Chapter 127: The White Shadow's Final Resort

"Ugh..." Clutching the wound on his left arm, Bai Ying struggled to stand. He looked at Hao across the way with a sense of helplessness. He could no longer see the demonic energy bombs forming around Hao; all he could make out was a faint white shadow enveloping Hao's body—the manifestation of the demonic energy Hao had released into his surroundings.

"It seems you can no longer see the demonic energy I'm emitting," Hao said, walking toward him. He was in no hurry to attack; to him, Bai Ying no longer posed any threat. "And it appears you don't even have enough energy left to weaponize plants. How pathetic!"

Hao was right. As Bai Ying raised his arm, attempting to turn the rose seed in his hand into a thorn whip, he realized he couldn't muster any of the demonic energy within him. Was this a lingering side effect from his transformation earlier? He hadn't experienced this during his tests. There had been too many unexpected variables today. Looking at the smug expression on Hao's face, Bai Ying felt a growing sense of powerlessness.

"I’m going to torture you slowly, my little cutie," Hao said, raising a hand as a swarm of tracking bombs flew toward Bai Ying. "Which part shall disappear next? An arm? A thigh? Or perhaps that delicate neck of yours? I’m going to make you vanish bit by bit. Don't be in such a rush; the real punishment is only just beginning."

Unable to see the bombs around him, Bai Ying grew anxious. He didn't know how much longer Hao could maintain this state, but as things stood, not only was he blind to the bombs, but his own energy reserves were nearly depleted, making it impossible to weaponize plants.

Maintaining this distance from Hao would lead exactly to what the villain promised: being toyed with until death. His only chance of avoiding the blasts was to engage in close-quarters combat. Hao’s bombs detonated outside his own body; if they fought at close range, Hao would be forced to exercise caution, fearing the collateral damage of his own explosions. That might provide a sliver of opportunity for a counterattack.

With this in mind, Bai Ying ignored the bombs and lunged forward, striking with both palms toward Hao’s chest. If Hao detonated the bombs between them, he would inevitably injure himself.

"Wow! Contestant Bai Ying has suddenly launched an attack! How spectacular! This is the first time we’ve seen Bai Ying use hand-to-hand combat. I wonder who taught him his techniques? Every strike and kick flows as smoothly as drifting clouds! Bai Ying is mounting a continuous assault, seemingly giving Contestant Hao no chance to retaliate! However, Hao’s footwork is equally agile, dodging every single attack with ease. I’ve never seen such an exchange of offense and defense—it’s absolutely thrilling!"

"What is that guy doing?" Fei Yan whispered from the sidelines, unable to understand Bai Ying's choice to initiate. Attacking now was practically suicide. If Hao caught an opening, he could kill Bai Ying instantly. Moreover, Hao was in a highly dangerous state; Bai Ying was outclassed in both speed and energy. Charging in like this was like delivering meat to a predator’s mouth.

"Are you stupid? Getting close to me is suicide!" Seeing Bai Ying rushing toward him again, Hao hurled a cluster of energy-formed bombs at him. "!? "

Bai Ying didn't strike directly. Instead, he feinted, crouched, and then vaulted over Hao, landing behind him. Taking advantage of the split second it took for Hao to turn, Bai Ying struck both palms into Hao’s chest. While it didn't cause significant damage, the force of his strike ruptured the skin on Hao’s chest, causing blood to spurt out.

"Since I can't see your bombs, it doesn't matter where I am," Bai Ying panted, the effort of the strike draining his remaining strength. He had given everything he had for that one hit.

After steadying himself, Hao retreated several steps and touched the wound on his chest, breaking into a grin. "Good power, plenty of internal strength. But," he said, plucking a seed from the wound and holding it up, "this was your goal, wasn't it? A blood-sucking grass seed? Do you really think the same trick will work on me twice?" With a casual flick, he used his demonic energy to pulverize the seed into dust.

Seeing his ruse discovered, Bai Ying didn't panic. His goal wasn't actually to plant the grass inside Hao; it was merely a feint. He knew Hao was too shrewd to fall for the same trick twice, so he had intentionally let Hao find the seed, lulling him into a false sense of security for the moment when he would make his true move.

"What? Done running?" Hao wasn't in a hurry. He wanted to toy with Bai Ying until the end. Even though it was the Demon Fox that had wounded him, tormenting Bai Ying was as good as tormenting the fox hidden within him. "Where did that momentum go? Why aren't you attacking?" Seeing no reaction, Hao lunged forward.

Sensing the attack, Bai Ying instinctively tried to dodge, but as he lifted his foot, he felt it clamped by something. A small-eyed bomb crawled out of the earth, seemingly on purpose, and emitted a mechanical voice: "Gotcha! Hehe!"

The bomb locked onto Bai Ying’s left foot and detonated instantly.

"Arghhhhh!"

The force of the explosion propelled Bai Ying toward Hao. Hao watched him approach with a cold sneer.

"Don't get up, Bai Ying! You're surrounded by bombs!" Qin Xiaochuan shouted from the stands. With his spiritual perception, he could see the dense web of tracking bombs that had locked off the space around Bai Ying. There was no escape.

Ignoring the warning, Bai Ying tremblingly stood up. The explosion had mangled his left foot, but Hao had been precise—the blast had shredded the skin but left the bones and meridians intact. Still, Bai Ying could only stand on one leg.

"It seems you can't move anymore," Hao said, his voice cold. "With one foot gone, your speed is gone, too. You must be feeling absolutely desperate. What do we call this? Oh, right!" He tapped his temple. "Helpless! But don't worry, I won't kill you quickly. My anger hasn't subsided yet!" Hao flicked a finger, and bombs detonated simultaneously on Bai Ying’s shoulder and elbow.

"Ugh!"

The force of the blast left Bai Ying’s arms a bloody mess. Hao was playing with his food.

Slumping to the ground, Bai Ying’s arms hung limp. Though the meridians remained undamaged, the explosions had left his shoulders mangled, the stinging pain lashing at his nerves.

"Don't worry, I'll keep you by my side," Hao said, gazing down at the kneeling Bai Ying as if admiring a piece of art. "I’ll keep your head perfectly intact, place it on my bedside table, and look at it whenever I please! My little treasure!"

Staring at the arrogant, borderline-deranged Hao, Bai Ying was covered in cold sweat. While he acted helpless on the surface, he remained calm. The sweat was just another layer of deception. His lifelong habit of composure allowed him to search for a final breakthrough even in the depths of despair.

He calculated the distance to the bleeding wound on Hao's chest. Hao didn't realize that the blood-soaked area was exactly over his heart. The Demonic Realm's blood-sucking flower lived for such blood. Hao’s assumption that Bai Ying was out of energy was his fatal mistake.

*I will sacrifice my life to summon the blood-sucking plant,* Bai Ying thought. *The target is the wound on your chest. Even if I die, I will take you down with me.*

"Why so quiet? Out of energy? My little treasure! If you won't talk, let's continue!"

Hao raised a hand, and three bombs detonated simultaneously against Bai Ying’s back, waist, and thigh. Like the others, the blasts were surgically precise, shattering skin but sparing vital organs. Weakened by the constant attacks and blood loss, Bai Ying collapsed, gasping for air.