Under the afterglow, the youth's figure caused Fire Crow's heart to tremble.
If he wasn't a veteran scavenger, but a newcomer, even though his Cultivation base was clearly higher than the youth's, he would still be intimidated.
Even he felt a ripple in his heart, but it was quickly suppressed by Xu Xiaoshou's savagery and anger from being injured. His eyes shone with intense killing intent.
"Little wolf cub, I'll pluck out your teeth one by one as my spoils of war."
As Fire Crow spoke, he tore off his shirt, revealing his skinny upper body.
He didn't care about the missing ear or the hole in his chest. His hands flashed in an incantation gesture, and as his face flushed, a fireball even larger than the one before appeared.
Xu Qing's eyes narrowed, and his body flickered.
"Scatter!" Fire Crow roared, and the fireball in his hand split into five, all of which shot toward Xu Qing.
Rumbling sounds echoed out, and the ground was covered in flames. Xu Qing's figure charged out again, and once again, he threw two punches to shatter the barrier.
Although he was inevitably pushed back by the impact, his injuries worsened, and the flames continued to burn him, his speed didn't decrease, and his killing intent didn't decrease in the slightest.
Just like that, he fought with Fire Crow without any regard for his own injuries. He and Fire Crow were locked in a fierce battle in the forest.
The battle grew more and more intense.
Xu Qing was indeed no match for Fire Crow.
Whether it was the spirit power barrier or the fireball, both were disadvantageous to him. The former made it difficult for him to kill at close range, while the latter posed a great threat.
However, Xu Qing's regenerative abilities were astonishing, allowing him to recover quickly after being injured without affecting his combat ability.
He also had plenty of stamina. Although the long-term pain from his body would become mental torture, having grown up in the slums, he had long since developed an extraordinary level of endurance.
Most importantly … the dense spirit power of the foreign nature didn't affect Xu Qing, but it was a completely different story for Fire Crow.
The injury to his ear was fine, but the injury to his chest was worsening. Most importantly, his spirit power ….
Even though he was at the fifth level of Qi Condensation, he couldn't withstand such a consumption, and could only passively absorb spirit power to replenish himself.
The intense battle and the pressure Xu Qing exerted on him didn't give him any time to recover. As a result, the foreign nature in his body continued to increase and accumulate.
Soon, the Fire Crow's initial anger turned into nervousness. In the end, anxiety appeared on its face.
He had already sensed that something was wrong with him, and he had also sensed that there was something wrong with the young man in front of him!
If it was any other person at the third layer, even if they were at the fifth layer like him, they would definitely not be able to endure the bombardment of such fireballs. They would have long turned into a dried corpse.
He knew that even he himself would not be able to do this.
Yet, even though the young man before him seemed to have sustained more and more injuries, his speed and strength hadn't decreased in the slightest.
This caused the Fire Crow to feel even more uneasy.
The heterogeneity in his body continued to increase, and he was on the verge of mutating. This caused Fire Crow's breathing to become even more rapid.
"Fire Crow, you piece of trash! End this quickly!!"
In the distance, the Blood Shadow Captain, who was fighting with the Thunder Captain, had no choice but to divert some of his attention to this.
He wanted to help, but the Thunder Team's sudden outburst made it impossible for him to extricate himself. At this moment, he could only feel anxious.
The Thunder Captain had long since realized that Xu Qing's tactic was to delay Fire Crow until he mutated.
Although he didn't know why Fire Crow was so confident, or why he was able to perform so well despite the pain, everyone had their own secrets. The Thunder Captain understood that, and so did the Thunder Captain.
Therefore, he didn't want to investigate further. The only thing he could do was prevent the Blood Shadow Captain from helping.
The battle continued.
Fire Crow shot out three more fireballs, all of which were useless against Xu Qing. Then, the Thunder Captain cursed at him. The anxiety in his heart exploded, transforming into madness.
He raised his right hand and hammered it down on his chest, causing blood to spray out of his mouth. Before it could fall to the ground, he waved his left hand to catch some of it.
He began to chant an incantation, and the blood in his hand turned black.
Xu Qing's pupils constricted as he sensed an even more intense sense of crisis. His body flickered as he charged forward to interrupt the magic.
However, this time, Fire Crow's magic was unleashed with incredible speed. Even as Xu Qing began to move, Fire Crow looked up, his expression twisted with savagery, and he waved his right hand.
Instantly, the black blood in his hand swelled into a head-sized sphere of blood.
The bubbles inside seemed to be boiling, and with astonishing power, they whistled towards Xu Qing.
"Die for me!" Fire Crow growled.
Perhaps it was because the magic consumed too much energy this time, coupled with the continuous increase of the abnormality in his body, his legs were weak and trembling.
