parentshiftbook Chapter 2: On the Line of Life and Death
Chapter 2: On the Line of Life and Death
The passage of time loses its scale in the face of extreme fear.
Everything around—the piercing screams, the desperate wails, the satisfied roars of wild beasts, the chaotic footsteps of fleeing crowds, and even the viscous red light cast by the eerie blood moon—
They all became both incredibly distant, as if separated by a thick layer of frosted glass, and incredibly close, as if they were right next to his eardrums, his skin, and his eyeballs, thumping, rubbing, and burning.
Blood roared in my ears, my heart pounded wildly in my chest, threatening to burst through my ribs. Every breath of that air, a mixture of blood and despair, sent a burning pain through my lungs.
The instinct for survival, like a faint blue flame at the bottom of a frozen abyss, flickers tenaciously and indomitably amidst the boundless cold and deathly silence.
It was so small that it could be annihilated at any moment, but it existed, burning, emitting a faint heat that could not be ignored, a heat belonging to "life".
"Move...get moving..."
A vague thought struggled deep within his consciousness.
He tried to move his completely stiff fingers.
The rough, cold touch on my fingertips was the ground beneath me, a mixture of gravel, mud, and perhaps some unknown viscous substance.
He used all his willpower to drive this unfamiliar and incredibly heavy body, trying to raise an arm to support himself.
A tearing, aching pain and an indescribable weakness shot through my muscles, as if my body had been hollowed out, leaving only a thin layer of skin and bones barely held together.
In my memory, the original owner seemed to have the cultivation level of "fourth level of Body Tempering Realm", which was quite good among ordinary small town boys.
But the days of fleeing, fright, pain, and hunger had already exhausted this meager strength, and might even have damaged its very foundation.
At this moment, this body probably lacks even the strength required for the first level of Body Tempering, and is as weak as an infant recovering from a serious illness.
"I can't...die..."
"I can't... just die like this..."
"Having just arrived in this world... I want to see everything, even hell..."
The shattered thoughts, mixed with intense resentment, unfulfilled regrets from a past life, and anger at this absurd fate, erupted like magma that had been suppressed underground for a long time, bursting through the frozen ground of fear!
A burning will to survive instantly overwhelmed the physical weakness and the turmoil in his mind!
"Ho—!"
A suppressed roar, squeezed from the depths of his throat. His eyes suddenly filled with bloodshot veins, his gums clenched so tightly they cracked, and with every last bit of strength he could muster, he slammed his elbows back against the rough tree trunk, trying to use the leverage to prop himself up.
My hands scratched in vain on the cold, slippery ground, getting cut by sharp stones and burning with pain.
But this pain, on the contrary, was like a shot of adrenaline, piercing his numb nerves and bringing a distorted sense of reality of "being alive".
The corpse dog had clearly lost its last bit of patience.
The prey's subtle struggles, in its simple mind, were equated with provocation and the lure of fresh flesh. A low, savage growl escaped its throat, its hind leg muscles contracted to their limit like springs, and then—
"Bang!"
The ground trembled slightly, and a bloody wind swept through!
That ashen figure transformed into a deadly gray lightning bolt, plunging through the air!
The gaping maw, with its sharp, blood-splattered fangs, rapidly magnified in the pupils, the aura of death so intense it was suffocating!
"It's over!"
Xuan Tianyi felt a chill in his heart, and despair washed over him like a tidal wave.
Died right after transmigrating? This is probably the most frustrating and shortest-lived transmigrator in history!
Countless novel plots from my past life flashed through my mind, but none of them could cope with the most primitive and bloody desperate situation I was in.
He almost closed his eyes, waiting for the excruciating pain and darkness to descend.
however--
"Bang!"
The expected excruciating pain of having my neck bitten off by sharp teeth did not come.
Instead, a dull thud, like a heavy object hitting leather, mixed with the corpse dog's angry roar of pain, exploded less than a meter in front of him!
Xuan Tianyi stared wide-eyed in astonishment.
Just then, a figure staggered and rushed over at the last second, blocking him between the corpse dog!
He was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties. His face was weathered and grime-covered, and his coarse cloth clothes were tattered and stained with dark red blood in several places.
But his eyes were frighteningly bright at that moment, burning with an almost insane determination and a deep weariness.
