As Le Yu's thoughts flickered, the river of time's shadowfish leaped out of the water.

As Le Yu strode forward with the wind, the night sky of the Eternal Ruins scattered its rainbow hues of parting.

As Le Yu's fists shone bright as waterfalls, a dust-covered traveler stumbled into the mysterious and unknown Divine Demon Well.

Every single moment, miracles beyond belief happened all across the world.

And now, it was Le Yu's turn to become a miracle himself!

Biting Battle Technique, Desolate Bite!

Even in this desolate alley, lit only by the sighing moonlight, the Desolate Bite light blast Le Yu unleashed still burned as fierce as day. Even if his Integration and Mastery of the Biting Battle Technique had been upgraded ding by the system's cheat function, after all these days, even if his stomach was too weak to eat anything hard, relying on 'soft rice' in life, in the end he had fully digested what the system gave him.

By now, he was a textbook-level Martial Artist at the Integration and Mastery stage!

Qin Leyin, if you think I'm just a dead-end, spent-out candle-wick with a silver spear, and you're here for an easy win, then I've got a surprise for you.

Yeah, I really was a mess of wounds by now—any normal guy would've collapsed long ago.

But you just can't lump people's physiques together. Sometimes, the difference between people was bigger than the difference between people and dogs!

Boom!

Qin Leyin smacked away the Desolate Bite light blast with his right palm; his left hand sliced at Le Yu's midsection like a razor-sharp claw, moving as quick as lightning, exactly catching the Biting Battle Technique at the combo rhythm point. He couldn't counter, couldn't block, couldn't land a critical, stuck in a deadlock—his only option was to fall back and defend.

And it wasn't just the Biting Battle Technique—pretty much every Combat Technique had no pure defensive move. Every defense was just to create a chance to attack. Only taking hits meant you'd be beaten to death right away—though that was really because the light blast Combat Technique was all about offense, weak on defense. Martial Artists could use light blasts to amp up their killing power, but couldn't toughen their bodies with them. So of course, there was no way out, and retreat meant total death.

The last time he faced Qin Leyin, Le Yu had taken a terrible beating from this exact approach. He'd realized Qin Leyin probably knew the Biting Battle Technique inside and out—maybe even trained specifically to counter it. That's why he'd run tactical simulations using Qin Leyin as his model—now was the time to test the truth!

With a sharp crack, Le Yu planted his toe into the ground, blasting the paving stone, and retreated with rapid Lingxu Steps. Qin Leyin closed in smoothly, and just as he was about to throw out a string of attacks to win the advantage, Le Yu's left hand suddenly seemed to yank backward as if it were attached to a string, and at the same time, he shouted,

"Ha!"

The sound sent ripples through the air, causing Qin Leyin's body to freeze for the briefest instant!

Qin's Solar Fusion Combat Technique, Thunderclap Strike!

In that instant, the air burst with the sound of a moonlight explosion. Qin Leyin ducked and bent sharply, barely dodging the biting blast that tore overhead—leaving crimson hair scattered in the moonlight!

Formless Battle Technique, Demon Hand!

Le Yu immediately halted his retreat, driving his right hand down like a hammer at Qin Leyin's lowered head, striking while he was exposed!

If Qin Leyin immediately tried to jump back—well, Le Yu had a full combo lined up just for that, since the Biting Battle Technique really loved prey intent on bolting!

This was Le Yu's tactic: When Qin Leyin tried to disrupt his rhythm, he would immediately switch in those independent, super-efficient light blast moves from the Formless Battle Technique, hitting him off-guard!

But Qin Leyin didn't lift his head or leap back—instead, he kept bending lower, sticking his ass out—

Crash!

He braced both hands on the ground, legs carving a brilliant moon arc through the air, flipping up high from behind to strike at Le Yu's head.

Le Yu's eyes chilled; as he made a circling motion with his hand to receive the double-leg light blast, his right foot sliced out like a blade, scything fiercely at Qin Leyin's waist!

Biting Battle Technique, Universe Chant!

Qin Leyin's dodge and counter looked flashy as hell, but the opening he exposed was huge—if Le Yu caught his leg or nailed his waist with a kick, it'd be time for some serious trashing!

Crack!

The Universe Chant made easy work of breaking Qin Leyin's Moonlight Kick, and Le Yu did land a hit—but it wasn't Le Yu kicking into Qin Leyin, it was Qin Leyin who latched onto him!

Qin Leyin's hands clamped onto Le Yu's lower leg, and using the force of Le Yu's own kick, he dragged him backward—meanwhile, Le Yu had grabbed both of Qin's legs, and Qin used this to press forward!