The killing intent in Xu Qing's eyes intensified. Just as the Thunder Captain had predicted, he was indeed prepared to drag things out until Fire Crow mutated. However, there was something different.
That was, Xu Qing had never given up on the idea of killing Fire Crow in the process.
Although his dagger and metal skewer were no longer in his hands, he had been looking for an opportunity to kill Fire Crow.
This opportunity appeared when the Fire Crow was weakened.
Almost as soon as the black sphere of blood shot toward him, Xu Qing's body suddenly accelerated.
He didn't charge straight toward Fire Crow. Instead, he shifted slightly to where the corpse of the Berserk Ghost was.
The corpse was covered in burn marks from the explosion of Fire Crow's fireballs. However, other than the corpse, there was also … the Berserk Ghost's weapon!
A spiked club and a fine iron shield that had been broken into two pieces.
Xu Qing's target was none other than the large shield.
His figure closed in in an instant and grabbed the heavy fine iron shield. As his thin body was covered by the shield, his body rushed out in an instant, heading straight for the Fire Ravens behind the black blood sphere.
A boom echoed out as Fire Crow's sphere of blood slammed into Xu Qing's shield, causing countless droplets of black blood to shoot out in all directions.
The fine iron shield couldn't withstand the force and shattered into pieces. However, it still bore the brunt of most of the force.
Although Xu Qing was also hit by some of the black blood, it wasn't fatal. He gritted his teeth and didn't slow down at all. He turned into a blur as he shot toward Fire Crow like an arrow.
Fire Crow's eyes filled with scorn. Instead of dodging, he performed a double-handed incantation gesture. Suddenly, the black blood behind Xu Qing began to rise up into the air, drop by drop. It seemed that it wouldn't be long before it would all rise up into the air and become blood arrows.
All of this left Xu Qing with no place to retreat to. However, he had no intention of doing so.
As he closed in, his left hand clenched into a fist, but he attacked with his right hand.
Boom!
The psionic barrier around Fire Raven's body began to crack, and Xu Qing's right fist began to splatter blood, mixed with some scale-covered flesh.
Before Fire Crow could see what had happened, Xu Qing's eyes were bloodshot as he punched out a second time.
With a bang, the spirit power barrier shattered into pieces. A huge force spread out from within, pushing Xu Qing back. Just like before, he couldn't get any closer. He was about to be pushed back by the force of the force.
The scorn in Fire Crow's eyes grew even stronger. However, at this moment ….
Xu Qing's body seemed to have gained some extra strength out of nowhere.
Despite the force of the spirit power barrier shattering, he wasn't pushed back like he had been before.
Instead, he charged forward, bracing himself against the force of the impact. He stretched out his right hand and clawed viciously at Fire Crow's chest, where the iron spike had pierced through.
It seemed that the extra strength Xu Qing had was only enough to give him the power to claw at Fire Crow's chest. Although he had clawed open Fire Crow's wound, he wasn't able to deal a fatal blow.
Fire Crow's face fell, and he staggered backward.
Noticing that Xu Qing's claw didn't pose much of a threat to him, he grinned viciously and was about to cast a spell to cause black blood to spurt out.
But in the next moment, his face changed again, and he lowered his head.
His chest was badly mangled, and there … were some broken teeth and some scaly flesh.
At the same time, the flesh around the wound was corroding. Poisonous blood seeped out, and wherever it passed, the skin rotted away rapidly.
An unbearable pain surged through Fire Crow's body, causing him to let out a shrill cry. His face was filled with unprecedented fear.
As he continued to retreat, he saw Xu Qing squatting in the distance. Xu Qing's outstretched right hand flung out a lot of flesh and broken teeth.
If he could piece the flesh and broken teeth together, it would form the shape of a snake's head.
It was the venomous snake's head that Xu Qing had used to dispose of the corpse.
His left hand trembled slightly and slowly stretched out. Pieces of amber fell to the ground, revealing the Ghost Face Scorpion Tail that had pierced deep into his palm!
The former allowed his palm to contain venom, and the latter allowed him to have extra strength to attack under the impact of the spirit power barrier!
"You …" Fire Crow trembled. He couldn't even speak as he wailed, let alone cast a spell.
His eyes revealed an intense fear of death. He struggled to wipe away the poisonous blood on his body, but a large amount of poisonous blood flowed out, causing his strength and life force to rapidly drain away.
Xu Qing took a deep breath. The recovery of the purple crystal during the battle with Pang Shan allowed him to know that he could neutralize poison.
His right hand that was stained with snake venom wasn't corroded, which explained everything.
This was the sure-kill attack he had prepared for Fire Crow.
