Chapter 15

In the dim alleyway, a damp, musty smell permeated the air, and the squeaking of rats was particularly piercing in the silence.

Carrying Ceng Yue, Ji Chen moved like a ghost; following the clues, they arrived before a huge and mysterious building.

This building was like a dormant giant beast, standing quietly in the darkness, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.

The building's gate was tightly shut, with strange, eerie patterns carved upon it, as if it were some kind of ancient spell.

Ji Chen gently set Ceng Yue down, covered her with a protective shield, and whispered: "Wait for me."

He took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy gate.

"Creeeak—"

The piercing sound of friction echoed in the silence, as if it were a call from hell.

A chilling aura rushed toward him, and Ji Chen could not help but shiver.

The interior of the building was gloomy and terrifying, and a nauseating scent of blood filled the air.

The walls were covered in eerie vines, like ghosts baring fangs and brandishing claws, ready to devour anyone at any moment.

Ji Chen advanced cautiously, every step taken with extreme care.

He knew this place was full of danger; one slight mistake, and he would be beyond redemption.

Passing through a long, secluded corridor, Ji Chen arrived at a spacious hall.

In the center of the hall stood a Mysterious Person wearing a black robe.

He had his back to Ji Chen, his face unclear, but the powerful aura he exuded made Ji Chen feel suffocated.

"You finally came." The Mysterious Person turned around slowly, revealing a pale and sinister face.

His

"Are you the mastermind behind all this?" Ji Chen asked in a deep voice.

"Heh, the mastermind? How ridiculous." The man sneered, "I am merely the one who sets the rules for this world."

"The one who sets them? What right do you have?" Ji Chen said angrily.

"Right? Strength is the right!" A cold glint flashed in the man's eyes, "Ants like you are not even fit to live in this world!"

Ji Chen was enraged by his words, and a strong fighting spirit surged in his heart.

"Who will have the last laugh is not yet certain!"

The man looked up and laughed, his laughter filled with mockery. "Just you? You overestimate yourself!"

"Let's try it then!" Ji Chen's gaze sharpened, and a powerful energy surged within his body.

"Hmph, since you are in such a hurry to die, I will grant your wish!" Murderous intent was fully revealed in the man's eyes, "I will let you know the gap between an ant and a god!"

He slowly raised his right hand, and a terrifying energy condensed in his hand; the surrounding space began to twist and deform.

Ji Chen took a deep breath and prepared for battle.

He knew this would be a life-or-death struggle.

"Die!" The man grinned hideously, "Let me end your lowly life!"

"Enough talk!" Ji Chen shouted sternly, "Bring it on!"

The man's attacks poured down like a rainstorm; waves of black energy tore through the air, emitting sharp whistling sounds.

Ji Chen was like a small boat in a storm, trying his best to dodge, but he was still hit by the aftermath; his chest felt as if it had been struck hard by a giant hammer, and he let out a muffled groan, his body swaying unsteadily.

"Is that all you've got? You're truly pathetic!" The Mysterious Person curled his mouth into a cruel smile and mocked, "It seems an ant like you doesn't even have the right to struggle."

Ji Chen gritted his teeth, his blood and Qi surging within him; his internal organs felt as if they had shifted, the pain so intense he almost fainted.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze as firm as iron.

The physical pain instead ignited the wildness deep within his heart.

He knew he could not fall, absolutely not!

He tried his best to circulate the energy within his body, crazily absorbing the free supernatural energy in the surrounding air and converting it into his own strength.

This was his trump card, and also the reliance that had allowed him to make it this far.

The battle grew more intense, every second like suffering in hell.

Ji Chen kept dodging, his figure in a wretched state; his black robe was already tattered, and his exposed skin was covered in hideous wounds.

"You really are a cockroach that can't be killed!" The man's face was ferocious, the energy fluctuations in his hands growing stronger, "Since that's the case, I'll let you be completely annihilated!"

Another powerful energy wave struck; Ji Chen had nowhere to hide and was hit head-on, his body flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily against the wall with a dull, loud thud.

Ji Chen struggled to get up, but felt as if his whole body had fallen apart, unable to muster a shred of strength.

The intense, sharp pain made his vision go black.

He felt the energy within his body rapidly draining away, like a leaking balloon.

"Could it be... am I really going to lose?" Ji Chen could not fall; he still wanted to see the scenery of this world with her!

"No! I cannot lose!" Ji Chen let out a painful roar, using all his strength to try and stand up again.

However, he could feel the man's increasingly intense murderous intent, like a giant mountain pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.

The surrounding pressure grew stronger and stronger; he felt as if his throat had been gripped by an invisible giant hand, and even breathing became extremely difficult.

"Give up, ant!" The man's cold voice echoed in his ears, "Your struggle is meaningless!"

Just as Ji Chen was about to be swallowed by despair, he vaguely heard a crisp sound of footsteps, approaching from afar, as if stepping on his heart, making him jolt.

He lifted his head with difficulty and saw a familiar figure appear before him, then heard an extremely cold, thin remark:

"Too slow!"

Ceng Yue's appearance was like a bolt of lightning tearing through the night sky, instantly igniting the fire of hope in Ji Chen's heart.

She was dressed in black, her figure agile, her gaze as cold as frost, like a battle goddess descended to the mortal world.

Ceng Yue's voice was as cold and thin as ever, yet it made Ji Chen feel incomparably warm.

Although she had not fully recovered, the aura she exuded at this moment was even more powerful than before.

She flashed, instantly appearing before the Mysterious Person, and condensed a sharp Ice Blade in her hand, stabbing directly at the man's heart.

The man clearly had not expected Ceng Yue's appearance and, in his haste, could only barely defend himself.

"Overestimating yourself!" The man roared, the energy in his hands surging again, attempting to beat Ceng Yue back.

"Hmph!" Ceng Yue sneered, her figure flashing again to dodge the man's attack, while simultaneously swinging her Ice Blade in succession, like a violent storm, shrouding the man within it.

Seeing this, Ji Chen endured the sharp pain and joined the battle once again.

He seized the opportunity while the man was being held back by Ceng Yue, unleashed all the remaining energy in his body, and condensed it into a powerful Energy Cannon, blasting it toward the man.

"Boom!"

The two energies collided, emitting a deafening roar; the entire hall shook violently, as if it would collapse at any moment.

Just then, Ji Chen and Ceng Yue looked at each other, understanding each other's intent.

They perfectly fused their respective supernatural abilities, forming an even more powerful energy that transformed into a dazzling beam of light, shooting straight into the sky.

"No!" The man's face changed drastically, and he shouted in terror.

But it was too late; the beam of light instantly struck the man, swallowing him within it.

"Ah!"

After a shrill, miserable scream, the man's figure vanished without a trace, leaving only a scene of devastation.

Finally, they won!