Chapter 52
“In your death.”
Eryke the Fourth roared. His Inner Core began to stir, and the accumulated molecules gradually spread throughout his body.
Before he could even make a move, his veins ruptured and he coughed up blood once more. His eight meridians began to open, cleansing themselves with the circulating molecules.
…
Du Mai (Governing Vessel)
This meridian runs along the central line of the back, follows the spine, passes through the nape of the neck, continues to the head, and ends at the upper lip. It is also known as the Sea of Yang.
The Du Mai Meridian grants: spinal strength, enhanced brain function, increased vitality, and indomitable willpower.
…
At this moment, Eryke the Fourth’s Du Mai meridian fully opened. However, because he had forcefully broken through, his body suffered severe internal and external injuries simultaneously.
Although his recovery was rapid, the accumulated poison had significantly slowed his regeneration. Coupled with the backlash from opening the meridian, there was no way for him to recover quickly.
“Haha! You fool! You don’t even understand the basics of Qi, how did you even manage to form a Core?”
The old man spoke with disdain as one of the figures lunged forward, thrusting a spear toward Eryke’s chest once more.
The last time, the blade had narrowly missed by a few inches to his heart, but if he were struck again, there was little chance he could dodge it.
As the figure advanced, a heavy tension filled the air. Each step felt like a heartbeat of its own.
Just as the attacker reached him, Eryke the Fourth abruptly stood. A breath of cold air swept through the battlefield, and with all his remaining strength, he punched forward.
The figure showed no hesitation, not even a flinch, as it drove the spear toward him without mercy.
The glittering fist and the spear collided with a thunderous bang.
But to the old man’s widening eyes, the spear began to bend, then shattered completely, before Eryke the Fourth’s punch landed squarely on the figure, blowing it apart and revealing a gaping hole and oozing greenish blood.
“Hmm… a zombie?”
Eryke the Fourth frowned as he studied its strange, green figure.
“You brat… how much strength do you have in that small body of yours?” the old man muttered in disbelief.
“More than enough.”
Eryke the Fourth snarled, then shot through the air like a bolt, aiming straight for the old man. But before he could reach him, more figures moved in to intercept. Two slashed at him with swords in rapid succession, blocking his path.
He rolled back, starlight shimmering around his body. But his legs wavered, growing unsteady, as if he might collapse at any moment. His vision became increasingly blurry.
“I need to deal with this damn poison… soon.”
“You might be holding on for now,” the old man said with a mocking chuckle, “but how long until my precious Heart Poison fully takes effect? Just give up and be still.”
“Just long enough.”
Eryke the Fourth lunged forward once more at full force.
Blades came at him, sword after sword, but he remained unfazed, allowing them to slice into his flesh as he bulldozed through the figures in his path.
Blood spilled freely from every wound, and from each cut, waves of searing pain coursed through his body.
These were no ordinary swords, if they were, they wouldn’t have even scratched him, not with his skin fortification.
“So close… so close,” he muttered, hand outstretched as he ran, frantic and desperate. He was barely half a meter away, well within striking range of the old man.
Shing!
A spear pierced through his back, stabbing cleanly through his chest. In an instant, it was followed by a flurry of weapons, each one driving into him with merciless force.
Eryke the Fourth dropped to his knees. His clenched fist slowly loosened, fingers trembling.
Blood pooled beneath him, and he knelt at its center, his body impaled by countless blades.
His eyes remained wide open, frozen in place like the empty stare of a corpse.
“Fool.”
The old man muttered coldly:
“I haven’t struck your heart yet, so I can still revive you as a Jiangshi. Haha…”
Just as Eryke the Fourth’s eyes were about to close, a faint ding echoed in the void of his mind. A blue prompt appeared before him:
[The Awakener is detected to be in danger. Title
Qi Signature Detected:
A single drop of water fell from the sky, glistening as it descended—then landed softly on Eryke’s forehead.
His body twitched.
His eyes trembled.
Then, slowly, he opened them.
“Are you done yapping, old fossil?”
Bang!
A fist, shimmering with starlight, rocketed forward and smashed into the old man’s face. This time, it didn’t miss.
It landed.
With devastating finality.
The old man’s head exploded, blood bursting like a fountain from the headless.
All the figures collapsed to the ground in unison, and rain grew more turbulent, its steady rhythm drowning the world.
The blood was slowly washed away by the rain, revealing the broken figure of Eryke the Fourth. He curled his lips into a grin:
“Hahaha…”
Laughing like a madman, he limped forward toward the old man’s body.
Each step felt like an eternity.
Every fiber of his being screamed in agony, his nerves aflame, muscles torn, bones aching with every movement.
The old man’s corpse was only a few steps away… yet that distance felt infinite.
‘My body’s about to give out. I need something… anything… that can keep me going. Please… let there be something. Something I can use.’
His thoughts were clear.
But his body was not.
He crashed to the ground, limbs sprawling, dragging himself inch by inch until he finally reached the old man’s corpse.
With trembling hands, he began searching, desperately rummaging through robes, pockets, anything that could help him survive.
But even after what felt like forever, he found nothing of real use.
Nothing… except a single, large pearl.
There were also some books scattered nearby, but in his current condition, he couldn’t even lift a page, let alone read.
This clone was already on the verge of collapse, more dead than alive, so there was no reason to fear risk now. If there was a chance, no matter how small, he would take it.
“Better than nothing.”
Without hesitation, he swallowed the pearl….