Chapter 67: The City’s Fangs

Qian Ye asked, “Are you of the Human race?”

“Of course. What, do you have any last words?” Li Zhan looked Qian Ye up and down, a hint of surprise in his eyes, as if he hadn’t expected that the one he was pursuing would also be of the Human race.

“If you are Human, why are you serving the Dark races?”

Li Zhan raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by such a question, but he remained patient. “This is not servitude; it is cooperation. Both sides get what they need.”

“Both sides get what they need?” Qian Ye sneered. “Do you know what this cooperation will bring to the Dark races? What kind of benefits can you exchange for what you give them?”

A glint flashed in Li Zhan’s eyes. “That is not my concern. All I care about now is bringing you to my master. If you don’t resist and come with me quietly, I’ll take you alive. If you resist, I’ll take your corpse. It makes no difference to me either way.”

Qian Ye raised his hand, the Twin Blossoms pointing at Li Zhan, and at the same moment, a soft click sounded as he loaded a primordial essence bullet into the gun.

Instantly, Li Zhan’s killing intent surged.

He was not a man of many words, but this city was too eerie. When he entered the city, he was part of a group of three, but after turning through a few blocks, they had been separated silently in the fog. This was certainly abnormal. They were seasoned veterans who always stayed alert. How could they make such a mistake?

Thus, when Li Zhan saw Qian Ye and realized he was Human, he was extremely surprised and couldn’t help but say a few more words, partly to gauge his intentions. But he didn’t expect Qian Ye to pull a fast one under his nose.

Li Zhan sneered, “You think one bullet will make me back off? With your strength, unless you use Black Titanium Annihilation Bullets, it’s doubtful you could even penetrate my defenses. Put down your gun…”

His words suddenly trailed off, and he continued, “You really have Black Titanium Annihilation Bullets?”

Qian Ye smiled faintly, “Once I fire, won’t you know?”

Li Zhan’s gaze sharpened, and the primordial essence light radiating from his arms grew denser, almost solidifying.

Qian Ye’s expression remained unchanged, and the Twin Blossoms steadily pointed at Li Zhan as he slowly backed away.

Li Zhan clenched his left fist, his cheek twitching, and reluctantly followed step by step.

The distance between them remained around several meters. Neither paid attention to their surroundings, only feeling the fog thickening, making it difficult to sense each other’s movements clearly at this range.

When Li Zhan didn’t immediately pounce, Qian Ye knew he had won this gamble.

Clearly, Li Zhan, after weighing the options, concluded that the gap in strength between them was too large. A slight opportunity would allow him to easily capture Qian Ye, and there was no need to risk mutual destruction.

Qian Ye kept retreating and suddenly sidestepped, disappearing around a corner. After a moment, Li Zhan rounded the corner. The narrow alley was shrouded in mist, and Qian Ye was long gone.

Li Zhan stood still for a moment, his face grim. He had indeed caught a whiff of Black Titanium from Qian Ye. Though he was skeptical—how could a non-battle-hardened youngling drive Black Titanium Annihilation Bullets with a level-four primordial essence gun? Yet, both the city and Qian Ye’s appearance were abnormal. Li Zhan did not dare to take risks lightly. He cared little for life and death but had no desire to die due to recklessness.

Glancing around, knowing tracking in the fog might be futile, Li Zhan prepared to follow nonetheless. Suddenly, a Blood Noble burst out of the mist.

Li Zhan instantly gripped his long sword and primordial essence gun, staring intently. Their cooperation was temporary, and everyone knew it was fragile.

The Blood Noble saw Li Zhan and immediately tensed, stopping and stepping aside. Pressing his hand to his chest, blood oozed from between his fingers, tainted with purplish-black.

Li Zhan’s pupils narrowed. This was a sign of Mithril contamination. If the noble was injured by Qian Ye, the battle site should be nearby, so why couldn’t he hear anything?

Li Zhan gained another bit of understanding about this bizarre city. Glancing at the Blood Noble, he walked away, vanishing into the mist.

The Blood Noble just let out a breath of relief when a short knife flew through the air, impaling his wound and pinning him to the wall.

Li Zhan reappeared from the mist.

The Blood Noble, with great difficulty, pointed at Li Zhan, “Y-You…” But no more words came as blood surged into his throat, silencing him.

Expressionless, Li Zhan approached the Blood Noble. Supplies and equipment were too precious to waste in this place.

