Madness

Madness...

"Wow, considering your current battered state, even if your usual recovery speed is off the charts, your wounds' healing pace is bound to take a hit," Shu Ruanyu commented, eyeing the spot where the menacing spear had pierced through. If that spear had aimed a smidge better or if Qin Wentian's reflexes were just a tad slower in finishing off his opponent, he'd be pushing up daisies by now.

Qin Wentian's healing ability was like a supercharged engine, his blood was simmering, and his wounds had already clammed up, not dripping a drop.

Inspecting the fourth-rated weapon in his grasp, Qin Wentian nodded at Shu Ruanyu's observations. She was right; trying to wield this weapon in his present condition would be like asking a snail to sprint a marathon. With a mere shift in his intent, he sheathed the shadow lance, leaving Shu Ruanyu visibly taken aback.

Her eyes sparked with a mixture of arrogance and defiance. "I'll let you chew on a piece of truth before you croak. The guy you skewered, Zhu Sha, happened to be married to my aunt."

"ROAR!" The guttural roar of a beast reverberated, interrupting the intense exchange. Shu Ruanyu frowned, pivoting her gaze to the spectacle of a massive demonic beast charging her way. A handful of figures rode atop the beast, and among them was a face she recognized – Bailu Jing, a Heaven's Fate Ranker.

"What the...?"

Not far off, the enigmatic figure with the silver mask was systematically taking apart those third-grade Puppets. He had probably bet on Qin Wentian being toast, but fate had other plans. It seemed like this mission was destined for a serious plot twist – one that might need his personal touch to succeed.

Bailu Jing was no pushover, a fact Shu Ruanyu was well aware of. His sword intent sliced through the atmosphere, and in a flash, the silver-masked swordsman zipped over, sword-will from the Mandate of Sword slicing through the air like an invisible blade. Qin Wentian felt the impending danger, as though his body was about to be diced into pieces any second.

Bailu Jing soared, his Astral Soul, a combo of the Hurricane and Seven Slaughters, exploding to life. His movements wove into the wind, ascending into the heavens, a storm of killing intent enveloping the sky. As he unleashed his fearsome Great Sun Nine Beheadings technique, the sword intent flung in all directions, a fierce dance of power that matched his assault. The two forces clashed, the sword intent dissolving like mist, vanquished by the onslaught of his attack.

"Hey, masked crusader, mind sharing your identity?" Bailu Jing squinted at the silver-masked swordsman, but all he got was silence. The swordsman swung his blade again, but this time he held back his Astral Souls' augmentation. It was like he was scared someone would spot him.

"Shu Ruanyu, speed it up!" Amidst the clash with Bailu Jing, the masked figure yelled out to Shu Ruanyu, who burst into flames as if her enthusiasm for a BBQ party had gone out of control. The heat was so intense that Qin Wentian wondered if spontaneous human combustion was suddenly in the cards.

Ignition, the opening act of the Mandate of Flames, was on display. And not just that, Shu Ruanyu had cranked it up to eleven with her mastery reaching the Transformation Boundary. Her fire moves were spicy-hot.

"Check out the bod on this gal! She's like a five-course meal," Fan Le's commentary slipped out, instantly freezing Shu Ruanyu's features. Her eyes turned to daggers, but Fan Le brushed it off like he was dusting his shoulders. He even gave her a once-over, his gaze playfully locked onto her curvaceous assets, licking his lips for added effect. Flames crackled with newfound intensity, either in sync with her fury or his sheer audacity.

"You're one step away from pushing up daisies," Shu Ruanyu's dulcet tones turned thunderous. She advanced, her delicate hands commanding fire to form a blazing palm aimed at Qin Wentian, Fan Le, and Chu Mang.

Qin Wentian summoned his Heavenly Hammer and Great Dream Astral Soul, their radiance dimmed by his cloaking technique but still stunningly vivid.

Mandate willpower surged, demonic qi billowed, and he stepped forward, clashing palms with Shu Ruanyu's inferno-charged strike. A Great Roc's outlines formed, intertwining, solidifying into a towering roc that clashed head-on with the blazing palm.

Adding to the chaos, the Yellow Springs Monument chimed in. It zoomed toward Shu Ruanyu, its oppressive aura spiking her pulse rate.

"Chu Mang, fire it up!" Fan Le cried out.

Fan Le's Empyrean Flames bloodline roared to life, bathing him in golden fire. He slapped Chu Mang's back, igniting him too. Empowered by Astral Souls, Chu Mang roared, drew his bow, and let fly three arrows in quick succession.

Shu Ruanyu's brow twitched. Her flame Astral Soul's light flared, encasing her in fiery armor.

"BOOM!" The blow shattered her flaming defense, sending her stumbling. Qin Wentian soared, his aura like a wound spring coiling.

Inside him, Divine Energy flowed from third-grade Divine Inscriptions. With one Yuanfu depleted, he channeled the bulk of his remaining Astral Energy from his second Yuanfu into a tempest of combat-grade Divine Inscriptions.

Though carving fourth-grade Inscriptions in the throes of combat to counter his foes was a pipe dream, the prospect of unleashing a relentless barrage of third-grade combat Divine Inscriptions, merging them in an instant, presented a chance. The resulting strike would be too much for Shu Ruanyu to repel. It was a wild, uncontrolled approach, akin to sacrificing eight hundred comrades to slay a thousand adversaries. A victory that would sting, for the Astral Energy expenditure would be so immense that "terrifying" felt like an understatement.

Nonetheless, he had to attempt it. With access to Divine Energy and three Yuanfu, the odds were in his favor.

