Chapter Eight: A Shocking Discovery

“Regret?” Mu Feng’s fierce face twisted with a hint of mockery, but it quickly vanished, replaced by a vicious snarl. “Cheng Tianyou! My greatest regret is letting you live until now!”

The hatred in his voice made the frail man named Cheng Tianyou’s expression darken completely. He replied coldly, “Since you insist on courting death, then go join your fiancée below!”

At the mention of “wife,” Mu Feng exploded in fury, brandishing his massive sword and charging forward.

“Hmph! Today I’ll show you what true speed means!” As a speed-type mech warrior, Cheng Tianyou never intended to confront him head-on. Instead, he relied on his incredible agility, darting around Mu Feng, evading blows, and occasionally landing a piercing thrust. Gradually, he began to gain the upper hand.

Wounds started to appear on Mu Feng’s body, making him even more violent. Each swing of his broad sword cracked the ground and shattered walls. He was like a raging, humanoid beast.

“Mu Feng, do you want to know how your fiancée died?”

Cheng Tianyou began taunting him, his wicked grin nauseating to behold. He continued, “Haha… That worthless woman didn’t know what was good for her. In the end, my men toyed with her to death!”

“She called your name before she died. Tell me, what use are you, you useless fool?”

“Ah! I’ll kill you!”

“Heh heh… Don’t be impatient, let me finish!” Cheng Tianyou dodged another attack, provoking further, “Oh, I forgot to mention—the taste of her first night was exquisite! Ha ha…”

He spoke as if reminiscing, his tongue lingering over his lips.

“Monster! I’ll kill you!” Mu Feng’s eyes blazed red, like a crazed beast. The depraved, delighted face of his enemy made his heart bleed. His wife had always been a deep scar in his life, and now it was torn open so blatantly—he was about to lose his mind!

“Die! Earth-Splitting Slash!” Mu Feng’s furious roar echoed as he slashed at Cheng Tianyou, the crimson sword burning brighter, flames erupting along its blade, illuminating everything around. In the next moment, a semicircular arc of fiery sword energy swept forth, searing the air.

Cheng Tianyou snorted dismissively. He wasn’t afraid; after all, he had been at the first tier for a long time, and with his speed advantage, how could this newly-advanced brute compare?

The boots on his feet flashed blue, and with enhanced speed, he leaped over five meters high. As before, he raised his blue spear, aiming to pierce Mu Feng’s head.

But this time, the outcome was different.

After the sweeping attack, Mu Feng’s sword cleaved downward, forming a cross with two intersecting arcs of flame—a blazing cross slash—cutting toward Cheng Tianyou in mid-air.

“What!” Cheng Tianyou paled in terror. Suspended in the air, he had nowhere to dodge. The vertical slash of fire was upon him, and with death looming, he thrust desperately, roaring, “Spear of Rend!”

Boom!

At the moment of contact, the blue spear energy was shattered. Cheng Tianyou’s rushed attack lacked the skill’s true power, so the outcome was no surprise.

With a sickening thud, Cheng Tianyou and his spear were sent flying over ten meters, his fate uncertain.

Mu Feng, still enraged, would not let him go. Dragging his sword, he strode toward Cheng Tianyou.

“So strong!” Outside the abandoned building, Nangong Yuchen watched the battle in awe, unable to close his gaping mouth. The pitted ground and collapsed walls spoke of the intensity of their fight.

Their abilities and attacks were far beyond normal human limits.

Seeing Mu Feng approaching, Nangong Yuchen quickly shrank back behind a broken wall, not wanting to be discovered. Who knew if they might crush him without a second thought!

Mu Feng reached Cheng Tianyou’s side. Seeing him lying motionless, he raised his sword and brought it down.

The broad blade whistled through the air; if it struck, Cheng Tianyou would be reduced to pulp in an instant!

At that moment, Cheng Tianyou moved—he wasn’t dead at all!

He rolled aside, dodging the attack, and his tightly gripped spear stabbed violently at Mu Feng’s unguarded lower leg.

Given that Mu Feng constantly wielded a shield with his left hand, targeting vital points was impossible. But for Cheng Tianyou, injuring Mu Feng’s leg would suffice.

Indeed, Mu Feng’s speed and reflexes were his weakness. While his attacks were powerful and his defense high, he was half a beat slow against such sudden assaults.

With a wet, piercing sound, the blue spear punctured Mu Feng’s right calf, leaving a bloody hole.

“Hah… You forced me to do this!” Cheng Tianyou, having succeeded in his sneak attack, quickly retreated. Though his face twisted with a grin, his injuries were as severe as Mu Feng’s. His upper body was a bloody mess, courtesy of the flaming slash.

