"The mission is what matters now. Don't think I'm afraid of you."
The man spat lightly and then charged toward the Villa. Jiang Qingning snorted coldly, her figure merging into the shadows once again...
"Cough, cough, cough."
Liu Yunshuang coughed up a mouthful of blood, feeling an excruciating pain throughout her body. Besides the fatal wound on her abdomen, she estimated several of her ribs were broken.
At this moment, although she couldn't observe the situation outside, she knew clearly that the two of them would definitely not let her off easily.
"Hang in there, Liu Yunshuang! Don't forget you're a genius. Just a little more... just a little more and you'll be able to grasp that feeling..."
Liu Yunshuang silently cheered herself on. Then, she forced herself to slowly stand up.
That woman is also a Martial Artist, but she's clearly inferior to me. However, she seems to possess a Supernatural Ability that allows her to dive into shadows.
Liu Yunshuang chose to stop deliberately trying to track her with her eyes. Instead, she gradually relaxed her body and mind, calmly capturing every slight movement around her...
"Phew—"
Liu Yunshuang took a deep breath. Cold air rushed into her lungs, and everything around her seemed to be polished by an invisible hand, becoming so clear it was almost blinding.
The shadows on the ground writhed silently. Her pupils contracted sharply, her eyes widening like copper bells.
"Over here!"
As if possessing precognition, Liu Yunshuang suddenly turned around and charged toward the direction of the shadow. Almost simultaneously, just as Jiang Qingning's silhouette began to emerge, a fist the size of a sandbag smashed toward her vision like a meteorite.
She hurriedly swung her dagger to parry, only to see the cold light shatter inch by inch under the pressure of the punch. Amidst the flying metal fragments, Jiang Qingning's figure was sent flying backward like a broken kite.
Just as she was about to hit the perimeter wall, she suddenly retreated back into the shadows, as if swallowed by the darkness.
Bang!!!
"Die!"
Before the muffled sound of Jiang Qingning hitting the ground had even dissipated, the man had already pierced through the roof like a meteorite. The wind pressure generated by his dive sent broken tiles flying. The hideous grin on his face seemed to announce the conclusion of this battle.
But Liu Yunshuang's eyes lit up like cold stars. She had already assumed her stance. Her slender fist traced an afterimage in the air, colliding violently with the man's massive incoming fist.
At the moment of impact, an invisible shockwave spread out with the two of them at the center. The Villa's metal frame let out a piercing screech as it twisted, the walls rose and fell like waves, and the entire building swayed precariously in the astral wind.
Jiang Qingning watched this scene somewhat disheveled, her eyes full of disbelief.
"Could she have broken through to Grandmaster[1] at a time like this?!"
Rumble!!!
In the next second, an aura even more violent than before erupted from the Villa like a tsunami. The man's flying figure was as pathetic as a beaten dog, crashing straight into an intact Villa.
"Crack!"
Under the ravaging shockwave, the Villa's walls tore like paper, and the entire building collapsed on the spot, completely burying the man. This horrifying scene attracted many people's attention.
Jiang Qingning's expression suddenly became extremely serious because she clearly felt that Liu Yunshuang had indeed successfully broken through.
At the same time, Liu Yunshuang walked slowly out of the Villa, her face full of confidence.
"Did you really think I was some pushover? Although I almost messed up just now, well, it's time to settle the score."
Liu Yunshuang's current aura was like a completely different person from before. She was heroic and valiant, like a god of war descending upon the world, standing firm amidst the ruins.
Jiang Qingning's heart sank, her fists subconsciously tightening, her knuckles making slight cracking sounds.
Rumble!!!
"Damn it, so what if you got lucky and broke through! Do you really think I'm afraid of you!"
After a muffled sound, a figure actually crawled out from the ruins. Supporting himself with one hand, the man's right arm was dripping with blood, yet he shook it as if it were nothing, shaking off the debris.
Blood dripped onto the ruins, making a faint "tap-tap" sound. The man appeared to be in a very sorry state right now.
