The Nightmare Centipede Zhuang Yanshan, reborn again, tangled with Yang Liya once more.

Yang Liya still maintained her dominant combat strength, each punch shattering a large chunk of Zhuang Yanshan's torso.

However, Zhuang Yanshan's Ultra Regeneration was just too perverse.

Even when Yang Liya smashed her to pieces, she was able to quickly repair and regenerate in a short amount of time.

Although Yang Liya's speed and strength were formidable, as the fight went on, her Constitution's shortcomings began to show.

Hunters who practice force can possess a robust physique on par with Exotic Species.

But once one practices force, they need to focus on enhancing their physique, making it unlikely to pursue Qi and Strength dual cultivation like Lu Luo had.

So Yang Liya had essentially given up on energy abilities, and the effects of energy abilities are not just about destructive power.

For example, Holy Radiance possesses impact force, destructive power, healing, defense, and so on.

Qi He also provides effects such as acceleration, deceleration, defense, and attack amplification, though ordinary Qi He isn't as potent as Holy Radiance.

Setting aside common energy abilities like Holy Radiance or Qi He, elemental energy abilities also have very unique effects, like fire, frost, and so on.

These abilities can imbue attacks with energy effects and properties, as well as enough offensive energy to neutralize an opponent's energy effects through collision.

This is something most Transcendents can do.

But Yang Liya was an exception; her physical destructive power was actually very strong.

She was comparable to high-tier Exotic Species in strength and agility, and she also possessed human-like techniques of force developed to the extreme.

This gave Yang Liya far superior destructive power than Exotic Species with similar attributes.

But the downside was that her defensive power was actually shockingly low.

This was evident in the battle against the Nightmare Centipede, where she never took a hit from Netherflame head-on.

Either she dodged, or she dispersed it with her strength.

Yang Liya was very protective of her body; she truly didn't dare take a hit from something like Netherflame.

Whenever possible, she would choose to dodge, but when she couldn't, she had to rely on her strength to disperse it.

But a strength shockwave is not an energy ability, and using it is a very physically taxing way to fight.

And Yang Liya's biggest shortcoming was her Constitution; she wasn't good at drawn-out battles.

So as her stamina declined, she had to release more strength shockwaves.

Releasing strength consumed more stamina, leading to her being increasingly unable to dodge the Netherflame, creating a vicious cycle.

Zhuang Yanshan, on the other side, though not as experienced a fighter as Yang Liya, had noticed something after fighting for so long.

She had realized that Yang Liya didn't dare to meet her attacks.

"Why are you running, Yang Liya? Weren't you going to kill me just a moment ago? Now why can you only run?"

If Zhuang Yanshan didn't have Ultra Regeneration, an almost unsolvable ability, Yang Liya was confident she could pulverize her into mush within ten punches.

But fights with Exotic Species often went like this, with humans frequently analyzing the weaknesses of Exotic Species and looking for ways to counter them.

Only this time, it wasn't an Exotic Species being countered, but a human instead.

In fact, an ability like Ultra Regeneration didn't only counter Yang Liya; even if Lu Luo were put on the same level, he would likely find it troublesome.

Lu Luo looked at the giant centipede in the distance, his brow furrowed. Zhuang Yanshan's ability felt very wrong.

Her regeneration effect feels off; it doesn't conform to the most basic principles of energy. I've already experienced Ultra Regeneration many times in the Disc World. At the very least, it needs to consume Life Energy, and that's a rule that even the Doomsday Disc cannot violate, requiring a consumption of 10%. Whether she has a Doomsday Disc or not, with her huge body continuously destroyed so many times, where does her Life Energy come from? Observer, make yourself useful!

"[Nightmare Messenger - Zhuang Yanshan weakness analysis complete... Weakness: Nether Source Flame Seed. Zhuang Yanshan's Ultra Regeneration ability stems from the Netherflame seed; her nearly unlimited life force is transmitted to her through the Nether Source Flame Seed. This power might come from the Nightmare Demon, or it might originate from someplace else.]"

"Where is the Nether Source Flame Seed? What does it look like? Is it dangerous?"

"[Unknown.]"

Right, ask three questions and get 'Unknown' for one. The Observer is as 'excellent' as ever.

In a fight between two Sixth Tier combatants, Lu Luo simply couldn't intervene. But if he found the Nether Source Flame Seed, he could break Zhuang Yanshan's Ultra Regeneration.

Then, with Yang Liya's strength, she should be able to kill this monster!

Nether Source Flame Seed, Nether Source Flame Seed, where the heck is it?

Lu Luo scanned his surroundings, checking anything that looked like it could be the seed—lamps, equipment bases.

Tables and chairs ablaze with Netherflame, instruments—he checked them all, but nothing seemed to be the kind of high-class item he was looking for.

It would be better if I could get closer!

Lu Luo had thought about using his Summoner abilities to call a bunch of Exotic Species to help him search, but there were too many people around now, and the risk of exposure was too great. He had to rely on himself.