He held in his hand a hastily picked-up tree branch, about the thickness of his forearm, with its end roughly sharpened, which he used as a makeshift spear.
Just now, it was with this ridiculously crude "weapon" that he used all his strength to stab the corpse dog in the waist and abdomen where it pounced!
Although it failed to pierce the tough gray skin, the enormous impact clearly caused the corpse dog pain and surprise. The direction of its attack was slightly off, and its sharp claws grazed Xuan Tianyi's head, pulling up a few strands of hair.
"Hey kid! What are you standing there for! If you don't want this beast to eat you, get the hell up and run!"
Without turning his head, the man roared at Xuan Tianyi, his voice hoarse and cracked, yet carrying an undeniable urgency and command, as if forged from iron and blood.
He gripped the branch tightly with both hands, his hands trembling slightly, veins bulging on the back of his hands, his body taut like a bow, staring intently at the corpse dog, which had become even more enraged by the provocation, growling softly and adjusting its posture.
Cold sweat mixed with blood rolled down his forehead, clearly he was terrified, but his feet were rooted to the spot, he didn't take a single step back.
"Uncle Lin! Run! Don't worry about him! This beast is too fierce for us to handle!"
Beside him, a younger-looking man with a fresh scar on his face was waving a bent iron bar that had been taken from some vehicle frame and was shouting anxiously.
His left sleeve was torn, revealing a gaping wound from which blood seeped out, staining half of the sleeve a dark brown.
The man called "Uncle Lin" suddenly spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his jaw clenched, and he forced out the words through his teeth:
"Bullshit! Save as many as you can! This kid's eyes are still open, he's still breathing! If I don't help him, I'll never sleep peacefully again! Ali, stop talking nonsense, hurry up! Get him out of here!"
The young man named Ali struggled with his eyes, glancing at Uncle Lin, who looked like he was going crazy, and then at the weak Xuan Tianyi on the ground. Finally, he stomped his foot hard, cursed a very dirty word, and dragged his injured arm to quickly approach Xuan Tianyi, while keeping a wary eye on the corpse dog that might pounce on him again at any moment.
Xuan Tianyi stared blankly at the backs of the two strangers.
Uncle Lin was not tall, and was even somewhat hunched over; Ali was young, but his face was scarred, and his eyes were fierce yet also concealed fear.
In this apocalyptic hell where human life is cheap and everyone is too busy to care for themselves, there are actually people willing to step forward for a complete stranger who is on the verge of death, using their own flesh and blood and simple "weapons" to fight against that terrifying beast that represents death.
This sudden and unreasonable "protection" was like a faint yet incredibly scorching light, piercing through the heavy, leaden shadow of fear in his heart and burning deep into his soul.
A complex emotion, indescribable and mixed with shock, bewilderment, bitterness, and... a faint warmth, suddenly surged into my heart.
Is this... something that hasn't been completely extinguished in humanity?
"No... I can't... just wait to die like this!"
This unfamiliar warmth was like pouring hot oil on that flame of survival!
The blazing flames roared up, more intense and frenzied than ever before!
"Run! Move! Even if you're going to die, you can't drag the people who want to save you down with you!"
A powerful will drives the broken body.
He made a strange hoarse sound in his throat, frantically strained his arms, and kicked the ground with his feet, splashing mud and water everywhere. He actually swayed and half-crawled, half-supported, trying to stand up.
The Corpse Dog Beast was clearly enraged by Uncle Lin's "sneak attack" and the persistent "threat".
Its scarlet eyes were fixed on Uncle Lin, who was blocking its way. A violent growl rolled in its throat, its hind leg muscles bulged again, and its massive body lowered slightly—the next moment, it moved!
There are no fancy tricks, only pure killing instinct and terrifying explosive power!
The gray figure transformed into a blurry afterimage, carrying an even more intense stench than before, and rushed straight towards Uncle Lin!
Faster and more powerful, its gaping maw was aimed directly at Uncle Lin's neck!
Uncle Lin's pupils shrank sharply. He knew he couldn't dodge it or stop it!
But a veteran's fierce courage and a strong will to protect made him not choose to close his eyes and wait for death. Instead, he let out a roar that was almost like that of a wild beast and used all his strength to stab the sharpened branch in his hand into the bloody mouth of the corpse dog that was rushing towards him!
This is a suicidal fighting style!
