Chapter 1142: Arch-Enemy Battle

The pupil-sun hung high in the sky;

The black moon sank into the earth.

Jian Changsheng stood in the moonlight of the black moon, his eyes clearly reflecting the red that refined the sky... The Calamity aura hanging from the firmament was frantically impacting the killing intent tide around him, and even the black moon beneath his feet was tottering.

His expression was as gloomy as water.

Jian Changsheng had never imagined that Chen Ling had already mastered power of this level. If he had a 70% chance of defeating Chen Ling before Chen Ling activated the second Slaying of Evil, then seeing the scene before him, his winning percentage was now less than 10%...

Jian Changsheng thought he had progressed very quickly, but after only a few days of not seeing each other, Chen Ling was still a step ahead of him.

He didn't retreat but gripped the sword hilt even tighter and roared, his killing intent surging frantically, rushing toward the sky like a black stream of light!

A giant palm that could shatter the earth was outlined from the surging red, pressing down toward Jian Changsheng's face like divine punishment. Under this size difference of nearly a thousand times, Jian Changsheng was as small as an ant.

[Night Dance of the Underworld Wheel] was driven to the limit. Jian Changsheng, one man and one sword, dragged a long tail of killing intent and collided with the red palm. Countless red papers surged before Jian Changsheng. No matter how he slashed out sword beams, there was a continuous supply of red paper to fill the gaps.

Jian Changsheng's mental power was consumed frantically, but his figure still fell slowly under the pressure of this palm. The Calamity aura from all directions constantly stimulated the killing intent within Jian Changsheng, and gradually, a hint of blackness climbed into his eyes again...

Jian Changsheng could clearly feel an ancient killing intent that didn't belong to him stirring in the depths of his body.

"Trying to control me again? No way!!"

Jian Changsheng was determined not to give up his self. While resisting Chen Ling's attack, he suppressed the stirring killing intent within his body.

As Chen Ling's offensive became more rapid, sweat flowed frantically from Jian Changsheng's temples...

He knew very well that if this continued, he would definitely lose.

Jian Changsheng hardened his heart and focused his attention directly on the ancient killing intent within his body, his eyes flashing with brilliance!

Jian Changsheng wouldn't let that thing occupy his consciousness, but since Chen Ling could harness the power of calamity, why couldn't he actively mobilize this ancient killing intent? He had already succeeded once in the Tian-Shu Domain.

If he could make this ancient killing intent his own, he would definitely be able to defeat Chen Ling!

Thinking of this, Jian Changsheng didn't hesitate at all and tried directly to mobilize the killing intent within his body... But the next moment, the blurry figure in the mire flashed across his mind, and the killing intent he had just drawn out was instantly chaotic. Even the killing intent attached to the outside of his body was affected, shaking violently!

"Not good!!" Jian Changsheng's heart skipped a beat.

Failing to mobilize the ancient killing intent, his own aura stagnated for an instant. The [Night Dance of the Underworld Wheel] and [Avici Purgatory] he had been maintaining revealed a flaw, and a gap was torn open by the surging red paper!

Rip—!

The killing intent collapsed, and the defeat was like a mountain falling. Jian Changsheng's figure was submerged by the giant red palm in the next second, crashing into the earth!

Even though Jian Changsheng had tried his best to minimize the influence of his own killing intent, when experts of the same level fought, even revealing a trace of a flaw would affect the entire situation...

Jian Changsheng re-mobilized his killing intent and slashed through the surging red paper around him with one sword, but it was too late.

As the red paper dissipated, in the ruins in the distance, a figure draped in a theatrical robe had already stepped out from the red clouds. He pressed his palm forcefully onto the earth, and dense electric light wandered amidst the bonfire debris!

[Reshape].

The embers of the bonfire, not yet fully extinguished, and the scattered gravel were reshaped under Chen Ling’s palm, transforming into slender, sharp black rods. With a whistle, they swept across the ground, burying themselves deep into Jian Changsheng’s arms and thighs before he could even react.

As the embers entered his body, Jian Changsheng felt his own Divine Path being disrupted once again, and the killing intent he had just gathered dissipated by more than half.

He gripped his longsword tightly, clanging away two other incoming black rods, but as Chen Ling gave his bone-carving knife a light twist, Jian Changsheng’s sword was knocked clean out of his hand!

Thwip! Thwip!!

Four black rods pierced through Jian Changsheng’s limbs, pinning him firmly to the ground. The black ring rotating behind him crumbled and vanished bit by bit...

Seeing this, Sun Bumian in the distance let out a long sigh:

"It seems the outcome is decided..."

Faint, lingering flames danced behind Chen Ling, and countless red paper scraps retracted beneath his bright red theatrical robe. Chen Ling stepped closer, one step at a time, toward Jian Changsheng, who was pinned to the ground.

He raised his fingertip and tapped his own glabella. A moment later, a brass bullet carrying fragments of memory was slowly extracted.

A revolver had appeared in Chen Ling’s other hand at some point. With a gentle flick, the cylinder popped out. After he inserted the bullet, it spun with a crisp clicking sound.

[Yesterday's Revolver].

Chen Ling gripped the revolver, his eyes reflecting the figure of Jian Changsheng pinned to the ground, and spoke slowly:

"The power within you is indeed quite threatening... but unfortunately, it seems you haven't mastered how to use it yet. Using it recklessly will only end up hurting yourself."

Jian Changsheng had no strength left; he could only barely lift his head to look in the direction Chen Ling was approaching from. Resentment, regret, helplessness, bitterness... his gaze was incredibly complex.

He opened his mouth as if to argue something, but in the end, he stubbornly turned his head away.

"You lost," Chen Ling said again, looking down at him.

"...I don't need you to remind me."

Jian Changsheng’s voice was dull.

Chen Ling bent down and pressed the muzzle of the revolver against the back of Jian Changsheng’s head.

"Anything else you want to say?"

"...No." Jian Changsheng took a deep breath, his voice low. "My skills were inferior, I have nothing to say... If you want to shoot, shoot; if you want to leave, leave."

Chen Ling was silent for a moment.

"I won't be returning to the Human Domain, at least not in the short term... I have many things to do here."

"Oh."

“……”

After a while, Chen Ling spoke again:

"Leaving without saying goodbye was my fault. My consciousness wasn't very clear at the time, and I just wanted to get away from that place as quickly as possible... I'm sorry."

Jian Changsheng gave a slight jolt and slowly turned his head back. He didn't say a word, just stared at Chen Ling with an expression that said, "What the hell would it have cost you to apologize sooner?"

Jian Changsheng opened his mouth, about to say something, but Chen Ling spoke again:

"Remember this fragment I'm giving you... I have a premonition that this world is about to fall into chaos. Improving your own strength is what matters most. Don't waste time specifically looking for me... once I finish what I need to do, I will come to find you all."

Jian Changsheng was stunned.

The next moment, Chen Ling pulled the trigger!

Bang—!!

The brass bullet carrying "Yesterday" plunged directly into Jian Changsheng’s mind. A scene, accompanied by a terrifying impact, crashed into his memory. The latter rolled his eyes back and fainted on the spot.