Lu Luo cautiously infiltrated the water purification chamber, doing his best to avoid the two battling Sixth Tier combatants.

Once inside, he realized the place was almost completely overwhelmed by Netherflame.

Fortunately, his tiny Netherflame seed could absorb the residual Netherflame, preventing him from being burnt to death.

As he searched the water purification chamber, a Bishop from the Church joined the fight against Zhuang Yanshan, easing some of the pressure on Yang Liya.

However, a Fifth Tier's strength was clearly insufficient, and Zhuang Yanshan, empowered by Netherflame, was too strong.

Just like Wu En previously, when human consciousness is combined with the physique of an Exotic Species, this new kind of Exotic Species, possessing human will, is just too strong.

Actually, this was also one of the reasons Lu Luo was so strong.

BOOM!

Netherflame exploded on the body of the Fifth Tier Bishop, scattering his remains into the water purification pool, where the fiery Netherflame in the water completely consumed them.

Witnessing this, Lu Luo became thoughtful.

This pool...

"[The Netherflame is too vigorous; your current filtration ability isn't strong enough to enter this pool.]"

Lu Luo bent down slightly, crouching at the edge of the pool, squinting at the water before him.

Even though that's what you say, I have a strong feeling that the Nether Source Flame Seed is most likely in this very pool.

As a man of action, Lu Luo clearly understood what he should do at this time.

Of course, sacrificing his life to play the hero wasn't something he would do; he wasn't that noble.

The real solution was to completely destroy the pool from the outside.

Allowing the Netherflame to spread would decrease its potency, giving him a safer space for exploration.

Lu Luo drew the Fenrir Greatsword and held it before his chest.

"Steam, third gear!"

THUMP!

Unlike his previous, more aggressive expansions, this time, while his body did swell a bit with the activation of the third gear of steam, the degree of expansion was far less than before.

This was due to his improved control over his Steam Form.

Preparing to swing his sword, Lu Luo took deep breaths.

Zhuang Yanshan seemed to sense Lu Luo's movement; she turned her head and sprayed a jet of Netherflame at him.

Luckily, Lu Luo stayed focused enough to retreat in time and dodge the attack.

He had no intention of fighting Zhuang Yanshan; with a Constitution of over 300 and Ultra Regeneration, she could stand there and let him strike her, and he still might not be able to kill her.

The gap in strength between them was too great; his goal wasn't Zhuang Yanshan but the pool before him.

"Yang Liya, buy me some time!"

Yang Liya, utterly exhausted, looked down at Lu Luo on the ground and guessed he might have found a way to deal with Zhuang Yanshan.

But by now, she barely had the energy to keep going.

"I can only hold on for 30 seconds!"

"That's enough."

Lu Luo dodged another Netherflame and positioned himself on a column next to the water purification pool.

He lifted the greatsword high; the rotating Qi He gradually began to spin, flowing force wrapping around his greatsword.

But that was only the first layer of power: Qi He.

The power of steam began to build up throughout his entire body; Lu Luo's muscles started to swell and harden.

Each muscle teemed with explosive power!

This was his second layer of power: Constitution.

And of course, Lu Luo had a third layer of power: lightning.

Thunder Breath.

"Ha!"

CRACKLE! Lu Luo closed his eyes as blue and white lightning gradually covered his entire body.

Especially around his eyes, which were increasingly filled with electric arcs.

Lu Luo suddenly gripped his greatsword, and his eyes burst open simultaneously, white lightning erupting from them, almost concealing his pupils.

It doesn't matter that I've failed so many times, but this time, I must succeed!

Thunder Breath, Moonlight.

CRACKLE!

The Moonlight Slash Strike, accompanied by lightning, erupted in the air above the pool.

BOOM!

The Sword Qi tore through the floor of the purification room, its power nearly cleaving the entire room in two.

A large amount of water from the pool poured out through the torn gaps, and the Netherflame that had been burning fiercely on the water was diluted by the outflow.

This is it!

"[Careful! The Nightmare Centipede is approaching at high speed.]"

Lu Luo charged towards the center of the pool. Just as he was about to dive in, the figure of the Nightmare Centipede suddenly appeared behind him.

A strong sense of crisis caused Lu Luo's hair to stand on end!

But what I want to ask most right now is, where is Yang Liya? That woman who said she could buy me 30 seconds, where is she?

SQUELCH!

The centipede's long leg pierced through Lu Luo's chest.

With his chest cavity impaled, speaking became extremely difficult for Lu Luo.

It wasn't until Zhuang Yanshan lifted him up that he understood what was happening. He exclaimed, "Yang Liya!"

He saw Yang Liya, just like him, with a centipede's long leg piercing through her chest, copious amounts of blood flowing along it.

Several clusters of Netherflame were burning on her body; it looked like she wasn't going to survive!

"Damn, how can you be so weak? Didn't you say you could hold on for 30 seconds? If you couldn't, you should have said so earlier! What's the point of boasting?"

Yang Liya: "???"

Is this even human speech?

