"My name is Kui Lang," the woman said, watching Bai Fei distance himself.
Bai Fei ignored Kui Lang's self-introduction. He flexed his shoulders, blood seeping from a wound. A faint green light covered the injury as he used his spiritual energy to seal the penetration wound.
The demon hunters of the Spiritual Conduit Association had no interest in learning the names of demons.
Bai Fei looked up, tossing the knife in his hand lightly. Then, his single blade became two. He gripped the right one normally and held the left one upside down. He stepped forward with his left foot, raising his left arm inward, and pulling his right arm back, raising his blade.
In this stance, Bai Fei resembled a warrior wielding a spear in his right hand and a shield in his left. He was skilled in swordsmanship and close-quarters combat. Though not the most talented, he was a dual-ability user, perfectly blending spiritual energy with his unique powers.
*Scrape!*
Bai Fei charged forward, leaving trails of afterimages. His dual blades, one in front of the other, continuously attacked Kui Lang.
Kui Lang's hands moved rapidly, drawing lines of blood. She watched Bai Fei's attacks, a mocking smile playing on her lips. It was like a hawk toying with a young snake, letting the snake attack endlessly, extending its sharp fangs and entangling itself. But it was futile. The hawk's sharp, powerful talons repeatedly pinned the snake to the ground, only to release it.
She was toying with Bai Fei.
*Bang!*
Bai Fei was sent flying, his body crashing heavily onto the asphalt of the overpass. He slid backward, hitting the concrete guardrail before stopping.
Kui Lang sneered, "Your captain didn't come to save you, and I'm getting a bit bored. What do you want to do now?"
Bai Fei used his knife to support himself as he slowly stood up. The wound on his left shoulder had reopened, and a new gash had appeared on his chest, inflicted by a bloodline attack.
Bai Fei frowned at the wounds, cursing inwardly, "Damn it! Bad luck! This suit of mine is expensive!"
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
Muffled thuds echoed around them. The asphalt on the overpass suddenly cracked. The entire structure groaned as if under immense pressure.
Kui Lang turned and looked back.
At the bend of the overpass, a young figure was slowly approaching. His posture was upright, a faint smile on his face, and he carried a black halberd.
With each step the young man took, the overpass rumbled. The space around him seemed detached from the rest of the world, exuding immense pressure.
"Apologies, Miss Demoness, I didn't mean to interrupt your show. It's just that my friend is injured. May I take him with me?"
The young man spoke with a gentle tone, but his words carried a sharp edge, and his eyes held a hint of arrogance.
Kui Lang seemed to pause for a moment, then a look of realization dawned on her face. She looked at the approaching young man, seemingly unfazed by the heavy pressure. Her smile deepened, her scarlet pupils trembling slightly. She said excitedly, "He Li? That's right! This concentration of blood, it's the same as back at the villa. It contains immense spiritual power, so potent, so sweet. If I consume you, I will be intoxicated. Come, let me consume you, and we shall become one!"
He Li glanced at Bai Fei behind Kui Lang, giving him a look. Then, he floated up, appearing to Kui Lang's left the next moment. Simultaneously, Bai Fei appeared to Kui Lang's right.
From left and right, their halberd and dual blades swept horizontally.
*Clang!*
*Clang!*
Kui Lang raised her hands, blocking the attacks from both He Li and Bai Fei.
*Boom!!!*
The asphalt beneath Kui Lang's feet instantly shattered, sending debris flying.
Kui Lang looked at He Li with continued excitement. In a flash, He Li and Bai Fei moved apart and then attacked Kui Lang again, one in front and one behind.
The halberd and dual blades cut through the air, leaving afterimages. Bloodlines danced erratically around them.
Their attacks were against a Rank 2 demon. Although they were not its match, there was no victory or defeat in the battle between demon hunters and demons, only death could end it.
Half of the overpass in this section was already damaged, and the battle continued.
Bai Fei's resolve hardened. Green spiritual energy blazed around him, clearly indicating he was prepared to fight to the death.
