Forge a path to success

Joking aside, Chu Hengkong had no real intention of leaving. Regardless of whether these carefree fellows were friend or foe, engaging in activities in the outside world under the cover of darkness was absolutely unwise. He needed to understand the situation first before making any further plans.

Blue lamps cast a dim glow on either side of the metal passageway. Chongming swaggered ahead, leading them deeper into the passage. Several strangely-looking fellows approached, one of them, a man with a frog's head, whispering to them, "Where did you three brave warriors come from? What time is it?"

“We come from the city of Huilong. It is now the year 3000 of the Candlelight Calendar,” Ji Huaisu said.

The frog stroked its chin: "Croak... It's been three years since Hunzi came here..."

"How come another homing dragon has appeared?" A woman with a mohawk and a hooded cloak whispered to her companion. "I've never heard of it since I came here a hundred years ago."

"They're probably the next generation who grew up after the war...the kind who were probably still eggs during the war..."

Vande wasn't interested in these trivial matters; instead, it looked with great interest at the surrounding lamps: "What kind of fire is this? Why is it cold?"

"This is ghost fire, the 'light' emitted by the projection of the deceased's ghostly body. It can only provide light, not warmth, so be careful not to touch it."

Vande was about to reach out his tentacles to touch it when he heard this, so he immediately withdrew them: "What are you doing, lighting will-o'-the-wisps in the house?"

“Heh, little eyes, you don’t know this, but this is the safest lighting in the area,” the mohawk-haired man sneered. “In the desolate wilderness, light and warmth are a ‘privilege’… a ‘privilege’ reserved only for the brave! You need to show courage to light the lamp.”

“Neither of us two are cowards,” Van Der said, pointing to his left and right.

"Whether someone is brave or not is not for us to decide," the hooded woman said ominously. "You'll understand sooner or later... In this place, having even a single, cold light is an immense blessing!"

"Hey you guys, why are you spouting riddles instead of explaining the situation properly!" Chongming shouted.

"Sir, you have absolutely no sense of atmosphere!" "That's when you can scare newbies the most, when they know nothing!" "If you don't tell ghost stories now, it'll be too late!"

The odd-minded subordinates scattered in all directions, looking like spoiled brats who had failed in their pranks. Chongming knocked on the wall, opening an iron door leading to the reception room. The small room was filled with manuscripts and various old trinkets, seemingly also serving as a recreation room.

He sat down on the large sofa with an air of authority, gripping his katana with both hands and leaning it forward.

Do you know where you are?

The three shook their heads in unison; their knowledge of this place was limited to the name "Wilderness of Despair." Seeing this, Chongming chuckled.

"You guys are really unlucky! Let me tell you, it's not that complicated..."

Long ago, there was a great war that engulfed the entire Realm of Submersion; we call it the War of Heavenly Prison.

"The two sides in the battle were the 'allies' led by the True Gods and the Lord of Fate, and all the heretics existing in the Realm of Sinking and Moving. In that crazy era, every Dust Island was a battlefield for the two sides, and all the Supreme Beings threw themselves into the war. In hundreds of years of conquest, nearly half of the gods of the 7th mass point alone died in battle, and the number of those who died in battle at the middle and low mass point levels was countless."

In the final moments of the war, the top forces of both sides converged, embarking on an unprecedented and unparalleled battle. The fighting among these powerful individuals was so terrifying... that it shattered the very fabric of time!

"What does 'shattering time' mean?" Ji Huaisu asked blankly. "Does it mean that even the Great Dao has been erased?"

“No, it’s a more practical phenomenon.” Chongming chuckled. “Records of the Battle of Heavenly Prison… the memories of people outside the battlefield… even the traces left by the war… even the battlefield itself where the fierce battle took place… everything related to the great war has become ‘non-existent’! Apart from a few ancient beings who survived the great war, no one is aware that such a chaotic battle ever occurred. Therefore, later generations speculate that it was the powerful figures of that time who shattered that period of time, which is why such a strange situation exists.”

"The war that once swept the world simply vanished. For most people, this might still be a good thing... But, not long after time shattered, something even stranger happened."

Some of the 'evil gods' who had died in the great war had inexplicably been resurrected.

Chongming drew several circles on the ground with his scabbard: "After these evil gods were resurrected, they took over a part of the battlefields trapped in the shattered time. Because those lands were ruled by the evil gods, they were able to access the present world, which is the 'border of the Heavenly Prison' where you are right now."

"Among them, the 'Wilderness of Despair' is ruled by an evil god who was also infamous in those days. Its name is Vansalal, known as the Lord of Slaughtering Demons and the King of Nightmares, and is one of the 'Four Gods of Collapse' of the Spiral Tower!"

Chu Hengkong's heart skipped a beat. He had heard this name before. The poet Sriel had mentioned this sinister and terrifying legend when he sang in the tavern.

