Chapter 73: One Shot, No Second Chances!

"You two didn't sound like you were just chatting." Gu Chen naturally didn't just walk away—he stood there quietly, watching the two of them.

"You're overthinking it, bro. We were really just chatting. Anyway, time to head back and get some rest," Yuan Ye said with a grin.

"The person you met in that withered-wood hut before—we know him!" Zhang Yixuan mustered her courage and spoke up. She was referring, of course, to the incident when Gu Chen had managed to secure three days' worth of food—something he'd mentioned during dinner earlier.

"I told you to shut up, didn't I?!" Yuan Ye snapped back at her, shooting a vicious glare.

Gu Chen stepped between them, his voice cold. "Let her finish!"

"Yuan Ye wanted to give Ling Xiaojiu to them!" Zhang Yixuan blurted out—but Yuan Ye immediately tried to cut her off.

Yuan Ye laughed loudly, exaggeratedly. "Hahaha, she's joking, obviously. Come on, Zhang Yixuan, time to get some sleep."

Gu Chen felt increasingly suspicious, especially when Zhang Yixuan mentioned Ling Xiaojiu. "Ignore him. Keep going!"

"They're a group of extremely powerful students. They've known our location for a while. To curry favor with them, Yuan Ye would regularly send young girls to them…" Zhang Yixuan said through sobs, tears streaming down her face.

"That's enough, Zhang Yixuan! Enough!" Yuan Ye shouted.

"Mo Yun's sister was also sent to them by him!" she continued, forcing the words out despite her fear of Yuan Ye.

"I told you to shut up!" Yuan Ye exploded, smashing a steel rod onto Zhang Yixuan's forehead.

Blood gushed from her head instantly.

But then, a stream of energy entered her body through her seven orifices. Zhang Yixuan slowly stood up, and when she opened her eyes—they were pitch-black, filled with malevolence.

Her Qinglian Martial Soul activated. But this time, in addition to the blue lotus, there were several other powers Zhang Yixuan had never possessed before!

"Shit! Shit! It's a Possession Demon!" The fury on Yuan Ye's face disappeared, replaced by sheer terror.

He immediately bolted for the basement exit. Gu Chen hesitated for a second, then gave chase.

Yuan Ye burst out of the basement, activating his fifth soul ring. A metal pillar the size of a doorway slammed into the door, completely sealing it shut.

His fifth soul skill created actual, tangible metal—not just energy constructs.

"You son of a bitch, open the door!" Gu Chen roared, slashing at the pillar with his Golden Dragon Claw, but the thing was a full five meters thick—a single strike couldn't cut through it.

Yuan Ye sneered. "Sorry, I had to do this!" And with that, he took off running.

Gu Chen slashed again—the pillar was nearly split in two, moonlight seeping in.

But it was too late. The possessed Zhang Yixuan was now right behind him.

At this moment, Gu Chen could only use the power of a Soul King.

"F*** it! Let's go!" Gu Chen cursed under his breath. Activating the Golden Dragon King Possession, he unleashed his fourth soul skill—Golden Dragon Strike—at the possessed Zhang Yixuan.

"Zhang Yixuan" let out a twisted laugh, launching a blast of black energy—clearly the Possession Demon's own power.

Gu Chen summoned his Golden Dragon Spear and struck the black energy, triggering the spear's powerful devouring ability, which converted it into pure soul energy.

"Zhang Yixuan" froze for a second. Gu Chen seized the chance and thrust the spear into her chest. The devouring effect activated!

Her life force was quickly being drained. "Zhang Yixuan" screamed, a piercing shriek that sent a stabbing pain through Gu Chen's head. She pulled away, eyeing the spear warily.

But Gu Chen wasn't letting up. With his third soul skill Golden Dragon Flight, he closed the gap instantly, unleashing dozens of lightning-fast stabs with the spear.

The spear devoured her life force relentlessly. Her power dropped to that of a Soul King.

Gu Chen gasped for breath. Normally, this wouldn't tire him out, but given his prior injuries, going all out like this only aggravated his wounds.

A desperate move!

Gu Chen's expression hardened. Channeling all his strength, he hurled the Golden Dragon Spear at "Zhang Yixuan" before collapsing to the ground.

Seeing the spear darting toward her, "Zhang Yixuan" let out a shriek of fear, retreating desperately.

But she couldn't outpace the spear. It pierced her skull in an instant, sucking out all her life force—including the Possession Demon's spirit.

Gu Chen had done it.

He panted heavily, struggling to his feet, dragging his bloodstained spear as he made his way toward the surface—step by painful step.

Aboveground.

Luo Chen squinted slightly, emanating a dangerous aura. In his hand, a Scorpion Pistol was aimed straight at Yuan Ye's head.

"It… it was Gu Chen! He killed Zhang Yixuan! Her body's in the basement—you can go check if you don't believe me!" Yuan Ye backed away, drenched in cold sweat.

He'd seen firsthand how Luo Chen had gunned down abyssal beasts with that pistol!

"If anything's happened to Chen… you're all coming with him!" Gu Yue Na's beautiful face twisted into a deadly glare, her icy voice sending chills down everyone's spine.

"He… he's in the basement! Go check!" Yuan Ye stammered.

"Shut your lying mouth!" came a deep voice from behind him.

Gu Chen emerged, each step leaving bloody footprints, dragging his Golden Dragon Spear, radiating danger.

"Chen!" Luo Chen, Gu Yue Na, Jin Zi, and the other eight shouted in unison, voices filled with joy and relief.

"Why don't you tell everyone how you 'gifted' Mo Yun's sister to those students, to curry favor?" Gu Chen's voice was ice-cold, overflowing with killing intent.

Mo Yun stepped forward in shock. "What?! My sister… I thought she was killed by abyssal creatures?!"

Luo Chen's attention shifted toward Mo Yun, slightly lowering his guard.

Yuan Ye seized the moment—he rushed forward, snatching the Scorpion Pistol from Luo Chen's hand and pointed it at the others. "All of you, listen up! I did this for your safety! If we hadn't handed over that girl, do you think we'd still be alive?"

"I've done so much for you, and you'd rather believe that random Gu Chen over me?!" His gaze swept across Su Bai, Dongfang Po, and the others—who all turned their faces away in shame.

Gu Chen took a step forward, punched Yuan Ye in the gut, then slapped the gun from his hand—Luo Chen quickly picked it up again.

Yuan Ye fell to his knees, clutching his stomach, then slowly stood again.

"Okay, okay, stop hitting me! Gu Chen, I was wrong!!" Yuan Ye cried out, desperate.

"Everything I did… was for you all… it was for—" he mumbled, eyes vacant.

Ding!

"Current situation detected. Triggering plot choice:

A. Spare Yuan Ye. One more person means one more helping hand.Reward: Intermediate Slave Talisman ×3.

B. Anyone who tries to kill me must be ready to die. Kill Yuan Ye.Reward: Intermediate Slave Talisman ×1.

Gu Chen was just about to choose when—

Bang!

A gunshot rang out. Luo Chen's Scorpion Pistol flared with light. The bullet tore into Yuan Ye's forehead, blasting a hole clean through it.

Blood splattered, some landing on Gu Chen.

Yuan Ye's head now had a massive hole. He collapsed—never to rise again.

Gu Chen stared at Luo Chen in shock.

Luo Chen's hand trembled as he held the pistol, his innocent-looking face now pale and filled with fear.

He looked at Gu Chen and whispered:

"Chen… Chen-ge… You taught me this—"

"One shot. No second chances."

(End of Chapter)