Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Duel of Life and Death

“Both sides are seeking flaws in their opponent’s retreat to launch an attack,” Feiyan explained, folding his arms as he watched the two fighters brawling in the ring. “When someone slips during a brawl, they expose a fatal weakness. That’s the moment that decides victory!” It seemed he understood perfectly why neither combatant bothered with defense.

As they spoke, the clash in the arena reached its climax. Xiu caught a heavy punch from Qin Xiaochuan with his face, then twisted his body, harnessing the momentum to land a fierce blow on Qin Xiaochuan’s face. That strike sent Qin Xiaochuan flying. Xiu’s face was now battered beyond recognition, swelling immediately where Qin Xiaochuan’s fist had landed, evidence of the tremendous force behind his punches. Seeing Qin Xiaochuan sent flying, Xiu realized his chance had come. He pressed his hands together before his chest, kneading them vigorously. This time, the Thunder Spirit Bomb he conjured was twice as large as the previous one, signaling his intent to stake everything on this decisive blow.

“Amazing! Is Xiu going all out?” Lingju stood up, excitement brimming in his voice as he watched the enormous Thunder Spirit Bomb forming in Xiu’s hands. He had never seen Xiu fight with such intensity, pouring all his demonic power into the attack, clearly aiming to deal Qin Xiaochuan a fatal strike.

“Unleashing lethal demonic energy for an attack— the longer you push, the more disadvantaged you become, and you risk exposing a weakness!” Observing Xiu gathering all his demonic power, Feiyan seemed to understand Xiu’s desperate tactics. Xiu was amplifying his power with the help of Demon Realm’s fiery liquor, ‘Ghost Devourer.’ Once its potency faded, his strength would rapidly diminish. Better to risk everything while the alcohol coursed strongest through him— perhaps he could cripple his opponent and then finish them off with whatever strength remained. So, during their brawl, Xiu launched the Thunder Spirit Bomb formed from every ounce of his demonic energy while his own power peaked.

“This won’t benefit either side in the end,” Bai Ying said, more concerned about the fallen Qin Xiaochuan than Feiyan was, as she watched the Thunder Spirit Bomb in Xiu’s hands, now twice its former size. “Looks like Xiu’s betting it all now!”

“Take this!” Xiu shouted, hurling his Thunder Spirit Bomb at Qin Xiaochuan with all his might. The bomb, infused with every drop of his demonic power, hurtled toward Qin Xiaochuan, who had just sat up from the ground. When Xiu knocked Qin Xiaochuan flying, he knew it was the perfect opportunity— his opponent would still be down when the Thunder Spirit Bomb reached him. While Qin Xiaochuan was airborne, Xiu kneaded all his power into the attack and launched it, determined that this blow would hit its mark. Even if Qin Xiaochuan survived, Xiu would have enough stamina left to finish him off.

‘It’s huge,’ Qin Xiaochuan thought as he sat on the ground, seeing Xiu’s Thunder Spirit Bomb bearing down on him, twice as large as before. He knew there was no way to dodge. Without hesitation, he raised his right index finger.

“It’s useless!” Seeing Qin Xiaochuan prepare to fire a Spirit Bullet, Xiu felt delight. His Thunder Spirit Bomb, unleashed with all his might, contained every scrap of his remaining power. Even if Qin Xiaochuan could focus his Spirit Bullet to intercept the incoming bomb, the bullet wasn’t strong enough to stop it. In the end, he would be swallowed by the Thunder Spirit Bomb, then struck by its residual force. No matter how he attacked or dodged, it was futile. Qin Xiaochuan, just accept defeat— victory will be mine!

“Fire! Fire!” Yet, contrary to Xiu’s expectations, Qin Xiaochuan didn’t just fire a single Spirit Bullet. He launched two in quick succession toward the incoming Thunder Spirit Bomb. Though the bullets couldn’t stop the bomb, they pierced through its center, continuing on toward Xiu.

“They actually pierced it!” Zhang Yang exclaimed, standing up in shock. He’d never seen Qin Xiaochuan fire Spirit Bullets in rapid succession. How did he even come up with this strategy? Though it didn’t halt the Thunder Spirit Bomb, those consecutive bullets would surely hit Xiu as well. Watching the two bullets cut through the massive bomb, Zhang Yang’s heart tightened with suspense.

