Forge a path to success.

Chapter 63 The Unquenchable Flame of the Heart
The demon's explosion unleashed a fierce wind, with blue flames scattering in the air like magical fireworks. Chu Hengkong coiled his tentacles into small "shields" to protect his head, then planted his rock blade in the ground to steady himself.

Sparks flew as the blade struck the ground, leaving a mark over 50 meters long. When the wind finally subsided, Chu Hengkong couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He felt as if he had been brutally beaten by a storm, every bone in his body groaning in pain.

The exhaustion from continuous combat suddenly overwhelmed him. Chu Hengkong hunched over, pressing his body tightly against the hilt of his sword, like a dying green shrimp. His skin was covered in bloody wounds, and his body was covered in burns. Blood flowed down his face from the wound on his forehead. He took out his yellow crystal communicator, only to realize that his voice was cracking when he spoke.

"Done." Chu Hengkong took a deep breath. "Did it work?"

Several seconds passed, a length that even the assassin felt uneasy, before Jie An's ecstatic shout came from the crystal: "It's done!! The firefly is no longer under command!!"

"Great!!" Chu Hengkong clenched his fist excitedly. They made the right bet!

The fact that the firefly crows attacked like an army is bizarre in itself. Regardless of the workshop's private soldiers' seemingly reckless fighting spirit, the fireflies are mindless corpses; they have no reason to obey commands or use weapons. Either the workshop owner possesses some kind of bizarrely large relic, or it's some other form of mind control unrelated to relics.

Chu Hengkong had seen this method before: the mass infection of the Imaginary Demon, just like the group of refugees who followed Sansen Wangxiang in breaking the curtain. If the demons behind the controlled individuals could be defeated, the mass control would naturally be broken. And now that the relic possessed by Bessen had been destroyed, the pressure on the Central Court was naturally greatly reduced.

"Old Jie, something's weird! The enemy on my side has suddenly gone berserk!" "Damn, load the ammunition, load the ammunition! We've got a chance!" "Where did the transport team go?" "They're alive! They're still breathing!!"

The team members' reports rang out in a cacophony, almost out of control due to their overwhelming joy at surviving the ordeal. They witnessed firsthand how the mechanical crows suddenly scattered like headless flies, abandoning the enemy and chasing after the flames and halos in the ruins.

The sudden change bolstered the team's spirits, allowing them to brace their battered bodies and unleash a frenzied barrage of water-based weapons. Jie An called out to each district in the channel, the only way he could confirm the situation now being this primitive method: "Is the West Third District Chief still there? East Fifth District?"

"Yes! The pressure on Gushui Street isn't too great, there's a ghost... a spirit dog helping us!" "The battle on Yongquan Street is going well! Granny Sangjia pulled off a lucky break, all the brothers are still alive!" "Heiyong Road is still holding!" "Cat Street has just recaptured the tower!"

A series of encouraging responses rang out, and Jie An's brows relaxed. Chu Hengkong couldn't help but smile as well; the shadow that had hung over him since the sudden outbreak of war was finally beginning to dissipate. They had finally defended the city, and all their tasks were complete. Now it was all up to Ji Qiufeng and Huilong.

"Chu Hengkong, how are you doing?" Jie An asked, overjoyed. "Hurry up and get checked out. That demonic gust was closest to you just now."

Chu Hengkong examined his body and found nothing abnormal except for the injuries he sustained in the battle. He realized that the dragon had specially spared its strength to protect them during the dragon's ascension, which was all thanks to the dragon's blessing.

Even if there are still some minor problems, that Chang Le Dan should have cured them all.

"It's nothing serious, Youyou protected me," Chu Hengkong said.

He ran towards the edge of the floating island, where the dilapidated aircraft had luckily escaped destruction. He jumped onto the aircraft and headed towards the giant tree in the center of the city, reminding Yellow Crystal to warn him: "I haven't found Kanin; he's probably still on the floating island. But defending the city is the priority now. I'll go to headquarters to meet you and stand guard until the very end."

"What did you say?" Jie An was stunned for a moment before realizing he was talking to Ji Huaisu. He spoke weakly, "Girl, did you hear me? I'm talking to you."

There was no echo.

Chu Hengkong frowned: "Ji Huaisu?"

There was still no response, only Jie An's breathing and the shouts of the team members on the communication channel. Chu Hengkong gripped the perception pendant, and he gradually heard the noise hidden beneath the crowd's words. It was the noise of a sword cutting through metal, the deeply suppressed, weary breaths, and the crackling sound of flames burning the air.

Amidst the cacophony, a clear announcement suddenly rang out, both frivolous and friendly, like an elegant magician.

That was a man's voice. He said:
"The dust has not yet settled, so let's not talk about victory or defeat."

·
Kanin removed the mask from the last enemy, revealing a weathered face. It was an old soldier, perhaps a veteran of the great battles of yesteryear. He released his grip, and the old soldier fell to the ground, burning to ashes in the rising blue flames.

Kanin removed his bird-beak mask and shed his black clothes, transforming from an ordinary crow into a gentlemanly blond young man. He had been blending in with the crows, so no one had found the leader of the black workshop.

Behind him lay charred, blackened standard equipment; an entire elite squad had been wiped out in less than half a minute. Kanin turned to look at the headquarters of the Resurrection Force. The Calamity Knights had arrived three seconds earlier, battered and bruised, but their eyes were terrifying. "The dust hasn't settled, so let's not talk about victory or defeat," he said. "I really like this old saying from Dragon Springs; it has a tenacity that inspires everyone to persevere until death. Only when the last enemy has bled dry will the battle be over."

Ji Huaisu's hand holding the shield trembled slightly, but his voice remained firm: "Even if you burn this gate to the ground, the city's victory is assured. Look up at the sky; your ambitions have been shattered!"

