Chapter 185 - 184: This Is All He Owes Me

Jiang Li swung his longsword with increasing speed. The phantoms around him gradually solidified, and more and more white longswords materialized in midair.

Wielding her spear, Chu Liangyu was forced back, unable to get within three meters of him. As the number of swords grew, Chu Liangyu’s expression became increasingly grave.

’But I know this move too.’

Raising an eyebrow, Chu Liangyu’s expression returned to a state of calm. The spear in her hand changed form, and a pale blue longsword appeared in its place. She gave it a flourish.

As she swung it, the pale blue longsword also created solid phantoms, and countless swords materialized around Chu Liangyu.

The air was filled with the swords of both fighters. A single glance revealed a dense, menacing swarm, as if one could be riddled like a hornet’s nest in the next moment.

At almost the exact same time, they both launched their swords toward each other. However, before the blades could land, Chu Liangyu’s figure vanished without a trace.

When she reappeared, it was in the exact spot Jiang Li had just occupied.

She raised her longsword and thrust it straight toward his chest, but her hands passed right through Jiang Li’s body.

Before she could even react, the Jiang Li she had just stabbed dissolved into motes of starlight and vanished into the air.

Chu Liangyu didn’t for a second believe she had killed him with a single strike. She instinctively prepared to spread her wings and flee the area.

But it was too late. Jiang Li appeared out of nowhere, longsword in hand, and thrust it unhesitatingly toward Chu Liangyu’s chest.

At that very moment, the purple crystal necklace on Chu Liangyu’s chest suddenly erupted with a dazzling light. A transparent barrier appeared, enveloping her completely.

Chu Liangyu froze for a second, then quickly realized the necklace Hu Qiumu had given her had been activated.

Jiang Li clearly hadn’t expected her to have something like this either. He paused for a fraction of a second, and knowing his attack wouldn’t connect, he prepared to retreat.

How could Chu Liangyu let such a perfect opportunity go? She changed the direction of her longsword and once again thrust it toward Jiang Li’s chest.

The Soul Chasing Needles she had hidden in her sleeves also shot out at that moment, flying toward Jiang Li from different directions. No matter how fast Jiang Li was, it was now a certainty that he would be struck by at least a few of them.

Yet, a smile touched Jiang Li’s lips, with no trace of panic. He mobilized all his power, intending to tear open space and summon his doppelganger to block the attack.

However, his summons was like a stone sinking into the ocean, creating not a single ripple.

Horrified, he had no idea that Chu Liangyu had already anticipated this move. Thus, Chi Yizhong, who had been marked with a talisman, would certainly not be appearing by his side at this moment.

Under the combined assault of Chu Liangyu and the Soul Chasing Needles, Jiang Li’s shoulder was pierced through. Not all thirteen needles hit their mark, but three of them still managed to embed themselves in his body.

In an instant, Jiang Li could no longer support himself. He fell to his knees, still clutching his longsword, as blood trickled unceasingly from the corner of his mouth. He paid it no mind, forcing himself to raise his head and look toward Chu Liangyu.

At this moment, Jiang Li was a spent force. It was obviously impossible for him to continue fighting Chu Liangyu.

Chu Liangyu didn’t want to drag this out any longer, lest some other accident occur. She controlled the remaining Soul Chasing Needles and sent them piercing into Jiang Li, only approaching once all of them had entered his body.

Raising her longsword, Chu Liangyu showed no mercy and aimed directly for his chest.

CLANG!

The sound of two longswords colliding rang out. The other sword looked familiar, but it wasn’t Jiang Li’s.

Frowning, Chu Liangyu looked in the direction the sword had come from. To her surprise, Chu Yue had arrived.

After seeing her face, Chu Liangyu also remembered the origin of the sword. It was one of the gifts she had given the siblings back then, the Shangqing Xianyue Sword.

She just never expected to see this sword again under such circumstances.

She had actually considered this possibility and had specifically instructed the person she had planted in Jiang Li’s tribe to look after the two and to stop them.

But clearly, the attempt had failed, and Chu Yue had made it through.

As she was thinking, a person ran up from behind Chu Yue. His face was a little unfamiliar, but Chu Liangyu knew he was from her tribe.

He leaned on his knees, panting heavily. Before he could even catch his breath, he looked at Chu Liangyu with a guilty expression. "Chief, I’m sorry. I really couldn’t stop her."

"It’s not your fault. You may go."

Chu Yue had always been obsessed with swordsmanship and had put a great deal of effort into it. Combined with her natural talent, very few people could normally defeat her.

The fact that man was able to hold her back for so long was already quite impressive.

Chu Yue’s eyes were filled with disappointment as she looked at her. She walked to Jiang Li’s side and helped him up. Seeing her Beast Father covered in wounds, Chu Yue’s eyes reddened.

Her voice choked with emotion as she said, "I’m sorry, Beast Father. I was too late."

That was right. Pierced by thirteen Soul Chasing Needles, Jiang Li was beyond saving. Even if Chu Liangyu didn’t deliver that final blow, Jiang Li’s death was only a matter of time.

For some reason, Jiang Li showed no fear in the face of death. Instead, his expression was calm, as if he had long been prepared for this day to come.

"It’s alright. This day was bound to come sooner or later. Even if your Beast Mother didn’t kill me, I would have killed her." Perhaps the pain was getting to him, as his brow furrowed unconsciously. He continued, "You don’t need to hold this against her. If we’re being honest... it’s me who owes her."

Perhaps it was as the saying goes: when a person is about to die, their words are kind. Jiang Li was actually speaking up for Chu Liangyu, which was completely out of character.

But Chu Liangyu knew his true intentions. If the siblings grew to hate her because of this, they would definitely seek revenge for Jiang Li.

With Chu Liangyu’s current strength, dealing with the two of them would be as easy as squashing a bug.

The problem was, Jiang Li’s vague statement about "owing her" would not only fail to erase the hatred in his children’s hearts, but would actually strengthen their resolve for revenge after his death.

Therefore, Chu Liangyu decided to completely shatter what little dignity he was trying to hold onto.

"Yue’er, do you know what your Beast Father owes me?" Chu Liangyu glanced at the dying Jiang Li, meeting his somewhat unnatural gaze, and continued, "We were both successors to the Beast God. Your Beast Father, Jiang Li, designed a Childbirth System in order to claim that position for himself."

"He wanted to use the Childbirth System to make me struggle just to survive in the Beast World, hoping I wouldn’t be able to bear it and my soul would collapse, completely forfeiting my chance to contend for the title of Beast God."

Chu Liangyu saw the incredulous expression on Chu Yue’s face clearly. Ignoring whatever she might want to say, she went on, "Otherwise, why do you think I was so weak before, with no dignity to speak of?"

"All of this was deliberately orchestrated by your Beast Father."

Suddenly, Chu Yue’s hands, which were supporting Jiang Li, began to tremble. Tears started to well up and stream from her reddened eyes.