"No way! My Burning Eight Desolations is the number one fire-control art—how could I lose to you?!" Even now, Vincent Wang refused to admit defeat, howling like a madman.
"Frog in a well. Time to send you packing!" Ryan didn’t bother with any more trash talk. The gap between divine skill and martial skill? Vincent would never get it. Ryan’s eyes flashed, Fire Eyes flared, and a blast of black flame exploded around Vincent.
Vincent tried to break free, but in seconds, black hellfire surged through him, inside and out.
"Impossible!" Vincent was stubborn to the core—even at the very end, he couldn’t accept it. Thirty years of fire-control mastery, gone in a flash. He totally snapped; the red flames in his body burst out, demonic and wild, swelling and speeding up his own destruction.
A split second later—BOOM!—Vincent’s body blew apart, and a streak of red flame shot free.
"Grab that flame! It'll boost your Fire Eyes training!" The System yelled inside Ryan’s head.
Ryan had already sensed this flame was special. He snatched it out of the air and sealed it straight into the Demon-Snaring Bowl.
He finally let out a shaky breath. Even though his Fire Eyes had just unleashed the Black Flame Dragon divine skill, that move had drained him hard. Most of the Yin-Maiden energy he’d stored up was nearly tapped out.
Luckily, the entire Pill Hall nest was wiped clean. Vincent was dead, and the leftover thugs weren’t even a threat.
Everyone was hyped—except Angie Chen, who was laser-focused on Ryan.
"Impossible! My Burning Eight Desolations is the number one fire-control technique—how could I lose to you?!" Even now, Vincent Wang refused to admit defeat, roaring furiously.
"Frog in a well! Time to send you off!" Ryan didn't waste any more words. The gap between divine skill and martial technique—Vincent would never get it. Ryan glared, Fire Eyes blazing again, and unleashed a blast of black flame that slammed into Vincent Wang.
Vincent Wang instinctively tried to break free, but within seconds, black hellfire surged through him, inside and out.
"No way!" Vincent was the stubborn type—even at the end, he couldn't accept it. Thirty years of fire-control mastery, destroyed in a single night. He snapped, and the red flame inside him erupted seductively, swelling outwards and speeding up his demise.
With a deafening boom, Vincent Wang exploded into pieces, and a streak of crimson flame shot out from the wreckage.
"Catch that flame! It'll help you upgrade your Fire Eyes!" The System yelled inside Ryan.
Ryan had already sensed the flame's power. He grabbed it, locked it in his hand, and sealed it straight into the Demon-Snaring Bowl.
Ryan finally let out a breath. Unleashing the Black Flame Dragon with Fire Eyes had drained him; the Yin-Maiden energy he'd stored up was almost spent.
Luckily, the whole Pill Hall nest was wiped out. With Vincent Wang dead, the remaining goons were no threat.
Everyone was hyped, but Angie Chen kept her eyes glued to Ryan, still worried.
"Ryan, you okay?"
"Don't lie to me—look at your face! After two battles, you must've burned through your core energy. I'm taking you back, now!" Angie said, hooking her arm around Ryan whether he liked it or not.
"I-I can walk!" Ryan felt super awkward letting a girl help him.
"Why so distant? I'm already your woman, you know!" Angie huffed.
"When did you become my woman?! Seriously!" Ryan glanced around, but Samuel Su and the others were busy cleaning up and collecting evidence, not paying attention.
"I don't care! Everything but sleeping with me, you've done already. We've had skin-to-skin contact, and now you want to bail?" Angie stomped right on Ryan's foot.
"You seriously need your ass kicked!" Ryan almost yelped from the pain.
"Go ahead, hit me! Smash it to bits if you want—then you'll have nothing left to grope!" Angie stuck out her chest, totally shameless.
"I give up, you win! Let's go, Big-Boobs Girl!" Ryan said, giving Angie a slap on the butt.
"Aah!" Angie shrieked.
Everyone whipped around to look. Suddenly, a pitch-black claw shot out and grabbed Samuel Su by the throat.
"You wanna die screaming like that?!" Ryan's face went pale.
"You don't like it? The louder I scream, the more you get off, right? Ha!" Angie was totally shameless.
Ryan was left speechless.
...
But just then, a scream tore through the air. A Harbor City martial artist looked like he'd been hit with some insane poison—his body rotted away in seconds, leaving behind a pitch-black skeleton.
"Not good—everyone back!" Ryan froze, a terrifying thought hitting him: the Pill Hall nest was hiding something even scarier. The poison-man project—Vincent Wang hardly touched it. That said it all.
(Chapter's not over yet ^.^—click next page to keep reading!)
Samuel Su and Leonard Liu realized something was seriously wrong. Black gas was pouring out of the Pill Hall nest, and it was clearly loaded with poison.
"Move! Get out, now!" Samuel Su shouted.
A bunch of martial artists reacted fast and started to retreat, but out of nowhere, a pitch-black claw grabbed Samuel Su by the throat.
"Old man, you're not leaving today!"
Samuel Su shuddered and turned to see a monster—body rotting, zombie-like—staring him down. Even with the face twisted beyond recognition, he knew her instantly.
"Yvonne, how did you end up like this?!"
Yvonne might've always been cruel, but she was still Samuel Su's granddaughter. Seeing her like this, his heart twisted with grief.
"It's all thanks to you!" Yvonne roared, her crazed eyes locking onto Angie Chen.
Angie might be bold, but even she flinched at a monster like this. She dove behind Ryan without a second thought.
"Trying to hide? You came here, so you're all dead!" Yvonne had gone full psycho. She howled, and dozens of rotting monsters crawled out of the bushes and dirt.
"Poison-men?" Ryan shuddered. These must be the Pill Hall's first batch. If they hit the streets, Harbor City was finished.
"Back off!" Ryan didn't hesitate. He swung Severing Desire and hacked off Yvonne's black, poison-dripping arm in one stroke.
But freakiest of all, Yvonne didn't even flinch. Her severed arm started slowly growing back, and her eyes got even creepier.
"Go! Angie, grab Grandpa Su and get out of here!" Ryan was rattled—the poison-men were way too scary. If the Azure Dragon Society turned tens of thousands of Harbor City folks into poison-men, they'd be unstoppable.
Angie nodded and started to help Samuel Su out, but they barely made it two steps before the poison-men surrounded them.
"Forget the old man—drag that bitch over here!" Yvonne snarled, reaching out with her black claws and cackling, "If I crush your chest right now, will it feel good?"