He pressed his chest and remained silent.

Van Der seemed to recall something as well: "The Nightmare King... I remember him as a mentally ill person whose 'duty' was to spread fear..."

“The word ‘obligation’ makes it sound like going to work,” Ji Huaisu said.

“In a way, that description isn’t entirely wrong. Because Vansalar is indeed an eccentric fellow, and in his territory, people must constantly fight against fear. To live even slightly better, one must show courage!” Chongming chuckled. “And if you are deemed brave, you must undergo its test. Those who have personally experienced that test are either dead or have gone mad.”

"This is the first thing I want to tell you: in this land, if you can live cautiously, don't cause any big trouble. When you came, you saw the cold fire, and that was meaningful. If you dare to light a real fire, even underground, the claws of the evil god will seize you and put you to the test."

"What if I defeat my henchmen?" Ji Huaisu asked.

"Vansara will applaud you, and then it will come to you personally to give you an even greater test."

“There’s absolutely no way out!” Van der said.

“Yes, so if you want to survive, you must kill Vansalal.” Chongming shrugged. “Feel honored, newcomers. From now on, you will embark on the great battlefield to fight the gods.”

Fan De let out a weak, miserable cry and buried his face in Chu Hengkong's pocket. Chongming leaned back on the sofa and shook his head: "That's the end of the background explanation. Do you feel like you've wandered into the wrong place?"

“Ah, well, how should I put it?” Ji Huaisu said blankly, “The scale of the event is so large that it loses its sense of reality. I was originally prepared to admire this great achievement, but now it feels like looking at a prehistoric mural.”

"Haha, you have a good attitude. You'll probably live a little longer." Chongming stood up from the sofa and looked the three newcomers over in turn. "I have something to say first. I don't care where you came from before. This is the Despair Wilderness. If you want to live, you have to listen to me. You must do whatever I tell you to do. No questioning or bargaining is allowed."

He raised his voice menacingly: "If one day I want you to die... you must not hesitate to run into the knife! Understand?"

Ji Huaisu smiled awkwardly, thinking to herself, "What era did this person travel from? It's been 3000 years and he's still doing this... Isn't this just a typical way to scare new recruits at the beginning of military training? She's used this trick countless times when training new recruits: cultivating obedience, creating a sense of crisis, and elevating the leader's status."

But this is the border of Heavenly Prison, not a recruit training camp. We're all Ascended Ones, and you're still playing these games? Even your loyal subordinates are starting to sigh in embarrassment. You know how undignified you are!

Ji Huaisu gave Fan De a look, and the latter, always shameless, immediately prepared to laugh it off and smooth things over: "Oh, Commander Chongming, you're too kind. We're new here and have been entirely taken care of by you, of course—"

"I don't understand," Chu Hengkong said.

Fan De and Ji Huaisu both covered their faces, thinking to themselves that this was exactly what they were worried about! Even teenagers might get a little angry at this kind of talk... let alone an assassin who was a million times more stubborn than a child and was born not to fall for it!

Chongming rolled up his sleeves and slammed his katana down heavily: "Newbie, do you have a problem with your senior?"

Chu Hengkong stood up, walked around the sofa to the opposite side of Chongming: "I can't really say what my opinion is. We are all very grateful that you are willing to help. It's just that we feel that everyone's life is in their own hands. It doesn't make sense to ask someone to entrust their life to you on the first day we met."

"Huh?" Chongming pushed up his sunglasses hard with his middle finger. "So you're saying you're looking for trouble, huh? You're deliberately trying to pick a fight, aren't you!"

Ji Huaisu slapped his forehead, thinking to himself, "Damn, this officer's performance is even worse than that of a petty thug! Your subordinates are already looking like they want to disappear into the ground!"

Chu Hengkong smiled and said, "Yes."

"Dude, can't you act like an adult for once?! You two are already competing to see who can be the most humiliating!" Vande shouted hoarsely, increasingly uneasy as he watched. That impatient smile, those expectant eyes, those restless wrists…

What the hell? Has this assassin's fighting addiction kicked in?! Just how strong must his fighting spirit be to provoke a thug at this moment?!

Chongming, neck stiff, stepped forward and blocked Chu Hengkong's path: "Believe it or not, I'll cut off your tentacles, you bastard!"

"Try it if you dare, bandaged man." Chu Hengkong narrowed his eyes.

"Good, brat! You're on the kill list from now on. In three seconds, your nickname will be One-Armed Man!" Chongming shouted, spitting as he gave the middle finger. "3! 2!"

-

The hilt of the sword, drawn an inch from its sheath, struck the scabbard with a soft scraping sound.

“1,” Chongming said.

The tentacle fell off.

Colorless blood flowed out.

