Lord of Prayer - Chapter 144 - 114: Advance (Part 2)

Chapter 144: Chapter 114: Advance (Part 2)

“…”

Zhou Chen didn’t respond. He had already seen them—dozens of bizarrely shaped Demons up ahead.

A layer of pitch-black flame burned on their bodies, protecting them from the Curse’s Assimilation. They were entrenched in the dark torrent of the Curse, their expressions ferocious and vicious as they bared their teeth at the sudden appearance of a human.

Zhou Chen tightened his grip on his chainsaw, staring at them for a few seconds before letting out a self-deprecating laugh.

’Was I so tense that I couldn’t even see that these Demons were afraid?’

He had thought he would be the one who was scared, but it turned out these were just Low Tier Abyssal Demons, and they were even more terrified than he was. Yet, as if under some kind of death order, they stood their ground in front of him despite their extreme fear, blocking his path.

But they couldn’t stop him!

In the Darkness, the chainsaw roared to life. The sound of the piano swelled, the melody growing intense.

Zhou Chen’s chilling gaze swept over the dozens of Demons. His figure suddenly vanished, rising from the shadows formed by Hidden Dragon before he slashed out horizontally at the bewildered creatures.

Bits of flesh flew everywhere, spraying a shower of stinking blood. Three Abyssal Demons were easily cleaved apart by the Bloodthirsty Chainsaw. Having drunk its fill of fresh blood, the Bloodthirsty Chainsaw spun with even greater speed. It seemed to have an enormous appetite, accepting any and all blood, as long as it got to feast.

A foul wind gusted as a massive jaw filled with sharp Tusks lunged for Zhou Chen. It was a Rotting Hound, one of the more dangerous types of Tier One Abyssal Demons. But in the next moment, a cold light flashed. The hound’s head rolled to the ground, and its airborne body was split in half.

Zhou Chen shifted his feet lightly, twisting his body. The chainsaw twirled with agility through the air, severing an incoming scorpion tail. Without losing momentum, he hacked another lunging Rotting Hound into two pieces.

Immediately after, the Holy Emblem erupted. Its pure light incinerated another six Demons until they smoldered, and they were easily shattered by the whistling cold gleam of the chainsaw.

In the span of a few breaths, a horde of Abyssal Demons had been reduced to a floor of shattered corpses.

But more were coming. Even more Abyssal Demons swarmed in like sharks drawn to the scent of blood in the ocean.

Zhou Chen took a deep breath. Within his physical shell, his Soul seemed to tremble along with the rich sound of the piano. He merged with the intensifying melody, matching its increasingly tight and rapid rhythm. He swung his chainsaw, becoming a merciless, bloody storm that swept over and tore everything apart.

But suddenly, the melody grew heavy. A Tier Two Abyssal Demon appeared. It was a Demon resembling a giant ape, with pitch-black fur, two bull-like horns on its head, and incredibly developed forelimbs with what could only be described as explosive muscles.

With a single, effortless leap, it flew toward Zhou Chen like a mountain crashing down on him.

Zhou Chen turned into a shadow and drifted away. The giant ape descended from the sky, its terrifying weight smashing a huge crater into the ground. Debris flew everywhere. Two unfortunate Abyssal Demons nearby didn’t have time to dodge and were crushed into a pile of pulp.

In the dark Cursed Ocean, his most lethal attack, Sand Shadow, was basically useless. It was too dark here; there were no shadows to be found. Zhou Chen grabbed the Megaphone from his waist and blew fiercely into the Soul-Shocking Copper Whistle.

A piercing sonic wave swept out in all directions, nearly sending the giant ape flying backward. It clutched its head and rolled on the ground in agony, kicking up a cloud of dust. But after just two seconds, it scrambled back to its feet. Its scarlet eyes, fixed on Zhou Chen, now gleamed with bloodthirsty hunger and savagery.

The giant ape pushed off with its legs and charged forward, its massive fist whistling through the air as it smashed toward Zhou Chen. But his figure vanished in an instant, reappearing behind the ape. A pale fire lit up the Bloodthirsty Chainsaw as he swung it with all his might.

SQUELCH!

Its tough hide was no match for the sharp edge of the Bloodthirsty Chainsaw. A torrent of blood, like a waterfall, gushed from the giant ape’s waist.

A divine radiance burst forth, scorching the giant ape’s skin. But in the next moment, the ape caught him off guard with a backward kick from both feet, landing a solid blow on Zhou Chen.

BANG! Zhou Chen was sent flying. A sharp crack echoed from his chest as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

“I wish to be restored to my peak condition.”

The Wishing Star Seed bloomed with light. His broken bones and damaged organs recovered in an instant. Zhou Chen slipped into the shadows, evading the surrounding Abyssal Demons, and reappeared beside the giant ape, swinging his chainsaw at its thick arm.