"Snap!"
The fragile tree branch, upon contact with the corpse dog's hard, iron-like jawbone and muscles, let out a mournful cry of unbearable strain and snapped!
Uncle Lin was thrown off the ground by the huge impact, staggering backward with his chest and abdomen wide open!
The corpse hound's claws swung down like scythes!
"Sizzle—!"
The sound of tearing cloth was mixed with the muffled thud of flesh being cut open.
Several deep, bone-revealing gashes burst open on Uncle Lin's chest, and scalding blood gushed out, completely staining his tattered front of his shirt red!
He groaned, his face turning deathly pale. The intense pain and blood loss made his vision blur and he could barely stand.
The corpse dog, having landed successfully, became even more ferocious. Without pausing after landing, it kicked off with its hind legs, opened its blood-red maw dripping with saliva, and once again swiftly bit at Uncle Lin's neck, which was sluggish from the injury and wide open!
If this bite lands firmly, even a god couldn't save you!
"Uncle Lin!!"
Ali, who had just barely managed to help Xuan Tianyi up, had eyes wide with rage and let out a heart-wrenching scream. He tried to rush forward, but the distance was too great for him to reach!
A look of relief-like despair, along with deep resentment, flashed in Uncle Lin's eyes.
He could almost see the cold shadow of death enveloping him.
At the critical moment!
Supported by Ali, Xuan Tianyi's last trace of confusion was replaced by madness!
He had no time to think. Driven by instinct, a burning desire to survive, and an unwillingness to owe this life-saving grace, his body unleashed a power and ferocity that even he himself could not comprehend!
He abruptly broke free from Ali's weak support, letting out a hoarse, broken, inhuman roar:
"Get out of here, you beast!!!"
He slammed into the side and rear of the corpse hound, his weak but still intact body hurtling like a cannonball!
The target is not the corpse dog's hard head or torso, but the waist and hip area that is slightly suspended in the air and relatively weak in support when it pounces!
Uncle Lin, who was preparing to close his eyes and await death, was awakened by this close-up, crazed roar!
Driven by his survival instinct, he subconsciously abandoned his futile parry and, with his last ounce of strength and remaining combat experience, desperately rolled to his left, the opposite side from which the corpse hound was pouncing!
At the same time, almost reflexively, he used all his remaining strength to stab the broken branch in the direction the corpse hound might be in front of him!
Everything happened in the blink of an eye!
The corpse dog's deadly bite, which it was determined to deliver, arrived as expected. However, due to Uncle Lin's unexpected, clumsy yet effective side roll, the dog's calculated landing point was deviated!
The gleaming white fangs, carrying a foul stench, grazed the tattered fabric of Uncle Lin's shoulder as he rolled, tearing it with a "ripping" sound, even taking away a small piece of flesh, causing blood to splatter, but ultimately... it failed to bite down on his carotid artery!
Almost at the same instant, Xuan Tianyi's selfless charge also slammed solidly into the side of the corpse dog's waist and hips, which were slightly suspended in mid-air during the attack!
"Bang!"
With a muffled thud, the corpse dog's momentum, weighing over several hundred pounds, was slightly disrupted by this sudden and tricky impact, causing its body to become slightly unbalanced in mid-air.
It was this slight imbalance that caused Uncle Lin's half-twig, which he was practically struggling to stick out in his death throes, to coincidentally and hard pierce the most vulnerable lateral ligament at the joint connection point, which was exposed when the corpse dog's left foreleg landed due to that slight imbalance!
"Awooo—!!!"
Caught off guard, the corpse dog let out a sharp howl, a mixture of pain and rage!
The excruciating pain from its left forelimb and the momentary fragility of its support point completely distorted its entire pouncing motion. Its massive body staggered, its forward momentum was forcibly interrupted, and it almost lost its balance and fell to the ground on the spot!
Although the thorn from the branch failed to pierce the tough skin and ligaments and cause substantial serious injury due to insufficient force and Uncle Lin's injuries, the sudden pain and loss of balance bought Uncle Lin a precious, perhaps only one or two seconds, chance to catch his breath!
Ali, who had been watching the battle closely and whose heart was in his throat, was terrified by Xuan Tianyi's reckless behavior, but his rich combat experience, or rather, his escape experience, allowed him to immediately seize this fleeting opportunity!
