Chapter 109: A Gruesome Victory

Chapter 109: A Gruesome Victory

The legendary Great Kun man crumbled, his body crashing into the swamp and splashing filthy water everywhere.

As Ji Xinghuo finished speaking, his mouth twitched violently.

"Ow!"

A piercing pain surged through his mind, relentless and overwhelming, turning his face sheet-white. He clenched his teeth to stay conscious and managed to stay standing, albeit unsteadily.

His left arm was severed at the forearm, blood gushing out relentlessly.

Ji Xinghuo threw away Lei Chi, using his right hand to grip the stump and reduce the blood loss. He turned and saw his left hand lying on a patch of grass not far away. He staggered over, wanting to pick it up but unable to do so. As soon as he loosened his grip on the stump, blood would spurt out.

"Xinghuo."

Yuan Chongzhen hurried over and helped Ji Xinghuo pick up his left hand.

He was in bad shape too, with wounds all over his body and blood spilling from his mouth. The ultrasonic sword energy had a penetrating effect, causing not only external wounds but also internal organ damage.

If it weren't for the Black Iron Giant Ape's iron-hard body and formidable defense, as well as its ability to transform into the Forest Elk Spirit for self-healing, Yuan Chongzhen would have been dead by now.

"Help me keep it safe," Ji Xinghuo said through gritted teeth as he slowly sat down. "I'm fine. Go check on Jing Ji."

He couldn't be in a worse state right now. The consecutive use of Flash Step, Rotating Magnetic Field, and Myriad Phenomenon had drained the last bit of his stellar power, and his physical energy was completely spent, making even walking difficult.

Alex was in a dire state as well, lying motionless in a puddle. If it weren't for the faint rise and fall of his chest, one might have thought he was already dead.

But the worst off was Jing Ji.

He had been hit head-on by the Great Kun man's sonic boom and then swept by the aftermath of the ultrasonic sword energy. Phantom Assassins were not adept at direct combat, and their bodies and defenses were relatively weak. Jing Ji's situation didn't look good.

Yuan Chongzhen ran to Jing Ji's side and transformed into the Forest Elk Spirit. He continuously drew on the life force of the surrounding plants to heal Jing Ji's injuries.

Jing Ji's breath was weak, and he could barely stay conscious.

A few minutes later,

Jing Ji's complexion finally improved slightly, and he said with difficulty, "Old Yuan, that's enough. I should be out of danger now."

"Damn, you scared me to death! I'm just glad you're alive!" Yuan Chongzhen couldn't maintain his transformation any longer and reverted to his human form, plopping down on the ground, too exhausted to even lift a finger.

The swamp fell silent as the four men found themselves unable to speak.

"Hahaha! I survived..." Yuan Chongzhen suddenly burst into laughter, but the action tugged at his wounds, causing him to grimace in pain.

The four men looked at each other, their gazes finally settling on the corpse of the legendary Great Kun man, and a smile appeared on their faces.

This was the joy of victory! A belated realization, but the euphoria was overwhelming.

Although the battle had been brutal, they had not only survived but also killed a legendary powerhouse!

After a while, Ji Xinghuo's severed arm stopped bleeding, and his stellar power and physical energy recovered slightly. Despite the lingering pain from his wounds, he could stand up. He walked over to Jing Ji and Yuan Chongzhen and used his single hand to examine Jing Ji's injuries, his brows furrowing.

Jing Ji's injuries were severe. Almost every bone in his body was shattered, and multiple internal organs were ruptured. If it weren't for the Superbeing's robust physique and astonishing regenerative abilities, coupled with Yuan Chongzhen's treatment to stop the bleeding, he would have been dead by now.

"We must get him back to the Midpoint Fortress as soon as possible and find someone to treat him," Ji Xinghuo said.

The healing abilities of the Forest Elk Spirit were inferior to those of the White Knights and Plant Shamans. It could only address the symptoms and not the root cause. Ji Xinghuo's hand also needed to be reattached, and any delay would be detrimental.

Alex had also regained some strength and walked over, saying, "Let's go now."

Yuan Chongzhen climbed to his feet and gathered materials from the nearby forest to make a simple stretcher. Together with Alex, they carefully placed Jing Ji on it and carried him away.

"Don't forget the spoils of war," Jing Ji said from the stretcher. "We earned this with our lives..."

"I know," Ji Xinghuo replied.

He retrieved the backpack he had discarded before the battle and approached the corpse of the legendary Great Kun man, carefully inspecting it.

