Chapter 29: They Were Suffering
Like Wu Yunru, Feng Fan couldn't see the air blasts. But he had something no one else did—his sixth sense.
As the two projectiles closed in, an alarm rang in his mind. He planted his feet firmly and raised his arms to block.
The air blasts hit him like cannonballs, forcing him three steps back as he absorbed the impact.
"Wu Yunru, watch out! He's throwing air blasts!"
Wu Yunru heeded the warning and adjusted his movements. He weaved through the darkness like a snake, narrowly dodging multiple air attacks from the bald ghost slave.
Truth be told, he wasn't actually seeing them; his luck was guiding him.
When he was halfway to his opponent, Wu Yunru activated his boots, boosting his speed and catching the ghost slave off guard.
"Take this!" He swung his baton, landing a solid blow to the bald ghost slave's head.
The impact made the ghost slave stagger, but it wasn't enough to take him down. Still, it bought Feng Fan just enough time to close the distance.
As the ghost slave raised a fist to strike Wu Yunru, Feng Fan arrived. His fists burned with black flames as he unleashed a rapid barrage of punches to the ghost slave's chest.
Though the blows weren't enough to destroy him, the black flames took effect. The ghost slave's movements slowed down.
The bald ghost slave swung a punch at Feng Fan's head, but this fight was anything but fair.
Wu Yunru struck again, swinging his baton in an upward arc like an uppercut.
The impact threw off the ghost slave's aim, causing his fist to miss Feng Fan's head by mere centimeters.
Seizing the opening, Feng Fan twisted his hips and delivered a powerful hook to the ghost slave's skull—a decisive blow.
The bald ghost slave's body seemed to lose all its strength and collapsed to the ground.
After taking down the bald ghost slave, Feng Fan and Wu Yunru turned to see Shao Xiaowen struggling. His body was covered in bruises, and his breathing was ragged.
His opponent was too fast, making his strength useless.
Feng Fan narrowed his eyes. The one-armed ghost slave was two realms above him; he knew he wasn't strong enough to win in a direct fight. But that didn't mean he couldn't do something to help.
Since the ghost slave had his back turned while attacking Shao Xiaowen, Feng Fan seized the opportunity. Summoning a chain, he hurled it forward.
The chain coiled around the one-armed ghost slave like a snake, locking him in place.
"Gotcha!"
But against an opponent two realms stronger, it was far from enough. The one-armed ghost slave unleashed a surge of spiritual energy, shattering the chains instantly.
Because Feng Fan's chains were linked to his inner palace, their destruction sent a powerful backlash through his body.
Blood spilled from his mouth as pain exploded in his mind.
'Damn.'
But his efforts weren't wasted. The brief moment the ghost slave was restrained gave Shao Xiaowen his chance.
With inhuman speed, he lunged forward. His right fist, glowing with spiritual energy, smashed straight through the ghost slave's skull.
Blood and brain matter splattered from the back of the ghost slave's head, staining the ground and coating Shao Xiaowen's fist.
Not taking any chances, Shao Xiaowen forced his injured left arm to move. He threw another punch, this time to the chest, obliterating the heart and lungs.
With both of Shao Xiaowen's arms still inside the ghost slave, the creature stood motionless. As he pulled his fists free, the body collapsed to the ground.
"Feng Fan!" Luo Li dashed toward him.
Feng Fan felt his head spinning as he staggered backward, but a pair of cold hands caught him, stopping him from falling.
"Are you okay?" Luo Li asked, concern filling her face as she took in his pale complexion.
His vision spun, and his head throbbed with pain. The backlash from his broken chains had hit him hard, and he had drained nearly all of his spiritual energy. But he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay conscious.
"I-I'll be okay... thank you, Luo Li," he said with a faint smile.
Her worry didn't fade, but she tightened her grip around his back, helping him to stand. Leaning on her shoulder, Feng Fan steadied himself and slowly regained his footing.
Meanwhile, Shao Xiaowen and the nurse approached the door. Though she had somewhat adjusted to the horrors around them, her body still trembled from time to time.
But as they neared the nurses' resting area, her shaking worsened. A dark, oppressive energy seeped from the room, thick and suffocating.
It was a deadly presence—one that promised to consume everything that breathed.
"I'll go first," Luo Li said, stepping to the front.
She pushed the door open.
Darkness swallowed everything inside. No matter how hard they strained their eyes, they couldn't see a thing.
This wasn't natural.
Feng Fan knew they had to act, despite his injuries, he was the only one who could illuminate their path. Summoning the last scraps of his spiritual energy, he stepped beside Luo Li and conjured a small black flame in his palm.
The flame flickered weakly but devoured the unnatural darkness enough to cast a faint glow over the room.
In the farthest corner, away from the door, a figure crouched motionless in the shadows. His arms wrapped tightly around his knees, his face buried between them.
As the light touched the figure's body, he flinched. Slowly, he lifted his head from between his knees, revealing his face.
The nurse staggered backward, her body trembling uncontrollably. Even the Hunters stiffened at the sight before them.
His eye sockets were empty—voids of complete darkness. No eyeballs remained. Blood streamed endlessly from the hollow spaces, dripping down his face and pooling onto the floor.
The dark red liquid spread slowly across the room.
"They were suffering..." he murmured, his voice echoing through the room, making their hair stand on end. "I had to end their pain."