Vol-2: 107. The Chase

107. The Chase

"Haha, that's all you've got? Just some radiation. How could that compare to my perfect body?"

All that talk of qi cultivation and firearms—none of it mattered in the face of absolute physical strength.

"Wielding this cross-shaped spear, a warrior should envy my glory even in the underworld, with winter's breeze brushing his face."

Lü Yuping San was filled with pride as he effortlessly absorbed the radiation slash that barely reached 300 roentgens. The Crane faction focused on body reinforcement—this was the true path for Gamma-tier [Warriors].

Li Aozi's assault slowed slightly after the strike, an uncomfortable sting as qi pierced his blood vessels, disrupting his body's systems.

Maybe I got a bit too cocky—but even so, that idiot monk still chose to tank my radiation slash head-on.

Li Aozi patted his chest, and [Sever Vitality] and [Death Link] instantly connected to his opponent. Now, the ongoing radiation damage would heal Li Aozi, keeping him alive longer and saving him from using [Immortal Blood].

He needed to keep that as a last resort, especially since the qi erosion in his chest was still causing him to lose health. By linking Chu Wei and Lü Yuping San, he could drain their health too.

The thick-skinned monk, Lü Yuping San, paid no mind to Li Aozi's little tricks. He tapped his pressure points, assumed a stance, and charged forward with his spear. The combination of invincibility and long weapons was the Crane faction's edge in duels, and Li Aozi activated [Pegasus Strength], swinging his sword at the spearhead.

However, with a slight twist of his hands, Lü Yuping San expertly redirected the spear, stabbing Li Aozi's foot and halting his advance. He quickly withdrew the spear and blocked Li Aozi's katana with the shaft. Using his immense strength, he leveraged the long pole like a seesaw and flipped Li Aozi over.

"Fool! True sword masters always bring polearms to the battlefield!"

Lü Yuping San laughed heartily, though his fighting style was cautious and treacherous. With his spear in hand, he relentlessly pursued Li Aozi.

The cross-shaped spear, similar to a trident, easily caught and trapped swords. Li Aozi knew that in combat, the longer weapon held the advantage. After being knocked into the air, he quickly adjusted his trajectory and retreated.

Unfortunately, the [Ranger] had been waiting. Though Li Aozi's movements were erratic, to Gamma-tiers, his speed wasn't fast enough.

In Shuya swiftly loaded a fearsome bullet into her 55mm anti-armor sniper rifle. In her view, time slowed to a crawl.

[Cold Focus]

[Explosive Reload]

[Death Mark]

[Hunting Trigger]

In Shuya's smart targeting system locked onto Li Aozi like a magnet. As a Gamma-tier with numerous implants far beyond what mortals could imagine, her eyes glowed with dark blue qi. The rifle barrel hummed with qi energy, and her AI calculated dozens of possible trajectories for Li Aozi. The trigger was connected to her qi, ready to fire the moment she willed it.

Many believed Gamma-tier fighters didn't need technological assistance. This was completely wrong. Those with powerful nations behind them could wield technology mortals couldn't even comprehend.

Boom!

The trigger was pulled, and Li Aozi, mid-movement, was directly hit, his upper body blown apart. But he remained unfazed—[Death Link] transferred the damage to Chu Wei and Lü Yuping San, while [Sever Vitality] drained more life, regenerating his body in moments.

"What the hell?! What kind of monster is this?!"

In Shuya cursed in disbelief.

Li Aozi landed on the ground, standing atop his greatsword's massive sheath, sliding the blade back into its case. Before the mechanism could reset, he heard growls and the sound of something rushing through the air behind him.

He tilted his head, narrowly avoiding the white fox's paw. The enormous spirit fox leaped high into the air, spiraling mid-flight. Just when Li Aozi thought it was about to descend, it reared its paw, hovering in mid-air.

The moment Li Aozi relaxed, the pale fox's paw suddenly struck down. Li Aozi dodged, but the fox slyly flicked its gaze, glowing with the same eerie blue as its master, the [Medium].

In an instant, the white fox dropped, rolling like a bulldozer straight toward Li Aozi.

"Shit—classic [Medium] mind-reading."

Li Aozi cursed under his breath.

Compared to the [Shaman], players always hated the [Medium] class more, because of their mind-reading ability. Since the [Medium] shared thoughts with their summoned spirits, it was like reading a player's commands and scripts—they dodged every attack, while you couldn't escape any of theirs.

With nowhere to run, Li Aozi couldn't accelerate in time. The fox's massive body collided with him, sending him flying over 200 meters, crashing into a building. The white fox, in hot pursuit, blinked forward with the help of the [Medium], stepping on torii gates and sinking its teeth into Li Aozi again, flinging him into an empty square cleared of civilians. Li Aozi took the opportunity to adjust his position in mid-air, speeding toward a residential area.

"Chase him, Spirit Fox!"

Suzuka noticed Li Aozi deliberately heading toward the crowd and clicked her tongue. She entered the spirit realm, instantly crossing two kilometers. A talisman shot from her hand, landing in Li Aozi's path.

"Cursed Talisman: Wall of Evil Spirits!"

The yellow talisman erupted into blue-green ghostly flames, summoning vengeful spirits and malevolent ghosts, forming an impassable wall right in Li Aozi's way.

Li Aozi wasted no time, diving into a nearby office building. Concrete walls crumbled as he crashed through them, with the fox hot on his heels. It spit a spirit fireball, and the chase continued between desks and computer rooms. The 300-meter skyscraper, weakened by their destruction, teetered and began to collapse.

Li Aozi rolled to his feet, slashing open the elevator shaft and diving in to escape the fox's jaws. The fox quickly followed into the shaft, but Li Aozi cut the elevator cables, grabbing hold of the top elevator as it shot upward. The massive fox lost its footing on the elevator car, plummeting to the bottom and crushing the shaft into a heap of twisted metal.

"Raaawrr!"

The white fox roared in frustration. Its [Medium] hadn't caught up yet and couldn't read Li Aozi's thoughts. The fox was stuck in the elevator shaft, its body trapped by exposed rebar, and it lost sight of Li Aozi.

But in the next moment, the fox's ears perked up, and it suddenly raised its head.

[Immortal Blood]—Stacked.

[Natural Ignition]—Stacked.

Boom!

"Dual Technique—Phoenix Bomb!"

Raging flames erupted, engulfing everything in a sea of fire. The spirit fox's form was scorched and dried out by the intense heat, its spiritual essence evaporating in the blaze. It howled in agony, rolling and stumbling as if crying for help from the dimming world.

But the only answer it received was the radiant sword that slashed down on its head.

Li Aozi's body regenerated rapidly within the flames. He raised Dust-Sealed Sanctuary and brought it down on the fallen fox's head!

Squelch—

The fox's screams were abruptly silenced. Its body disintegrated into spiritual ash within the fire, and with a loud crash, the skyscraper could no longer withstand the destruction. The top 63 floors came tumbling down to the ground.

Li Aozi turned, launching himself into the sky. His chest still throbbed with pain—Chu Wei's previous wound had left an entire section of his muscle rotting from qi damage, and after everything, his health bar was dangerously low.

Just then, the sound of spiritual energy moving through the air echoed from above.

The Grand Onmyoji of Tianhuan, unable to remain idle any longer, had finally entered the battlefield.