Chapter 17 – Fang Bai

Volume 3: Rising Winds and Clouds

As the night deepened, Wen Yu parted ways with Ye Nan's family and retreated back into his small den.

Star was already sprawled out on the sofa, fast asleep.

Looking out at the night sky, Wen Yu reflected on his life over the past few days.

He had heard much and seen much.

Though it was peaceful, it was fulfilling.

However…

Wen Yu would never forget what allowed this peaceful life to exist in the first place!

It stemmed entirely from his own strength!

Because he had power, he was able to enjoy things in this terrifying Apocalypse that others could only dream of!

"Tomorrow, it's time to get to work."

Thinking of the Military's Super Soldier No. 1 arriving tomorrow, and then of Simba near East Mountain, Wen Yu slowly closed his eyes, adjusting his mental state.

The tranquility of daily life made Wen Yu feel comfortable, but having lived through one Apocalypse already, he naturally knew that while life could be peaceful, his heart could never afford to be!

Only slaughter and strength were his ultimate guarantees!

And in this somewhat silent night, the city of CD-famed as the Land of Abundance-was destined not to remain quiet!

Amidst a stretch of urban ruins, Kuangliu stood atop a collapsed building, waiting quietly.

He had set out from the Military headquarters with No. 1 that morning. Using various modes of transport combined with the legwork of a Level 4 Class Holder, it had taken Kuangliu only a few hours to reach this land.

If he hadn't been concerned about excessive stamina consumption, Kuangliu could have been even faster!

The choice of this battlefield was the result of Kuangliu's careful consideration.

There were very few Mutant Beasts within the city, which meant their battle would not be interrupted by other creatures!

Furthermore, this area was already deserted, ensuring that the aftershocks of their fight would not affect innocent people!

As a provincial capital, CD had naturally suffered a larger disaster area after the outbreak of the Apocalypse; likewise, it would harbor more powerful individuals!

But unfortunately, the original strongest person in CD had already been killed by Fang Bai!

This had also resulted in the CD Settlement slipping from the Military's control.

Kuangliu had only one objective: to set things right!

By killing Fang Bai, all problems would be solved!

As for Lin Haifeng's words…

The older generation believed in leaving a way out for others, but now, this was a blood feud. Why show any mercy?

While Kuangliu stood with his arms crossed, gazing up at the moonlight, a tall, upright figure slowly appeared in his field of vision.

Wild, unrestrained long hair fluttered in the wind. Every step the man took seemed measured; just by looking at his stride, one could see the discipline and military style ingrained in him.

His face was smooth, with skin as fair as a woman's. From his handsome features and the inadvertent wicked smile at the corner of his mouth, one could tell this man was definitely a veteran of the romantic arts-a wandering playboy!

Unfortunately, a hideous scar split his entire face in two!

The newcomer was none other than Fang Bai!

Seeing Kuangliu drawing closer, Fang Bai forced a slight smile, his clear voice carrying over.

"Kuangliu, you have time to visit me today?"

Kuangliu nodded, then curled his lip and gestured toward the scar on Fang Bai's face.

"Why haven't you healed that yet? Surely you can afford a single Healing Potion? It's a waste of that face of yours."

"Oh, you mean this?"

Fang Bai touched the scar on his face and said indifferently, "It's to make me remember that my best brother once slashed me! He nearly killed me! I'm keeping it as a souvenir. You don't mind, do you, Kuangliu?"

Kuangliu was silent for a long while before slowly shaking his head.

"I just think it's a pity. A pity for your face, truly!"

"Heh, you mean it's a pity you didn't kill me with that one strike!"

Then, both men fell into silence.

After a long moment, Kuangliu spoke first.

"Come back with me. The old man wants you to return."

Hearing Kuangliu's words, Fang Bai went silent for a moment.

"Help me thank Uncle Lin, but you know that's impossible."

"In this world, losers are villains, winners are kings. That's just how it is. So, my old man is dead, and I don't blame Uncle Lin. Truly!"

