Chapter 1263: Fierce Beast

After saying that, he leaped forward, his bare chest exposed as he charged straight at Tian She's face.

As Bai She's figure began to move, Tian She had already anticipated and started to dodge. Tian She stepped back and casually grabbed a rusty scalpel from the table.

Bai She's attack missed as expected; his powerful punch only grazed past his opponent, exposing a vulnerability on his own back in the process.

Tian She seized the opportunity, thrusting the scalpel into one of the already decayed eyes on Bai She's back. Black blood sprayed everywhere, and Bai She let out a muffled grunt before jumping away and turning around.

Bai She paused for a moment, his face showing a hint of pain, but he didn't stop. This time, he lowered his head to conceal his eyes as much as possible, then charged again.

However, before Bai She could even lower his head, Tian She had already seen through his intentions. Tian She retreated once more, stepping out of range, and swiftly swung the scalpel in a backhand motion, slashing a deep and long gash from Bai She's fist all the way to his wrist.

In just these brief exchanges, Bai She had sustained multiple injuries, which was exactly what he had anticipated. How could an ordinary person stand against Du Xin?

Unless his punches were fast enough to land before the opponent could dodge, victory would always be out of reach.

But if he could manage to land even one hit...

"Your idea is interesting."Tian She nodded. "You think that if you touch me, Zhi Ai will leave me temporarily unable to move. But even then, could you kill me?"

Bai She simply clutched his injured fist and remained silent.

"I haven't even started using Xian Fa yet, and you're already on the verge of death." Tian She shook his head and pointed at Bai She's arm. "A wound from a blade over ten centimeters long—you know what that means, right? If you don't treat it soon, your life will be counting down."

Bai She's expression darkened upon hearing this, and he turned his head toward Xiao Ran.

If anyone could help him now, it would probably be this pitiful woman.

They shared a similar fate, so maybe she could empathize.

"Hey..." Bai She called out weakly, "Are you okay with being turned into this?"

Xiao Ran hadn't expected Bai She to speak to her. She paused briefly, then quickly broke into a smile—one more arrogant than any she had shown before, as if she no longer needed to feign sweetness and could just follow her heart.

"How dare you speak to me like that?"

Xiao Ran's question made Bai She pause in surprise.

"You..." He stared at her for a few seconds before asking, "What is your identity?"

"I'm... Qiong Qi." Xiao Ran grinned. "You're just a lowly Di Ji, yet you dare to question me directly... Aren't you afraid I'll slap you to your knees right now?"

Bai She's confusion only deepened.

"Qiong Qi... What kind of identity is that?" he frowned. "I've been here for so long and never heard of anything called Qiong Qi."

"That's because your level isn't high enough."

Xiao Ran stepped forward. Though she found the blood-soaked Sheng Xiao in front of her disgusting, she no longer had anything to fear. She just smiled and said, "Listen carefully... I'm a Shen Shou personally appointed by Qing Long."

"You say Qiong Qi... is a Shen Shou?" Bai She hesitated, and memories of books he had read flashed through his mind. "But that's clearly the name of a famous Xiong Shou..."

"How arrogant you are. A low-level thing like you... how could you possibly know who's a Shen Shou and who's a Xiong Shou?" Xiao Ran scoffed and stepped up, slapping Bai She across the face.

But the slap felt like hitting iron, jarring her hand with pain.

Bai She only felt a slight itch from the blow and grew even more puzzled by Xiao Ran's actions.

This feeble strength... could it belong to a Shen Shou?

"What's going on...?" Xiao Ran looked at her hand in disbelief. "Where's my power?"

"This stupid woman... Where would I find the time to get Shuang Sheng Hua to copy a powerful body for you...?" Tian She muttered under his breath, frowning.

He felt that protecting this woman was even harder than protecting himself.

If Bai She realized how foolish and weak she was now, the consequences would be dire.

Without giving Bai She any time to think, Tian She launched an attack, swinging the scalpel toward Bai She's chest.

Bai She instinctively dodged to the right, but Tian She seemed to have predicted it, turning the blade to follow and leaving another deep gash on his chest.

Fresh blood began to spill, staining Bai She's abdomen. He didn't cover the wound; instead, his eyes grew increasingly serious.

An enemy like Tian She was impossible to hit and impossible to escape. To take his life would require more strategy.

But this woman... claiming to be a Shen Shou appointed by Qing Long—that was worth pondering.

Why hadn't he thought of it earlier...?

She had four active eyes on her back, a number that surpassed Tian Ji.

"A Xiong Shou cub that's not fully hatched..." Bai She chuckled bitterly. "I've just learned something incredible."

"What you're thinking right now is very dangerous." Tian She twirled the scalpel in his hand and said softly, "If Qiong Qi dies, Qing Long will surely kill me, so I'll protect her at all costs."

"Tian She, I've followed you for so long, and you've told me countless stories about Xuan Wu." Bai She clutched his chest and said, "This Xiong Shou... She's only short of 'losing her reason' and 'copying a body.' I can't let her go..."

Tian She thought for a moment and signaled to Xiao Ran with his eyes: "I'll hold him off. You get out of here, go report to Qing Long. Tell him the 'masterpiece is complete'."

"What's there to be afraid of?!" Xiao Ran said, puzzled. "You're Tian, and he's Di. You can't even kill him?"

Tian She was getting angry: "Stop causing trouble! Do you know how critical this moment is?"

"You'd better watch your words!" Xiao Ran replied on her own. "Since we're on the same side for now, I won't stand by. If you're about to lose, I'll step in, but I'll report everything truthfully to Qing Long."

"You..."

Strangely, right after Xiao Ran said "same side," Tian She's vision blurred for a moment.

Before he could react to what was wrong with his eyes, Bai She took advantage of their conversation, lowered his stance, and exploded toward Tian She, sending blood spraying in all directions.

A pale fist struck from an awkward angle. Tian She was shocked and tried to dodge, but it was too late.

The solid punch landed squarely on his cheek, sending his glasses, the scalpel, and years of Bai She's pent-up resentment flying together.