He let out a low growl and pounced like a cheetah, ignoring the swaying Xuan Tianyi. He rushed to Uncle Lin's side, used his uninjured right arm to lift the almost limp Uncle Lin up, and half-dragged, half-pulled him away to a less crowded area with some scattered boulders for cover!
His ferocious face was a mixture of fear of Uncle Lin's serious injury, guilt for not being able to rescue him in time, and panic at the desperate situation before him, but more than anything, it showed a fierce and resolute determination to escape death.
"Come on! Uncle Lin! Hold on! Don't fall asleep! Otherwise, we'll all die here!"
Ali's hoarse roar rang in Uncle Lin's ears.
Meanwhile, after Xuan Tianyi made that impact, he also fell backward due to the recoil, landing in the mud and getting covered in blood.
He felt dizzy, his chest burned from the violent impact and tension, and his lungs were gasping for breath like a broken bellows.
But he knew he was still in danger. His will to survive kept him going, and he tried to get up using both his hands and feet, moving away from the corpse dogs.
However, the corpse dog, which had just regained its footing and whose left foreleg was still limping, was clearly enraged.
It suddenly turned its head, its scarlet and savage eyes fixed on the "weak prey" that dared to "offend" it twice and even cause it to be injured—Xuan Tianyi!
"roar--!!!"
A deafening roar, carrying overwhelming killing intent and a stench of blood, swept over us!
The Corpse Dog abandoned Uncle Lin and Ali, who had temporarily retreated, and unleashed all its anger on Xuan Tianyi, who had just knelt down to support himself!
With a powerful stomp of its hind legs, the earth exploded, and its massive gray body once again transformed into a deadly afterimage, charging straight towards the enemy with an even more ferocious aura than before!
This time, it held nothing back, moving faster and with greater force, its gaping maw wide open, determined to tear this wretched insect to shreds!
Xuan Tianyi's hair stood on end instantly! The chilling aura of death, like steel needles, pierced through his thin clothes and went straight to his bone marrow!
Before he could even turn his head completely, he caught a glimpse of the enormous gray shadow out of the corner of his eye. Like a cannonball, it tore through the air, carrying a nauseating stench, and rapidly magnified under the blood moonlight!
"Holy crap!!!"
He forced out a low, incoherent growl from his throat.
Driven by instinct, the body unleashes its final potential.
Completely disregarding his posture, he suddenly lunged and rolled to the side and back—at the angle between the dead tree and a few scattered stones!
His movements were extremely clumsy and awkward; he was literally tumbling and crawling, his entire body covered in mud, blood, and bits of grass.
"Bang!!!"
With a loud crash! The thick root of the dead giant tree that had been exposed on the ground where he had been kneeling was viciously ripped open by the corpse hound's sharp, knife-like claws!
The hard wood shattered with a screeching sound, and sawdust mixed with damp soil flew everywhere, leaving several shocking claw marks several inches deep on the tree roots!
One can imagine that if that claw had landed on him, he would have been disemboweled and broken!
The pungent, hot stench almost hit the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine.
Xuan Tianyi's heart was pounding like a drum, almost jumping out of his throat!
When fear reaches its extreme, it can give rise to a desperate and ruthless determination.
He kicked wildly in the slippery mud, his hands frantically groping around him, trying to grab anything that could serve as a weapon or give him even the slightest sense of security!
His fingers slid through the cold mud and gravel, cut by sharp stones, and blood seeped out, but he was oblivious.
Finally, as he rolled over again and his back hit a hard protrusion, his fingertips touched a cold, rough, rusty tube!
Without thinking, he gripped it tightly with his five fingers like iron clamps!
Using the recoil from the impact on its back, it rolled awkwardly to the side again, trying to create that tiny bit of distance between itself and the approaching corpse dog, which was adjusting its direction again and growling.
What I held in my hand was a half-broken, rusty metal pipe that had been abandoned for who knows how long. One end had an irregular, jagged, sharp bevel, seemingly broken off violently, and the edge gleamed with a cold, hard, and dark luster under the blood moonlight.
It's unclear whether it was a "weapon" left behind by some unfortunate fugitive, or a remnant of ruins from an even more distant era or a disaster.
It feels heavy and cold to the touch, with a rusty, rough texture and an earthy, slippery feel.