With opposite forces pulling both above and below, Le Yu's body spun out of control like he'd tumbled into a washing machine, crashing to the ground. Qin Leyin pressed his whole weight down, the back of his leg erupting with a cutting light blast!

The leg Le Yu had just grabbed now cleaved toward his throat like a blade!

Faced with this absolutely ridiculous and twisted scenario—something you sure as hell didn't learn at Qian Yuliu Academy, and which the system's experience never covered either—someone like Yin Minghong would have been KO'd immediately, but Le Yu stayed as cool as ever—his Ice Blood Physique let him keep hunting for a chance to counter, even in such bizarre straits!

I choose…spin!

Suddenly, Le Yu's waist exploded with strength. He yanked both himself and Qin Leyin into a twisting roll in the air, trying to reverse and smash Qin Leyin's stupid head with a kick!

But Qin Leyin seemed to realize his plan, and the two of them rotated together, executing a lightning-fast dual twist crashing to the ground, and almost simultaneously dropped into defensive stances, legs ready to kick!

Boom-boom!

The alley erupted with a double moonlight flash, and in the instant their strike faded, all other light dulled for a few heartbeats. Using each other's attack momentum, both bounced away as if they were identical magnetic poles, springing to a safe distance—normally, this would be where one round ended and the next began… only, not a chance!

Le Yu had barely regained his feet when he realized he and Qin Leyin had traded places—in a way, he'd already gotten past the Qin Leyin roadblock!

Back in gaming days, Le Yu was never the "exterminate every mob on the map" type—he was the speedrunner, always dodging trash encounters. Like his math teacher always said, if you think a problem's too complicated or a time sink, just skip it, go for the easy points, and screw the hard problem's score!

So without hesitation, Le Yu bolted for the other end of the alley, steel-toed boots stamping out a trail of poetic light bursts, racing away at the speed of light!

"Jing Zhengwei."

"You really are something else."

With every word Qin Leyin spoke, an explosion sounded behind him, and by the time the sentence was done, he was already nearly on top of Le Yu!

Glancing back, Le Yu saw Qin Leyin bouncing rapidly between the alley walls. The Lingxu Battle Technique's speed-up: at its core, it meant blasting the ground with light to use recoil for more lift and speed.

But Qin Leyin took it even further—using the narrow walls of the alley, stamping so hard he blew craters in the brick, and pinballed himself like a cannonball between the walls!

It was faster, for sure—but hard on the feet. After all, recoil was real. Shoes didn't matter—Le Yu was already at his max, and any more would blow out his soles and boots for good!

In other words…

Boom!

Le Yu caught Qin Leyin's incoming light blast with Universe Chant, swinging him away—just as their faces brushed past each other, he asked, "You've brought your Lingxu Battle Technique to Integration and Mastery?"

Human bodies could never handle recoil that violent. Qin Leyin could only do that by using an advanced Lingxu Battle Technique—splitting the blasts under his feet into at least four layers, bursting them sequentially, spreading out the impact so it didn't turn his legs to mincemeat while still maximizing overall burst speed!

But that skill—not even Le Yu, with his escape expertise, could manage it. He was sure it had to be an Integration and Mastery move!

"Surprised?"

Perched on the wall like a swallow, outlined by the radiant moon, Qin Leyin almost seemed to glow, "It's like, I didn't know you could use the Formless Demon Claw as well as the Formless Divine Spear, but you didn't know I'd mastered the Lingxu Battle Technique, so isn't that fair?"

"So what other Combat Techniques are you good at?"

"Guess."

During that attempt to assassinate Lan Yan, Le Yu had already used the Formless Divine Spear once. Even though he'd busted out surprises in these last few seconds, nothing so far had really thrown Qin Leyin.

But on the flip side—Le Yu still couldn't feel out Qin Leyin's true limits.

All he knew was, Qin Leyin had at least two Combat Techniques at the Integration and Mastery stage.

Le Yu's Biting Battle Technique? Anyone whose Lingxu weapons were just legs and guns couldn't block it with their hands, not a chance!

He'd originally thought Qin Leyin might have a top-notch hand technique—but if Qin Leyin had mastered two, that was a whole different story. Even if it wasn't a full-on one-plus-one-makes-three situation, it was definitely one-plus-one-makes-more-than-one.

And Lingxu Battle Technique was about speed—Le Yu couldn't outrun him. The other way, even if Le Yu could win a fight, Qin Leyin was faster, or could just whip out a gun from his pants and ventilate him.

Le Yu felt like this world was getting more and more outrageous.

