Chapter 346: Zhou Yinglin's Second Torment - I've Grown Weaker, But That Doesn't Mean You've Become

Chapter 346: Zhou Yinglin's Second Torment - I've Grown Weaker, But That Doesn't Mean You've Become Stronger (4K)



"So, you followed me here, Xue Jing." Li Suisui sighed.

"It's impolite to call your brother by his name, Suisui." Xue Jing teased as he sat on a giant metal leaf shaped like a lotus.

In the pitch-black environment, it wasn't until he spoke that the others suddenly turned to look in his direction.

"Xue Jing?!"

"When did you get here?!"

"You fool, why did you choose to come at a time like this?!" Someone glared at Xu Zixuan with anger.

Everyone's faces turned solemn, even fearful.

After witnessing the astonishing battle during the day, everyone now had a clear understanding of Xue Jing's strength.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that among those present, aside from Li Suisui, no one was a match for him in a single bout.

The gap in strength was no longer at the level of the Huaguan Heroes against Lu Bu, but rather like the other characters in the Shadow War witnessing the fight between Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Sasuke.

It was fine when they were watching from a distance, but now, facing him directly, that terrifying oppressive force immediately enveloped them. The crowd could almost feel an invisible sharp blade slicing across their necks, as if their lives were at stake, and they felt no sense of security.

Under the terrifying pressure of facing the Demon King, the crowd unconsciously drew closer to the only one who could stand against him, the 'Brave' Li Suisui, and stood behind him.

"Gathering together secretly in the middle of the night, are you holding a super-awesome party that all the influential figures will attend?"

"Hmm? Am I the only one who didn't receive an invitation?"

Looking at the group, who were on high alert towards him, Xue Jing smiled lightly and spoke.

"You guys shouldn't be doing this. You're ganging up on me; is this school bullying? It's truly chilling."

One of them couldn't help but shout, "What do you want?!"

His voice was loud, but it carried a noticeable trembling, lacking in confidence.

"Hmm? Isn't that a question I should be asking?"

In contrast, Xue Jing's voice was gentle, as if chatting casually, with a steady tone that carried a weight that compelled others to listen attentively.

"To deal with me and my students, you gathered secretly to discuss unsavory matters, even using an undercover agent. What should I do with you all?"

Xue Jing sighed.

"Xu, what do you think?"

He turned to Xu Zixuan.

"Teacher Xue."

Xu Zixuan unexpectedly showed a mysterious smile.

"You've already reached the brink of death."

Hearing this, everyone turned to look at him in disbelief.

This idiot is trying to provoke the Demon King at a time like this, what is he thinking?

"So, you did it on purpose."

Xue Jing wasn't surprised by Xu Zixuan's arrogant statement.

From the beginning, this person's actions had been odd. Suddenly leaving the group and sneaking away right under his nose was suspicious.

Knowing the risk of being discovered was high, especially with Xue Jing's strength, yet still taking such an action just to come here and discuss how to deal with him—the risk and reward were completely disproportionate.

The joint exam lasted a full seven days, and this was only the first day. Even if they wanted to deal with him, there was no need to be so hasty; it wasn't as if the exam would end if they didn't act immediately.

Xue Jing immediately considered the possibility that this person was trying to lure him here.

Despite considering this possibility, Xue Jing, confident in his superior skills, still decided to follow.

With his strength, at least within this border area, he no longer needed to worry about whether the other party had any schemes or ambushes.

There was no need for any intellectual battles; all matters could be resolved with a clenched fist and a punch.

The more one calculated, the more likely they were to fail. Simple matters didn't need to be complicated; if a problem could be solved with a fist, there was no need to use one's brain. That was the true way.

"So... what are you relying on?"

Xue Jing asked curiously.

As he spoke, he glanced at Li Suisui and abandoned the idea of directly attacking Xu Zixuan, deciding to let him use whatever advantage he had.

Xu Zixuan felt a chill down his spine, but he merely shook his head and confidently rolled up the sleeve of his right arm, revealing something on his wrist.

It was a light brown rope knot made from an unknown material, extremely old, with a layer of oil sheen from being handled over time.

