Chapter 1256: Ripped to Shreds
The short, thin man's combat experience was considerable. It was precisely for this reason that, upon discovering his arm had been severed, he did not scream or shout. Instead, his immediate reaction was to erect a grey protective shield around himself, then rapidly distance himself from the woman on the ground, darting to a stone wall behind him. He pressed his back tightly against the wall, thereby minimizing the area of his body exposed.
In his estimation, the opponent's ability to sever his arm so stealthily indicated an extraordinary power. Furthermore, with the opponent concealed and him exposed, remaining in an open area was clearly akin to serving as a live target. If the opponent could instantly cleave off an arm this time, then next time it might be his head. Naturally, he wished to avoid such a scene unfolding upon himself.
The instant his arm was severed, the short, thin man didn't feel intense pain; instead, there was a sensation of coolness. However, this state lasted only for a fleeting moment. Immediately thereafter, excruciating pain assaulted his nerves. By the time he leaned against the stone wall, the agony emanating from his wound had reached a new zenith, causing him to grit his teeth and break out in a cold sweat.
The wound was sealed by an energy, and blood no longer gushed forth, but the intense pain did not lessen. In his current state, the short, thin man couldn't spare a moment to take dānyào to alleviate the agony, for he had no time, nor dared he be distracted in the slightest. All he wanted was to quickly expose the hidden attacker and avoid a second ambush.
This scene unfolding before him was naturally witnessed by all the other members of the Corpse-Controlling Gate present. Not only was the short, thin man searching for the hidden assailant, but they, too, were scanning their surroundings. Soon, their gazes simultaneously locked onto a single direction, for they sensed two power fluctuations, one strong and one weak, approaching their location.
The people hadn't arrived, yet the attack had. And it had accurately struck its target, successfully severing the short, thin man's arm. Not everyone present was a fool; they understood what this implied.
Under the cover of night, two figures, one male and one female, entered their sight.
"Who are you people! " the short, thin man demanded, gritting his teeth as he suppressed the intense pain, watching the two slowly approaching figures.
The man did not respond. Instead, with a wave of his hand, he set up a prohibitory barrier, enveloping the entire valley within it.
Because the power fluctuations emanating from the woman were exceptionally potent, they easily ascertained that she cultivated the Ghost Dao. Conversely, the power fluctuations from the man were very faint. Moreover, since a Spirit Medium's Communication Power was remarkably similar to the Underworld Office's Spirit Power, they initially believed the man to be a Spirit Medium. However, one point greatly perplexed them at first: why would such a weak Spirit Medium be accompanied by such a terrifyingly powerful ghostly entity? They even wondered if the man was deliberately concealing his strength, or if his identity was so special that he had a ghostly entity of such immense power by his side.
....In that brief instant, numerous conjectures and possibilities arose in their minds, but the one thing they never imagined was that the man would actually be a member of the Underworld Office!
After confirming the man's identity, the members of the Corpse-Controlling Gate present revised their perception of the woman's identity. They began to wonder if the woman was a Ghost Official from the Underworld, as Ghost Officials also cultivated the Ghost Dao.
If the woman truly was a Ghost Official from the Underworld, then their being together would make perfect sense, as it was quite normal for Ghost Officials and Underworld Officials to collaborate. However, some of the Corpse-Controlling Gate members present were more experienced. A moment's thought allowed them to dismiss this conjecture, for the woman who appeared exuded an immensely heavy malevolent aura, and blood continually dripped from her red robes. This did not resemble a Ghost Official from the Underworld; rather, it was far more akin to a Blood-Clad ghostly entity!
"You are from the Underworld Office! Our Corpse-Controlling Gate has always maintained good relations with your Underworld Office, and we even have close collaborations! I never expected you would attack me! " The short, thin man, ignored by the two, felt immense fury. When he discovered that the power released by the man was indeed the Spirit Power unique to the Underworld Office, he naturally assumed the woman was a Ghost Official from the Underworld, and thus also a member of the Underworld Office, leading to his questioning.
