[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-the-sky-fell":3,"chapter-after-the-sky-fell-after-the-sky-fell-chapter-50":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","After the Sky Fell",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2280906,4462,"Chapter 50: Complete Failure","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-50",50,"\u003Cp>Could the fugitive named Wang Kui be in this building?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi had already silently entered the old residential building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This building stood directly across from his home; although standing at its windows offered no view of his own apartment, it gave a complete view of the entire neighborhood, and allowed observation of all entries and exits to and from the residential complex—making it an excellent observation point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was also an excellent sniping position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Li Yi entered or left normally, he would surely be watched by the hidden Wang Kui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Yi deliberately avoided the usual paths; relying on his familiarity with the terrain near his home, he avoided all observation points along the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My home is on the third floor. If the enemy truly wants to assassinate me, they’d choose a position higher than my floor. Since this building is only seven stories tall, the enemy is likely hiding on one of the four upper floors: four, five, six, or seven.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Considering line of sight, the eastern corner units—402, 502, 602, and 702—can be ruled out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Yi cautiously and swiftly climbed the stairs, he analyzed the situation in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He learned this tactic from Tao Ge in the Danger Zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kong Sheng said Wang Kui is a fugitive who can’t show his face, and he’s already killed an investigator. So Wang Kui must have pre-planned an escape route. Among these four floors, which unit offers the easiest escape?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi began recalling details in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had lived here for many years and knew the layout of these residential buildings inside and out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi narrowed his focus to two floors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>601. 701.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two units were nearly perfect: easy to observe from, and easy to escape from via the rooftop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for which specific unit Wang Kui was hiding in, Li Yi didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He decided to take a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he remained extremely cautious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Li Yi remembered clearly: the enemy possessed a gun designed to kill transcendent beings—its power was terrifying, and a cultivator struck by it would die instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a dim, aging room,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a tall man crouched by the window, gripping a specialized sniper rifle. His breathing was steady, his gaze sharp, scanning every movement outside through the scope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw Ning Wu appear on the third floor of the opposite building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That location had earlier erupted in violent combat, then fallen silent. Only Kong Sheng had entered and exited; no one else knew what had happened inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The target, Li Yi, had not appeared in his line of sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ning Wu, I’ll say it again: if you come to me, whether I fire or not, the money’s the same. If you try to stiff me, I’ll blow your head off right now.” Wang Kui’s hoarse voice crackled through the radio, warning Ning Wu not to vanish suddenly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know. The money won’t be short. Keep your eyes locked on the outside. The moment Li Yi shows himself, kill him. If he escapes, I won’t let you live either.” Ning Wu’s icy voice echoed through the radio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Kui said: “Relax. If that Li Yi dares to show himself, I’ll shoot him instantly. But you should worry about yourself—your people seem to have taken heavy losses...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Wang Kui sensed something—he spun around instantly, bringing his rifle to bear on the entrance door behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room fell utterly still. Not a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An illusion?” Wang Kui frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just now, he’d instinctively sensed unease and danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he wasn’t a Spiritual Sense cultivator and couldn’t sense his surroundings with closed eyes, as a fugitive hiding in the Ruined City Zone, he possessed an innate, razor-sharp instinct for peril.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Wang Kui always trusted this instinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As time slowly passed,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Kui maintained his stance, his rifle still aimed at the door, refusing to lower his guard despite the silence—he knew his enemies were many. This incursion into the Old City wasn’t just about one job; old grudges might be coming to settle scores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a faint shift occurred in the shadow along the door’s crack—as if someone had passed by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant he caught this detail,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Kui pulled the trigger without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He carried over a dozen lives on his conscience—he didn’t care if he killed ordinary residents in this building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gunshot roared like an explosion, deafening. The recoil was so powerful even Wang Kui, a Spiritual Medium cultivator, couldn’t withstand it—he staggered violently, forced back a step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This weapon was utterly unusable by ordinary people; the recoil alone would shatter their bones. Only cultivators with enhanced bodies could endure it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this terrifying recoil granted the weapon devastating power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the entrance door shattered completely; the opposite wall exploded into a massive crater, and the bullet punched through countless walls before vanishing from sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the building, screams and shouts erupted—many residents hiding indoors were terrified by this sudden disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Kui stared at the shattered doorway—empty. His face darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he just been paranoid?