In the haze, John Chou saw another Yuna Ji within the swirling black-green currents opposite him. Her eyes were filled with unbearable sorrow, pleading for help, her entire body bound by thick black-green chains.
The black-green currents and the crimson currents formed two towering pillars of light, shooting up into the sky. The ground rumbled violently, and the air crackled with a constant sizzling sound.
"So your name is Slaughter? That doesn't quite match what I expected of myself."
The wounds on John Chou's body healed completely in an instant. The red glow gradually faded, while blood-red particles drifted around him. He gripped the Pale Dawn Sword tightly in his hand.
"If you want to save her, then stop interfering with me. You nearly got her killed—her name is... Joseph Qiao, right?"
John Chou smiled as he looked at the Pale Dawn Sword in his hand. Suddenly, a powerful aura rushed toward him, accompanied by the sound of heavy breathing.
"You were just as beautiful as a goddess a moment ago. How did you suddenly turn into a monstrous fiend?"
Yuna Ji hunched over as if crushed by an unseen force, her body now covered in intermingled black-green light. Only her golden-red eyes remained visible. John Chou quietly watched her, scratching his forehead.
"It seems I still can't beat you. Even with this thing called instinct, I barely understand what it is."
John Chou glanced once more at the Pale Dawn Sword in his hand.
"Don't rush me. I'll figure something out. After all, I'm still quite interested in the woman inside that monster's body."
With a booming sound, the black-green currents surged instantly to John Chou's side. He raised the Pale Dawn Sword, his expression tense. Yuna Ji grew even more ferocious than before, and even from a distance, the force rushing toward him felt strong enough to shatter him—he could sense it clearly.
A sharp clang rang out as the long spear collided with the sword. Baron Zhuang's eyes widened in disbelief, staring blankly at the incredible scene unfolding before him.
John Chou stood motionless where he was, while Yuna Ji was sent flying. Blood-red wounds appeared on her body, and with a loud crash, the ground caved in beneath her. Yuna Ji roared in anger, dust flying everywhere. John Chou glanced at the Pale Dawn Sword in his hand, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
"I'm not really fond of the name Slaughter, but I have to admit it's useful. It seems to suit me quite well, haha."
Yuna Ji crawled up and in an instant rushed to John Chou's side. Once again, she was sent flying, fresh blood-red wounds appearing on her body. John Chou half-knelt, gripping the Pale Dawn Sword with both hands, still unmoving.
The black-green currents surged upward. With a whoosh, Yuna Ji appeared above John Chou, launching a barrage of attacks at him with her spear, accompanied by a black glow pressing down on him. John Chou slowly raised the Pale Dawn Sword, blood-red particles floating around him.
The clashing sounds echoed, and it was impossible to see or count how many times the two had exchanged blows. Yet, the one with the upper hand was John Chou. Yuna Ji, repeatedly wounded, roared in relentless fury, launching attack after attack at John Chou.
The ground all around cracked and buckled, sand and rocks flying everywhere. Then, something strange appeared—a patch of white bones. Where Yuna Ji and John Chou stood, the dust and sand cleared, revealing a dense layer of white bones beneath.
Baron Zhuang swallowed hard. John Chou stared at the piles of bones beneath the ground, looking deeply puzzled. The smile on his face had vanished. Yuna Ji, wounded and enraged, struck with all her might. If it weren't for Slaughter, he would've been dead already. One hit like this, and he wouldn't survive.
At that moment, John Chou seemed lost in thought, making Baron Zhuang even more confused. But he didn't step forward, clearly aware that John Chou had discovered something.
"It's time to end this."
John Chou muttered, and Yuna Ji rushed over quickly, still gripping her spear tightly.
"Young master, what are you doing?"
Baron Zhuang stomped and stood up. John Chou made no move to defend himself, simply gripping the Pale Dawn Sword and standing quietly. With a shout, the spear pierced through his body.
Yuna Ji smiled. The Yuna Ji enveloped in black-green light actually revealed a smile, and a harsh sound came from her mouth.
"I won."
John Chou nodded.
"It's true, right now I'm not your match. I'm almost at my limit. After all, Slaughter's instinct isn't necessarily a good thing—it's just something I can see. Please, just be quiet for a while."
A hint of shock flashed in Yuna Ji's golden-red eyes. She tried to pull out her spear, but in that instant, she couldn't move. John Chou grabbed the spear from her, and she let go, her hands reaching for his neck. With a shout, John Chou plunged the Pale Dawn Sword straight into Yuna Ji's heart.