“What? Consecutive shots?!” Xiu was astonished to find himself facing not just one, but two Spirit Bullets coming his way. He hadn’t expected Qin Xiaochuan’s reflexes to be so sharp— changing tactics in an instant. One bullet might have been negligible, but to fire two in so short a time? Was this guy intending to go down with him? Seeing the bullets hurtling toward him, Xiu knew he couldn’t dodge. The Thunder Spirit Bomb had drained all his energy. He didn’t even have the strength left to evade.

As Xiu tried desperately to move aside and avoid the two bullets, he caught a glimpse of Qin Xiaochuan on the opposite side, struck by his Thunder Spirit Bomb. Seeing his strategy succeed, Xiu smiled in triumph, even as Qin Xiaochuan’s bullets simultaneously struck him. This time, the attack was doubled, and with no power left to resist, Xiu could only rely on his physical body to withstand Qin Xiaochuan’s desperate counterattack.

“Both sides got hit!” Lingling, standing on the arena platform, stared in shock. She hadn’t expected Qin Xiaochuan, lying on the ground, to be so tenacious— able to react instantly and fire two Spirit Bullets that struck Xiu directly. She thought both fighters would be blasted out of the ring by each other’s finishing moves, but when the smoke cleared, both contestants had vanished. “They’re gone! Both sides disappeared! Did they dodge each other’s attacks, or… were they both knocked out of the arena?”

Just as Miss Lingling turned her head to search for the fighters, heavy breathing sounded from behind her. She spun around to find Qin Xiaochuan and Xiu standing right behind her, panting heavily as they stared at each other. Their speed was astonishing— even after being struck by their opponent’s finishing move, they were able to appear behind her in an instant. Judging by their tattered clothing and battered bodies, both had taken the full brunt of their opponent’s attack. Seeing them face off, Lingling hurried to comment, “Wow! When did these two sneak up behind me? It’s unbelievable! Looking at their torn clothes, it’s clear they both took a hit— their bodies are covered in wounds! The fight was so intense! I’ve never seen contestants battle to such extremes. Not only did they reveal their finishing moves to each other, they were brave enough to experience them firsthand. Truly admirable!”

Xiu seemed unmoved by Lingling’s praise, his gaze weary as he stared at Qin Xiaochuan. “…Looks like you’ve fired three shots,” Xiu said, his body slumping, one hand braced on his knee as his chest heaved. He appeared utterly spent, and after catching his breath, he continued, “And your spiritual energy is nearly depleted. Right now, you’re no different from an ordinary person… huh…”

“…Yeah…” Qin Xiaochuan admitted, his breath ragged, revealing his true state. Yet his face was still lit up with excitement— the battle had clearly brought him immense satisfaction. Though he hadn’t defeated his opponent and was nearly exhausted, simply facing a master like Xiu was reward enough. Judging by Qin Xiaochuan’s determined gaze, even without spiritual power, he was ready to fight on with sheer stamina until one of them collapsed. He wondered if Xiu felt the same.

“Actually, I’ve exhausted my demonic energy as well…”

Seeing Qin Xiaochuan admit his condition so quickly, Xiu revealed his own hand, grinning broadly. He was clearly delighted with his opponent— not only did Qin Xiaochuan match his skill, but his personality was just as bold and unrestrained. For Xiu, meeting such a fighter was pure joy. The exhilarating battle had left him profoundly satisfied, and his body trembled with delight. “Hehehe… hahaha!”

“Hehe… hahaha!”

The two looked at each other, bursting into laughter together— genuine, unforced, deep laughter, expressing their satisfaction and joy at the spirited fight.

“These two… are true battle maniacs,” Miss Lingling murmured, hardly able to believe it. How could they laugh so heartily at such a crucial moment? Were they mad? She couldn’t fathom their behavior, but didn’t forget her duty as she continued her commentary. “They’re covered in blood, yet they can still laugh so happily— true battle maniacs. I can no longer understand their actions…”

After a bout of hearty laughter, both fighters gradually calmed. “Though I admire you as an opponent, we still need to decide the match!” With his gaze fixed on Qin Xiaochuan, Xiu’s expression grew serious. The outcome was vital to him— if he couldn’t defeat Qin Xiaochuan, his team, the Six Wanderers, would be finished. Lingju was badly injured, Yan had been burned to ashes by Feiyan’s black flames, Scythe Blade had been taken out by Bai Ying, and the remaining two teammates were killed by him. If he lost now, he’d have to pack up and go home. Remembering his purpose here, Xiu grew quiet. The result of this battle determined the team’s advancement, so no matter how much he liked Qin Xiaochuan, he had to settle the score first.