At this moment, he stood up and charged at Fire Crow.
Seeing Xu Qing arrive, the fear in Fire Crow's eyes turned into despair. He struggled to retreat and let out a painful cry.
"Captain, save me!"
This tragic scene caused the eyes of the Blood Shadow Captain, who was fighting against the Thunder Captain, to widen. He wanted to save Fire Crow, but the Thunder Captain's attack blocked his path, making it impossible for him to go over.
He could only watch as Xu Qing's figure rapidly approached Fire Crow.
As he closed in, Fire Crow's injuries and mental collapse caused the rich heterogeneity that had accumulated in his body to be unable to be suppressed any longer.
Before Xu Qing could even get close, his body suddenly stiffened in despair. The heterogeneity spread throughout his body, and with a bang … he turned into a bloody mist.
Some people mutated, leaving behind a bluish-black corpse. Others exploded into a bloody mist.
Xu Qing stopped and looked at the spot where Fire Crow had turned into a bloody mist. He turned his head and coldly looked at the Blood Shadow Captain, who was fighting the Thunder Captain.
At this moment, the sun was setting, but the dusk in the sky was different from before. There was no night, and the entire sky was suffused with a strange red color.
Under this red color, Xu Qing's figure was also dyed red. He stood there covered in wounds, and his cold gaze seemed to emit an indescribable pressure.
This pressure caused the Blood Shadow Captain, whose cultivation base was higher than his, to tremble violently.
The truth was that Fire Crow's death had been far too miserable, and was a huge blow to the Blood Shadow Captain's heart.
The prolonged battle with the Thunder Captain, as well as the strange thing about Xu Qing, caused the Blood Shadow Captain to feel uneasy. His eyes flickered, and as soon as Xu Qing looked over, he punched the Thunder Captain away, then retreated without hesitation.
He didn't want to fight.
The Thunder Captain was about to give chase, but when he looked up and saw the strange red color in the sky, his face flickered, and his emotions fluctuated. Blood sprayed out of his mouth, and his body turned bluish-black. He swayed on his feet.
Xu Qing hurried over and supported the Thunder Captain.
As the Thunder Captain panted, Xu Qing placed him under a nearby tree. He looked up at the Blood Shadow Captain speeding through the forest, and killing intent flickered in his eyes.
"Don't chase him alone," said the Blood Shadow Captain. "He's already been wiped out by the Blood Shadow Squad. He's no longer a threat. Especially that red color in the sky. I think I've seen it before …."
The Thunder Captain grabbed Xu Qing and stared up into the sky.
"He's a hidden danger," said Xu Qing slowly.
He didn't like hidden dangers, and in this forbidden forest, Xu Qing felt confident that he could kill the Blood Shadow Captain just like he had killed Fire Crow. However, the Thunder Captain's words caused him to instinctively look up into the sky.
At this moment …
A faint song that sounded like a sigh drifted through the forest.
All of the strange beasts in the forbidden forest suddenly disappeared.
In the silent forest, the song became clearer and clearer.
It sounded like a woman complaining about her husband's departure. As the song echoed, a faint red mist appeared in the direction of the Blood Shadow Captain.
It swept up everything in the area and spread out.
Xu Qing's body shook, and the Thunder Captain, who was leaning against the tree, also trembled. The two of them instantly looked in the direction of the song.
However, the former was on high alert, while the latter … looked a bit absent-minded.
The song continued to drift into Xu Qing's ears, causing him to feel an indescribable chill. It was as if he were standing in a rain of blood in a ruined city.
Even though he was now at the third level of Body Refinement, he still couldn't withstand it. His teeth began to chatter and he lost the ability to move.
Xu Qing's mind rumbled, and the taboo of the forbidden area that the Ten Crosses had mentioned when they entered the forbidden area appeared in his mind.
And in the place where they were looking, the Blood Shadow Captain's body also stopped, and his body clearly trembled.
It was as if something invisible was approaching him, causing him to lose the strength to escape.
Under Xu Qing's eyes, wisps of white gas flew out from the trembling Blood Shadow Captain's orifices and fused into the blood mist.
During this process, the Blood Shadow Captain's body rapidly decayed and withered until it turned into a dry corpse. Then, it shattered into dust, leaving nothing behind.
The mist covered the area where he was and spread towards Xu Qing and the Thunder Captain.
As the mist approached, Xu Qing's body trembled. He finally saw the source of the Blood Shadow Captain's death. It was … a pair of red women's boots that were very tattered.
"This is …" Xu Qing's breathing quickened and his eyes widened. He saw the pair of boots appear in front of the mist in the distance, moving on their own on the ground, step by step towards them.
