Chapter 75: Metamorphosis?

"...Soldier God Path?"

Seeing the black ribbon flying straight toward him, Jian Changsheng was stunned for a moment.

He stumbled to his feet, looked down at Yan Xicai's bloody corpse and the blood-stained short blade in his hand, his expression somewhat complex... Fate, it seemed, was just that wonderful.

The Soldier God Path gathered in front of him, weaving into a staircase leading to the sky. Jian Changsheng hesitated for a moment, but finally stepped onto it.

Boom—!

The moment his feet landed, the divine path took shape!

A massive influx of information and power surged into Jian Changsheng’s mind. He stood frozen for a long time, then looked down at his own hands... The Path of the Soldier God, First Stage.

"The [Asura] path?" A look of astonishment appeared on his face.

Having been an enforcer for so long, Jian Changsheng naturally knew of some paths within the Soldier God system, and [Asura] was undoubtedly one of the strongest paths currently in existence... It was said that even Lu Xuanming couldn't obtain it despite his desperate efforts.

And he, of all people, had actually awakened this path?

"Perhaps... I really am a genius of the Soldier God path?"

As Jian Changsheng muttered to himself, he stretched his body and discovered that ever since stepping onto the [Asura] path, his lame leg was no longer lame. His entire body felt lighter than ever before, and he could feel an unprecedented sense of power surging through his limbs.

It was a feeling even more addictive than gathering killing intent. He closed his eyes, carefully moving every muscle and bone in his body, which emitted a series of crisp cracking sounds.

He took a deep breath, and the turbid air was slowly exhaled... When those eyes opened again, they were as bright as torches.

"I really am a genius, aren't I?!"

Jian Changsheng couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from curling upward. He spat on Yan Xicai’s corpse; that pile of trash had hindered his life for over a decade, and now... he felt his life had finally returned to the right track.

Perhaps because his personality had been suppressed for too long in previous years, Jian Changsheng felt his confidence exploding. It was a mindset similar to an upstart, and he was desperate to find a target to test his strength.

"Huh?" A surprised voice rang out from the side. Number 10 stood at the edge of the hill, looking down at Jian Changsheng and the corpse of Yan Xicai nearby, and spoke in astonishment,

"He was actually killed by someone else? Tsk..."

The moment Jian Changsheng saw the Fire-Stealer, his eyes lit up. Gripping the blood-stained dagger, he charged toward the hill without hesitation!

He was fast, his every step leaving a trail of blood. In Number 10’s eyes, he only saw a bloody afterimage rapidly closing in on him.

"Another one who stepped onto the Soldier God path?" Number 10’s heart sank, and he immediately became vigilant. He had never seen the first-stage skill of the [Asura] path, but it was visibly different from the [Iron Armor] of the others.

Number 10 flipped his palm, and a pistol appeared in his hand. He aimed at the rapidly approaching Jian Changsheng and pulled the trigger repeatedly!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three consecutive bullets hit Jian Changsheng, but the opponent didn't have skin as tough as [Iron Armor], and the bullets embedded themselves into him with ease.

"That's it?" Number 10 was stunned, but the next moment, he realized something was wrong.

Even after being hit by three bullets, Jian Changsheng didn't stop; instead, he became even faster. Like a phantom, he crossed dozens of meters, and before Number 10 could fire again, a cold glint flashed before his eyes!

Number 10 let out a cry of alarm, and "Steal Object" was instantly activated. Jian Changsheng’s dagger vanished into thin air, leaving only a bare fist to smash into the back of Number 10’s ear.

Thud—!

The terrifying force directly deafened Number 10, and blood immediately flowed from his ear.

This guy was hit by three bullets, so how is he still this fast? And this force is even more outrageous than those [Iron Armor] users!

Number 10 endured the intense pain and dizziness, gripped his dagger, and stabbed Jian Changsheng three times in the lower abdomen, burying the blade each time.

But after the three stabs, Jian Changsheng showed no reaction to the pain; instead, he fought even more fiercely. His bare hands, carrying terrifying power, struck Number 10’s chest five times in half a second, so fast that bloody afterimages appeared in the air!

Number 10’s chest visibly collapsed, his ribs nearly all broken. He spat out a mouthful of blood and flew back like a kite with a broken string, falling to the ground.

Blood flowed incessantly from Jian Changsheng’s wounds, but he seemed completely unfazed. Step by step, leaving bloody footprints, he walked slowly toward the fallen Number 10... In those blood-red eyes, there was a sense of exhilaration and arrogance!

"So this is the [Asura] path... So strong, completely different from other paths!" Jian Changsheng couldn't help but laugh,

"I, Jian Changsheng, really am a genius!"

Number 10 watched the blood-red demon-like figure approach, terror appearing in his eyes.

This guy, whether hit by bullets or knives, acts as if he feels no pain at all, and the more wounds he has, the more ferocious he fights... He’s nothing but a human-shaped beast!

Number 10 lay in a pool of blood, constantly trying to retreat, but Jian Changsheng stepped on his chest. The intense pain made him scream, and the more miserably he screamed, the more intense the smile on Jian Changsheng’s face became.

"Fire-Stealer? Nothing more than this."

He stepped down, crushing Number 10’s ribs, the broken bones piercing his heart. Number 10’s pupils contracted sharply before he lay limply on the ground.

A cold wind blew across the blood-stained land. Jian Changsheng stood there alone, like the only winner on this battlefield... He slowly shifted his gaze from the corpse at his feet to the chaotic battlefield in the distance.

In his eyes, killing intent flickered once more.

"Let me be the one to end all of this..." He sneered, his bloody footprints crossing the hill and gradually disappearing into the wilderness.

A long time later.

A figure in red robes stepped slowly out of the shadows.

Chen Ling looked thoughtfully at Jian Changsheng’s retreating back and muttered to himself, "The [Asura] path... That skill looks quite impressive."

Chen Ling hadn't expected Jian Changsheng’s transformation. He had long noticed this lame man trailing behind Yan Xicai’s team and had seen how he was humiliated and beaten by Yan Xicai. Chen Ling had assumed he would just continue to endure it all in silence...

He hadn't expected that beneath that seemingly humble and frail body lay such a ferocious soul. It was no wonder he had been chosen by the Soldier God path.

If this were a typical Soldier Path Ancient Treasury, Jian Changsheng would undoubtedly be a dark horse. Having lived a life of submission for most of his years, he had finally risked everything here to kill the mountain that had weighed him down, obtaining a powerful path. One could imagine the smooth road ahead for him... In a novel, he would be the quintessential protagonist template.

But unfortunately... this dark horse was destined to die here.

Just as Chen Ling was about to head toward the battlefield that was nearing its end, a rustling sound suddenly came from the side.

He let out a soft "huh" and turned to look. He saw that Yan Xicai’s mangled corpse was emitting a faint blue glow... At his chest, a petal-like ritual artifact was radiating an aura of life.