Chapter 329: I'll Slice Your Flesh into Pieces, Okay?

Xu Xiaoshou knelt on one knee, slamming into the ground.

The violent energy within his body receded like an ebbing tide, leaving only a faint trace of primal savage desire to sustain him, barely maintaining his state as the golden giant.

"This is..."

In his blood-red eyes, the world finally gained a hint of clarity at that moment.

Xu Xiaoshou saw the shattered earth slabs, the collapsed ancient street buildings, and most strikingly, the massive pit dozens of zhang deep ahead!

His heart skipped a beat as memories flooded back.

The battle after transforming into the Kuangbao Juren was driven purely by the most primitive destructiveness and subconscious self-protection in response to Hong Gou's "Tian Ci".

However, looking at it now, it seemed he had overdone the protection.

"The pot of Zhanlie Zishi?"

Xu Xiaoshou lifted his left hand, where golden light was still faintly dissipating, like a war god unleashing his ultimate power.

The state of being unmatched and invincible from his memories deeply influenced him.

Even though he felt weak, Xu Xiaoshou still propped himself up on the ground and stood up.

A giant does not kneel!

As he fully stood up, even though it was the second time activating the Kuangbao Juren state, Xu Xiaoshou was still startled by his own height.

This state wasn't about flying height; it was simply standing there, exuding an arrogance that overlooked all living beings.

Looking down from above, it felt like peering through the heavens, overseeing the mortal world.

It was quite wonderful.

However, Xu Xiaoshou's attention wasn't drawn by this minor surprise.

Most of his thoughts were on the fact that he could activate the Kuangbao Juren and still maintain clear consciousness.

"Have I developed resistance?"

This was the second time activating the awakening effect of "Qiangzhuang". Although he had lost control at the beginning, he could regain his sanity by the end.

Compared to before, that was already a significant improvement.

If things continued this way, with the Kuangbao Juren, he might master it perfectly after activating it a couple more times!

Then, combined with Zhanlie Zishi...

Xu Xiaoshou didn't need to imagine the power; just looking at the terrifying scars left by the Jin Mie Qi Zhu was enough.

The ground had been blasted into a deep pit, and if you didn't look closely, it could almost pass for a sheer cliff embedded in the old street!

This level of destructive force far exceeded the realm of ordinary Zongshi experts.

Even a Wangzuo might be slain on the spot?

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head, trying hard to stay clear-minded.

His judgment might not be accurate; after all, he had never killed a Wangzuo and didn't know what effect that Qi Zhu would have.

Could such an attack turn Hong Gou into a dead dog and send him straight to the underworld?

He looked toward the cliff ahead.

The boundary domain swayed unsteadily, with smoke and dust rolling endlessly.

Yet, Xu Xiaoshou's perception extended directly into it, revealing Hong Gou lying in the deep pit amid mottled bloodstains and water seeping from the underground.

In the scene transmitted by his perception, Hong Gou's body was shattered and mangled, his ruined face unrecognizable.

His body was covered in black filth and craters; the larger wounds were scorched solid, with blood scabs forming, while smaller skin cracks continued to ooze blood, a horrifying sight.

"Is it over?"

Xu Xiaoshou felt a wave of relief; he couldn't sense even a trace of life from Hong Gou.

With injuries like that, even someone with "Shengsheng Buxi" would likely be unable to recover.

Passive skills only worked in the vibrant moments of the game interface; once someone was sent back to the blood pool, what use could Ling Yuan techniques or passive skills be?

"Huff..."

Xu Xiaoshou let out a deep breath; he was utterly exhausted.

This battle had drained him completely.

Like the utter weakness after a climax, the golden light on his body trembled and began to fade.

But in the next second, the Kuangbao Juren suddenly shuddered and solidified once more.

At the same time, Xu Xiaoshou's expression changed drastically, filled with shock and horror.

"Crack!"

The Hong Gou, who had seemed like a corpse, suddenly twisted his head one hundred and eighty degrees!

His ghastly, mutilated face was eerily disturbing, with a pair of frenzied, bloodshot eyes wide open, pupils trembling as if some creature were about to burst out.

"Pah—"

He first spat out a mouthful of reverse blood, expelling all the blocked internal organs and foreign matter from his throat, and then his Tian Dao aura thickened.

His flesh began to grow wildly, his injuries healing rapidly.

"Ha, ha ha ha..."

Hong Gou twisted his neck, his joints cracking as he barely regained control of his head. He gritted his teeth, his face manic.

"Xu Xiaoshou... ha ha ha, Xu Xiaoshou!"

"You were too powerful!" he roared.

"I never imagined that a mere Xiantian, no, a Zongshi-level body..."

He tilted his head, looking puzzled, "But even by Zongshi standards, how could you cross an entire major realm and beat me into this state?"

"Amazing! You're even more fun than Black Snake was before he died!"

Crack, crack!

As he spoke, he shifted his body and stood up.

Hong Gou cupped his face, stroking it with a nostalgic expression.

"Do you know how she died?"

"No, do you know how she trained me before she died?"

He suddenly threw his head back in wild laughter: "Ha ha, to turn me into the top assassin, she severed my Tian Mai, destroyed my Ling Gen, disfigured my face..."

"Ah ha ha..."

"She treated me like a dead dog, just like you, and in the end, I repaid her with a hundred times the cruelty, nurtured by the ultimate hatred!"

As Hong Gou walked toward Xu Xiaoshou, he used a finger to slash open his own chest.

The ring on his body had already shattered in that terrifying explosion.

Without a dagger, was he still an assassin?

How could he torment his enemy then?

Hong Gou thrust his hand into his chest and pulled out a blood-red bead.

Infusing it with Ling Yuan, he transformed it into a knife as thin as a cicada's wing.

With a twisted smile, his lips trembling, he staggered step by step toward Xu Xiaoshou.

Xu Xiaoshou was trembling all over.

This guy was a complete maniac, twisted both mentally and physically.

Someone who had endured extreme suffering in life probably couldn't be killed by pain alone.

The Tian Dao power tied to a Wangzuo had kept him alive, and his profound cultivation had restored his body, bringing him back to a state where he could fight again.

But... was this even human?

He was like an indestructible cockroach!

Xu Xiaoshou wanted to turn and retreat, but he was powerless.

Just maintaining the golden giant's form had used up all his strength; facing Hong Gou's approach, he couldn't even lift a hand to defend himself.

"Want to know the pain I just endured?"

Hong Gou stood before the golden giant, his height only reaching up to its calf.

He patted the small knife and took a deep breath of fresh air, then looked up, his expression suddenly turning solemn.

"You're too tall, and I can't fly anymore. So, I'll slice off pieces of your flesh until I see your true self."

"Sound good?"