Forge a path to success.

Chapter 143 Parting Gifts
Blood surged behind Chu Hengkong, useless waste was constantly expelled, and new structures took shape as he fed. Seemingly realizing that close combat was impossible under the current circumstances, he turned his attention to modifying his deformed arm, continuously piling devices on his right arm to form a white, cannon-like structure.

Flags, medicine, spare weapons, supplies... he took out all the remaining resources from his storage relics and stuffed them into his arm like ammunition. Two rows of heat dissipation holes on his giant wrist emitted a golden light. Chu Hengkong rolled up his tentacles to support his right arm, and aimed the cannon in his palm at Qingxia's head.

A flash of golden light, and the first loaded bullet was fired. The flesh-reinforced cartridge case was enveloped in golden light, and a two-tone shockwave instantly pierced the battlefield, striking Qingxia's eyes with terrifying accuracy. She swung her bone blade, slicing the bullet open; the sudden shockwave sent a slight shiver through her mind. The bullet was filled with a compressed annihilation field; the trap was detonated by the strike, and the damage to the ghostly body exploded at extremely close range.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chu Hengkong shifted his position, and the next bullet came from Qingxia's side. Qingxia slammed the Qingkun Spear down on the spot, and the repulsive shield exploded into a sphere. The bullet's trajectory deviated, stirring up a cloud of mud in the no-man's-land a kilometer away. Vision was temporarily obscured by the rain of mud, and Chu Hengkong plunged his enhanced tentacles into the earth. The metallic elements were absorbed, dissolved, and combined, forming a simple tubular structure at the tip of the tentacle.

A standard feature of the soul container is the gravity generator.

He manipulated tentacles to pierce through the ground, their tips unleashing colorless slashes like wind blades. These gravitational slashes drifted into a repulsive shield of similar nature, temporarily disrupting the force field and creating a flaw in the otherwise perfect defense. An invisible, minute hole appeared on the surface of the repulsive shield, and a third bullet pierced it, grazing Qingxia's cheek and drawing blood.

Chu Hengkong began to correct his prediction, because the test shot shouldn't have hit; the enemy's reaction speed was fast enough to easily evade the attack. But Qingxia didn't dodge; she turned her head in surprise, her golden eyes reflecting the outline of the burning ammunition.

It was a vibrant green leaf, a hidden weapon used in the Immortal Machine Deathmatch, but never used again after its memories were destroyed by the Ghost Body Annihilation Field. The sentimental Chu Hengkong had always carried it with him, until now, when it was used as ammunition.

Qingxia stared intently at the fallen leaf, so focused that she was completely oblivious to the next attack that was about to strike.

"Grandpa, the tides of fate really do exist," she whispered, speaking words no one could understand.

She suddenly burst into laughter, pulling out the Qingkun Spear. She swung the chains connecting the spear's handle, turning the massive weapon into a white whirlwind. The Qingkun Spear moved like nunchucks in her hands, gravity and repulsion shifting at will with its movement. A simple shield that could be easily broken a moment ago had become an unpredictable turbulent force field. Before the next bullet could even get close, it was obliterated by the turbulent force field. Qingxia locked onto her target and launched a rapid charge towards Chu Hengkong!

The current unit's integrity is 6.3%, and its energy reserve is 48.1%. Kinetic energy reflection armor is activated, and the Zhengxuan Gang Qi armor is partially deployed…

Judging from the situation, they could not withstand the direct impact of individual enemies, so they adjusted their attack strategy and began long-range sniping.

Chu Hengkong arched his back high, using both hands and feet to run up the collapsed building's surface in a manner resembling a small predator. His specially modified arm, slung behind his back, continuously fired golden bullets as he ran. Qingxia's defense was impenetrable; she used the swirling motion of her Qingkun Spear to deflect all the bullets, shattering them with the chaotic force field, but this process caused a constant stinging pain in her head.

Chu Hengkong precisely calculated the impact point of each bullet, ensuring that Qingxia would pass through the attack range just as the ammunition shattered. Qingxia, however, had no time to react. Her speed was too great. This speed, which should have been an advantage in frontal attacks, was a disadvantage in guerrilla warfare. Her physique was inherently unsuitable for attacks from the side or rear, so her attacks were often direct and straightforward. In normal combat, Qingxia didn't need to worry about this; she could simply sprint and crush her opponent. But after going berserk, Chu Hengkong could keep up with her speed. At this moment, even a slight difference in size could yield tenfold results in actual combat.

"It hurts……"

The golden light of the annihilation field flickered continuously, slowing Qingxia's advance for a moment. That instant was enough for Chu Hengkong to create a distance of over a thousand meters. Standing atop the collapsed building, he raised his right arm, aiming at Qingxia, whose back was turned to him. Hundreds of blood vessels burst forth from his body, piercing his reinforced arm and filling it with energy for the impending strike.

Machine integrity 5.2%, energy reserve 50%. Target locked, energy replenished, attack module modification complete, third secret section unlocked. Consuming 90% of existing energy, temporarily activating the ray program—

Bio-disintegration rays, fire!
The deliberately modified right palm gleamed crimson, like the crimson eyes of a former immortal machine opening within the assassin's body. The ray fired, forming a massive crimson pillar as thick as a building. Wherever the light touched, everything was vaporized, losing its form in the scorching heat. It was a biological extinction weapon, powered by the burning of vital energy and channeled through willpower; a strike that consumed life force, its destructive power against living beings surpassed even the original matter-disintegrating ray.