As Li Zhan neared the corpse, two metal spheres rolled out of the fog towards him.

Li Zhan’s face changed, and he leaped with all his might, almost instantly reaching his top speed. Despite the blinding mist, he charged ahead.

Those well-crafted metal spheres were clearly Blood Noble primordial essence grenades!

The explosion seemed to shake the entire block. The shockwave caught Li Zhan, flipping him over. Looking back, the Blood Noble’s body was torn to pieces.

Li Zhan’s face turned ashen, and veins on his hand holding the sword throbbed. He spun around, following the direction from which the grenades came. But the streets were intricate, and the fog obscured everything, leaving no sign of anyone.

Behind him, the stone-paved roads and stripped outer decorations began to restore, and the Blood Noble’s body parts slowly sank into the ground.

In the fog of another street, Qian Ye silently hastened, pushing open a house door, intending to find a place to rest.

But his expression suddenly changed!

The hallway leading inside was clear, revealing a Blood warrior, half-sunken into the ground, struggling to pull himself out. Like a weary traveler sinking in quicksand, his struggles only pulled him deeper.

The Blood warrior saw Qian Ye, his pale face filled with horror, mouth moving soundlessly. But Qian Ye heard nothing.

It was a suffocating silence.

Qian Ye’s heart pounded, as if about to burst out of his chest. Looking down, he saw his feet slowly sinking. His usually sharp senses detected nothing until he saw it with his own eyes!

Without hesitation, Qian Ye leaped, managing to free himself, and dashed out. When his feet hit the street, the eerie sensation lingered, but fortunately, the street was normal.

Qian Ye’s gaze swept over the nearby houses. Without further risk, he was almost certain that staying in any room in the city was out of the question.

This eerily silent city was slowly baring its fangs, no longer content with consuming dead flesh.

The Primordial Wings fluttered, and the True Vision Eye revealed itself in the distance. Qian Ye felt a strange sensation and wondered, what was it waiting for?

Leaning against the wall, Qian Ye took out a Mithril bullet, and the scarlet primordial essence light in his palm enveloped the bullet, liquefying it.

Since mastering the Ancient Scroll, minor changes had occurred. For example, the vulnerabilities associated with the Blood physique had vanished; silver and Mithril, toxic to the Blood, no longer affected him. Sometimes, even Qian Ye wondered what he would become.

Holding the Crimson Fang, Qian Ye coated it with Mithril. Moments later, the Mithril bullet was used up, and a dangerous, flowing silver light covered the dagger’s blade.

Standing upright, Qian Ye returned the Twin Blossoms to their holster, gripped the Crimson Fang, and re-entered the foggy streets.

In the coming time, the city would become more perilous. Qian Ye did not know how many pursuers were in this space, but with the rooms turning into deadly traps, the survivors’ search area had shrunk to the streets, increasing the likelihood of encounters.

A Blood Noble appeared before Qian Ye. Startled, the noble then lunged, but as his sword was mid-air, Qian Ye’s figure flickered, and the Crimson Fang pierced the noble’s heart.

The Blood Noble gurgled, taking his last breath, never fully comprehending how the dagger had penetrated his heart.

A warm, radiant current flowed into Qian Ye’s body through his activated essence lines. Supporting the weakening noble, he gently laid him on the ground.

Qian Ye continued forward, and behind him, the corpse slowly sank into the ground.

At the next intersection, Qian Ye halted. In the middle of the street, a proud and haughty figure stood—a Blood Viscount. His head held high, he coldly observed Qian Ye.

Qian Ye realized the viscount hadn’t searched around but had waited at this convergence of six streets.

Waiting for the prey, though a crude method, was effective here. At least now, he had Qian Ye, and escape was nearly impossible.

The viscount’s lips formed a severe curve, followed by a disdainful smile. “Human?”

“Human,” Qian Ye replied.

“Very well, human. In recognition of your honor to enter the domain of the Great Black Winged King, I offer you a fair fight.”

With that, the viscount discarded his primordial essence gun, equipment bag, dagger, and sword, standing empty-handed, beckoning Qian Ye.

“Come, in your final moments, witness the true power of the Noble Bloodline!”

Qian Ye smiled, finding this noble with ancient knightly manners intriguing. Sheathing the Crimson Fang, he strode towards the viscount.

In the next instant, their hands clasped, and the test of strength began.