The incision was unbelievably clean, hardly deserving the name of a scar. It was as if something unrelated had simply been separated, allowing the body and limbs that didn't belong to it to return to their proper places. Then, thoughts slowly flowed, like melting ice, pain, bewilderment, and fighting spirit—there was no room for emotion to remain. In the empty vision, only the lightning-fast slash remained—

Chu Hengkong reached for his left arm and gripped his tentacle tightly.

The skin felt moist as usual. No blood. No wounds. Completely unharmed. It was as if nothing had happened, literally. He whirled around, meeting the bandaged man's mischievous grin.

"You've been tricked, haven't you? Hahahaha!" Chongming laughed heartily, and his men joined in. "I was just joking. There's no law or order here. In fact, we can't influence you at all."

"Because we are 'people in the fog'."

Chapter 157 My Uncontrollable Power

Chu Hengkong touched his "wound," still feeling lingering fear as he felt the tentacles detach from his body and fall to the ground. But only a second passed, and he could no longer recall the feeling of being struck. Half a second later, even the miraculous swordsmanship was almost gone.

When he looked up, the memory of being beheaded had almost disappeared, leaving only a faint impression of "having been beheaded".

"What's the principle?"

“Didn’t I tell you, Fog Man!” Chongming laughed. “I, and most of the members of the research institute, are people who participated in the great war. We are like the Heavenly Prison War, beings whose existence cannot be proven.”

“Many of us are already dead, awakened along with the resurgence of the evil god. Those who are still alive by chance are projections of 'ourselves' from the past,” the frog-faced man added with a grin. “How can a fog that both exists and doesn’t exist affect people who actually exist?”

“The damage will be erased…” Mohican flexed his biceps.

"The knowledge conveyed will be forgotten..." the hooded woman added ominously.

Standing behind Chongming, they said with their heads held high, "All we can do is cheer you on!"

"That's completely useless!" Vande couldn't help but exclaim.

“Young man, don’t be so blunt…” “We fought bravely on the battlefield back then…” “Although we never even touched Vansalar before we died…”

The researchers huddled in a corner, muttering dejectedly. Chongming kicked them out of the room and picked up his knife.

"That's how it is! We can't count on the old guard anymore. Whether we can defeat the evil god depends entirely on you newcomers." He tossed a bunch of keys over. "Go straight to the guest room and turn left. I'll tell you the arrangements tomorrow morning. Enjoy your sleep while you still have time."

Chu Hengkong remained standing there, dazedly touching his tentacles. He suddenly turned around and stared at Chongming, who was about to leave.

"The key is the timing of exerting force."

"Oh?" Chongming turned his head.

“Your slash was too fast, but you used very little force. At that speed, if you had used even a fraction of your strength, it wouldn’t just be my left arm that would have been severed,” Chu Hengkong said intently. “So you were powerless during the slash… The only time you could exert force was when you ‘draw your sword.’ That slash was your sword-drawing technique. Because the force you channeled was negligible, you could only swung it in a split second to kill, which is why you were able to close the distance to face me. If the distance between a person and a sword were even an inch greater, the power would vanish in an instant, and the killing blade would become a powerless swing.”

Chongming glanced at him sideways, while Chu Hengkong racked his brains, trying to dig out the erased memories: "But merely controlling the timing is not enough... You also need a point of force that exists for only a moment... your fingertips?"

"You're wrong," Chongming said lazily.

He hadn't heard or realized the content of the conversation, but he understood that it was taking place. The man in sunglasses tapped the scabbard, a hint of helplessness in his smile.

“I’ve already explained the key points of this strike. Can you hear me?” Chongming shrugged. “There’s nothing I can do about it.”

"Kill me again!" Chu Hengkong said urgently, "If it happens again—"

“It’ll be the same every time. Don’t be so presumptuous as to challenge the rules of the world.” Chongming tapped his shoulder with the scabbard. “Before you delve into technology, think about yourself first. Your condition is so bad it’s laughable.”

"You're right, a person's life is in their own hands. If you don't want to die too soon, don't overestimate your abilities."

Chongming carried his katana out of the reception room, ignoring the newlyweds inside. Chu Hengkong stood still, still trying to imitate his previous strike. He stubbornly tried dozens of times before regretfully giving up.

"After following you for so long, I've finally seen you suffer a major setback, buddy," Vande said. "You lost miserably technically."

"His swordsmanship is terrifying." The assassin smiled bitterly. "It's the most terrifying sword I've ever seen in my life."

Ji Huaisu was puzzled: "Their attitude was actually quite good..."

"It's not about personality, it's about swordsmanship." Chu Hengkong shook his head. "Think about it, what would happen if you missed a strike even once with such extreme technique?"

“The ordinary ones won’t work.” Ji Huaisu thought for a moment, “Because the strength used when drawing the sword is exhausted, it will become a harmless sword.”

