Chapter 62 Fierce Battle

"Bang!" Luo Xiaoluan leaped up from the ground. Her movements were unnatural for a split second before she charged forward again. However, this time she did not close in as she had previously—perhaps the pain from that earlier punch had made her wary of Xiao Xiao.

"Whoosh!" The single wing behind Luo Xiaoluan whipped through the air with a piercing whistle, slashing diagonally downward.

A sudden surge of mortal danger gripped Xiao Xiao's heart, raising the hairs on his arms. He quickly ducked to avoid the strike. The very next moment, a bottomless fissure was carved right into the spot where he had been standing.

Before Xiao Xiao could even catch his breath, Luo Xiaoluan's attacks descended like a torrential downpour, leaving not a single moment of respite.

......

Luo Xiaoluan's wing movements were agile and swift as the wind. Moreover, their massive span severely restricted Xiao Xiao's dodging space, placing him in a rather battered and awkward position for a time.

Yet, Xiao Xiao's eyes remained as calm and sharp as ever, devoid of the slightest trace of panic.

He was searching for an opportunity to get close.

Once he closed the distance, he was entirely confident he could knock Luo Xiaoluan down.

Pity that though Luo Xiaoluan's eyes were bloodshot and she seemed to have lost her reason, she still clearly understood that she could not let Xiao Xiao get near. She continuously manipulated her wing to keep Xiao Xiao isolated at a distance of three paces.

Gradually, Xiao Xiao began to adapt to the rhythm of Luo Xiaoluan's attacks. Although it still looked like he was constantly evading, he grew increasingly poised and master of the situation.

Meanwhile, Luo Xiaoluan's movements started to lose their discipline and grow chaotic. Both her striking force and accuracy were faltering compared to the ferocity and precision she had displayed at the start.

......

Although Xiao Xiao was unclear about the exact nature of Luo Xiaoluan's condition, this was Luo Xiaoluan's physical body. He could sense that even though the demonic aura shrouding her was thick, it wasn't absolute; her human aura remained clearly distinguishable.

That being the case, how could an ordinary human body endure the power of a yokai for long?

Even if Luo Xiaoluan's body had been temporarily reinforced by the presence of the demonic aura, with a thin layer of it coating the surface of her skin, obviously that previous punch had not been pleasant to take.

Luo Xiaoluan's current state could not possibly be sustained for much longer.

Xiao Xiao knew this, and evidently, as time ticked on, Luo Xiaoluan was gradually coming to realize it as well.

A sharp, piercing shriek erupted from her throat. Her face was almost entirely covered by a materialized black demonic aura. Through the shifting gaps in the roiling miasma, one could catch glimpses of grotesque blood vessels and bizarre, bulging veins writhing frantically beneath her paper-thin skin, as if desperate to burst right through.

Luo Xiaoluan lashed out with her claws and wings in tandem. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" The underground parking garage was left in utter ruins.

Xiao Xiao had no leisure to worry about those unfortunate vehicles; he was about to become a victim himself.

Yet, amidst such a perilous situation, the corners of Xiao Xiao's mouth curved upward into an involuntary smile.

The blood throughout his entire body was burning and boiling.

He had originally been nothing more than an ordinary person, living a routine and peaceful life.

Who could have ever imagined that one day, he would find himself locked in a fierce, evenly matched battle with a yokai?

Even though the shadow of death lingered closely behind, it truly made his blood race and stirred an irrepressible, thrilling delight. He was genuinely, intensely excited.

Perhaps deep within every man's bones, there truly lies a hidden seed of adventure. As long as it remains dormant, all is well, but once awakened, it becomes truly impossible to resist the dangerous temptation of walking along the edge of a cliff.

This was his first time personally entering the fray—initially because Luo Xiaoluan's sudden assault had caught him off guard, leaving him no time to summon his own yokai into battle.

Now, however, he felt somewhat grateful; he was beginning to fall in love with this precarious walking on a tightrope.

Since he now possessed power, would letting it sit idle not be the greatest waste of all?

......

Xiao Xiao executed a deep backward bend, narrowly dodging a sweeping wing. The violent gale ruffled his hair into a chaotic mess, and a few stray strands poked uncomfortably against his eyes with a slight stinging itch. He instinctively lowered his eyelids, casting his gaze downward—and that brief shift in perspective made his eyes suddenly light up.