With a roar, Yuna Ji let out an inhuman scream. A powerful shockwave blasted outward in all directions. Black and green light wove together, constantly streaming from Yuna Ji's body, not falling to the ground but rising into the sky.
At that moment, something bizarre happened. The black-green currents that had seeped into the ground now entered the skulls, and with a rattling sound, the white bones clustered together, merging until they grew larger and larger. The black-green currents rising into the sky turned the entire gray sky a sickly green.
All these strange changes in the world continued. John Chou, feeling helpless, watched Yuna Ji, who was still screaming and clutching her head. With a shout, Baron Zhuang rushed over and grabbed John Chou.
"Young master, we can't stay here! Let's get out of here, this place is bad news!"
Baron Zhuang carried John Chou far away, but the tremors and screams continued. In the distance, where Yuna Ji stood at the center, the ground kept collapsing inward. The white bones that emerged began to take shape, looking like a massive monster—terrifying to behold.
This chapter does not end here ^.^ Please click the next page to continue reading!
With a thunderous rumble, John Chou looked up at the sky. Black-green lightning flashed—he saw it for the first time. Rain began to fall, black-green droplets pouring from the sky.
Within this rain, only the will to fight remained. John Chou could feel it. Quickly, the downpour grew even fiercer, as if endless water was falling from the sky. Then, the streams began to gather toward the wide, straight ravine torn into the ground.
"Baron Zhuang, go over there and bring her here."
John Chou spoke in a hoarse voice. Baron Zhuang set him down on the ground, then flew off toward the river-like area. He picked up Yuna Ji, who was floating on the black-green water, and brought her back. At that moment, Baron Zhuang sensed something strange.
The rain stopped. Before their eyes, the river had turned green, with waves of black mist rising from its surface.
"Young master, this..."
John Chou took off his long coat and draped it over Yuna Ji's body.
"It really is just a white shirt."
"Yeah, just now I couldn't sense any ghostly aura at all, but how did things end up like this?"
John Chou shook his head. He was too exhausted to even speak, having just barely escaped death. He looked at the Pale Dawn Sword lying on the ground.
"If it weren't for Joseph Qiao, I might have died here."
John Chou spoke, squatting beside the sword.
"Thank you..."
A sharp, ear-piercing scream made John Chou look over in alarm. It was Yuna Ji, who had just regained consciousness, staring at John Chou and Baron Zhuang in terror, clutching the coat around her, screaming loudly.
"We won't do anything to you, Yuna Ji."
After a while, Yuna Ji's emotions finally settled, a hint of suspicion in her eyes.
"I must be dead, right? Where is this place?"
"It seems I can't remember anything at all."
John Chou pondered for a moment, then quickly explained.
"Yes, it's the world after death. Simply put, my steward and I accidentally ended up here, but I don't know why you were floating in the river. So we pulled you out. That's basically what happened."
"Young master..."
Baron Zhuang shot John Chou a glance, finding his explanation so simple and muddled.
"Thank you, truly thank you both. If this is the world after death, then I should be able to find my father, my brothers, my sisters, and my friends..."
"Hold on, we only just died ourselves, so we don't know. Don't ask us. All right, that's it. We have to go, so just wait here quietly."
With that, John Chou pulled Baron Zhuang along, hoping Baron Zhuang would carry him for a while.
"Young master, just like that..."
"Women like her are nothing but trouble. Best to leave early."
Yuna Ji stood up, tying the coat around herself to cover her body, then hurried over and grabbed John Chou.
"You were lying to me about all that, weren't you?"
A pair of clear, pure eyes stared at John Chou. He started to laugh, and just then Yuna Ji saw the green river and shouted joyfully.
"Let's go! I've never seen such a big river in my life. Come with me and check it out!"
Before John Chou could say anything, Yuna Ji dragged him over. He sighed helplessly.
"I really can't stand women."
"Young master, you were just like this before you died..."
John Chou glanced at Baron Zhuang, who covered his mouth and chuckled.
They reached the riverbank. Yuna Ji sat down enthusiastically, dipping her feet into the water.
"It's clearly water, but it's not cold at all!"
Just then, a muffled sound echoed, and a huge white figure appeared on the river's surface. John Chou stared in shock as giant white skull monsters kept emerging from the river, gathering toward them. All three were stunned, mouths agape at the growing number of skull monsters assembling before them.
"What do we do now...?"
Yuna Ji muttered.
"You're the king here... Issue your command..."
A deep, rough voice came from the mouth of a giant skull monster with wings and three-pronged claws, standing directly before them.
At that moment, the skull monsters before them seemed to bow in submission, each one lowering itself.