CLANG!

It was like striking some kind of hardened alloy. Sparks flew as the Bloodthirsty Chainsaw was actually repelled.

Zhou Chen decisively slipped back into the shadows. A pair of powerful iron fists slammed into his previous position, shattering the ground and sending rubble flying.

’Tier Two Abyssal Demons really are tough. Those arms are probably the hardest part of its body; even the Bloodthirsty Chainsaw can’t cut through them.’

’In that case, I’ll have to use other methods.’

Using Hidden Dragon, Zhou Chen engaged in hit-and-run tactics. One second, he’d appear on the giant ape’s left and blast it with the Soul-Shocking Copper Whistle amplified by the Megaphone. The next, he’d be behind it, scorching it with the Holy Emblem. After repeating this several times, he had slaughtered all the surrounding Tier One Demons, and the giant ape was now severely wounded.

He activated the Holy Emblem with all his Power while simultaneously blowing the Soul-Shocking Copper Whistle. Amidst the sharp, Soul-shaking whistle, he burned the giant ape to a pile of black charcoal.

“Not far now…” Zhou Chen gasped for a few breaths, looking toward the position of the Music Note Lamp. Erin was less than a hundred meters away.

He swung his chainsaw, tearing through the viscous Darkness as if cutting through thorns and brambles. Before long, he saw a giant amber specimen. It had been corroded by the Curse beyond recognition, with only a thin layer remaining.

“Save us… Please, save us…”

“Please, save us…”

Countless Cursed Undead were screaming in despair, clawing at the Life Amber and begging the person inside for help. A thick miasma of disaster was constantly corroding the amber.

A brilliant, warm light flared. As the Divine Light bloomed, the surrounding Cursed Undead shrieked in unison and fled, like snow meeting a blazing Fireplace.

Zhou Chen rushed forward, and Erin, inside the amber, looked over at him.

“Zhou Chen…” Erin’s voice was so weak it was barely audible. Disbelief was etched into both her tone and expression.

“It’s me,” Zhou Chen said with a smile of relief.

Erin hadn’t thought it was possible for Zhou Chen to be here. But after hearing that familiar voice, she instinctively dispelled the Life Amber and grasped his hand, feeling its warmth, its temperature.

Even when she was thrown into the Cursed Black Sea and surrounded by countless Undead, knowing she might die in this disaster, Erin hadn’t shed a single tear. She had simply waited helplessly for death. But upon seeing Zhou Chen, her tears couldn’t help but stream down her face. She threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly and wailing like a small child.

She never imagined someone would brave such danger for her. It was as if a beam of light had descended from the heavens into her deepest, darkest despair. At that moment, something seemed to sprout in the depths of her heart, blossoming into the purest emotion that washed over her soul.

’He came to save me… He really came to save me…’ Erin bit her lip, her face stained with tears.

“How touching…”

A discordant, sinister voice drifted over from nearby. Zhou Chen was instantly on alert. He tightened his grip on his chainsaw and shielded Erin behind him. He recognized the owner of that voice.

Li Xiaoxiao!

Pitch-black Hellfire flared up, causing the viscous black ocean to retreat in alarm. It revealed Li Xiaoxiao standing before an altar, her face covered in evil sacrificial runes. On the altar itself was a box from which Curse Essence continuously flowed.

’Is that the thing from inside the box?’ Zhou Chen narrowed his eyes. He hadn’t expected to be the first to reach the target of the decapitation mission.

The only problem was, he probably couldn’t handle this alone. Li Xiaoxiao had now become a Corrupter and was empowered by the King of the Abyss, making her far stronger than before. The good news, however, was that she seemed to be fully focused on maintaining the summoning ritual, unable to spare any attention for him.

“Zhou Chen, you damn traitor!” Li Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth, the venomous hatred on her gloomy face completely undisguised. She looked like she wanted to swallow him whole.

She had trusted Zhou Chen so much. She had even liked him, wanted to sleep with him, but all she got in return was a ruthless, cruel betrayal!

“I know this woman is your friend. I was going to kill her to vent my anger, but then I discovered an incredible Curse inside her Soul…” Li Xiaoxiao quickly calmed down and sneered, “Did you really think you could save her? Now, turn around and look at her.”

Zhou Chen frowned and turned his head. He saw that a cloud of black smoke had enveloped Erin at some point. She had become completely listless, her life force so faint it was nearly gone.

“Afflicted by such a terrifying Curse, and then thrown into a Curse Source of this magnitude… what do you think happens when those Curses interact? Do you think it might just accelerate the decay of her Soul?” Li Xiaoxiao laughed gleefully.