112: Heart of the Demon King

Staring at that face, twisted into a grotesque mask by jealousy, Qin Jixing's heart violently constricted, and an instinctive urge to cry for help surged in his throat.

But before the cry could escape his mouth, the Sin of Jealousy's hand clamped down hard on his shoulder blade.

With a crisp 'crack,' like the mournful sound of bone breaking, accompanied by a heart-wrenching pain, Qin Jixing's body was violently dragged across the cold ground, leaving a long, thin trail of blood.

"You lowly scum! I've finally waited for this moment!"

The Sin of Jealousy's voice, filled with uncontrollable ecstasy and hatred, seemed to emanate from the depths of Hell.

Then, he spat fiercely on Qin Jixing's face, "You bastard, I'm going to take over your life and turn you into a useless piece of trash!"

As the sharp roar fell, the Sin of Jealousy kicked Qin Jixing hard in the abdomen.

Agonizing pain surged like a tide, making him curl up and let out heart-rending wails.

However, at this moment, what terrified Qin Jixing more than the physical pain was that the people around him were completely oblivious to the atrocity he was enduring.

His few friends were right beside him, and a large crowd surrounded them.

But not a single person noticed him.

He felt as if he had been abandoned by the entire world, becoming a transparent shadow, alone and helpless.

"What... what exactly is going on?!"

Qin Jixing's voice trembled, fear, like an invisible hand, tightly gripped his throat, making him almost unable to breathe.

Just then, the Sin of Jealousy's malevolent hand, like a venomous snake, precisely wrapped around Qin Jixing's head, its five fingers digging into his hair, bringing an suffocating sense of oppression.

"Bastard, your life is over! Hehehe..."

The voice was sharp and grating, like a sharp blade, piercing Qin Jixing's eardrums.

Every sneer was like a pronouncement of his death sentence, chilling him to the bone.

Amidst the heart-wrenching pain, Qin Jixing's thoughts flickered like a candle in a gale, fragments of past years flashing through his mind like a revolving lantern.

He seemed to return to that kitchen filled with warmth and the scent of spices, the starting point of his childhood memories.

As the heir to the Qin Family, a renowned culinary Family, he had been burdened with high expectations and received a strict and meticulous elite education since he was a toddler.

In those years, a tiny him stood on a tall stool, his tender fingers already skillfully performing knife work.

His sensitivity to ingredients and unique grasp of flavors were unmatched, even by the most accomplished elders.

Whenever the spotlight shone on the culinary competition stage, he would always conquer judges and audiences with astonishing creations; trophies and honors were almost commonplace for him.

Such smooth sailing attracted countless envious gazes, and also made Qin Jixing firmly believe that he would follow this glorious Dao, becoming a legend in the culinary world.

However, the turning point of fate always arrived so suddenly and cruelly.

A sudden accident not only took his legs but also burdened him with an irreversible curse, bringing his culinary journey to an abrupt halt.

His former glory faded, replaced by endless loneliness and despair.

The Family's doubts, his parents' disappointment, and the overt and covert ridicule and disdain from those around him, were like invisible sharp blades, cutting at his Soul day after day.

Until one day, three years later, the wheel of fate turned once more.

By chance, Qin Jixing met the person who changed his life—a four-star chef who had been dormant for a thousand years within a mysterious ring.

This four-star chef not only possessed extraordinary culinary skills but also harbored ancient knowledge and wisdom.

Under his careful guidance, Qin Jixing saw a ray of light in the darkness, seeing hope of returning to the Peak of cooking.

Day after day, Qin Jixing, with his unremitting efforts and his teacher's guidance, gradually approached the dream in his heart.

After countless hardships, he finally found the last and most crucial bronze kung fu cuisine treasure chest.

This was not only key to his teacher's recovery of strength but also his only hope of breaking free from the curse.

But fate always seems to play jokes.

The kung fu cuisine treasure chest was within reach, yet its owner mysteriously disappeared.

Then, inexplicably, he was attacked.

Now, he was in mortal danger.

The flame of Life Qi flickered, about to extinguish, and cold, smug laughter echoed in his ears.

"Your life, your cooking, everything about you, I've taken it all!"

"Just disappear silently like a useless piece of trash!"

Qin Jixing's vision gradually blurred, and the sounds around him became distant and hollow.