However, she still wanted to remind Lu Luo that the Nightmare Centipede's abilities were not just limited to Ultra Regeneration and Netherflame.

She also possesses the power of human Sequence Force.

"Seque... ugh!"

BOOM!

Just as Yang Liya was about to say something, Zhuang Yanshan flicked her long leg, nailing her to the wall.

The sharp leg continued to press in, and the hole in Yang Liya's chest grew larger.

As Yang Liya was about to be killed, Lu Luo felt a surge of frustration. Why isn't there a Seventh Tier in the Fourth Ring? Wouldn't it have been resolved if a Seventh Tier master had come? Why must we fight so hard like this?

"Captain!"

Seeing Yang Liya in dire straits, the Hunters couldn't sit still anymore. Some of the braver Transcendents directly stepped into the Domain of the Netherflame.

Allowing the purple flames to burn them, they launched an attack on Zhuang Yanshan.

Gunfire and energy continuously bombarded Zhuang Yanshan's colossal body, but such attacks were merely like scratching an itch for Zhuang Yanshan, with her Constitution over 300 and the Ultra Regeneration ability.

She spewed a few mouthfuls of Netherflame at the crowd, instantly taking many human lives.

But this brief pause gave Lu Luo an opportunity to counterattack!

SQUELCH!

Lu Luo ripped the centipede's leg from his chest, utterly disregarding the blood loss and broken bones.

Seeking the feeling he had experienced just moments ago, he closed his eyes again.

Success is the mother of success. I already succeeded once. Can I make it two in a row?

Thunder Breath, Flash!

CLANG!

The Sword Qi, as clear and bright as a bird's call, instantly shot out, and Zhuang Yanshan's sturdy limb snapped off.

She hadn't expected such a minor character as Lu Luo to be able to deliver such a sharp attack.

"Mr. Lu Luo, you really surprise me! To think you could sever my limb."

Lu Luo actually despised those who could chat leisurely in the midst of battle. Fighting was serious business; what was the point of blabbering on and on?

Isn't it just because they have the upper hand in strength? Such people never capitalize on their advantage. So Lu Luo's response was very direct.

"Idiot."

"[Good, well said!]"

Zhuang Yanshan's face stiffened, but she quickly recovered.

"It doesn't matter. Everyone is going to die soon anyway. It's only right to curse a little, just like Yang Liya."

"[Sequence particle fluctuation detected. Sequence Grade B-63 Word Curse. Effect - Word Curse: If she sacrifices enough life energy, her words could possibly come true.]"

Seeing the information prompt, Lu Luo was somewhat shocked!

Word Curse... does this mean the effect is...?

"[You could probably think of it as 'when the words are spoken, they become law.' However, I would still suggest you run first; the attack is coming.]"

BOOM!

Lu Luo, holding Yang Liya, dodged Zhuang Yanshan's lethal strike once again.

At this point, Yang Liya's eyes were unfocused from excessive blood loss.

Although Lu Luo had Holy Radiance, at best he could only cast a light spell.

Healing the sick and injured was simply impossible, so now he had to use something from the bottom of his reserves.

"Drink this!"

"Cough, cough, cough... what is this?"

Though weak, Yang Liya was still some distance from death. After coughing up a few mouthfuls of blood, she was finally able to speak normally.

"A small blood bottle from Circular. Never mind the details; its healing effects are exceptional, and there's plenty of it."

"Ah?"

With a Constitution like Yang Liya's, normally a small health potion wouldn't do much. But as Lu Luo had said, their Circular small blood bottles emphasized a generous amount and affordability.

Maybe one bottle wasn't enough to heal Yang Liya's injuries, but if it was as big as a soda bottle, at least it could stop the bleeding and keep her from dying.

"Drink it! You're about to die, what are you waiting for?"

"Uh, okay!"

GLUG! GLUG! GLUG!

As Yang Liya gulped down the potion, Lu Luo continuously dodged several attacks.

Yang Liya noticed something—the Netherflame would slowly extinguish when it was around Lu Luo.

The Netherflame on her body earlier had also been absorbed by Lu Luo.

This guy is full of secrets.

"That centipede must have a very special Sequence. I was taken out because…"

"I know."

Lu Luo interrupted Yang Liya, but this time she was a little angry because of his interruption.

"You know? How do you know? What do you know? This isn't a time for jokes—I'm not kidding with you!"

"I'm not joking either. Zhuang Yanshan has been a veteran Priest for decades, so it's normal for her to have a Sequence. Her Sequence is called Word Curse; it's actually a very powerful ability. If she pays a sufficient price, it can almost achieve the effect of 'words spoken become law.'"

Lu Luo described Zhuang Yanshan's Word Curse Sequence to her, and Yang Liya's eyes widened in astonishment!

"Words becoming law? Such a powerful Sequence? And it's only Grade B?"

"Word Curse has many limitations; it's not certain to happen, only a possibility. And every time Zhuang Yanshan uses Word Curse, she pays a huge price!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.