But Liu Yunshuang keenly observed that the other party's arm was actually recovering at a rate visible to the naked eye. With her current perspective as a Grandmaster, she determined at a glance that this wasn't just healing superficial wounds; it was true and complete self-healing.
Liu Yunshuang's brows furrowed slightly.
Could he have a Healing-type Supernatural Ability? No, he's not a martial artist. That power just now was clearly Enhancement-type! Could it be...
After thinking, Liu Yunshuang felt a bit of strain in her heart.
Within seconds, the wound on the man's right arm had returned to its original state. He stared at Liu Yunshuang's solitary figure, a chilling killing intent igniting in his eyes.
The humiliation from moments ago turned into a poisonous fire, burning his pupils red. A cruel smile bloomed on his face.
"You have indeed become much stronger, but in the end, you're the only one left."
As he spoke, Liu Yunshuang noticed that the other Ability Users had already been defeated. She was also gradually being surrounded by several people.
However, Liu Yunshuang had an indifferent look on her face.
"Heh, just a bunch of rabble. This many people isn't even enough for me to warm up!"
"Hahaha, keep talking tough. Or do you actually think you can stall until reinforcements arrive?"
Hearing this, Liu Yunshuang remained expressionless and did not answer directly. Seeing this, the look of triumph on the man's face became even more obvious.
"I might as well tell you, we've already set up the latest special measures around here. While it doesn't stop outsiders from entering, anyone who intrudes will find themselves in a labyrinth, except for this central area. The surrounding space will constantly change irregularly.
In other words, even if someone is just a stone's throw away, they can only watch you die before us."
As the man boasted grandly, Liu Yunshuang's expression clearly twitched for a moment, and even Jiang Qingning, who was an accomplice, was quite shocked. The latter also had no idea that their Church had such a—
The panic on Liu Yunshuang's face only lasted for a moment. Then, she bumped her fists together, rubbing them as she said,
"Reinforcements? Heh, as long as I blow you all up, I won't need reinforcements!"
Before Liu Yunshuang's voice could fade, the pressure of a Martial Grandmaster erupted from her body like a tsunami, even causing the flying debris to freeze in mid-air.
In everyone's eyes, she was like a god of war who could crush mountains and rivers. She alone could be an army, and even the ruins trembled because of her presence.
The man felt it difficult even to breathe, and his previous arrogance instantly turned into cold sweat—he had actually underestimated this woman!
But in an instant, an even more intense rage ignited from his heart, burning his pupils red.
"Then let me see how strong you are after your breakthrough."
Seeing this, Jiang Qingning, who had never spoken, simply resumed her stance silently...
At this moment, both sides were at each other's throats. However, no one was the first to strike.
Just when it seemed the stalemate would continue indefinitely, the man suddenly exerted force with his feet. His entire body turned into an afterimage and charged out.
"Die for me!"
The man roared, his figure disappearing from everyone's sight. Liu Yunshuang was amazed; even she found it difficult to accurately capture his figure at such a speed.
Just as she was focusing all her attention on locking onto him, he suddenly vanished from her field of vision. This made Liu Yunshuang feel as if she were facing a great enemy, and she subconsciously assumed a defensive posture.
Following that, accompanied by a loud "rumble," a Villa collapsed, followed by... the sound of the man's painful wailing?
Liu Yunshuang: Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟﾉ)ﾉ
Jiang Qingning: ("▔□▔)
Everyone: (°ー°〃)
...'What's going on?'
At this moment, the thoughts of everyone present were surprisingly identical.
Simultaneously, an unfamiliar voice suddenly rang out.
"That's strange. Did This Cat just hit something? Could there be a speed bump here?"
[1] Reminder: In a past chapter, it stated some differences between Ability Users and Martial Artist. For example, it is much easier for a Martial Artist to grow in strength compared to an Ability User. However, in terms of raw power, Ability Users are generally stronger than Martial Artists.