Just as he was about to close his weary eyes forever and sink into the eternal abyss of darkness.

A stained hand broke this desperate, life-threatening moment.

That hand, with an indescribable power, tightly gripped the Sin of Jealousy's wrist.

The next moment, it was as if the whole world had turned upside down.

Those things that had been stolen—his exquisite culinary skills, his beautiful memories, and his Life Qi—all returned to his body, as if recalled by magic.

His heart beat again, his blood boiled once more, and the light of Life Qi rekindled in his eyes.

"What are you doing?! Bug!"

The Sin of Jealousy let out an extremely sharp cry, his voice filled with disbelief and rage, as if his most sensitive nerve had been touched.

The Sloth merely shrugged indifferently, "Don't get angry, it's too much trouble."

As his words fell, the Sin of Jealousy's rage, which had almost reached the sky, miraculously began to subside.

"Bug, you'd better give me an explanation."

The Sin of Jealousy gritted his teeth, each word seemingly squeezed out from between them.

The Sloth then slowly said in an almost utterly languid tone, "The mission was just to find him, not to take everything from him."

"If I take everything from him, I can become him, what's the difference?!"

The Sin of Jealousy roared with almost all his might, his voice filled with madness and obsession.

"What a mad dog, too lazy to talk to you."

The Sloth sighed softly and shook his head.

Immediately, the Sin of Jealousy, as if his Soul had been extracted, collapsed weakly to the ground, completely losing consciousness.

After dealing with the Sin of Jealousy, the Sloth slowly squatted down.

He looked directly at Qin Jixing's face, which was slightly pale from shock.

His lips curved slightly upwards, revealing teeth stained black by time; the smile held both a hint of mockery and a deeper meaning.

"I need you to do something for me, and you're not allowed to refuse."

...At the same time.

Riverbed lava cave.

Magma gurgled like boiling blood, its crimson glow reflecting on Han Fei's face.

Terrifying heat pressed directly on his Soul, making Han Fei's clothes cling to his skin, sweat pouring down like streams, soaking him as if he had just emerged from a flood.

Feeling this heat, Han Fei couldn't help but wonder if he would have evaporated into thin air long ago, had the Luna Fairy Spirit not timely cast an invisible shield around him.

"Where is this place?"

Han Fei's voice was a little hoarse from thirst.

The Luna Fairy Spirit revealed a meaningful smile, "Welcome to the Devil King's Heart."

Han Fei's pupils constricted sharply, wondering if he had misunderstood the Luna Fairy Spirit's meaning.

"What do you mean?"

The Luna Fairy Spirit's smile faded, her face becoming extremely solemn, speaking each word distinctly, as if each carried a monumental weight.

"This is the Devil King's Heart, and also the core area of the Devil King's Seal, the final battlefield in the near future!"

Han Fei fell silent, needing time to digest this shocking news.

Two or three seconds later, he suddenly turned his head, his gaze piercing through the swirling heat, fixed on something not far away.

There, a dazzling light orbs, like a miniature sun, quietly floated, emitting a heart-palpitating strong light.

Around the light orbs, countless epic runes were densely suspended.

Each rune exuded an ancient and powerful aura, pressing down on Han Fei until he could barely breathe.

"Is this... the Devil King's Heart?"

Han Fei's voice trembled slightly, and his body involuntarily shook.

At this moment, he felt as if he was facing a slumbering giant beast, a terrifying existence that could awaken at any moment and devour everything.

Even though it was silent now, that invisible pressure filled Han Fei with unprecedented fear.

The thought of escape grew wildly in his heart like weeds, almost breaking through the soil.

"You must get used to this fear, because soon, you will face not this heart, but the living Devil King!" the Luna Fairy Spirit warned, enunciating each word.

A living Devil King is thousands, tens of thousands of times more terrifying than its heart!

It is the source of all evil, capable of dimming stars and fading mountains and rivers!

In Han Fei's deep eyes, a subtle flicker of wavering passed.

He took a sharp breath, trying to suppress the surging fear in his heart with this breath.

However, that instinctive doubt still slipped from his tightly pursed lips: "Can I really defeat such a monster?"

The Luna Fairy Spirit said without hesitation, "For a monster like the Devil King, fate is not necessarily accurate."

