force Field negated the Super Heavy Sin Technique. The white spear shaft slammed backward, passing through the blade and striking the girl's abdomen, sending her flying backward. She performed three backflips to slow herself down, barely maintaining her balance. She groaned and cried out in pain, "You—"

"Why not cut it off?"

The man's voice was as cold as ice.

"Because I held back? Because I didn't go all out?"

Chu Hengkong turned his head expressionlessly, and the girl froze on the spot for a moment. Killing intent, fighting spirit, and rage—an extremely condensed aura burst forth from his body, almost tangible. The man's aura surged irrationally, far exceeding her worst expectations. She saw a hideous slash mark in his eyes, crimson as blood!

"You dare hesitate to fight against heretics..." he suddenly roared, as if struck by a thunderbolt, "Are you looking for death, little girl!"

In that instant, as the remnant spirit, Shiki, sank into the night, memories deeply ingrained from her childhood within her large family surfaced. The figures of her family elders, who flew into a rage, the strict instructors in the dojo, and the head of the martial arts troupe—figures that had etched profound memories into her mind—overlapped with the furious outcast of this moment, causing her to act instinctively!

Sheathed her twin swords immediately! Stand upright with her hands together! Then bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle with utmost respect!

"You're right, I'm so sorry! I, Guang Shi Qingye, will definitely keep today's lesson deep in my heart!"

"..."

"..."

The air froze for a full five seconds, and Miss Qingye's scarf fluttered weakly twice. Miss Canxin, who was bowing deeply, had a face that was red all the way from the tip of her chin covered by the scarf to her forehead.

She suddenly stood up, pointing a single finger at the tentacle-wielding man, a mysterious, shimmering liquid glistening in the corner of her eye: "You...you...!"

"This..." Chu Hengkong was speechless for a moment, "You should wipe your tears first..."

"Ughhhhhh, you bastard! How dare you exploit people's weaknesses!!" Qingye rubbed her eyes violently. "Baldy! You monster! Tentacle man! I'll kill you! I'll absolutely kill you!!"

The flying blades were like a whirlwind, and the girl with the broken heart, whose killing intent instantly increased more than threefold, charged forward with twice the previous momentum! She carried genuine regret and killing intent!
"Why don't you rest first and come back this afternoon..." Chu Hengkong said helplessly as he dodged the attack, "In your current state... there's no point in fighting..."

Miss Qingye let out a sharp, explosive cry: "I will wash away this shame with your blood!!"

Before you do that, please wipe away your tears, okay?

Chu Hengkong suddenly lost all will to fight. He casually parried a few shots with his gun and activated the communication device in his collar: (Captain, stop watching the show and come clean up the mess.)
(So ​​you finally remembered the captain after making the girl cry?) Ji Huaisu teased. (Too bad the captain has things to do too. Use your mature manly aura to soothe the female student.)
(In front of you? I'm afraid I'll be attacked by dogs when I get home.)
(I'm not a nagging mother, I'm very lenient with my partner, lalala~) The sound of a sword being drawn came from the other side of the communication relic. (There's a little noise, I'll check the situation and watch my step.)
Chu Hengkong glanced sideways at the ground. In the intervals between the clashes of guns and knives, wisps of grayish-white light seeped out from the cracks in the floor tiles. The color was ethereal and elusive, like gray mist.

A street away, Vande sat atop Giovanni's head, watching more mist emerge, gather, and form blurry gray outlines. It sketched in its small notebook, its eyes filled with doubt.

"This thing... an afterimage? Or a ghost?" it muttered as it drew. "I can't figure it out. Interesting."

(End of this chapter)