The corpse dog missed twice, and was especially "tricked" the last time, which drove it into a complete frenzy.
It was no longer cautious, crouching low with a body larger than a calf, a muffled, threatening growl rumbling in its throat, its scarlet eyes fixed on Xuan Tianyi, approaching step by step, its thick hind leg muscles gathering power, and thick saliva dripping from between its teeth, making a slight "sizzling" corrosion sound on the soil.
Xuan Tianyi had his back against a half-person-high boulder, with nowhere left to retreat.
He knelt in the mud, his hands gripping the half-section of a cold steel pipe tightly in front of him. The rust and mud mixed with the blood from his palms stained the steel pipe a dirty dark red.
He was breathing heavily, his chest was burning, and his arms were trembling uncontrollably from fear and overexertion. The base of his thumb was already cracked from the rough rust and the impact, and blood flowed down his wrists and dripped into the mud.
But he did not close his eyes.
He stared intently at the increasingly close, crimson beastly eyes, filled with cruelty, hunger, and rage. Deep within those eyes, the last trace of bewilderment and the sense of order belonging to "Xuan Tianyi, the modern man," flickered out like a candle in the wind.
Instead, there was a cold, almost beastly, menacing glint, and an abyss of unfathomable despair.
There is no escape.
Am I going to die?
So be it... This terrifying world, this place where opening your eyes is like entering hell, this ghostly place filled with bloodshed, slaughter, betrayal and despair... If I die, will I be free?
Will we be able to return to... that peaceful world, which, though ordinary and mundane, had Wi-Fi, air conditioning, sugary drinks, and nagging parents?
A fleeting thought of giving up, born of utter exhaustion, sprouted and spread like a poisonous weed in my heart. My taut muscles seemed to relax slightly, and the steel pipe across my chest felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
The corpse dog seemed to keenly sense the change in its prey's aura, the fading of its last shred of resistance. But it felt no pity, only a surge of even greater bloodlust.
It paused slightly, adjusted its final angle, and then unleashed terrifying power from its hind legs. Its massive body leaped into the air like a gray mountain of flesh, carrying an aura of crushing everything. Its gaping maw roared, aiming straight for Xuan Tianyi's neck and head!
This pounce brought forth all its power and fury, determined to kill its prey with a single blow!
"That's fine..."
Xuan Tianyi almost closed his eyes.
however--
Just as the shadow of those fangs was about to envelop his face!
"No!!!"
A roar, originating from the deepest part of his soul and mixed with endless resentment, boiling anger, and the most primal desire for "life," erupted from his chest like an ancient volcano, bursting out of his throat!
That wasn't a human voice; it sounded more like the final, desperate cry of a dying beast, tearing apart all its constraints!
How could I... just die like this?!
I've just arrived in this world! I haven't even seen its full picture yet!
I haven't yet... repaid that stranger for protecting me with his life!
I haven't... found my way back yet! Even if there's only a one in a billion chance!
I haven't yet made those damned beasts pay the price!
The parents' parting glances, Uncle Lin's back as he stood in front of them, Ali's roar as he dragged Uncle Lin away, the blood moon, the corpses, the fleeing crowd—this hellish scene…
All the images, all the emotions, at this moment, were ignited, compressed, and transformed into the purest, most violent, and most reckless of all by that roar of the soul—
Killing intent!
The instinct for survival, the remaining combat memories of this body, the indomitable spirit deep within the transmigrator's soul, and the raging fire that was completely ignited and consumed everything... Several forces intertwined, collided, and merged, producing an incredible "miracle"!
Xuan Tianyi's bloodshot eyes were instantly consumed by an almost insane crimson light!
The original fear, confusion, and exhaustion were completely replaced by a cold, pure killing intent solely for the destruction of the enemy before them!
He didn't want to die!
Even if I die, I'll drag this beast down to hell with me!
Time seemed to slow down infinitely in that instant.
The trajectory of the corpse dog's attack, the cold glint of its sharp teeth, the dripping saliva, the trembling of its muscles... every detail was reflected with unparalleled clarity in his crimson pupils.
"Pfft—!"
A dull thud, like a sharp weapon piercing deep into flesh, suddenly rang out!
It didn't come from Xuan Tianyi, but from the right shoulder blade of the corpse dog that pounced down from mid-air!