"So, there's also a possibility that we might fail, right?" Han Fei's mood was complex and difficult to discern.

He disliked this feeling of being out of control, the powerlessness of being dominated by the unknown made him uneasy.

"Perhaps..."

The Luna Fairy Spirit fell silent for a moment, as if considering her words, then she continued softly.

"Though the Devil King is powerful, he has not fully escaped the shackles of fate. And you, Han Fei, are chosen by fate, destined to be the one to end him. Therefore, the probability of success should be far greater than failure."

Even with such comfort and explanation from the Luna Fairy Spirit, the gloom in Han Fei's heart did not completely dissipate.

Confronting such a powerful Devil King, even if victory could ultimately be achieved, the Dao to victory would surely be fraught with thorns.

His outcome could very likely be terrible!

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Some superpower settings introduction:

Transformation Abilities

Animal Transformation

Characteristics: Animal Transformation allows one to transform into various animals. Animal Transformation enables Cultivators to flexibly respond in combat by utilizing the characteristics of different animals.

Applications: Cultivators can transform into flying animals for aerial reconnaissance or attacks, into aquatic animals for underwater combat, or into fierce beasts for powerful attacks.

Weaknesses: The effectiveness of Animal Transformation depends on the characteristics of the transformed animal and may not be suitable in certain environments. Additionally, the transformation process requires a large amount of energy support, and maintaining the transformed state for a long time may lead to energy depletion.

Elemental Transformation

Characteristics: Elemental Transformation allows one to transform into elemental forms, such as fire beings, Water Elementals, etc. Elemental Transformation enables Cultivators to utilize the characteristics of elements for attack and defense in combat.

Applications: Cultivators can transform into Fire Elementals for powerful flame attacks, into Water Elementals for fluidity and stealth, or into Wind Elementals for high-speed movement.

Weaknesses: Elemental Transformation has high environmental requirements, and its effectiveness may be limited in specific environments. Furthermore, Elemental Transformation requires highly skilled control, otherwise, it is prone to losing control.

Human Transformation

Characteristics: Human Transformation allows one to transform into the appearance of other humans. Human Transformation enables Cultivators to disguise and infiltrate in combat, confusing enemies.

Applications: Cultivators can disguise themselves as enemies through transformation, infiltrate enemy ranks for sabotage and intelligence gathering. Human Transformation can also be used to hide one's identity, avoiding tracking and attacks.

Weaknesses: Human Transformation can only change appearance, not internal structure or abilities. Additionally, transformed Cultivators need to mimic the target person's behavior and speech, otherwise, they are easily exposed.

Object Transformation

Characteristics: Object Transformation allows one to transform into non-living objects. Object Transformation enables Cultivators to hide and disguise in combat, avoiding enemy tracking.

Applications: Cultivators can transform into rocks, trees, etc., for concealment, avoiding enemy detection. Object Transformation can also be used to transform into weapons or tools for attack and support.

Weaknesses: Transformed Cultivators cannot move or attack, making them easy to discover and attack. Additionally, Object Transformation requires a high degree of concentration, and maintaining the transformed state for a long time may lead to mental fatigue.

Optical Invisibility

Characteristics: Optical Invisibility allows oneself or others to become invisible. Optical Invisibility enables Cultivators to stealthily move and ambush in combat, avoiding enemy sight.

Applications: Cultivators can use Optical Invisibility for stealth and ambushes, avoiding enemy sight and attacks. Optical Invisibility can also be used to hide companions and equipment for tactical concealment.

Weaknesses: Optical Invisibility can only hide visual presence, not sound or smell. Additionally, Optical Invisibility requires a high degree of concentration and energy support, and maintaining the invisible state for a long time may lead to mental and physical exhaustion.

IV. Body Enhancement Abilities

Super Strength

Characteristics: Super Strength grants Cultivators superhuman strength. Super Strength enables Cultivators to perform powerful attacks in combat, destroying enemy defenses and equipment.

Applications: Cultivators can use Super Strength for powerful melee attacks, destroying enemy defensive equipment and structures. Super Strength can also be used for carrying heavy objects and performing rescues.

Weaknesses: Although Super Strength is powerful, it places a heavy burden on the body, and prolonged use may lead to physical injury. Additionally, the attack speed of Super Strength is relatively slow, making it difficult to hit fast-moving enemies.