Chapter 35: The Final Request

Time passed by the second, and more and more Resurrected fell one after another.

During this time, Zhang Tong tried multiple times to break through the encirclement and escape, but every time he was about to succeed, several columns of water surged skyward, pushing him back down, leaving him in great torment.

Lying on the ground, Li Chenqiu frowned deeply, showing no trace of joy despite the successful ambush.

“Why, why hasn’t the third ability manifested yet?” Li Chenqiu asked himself silently.

After fruitless pondering, Li Chenqiu allowed part of his consciousness to enter a state of sleep, his awareness drifting into the palace.

The palace remained magnificent and bright, with the twelve wall carvings still vivid and lifelike.

Li Chenqiu approached one wall, where a carving depicted a man with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, extraordinarily handsome and dignified.

Though the figure appeared human in face, certain parts resembled a beast more than a man.

From his broad earlobes hung two snake-like creatures; his bare upper body was etched with fierce flame patterns; underfoot stood two majestic divine dragons; he stood atop clouds, his lowered gaze seemingly scrutinizing something.

Though this carving was not unfamiliar to Li Chenqiu, each time he saw this man, a heavy, indescribable weight settled in his heart. It was akin to how ordinary people feel in the presence of the Federation’s president—not fear, but profound reverence.

Li Chenqiu stepped forward and placed his hand on the carving, brows furrowed in confusion.

“Strange. It’s clearly fully colored now, so why can’t I sense the third ability? Last time, the third ability, Extreme Water, awakened the moment the colors were fully applied. Could something have changed this time?”

Previously, his awakening of Extreme Water had been simple—once the coloring was complete, the ability triggered immediately, without any complicated trials.

Closing his eyes, Li Chenqiu searched through the river of memories for any detail he might have missed during his awakening.

Meanwhile, outside, nearly all the Resurrected had perished, leaving only Zhang Tong standing alone in the clearing.

He glanced left and right erratically, panic-stricken, like a madman lost in delirium.

“Disaster Water, come out! Come out! Hiding in the shadows to kill—do you deserve your ‘high-risk’ title?!” Zhang Tong shouted loudly.

“Just scared by killing fifty or so Resurrected?” a mocking voice came from behind him.

“Who’s there?!” Zhang Tong turned around in alarm, then froze in place as if faced with some great terror.

By the creek, the figure who should have been dead—Xue Dayong, or rather, Li Chenqiu as Zhang Tong had thought him dead—slowly stood up.

“Xue Dayong… you… you should be dead, right?” Zhang Tong shrank back in fright.

“I only die if cut beyond regeneration,” Li Chenqiu raised his arm and beckoned Zhang Tong over.

Zhang Tong swallowed nervously, voice wavering. “What exactly are you? Where is Disaster Water?”

Li Chenqiu did not answer his question. Suddenly, radial cracks burst forth beneath his feet, and like a phantom in the night, he flashed above Zhang Tong, his fist smashing down toward Zhang Tong’s face.

The terrifying gust from the punch blew the flesh on Zhang Tong’s face back like waves. If the punch landed, Zhang Tong’s death was inevitable.

“Get lost!” Zhang Tong roared like a wild beast, his clenched fist swelling unnaturally as he fearlessly struck back at Li Chenqiu.

Boom!

A fierce shockwave erupted between them, scattering corpses and leaves in all directions.

“Die!” Zhang Tong’s face twisted into a savage grin. His other hand struck sharply toward Li Chenqiu’s ribs in a cunning, vicious attack.

Yet Li Chenqiu remained calm and unruffled. Lightly, he uttered a single word: “Bind.”

At that instant, a cracking sound of ice forming arose from Zhang Tong’s body. A thin layer of ice spread visibly over him. Though harmless, it slowed Zhang Tong’s speed by a fraction.

In combat, victory often hinged not on elaborate strategy, but simply on being faster.

Seizing the moment, Li Chenqiu’s left hand formed a palm blade, slicing through the air toward Zhang Tong’s neck.

Squelch!

Blood blossomed like a dark ink painting, shimmering red under the cold moonlight. Zhang Tong’s body toppled straight down, only his head held in Li Chenqiu’s hand.

Though it seemed simple, achieving this had been no easy feat.

To end the fight quickly and efficiently, Li Chenqiu had earlier used water jets to relentlessly attack Zhang Tong. Though it seemed only to block his escape, the deeper purpose was to soak him thoroughly, allowing Li Chenqiu’s ice element to strike decisively and lethally.

“You’re strong—my arm’s numb from the impact,” Li Chenqiu said, shaking his arm while mentally manipulating water droplets to continually hinder Zhang Tong’s regeneration.

“Water element, ice element, the unkillable point between the brows… what… what exactly are you?” Zhang Tong’s voice trembled.

He had never seen a Resurrected wielding two abilities simultaneously and able to survive a strike through the brow.

“I don’t know either, but if you want an answer, call me a miracle. I am a miracle,” Li Chenqiu said with a faint smile.

“Miracle…” Zhang Tong muttered to himself, a self-mocking smile crossing his pale face as his eyes dimmed.

Approaching death, Zhang Tong grew calm, no trace of his earlier madness remaining.

“I ask you: what is your purpose here? Who is the strongest? How many came? Speak honestly, and I might spare you,” Li Chenqiu said sincerely.

“Spare me?” Zhang Tong laughed bitterly. “I may be timid, but I’m no fool. You know too many of my secrets—how could you let me live?”

A flicker of surprise crossed Li Chenqiu’s eyes. “Then die.”

“Wait! Wait, I didn’t say I wouldn’t talk. Help me with something, and I’ll tell you!” Zhang Tong hastily begged.

“I don’t have time for that…”

“Delete my browser history and my cloud storage downloads and saves on my phone. Delete them, and I’ll talk. Please!”

Before Li Chenqiu could reply, Zhang Tong interrupted.

Li Chenqiu was silent for a few seconds, then nodded and pulled a phone from Zhang Tong’s pocket.

“The password is 13432. Hurry and delete it!” Zhang Tong urged anxiously.

Li Chenqiu shook his head, taking out a signal flare he had prepared earlier, and ignited it right before Zhang Tong’s eyes.

A red light shot into the night sky, brightening steadily until it outshone stars and moon.

Zhang Tong looked away from the flare in disbelief. “Are you… are you crazy?”

Li Chenqiu smiled harmlessly and spoke slowly: “Tell me everything before they arrive. If what you say displeases me, or if you haven’t finished by the time they get here…”

He paused, waving Zhang Tong’s phone before his eyes.

“I won’t delete what you want. Instead, I’ll post it all online, tell your family, friends, and teachers, and make your name known throughout the Federation.”

Hearing this, Zhang Tong’s face turned white as blood poured from his mouth. “You…”

“Your password is 13432. I remember it clearly; no need to repeat. Just a reminder—you don’t have much time left.”