The razor-sharp tip of Luo Xiaoluan's wing was pointed right at him, preparing to launch another assault. Her hands were raised in front of her chest, all ten fingers curled into claws, poised for action.

Maintaining his backward-leaning posture, Xiao Xiao planted one hand on the ground and delivered a sweeping low kick straight at Luo Xiaoluan's completely undefended lower body.

The wind of his kick was fierce, and Luo Xiaoluan noticed it instantly, but it was already too late.

Following a dull, heavy impact, Luo Xiaoluan was sent flying once more.

Mid-air, Luo Xiaoluan flicked her wing to stabilize her posture, crashing heavily onto the hood of a car. The immense force instantly crushed the vehicle, producing a series of metallic, screeching groans of distortion.

Just as Luo Xiaoluan was about to let out an angry shriek, Xiao Xiao delivered another kick. Failing to react in time, Luo Xiaoluan took the blow squarely in the abdomen and was sent flying yet again.

The visceral pain forced her to curl into a ball. Unable to check her momentum this time, she slammed heavily onto the concrete floor, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Xiao Xiao pressed the attack relentlessly. Strike while the iron is hot—such an opportunity must be seized.

Just as Xiao Xiao drew back his fist, preparing to strike the prone and sideways-lying Luo Xiaoluan, a dark figure flashed forward and blocked the path directly in front of her.

Xiao Xiao was unable to check his momentum, and his fully charged punch landed heavily against Wang Lin.

Yes, the sudden dark figure was none other than Wang Lin, who had remained quietly tucked away in the corner all this time.

Earlier, both Xiao Xiao and Luo Xiaoluan had tacitly avoided fighting in the area where Wang Lin was located.

To think that now, he had run over of his own accord and taken a punch meant for Luo Xiaoluan.

"Ah-Lin!" With her vision turning dark from the agonizing pain of her recurrent abdominal injury, Luo Xiaoluan watched helplessly as Wang Lin stepped in front of her, only to be blasted backward by Xiao Xiao's punch the next second. Her heart felt as though it had been torn apart; coughing up a violent mouthful of blood, she screamed out in despair.

Struggling to her feet, she ran unsteadily toward the spot where Wang Lin had fallen.

"Ah-Lin, Ah-Lin..."

Luo Xiaoluan called out his name repeatedly, gently reaching out to wipe away the blood trickling from the corner of Wang Lin's mouth.

"Cough, cough." Wang Lin coughed a few times, spitting out some bloody foam. He seemed to be holding up reasonably well.

"Ah-Lin!" Luo Xiaoluan pulled Wang Lin into a tight embrace.

"Xiaoluan," Wang Lin embraced her back.

For a moment, the scene carried the touching joy of star-crossed lovers surviving a catastrophe together.

Ugh, why did he feel like some villain breaking up a romance? While taking advantage of the moment to catch his breath, Xiao Xiao couldn't help but mentally mock himself.

Besides, wasn't Wang Lin behaving strangely too? The force behind that punch of his wasn't something an ordinary person could possibly endure, yet Wang Lin had only spat up a little bloody foam?

Xiao Xiao glanced at Wang Lin's complexion. Although it looked somewhat pale, there was none of the agonizing, distorted pain one would expect.

......

"I won't let you off! How dare you hurt Ah-Lin!"

"I won't let you off! How dare you hurt Xiaoluan!"

The two figures locked in an embrace slowly separated. The demonic aura billowing from their bodies surged violently. Their pupils turned bloodred, and their gazes grew ferocious and twisted, madness churning within them so intensely it felt as though they wanted to tear the heavens and earth asunder.

Not good!

Every single alarm bell in Xiao Xiao's body shrieked frantically: Danger! Danger!

"Ah—!" Wang Lin let out a miserable howl. The veins on his neck bulged hideously, and faint bloody streaks appeared at the corners of his eyes.

That familiar sound echoed once more: "Crack—snap—!"

What is this?

Xiao Xiao fixed his gaze upon him.

Wang Lin arched his back, and something beneath his sharply protruding shoulder blades began to writhe, as if struggling to burst through his skin.

No way? Wang Lin has them too?

Xiao Xiao's eyes deepened, bottomless and dark.

Sure enough, wings identical to Luo Xiaoluan's slowly extended from Wang Lin's shoulder blades—featuring the same ferocious bone spurs, covered in the same excessively vibrant feathers, and radiating a dangerous aura that fell nothing short of Luo Xiaoluan's.