"Chi, chi, chi…"

A ceaseless volley of arrows peppered Shu Ruanyu. At close range, fending off insta-speed arrows was no cakewalk. The tricky projectiles, their trajectories manipulated by Fan Le's crafty intent via Chu Mang's bow, led to sheer confusion for Shu Ruanyu.

Within moments, Shu Ruanyu flushed red, fatigue painting her face. The sensation around her chest was peculiar.

Little did she know that Fan Le had ingeniously orchestrated the arrows to keep impacting her breasts. Despite the shield of flame armor, the assault drove her to a boiling point.

Witnessing the arrow target, Qin Wentian internally sweated. The rotund genius was indeed a mastermind, using fury as a weapon, aiming to enrage the woman to her own downfall.

The armor wasn't an ordinary creation; it stemmed from an innate technique. Otherwise, how could Chu Mang's sixth-level Yuanfu prowess, complemented by his formidable archery, fail to puncture Astral Energy armor?

The luminosity around the flame armor surged, her Astral Soul's light feeding into it. Her aura grew sinister, advancing with reinforced Mandate might. Qin Wentian sensed the impending ignition of his own body.

Undeterred, he funneled Astral Energy. To stall for time, he smacked his palm against his wounded chest, sprinkling blood that flowed into the monument. The crimson radiance intensified, its pressure cresting. The tension ebbed and flowed, pressing down on Shu Ruanyu.

"Ruanyu!" From behind her streaked a figure, palms closing into a grasping gesture, the overwhelming force of the Star-Seizing Palm Imprint lunging at Qin Wentian.

"Yang Fan." Qin Wentian's expression darkened as he vaulted away. Still, the imprint found its mark, blood bursting from Qin Wentian's lips as he hurtled through the air.

"INVITING DEATH!" Yang Fan's roar was lightning, his Star-Seizing Palms zeroing in on Fan Le and Chu Mang. The assault disintegrated countless arrows, a thunderous boom ripping through space. Fan Le and Chu Mang too were flung aside.

The chasm between the Heavenly Fate Ranking titans and Chu Mang, Fan Le was insurmountable.

"Retreat!" Qin Wentian's aura churned, and with the order, the fourth-grade bladed Puppet rocketed toward Yang Fan at lightning speed. Yang Fan, apprehensive, stared at the Puppet's arm slash, a power that even tore through the fabric of space.

Qin Wentian's eyes blazed with a ruthless, murderous glint. He was past caring who stood across from him. The situation had escalated too far, and he had no intentions of holding back.

"Take me there, and you handle him!" Hua Xiaoyun's shrill command was answered with immediate action. The guardian grabbed Hua Xiaoyun, soaring through the air. But Qin Wentian was swifter. His form blurred as he advanced toward Shu Ruanyu. When she saw him coming, fury surged through her, and the flames dancing upon her palms seemed like molten lava, radiating blistering heat.

A gust of wind signaled Qin Wentian's rapid approach toward Shu Ruanyu.

"Death wish," Shu Ruanyu seethed, her molten palms erupting toward Qin Wentian. The intensity of the heat was enough to scorch the very Heavens.

Simultaneously, Qin Wentian's palms struck. His Yuanfu roared to life, Astral Energy surging through his veins. A fusion of Divine Inscriptions birthed a colossal slaughter sword and an equally immense Roc with outstretched wings.

Destruction's aura enveloped Shu Ruanyu, leaving her helpless before the onslaught. Her palm barrage aimed to dismantle the fused Inscription manifestations. In her desperation, she had forgotten about the Yellow Springs Monument. It crashed into her, her fiery armor crumbling to fragments. Painful moans escaped her lips as a spray of blood mingled with the chaos.

Amid the tumult, her eyes locked onto a singular pair – demonic in nature, brimming with electric intensity. And then, she felt it. A powerful, electrifying surge through her being.

"Get lost!" Shu Ruanyu had anticipated Qin Wentian's retaliation, but she hadn't expected his ferocity. She wouldn't have chosen close-quarters combat if she had.

Qin Wentian spat boiling blood, landing on Shu Ruanyu's face, prompting her to instinctively shut her eyes. But she couldn't avoid what came next. Qin Wentian's palms, charged with ruthless energy, struck her chest. Destructive forces coursed through her body with each blow, forcing blood from her lips.

"LET HER GO!"

A voice, roaring with rage, shattered the air. When the fourth-ranked bladed Puppet abandoned its skirmish to dash toward Yang Fan, Qin Wentian had already seized Shu Ruanyu. To the onlookers, it seemed like Qin Wentian held her in an intimate embrace.

Such a spectacle fueled Yang Fan's wrath. Shu Ruanyu's wide, beautiful eyes were a mix of terror and vulnerability.

Initially, she could've wriggled free, but Qin Wentian's words, "Do you wish to perish together?" infiltrated her mind, introducing hesitation. Qin Wentian capitalized on this, launching a barrage of assaults, quashing her resistance.

Yet, the battle took its toll on Qin Wentian too. His injuries were grievous, his audacious gamble being the only reason he even stood a chance. Astral Energy in his three Yuanfu had almost evaporated. Only the Yuanfu linked with the Demon Sovereign held any energy, but in this relentless combat, even that well was running dry.

"You're Zhan Chen," Bailu Jing's voice cut across the void.

Qin Wentian's gaze iced over, lingering on the silver-masked swordsman before shifting to Yang Fan and Hua Xiaoyun at the periphery. It was evident that these denizens of the Moon Continent had run out of patience with him. But did he have anything to fear?

In that moment, a ruthless determination flashed across his eyes.