The only valuable thing on the Great Kun man was his longsword, which Ji Xinghuo had already stored in his Dimensional Stomach. So, he cut off the Great Kun man's head and stuffed it into the bag before catching up with the others.

He retrieved his severed hand and took off the two rings on it, wearing them on his right hand instead.

The severed hand was then stored in his Dimensional Stomach for preservation.

The Acceleration Ring boosted his stellar power recovery, and after walking for over ten kilometers, Ji Xinghuo's stellar power had increased by several dozen points, and his physical energy had recovered as well, giving him the ability to fight again.

Using his Magnetic Field Sense to scan the surroundings, he led the way, avoiding all other people on their path.

By now, it was starry night.

The human side of the Starry Domain defense line was relatively safe, but the four men were in poor condition and couldn't move quickly. It took them over four hours to finally catch sight of the Midpoint Fortress.

"We're back!"

Yuan Chongzhen exclaimed in delight, and Ji Xinghuo felt the joy of having survived a calamity.

The four men arrived at the fortress gate and waited a few minutes until the gate opened, allowing a group of bounty hunters to exit. The bounty hunters took note of the four men's miserable state and recognized their identities. When they saw Jing Ji lying on the stretcher, they stopped in their tracks, their faces filled with shock.

The gate guards knew Ji Xinghuo and the others, and after a quick check, they were allowed to enter.

Yuan Chongzhen and Alex rushed inside with Jing Ji, heading straight for the Midpoint Fortress hospital. The emergency room doctors were all Superbeings, and they immediately began treating Jing Ji's injuries.

The other three also sought medical attention.

Ji Xinghuo handed his severed hand to an orthopedic surgeon.

The doctor secretly admired Ji Xinghuo's calm demeanor, as he had extensive experience treating such injuries. He carefully cleaned the severed hand and the wound, straightened the nerves and blood vessels, and connected them accordingly, fixing them in place with medical devices without sewing them together.

"That's it, Mr. Ji," the doctor said, knowing from Ji Xinghuo that he had an extremely strong self-healing ability.

Ji Xinghuo nodded slightly and activated the Rotating Magnetic Field.

Instantly, the stump of his arm felt both painful and itchy as cells proliferated and grew at an astonishing rate. The wound on his forearm healed within seconds, and the muscles and blood vessels rapidly reconnected. The bones joined together, and blood flowed into his left palm, restoring its healthy color.

In the Myriad Phenomenon interface, the left hand of the human hologram also reappeared.

Stellar power surged into his left hand, further accelerating the self-healing process.

Ji Xinghuo regained sensation in his hand and tried to move it, finding no sign of clumsiness or delay. After a few minutes, his left hand had completely recovered, and the Thousand Dexterity Hands were undamaged.

The orthopedic surgeon was left stunned and speechless.

He had never seen such powerful self-healing abilities in all his years of medical practice.

Just as Ji Xinghuo was about to speak, Jing Ji walked out of the room.

Although he still looked weak, he could move about freely.

Yuan Chongzhen exclaimed in surprise, "You're already done?"

Jing Ji shook his head. "No. I'm definitely not going to die, but it took half my life away. I can walk now, but I'll fall at the slightest touch. My strength is less than a tenth of what it used to be, and it will take at least a full year to fully recover."

"You should be happy that you're still alive," Yuan Chongzhen said, finally relieved.

Ji Xinghuo patted Jing Ji's shoulder with his left hand.

Only then did the three of them notice that Ji Xinghuo's left hand had been reattached, as if it had never been severed. Yuan Chongzhen examined it closely and asked doubtfully, "Your hand isn't just attached, is it? It won't fall off with a touch?"

"Do you want me to punch you and show you?" Ji Xinghuo joked, throwing a mock punch with his left hand.

Bang!

The air exploded with a dull sound.

Yuan Chongzhen jumped in shock. In his eyes, Ji Xinghuo was now a monster. Especially after witnessing his life-and-death battle with the legendary Great Kun man and ultimately defeating him, any exaggerated action from Ji Xinghuo now seemed perfectly reasonable.

A mid-level superbeing fighting a legendary powerhouse head-on and not only surviving but also emerging victorious—no one would believe it if they told the story.

But he had seen it with his own eyes!

It was only now that Jing Ji and the other two realized what Ji Xinghuo had done. Recalling the battle, they were incredulous and overwhelmed with shock.

Sensing their thoughts, Ji Xinghuo said, "Let's talk about it outside."