“I need to correct you on two things,” Kanin chuckled. “First, everyone’s strength has its reasons. The Dragon City Lord’s strength stems from the city he possesses. Once the totem is taken and the rule changes hands, even at his peak, he has no chance of winning. Second…”

He calmly leaped backward, dodging Ji Huaisu's sudden attack. He raised his hand and pointed to the sky, indicating the numerous powerful figures fighting within the chaotic battle formation.

"Human ambition is not something that is easily extinguished!" Kanin's eyes flashed with a fanatical determination. "It is because I have witnessed unparalleled power that I want to reach for that city. It is because I envy the birds in the sky that I want to seize their wings and fly into the sky!"

"As long as the fire in our hearts burns, our ambitions will blaze!"

A cluster of blue flames erupted from his fingertips, within which emerged a phantom image of a demon with a bird's head and a snake's body. The flames spread throughout Kanin's body, merging with the phantom image of the ambitious demon and seeping into Kanin's flesh and blood.

He spread his arms, roared to the sky, and the burst of flames sent Ji Huaisu flying backward. Flaming wings sprouted from his back, his arms transformed into hook-like claws, and long, fine feathers grew from his body, weaving a blue cloak that draped over his back.

A swirling wave of flames accompanied Kanin, stirring up a vortex of fire. He slowly rose into the air amidst the flames, his form both eerie and powerful. The fusion was complete in this moment; he was the contractor of the ambitious demon, the one who exchanged demonic power for an inviolable contract. This form had been witnessed by many natives of the destroyed Dust Isles; a few called it the God of Fire, while more fragmented records referred to it as the Bird of Burning Worlds, an evil god that brought destruction!

"Braised in soy sauce".

Kanin casually raised his claw, and the ground turned a blinding azure blue centered on where Ji Huaisu was. Almost the instant he raised his hand, the azure flames overturned the ground, transforming into a literal pillar of fire. Even Maivia's immense strength paled in comparison to this attack; Bessen's attack was like a flame on a stove.

Ji Huaisu dodged the pillar of fire, her movements labored and clumsy, like an unoiled machine. The Demon of Ambition's spell had taken effect, and blue flames ignited within her as well. Ji Huaisu's mind was stretched to its limit; she used her shield to defend against the attack, but when the pillar of fire vanished, the enemy had disappeared without a trace. A burning pain shot through her back; Kanin was right behind her, unleashing a serpentine volcano of fire!
Ji Huaisu was sent flying backward by the blow. She gritted her teeth and rolled several times on the ground to dodge the successive fireballs. The enemy was faster than her. She only had time to deactivate her large shield and replace it with a spherical full-body shield, but this defense was too weak and could not withstand Kanin's firepower.

As she rolled, she slammed her fists into the ground, leaving three inconspicuous light marks, which she detonated all at once when Kanin caught up. But Kanin remained rooted to the spot; he had studied the club's deathmatch and thus knew Ji Huaisu's methods. He closed his claws, concentrated his blue flames, and unleashed a burst of highly compressed power, like a demonized sniper bullet.

Ji Huaisu realized she couldn't dodge anymore. She desperately used her light shield to block the shot, the intense impact causing her to cough up burning blood. But a burning claw reached over the shield and pressed down on her head from the side. Kanin had appeared beside her without her noticing. He suddenly exerted force, slamming Ji Huaisu into the headquarters gate and slamming her head against the guard headquarters wall.

Kanin moved with incredible speed, covering most of the headquarters in an instant, carving a burning path through the wall. He swung his claws, hurling Ji Huaisu straight towards the headquarters building, using the knight's body to smash through the glass doors and windows of the lobby. After doing all this, Kanin didn't pursue personally; instead, he spread his wings and launched burning feathers. Each feather was like a small bomb, exploding violently after piercing through the smoke and dust, giving the Calamity Knight a relentless pursuit.

Kanin meticulously maintained his attack frequency, giving the Calamity Knight no chance to retaliate. Despite the unpredictable turn of events outside the city, his movements remained precise and ruthless, like a machine wielding a butcher's knife against a human. He mentally calculated the time: 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds. He lowered his claws and smiled at the ruins.

"Truly tenacious."

A golden light pierced through the flames, and Ji Huaisu burst forth from the smoke and dust. She roared and swung her sword, slashing down at Kaning with the blade of her reversed shadow!
At this moment, Ji Huaisu was completely unrecognizable. Azure flames clung tightly to her body, transforming her into a burning human form. But her indomitable fighting spirit still sustained her, transforming into golden light to counter the azure flames. Her sword slashed straight towards Kanin's face; the giant sword formed from the shadows was powerful enough to pierce through elemental defenses. Supported by that frenzied fighting spirit, even a mortal could contend with a demon!

But her sword was blocked by a burning longsword. Kanin used her Heartfire Sword to block the Shadow Blade, parrying Ji Huaisu's selfless attack with just one hand. The difference in their power levels was too great; one was a fusion of a high-level demon's spirit, while the other was merely a knight of particle level 2. Even the most frenzied shadow could not touch the burning sword.

Kanin swung his sword, easily sending Ji Huaisu flying. He transformed his weapon into a spear and hurled it; the flaming spear shattered the light shield, pierced the knight's sword-wielding hand, and pinned her to the outer wall of the headquarters building.

The final struggle ended there, easily extinguished by the demon's raging fire. Kanin put the burning top hat back on, and scorching power gathered between its claws, becoming a blazing fireball capable of obliterating buildings.

“Farewell, Calamity Knight.” Kanin nodded in farewell.

He pushed the fireball toward the knight as if a child were blowing a transparent soap bubble.

(End of this chapter)