Back when he first saw Jing Zhengwei's "stat sheet," he already thought the rich were just too much.

Then, seeing Lan Yan handle a white-haired assassin like it was nothing—Lan Yan was ridiculously overpowered.

Now, staring down this prodigy Qin Leyin who'd mastered two Battle Techniques by this age—clearly, this world was treating these geniuses unfairly. For real, folks like Lan Yan, Qin Leyin, Mu Qingmei ought to be thrown into some proper fantasy world instead.

You people were born to sweep through all ages, cut down sun, moon, and stars—you're just wasted in this world!

"If what you just showed is all you've got…"

Qin Leyin suddenly pulled a pill bottle from his jacket, tossing it at Le Yu's feet, "Then here's another option."

Le Yu glanced at it, "What's inside? Pop this and I'll be your loyal brainwashed slave or something?"

"I wish—I don't have anything that good. Just ordinary sleeping pills."

"Eh? That sounds worse than poison, what's your deal?"

"I'm offering you a peaceful death," Qin Leyin said, stretching out his hand, "Swallow that, take a nap and have a nice dream—this is the greatest mercy I can give."

Le Yu blinked, crouched down with a look of struggle, picked up the bottle, popped the stopper, poured out the pitch-black pill, grimacing, "Looks bitter as hell…"

"Jing Zhengwei, I thought at least you were the type not to waste your energy pointlessly."

Qin Leyin sighed, "Letting you run your mouth to buy time for a breather, what's the use? I know you already gave it your all. You know the gulf between you and me, and no luck will ever bridge that."

"If you're only afraid of dying, I'll let you sleep in peace. If you've still got cards left, then I welcome you to try. But if you just keep struggling out of stubborn refusal, wasting my time and hope…"

"Then I'll be a little disappointed."

Le Yu silently stared at Qin Leyin, tossed the bottle aside, "You…"

Swoosh!

The sound of wind—Qin Leyin didn't give a damn about his stalling. Seeing he wouldn't quietly go to sleep, he leaped straight for Le Yu, opening with a move Le Yu knew all too well—

Biting Battle Technique, Desolate Bite!

"If you admire me that much, can't we just be friends?!"

Boom, boom! The crash of colliding light blasts sounded like silver bottles shattering. Le Yu tried to press the attack, only for Qin Leyin to spring off the wall, coming at him with all four limbs blazing.

But in that moment, Le Yu realized—this wasn't Lingxu Battle Technique. This was Pouncing Battle Technique!

The savage style that loved to use the terrain to fly, attacking all fours like a leopard hunting prey!

"You even beg for your life with such nobility. Are you really so desperate to live and afraid to die?"

Crack!

In the swirl of attacks, Qin Leyin caught Le Yu in the chest with a savage kick, blasting him back until he could just barely stop himself. Before he could recover, Qin Leyin pressed his advantage, not giving Le Yu a moment to breathe!

"Maybe I want to live, but I'm not afraid to die," Le Yu pointed at Qin Leyin, thrusting forward the Divine Spear's glow, "I can die—but not right now, and not tonight! This story started with me; I have to be the one to write its final line!"

Was it fitting for him to die at Qin Leyin's hand?

"Damn right, it was."

If Le Yu did have to die, he didn't have a better candidate in sight—Ting Family brothers might be Qin Leyin's equals, and as for all of Xuanzhu County, there weren't many more SSRs left.

But he didn't want to die!

Youth Daily, the union, the workers' revolution, abolition of slavery…Jing Zhengwei still had a lot to do, and a lot that he just had to do!

Jing Zhengwei was no longer just his character—it was the trusted ally of Xuanzhu's White Night, the most cost-effective leader of peaceful evolution in Xuanzhu County, his best hope for loafing around the rest of his life!

Most important of all,

He was so close to having a home.

Not the old Qian Yuliu house, where a lonely guy sent his little sister to college, not the safehouse where Yin Yin hid in constant flight.

He'd nearly severed all the old ties of Jing Zhengwei's former life and built a new web of friendships, with himself at the center.

Now, the people of Xuanzhu County no longer knew that violent, repressed, sick, crazed, and desolate Jing Zhengwei,

They knew him, Le Yu.

No more hiding, no more masks—he could live with total honesty, and the love others gave him was just as real.

"No need to worry about being doubted,"

"No need to fear being conspicuous,"

"No need to be ashamed of being unworthy of others."

It had taken him so much just to find a place here where he could show himself fully and build true bonds—a real 'home.'

Le Yu could not just give up Jing Zhengwei.

He truly could not.