Chapter 46: Whither Bound

Wenzhe felt that battle should not be like this. The foolish mutant still had not grasped the true essence of wisdom. Once they lost their reason, they were reduced to nothing more than low-level creatures fighting on instinct. What difference was there now between the Black Gold Ape and a wild beast?

Wenzhe knew clearly that the moment the Black Gold Ape assumed its true form, it was already destined to lose. For the Black Gold Ape, the only hope of victory lay in a stalemate; as long as Xia Yan ceased his demonic transformation and lost the amplification of the Hell’s Fury serum, the battle would be won. Instead, the ape had chosen to gamble its life in its true form, failing to even touch Xia Yan and remaining perpetually on the defensive.

There was still hope—a final hope—to revert to its human form within ten seconds. Wenzhe’s eyes burned with anticipation. Alas, ten seconds passed, and the ape remained in that ten-meter-tall state—a hulking, robust-looking form that was, in reality, as ineffective and pathetic as a clown.

"I was wrong. I should never have dispatched you. Among Level 6 mutants, you are simply too weak, both in strength and intellect," Wenzhe sighed, closing his eyes. Perhaps he had made another mistake. He had chosen the Black Gold Ape only because of its vendetta against Xia Yan, not because it was the most suitable candidate. There were countless Level 6 mutants stronger than this one. It was his own stupidity that had led to this outcome.

It was over. Xia Yan was about to sever the Black Gold Ape’s neck. It was a scene no one dared believe, but before a miracle is created, no one ever believes in it—otherwise, it wouldn't be a miracle. Xia Yan’s gray flame ability was simply too potent in terms of armor-piercing; it could truly be called the nemesis of mutants.

The Black Gold Ape’s eyelids fluttered. It touched its own body with its right hand, finding only a world of fresh blood. There was almost no strength left in its entire body. It lacked the power even to raise its arm to crush Xia Yan, who stood there like an ant. It was dying, and it was out of time. Revert to human form? It no longer possessed the courage. It feared that the moment it shifted, its head would be completely severed—though, in truth, the situation could hardly get any worse.

The onlookers watched as the immensely powerful Black Gold Ape collapsed, the impact causing the earth to cave in and burying its body deep within the yellow mud pit. It was dying; only one final blow remained.

Xia Yan’s Hundred-Change Blade, wreathed in gray flames, delivered the final strike. The blade light pierced into the nape of the ape’s neck. A fountain of blood erupted, and after two final, futile struggles, the Black Gold Ape collapsed limply, its life extinguished.

Almost at that exact instant, Xia Yan deactivated his demonic form. The bulging muscles receded, and his aura faded to the point of exhaustion, his eyes growing dull and lusterless. Xia Yan’s strength was spent. He took a step forward, only to suddenly cough up blood. His gait was so weak that he seemed on the verge of collapsing and dying on the spot.

This was the aftermath of the Hell’s Fury serum. Many realized that, in truth, the effects of the serum were wearing off in the final moments of the fight. If the mutant had simply persisted for a few more seconds, the outcome might have been different. Alas, having lost an arm and its reason, the mutant had failed to stall for time, leading to its own tragic end.

The battle had ended in mutual destruction. Xia Yan had created a miracle, but the price of that miracle was his own life.

Xia Yan stumbled, appearing as if he would collapse with every step, yet he forced himself to keep moving forward. No one knew where he was heading, nor what his destination was; it seemed as though he were just walking aimlessly, waiting for the final flicker of his life to fade. His silhouette grew smaller and smaller.

The scene was truly pathetic. Because the whole world had abandoned him, they looked on with mockery. No one sympathized with Xia Yan, for there was no one to offer it. From the very beginning, he had chosen his path. Those who do not respect life are not worthy of sympathy. Yet, some realized that Xia Yan had paid this price only to secure victory. At least, unlike some, he had not simply chosen to be slaughtered. At the very least, he had chosen mutual destruction.

"Xia Yan, do you really think you’ve won?" A scornful smile appeared on Wenzhe’s face. Indeed, Xia Yan had killed a Level 6 mutant, but he had sacrificed his own life to do it. Was it a gain? No, it was a loss—a devastating one. Gong Kui had been willing to pay such a great price to save him, which only proved that Xia Yan’s value was immense; one Level 6 mutant, or even ten or a hundred, could not compare to him. And yet, they had ended in mutual destruction.

Wenzhe remained, watching. Even though Xia Yan was about to die, he would not allow anyone to break the agreement and give the pure-bloods an excuse to attack him. He could still see Xia Yan’s figure and the winding trail of red blood stretching into the distance.

Wenzhe’s calm expression suddenly turned cruel. "Xia Yan, you shouldn't keep walking. You should stop. You should just kneel on the ground and wait for death. Why keep walking? What is the point? To preserve your last shred of dignity so you don't die in front of everyone? That won't change the outcome. You are still going to die. No one can save you—not even a god."

Indeed, not even a god could. Even Gong Kui had given up; who else could do it? As Xia Yan’s figure disappeared from Wenzhe’s sight, the man’s face became increasingly ferocious, stripping away any trace of his gentle facade. He remained standing there.

Gong Kui, too, could no longer see Xia Yan, her expression filled with pain. *The odds are too slim, Xia Yan. I decided to give up, so why must you keep walking? Is there someone waiting for you there? No, that’s wrong—you are already dead, and there is no chance of being saved. There is no one in this world who can save you. Just give up. Lie on the ground and make the ending tragic, so that more people will etch your image into their hearts. Where are your footsteps leading? Just stop; it’s truly pitiful. Do you want more people to watch your retreating back and turn their mockery into tears? Stop. End your final steps. Everything should have ended already.*

The madness in Wenzhe’s eyes and the sorrow in Gong Kui’s were stark. They were perhaps among the most powerful beings in the world, and they were both certain of Xia Yan’s inevitable death. No one believed that Xia Yan still had any hope of survival.