Bart never imagined that, as a Blood Pillar whose strength reached the Demon King Seed threshold after using Blood Awakening, he would one day be crushed in such a simple, crude, and almost humiliating way—especially by a Human Mage.
The excruciating pain of his shattered knuckles was crystal clear, but he did not roar in agony. At this moment, his crimson pupils were filled with a sense of absurdity that transcended pain.
It was an expression that screamed: ‘Are you fucking kidding me?!’
He could be 100% certain that Yize had not used any Aura fluctuations, nor had he relied on any amplification magic. What had crushed his knuckles was pure, overwhelming physical strength!
This completely subverted his understanding of reality!
The physical intensity and strength of the Blood Race were recognized as top-tier among many Monster Species. This was especially true in the Blood Awakening state, where their power would undergo a qualitative leap.
He, Bart, the fourth Blood Pillar, had his fist crushed barehanded by a Human… a Human Mage who was using low-level magic just moments ago while at full power?!
Was he insane, or had the laws of the world suddenly flipped upside down?
While he was lost in a brief trance of extreme self-doubt and his worldview was on the verge of collapsing, Yize did not stop. The hand that had just crushed Bart’s fist let go. Immediately after, another “plain and ordinary” fist rapidly enlarged in his vision.
There was no whistling wind and no dazzling light; it was just a simple, unadorned punch. It landed solidly on the rugged face he was so proud of.
Bang!
A dull thud echoed.
Bart felt as if his entire face no longer belonged to him! The ache of his collapsed nose, the sharp pain of his shattered cheekbones, and the loose sensation of teeth being dislodged… all kinds of agony stimulated his brain.
His massive body staggered backward uncontrollably, gold stars danced before his eyes, and his ears buzzed.
He knew his current appearance was definitely beyond recognition. That fierce and malevolent aura he had earlier had long since vanished with that single punch.
He struggled to raise his one intact hand to touch his severely deformed face, hissing as he drew in a cold breath. The look he gave Yize was full of horror and bewilderment. His voice was slurred due to his facial injuries.
“You… are you even Human?!”
Yize felt like he was developing calluses from hearing that question so often. He didn’t bother answering such a meaningless question, simply shaking out his wrist as if those two hits were just a warm-up.
He looked at the dazed Bart and spoke with a hint of mockery, “Hey, who was it that confidently said they’d stand still and let me hit them because I couldn’t even break their defense?”
As he spoke, he cracked his knuckles with a light click, seemingly considering where to land the next blow.
To be honest, after the preliminary “test,” Yize felt that this guy named Bart was indeed physically stronger than the Blood Pillar named Horn.
Although he was still nowhere near the level of that little Blood Race girl he had encountered before, he was at least thick-skinned and had amazing recovery speed. He could barely pass as a qualified sandbag.
Seeing Yize’s “unsatisfied” expression, Bart subconsciously dragged his injured body back a few steps. His heart was filled with intense regret! Why did he have to run his mouth earlier?
“Wait… wait a minute!” Bart’s voice carried a tremor he hadn’t even noticed.
Yize raised an eyebrow and stopped his approach, a look of disappointment appearing on his face. “You were the one in a hurry at the start. Why do you want to wait now?”
“What’s wrong? I’ve just started ‘putting in some effort,’ and you want to run?”
“Where’s that ‘toughness’ from before? Weren’t you going to tear me apart and drink all my blood?”
Bart had no will to fight left in his heart; only endless regret and a chilling cold remained. He wasn’t a fool.
The Yize before him possessed unfathomable strength, and his physical power had already completely crushed him. This was not an enemy he could deal with!
As for his previous idea of “recruiting” him? It seemed laughable now! How could a being with this kind of strength care about the meager power of the Blood Race?
In fact… an even more terrifying thought surfaced in his mind: Even if Lord Kasmir came in person, whether he could take down this strange black-haired youth was probably a toss-up!
Seeing Bart cowering there with flickering eyes, looking like a “defeated and antisocial” mess, Yize also found it a bit boring.
“This is no fun,” he said, shaking his head. “However…”
His gaze fell on Bart’s injured fist and his face, which was rapidly deswelling while bones made slight creaking sounds as they reset themselves.
He showed a bit of interest. “The recovery ability of your Blood Race is even more impressive than I imagined.”
He watched as Blood Qi gathered around Bart’s injured areas. Under the shroud of the Blood Qi, the shattered knuckles were reassembling and healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The collapsed facial bones were slowly resetting, and the damaged flesh was regenerating.
Yize keenly noticed that this recovery was not without a price.
The dense, viscous Blood Qi surrounding Bart had become significantly thinner and dimmer after repairing the injuries, and his aura had withered quite a bit. Clearly, this high-speed regeneration consumed his Blood Qi Origin.