"His methods weren't as strong as others, his trump cards weren't as many as others, yet he still thought about rebelling to become the Boss! Who can he blame for his death?"

"However, Huaxia has an old saying: the vengeance for a father's murder is an enmity that cannot coexist under the same heaven."

"I saw it with my own eyes-your father, using a Steel Blade, chopped off my father's head."

"So, drop the useless talk."

Kuangliu nodded slightly as he heard Fang Bai's voice grow colder.

"Consider what I just said unsaid. Honestly, those words were just to save face for Commander Lin. My original purpose for coming here was to kill you!"

Fang Bai nodded.

"That's the real you. A cold-blooded animal who has no familial love, no romantic love, and doesn't care for friendship. I was truly blind to have treated you like an older brother back then. I was so young."

After speaking, Fang Bai's right hand slowly reached for the Spatial Ring on his left.

Then, he pulled out a Fangtian halberd1 that was a person and a half tall!

Kuangliu nodded. Seeing that Fang Bai was prepared for battle, he drew a two-meter-long giant War Blade directly from his own Spatial Ring!

Then, blade and halberd charged toward each other with wild intensity!

In an instant, the sounds of clashing metal merged into a single, continuous roar!

Both sides possessed Level 4 early-stage strength, with Physical Attribute points just breaking the 200 mark. Both were also Warriors heavily cultivated by the Military! This meant that their combat capabilities were, in fact, not very different!

In a short amount of time, the aftershocks of their exchange shattered the surrounding ruins, yet neither had clearly established dominance over the other.

Kuangliu brought his long blade down with immense force, and the blade suddenly lit up with arcs of blue electricity!

Thunder (SS Rank, Active Ability): Execute punishment on behalf of Heaven, controlling the power of lightning!

An SS Rank Elemental Ability!

At Level 4, one could already unleash the power of an Elemental Ability to a certain extent!

An arc of electricity on Kuangliu's War Blade trembled, and then the electric light suddenly extended like a whip, fiercely lashing toward Fang Bai's body.

Seeing this strike, the coldness in Fang Bai's eyes deepened!

"Kuangliu, you really aren't showing any mercy, you bastard!"

Then, a flash of Black Light enveloped Fang Bai's entire body.

The thick electric python vanished with a crackle the moment it touched the Black Light, leaving behind a brilliant flash.

Only Fang Bai's body remained, now shrouded in a massive spectral phantom.

Demon God Power (S-Rank, Active Ability): A Skill that can only be awakened after experiencing the tempering of blood and fire. When activated, your body will receive the blessing of a Demon God's power, and a Demon God phantom will appear around you! Your strength will be magnified fivefold, while physical consumption will intensify!

Your strength will make all enemies grovel at your feet!

Then, Fang Bai's eyes slowly turned red until they emitted a terrifying, bloody glow!

Demon God Will (SS Rank, Active Ability): An unknown Demon God grants you power while bestowing the Host with powerful combat instincts. While Demon God Will is active, the damage you receive will be reduced by ninety percent. Simultaneously, the Host can choose to consume stamina to perform an Enhancement of their Physical Attribute.

The moment Demon God Will was activated, the muscle tissue on Fang Bai's body bulged visibly to the naked eye.

Consuming stamina to perform an Enhancement on his Physical Attribute!

While this was disadvantageous for a prolonged battle, in Fang Bai's eyes, as long as he could end the fight quickly, all problems would be solved!

The Fangtian halberd in his hand emitted a violent, bloody light.

Demonic Weapon (A-Rank, Active Ability): Consumes stamina to add sharpness to a weapon. The effect depends on the amount of stamina consumed.

Of course, at a time like this, Fang Bai didn't have much stamina left to consume!

If it were a group battle, Fang Bai's fourth ability could recover a large amount of stamina for him. Unfortunately, it was useless in a duel!

This was also the fundamental reason why Fang Bai had failed in his competition against Kuangliu for the title of War God!

Kuangliu watched as Fang Bai activated one Skill after another. He stared at Fang Bai, whose aura was growing stronger and stronger, and after a long moment, he shook his head.

"Time's up."