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wang Kui, what happened over there? Why did you fire? Did you kill Li Yi?” Ning Wu’s voice crackled through the radio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a loud shot could be heard kilometers away—Ning Wu on the opposite building nearly cursed aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. This shot wasn’t for Li Yi. I’ve got some issues here—none of your concern.” Wang Kui replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“None of my concern?” Ning Wu exploded: “The moment you fired, the Investigation Bureau will swarm here! Your identity is exposed! Li Yi heard that shot—he’s on alert now! You say it’s none of my concern? Bastard!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was furious, enraged—she wanted to kill Wang Kui right then and there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this was about a Curio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After investing so much, if the operation failed, she would go mad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My job is only to watch Li Yi for you. Whether it succeeds or not—what’s that to me? Don’t get too full of yourself. But you’re right: after that shot, this place isn’t safe. I’m heading back to the Ruined City Zone. Pay me by noon today—or I won’t let you live.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Wang Kui tossed the radio aside, slung his rifle, and prepared to withdraw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment Wang Kui finished packing,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>suddenly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a figure appeared in the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Kui reacted instantly—he spun, drew his rifle, movements fluid and precise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But too slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He heard only a sharp crack—then the figure was already before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Wang Kui finally saw the man’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young man, around twenty, drenched in blood, eyes glowing with eerie light, radiating terrifying killing intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Yi...” His mind instantly flashed the dossier on Li Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn. Too late.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Kui’s pupils contracted sharply—he saw a fist hurtling toward him. He was a fraction too slow; his rifle couldn’t reposition in time. But with years of experience, he instantly raised the rifle to block it in front of his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Crack!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The punch exploded with force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Kui felt a crushing blow to his chest—the power surged through the rifle, piercing into his bones, sending searing pain through him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He staggered backward—but he’d barely blocked that lethal strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Die!” Wang Kui roared. His rifle was now properly aimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Yi showed no sign of retreating. His first punch missed—he closed the distance again and threw another punch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three steps away—the fist was faster than the gun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second punch unleashed its force, aimed straight at Wang Kui’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Crack!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi’s fist struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Kui froze in place, motionless. His finger on the trigger never pulled again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Li Yi’s fist had driven straight into his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood sprayed, bone fragments flew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You were alert enough—but in the end, I still found my opening.” Li Yi’s gaze was cold. He slowly withdrew his fist, seized the deadly sniper rifle, then shoved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Kui’s shattered head collapsed to the floor, lifeless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the last threat eliminated, Li Yi exhaled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He examined the rifle’s barrel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unknown metal—it hadn’t a single mark from his full-power punch; instead, the recoil had cracked his own fingers, now throbbing with pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it not blocked the first punch, he’d have killed the man outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But that shot’s power was terrifying—anyone hit would die instantly, no chance of survival. This weapon truly was designed to hunt transcendent beings. Lucky Kong Sheng gave me the intel—I was prepared, and lured him into firing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi studied the rifle for a long moment. His first thought: use it to kill Ning Wu. But he discarded the idea immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simple reason: he was a novice, had never held a gun before. If he missed Ning Wu, she’d hide in the building and refuse to show herself. And his parents were still asleep inside—if she used them as shields, it’d be disastrous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, using a gun to kill would bring massive complications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply found a nearby spot to bury the rifle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this operation succeeded, he might need it someday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, investigators might eventually find out afterward, but it didn’t matter—Li Yi was just trying his luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet as Li Yi hid the gun, he realized something and also found a place to conceal the odd artifacts he carried, lest they be exposed during combat and cause unnecessary trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Ning Wu in another building had sensed something was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Ning Wu had seen corpses scattered all over Li Yi’s home—these were all the cultivators she had hired, two of whom were even her relatives, and Lao Ya’s corpse was among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But among all these corpses, Li Yi’s body was nowhere to be found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it, how did it come to this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Ning Wu was going mad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was dead, the target had escaped, the odd artifacts weren’t retrieved, and Wang Kui had chosen this moment to cause trouble—firing a shot for no reason. The investigation bureau’s forces would arrive any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This operation had been a complete failure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why? Why had it failed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seven Spirit Medium cultivators had surrounded Li Yi, with herself guarding the scene, and a sniper rifle waiting outside the building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a setup was enough to hunt down ordinary supernatural creatures in a danger zone—Li Yi had no possible chance of survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it had collapsed anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>",1734,"2026-06-20T01:26:56.586Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","85f7540c75a4ef6b5042654b277225b709d7a62368e74c1a234d793799379831","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-51","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-49",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-the-sky-fell-cover.jpg"]