The Shock Devil's bull-like face twisted as he found himself unable to kill the ant-like opponent before him. Every attack was just slightly off, while his opponent's assaults were frustratingly effective, each aimed at his brain and accompanied by various negative effects. While the enemy remained unharmed, he was battered and bruised.

"Always just a bit off. Is that how you usually practice? Always just missing by a little?" Wang Linchi mocked.

The insult incensed the Shock Devil. The fury in his eyes nearly overflowed; Wang Linchi's words cut deep.

"Curse you…" the Shock Devil began to threaten, but a pair of large hands suddenly grabbed his horns.

Wang Linchi had restrained the Shock Devil, and in that time, Saint Master dealt with the other Abyssal Demons the Shock Devil had brought.

Saint Master gripped the Shock Devil's horns and began to pry them apart, clearly intending to snap them off at the roots. This was a blatant insult.

This infuriated the Shock Devil. Direct attacks in combat were one thing, but deliberately targeting his horns like this was an intolerable humiliation. He twisted his head, preparing to teach Saint Master a lesson. However, Wang Linchi chose that moment to provoke him again from the other side, catching him in a pincer and leaving him in a dilemma.

SNAP…

By the time the Shock Devil was ready to strike, Saint Master had already snapped off his horns.

"HISS… I'LL KILL YOU!!!" The Shock Devil's eyes turned bloodshot, and scorching white steam billowed from his bovine nostrils as he whirled to attack Saint Master, his assault becoming as ferocious as a madman's.

Wang Linchi seized the opportunity to pick up the pair of horns. He hadn't expected the Shock Devil to value his horns so much. Glancing at the stumps on the creature's bull head, he found them somewhat uneven and idly considered how to smooth them out.

The Shock Devil saw Wang Linchi's actions. He abandoned Saint Master and charged towards Wang Linchi, roaring, "Give me back my horns, you ant!"

Now consumed by rage and devoid of reason, the Shock Devil hadn't run two steps before Saint Master landed a series of debilitating kidney strikes, nearly shattering his spine. Fanciful and Fickle, combined with Soul Melting Poison, unleashed a torrent of negative effects. These, amplified by Saint Master's Soul Absorption, ravaged the Shock Devil. He had barely taken two more steps before he felt his body failing him catastrophically.

He forcibly suppressed his anger, knowing he couldn't let his emotions control him any longer, or Wang Linchi would continue to play him for a fool.

Choosing between Wang Linchi and Saint Master, he quickly decided on Saint Master. In the Shock Devil's eyes, Wang Linchi wasn't particularly strong; he only had that tough turtle shell. Saint Master, on the other hand, was both durable and a heavy hitter. If he could eliminate Saint Master, Wang Linchi's defenses, no matter how thick, would be useless.

As his rationality returned, though his body was in a grievous state, his combat prowess recovered significantly. He began to forcefully suppress and expel the negative effects plaguing him.

However, before he could land more than a few blows, he saw Wang Linchi doing something utterly indescribable to his horns. This sent the Shock Devil's blood pressure and rage skyrocketing once more.

This time, the Shock Devil restrained himself. He knew Wang Linchi was deliberately trying to provoke him.

Wang Linchi, for his part, was muttering curses. Initially, the Shock Devil truly couldn't control his emotions. But with Wang Linchi's constant provocations and the Shock Devil's own rapid Growth, the transformation was astounding. Before, using the horns to provoke him was still effective. If he were allowed to continue evolving, not only would he possess formidable power, but even his emotions, originally a weakness, were gradually disappearing.

This kind of Growth hadn't been as apparent when dealing with the Fate Devil God. However, the contrast between the Shock Devil before and now made the change strikingly clear. Having a brain versus not having one made a huge difference.

At this point, the Shock Devil was no longer just making empty threats. As the battle progressed, despite enduring numerous negative effects and debilitating conditions, he was gradually closing the gap. Given another hour or two, he might even be able to fight Saint Master on equal terms.

