Chapter 41: vs Ghoul

Spiritual energy coalesced into a beam of light upon [Sacrifice Body Sword], then extended.

As Luo De swung.

The giant palm of the ghoul was severed.

“Weak!”

The next moment, two steel vines sprouted from beneath his feet, lifting him up and violently tearing off the meat-mud-like slime clinging to his soles.

At this moment.

Luo De realized that hidden within these meat-mud slimes were bone spurs, which had successfully pierced through [Tree Armor Technique] and sunk into his flesh.

He flicked all the bone spurs away.

A numb pain pulsed from the wounds.

It quickly subsided.

Luo De knew that the poison resistance potion gifted by Scorpion Woman Hera had once again proven invaluable.

Pan Ni laughed loudly.

She felt victory was assured and began taunting:

“Human, does your wound tingle and itch from my venom? Do you feel weightless?”

Luo De, seized by showmanship, feigned panic upon landing, staggering as he walked.

“You! What did you do to me?!”

“This is [Rotten Flesh Bone]—a point-to-surface technique, perfectly counter to those who overrate their physical strength!”

Beyond that, her tone carried a hint of resentment.

When she first regained her consciousness, Pan Ni had rejoiced that her flesh had stopped decaying, but soon she discovered an insatiable craving and envy for fresh flesh deep within her soul.

The kind of flesh with flowing blood and elasticity.

Especially this man before her.

She could see the intense vitality in his muscles and blood—something she had never witnessed even in a sixth-rank warrior, stronger even than the female beastkin named Amy.

Human flesh is indeed tender and delicious, arguably the most delectable after the little fairies, but its vitality is insufficient.

In truth, as a ghoul transformed from a human, Pan Ni preferred to consume fresh human corpses.

She had never yet had the chance to taste fairy corpses.

“My legs are weak—I—”

Luo De clumsily collapsed to the ground; Tally, hidden in the shadows, silently judged: “Terrible.”

The ghoul mage believed him completely.

[Rotten Flesh Bone] had granted her too many vibrant bodies.

A mistake born of experience was made here.

Instead of commanding the giant ghoul to attack, she approached him herself.

As the ghoul drew closer, a strange scent entered Luo De’s nose.

Unlike the stench of decay from her servants, it was a faintly spicy, warm, bitter aroma like musk.

Moreover, her white robe was unnaturally thin and clinging; with every step, the two slightly sagging masses behind her swayed.

Luo De found himself oddly drawn to the ghoul’s chest.

Yet her exposed skin was visibly decaying.

“Where should I start? The organs—always the tastiest part.”

The ghoul muttered to herself, accompanied by the sound of slurping saliva.

Pan Ni was the type who ate only organs.

Each ghoul had different preferences; at one ghoul gathering, she had even seen a fellow who ate only fingers and toes.

She didn’t understand, but she respected it.

As for this one before her, Pan Ni had no qualms about consuming him entirely.

“Let me squeeze your arm, my heart’s delight.”

Luo De suddenly rolled away.

Three blades of light arrived in an instant.

[Aetheron’s Flash]!

Ping!

In an instant, her two layers of shields shattered like paper.

The residual force of the blades left countless tiny wounds across her body.

The golden-hued blade pierced straight into the ghoul’s abdomen.

“Aaaahhh!!!”

She screamed in agony, recoiling wildly as she tore herself free from the blade.

“Impossible! My [Rotten Flesh Bone]!”

The giant ghoul servant sensed its master’s distress and lunged forward to save her.

Luo De used [Repulsion Technique] to push himself backward, elegantly dodging the giant ghoul’s lunge.

Speaking of which.

After receiving the strengthening of the Spirit Seed, he had gained a sudden, profound understanding of spiritual energy; even a basic technique like [Repulsion Technique], after his minor refinement, could now push himself instead of the enemy.

In his spare time, he had even experimented with casting [Repulsion Technique] from the soles of his feet—if successful, he could launch himself into the air at speed, and with mastery, perhaps even fly like a legendary mage.

In an instant, Luo De stood before the ghoul mage.

He swung his sword.

Ping!

Another layer of magical shield appeared on the ghoul’s surface.

Clearly unstable—forced casting.

A slight pressure shattered it like glass.

“Damn it!”

Pan Ni cursed.

The magic ring on her hand flared, instantly surrounding her with two square shields adorned with intricate patterns.

“Do all spellcasters really love stacking shields?”

Luo De charged forward and unleashed [Four Flash].

The shields groaned violently, trembling as fine cracks appeared on their surfaces.

But they did not break.

Seeing the shields hold, Pan Ni exhaled in relief.

Damn it, how powerful is this guy’s spiritual technique?!

The lantern in her hand burst into flame, and a layer of spiritual light erupted from her body.

She rapidly sank into the ground.

No choice—though humiliating, she couldn’t win.

She decided to retreat first, report to the rear, then launch a coordinated evil ambush.

Before vanishing underground, she sneered with malice:

“Human, I remember you. I will watch you forever. Beware the soil—ghouls are always waiting for a chance to strike.”

Watching the female ghoul vanish into the earth,

“I’ve been waiting for this!”

Luo De laughed and stomped the ground hard.

[War Trample]!

A powerful shockwave of force and spiritual energy instantly cracked the ground into multiple fissures.

The underground mound froze in place, clearly stunned and dazed.

Luo De channeled spiritual energy again.

[Steel Vine Assault]!

Steel vines erupted from the earth, launching the ghoul mage into the air.

The shields remained intact, but the airborne ghoul flailed wildly, panicked.

At that moment, Tally finally emerged from the shadows.

She used [Flash Step] to appear midair and swung her enormous [Scythe-Claw Reverse Blade], incongruous with her frame.

Whoosh—

The advantage of [Magic Special Attack] showed clearly—one layer of the shield was effortlessly sliced open.

Luo De rushed forward and shattered the second shield with two consecutive [Four Flash] strikes.

He knocked the spellcasting lantern away and drove his sword through her chest, pinning her to the ground.

The ghoul let out a final, agonized, furious scream.

“I didn’t pierce your heart. Don’t worry.”

Luo De adjusted his cloak behind him and looked down at her.

Now the ghoul lay on her back, her robe torn open, her soft, decaying breasts splayed outward like a figure eight.

Her hair spread out, revealing a beautiful face twisted with resentment and defiance.

“Speak your name, ghoul.”

“.”

She remained silent.

Then the golden-glowing sword on her chest began to swirl with spiritual energy.

It was as if it were activating a spiritual technique.

She panicked.

Ghouls are creatures reborn after death.

Their second life did not grant them fearless bravery; instead, it planted in their minds a profound terror of death.

Driven by the instinct to survive, the female ghoul frantically spat out her name.

“.Pan Ni.”

“Good, Pan Ni. I am Luo De, but you must not call me that—henceforth, you will call me—Master.”

(End of Chapter)