Chapter 162 The Body Is Gone

The purple eyes of the Kui Ba reverted to their original red. At this moment, the Kui Ba appeared extremely weak, and the sticky, dark green blood flowing across its body grew even heavier. Taking advantage of the fact that the creature had not yet managed to crawl up from the ground, I sprinted forward, leaped into the air, and brought my foot down heavily from above. Under the sheer force of my stomp, the Kui Ba's body burst like a crushed tomato, spewing a jet of dark green, viscous fluid.

Just then, Qin Tian came over supporting Shi Liu. Qin Tian clicked his tongue and said, "Old Li, you are way too violent, that's not a good thing! Heavens preserve us, heavens preserve us!"

Ignoring this utter idiot, I squatted down to inspect the pile of mangled flesh on the ground. I simply could not understand why this Kui Ba possessed an undying body. Surely chopping its corpse into pieces wouldn't allow it to come back to life! With that thought in mind, I drew the Frost Sword, channeled my frost energy, and hacked away furiously at the heap of minced meat. Within moments, I had slashed the Kui Ba's corpse hundreds of times, reducing it to a true mess of pulp.

Growing tired from the hacking, I sheathed the Frost Sword and said to Qin Tian and Shi Liu, "Let's go. I refuse to believe it can still revive from this!"

With Qin Tian and me supporting him, Shi Liu walked forward with great difficulty. Our destination was the World Alliance. Shi Liu was usually a lone wolf, but now that he was injured, he had no choice but to accompany us. I asked him, "Shi Liu, how did you know that thing was a Kui Ba? Have you seen one before?"

Shi Liu urged us onward, saying, "We had better leave this place quickly. Once we reach a safe location, I will explain everything in detail."

Judging by Shi Liu's solemn expression, it seemed as though the Kui Ba really might spring back to life. Qin Tian said with a disdainful snort, "I must say, Shi Liu, you are a celestial god after all. How could you possibly lose to a mere Kui Ba?"

Qin Tian's words made complete sense, and it was a question I had been pondering as well. Celestial gods were inherently far more powerful than humans. Judging by Shi Liu's strength, he didn't even seem to rank among the human powerhouses. I wondered how my own strength, enhanced by the Qi-Consolidating Pill, would compare to Shi Liu's. I desperately wanted to find an opportunity to spar with him, though this was certainly not the time.

Upon hearing Qin Tian's question, Shi Liu fell silent. Since Shi Liu said nothing, neither Qin Tian nor I spoke either. The three of us remained in awkward silence for a short while until Qin Tian broke the ice. "Don't take it to heart, Brother Shi Liu! I'm not the best with my words. If Brother Shi Liu would rather not talk about it, then let's drop it. We should hurry back."

Shi Liu sighed softly. "It's not that I'm unwilling to speak of it. This matter is a long story. If you truly wish to hear it, I fear three days and three nights wouldn't be enough to finish!"

There are two types of people I detest the most in this world. One is the kind who starts a sentence with "This is a long story," and the other is the exact same kind who says "This is a long story" and then glosses right over it. However, I didn't feel any aversion to Shi Liu's remark; on the contrary, I was deeply curious. Shi Liu was clearly a man with a past, and if the opportunity arose in the future, I would definitely make sure to understand him better!

I turned to Qin Tian and Shi Liu and said, "You go on ahead, I'll be right back." With those words, I spun around and headed back the way we came. I had suddenly remembered Chu Jun's Blazing Flame Sword. Since Chu Jun was already dead, that sword naturally belonged to me now. To let such a divine weapon go to waste would be an absolute crime! The wound on my neck had stopped bleeding, but I still felt a profound weakness throughout my body, panting heavily after running just a few steps. The dried blood caked around my neck created a thoroughly uncomfortable sensation. Qin Tian called out from behind, "Old Li, where are you going?"

Without looking back, I shouted, "You guys go ahead."

I had witnessed how formidable Chu Jun was when wielding the Blazing Flame Sword—its power was not a bit inferior to the Frost Sword. Qin Tian had never possessed a proper weapon, which put him at a huge disadvantage in combat. My plan was to give the Blazing Flame Sword to him so that he could unleash greater power and avoid finding himself in such a pathetic state when facing formidable enemies!

Arriving at the edge of the large pit, I prepared to jump down. Peering over the rim, I saw that Chu Jun's corpse was gone. The body had vanished!

I hurriedly turned back to call out to Qin Tian and Shi Liu, but the moment I pivoted, a massive face materialized right in front of me. It was only an inch away from my own. Startled out of my wits by this sudden apparition, I instinctively took a step back in panic. I completely forgot there was a massive pit directly behind me, and with a resounding thump, I tumbled back into it.

Damn it! My luck couldn't possibly get any worse! I climbed up from the ground, rubbing my backside as I looked up, but the giant face was nowhere to be seen. The proximity had been too close to get a clear look earlier, but I was certain that face belonged to neither Qin Tian nor Shi Liu.

The Kui Ba. Could it be the Kui Ba again? Was it truly unkillable, dammit? This was simply invincible—infinitely resurrecting, capable of regenerating even after being chopped into minced meat. How was one supposed to fight this thing? Run. I had only a single thought left in my mind: run!

Just as I moved to bolt, a tremendous wave of pressure descended from all directions, and my legs went soft, forcing me to my knees. The moment I hit the ground, every ounce of strength was drained from my body, and my head drooped limply.

I wanted to lift my head, but my body felt as though it no longer belonged to me, with only a shred of consciousness remaining. Was I dead? Why couldn't I move, nor even sense my own physical existence? What on earth was happening?

Yet, I could still perceive what was right in front of me, limited though my field of vision was. An arm suddenly appeared on the ground before my eyes, a pale finger adorned with an ancient cyan ring. That arm... wasn't that my own arm? Fuck! I was being dismembered! Why couldn't I feel anything at all? Not even a shred of pain!

Next, a large chunk of bloody flesh dropped down from above. I could clearly see the fine hairs on the skin—this was unmistakably my own body, and that piece of meat had come from my back. What could possibly be more spine-chilling than this method of death? Although I felt no physical pain, the bone-chilling terror struck straight to my brain. If Shi Liu and Qin Tian didn't come to my rescue soon, once the Kui Ba completely dismantled me, even with my automatic regenerative ability, I feared it would be beyond saving!

Another arm was tossed onto the ground not far away, blood spraying across the earth, though I couldn't smell a thing. Who on earth was doing this to me? Was it Chu Jun, or was it the Kui Ba? Why didn't they dare face me head-on, instead slowly dismantling me piece by piece from behind? Damn it all! A surge of fury raged through my heart!

Gradually, a profound exhaustion overtook me. This fatigue was unlike any physical tiredness I had ever experienced; it was a sensation welling up from the deepest recesses of my soul, making me desperately want to sleep. My eyelids grew heavier and heavier...