Chapter 78: The Last Winner?

Lu Xuanming could judge where an attack was coming from by the airflow as the blade cut through the air, and use [Iron Armor] in advance to defend... But he couldn't judge the position of a gunshot.

So, he was shot.

The bullet pierced his thigh, causing Lu Xuanming to completely lose his balance, and a massive force slammed into his chest, sending him flying with a kick!

Dust flew, and Lu Xuanming, having lost his vision, crashed heavily to the ground.

He sat up reflexively, but by now he had completely lost his orientation and had no idea where the enemy would attack from... Blood flowed in a stream from the bullet hole in his thigh, and his face was incredibly grim.

Is this the pressure of the Third Stage... Even if it’s just the Thief God path, which isn't good at combat, it’s still not something the First Stage can handle.

On the desolate wilderness, Number 8 walked toward Lu Xuanming, blade in one hand and gun in the other, his face expressionless.

He silently raised the muzzle, aiming at the brow of Lu Xuanming, who was guarding against attacks in the darkness. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, a voice came from the side.

"Is this the last one left?"

Number 8 was startled and turned to look. Jian Changsheng, covered in blood, was staring at him fixedly not far away. His face, scarred with hideous wounds, was full of excitement and longing.

"Killing this one... should count as a great achievement, right?"

He laughed loudly, his body like a bloody arrow, rushing here rapidly!

Another one who stepped onto the Soldier God path?

Number 8 frowned slightly.

Jian Changsheng’s speed was extremely fast, faster than even Lu Xuanming with [Iron Armor] could capture. He crossed dozens of meters in a flash, arriving in front of Number 8, who was shocked and immediately fired several shots at him!

The bullets hit Jian Changsheng’s body one after another, but his speed surged again, and a blood-stained fist whistled toward Number 8!

"Steal 'Light'!"

Number 8 activated the skill without hesitation.

Jian Changsheng, suddenly losing his vision, was just like Lu Xuanming, sweeping around like a headless fly. Just as Number 8 breathed a slight sigh of relief, a straight punch as heavy as a boulder slammed solidly into his chest!

This punch broke two of Number 8’s ribs, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, falling to the ground.

Lu Xuanming, eyes closed, had somehow reached his side, a pitch-black fist clenched in mid-air, coldly facing Number 8’s direction.

"Your voice gave away your position." He said calmly.

Number 8 climbed up from the ground, enduring the pain, a sinister look in his eyes. Just then, a piece of rice paper floated quietly over his head.

"Fix."

The characters, temporarily outlined in blood, gradually faded and disappeared. Pu Wen, empty-handed, stood to the side, forming a seal with one hand.

Number 8’s figure was instantly frozen in place like a statue.

Two enforcers who had lost their vision and one Fire-Stealer who had been immobilized entered a strange state of silence on the battlefield...

A few seconds later, Lu Xuanming was the first to end his blindness, crashing into Number 8 like a cannonball. Half a second later, the latter broke free from the immobilization, one hand stealing Lu Xuanming’s vision again, the other raising the gun and firing three shots!

"Damn it! Is his stealing unlimited?" Lu Xuanming cursed in his heart!

Three bullets whistled into Lu Xuanming’s body. Two were deflected by randomly covered [Iron Armor], but the last one pierced his shoulder, and the arm he had been clenching into a fist dropped instantly.

Number 8 wanted to fire again but found the magazine empty, so he had to discard it. At the same time, intense pain came from his waist and abdomen!

Jian Changsheng’s punch had shattered Number 8’s kidney, and then he used both hands to wrap around his waist and slam him fiercely to the ground!

"Now, let’s see how you run away!!" He sneered.

Jian Changsheng’s vision had been stolen late and hadn't recovered yet, but he followed the sound of the gunfire to find Number 8, punched his internal organs to collapse, and mounted him.

Number 8 was ultimately unable to fight off four hands with two. Although he had severely injured Lu Xuanming, he was still flanked by Jian Changsheng. He stared fixedly at Jian Changsheng, who had his eyes closed, and gritted his teeth, stealing his dagger and stabbing it frantically into his body!

Jian Changsheng ignored Number 8’s attacks, laughed twice, and smashed his bloody fists into Number 8 recklessly, clearly intending to trade injury for injury!

At first, Number 8 could still stab him a few times, each strike to a vital point, but after being hit by several punches, his consciousness blurred. In the end, he could only lie on the ground like a pile of mud, letting the rain of punches fall.

Punch after punch to the flesh, punch after punch breaking bones!

Pu Wen, having used up all his rice paper, stared blankly at the bloody and hideous scene before him, unable to stop his brow from furrowing.

He certainly recognized Jian Changsheng, but he didn't know what had happened to him to turn him from a cowardly, humble lackey into such a reckless, ferocious thug...

"Enough!" Pu Wen said.

Jian Changsheng acted as if he hadn't heard, smashing several more times, flesh and blood flying.

"Enough!!" Pu Wen walked up and shouted again.

Only then did Jian Changsheng stop. He looked at the unrecognizable Number 8 beneath him and slowly stood up...

"It’s over..." He said. "This Fire-Stealer was killed by me! The credit is mine too!"

He looked at Pu Wen, as if announcing some kind of sovereignty.

"No one will steal your credit." Pu Wen looked around. "By the way, did you see Yan Xicai?"

"I saw him. He was slaughtered by a Fire-Stealer."

Hearing this news, Pu Wen’s brow furrowed tightly. He stared into Jian Changsheng’s eyes, as if trying to see through him... The latter stared back fearlessly, no emotion visible on that hideous, scarred face.

Lu Xuanming, to the side, let out a long sigh of relief, stood up shakily, and after his vision recovered, walked to a nearby hill to look into the distance.

"...They’re all dead."

"What?"

"They’re all dead." Lu Xuanming looked at the Soldier Path Ancient Treasury, littered with corpses. "Only the three of us survived."

Pu Wen and Jian Changsheng were startled. They followed him up the hill. Everywhere they looked, there was only blood and corpses... Fire-Stealers and enforcers alike, not a single person was left standing.

This melee had ultimately been won by the enforcers... though the victory was extremely tragic.

Three blood-stained figures stood side by side on the hill, a breeze brushing their clothes,

one [Asura], one [Sky Wolf], one scholar... They were the final winners of this world.

Pu Wen’s expression was grim. Although he disliked Yan Xicai, he had been hired by him. Yan Xicai dying in the Soldier Path Ancient Treasury would inevitably cause chaos upon the news reaching Aurora City, and he would very likely be held accountable;

Lu Xuanming had no expression, though perhaps due to excessive blood loss from the gunshot, his face was as pale as paper.

As for Jian Changsheng... he looked at the corpses covering the mountains and plains, and after a few seconds of silence, he actually started to laugh:

"The final winner... is me."

Clap, clap, clap—

In the dead silence, a crisp sound of applause came from behind.

The three were startled at the same time and turned to look.

A figure draped in bright red theatrical robes was already sitting on top of the blood-stained rocks, smiling down at the three... His hands, wearing the ruby ring, clapped gently, like an audience member sincerely expressing praise.

"Brilliant." He smiled,

"I think I can finally understand the joy of being an 'audience member'?"