The four men paid a hefty medical bill and rented a private room in a nearby restaurant. Ji Xinghuo took out the legendary Great Kun man's longsword from his Dimensional Stomach and placed it on the table.

The other three stared at it with wide eyes.

In fact, they had been curious about how Ji Xinghuo had won and why the Great Kun man's longsword had suddenly disappeared.

Now, as Ji Xinghuo unabashedly presented the sword, they could finally confirm their suspicions.

Ji Xinghuo might possess a legendary spatial equipment.

Their gazes fell on Ji Xinghuo's hand, where two rings and a thumb ring were worn, guessing which one contained the spatial ability.

Ji Xinghuo let them speculate without offering an explanation. "I hope you can keep this confidential," he said.

"Of course," Jing Ji smiled.

"I never talk carelessly," Yuan Chongzhen assured.

Alex nodded slightly.

"What I mean is, I want you to keep the details of this battle confidential," Ji Xinghuo clarified. "The four of us encountered the legendary Great Kun man, fought together, paid a painful price, and finally killed the enemy. I merely delivered the finishing blow."

The three men understood. Ji Xinghuo wanted to downplay his role in the battle.

In reality, they knew that without Ji Xinghuo, they wouldn't have stood a chance against the Great Kun man and would have surely perished.

This victory was at least eighty percent attributed to Ji Xinghuo.

If the news got out, Ji Xinghuo would become famous worldwide, climbing the ranks of the Tower as a mid-level superbeing and securing a high position.

"I can accept the fame, but I don't want to attract too much attention just yet," Ji Xinghuo explained. "I hope you can understand."

Jing Ji didn't quite understand but nodded anyway. "No problem."

"So, we'll all say that the four of us contributed equally and barely managed to take down the Great Kun man," Yuan Chongzhen suggested.

Alex didn't object.

Yuan Chongzhen then asked, "How do we divide the spoils?"

Immediately, the four men's gazes fell on the longsword on the table. The bounty and points could be evenly split, but the sword was a different matter.

Ji Xinghuo picked up the sword and examined it closely, noticing some characters engraved at the end of the hilt, likely in the Great Kun man's language.

Alex glanced at it and said, "Mo Yin."

Seeing their surprised expressions, he explained, "I've studied the Great Kun language and know a bit of their writing. 'Mo Yin' should be the name of this sword."

"Mo Yin..." Yuan Chongzhen shook his head. "A fitting name, as the devil's music pierces your ears."

Ji Xinghuo studied the sword's characteristics. It weighed about 10 kilograms, was about 1.2 meters long, had a pale blue blade as wide as a palm, and featured a wavy edge with seven peaks from hilt to tip. The spine of the sword was hollowed out, giving it a unique design, and its power was unquestionable.

Mo Yin possessed five supernatural effects, all related to sound.

It could unleash ultrasonic sword energy, with its range and damage depending on the amount of stellar power expended;

'Sound Form' granted the wielder enhanced auditory abilities, allowing them to locate and lock onto targets through sound;

'Buzzing Scream' was a large-area negative effect, emitting high-decibel noise to assault the enemy's mental state and affect their willpower;

'Sonic Boom' was a burst of sound waves that instantly damaged nearby enemies;

'Sound Lance' was a remote attack, throwing an invisible spear of sound waves that inflicted both physical and mental damage.

This sword was a three-star super-ability weapon!

Ji Xinghuo handed the sword to the others for inspection, and they couldn't help but praise it. They had personally experienced its power and suffered greatly because of it.

"A three-star weapon!" Jing Ji caressed the wavy blade. "If we put it up for auction, it would easily fetch two to three hundred million, right?"

"We can't sell it!" Yuan Chongzhen shook his head. "With that money, it would be impossible to buy an equally powerful weapon."

Selling it would be the most foolish choice.

"Then should we keep it?" Jing Ji asked regretfully. He usually used daggers and never swords.

The blade of Mo Yin was too long for a Phantom Assassin to use conveniently.

Moreover, as a Sound Phantom, several of the sword's abilities overlapped with his own supernatural powers, and he could eventually master the ones he didn't already possess.

Yuan Chongzhen and Alex exchanged glances. As a half-beastman and a Blood Butcher, respectively, they didn't need weapons in combat.

The three of them looked at Ji Xinghuo, who usually used a knife, but switching to a sword wouldn't be an issue.

Indeed, Ji Xinghuo wanted the sword. "I'll take Mo Yin and forgo the bounty allocation. I'll also give you some extra cash as compensation."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end