Upon seeing this rope knot, Xue Jing narrowed his eyes slightly:

"I see..."

He recognized what it was.

"Sch Jing, this is your favorite God Relic, isn't it?" Xu Zixuan said with confidence.

"To die at the hands of this, you must be at peace, right?"

Someone picked up a flashlight and shone it on Xu Zixuan's wrist, asking curiously, "What's this?"

Li Suisui also looked over, and his expression changed: "GOD-287... Did the Xu family really spend so much to get this to use against Sch Jing?"

"Now I'm curious, what deep grudge do you have against him..."

Xu Zixuan shook his head. "It's not the Xu family, but another party who paid the price... They sent me here with this to ensure nothing goes wrong."

"Sch Jing, you love God Relics, so you should recognize this. How do you feel now?"

He looked at Sch Jing and shouted.

Sch Jing stared at the rope knot and said, "GOD-287..."

"– [Your power is not below mine]."

GOD-287, a special cursed God Relic with a serial number in the top 300, [Your power is not below mine].

After advancing to a B-rank Containment Specialist and gaining access to more information, Sch Jing learned about many high-ranking God Relics by watching White Crow and Zhi Ge's data.

He had also familiarized himself with the information on GOD-287.

This God Relic had only one function.

When worn on the hand and a specific person's name is spoken aloud, followed by the declaration, "Your power is not below mine!" the target's strength would be reduced to the same level as the wearer.

The effect was incredibly practical and terrifying.

Naturally, such a powerful conceptual ability came with certain restrictions.

First was the issue of strength disparity between the wearer and the cursed target.

The greater the strength difference between the wearer and the cursed target, the shorter the duration of the curse's effect.

Additionally, after each use, GOD-287 would immediately trigger its transferability, making it a one-time-use item.

"You're really going all out." Sch Jing said noncommittally.

As Li Suisui mentioned, the Xu family, or perhaps some unknown force, had truly spared no expense to deal with him.

Although GOD-287's serial ranking wasn't exceptionally high, it was a powerful weapon against super-strong opponents.

In theory, even an invincible figure like the Extreme Martial King might feel a chill upon seeing this item.

He never imagined it would be used against him, a 'small fry' with an estimated strength of a Second Limit Break.

How much hatred must they have for him?

"Sch Jing, the time we spent together was truly enjoyable. You're a great teacher, and I think I'll remember you for the rest of my life." Xu Zixuan sighed.

"If I could, I wouldn't want to fight you, but you're too strong. Even Li Suisui isn't your match, so I have to be the bad guy."

"Die here, Sch Jing."

Xu Zixuan extended his arm towards Sch Jing and shouted, "Sch Jing, your power is not below mine!"

In an instant, Sch Jing felt an invisible mysterious force envelop his body.

It was as if he had put on a thin sheath, his entire body bound by an invisible shackle, restricting him all over.

Sch Jing had once heard stories from amputees who had lost limbs in accidents. They described a phenomenon called phantom limb sensation.

It was like their severed limbs still existed and could be freely controlled, even feeling pain.

Sch Jing now experienced a similar sensation, as if he had become disabled.

His once-powerful body was weakened, yet he retained the illusion of his former strength. He wanted to exert himself, but it was difficult, like a disabled person still feeling their lost limb moving.

"Three minutes and fifty-three seconds. In this time, Sch Jing is as weak as I am. This is our only chance to kill him, so hurry up!" Xu Zixuan shouted.

The rope knot on his hand had disappeared.

Hearing this, everyone looked at each other, unsure who would make the first move.

They hadn't fully grasped the situation yet.

Although Xu Zixuan had spoken, they hesitated, unsure if they should believe him.

What if he was lying? The price of facing the Demon King directly was too high.

"It's true," Li Suisui said calmly.

"Sch Jing has indeed weakened."

Xu Zixuan frowned and glanced at Li Suisui.

He wondered why Li Suisui wasn't taking action.

If it were him, he should be able to finish off Xue Jing in an instant.

"Indeed, Xue Jing's aura suddenly weakened significantly. I thought it was just an illusion or that he was suppressing his power... But it seems he truly became weaker."

"Should we...?"

"We should be able to, right?"