A long metal spear, gleaming with a cold, icy light and stained with blood at its tip, shot out like a venomous dragon emerging from its lair, striking with lightning speed from the side. Precisely, ruthlessly, and without any fancy moves, it pierced through the muscle group connecting the forelimbs and torso beneath the relatively thick fur of the corpse dog! The spear tip even peeked out slightly from the other side, leaving a trail of blood!
"Awooo—!!!"
The corpse dog let out a deafening, heart-wrenching howl!
The momentum of the aerial attack was abruptly interrupted and deflected by this sudden and powerful shot!
The massive body and sharp claws that were pressing down on the prey suddenly lost their strength and deviated from their direction due to the intense pain and the disruption of their balance!
He was one of those warriors who were fighting in the crowd, wearing tattered leather armor!
At the critical moment, the burly man with a long spear and a cold face threw the spear in his hand!
opportunity!
The string called "reason" in Xuan Tianyi's mind snapped completely, but something more primal and efficient called "fighting instinct" instantly took over his body!
In that fleeting moment—less than a tenth of a second—when the corpse dog, writhing in agony, lost its grip, its body slightly tilted, revealing an opening, it lunged forward in excruciating pain!
"Die, you son of a bitch!!!"
A bloody, inhuman roar erupted from his throat, as if the last bit of strength squeezed from his frail body was bursting forth!
Instead of retreating, the body suddenly thrust upwards like a spring compressed to its limit!
At the same time, his right hand, gripping the steel pipe, bulged with muscles and veins like earthworms, pouring all his weight, the power of his rotating waist, the power of his legs pushing off the ground, and all the anger, fear, and resentment in his soul into this crude, blood-stained weapon!
The sharp, irregular cut of the steel pipe, under the blood moonlight, drew a dark red, resolute arc, avoiding the corpse dog's hardest skull and chest, striking sharply and precisely from bottom to top—
It pierced the relatively soft lower side of the corpse dog's abdomen, which had been exposed due to the attack!
"puff--!"
That was the dull, teeth-grinding sound of a sharp weapon piercing leather, tearing through muscle, and rupturing internal organs.
Hot, foul-smelling, and viscous blood, like a high-pressure fountain, gushed out from the steel pipe, drenching Xuan Tianyi's head and face!
My vision instantly turned blood red, and my nasal cavity and mouth were filled with a strong, dizzying rusty smell.
"Aww...woof..."
The corpse dog's agonizing howl suddenly transformed, filled with unbelievable pain and the weakness of life rapidly slipping away.
It struggled and writhed frantically, its sharp claws flailing wildly, trying to tear the "insect" on its body to shreds.
But at this moment, Xuan Tianyi seemed to have truly transformed into a wild beast, a vengeful ghost crawling out of hell!
He gripped the rough, tough fur on the side of the corpse dog's neck with one hand, his nails digging deep into the flesh to keep himself from being thrown off.
With his other hand, he gripped the steel pipe that was half-buried deep into the corpse dog's abdomen, and with a frenzied ferocity, he pulled it out and then stabbed it back into the wound!
Pull it out again!
Push it in again!
"Aaaaaaahh ...
He roared and howled, his voice broken and shattered, tears, blood, sweat, and mud mingling and streaming down his contorted face.
He completely forgot everything around him, forgot that this was a battlefield littered with carnage, forgot that other dangers lurked. Only the most primal, most violent thoughts remained in his mind:
Kill it!
Tear it to shreds!
Live!
Warm blood, fragments of broken organs, and indescribably foul-smelling bodily fluids splattered onto his arms, chest, and face.
The pungent smell of blood and the stench of entrails almost made him faint, but he was oblivious. He mechanically and frantically repeated the stabbing motion over and over again, as if he wanted to pour all his fear, sadness, anger, incomprehension and resentment towards the world into the monster's body through this simple iron pipe!
As the struggles of the corpse dog beneath him grew weaker and weaker, its frantic twisting turned into powerless convulsions. The light in its pair of savage, crimson eyes quickly dimmed and dissipated, eventually losing all its luster and becoming gray and empty.
Until the enormous monster that had brought him endless fear collapsed completely to the ground, without making a sound.
Xuan Tianyi still didn't stop.
He knelt on the gradually cooling corpse of the corpse dog, his hands gripping the steel pipe that was almost covered in blood and bits of flesh, raising it high as if to stab it down again!