Although he hadn't personally witnessed either of them make a move, the short, thin man was certain that one of them had attacked him and severed his arm. More precisely, it must have been the woman, as the power fluctuations emanating from the man were simply too faint.
These two were none other than Yang Haoran, now with an altered appearance, and Zhong Siyu, whose body exuded an astonishingly malevolent aura.
To prevent the Corpse-Controlling Gate members from discovering their presence prematurely, Yang Haoran had maintained a safe distance from them throughout their journey to this location, and had also restrained his own power as much as possible. Thus, before the short, thin man's arm was severed, none of the Corpse-Controlling Gate members present had detected their presence.
The short, thin man had not guessed incorrectly; it was not Yang Haoran who had made the move to sever his arm just now, but Zhong Siyu, who had been impatiently waiting for an opportunity. The fleeting black glint was no sharp weapon, merely a surge of power condensed by Zhong Siyu, which vanished after successfully cleaving off the short, thin man's arm.
Faced with the questions from the man with the severed arm, Yang Haoran did not continue to ignore him this time. However, he offered no explanation, merely replying with a faint smile.
"Heh heh, my apologies."
Yang Haoran's reply not only left the man with the severed arm baffled, but also left the other Corpse-Controlling Gate members present completely bewildered. Yang Haoran paid no heed to their reactions, turning his head to look at Zhong Siyu beside him.
"I'll trouble you, but it's best to finish this quickly."
Upon hearing Yang Haoran's words, Zhong Siyu, who could barely contain herself, immediately flashed a ferocious grin on her delicate face. Without another word, her figure flickered, and she vanished from her spot.
The man with the severed arm, who had been closely observing their every move, felt an immediate sense of foreboding when he saw Zhong Siyu suddenly disappear.
"I only severed your arm just now, not your head, not because I lacked the power, but because I wanted to play a little longer. However, some people wish for me to finish quickly, so I suppose I'll have to abandon my original plans."
. . . . Zhong Siyu's bloodthirsty voice echoed through the valley, ethereal and untraceable, making it impossible for the Corpse-Controlling Gate members present to pinpoint her current location. As her words faded, she had already appeared before the short, thin man.
Like the short, thin man, Zhong Siyu's hands had also grown sharp, sword-like claws at this moment. However, Zhong Siyu's claws were blood-red, and blood formed from Yin Qi dripped from them, giving off an aura that was both terrifying and gore-soaked.
Zhong Siyu's sudden appearance filled the short, thin man with both shock and fear. His extensive combat experience told him that in such a situation, the first priority was to quickly distance himself from the opponent, otherwise he would undoubtedly be forced into a passive position, perhaps even suffering a great loss.
He thought as much, and was prepared to act on it, but alas, Zhong Siyu's speed was simply too immense. Before the thought had fully formed in his mind and he could make a move, his physical body was violently torn apart by Zhong Siyu. As for the protective shield around him, it proved utterly useless. Facing Zhong Siyu's blood-red claws, the grey shield was as fragile as paper, crumbling with a single blow. He didn't even have time to utter a scream before losing consciousness as his body was ripped asunder.
The scene unfolding before their eyes left the Corpse-Controlling Gate members present utterly dumbfounded. They were all acutely aware of how formidable the short, thin man's physical body was, for, strictly speaking, he was not a normal living person. He was a Corpse King, evolved from a Corpse Ghoul, who had regained self-awareness. A zombie's most robust asset was its body, and a Corpse King's body was as hard as steel, typically impervious to ordinary attacks. Yet, this very indestructible physique had been torn apart by Zhong Siyu as if it were rotten cloth. How could the Corpse-Controlling Gate members present not be utterly shocked?
Zhong Siyu's effortless severing of the short, thin man's arm with a single blow had already astonished the Corpse-Controlling Gate members present. Now, Zhong Siyu had even more easily shredded the short, thin man's physical body. For them, this was no longer merely astonishing; it also instilled in their hearts an intense fear.
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