Qingxia had just turned around, circling back like a warhorse. She raised her eyebrows at the approaching attack, showing no fear, but rather a strange excitement. She stood still, only lightly patting her chest.

In an instant, a thunderous roar, like the sound of war drums, resounded!
The sound came from Qingxia's chest, from the beating heart within her. The deliberately suppressed power was released; the "heart," symbolized by point mass 3, throbbed as it was unsealed, like a fire burning within her body. The area where Qingxia stood suddenly sank, a vast life force radiating with her heartbeat, causing faint streaks of blood to appear in the air. The presence of those blood streaks brought terrifying pressure; all sound except for the heartbeat vanished, and even the air seemed to solidify.

That is the result of long-term cultivation and arduous training, a symbol that transcends mere physical strength. The Path to Unifying Destiny, Point 3, the "Asura's Heart," with its explosive power that surpasses all others!
Thump. Thump. Almost all other sounds vanished, leaving only the powerful voice of the soul in the world. Vande was paralyzed by the overwhelming aura, unable to utter a word. A bone knife gently flicked him away, and the banshee's voice drifted over slowly.

"You should avoid me for now. I have strong vitality, and if I move around normally, the people around me might die."

She wasn't just powerful, she was a monster. The drum-like heartbeat wasn't a result of using secret techniques to unleash her potential; it was simply a phenomenon caused by her normal activity! Vande vaguely guessed the truth: Qingxia had actually been suppressing her body, slowing her heartbeat to once every few minutes, even tens of minutes, moving in a near-death state. At that time, she was practically a moving corpse; her combat power was nonexistent, and it was a miracle she even survived.

She has been fighting until now while feigning death.

What exactly is she?
Before he could even think, the bio-disintegration rays filled his field of vision. Vande was blown away by the ensuing storm, and he saw Qingxia charging forward with her spear, piercing through the crimson light of destruction!
The instant the heartbeat of the war drum struck, Qingxia transformed from utter stillness to extreme motion. Her intensely concentrated life force blossomed with each heartbeat, causing all her abilities to explode. She charged towards the Bio-Disintegration Rays like a young girl running towards the blazing sun, her heartbeats spreading throughout the city, each crescendo higher and higher, until everyone in Golden Leaf City heard the distant war drums. The Bio-Disintegration Rays shattered all obstacles, yet they could not interfere with Qingxia and her spear. The life force generated from her heart transformed into a vibrant barrier; the rays could not replenish her life force as quickly as they could destroy it. The overflowing blood threads clung to the spear, transforming the Qingkun Spear into a bewitching and beautiful weapon. In a mere instant, she pierced through the beams, the spear shooting out like a dragon, piercing the assassin's body. Strands of blood twisted behind the spear, beautiful as the flowing silk of a celestial fairy.

Demonic Spear - Blood Piercing the Sky.

The devastating blow shattered the disintegrating ray and exhausted Chu Hengkong's last bit of energy. He was propelled backward by the impact, flying an unknown distance. His consciousness briefly vanished, and when he regained it, he was leaning against gray cement, the Qingkun Spear piercing his right palm as a nail, pinning it crookedly to a wall.

The body... 5.0%, ... inventory 3%.

The fog... dissipates... judgment... hostile individuals...

Ronghua■■……■■Demon……

Eradicate...eradicate...eradicate...

"I'm exhausted~ I'm telling you, how can you be so rough with a girl? Be careful you don't end up not finding a partner later!"

In the blood-red vision, the outline of a monstrous creature emerged. Golden pupils, blood-red hair, a bewitching and beautiful face. It must be annihilated. A species forbidden to exist. The root of all sin…

Chu Hengkong's eyes were empty, his last vestige of humanity crumbling. He stretched out his tentacles, trying to strangle his enemy. Qingxia met his gaze for a moment, then smiled, her face inexplicably flushed.

"Don't do that, it'll get me excited," she whispered. "Okay, be good and don't move."

She grasped Chu Hengkong's tentacle, as gently as if holding a lover's hand, yet with an unyielding and forceful stance, pinning him against the wall.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and lowered her head to kiss the man's lips.

With their lips touching, the demon's blood flowed into the man's mouth. The powerful life force from the alien race surged through his body, melting metal that shouldn't exist, repairing damaged organs, causing the extra legs to retract into the body, restoring the limbs to normal, and injecting the power of flesh and blood into the human on the verge of collapse.

The indicator of the body's integrity changed from 5% to 6%, then surged to 15%, and then 30%. The demonic blood lured the human heart, causing it to beat with incredible ferocity. This was a vitality unique to life, which even the most intelligent cold machinery could not control. Thus, the steel finally retreated back into the skeleton, and the bloodlust in the pupils faded.

Chu Hengkong was lost in the overwhelmingly long kiss.

Their lips parted, and that otherworldly face was inches away, his blank expression reflected in her golden eyes. Qingxia chuckled softly, then kissed him once more.

"Sorry, you were so cute just now, I couldn't help myself." Qingxia pinched his earlobe. "Are you back to your senses? You won't go berserk again?"

Chu Hengkong nodded blankly.

"Very well, then I'll stop here for you. Saving someone is much more tiring than I imagined..."

Qingxia yawned, kneeling down like a horse. She licked her lips groggily, not forgetting to instruct the assassin, "Remember to bring back my treasure... This Dust Island is yours now..."

She closed her eyes and let out sweet breathing sounds.

She fell asleep.

(End of this chapter)