As everyone hesitated, Li Suisui suddenly turned and left, "This is boring, I'm leaving."

"Eh?" Everyone stared at Li Suisui's departing figure, taken aback.

"What should we do now?"

Xu Zixuan was exasperated, "...You guys should go, why are you just standing there? We don't have much time left!"

He never expected that after using such a precious item, his companions would be this unreliable.

The strongest and most dependable fighter, Li Suisui, had simply walked away, leaving behind only a bunch of cowards who didn't dare to face even the weakened Xue Jing.

"He can't even beat any one of you now. If you all attack together, he's as good as dead. Don't hesitate!"

As time ticked by, Xu Zixuan's heart raced with anxiety.

Zhou Yinglin clenched his teeth, glancing at Xue Jing who remained seated on the metal plant's leaf, showing no intention of fleeing. Zhou Yinglin's sharp eyes, like those of a falcon, focused intently.

He was the only one among them who had witnessed Xue Jing's astonishing battle with Li Suisui during the day, and had also been personally beaten by Xue Jing twice before.

But now, this might be his only chance in this life to break free from the psychological shadow cast by Xue Jing. He couldn't let this opportunity slip away.

"Xue Jing... It's been a while. Who would've thought we'd meet again under these circumstances? You didn't expect this, did you?"

Zhou Yinglin took two steps forward, holding a long spear that resembled an enlarged embroidery needle. He spoke, "Hmm?" Xue Jing tilted his head in confusion.

"Who are you?"

Zhou Yinglin's eyes twitched.

"You're still as good at being annoying. Forget it, today is your death day, so I won't bother with you."

"Die, Xue Jing!"

Zhou Yinglin stomped his foot, creating a dent in the metal ground, and launched himself forward. The embroidery needle in his hand aimed straight for Xue Jing.

The flawless Seamless Spear Technique was unleashed, targeting the openings in Xue Jing's defense all around his body, forming an invisible Heavenly Robe.

Since his defeat by Xue Jing, Zhou Yinglin had painfully reflected and diligently cultivated, but his strength had not increased as rapidly as he had envisioned. Instead, it was like a turtle's slow crawl.

He understood that this was because of a 'thorn' in his heart.

The man who had defeated him twice had left a deep shadow, an overwhelming despair that made it seem impossible to surpass him no matter how hard he tried.

The turbidity in his heart affected the clarity of his spear technique. If he didn't dispel this shadow, not only would his strength fail to improve, but it might even regress, turning him into a mediocre fighter.

But now, the opportunity to dispel this shadow was right before him.

The person before him had an aura so weak that it seemed like he could kill him with a casual poke. This was in stark contrast to the overwhelming demon king against whom he saw no chance of victory.

Regardless, he was facing Xue Jing! If he could kill him with his own hands, not only would the shadow in his heart be completely dispelled, but he would break through and establish a new foundation. His strength would soar to new heights, and his mental state might even reach the 'Heavenly Transformation' level of Limit-Breaking.

Closer...

The long spear in his hand was still half a meter away from Xue Jing, yet Xue Jing remained motionless.

At this moment, Xue Jing couldn't even react to my speed...

Zhou Yinglin's heart began to race, and a surge of joy welled up within him.

I've got him, I've succeeded!

The next moment—

A bright vermillion-gold light suddenly gathered in front of Xue Jing, shining brilliantly in the pitch-black night.

In an instant, a three-meter-tall humanoid creature, resembling two people fused back-to-back, appeared before Xue Jing.

Zhou Yinglin stared in disbelief as the creature, with four arms, two faces, and a serene expression like a divine being, extended a hand and gently grasped the tip of his spear.

Zhou Yinglin felt as if he had been paused, and his momentum abruptly halted.

The immense force transmitted through the spear tip indicated the creature's power. Its muscular, knotted arm rose high and slammed down.

"Boom—!!!"

Zhou Yinglin's body shot diagonally towards the ground like a meteor, creating a human-shaped crater.

As everyone stood in shock, Xue Jing's voice slowly reached them, "I think there's been some misunderstanding."

"Even if I've become weaker, it doesn't mean you've become stronger, does it?"

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end