Chapter 289: Absorption

In a sudden flash of light within the darkness, Huo Ye Yingsi already had an Ozu driver at his waist and had placed three Core Coins into the center of his Ozu Belt.

Huo Ye Yingsi brandished the Holy Emblem Slash Sword, staying alert, and that beam of light did not grow brighter with distance; on the contrary, the farther he moved forward, the dimmer it became, as if being swallowed by the surrounding darkness that rose like a tide.

That thin glimmer seemed to be shot down from the sky, and he appeared as if constantly falling.

Until he was completely engulfed in darkness, Ozu's eyes flashed a hint of red, and the special ability of the Eagle Core Coin was helping him adapt to this pitch‑black place.

From the moment Huo Ye Yingsi stepped into this place, he felt it was very special.

Although its exterior looked like a tall building, made of ordinary concrete walls,

once he actually entered, he discovered it seemed isolated from the outside world.

As he went deeper, not only the walls—at some point the bright moon outside also vanished, making him feel as if he had entered an unknown realm.

There was nothing here, like the loneliest place in the world.

But now, in Ozu's belt, the red Core Coin on the far left kept continuously guiding Huo Ye Yingsi.

Following its guidance, even if all light vanished, he felt no fear or loneliness at all.

After an unknown amount of time, the Eagle Core Coin projected a colored halo into the darkness, where flames swirled like a burning giant bird, emitting scorching heat in the gloom.

As he approached, the surrounding darkness peeled away layer by layer.

The area suddenly lit up, the darkness faded, and burning flames erupted, driving the gloom away.

Huo Ye Yingsi stared in amazement at the surroundings; now it resembled a massive arena.

Opposite him stood Anku's awakened body.

The sky here remained pitch black, though the surrounding flames illuminated the area,

but the ink‑like darkness around continuously tried to devour the light.

"Hand over the Core Coin that belongs to me, or you won't be able to leave this place," bird-type Greed said.

A crimson wave of pressure slammed Huo Ye Yingsi's body, like a storm.

But Huo Ye Yingsi stubbornly pressed forward against the wave.

Huo Ye Yingsi gently stroked the Eagle Core Coin.

"No, this isn't yours; it's Anku's," Huo Ye Yingsi shook his head.

"The other Core Coins inside your body that belong to Anku, I will take those as well," Huo Ye Yingsi said.

"Defeating you will not only restore Anku's body but also separate Anku from Officer Quan Xinwu."

"So that's it. Although I was born later, I don't want to disappear either," bird-type Greed replied.

A sword appeared in his hand, and he pointed it obliquely at Huo Ye Yingsi.

At this moment, the atmosphere between them began to grow tense.

Within the arena, a Knight and a monster faced each other with swords.

His left hand, glowing crimson, instantly erupted in flames, instantly enveloping Huo Ye Yingsi's body.

A temperature hot enough to melt steel burst from his palm.

The ambient temperature surged in an instant to a level intolerable for ordinary people.

But none of this could deter Huo Ye Yingsi's resolve; what he decided could not be changed by anyone.

Although Anku is quick‑tempered, frequently losing his temper, and at first contact seemed to take lives lightly,

during genuine interaction he found that Anku was not as ruthless as he seemed; at times he truly seemed like a child who hadn't grown up. This is very similar to the reason they gave for Miss Shirakishi.

So, he wants to save him.

Their blades continuously clashed, producing a thunderous roar.

Three different colors intertwined on Ozu's body; as Ozu's most basic configuration, its ability is the most balanced and consumes the least stamina.

With a slight effort from his legs, Ozu's body turned into a streak of light and shadow, engaging bird-type Greed in combat.

Considering their distance and speed, it would only take a few seconds.

Both entered each other's attack range; compared with the wide swings of the Holy Emblem Slash Sword, the newly reforged Bird Sword felt very swift.

Dazzling sparks crackled continuously on Ozu's limbs, bearing scorching flames that pierced Ozu's armor.

During their relentless collisions, the Eagle Core Coin also began to emit continuous flashes.

Huo Ye Yingsi's massive desire, driven by his own pursuit, had already begun affecting the Core Coins inside the Ozu driver.

Boom! A pale‑red, almost solid gust of wind explosively burst at zero distance on Huo Ye Yingsi's chest.

Huo Ye Yingsi quickly stepped back a few paces, and white smoke rose rapidly from his body.

At the same time, the Ozu driver seemed to reach its limit, beginning to emit some blue‑black Electric Arcs.

Looking at the Ozu before him, bird-type Greed's left hand sparked a small flame.

Finally, it coalesced in his palm into a small fireball, its scorching heat subtly warping the surrounding air.

It seemed that the next moment it would strike Huo Ye Yingsi's body directly.

Seeing Ozu's armor already at its limit, Huo Ye Yingsi realized he needed to replace the Core Coins to maintain his transformed state.

However, he wasn't simply looking to swap Core Coins.

Huo Ye Yingsi took out a convenient coin storage box and, in one breath, removed all the Core Coins stored inside.

He inhaled deeply, looked at the seven or eight Core Coins in his palm, and mimicked the king from the video that was 800 years old.

He tossed the Core Coins upward, and the Core Coins Anku had painstakingly gathered were instantly flung into the sky.

Immediately, he drew the Ozu scanner from his waist and swept it over the airborne Core Coins at lightning speed.

At once, the Core Coins, activated by Ozu's system, expanded violently and began to spin rapidly.

Several disc‑sized Core Coins illuminated Ozu's body brilliantly.

Huo Ye Yingsi stared at the Core Coins drifting in the air, his heart hardened, and with a berserk resolve forcibly absorbed those Core Coins already charged with power.

The Core Coins were almost instantly fully absorbed by Huo Ye Yingsi.

That amount of Core Coin, enough to make a Greed go berserk, was actually completely devoured by Huo Ye Yingsi just like that.

"Right now, I should already have enough power inside me to defeat you," Huo Ye Yingsi said.

As he had guessed, the former king couldn't do it, but that doesn't mean he can't.

This is also why he wants to go again to the Hongshang Group Headquarters to meet Hongshang Guangsheng.

Because after he finished hearing Anku discuss separating body and consciousness, he had already been thinking about how to use the power of other Core Coins.

Three aren't enough, so he will keep absorbing, raising his power to the limit needed to defeat the enemy.

(End of chapter)