He Li was amazed, not by the Rank 2 demon's strength, but by Bai Fei's. During the fight, Bai Fei absorbed most of the pressure. His exquisite swordsmanship and tricky angles left He Li in awe.
It wasn't just He Li; even Li Qin, who was lending He Li his strength from the side, couldn't help but be impressed by Bai Fei's skill.
*Clang!*
*Boom!*
He Li was struck by three bloodlines against his halberd, sending him flying.
In that instant, Bai Fei crossed his dual blades in front of him and charged at Kui Lang like an arrow loosed from a bow.
*Screech!*
*Gush!!*
The blade's edge sliced through, tearing Kui Lang's body apart. Her right side exploded in a shower of blood.
Bai Fei appeared beside He Li, coldly watching Kui Lang as she began to repair herself. He said in a deep voice, "He Li, you leave quickly. I'll hold her here until the captain arrives."
He Li's eyelids twitched, then he replied irritably, "Brother Fei, at this point, don't act like you're in a TV drama. It's so awkward."
"Should I say, 'We'll die together'?"
He Li rejected Bai Fei's offer with a joke.
However,
Bai Fei was not joking. He flipped his dual blades, gripping them both normally. He took a half-step forward, blocking He Li with half his body, and said, "I understand what you mean, but it's a Rank 2 demon. If we keep fighting, we'll both die. Whether one or two die makes no difference to it, but it's different for us."
He Li didn't answer Bai Fei but turned to look at Li Qin.
Li Qin paused for a moment, then nodded at He Li before disappearing. He Li instantly felt the halberd in his hand become heavier.
*Whoosh...*
A gust of wind blew past.
Immediately after, an overwhelming gravity descended, causing the damaged half of the overpass to groan and threaten to collapse.
Bai Fei glanced sideways, looking at He Li with disbelief. Possessing such power, was this the first stage of a gene lock?
He Li's attitude was clear: he would fight alongside Bai Fei, but he knew he wouldn't throw his life away carelessly.
Sacrifice himself willingly?
Sorry, his mindset hadn't reached that level.
Stall. Stall until Captain Susan arrived.
"Hahaha... Is this the power of an Awakened? Blood, the blood of an Awakened that I've yearned for! Hahaha..."
Kui Lang felt the gravity. Her scarlet pupils constricted instantly. She looked at He Li with excitement, like a wolf gazing at a weak lamb, filled with greed, a desire to devour He Li.
Suddenly,
The gravity vanished.
Bai Fei sheathed his dual blades and slumped to the ground, clutching his wound. He Li sheathed his halberd and leaned against the rubble, gasping for breath.
Kui Lang was stunned. They knew they were no match for her. Had they given up?
Suddenly,
*Step!*
A soft sound echoed from behind her.
Kui Lang spun around abruptly. She found herself enveloped in a massive shadow. Slowly, she looked up, meeting Susan's cold, condescending eyes.
It was Susan!
Simultaneously,
She found herself unable to move, her body seemingly restrained. She looked at Susan in terror. It was telekinesis! She had used telekinesis to bind her. How was this possible? How could she be bound by telekinesis!
She couldn't make a sound, only watch as Susan reached out and grabbed her head.
Pain!
Intense pain!
Why was she feeling pain?
Her head could be crushed by Susan. She wouldn't recover like before. She would die!
*Bang!!!*
Kui Lang's body exploded, spraying blood everywhere. However, the blood stopped in mid-air, then coalesced, forcefully compressed by Susan's telekinesis into a fist-sized blood orb.
Unlike the blood orb He Li had pulled out at the villa, that was merely an ability Kui Lang had used. The blood orb in Susan's hand was Kui Lang's true form.
Susan dragged the blood orb, her expressionless face unchanged. The next moment, the orb was crushed by her powerful telekinesis and dissipated.
He Li watched this unfold. If his reaction to Bai Fei's swordsmanship had been awe, then watching Susan's ability was shock. The demon that he and Bai Fei had fought desperately against, the one they couldn't defeat, had been so easily crushed by Captain Susan?
So, in Captain Susan's eyes, what was the difference between a Rank 2 demon and a Rank 5 demon?
...