“Monster, die!” Mu Feng charged again, sword raised, ignoring the pain in his leg. All he could think of was killing his foe.

Unfortunately, the leg wound slowed him considerably.

“Don’t worry, you won’t have any more chances!” Cheng Tianyou bent his knees, springing up. The blue boots glowed, boosting his speed to its limit—he became a blur, barely visible.

“Spear of Rend!”

The tables turned instantly. Mu Feng could only defend with his shield, but Cheng Tianyou’s speed was terrifying, and his attacks came from cunning angles. Hampered by his injury, Mu Feng became a target.

Thud, thud, thud!

Head, shoulder, back, arm, thigh—all were struck. Cheng Tianyou seized every opening; wherever Mu Feng’s shield failed to cover, a bloody wound appeared.

Soon, Mu Feng was covered in injuries—not fatal yet, but he would die before long.

“Ah!” In desperation, Mu Feng put away his shield. With a flash of silver, the large shield twisted, broke apart, and scattered into countless white cubes, each the size of a fingernail, which flowed into a ring on his right hand.

Seeing this, Cheng Tianyou sneered, “Putting away your shield? How laughable. If you’re so eager to die, let me help you!”

After the taunt, Cheng Tianyou flashed forward, both hands gripping his spear, thrusting fiercely at Mu Feng’s chest—the heart, the most vulnerable spot.

He had important tasks ahead and had wasted enough time. He could not afford further delays.

With a determined mind, Cheng Tianyou moved at astonishing speed—a first-tier speed-type physical cultivator could already reach forty meters per second, now boosted by mech equipment. The terror of such speed was evident.

Mu Feng stood unmoving, as if resigned to his fate.

The spear struck home, plunging into his chest—one centimeter, two centimeters—deeper still. Only then did Cheng Tianyou allow himself a victorious smile, increasing his force, intent on piercing Mu Feng through.

Blood gushed forth, staining his broad chest and the blue spear.

At that moment, Mu Feng moved. His freed left hand seized the spear’s shaft. As a strength-type mech warrior, with a punch of 450 kilograms, his grip was unbreakable. No matter how Cheng Tianyou struggled, the spear did not budge.

At the same time, Mu Feng’s right hand, sword already poised, swung down at Cheng Tianyou’s head. Though the move was a slash, the broad blade was larger than his head—more like a blow.

Seeing the massive sword looming in his vision, Cheng Tianyou’s soul nearly fled his body, sweat soaking his upper half. In the face of death, he released the spear and tried desperately to retreat.

“Damn it! I was careless again!” was his final thought.

But Mu Feng had anticipated this—his grip on the spear shaft jerked upward, striking under Cheng Tianyou’s armpit and halting his retreat for a crucial instant. In that moment, the sword came down!

“Madman! Damn madman!” Cheng Tianyou screamed in terror, activating his boots to flee for his life.

He never imagined someone would be so ruthless to themselves. The triangular spearhead still impaled his chest, and the upward jerk sent agony through his body.

Time seemed to stand still, then two sounds rang out in succession.

A wet, piercing noise.

A scream.

Nangong Yuchen, watching from afar, was startled by the scream. When he saw the bloody scene before him, his lips trembled and his face turned deathly pale.

Mu Feng lay in a pool of blood, his fate unknown. Cheng Tianyou’s lethal strike had nearly killed him, but in his quest for vengeance, Mu Feng had worsened his own wound—his current state was expected.

The true horror was Cheng Tianyou—his right arm had been completely severed, leaving a bloody hole. He had managed to turn aside and block with his right hand at the last moment; otherwise, the outcome would have been even worse.

“My right arm!” Cheng Tianyou clutched his bloody wound, howling in agony. Always so high and mighty, he could not accept reality.

“Mu Feng!” Hatred surged in his heart. If he’d known it would turn out like this, he would never have come alone. Now, crippled, would his group still accept him? Would he lose the great opportunity and mission?

His face twisted from fierce to venomous, looking utterly terrifying.

Tap, tap!

Suddenly, faint footsteps echoed from the doorway of the abandoned building. Cheng Tianyou immediately composed himself, calling coldly, “Who’s there?”

During the heat of battle, he would have missed it, but now, if he failed to notice, he wouldn’t deserve to be a first-tier mech warrior.

The building remained silent. Cheng Tianyou, clutching his wound, walked step by step toward the source of the sound, blood dripping along the way, making him look like a bloody demon.

Nangong Yuchen, hiding behind the wall, held his breath, cold sweat pouring from his forehead and back. He thought desperately, It’s over! It’s over! He never imagined such faint footsteps could be detected.

“Oh? So it’s just a little brat!”