"Enough! It's already dead!"
A clear, cold, yet distinctly weary, but exceptionally firm female voice rang out very close to his ear.
At the same time, a gentle but irresistible force firmly pulled his arm, which was trembling violently from exerting too much force, back into full power.
Xuan Tianyi abruptly stopped moving. His bloodshot eyes, with almost no whites visible, stared blankly, yet still brimming with a lingering, frenzied killing intent, as he looked in the direction of the sound.
His vision was blurred, and the air was thick with blood. But he could vaguely see that all the rampaging corpse dogs around him seemed to have fallen dead on the ground.
Beside the corpse stood several warriors dressed in uniform, dark red leather armor stained with both fresh and dried blood, wielding blood-stained longswords, spears, or bows and arrows.
They stood tall and moved with clean, efficient movements, exuding an aura of seasoned veterans and a kind of... reassuringly powerful presence.
They were scanning the remaining, cowering, terrified refugees around them warily, quickly checking the fallen corpses, occasionally bending down to finish off some of the still-breathing corpses, or silently walking past the refugee bodies.
On the left breastplate of their leather armor was an emblem that remained clearly visible even when stained with blood: a simplified outline of a majestic city, with two crossed swords pointing upwards below.
Tianxia Protectorate City, Patrol Army.
The one who grabbed him was a young female warrior who looked to be in her early twenties.
She wore her hair in a neat ponytail, a few strands of hair stuck to her forehead with sweat, her face was beautiful but covered with a layer of tired and weathered look, her eyes were sharp as an eagle, and she was slightly frowning as she looked at Xuan Tianyi, who was covered in blood, looked like a madman, and was almost out of his mind.
There wasn't much surprise in his eyes; he seemed quite used to this kind of emotional breakdown that inevitably occurs when someone is in dire straits or has survived a near-death experience.
There was only a barely perceptible scrutiny and a faint, professional weariness.
"Calm down. It's completely dead."
The female warrior raised her voice slightly, adopting a commanding tone.
"Huff... huff..."
Xuan Tianyi was breathing heavily, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the female warrior, then slowly turned to look at the terrifying, penetrating gun hole in the neck of the corpse dog on the ground, where blood was still gushing out.
Then he looked at the burly, cold-looking man not far away, who had just pulled a blood-stained spear from the corpse dog and was wiping the tip of the spear with a rag.
Yes…it’s these people…it’s these warriors in standard armor…the patrol troops of Tianxia City…they saved us…
This belated realization, like the last straw, broke his will to hold on.
The nerves that had been stretched to the limit suddenly relaxed.
Like the receding tide revealing a dry, cracked riverbed—intense pain surged through every part of his body, and the extreme fatigue and dizziness from blood loss overwhelmed him like a tsunami. His muscles spasmed uncontrollably from overexertion, and there was also the delayed, yet even more ferocious, mental shock brought about by the forced fusion of memories…
Everything erupted with a deafening roar!
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to the female warrior, or to the man who threw the spear, even just a simple "thank you".
But only a dry, hissing sound, like a broken bellows, came from his throat; he couldn't utter a single word.
The figure of the female soldier, the patrol soldiers standing solemnly around her, the blood-red sky, the corpses on the ground... everything rapidly faded and dimmed in his rapidly blurring, spinning, and double-image vision.
The clamor in my ears—cries, commands, gasps—quickly faded away, replaced by a deep, utterly silent hum.
In the instant before he completely lost consciousness and plunged into boundless darkness, in the hazy, fading depths of his consciousness, he seemed to... vaguely sense something unusual.
It's neither sound nor image.
It's more of a "feeling".
It was as if some magnificent, ancient, cold, supreme, and seemingly containing endless cycles of birth and death "existence" had transcended the infinite distance of time and space, or perhaps it had always been hidden in the deepest part of the soul, touched by this extreme stimulation of life and death, the violent fluctuations of the soul, and some inexplicable "connection," slowly...
She woke up.
Immediately afterward, a Daoist voice, indescribable in its texture, seemingly woven from countless laws yet also appearing to be merely a hallucination, ethereal yet crystal clear, resounded directly through the deepest recesses of his soul's origin:
"The Way... its rhythm... resonates... in harmony..."
"System...bound..."
Darkness, both gentle and violent, devoured everything.