There was nothing on the boots … only a resentful singing voice that grew closer and closer.
It was as if there was a woman whose body could not be seen wearing the red boots and singing as she walked towards them.
The singing voice grew clearer and clearer. The blood-red boots stepped on the ground, heading towards Xu Qing.
This strange scene caused Xu Qing's pupils to constrict. He wanted to move, but he could not.
It was as if an icy cold had frozen his entire body, causing his teeth to chatter. He watched helplessly as the pair of blood-red boots walked towards him, step by step, until they were five feet away from him …
The threat of death covered all of Xu Qing's thoughts in that instant. He wanted to retreat, but he was powerless to do so. Only the large amount of blood vessels that appeared in his eyes revealed his fierce struggle.
And just as the pair of blood-red boots was about to take another step towards him … a trembling voice came from beside Xu Qing. It was the Thunder Captain.
"Peach Blossom … is that you …?" The voice was hoarse and trembling, and there was a hint of uncertainty in it.
As soon as the words were spoken, the strange singing voice came to a sudden halt.
The boots that had been lifted up off to the side paused for a moment, then slowly changed directions. It was as if the woman who had been standing there had turned to look at the Thunder Captain.
When the Thunder Captain saw this, he trembled visibly, and his breathing grew ragged. His exhausted body suddenly burst with energy, and his eyes shone with an unprecedented light as he stared at the empty space above the boots.
It was as if in his eyes, he could see a woman who was as important to him as his own life standing there.
They were separated by the void, by the world, by Yin and Yang, and they were looking at each other.
Despite being as strong as he was, tears began to flow uncontrollably from his eyes.
"You … you're back …?" he said, his body trembling. He lifted up his hand, as if he were trying to grab something. The pair of red boots slowly lifted up and walked over to the Thunder Captain, then bent slightly.
It was as if the invisible woman was crouching down gently in front of the Thunder Captain, so that he could touch her face with his trembling hand.
However, when the Thunder Captain's hand passed through the air, it didn't touch anything. His hand fell to the ground. More tears … fell.
Only the murmurs in his mouth sounded desolate in this sorrowful atmosphere.
After a long time, what seemed to be a woman's soft sigh came from the air. The pair of red boots slowly stopped bending and gradually retreated.
It was only when they retreated 30 feet away that they changed directions and circled around Xu Qing. With the red fog behind them, they walked into the distance.
Jun Wen's return was undetermined.
The fog hid the lingering emotions, and the song of smoke was far away.
The singing continued. There seemed to be more bitterness and melancholy in the hidden bitterness as it went further and further away.
The blood-red fog also circled around them. As if it was flowing, it spread into the distance.
The singing continued until … the fog completely disappeared, and the singing slowly dissipated as well.
At this moment, Xu Qing's body finally regained mobility. His breathing quickened, and there was shock in his eyes. The first thing he did was to turn around and look at the Thunder Captain sitting there.
At this moment, the Thunder Captain was staring into the distance in a daze. Tears flowed silently from his lifeless eyes.
Xu Qing was silent. He couldn't bring himself to ask the question he wanted to ask.
After a long time, the Thunder Captain murmured softly.
"Are you very strange?"
Xu Qing nodded silently.
"Cross told you before that I'm one of the few people who have heard the singing," the Thunder Captain said slowly as he looked into the distance.
"Do you know that the singing in this forbidden area is very strange? Most of the people who hear it die, and those who can survive the singing are extremely rare."
"However, if they do, then they will receive a 'gift' from this forbidden area. The next time they hear the singing … they will see the person they want to see the most in their life."
"I thought it was just a legend.
I also waited silently in the camp outside for decades because of this legend. I waited so long that my hair turned white …
"Until today, I saw it."
When the Thunder Captain said this, he seemed to have aged a lot all of a sudden. The wrinkles on his face piled up, and a sense of weakness pervaded his body.
"Do you also have people you want to see who are separated by life and death … If you do, don't copy me and don't wait here …"
"I saw it, but in the end, it was all for nothing …" the Thunder Captain murmured bitterly. He closed his eyes, and tears flowed uncontrollably across the wrinkles on his face, dripping onto his lapels.
Xu Qing was silent. He raised his head and looked in the direction where the singing had disappeared. A trace of reminiscence gradually emerged in the depths of his eyes.
He also had people he wanted to see.
He really, really, really wanted to see them.
-----
When I was writing this chapter, I also asked myself, I also have relatives that I want to visit … ….
Let's not talk about such melancholy. Brothers and sisters, the outburst of nearly 15,000 words is almost the same as my outburst of five chapters in the past.
Monthly votes, collections, recommendations, does anyone have them?