Chapter 16: The Second Rollback

In an instant, Xia Shou felt a mysterious force forcibly pulling some emotions from within him, those feelings questioning him about what he would do next.

Xia Shou knew—it was killing intent.

Target confirmed for preemptive strike—the Blood Demon and the Beastmaster!

The moment he made the decision, the numbers on the scale within his left eye rapidly shifted.

Deep within his soul, the power that had once dimmed—“Seeking Death”—was reactivated, thanks to the pinnacle-level refresh effect.

Then, following a predetermined sequence, Xia Shou unleashed all his trump cards one by one!

“Seeking Death” activated!

Xia Shou once again gained the chance for a death rollback.

This time, the rollback window was limited to one minute. If he failed to kill the Blood Demon and the Beastmaster within that minute, he would have to pay the ultimate price of the “Pinnacle” skill—forced death rollback.

Nonetheless, even one minute was more than enough for him.

Without hesitation, Xia Shou crushed all the remnants he had collected so far.

He had already used physical enhancement before activating the Pinnacle skill, and now, he employed the three remnants obtained in the classroom!

“Continuous Combat” allowed one to fight stubbornly even when severely injured.

“Imperfect Vacuum” ignored part of the air resistance, enabling speed beyond normal limits.

“Physical Fixation” stabilized his organs by referencing a “healthy body” template, keeping everything in its proper place.

Of course, there was also the fourth remnant he had picked up among the ruins—“Spiritual Strike”!

“Perpetual Wound, activate!” Xia Shou initiated a skill that prevented his opponent’s injuries from healing.

This might be the key ability that could defeat the Blood Demon.

As the last skill entered cooldown, Xia Shou entered the most complete combat state.

At this moment, he needed not pay any negative cost for his skills, only enjoying their benefits. He only prayed that during this one minute of Pinnacle power, his descent depth wouldn’t exceed 1,300 meters.

Xia Shou stomped his feet fiercely against the ground. His formidable physique granted him extraordinary explosive power, and combined with unhindered airflow friction, his speed surpassed the maximum attainable by humans under normal physical laws!

In an instant, Xia Shou’s figure vanished from the spot, leaving behind only a dust-shaped human silhouette.

In the blink of an eye, he had arrived before the Blood Demon!

As the distance closed, the disparity in size between them became glaringly obvious. Standing before the Blood Demon, Xia Shou felt as if he were gazing up at a small mountain.

“My lord Xia Shou, I can now strip its vision,” Alice said from behind.

“Excellent!”

Xia Shou swung his fist with all his might at the Blood Demon’s abdomen. The sensation transmitted through his fist was that of pure liquid!

The opponent’s body was far more fragile than he had anticipated, almost completely defenseless! The Blood Demon seemed not to rely on defense.

A massive splash of blood exploded outward under the tremendous impact. With just one punch, Xia Shou left a large, visible dent on the Blood Demon’s body.

That dent did not heal, signifying that the Perpetual Wound had taken effect!

No—more precisely, it was the Pinnacle-level Perpetual Wound in action!

“How could he possibly injure the Blood Demon?!” the Beastmaster exclaimed in shock.

Thanks to the grudging spirit’s innate traits, the Beastmaster had a beast-like instinct regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the extraordinary and the bizarre.

He was acutely aware that Xia Shou’s brief high-speed movement and the dent left on the Blood Demon meant something significant.

It meant that this guy’s abnormality matched or even surpassed the Blood Demon’s!

Moreover, it wasn’t just that his abnormality surpassed the Blood Demon’s; he had struck not only the Blood Demon’s physical projection in reality but a more fundamental existence.

And… not only had he inflicted injury, but he had also suppressed the Blood Demon’s incredible regenerative capabilities!

“Uwoah~”

The black panther on the ground whimpered weakly. The Beastmaster suddenly snapped back to reality; his previously bright eyes dimmed instantly.

“Little Black, wait, you can’t leave yet. This guy might win—we have to help him at the end!”

At this moment, the Beastmaster seemed transported back to that damp alleyway many years ago.

If it hadn’t been for Little Black’s pact with him that day, he would have long become a wild dog’s meal.

Later, he used his body as a vessel to contain the other party and relied on its power to survive in this world.

Now, he knew both of them had reached the end of their paths.

Though he had been ordered to enter and consume this unknown fighter, it was only to increase the odds of conquering the Blood Demon’s domain.

