Chapter 1189: Evil Battle

Primal Force!

Having campaigned for years, he was as familiar with primal force as he was with his daily meals; there was no mistaking it.

In this desolate wilderness, with only three people present, how could this man unleash such potent primal force? Did he have an army hidden nearby?

Though baffled, he didn't forget to swing his other folding scythe-blade towards He Lingchuan's waist. If He Lingchuan were to block it head-on, the two-stage blade would spring out, arc around, and strike from behind, effectively cutting him in half at the waist!

He Lingchuan had been fighting him for a long time, and half the challenge stemmed from his reluctance to directly confront the folding scythe-blades. Black mist, likely spreading from the Rakshasa Armor, swirled around their edges. He Lingchuan knew, instinctively, that this was nothing good and must be avoided at all costs.

But now, bolstered by primal force, his strength surged, catching his opponent off guard. He twisted and wrenched his Floating Life Blade—

He wasn't just employing a clever technique; he was adapting a move from the Thunderclap Spear method, 'Striking the Snake with the Rod,' into a blade technique.

This move was originally designed to target an opponent's weapon-wielding arm. However, the Floating Life Blade's edge was still jammed in the folding scythe-blade's serrations, and the more he twisted, the tighter it became entrapped.

The black-armored leader's strength was now inferior to his; he was wrenched sideways, bent over, and stumbled awkwardly!

For a martial artist of his caliber, losing one's footing was a grave humiliation. But the folding scythe-blade was fixed to his arm and couldn't be released like the Floating Life Blade.

The other folding scythe-blade went astray, the blade springing out and striking the ground beside He Lingchuan's foot with a *snap*, gouging a two-inch deep hole.

But a miss was a miss. He Lingchuan didn't even attempt to dodge, instead unleashing a burst of inner energy and taking the opportunity to twist it viciously once more.

The two powerhouses strained against each other, and the folding scythe-blade was the first to give way. With a muffled *crack*, it snapped into two pieces!

The black-armored leader stumbled back two steps, gazing at the fractured blade with an expression of disbelief.

This pair of prized weapons, which had accompanied him through years of campaigns and countless killings, were broken just like that?

With a few more clangs, the two exchanged several more blows. Once He Lingchuan unleashed his primal force, he fought with increasing fluidity. The divine abilities of the Rakshasa Armor, which had previously restrained him, were now greatly diminished in effectiveness.

For the black-armored leader, his opponent's strength now subtly surpassed his own, and with his right folding scythe-blade broken and only half its original length, many of his intricate follow-up moves were no longer possible.

Yet, He Lingchuan found himself momentarily stumped. The black armor was exceptionally sturdy; the Floating Life Blade struck his opponent twice, but only managed to crack the scales, failing to wound the black-armored leader's flesh.

Furthermore, black mist permeated the armor, and within mere seconds, the damaged scales had already repaired themselves.

Even the Floating Life Blade might not be a suitable can opener against such a 'black can'.

This was the reason the owner of the Rakshasa Armor had remained undefeated for years:

It was simply too resilient.

He Lingchuan's spiritual perception further warned him that the black mist on both the armor and blades was more dangerous than the black-armored leader himself. If he were to be contaminated, he feared it would lead to grave misfortune.

Throughout the long battle, he had avoided touching the black armor and sustained any injury, except from their weapons.

This battle was both intense and cautious; he hadn't felt this exhausted from a fight in a long time.

Just as he was contemplating a solution, Dong Rui suddenly warned him through the eyeball spider: "Hey, Fu Liushan is here!"

Anything that shouldn't be seen by others, put it away quickly.

He Lingchuan's heart seized, and the red light around him instantly vanished.

Amidst the swirling snow mist, the two continued their fierce battle, appearing unchanged from before.

Just then, Fu Liushan emerged from the woods, letting out a thunderous roar:

"Fu Tianlin!"

This powerful shout not only utilized his full true energy but also employed a divine ability similar to the 'Lion's Roar,' exploding like a thunderclap directly in the black-armored leader's ear, making the red light in his eyes flicker wildly.

Fu who?

Why did that name sound somewhat familiar?

His movements didn't slow, but their power decreased by a third, even causing the swirling snow mist in the air to briefly halt.

Fu Liushan immediately sensed this subtle change and pressed on: "Fu Tianlin, your wife is waiting for you, your kinsmen are waiting for you!"

Wife?

"Look at this!" Fu Liushan immediately threw something at him.

As it flew through the air, the object emitted a soft, whistling sound.

In the intense battle, the black-armored leader, without thinking, cleaved it with a blade.

Only then did he realize it was a small wind whistle, crafted from red stone.

The stone, thin as a melon seed shell, was unique to Chigu Valley. Horse breeders there crafted it into wind whistles that would sound naturally when riding against the wind, requiring no effort to blow.

Stopping its sound was equally simple: just press a small switch.

He Lingchuan had heard this whistling sound in Chigu Valley before, but it undoubtedly had a far greater impact on the black-armored leader.

It was too familiar, as if it had echoed in his ears day after day, year after year.

Why did this particular wind whistle look so familiar?

Where had he seen it before?

In the black-armored leader's mind, a smiling face flashed by. Though blurry, it pierced through his muddled consciousness like a ray of light.

The folding blade on his right arm finally paused, poised to strike but not yet deployed, leaving him wide open.

He Lingchuan wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity. He immediately pursed his lips and let out a short, sharp, piercing whistle.

Something shot out from his lapel in response, piercing into the black-armored leader's left chest like an arrow!

This was precisely the weak spot Fu Liushan had mentioned earlier, an area not covered by the original scales.

Earlier, when the black-armored leader fought the Yao army, he had taken an arrow hit here, but it hadn't penetrated deeply. He had casually pulled it out, leaving a small puncture.

The existence of this hole indicated that this was the only part of the Rakshasa Armor that could not self-heal.

He Lingchuan had targeted this exact spot.

How could the black-armored leader have anticipated that hidden weapons could also be launched from He Lingchuan's chest? Furthermore, distracted as he was, his heart was instantly pierced, a trickle of black blood splattered, and he fell backward.

This was Dong Rui's bat demon puppet, hitting its mark with a single strike!

After several revisions, the bat demon puppet had integrated the abilities of the Child-Devouring Ghoul Beast, making its smallest form even more minuscule, yet capable of piercing armor and extracting hearts—an excellent assassin.

He Lingchuan had acquired it from Dong Rui and waited for the optimal moment, and indeed, it succeeded in a single strike!

Small as it was, this thing possessed immense power. The black-armored leader recoiled from the impact, then heard gnawing sounds from his chest cavity, faint and distinct, like a mouse chewing on dried meat.

The moment the bat burrowed into his chest, it began devouring his heart, wasting no time at all.

The black-armored leader flipped his wrist, reversing his arm blade, and plunged the tip towards his own heart!

He was even willing to cut open his own heart just to dislodge the bat.

This was certainly not an action a human being would take.

He Lingchuan wouldn't let him succeed. He swung the Floating Life Blade, deflecting the folding blade outwards. The Ghost Ape, always lurking nearby, seized the opportunity to rush behind him, casting a large net over his head and yanking it fiercely.

The Ghost Ape and the Spider Demon Sisters had cooperated countless times, having experimented with various uses for the cave spiderwebs. With the net thrown so haphazardly, the opponent's arm blade couldn't spring open, rendering it useless.