Just then—
“Three minutes are up.”
A cold voice without any emotional fluctuation clearly entered the ears of Yize and Bart.
It was No.2! He was currently “staring” coldly in the direction of the city wall.
Due to the falling rock smokescreen Yize had created earlier and the fact that Bart’s swift defeat happened in a flash, No.2 was not clear about the specific situation during the last minute.
He only sensed that Bart’s aura had suddenly fluctuated violently and then weakened rapidly.
Almost as soon as the voice fell, No.2’s figure disappeared from his original spot. In the next instant, he appeared silently on the city wall, standing between Yize and the disheveled Bart who was slumped on the ground.
His icy gaze fell on Bart, his voice filled with undisguised contempt and loathing. “Three minutes. In the Blood Awakening state, you couldn’t even handle a single Human Mage.”
“Truly… a fool.”
The last word carried heavy weight.
Before his voice finished echoing, No.2’s figure appeared before Bart like he had teleported.
He didn’t even make an obvious kicking motion; he just seemingly casually raised his foot and “lightly” tapped Bart’s abdomen with his instep.
Bang!
With a dull thud, Bart’s sturdy body flew off the ground like a broken sack, slamming hard into an intact battlement behind him. The hard rock cracked like a spiderweb. B
art then slid to the ground, coughing up a large mouthful of dark red blood, his aura becoming even more withered.
This kick seemed casual, but it contained terrifying power. It not only worsened Bart’s injuries but was also a complete trample on his dignity.
Bart struggled to raise his head, his eyes filled with rage and humiliation as he looked at No.2. But he clenched his teeth and did not speak up or try to get back up.
On one hand, his injuries were indeed serious, but on the other… thoughts of vengeful pleasure began to sprout in his heart.
‘Go ahead and hit me, curse me, look down on me, right?’ Bart sneered silently in his heart, his gaze covertly sweeping over the seemingly “harmless” Yize. ‘In a moment, it’ll be your turn to cry! You won’t escape the suffering I’m going through!’
He made up his mind not to warn No.2 about Yize’s terrifying physical strength at all! He couldn’t let this beating go to waste! Moreover, No.2’s arrogant attitude—treating the lower-ranked Blood Pillars like ants—had long since made him seethe with anger.
Being able to see this guy get humiliated, even if he himself was hurt more, he felt… it was worth it!
After disposing of Bart like trash, No.2 finally seemed to “remember” there was another person nearby. He slowly turned around, his eyes landing on Yize for the first time. There was no scrutiny or vigilance, only a high-and-mighty “interest,” like one observing a toy.
“Human,” No.2 spoke, his voice remaining flat. “I have a bit of interest in your magic.”
He paused, as if weighing his words, but the arrogance in his tone did not diminish. “Tell me, how did you obtain such a massive amount of Mana and that… abnormal casting speed?”
Yize didn’t answer the question immediately. Instead, he frowned slightly and looked at Bart, who was vomiting blood but showing a strange expression. Yize’s tone carried some confusion. “Isn’t that your companion? You just… kicked him away like that?”
No.2 didn’t even turn his head, his voice as indifferent as ever. “Fools are not worthy of being my companions. Things that only hold us back have no value in existing.”
He refocused his attention on Yize. His interest seemed to have faded slightly because of the other’s lack of cooperation, and his tone took on a hint of impatience. “So, can you answer my question now?”
Hearing this, Yize suddenly laughed. It wasn’t the helpless or shy smile from before, but a blatant sneer filled with mockery.
“Heh…” He laughed out loud, looking at No.2 as if he were looking at a clown talking to himself. “Who do you think you are? You ask, and I have to answer?”
He mimicked No.2’s flat yet arrogant tone and asked back, “Then let me ask you, your Blood Race has been dormant for so many years—why have you suddenly come out like mad dogs, insisting on a death match with humans?”
“What exactly are you plotting?”
“How about you tell me these things first?”
No.2’s brow under his hood seemed to twitch. “Forget it.”
No.2’s voice went completely cold, and the little interest he had disappeared. “I suddenly feel that investigating the secrets of someone like you has become boring.”
He raised his hand and casually made a slashing motion in the air toward Yize. “No matter how much Mana you have or how fast you cast, you are ultimately just a… weakling limited to second-tier magic.”
A condensed, heart-palpitating streak of dark red Blood Qi appeared out of thin air. Then, at a speed faster than the eye could track, it sliced straight toward Yize!
This strike was clearly intended to be a fatal blow, completely ending this farce that had long since lost its meaning in his eyes.
The moment No.2 attacked, Bart, who was slumped in the corner, suddenly perked up from his withered state. An uncontrollable light of excitement erupted in his eyes.
It’s coming, it’s coming! This exact eye-above-all, “I’m in control of everything” attitude! It was identical to how he acted when facing Bart!
