Chapter 124: The Outbreak of Dark Compatibility

"Lamp-Burning Life-Drain." As the name implies, it is the act of burning one's own life force to fuel combat prowess. This was a desperate technique developed by Eddie Halls, and one look at Huo Ye’s disheveled and wretched state was enough to tell that this was by no means a comfortable or effortless supernatural ability.

"Lamp-Burning Life-Drain" forces cells to cannibalize one another, digesting neighboring cells to temporarily amplify physical functions. While powerful, the toll it takes is immense. Even for Huo Ye, the damage inflicted upon his body in this state is fundamentally irreversible. His bones and blood vessels hissed with strain, and the pain felt like a maggot gnawing at his marrow—not sharp enough to be blinding, yet maddeningly persistent, scratching at his very soul.

Yet, Huo Ye gritted his teeth, enduring the agonizing itch. He was furious at Kachi, or perhaps, furious at himself. As he had said before, he wished everyone possessed his regenerative abilities; if they did, how many families would be spared from being torn apart, and how many people would be saved from soul-crushing grief? But they could not.

To this day, how many had perished because he was not strong enough? How many had left his side because his protection was inadequate?

Qing Xue was one such case; the Big Sister and Old Smokes were others, as was his eldest cousin. If he had only been strong enough, perhaps they would not have had to die. He had to become stronger, to ensure his destiny would not be dictated by the world, to become strong enough to protect everyone he wished to guard.

Therefore... he must be able to slay Calamities, slay Ultimate-forms, and kill the most powerful disasters!

"Qi Mu, can you hear me?" Standing in the spectator stands, Jin Puxi did not join the surrounding crowd in their bloodthirsty cheering, for he had heard the voice of Hill.

"I can. Hill, what is the situation?"

"I have forcibly suppressed the consciousness of this fool named Kachi, but it is highly unstable and could return at any moment. If you have something to say, make it brief."

"Good. The person the King asked me to find has been located. His name is 'Huo Ye'—'Huo' as in chaos, 'Ye' as in 'perhaps.' He..."

Just as Qi Mu intended to describe Huo Ye’s appearance, the connection with Hill was severed. Still, at least he had managed to convey the name. It was best not to linger; he had to manipulate Jin Puxian’s body to find a hiding spot and avoid revealing any flaws.

In the office, Eddie and his wife sat with Old Jack. Only Vivian appeared anxious, clutching Eddie’s arm as she asked, "Eddie, is our son alright? I’m worried about his state."

Eddie patted Vivian’s hand and said, "He is fine. He knows his limits. Besides, I told him not to have any reservations—to go all out."

"You mean..."

"Yes." Eddie nodded, saying nothing more.

Old Jack understood perfectly but remained silent, while Jiang Tong was left utterly confused by the cryptic exchange between the couple.

Meanwhile, in Arena B, the students were struck dumb with amazement. What was this?

Kachi stood there like a wooden statue, while Huo Ye was wreathed in pitch-black lightning. His coat fluttered violently in the gale, his hem dancing in the wind—he was a streak of lightning!

In an instant, the students saw a dark shadow flash; Huo Ye had vanished from his original spot and reappeared... behind Kachi.

First move: Circular Dance.

Hardly anyone present had seen Huo Ye’s movement clearly, for he was simply too fast.

Yet, at the very moment his blade was about to cleave Kachi’s body—"Clang!"

***

In Arena C, the sallow-faced old man was crawling on the ground in a pathetic state, his voice still raspy and unpleasant, though all his momentum was gone. "Ah! You! You! Monster!"

Tan Xiao brought her massive hammer down heavily on the old man’s leg, causing him to shriek in pain. Tan Xiao said coldly, "You are truly the weakest Ultimate-form I have ever seen. I have never faced an Ultimate-form alone before, and I don't know if it's luck or misfortune to encounter a specimen like you. Well, goodbye then. With this blow, I don't believe I'll miss your core!"

"Ah!!"

***

In Arena A, Huo Xialan was still battling her Ultimate-form.

"Haha, beauty, stop resisting. Just let me eat you. I will turn you into nutrition and we will be together forever!"

"I told you, go to hell!"

"Severing the Dragon and Sacrificing to Heaven."

Huo Xialan swung her sword, and the Ultimate-form, as if sensing a fatal threat, dodged frantically. Huo Xialan took note of this, realizing she had pinpointed the location of its core. The more powerful a disaster, the more solidified its physical form, making the location of its core harder to shift. While shifting it didn't require much effort, in a battle between fighters of their caliber, moving the core before an attack struck was no simple feat.

To be safe, she decided to widen her attack range. "Soaring Bombardment, Dragon's Roar!"

The Yazhi sword let out a sudden, thunderous boom after piercing the body of the Ultimate-form, causing its frame to shatter and explode into pieces.

Relying on her keen eyesight, Huo Xialan spotted the core amidst the flying debris and struck with a killing blow!

***

Back in Arena B, Huo Ye’s speed seemed to shatter the worldview of the other students. Why? Why would Huo Ye, an element-user of the Dark system, be able to use a Lightning-system ability? The electricity on his body was clearly of the Lightning element! And he was using it for a high-level technique to enhance speed—how could this person be so versatile?

Everyone was plunged into shock. No one cared anymore whether Huo Ye could kill the Ultimate-form, nor did they call for him to finish off Kachi. When such an astonishing scene unfolded, everyone subconsciously assumed: how could someone so excellent and powerful possibly fail?

However, despite Huo Ye’s repeated, rapid-fire attacks, Kachi took them all in stride. Huo Ye was not slashing blindly; with every strike, he paid close attention to the tactile feedback.

Where he could slice through easily, and where it felt like he was hacking into reinforced steel—by observing the target's defensive shifts, he could determine the approximate location of the core. Clearly, Kachi was constantly moving his core, but given the disparity in their speeds, he was simply too slow! If not for the massive surface area of Kachi’s defense, Huo Ye could have slashed him open and finished him off with a single thrust.

But he couldn't do it yet. The speed of his current technique was still beyond his control; his vision could not keep up with his body.

Suddenly, just as Huo Ye prepared another strike, Kachi seemed to have finally discerned the pattern of Huo Ye’s movement. He intercepted with a punch, hitting Huo Ye squarely in the abdomen before he could react, sending him flying until he was embedded deep into the wall.