Chapter 29: Between Life and Death
The adult Rover hovered in midair, raising its hand and aiming in Han Zhen's direction.
Once again, pitch-black energy gathered in front of it, this time forming an incomparably sharp battle spear.
Life energy derives from all things and can manifest all things. This battle spear emitted a mournful whistling sound as it pierced through the air when launched by the Rover.
Yi Fan's heart sank in shock.
Instinctively, he rose to block it, but the spear suddenly expanded several times in size.
[Power of Deception]
Yi Fan forcibly received the attack. The faint golden lines on his body began to flicker, but clearly, his opponent had no intention of giving him a moment to breathe.
"How much longer?"
Yi Fan's bloodshot eyes questioned urgently.
At this moment, the sound of the zither abruptly stopped.
A sharp blade of zither sound was unleashed, forcing the enemies to retreat to the sides.
Han Zhen, finally restored to full health under the healing effect of [Serene Heart Tune]
The Fuxi Zither in his hands vanished, replaced by Xia Youwei stepping to his side.
Faced with such a powerful foe, Han Zhen chose to no longer hide his strength and fight with all his might.
"Youwei, you and Yi Fan focus on dealing with the Parasite Worm."
"I'll handle this adult Rover."
"Even if it's a certain-death scenario, I'm going to smear some dirt in their eyes."
Upon hearing this, Xia Youwei sat down without hesitation.
Yi Fan continued to hold off Bai Shuang, preventing her from approaching Xia Youwei.
Meanwhile, Han Zhen had activated the first level of the Eight Lock Fists. White energy waves surged, and his speed reached its peak as he charged toward the Rover.
After unlocking this level, Han Zhen donned the pair of gloves gifted to him by his senior brother Wei Qing.
An overwhelming aura of murderous intent enveloped him entirely.
Opposite him, the adult Rover narrowed its eyes slightly.
"Hiss!" It opened its mouthparts and pulled out a bone sword as tall as itself, gripping it tightly.
Not only humans evolve and learn; so do the insect race.
Han Zhen snorted coldly, brimming with fighting spirit. He swung his gloved fists, maximizing his physical capabilities.
The collision between the gloves and the bone sword created silent shockwaves. Amid their fierce exchanges, the Rover suddenly spoke.
"I've seen those gloves before."
"Over a decade ago, on the battlefield, they killed one of our insect race's insect kings."
"They belong to a strong warrior, but you are not the one."
As it spoke, the Rover suddenly increased its strength. The bone sword, dripping with sticky green saliva, bore down on the gloves, threatening to cleave Han Zhen's shoulder.
Across the battlefield, the melodious sound of the Fuxi Zither resumed.
Dragon Soaring Symphony, amplifying enhancements.
Clear Heart Tune, healing and recovery.
Formation Breaking Tune, blades of zither sound.
In such chaotic combat, Xia Youwei, representing the Fuxi Zither, played a role equivalent to three top-tier support specialists.
Under her boost, Han Zhen blocked the strike.
"I'm not a strong warrior, but neither are you an insect king," Han Zhen retorted sharply, instantly unleashing the techniques of the Eight Lock Fists.
His right hand seized the tip of the sword, and he closed the distance between them, throwing a punch from an unimaginable angle. His left fist shot out like a dragon bursting from its cave, striking the Rover's left rib.
CRACK!
The sound of the Rover's left rib fracturing was crisp and clear.
Han Zhen planned to press the advantage, but the Rover's bone wings had already closed in from behind.
"To have been given those gloves, it seems that warrior had a close connection to you."
"In that case, killing you would surely make him grieve for a long time. That excites me greatly."
To the Rover's surprise, Han Zhen didn't retreat.
In the next second, the bone spikes on its wings pierced through Han Zhen's back, blood gushing forth.
Yet Han Zhen remained resolute, delivering his next punch.
"With just you?"
CRACK!
This time, it was the right rib.
Trading injuries for injuries, risking life for life. A battle of mutual attrition.
'Against the insect race, I will never take a step back.'
The bone wings tore outward on both sides, making Han Zhen feel as though his entire back was being ripped in two. The intense pain made him clench his teeth tightly.
Han Zhen fought so recklessly for one reason: he knew he couldn't give this Rover any chance to recover.
Absorbing the juvenile Rover's life energy wasn't instantaneous. Such a massive amount of energy required time to assimilate.
The Rover was currently fighting physically because it couldn't yet fully utilize that life energy.
If it completely absorbed and controlled this Black Shroud, Han Zhen would stand no chance.
This knowledge, painstakingly recorded in detail by his second senior brother Lin Jingxuan, proved invaluable in this moment.
With this in mind, Han Zhen withdrew both fists and punched toward the black sphere on the Rover's chest.
The Rover wasn't one to be underestimated.
As Han Zhen's fists shattered its ribs and reached for its core, it regained its bone sword and, with a flick of its wrist, stabbed fiercely toward Han Zhen's heart from behind.
No retreat meant death.
This was the only chance to kill the Rover.
Life only comes once.
Han Zhen felt as if time around him had slowed.
In a split second, a flash of inspiration struck, and he recalled words once spoken by Li Shutong.
"Between life and death."
In that moment, Han Zhen felt a surge of white energy flood his body, rushing to his brain and unlocking the position of Rest Ji.
The second lock of the Eight Raging Fists, Rest Ji, unlocked.
His previously overstrained body was suddenly restored entirely.
An endless flow of spiritual energy poured out from every cell in his body like a floodgate opening.
Han Zhen threw his punch.
At an imperceptibly fast speed, his figure blurred for a split second.
The bone sword that should have pierced his heart shifted its trajectory, stabbing his shoulder blade instead, where it got stuck.
Although the pain was excruciating, Han Zhen had seized the upper hand and landed the killing blow.
"You've lost," Han Zhen said to the Rover before him.
To his astonishment, the Rover suddenly opened its mouthparts and laughed wildly as it collapsed.
"No, you've lost."
In the next moment, the shattered black sphere rapidly reformed.
Not only that, but the Rover merged completely with the Black Shroud.
Han Zhen had been one step too slow.
Above the sky, the previously torn opening had fully closed.
The Rover, now in control of the Black Shroud, grew three pairs of bone wings and ascended, looking down on Han Zhen and the others.
Having successfully absorbed the juvenile Rover, this Rover had advanced directly to the fourth tier.
Bai Shuang, who had been entangled with Yi Fan, vanished decisively without hesitation.
With her talent for deception, her movements were free and unhindered.
Hovering in midair, the Rover extended its hands. Above its head, an enormous meteor began to form.
Beneath Han Zhen and his companions, the activated soil transformed into countless earth-colored chains, firmly binding them in place.
"It's over."
The meteor, capable of annihilating everything, prepared to descend.
Yi Fan, refusing to give up, raised his hands in an attempt to shield Han Zhen and Xia Youwei from the initial impact of the meteor.
But in the face of such a massive force, humans were far too insignificant.
Yi Fan's final use of his Immortality lasted less than 0.1 seconds before shattering completely.
Blood vessels in Yi Fan's limbs burst open, and the sound of bones breaking echoed. In the next second, he was on the brink of being utterly obliterated.
Suddenly, the meteor halted mid-descent.
An aged yet powerful voice echoed in everyone's ears.
"The Sixth of the Eight Lock Fists, Scenic Rage, unleash."
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