Bart felt as if he could already foresee the next scene: No.2’s proud strike being easily shattered by Yize’s monstrous body. And then… that familiar, unadorned fist slamming hard into No.2’s eternally indifferent face!
Facing this sudden fatal attack, Yize’s eyes remained calm. He didn’t even make any major evasive movements; he just had a slight thought.
“Earth Rock Wall!” “Fire Wall!”…
Thousands of low-level Defensive Magic spells of various attributes were instantly constructed layer upon layer in front of him within a few breaths!
These Composite Magic Barriers, which could have trapped Bart for one minute earlier, were like paper in front of No.2’s Blood Qi!
Sizzle!
Wherever the Blood Qi passed, the Defensive Magic dissipated into nothing… The entire process took less than ten seconds!
The Blood Qi broke through the final layer of the magic barrier and approached Yize, then exploded with a roar.
At the same time, No.2 had already stylishly turned around after releasing the Blood Qi, his back toward Yize as if everything was over. He didn’t even bother to release his perception, fully trusting the power of his strike.
He faced the slumped Bart, his voice carrying a condescending lecture and undisguised disdain. “A true powerhouse never looks back at an explosion.”
“Do you see it clearly now, fool?”
“This is true strength. The gap in power cannot be bridged by mere brute Blood Qi.”
“Between the top three seats and you ‘Blood Pillars’ in the back, there is a threshold.”
“So, in my eyes, you, Bart, have been nothing more than a… fool from beginning to end.”
He expected to see despair, unwillingess, or deeper humiliation on Bart’s face. However, what he saw was Bart widening his blood-dripping mouth, curling it into an extremely strange smile.
In that smile, there was no anger or fear. Instead, it was full of… mockery? Schadenfreude? And a kind of excitement from “watching a good show”?
No.2’s stagnant heart felt a significant ripple for the first time. He thought Bart might have had his brain damaged by that kick earlier, or that his mind had snapped under the extreme blow.
“Truly… pathetic,” No.2 whispered to himself.
However, the moment his words fell—
Another voice spoke calmly against his back, repeating his evaluation: “Truly pathetic.”
This voice… was not Bart’s slurred voice from his heavy injuries.
Before he could even think, a palm with irresistible weight patted his right shoulder.
“Who are you trying to impress?”
“A ‘powerhouse never looks back at an explosion’?”
“Who taught you that shitty habit?”
No.2 violently tried to turn around, tried to break free, tried to counterattack!
But the hand resting on his shoulder seemed to possess the weight of thousands of mountains, pinning him firmly in place. Even turning his neck became exceptionally difficult!
He could only use the corner of his eye to catch a glimpse of the black-haired youth who should have been dead. He didn’t know when the youth had appeared by his side, currently observing him with that playful gaze he detested so much.
“Im… impossible.”
Huge waves surged in No.2’s heart. Why was the opponent fine? And when did he get close? He hadn’t noticed a thing!
However, Yize didn’t give him time to think. The five fingers of the hand resting on his shoulder slightly tightened.
Crack…
The sound of bones breaking came from No.2’s shoulder blade. Immediately following, that hand exerted force, pressing down while pulling toward the side and back!
Boom!
No.2 flew through the air against his will, drawing a pathetic arc before…
Bang!
He slammed heavily into the ground. His position was precisely right next to Bart, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The violent impact made his blood and Qi boil. Before he could recover from this sudden, disruptive blow, his vision was occupied by a rapidly enlarging fist.
Then came a second, a third…
Bam! Thud! Thump! Smack!
Yize threw punch after punch. There was no dazzling light and no astonishing momentum—only the solid, heart-shuddering dull thuds of flesh-on-flesh contact and the scalp-numbing sound of bones shattering!
No.2 tried to condense Blood Qi for defense, tried to launch a counterattack… but everything appeared pale and weak under that absolute suppression of strength and speed.
His Blood Qi shield was easily hammered apart, and the speed he was so proud of was like slow motion in front of Yize…
He was like a human sandbag, being hammered from one side of the city wall to the other, then kicked back.
The indifference in his eyes had long since shattered, replaced by shock, bewilderment, humiliation, and disbelief at what was happening.
Off to the side, Bart, slumped against the battlement, felt incredibly refreshed and laughed out loud.
Watching that No.2, who had always looked down on him and treated him like an ant, now being beaten like a dead dog by Yize with no way to fight back, Bart felt the pent-up frustration in his chest dissipate bit by bit with every dull thud of No.2 being hit.
This was too great! It was even more satisfying than drinking human blood!
He even raised a bloody middle finger at the dizzy, battered No.2. Although the other might not be able to see it, it didn’t stop Bart from feeling immense internal satisfaction at this moment.