"To swing a useless blade on the battlefield means one's own death. He draws his sword on the premise that every strike 'must succeed,' and each strike will determine the outcome; it's either the enemy or me who dies," Chu Hengkong said. "Fighting with such swordsmanship means that every minute and every second is like the final moment when we are fighting a powerful enemy to the death. Besides being terrifying, I really don't know what word would be better to describe it."

The final moments of a death match... were like the last sword strike she and Olek made in their final exchange, like the final blow that decided the outcome between Chu Hengkong and Shax. If every move in every battle were to be fought with such intensity, if she were to maintain that incredible state at all times, it would be equivalent to struggling on the brink of death every single moment...

Ji Huaisu felt a chill run down his spine as he thought about it: "Wow, are the martial spirits of the remnants of the heart so abundant during wartime?!"

"After all, they are the Heartbreakers. They are ruthless to themselves than to their enemies. They are the only ones in the world of Shen Dong." Vande said listlessly, "Go to sleep, brothers. We can suffer tomorrow. I really need to rest today."

Vande huddled in his coat pocket, listless ever since arriving in the Desolate Wilderness, always looking like he was about to fall asleep. The other two were equally exhausted; the slumber they had endured during their journey had brought little relief, but instead made them even more lethargic.

Following Chongming's instructions, they found the guest room, which was actually just a small room with several quilts scattered haphazardly on the floor. Sweat and blood seeped into it, giving it a stench that was somewhere between damp and rotten.

"Would you mind sleeping on a waterbed?" Ji Huaisu asked.

"up to you."

Ji Huaisu pushed the dirty bedding aside and made two beds out of sand. She shaped warm water into blue, jelly-like mattresses and blankets.

"You are now a living elemental mage."

"If I weren't worried about causing trouble, I would have already decorated this place brightly lit." Ji Huaisu made a face. "Can you still hold up?"

"I'll stay up all night, you go to sleep first."

Ji Huaisu darted into the water blanket, closed her eyes, and fell asleep instantly. In the short time it took to exchange just a few words, Fan De had already fallen asleep. Chu Hengkong tucked him into his small sleeping bag and then sat down on the waterbed himself. Ji Huaisu's elemental magic was indeed impressive; she had encased the water in a gelatinous "shell," making it as warm as a hot water bottle when you lay inside. But Chu Hengkong sat alone on the bed, exhausted both physically and mentally, yet wide awake.

His heart had been uneasy; a heavy, oppressive feeling weighed on his chest like a boulder, an indescribable discomfort, exacerbated by the terrible environment. The place was chillingly cold, the pervasive chill seeping into the earth, making every step feel like walking through a frozen wasteland. More than blankets, they needed light and fire to dispel the cold, but in this desolate wilderness, whoever ignites the light will inevitably face a test; he couldn't gamble his safety with the warmth of a single night.

I wonder where the other creatures who came to the Despair Wilderness have gone; when we meet again, some of them may already be corpses...

The situation was currently chaotic. Chongming said that to leave, they had to defeat Fansalal, but it was hard to say there weren't other ways to escape. Chu Hengkong knew very well that his main goal was to return to Huilong City, not to come to the ancient battlefield to act like a hero. If he could run away, there was really no need to fight against the evil god. After all, this unexpected journey was caused by him, and he had to bring Ji Huaisu back safely...

Thinking this, the assassin chuckled silently. Instinctively, he again placed his partner in a position requiring protection, but Ji Huaisu was now far stronger than him. The problem that had plagued his partner for years was finally resolved, but his own predicament remained unresolved. He still couldn't control the Immortal Machine; he still faced the risk of going berserk.

Silently, the Steel Bug appeared in the center of his vision, infusing him with chilling killing intent. After his previous rampage, the effects of the Immortal Machine had become even more intense. His earlier provocation of Chongming was not only due to the impulse to compete with a strong opponent, but also because his killing intent was almost out of control.

It's only a matter of time before the next rampage occurs, and then there won't be any more kind-hearted centaur girls passing by to save him.

"..."

Chu Hengkong suppressed his inexplicable thoughts, preparing to spend the first half of his night watch pondering his swordsmanship. But then, he suddenly shuddered, his right hand involuntarily clutching his chest. The tightness in his chest intensified, a strange tremor emanating from deep within his body, like a raging fire igniting his blood and bones. His heart pounded wildly, so hard it felt like it would shatter his chest!

It was that blood! The blood Qingxia used to save him! The outsider's blood dominated his heart, making him frantic as if he were fighting a powerful enemy. A distant battle intent was sent into his body by an invisible thread, and Chu Hengkong instinctively guessed what was happening. At this very moment, Qingxia was fighting someone, and her blood, like an invisible thread, synchronized the battle intent of his body with hers.