Now, the highest probability strategy had undoubtedly changed, and the original plan was naturally void!

“Let’s go!”

The Beastmaster stroked the panther’s body. Flames surged up his arm, crawling under his black cloak. As the cloak disintegrated like burning feathers into ash, his terrifying body, stitched together from countless scars, was fully exposed to the air.

Those were not scars any living person could bear; only those who had witnessed the true face of hell would carry such dreadful marks.

Enduring the burning black flames, the Beastmaster tilted his head back and roared.

His face split open in the middle; a translucent beastly silhouette emerged like a pupa breaking free from its cocoon, blending and compressing with his human form.

The once-dim panther form solidified again; the ethereal gap was filled by the tangible living flesh, allowing this supernatural force on the verge of death to remain longer in the living world.

This was no howl of pain—no injured being could emit such majestic cries. The fighting spirit soared once more in a dying blaze.

The grudging spirit’s power was fully mastered by its host; this final price brought the final reward.

Meanwhile, in the midst of battle, Xia Shou ducked the Blood Demon’s claw swipe. The demon’s elongated arm grazed his scalp, and the blood splattered from its body turned into sharp blades midair, piercing Xia Shou’s body.

A large chunk was gouged from his abdomen, his internal organs visible. Yet despite the loss of ribs and skin support, his organs did not spill out.

“Physical Fixation” had tightly bound his shattered body together like a puppet connected by invisible threads.

Now he was a combat machine that would not fall apart until the very last moment!

Xia Shou clenched his teeth silently and threw another punch.

His superhuman physique combined with “Imperfect Vacuum” made his strike break the sound barrier!

The tremendous kinetic energy tore a large hole through the Blood Demon’s abdomen. Blood sprayed across the chapel floor, staining the inverted cross crimson.

The Blood Demon let out an inhuman, ferocious roar, as if trying to tear eardrums apart… but these attacks had only enraged it.

Though only roaring, the blood rushing through Xia Shou’s veins seemed to respond, boiling as if summoned.

The Blood Demon swung its arm again, sending a rain of blood blades flying. Yet just before they would strike Xia Shou, they suddenly veered off, all flying toward one corner.

Xia Shou glanced sideways and saw the Beastmaster kneeling, burning with black flames, his body pierced by countless blood blades.

The black flames consumed his flesh but could not incinerate the scarlet blades.

Without any words, Xia Shou knew the Beastmaster had just helped him.

Though unable to confront the Blood Demon head-on, the Beastmaster’s power seemed capable of distorting the trajectory of projectiles.

There was no denying it was a tremendous help.

Judging by the Beastmaster’s condition, he probably wouldn’t hold out much longer.

But it didn’t matter—Xia Shou himself only had one minute.

The chapel floor trembled violently. The Blood Demon, deprived of vision by Alice, pounded the ground with its strange elongated arms.

Its claws made of liquid were sharper and more piercing than alloy blades, easily carving deep grooves into the exquisite reliefs.

The monster wildly swung its arms, scattering blood everywhere, using the crystallized blood blades to slash everything around.

This offensive should have slaughtered all life nearby, but thanks to the Beastmaster’s final assistance, all these attacks were shattered.

Xia Shou could focus entirely on striking the Blood Demon’s limbs.

Thirty-eight seconds had passed since the Pinnacle power was activated.

After half a minute of combat, Xia Shou was covered in wounds, having lost over seventy percent of his blood.

Under normal circumstances, he should have died already. But relying on “Continuous Combat,” fueled by his fighting will, his body faithfully continued its duty.

Gradually, Xia Shou discerned the Blood Demon’s attack patterns. Though formidable, it was a mindless beast.

Its frenzied attacks bore instinctual habits: when it swung one arm widely backward, it usually performed a low sweep; when raising its arm overhead, it delivered a powerful strike—like a boss’s wind-up.

“Eeeeee-yaaaah!!!”

The Blood Demon howled at the sky, red air rippling visibly.

The next moment, it raised its leg and stomped fiercely!

Xia Shou knew he had to dodge—but it was too late!

A torrent of blood erupted from the demon’s foot, spreading in all directions.

Xia Shou had seen this move before—it was about to unleash the—Blood Spear Forest.

Intersecting crystalline spears pierced his entire body. Even with multiple remnants’ blessings, Xia Shou lost mobility.

The Beastmaster in the distance, and Su Weiyu lurking even farther away, were also pierced like sieves.

Death arrived as expected.

Rollback triggered!

…