Wang Linchi understood that he absolutely couldn't let that happen. This disadvantage wasn't inherent; it was a result of the negative effects Wang Linchi had inflicted. He had to keep reapplying them to the Shock Devil. Given the latter's physique, the effects of Fanciful and Fickle wouldn't last long. Even if they could create a feedback loop with Saint Master's Soul Melting Poison, it wasn't an infinite cycle; there was a cost, and the Shock Devil was actively trying to purge them.

However, Wang Linchi was also accumulating power. He planned to unleash another devastating blow, using sixty percent of his spiritual power. Given the current situation, there's a high probability that one more application of Fanciful and Fickle can kill the Shock Devil. Otherwise, if he continues to grow stronger, it's basically game over.

But his spiritual power needed time to recover, and during that period, he couldn't stop applying continuous negative effects to the Shock Devil.

Half an hour. Wang Linchi estimated his recovery rate and quickly arrived at a precise timeframe.

"Hmph, I'll let you off today. The next time we meet, I'll crush you all underfoot!" the Shock Devil suddenly declared, disengaging and retreating rapidly.

It looked like he intended to flee. But how could Wang Linchi let him escape so easily? He was almost ready, and now the enemy was running? What kind of nonsense was this?

He didn't believe the Game System could reset an Abyss Offspring's power, even if the Shock Devil was currently inside an Abyss Difficulty instance and thus under some degree of Game System control. That control couldn't be absolute; otherwise, the Game System could have just eliminated him directly, without needing Wang Linchi's intervention.

Saint Master immediately moved to intercept. The Shock Devil found it surprisingly difficult to escape; he tried several times but couldn't shake Saint Master. This only enraged the Shock Devil further.

Just as he was about to speak again, he abruptly felt the hair on his entire body stand on end. Though he'd never experienced this sensation before, he knew instinctively what it signified: the premonition of death.

He whirled around to face Wang Linchi, his expression a mask of shock and fury. "You can still use that Rule Attack again???"

The words had barely left his mouth when a force swelled within his mind. It was horribly familiar; Wang Linchi had used this very same sneak attack on him when they first met. Now, he was doing it again—the same attack, with the same sickeningly familiar signature.

But things were different now. Back then, he had been at full strength. Now, he was injured and riddled with debilitating negative effects.

"I am of the Abyss…" the Shock Devil roared in futile defiance. However, he wasn't the protagonist of some story; shouting wouldn't grant him a miraculous power-up, nor would his words conjure any special boons.

Before he could finish his sentence, brain matter and blood erupted from his ears, nose, eyes, and mouth.

The Shock Devil's skull was incredibly tough, so Fanciful and Fickle, even at sixty percent of Wang Linchi's spiritual power, couldn't shatter it. His brain, however, was a different matter. It instantly exploded into a slurry, and the resulting Impact sent gore spraying from his face.

Losing his brain didn't kill the Shock Devil instantly. With his formidable power and vitality, his brain actually began to regenerate. If Wang Linchi hadn't pressed the advantage, the Shock Devil might have fully recovered within twenty-four hours.

But Wang Linchi wouldn't give him a day. Saint Master unhesitatingly moved in to deliver the finishing blows. While Wang Linchi had targeted the brain, Saint Master's claws tore open the Shock Devil's chest, ripped out his enormous heart, and crushed it to a pulp.

Still not dead? Are all developed Demon Gods this ridiculous? Wang Linchi found it hard to believe. He hadn't fully appreciated the threat the Fate Devil God posed because it hadn't matured. Now, facing this still-maturing but rapidly growing Shock Devil, Wang Linchi finally grasped the true terror of an Abyss Offspring: Rapid Growth, high upper limits, and tenacious vitality.

His brain and heart had both been turned to mush, yet he was still alive and slowly regenerating. Fortunately, he had lost his brain first. If the heart had been the initial target, the Shock Devil's combat power might only have been diminished, not nullified.

Luckily, with Saint Master present, Wang Linchi wasn't short on offensive options. They could slowly grind the Shock Devil down.

Unfortunately, as an Abyss Offspring, the Shock Devil didn't display his Health; his Health status remained a frustrating question mark. It didn't matter, though. Watching Saint Master's relentless assault, Wang Linchi could see that the Shock Devil's end was near.

Within fifteen minutes, I should be able to finish off the Shock Devil. Wang Linchi estimated.

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