Chapter 43: Chapter 18: The End of the Long Night
"""
"Snap."
Several seconds later, Xiaokang Building returned to silence once more, shrouded in darkness.
Cen Dongsheng released his hand, and the last remnants of the burnt corpse evil spirit crumbled to ash, scattering across the ground.
After the ghost perished, its body shattered, leaving behind pure yin energy as the spoils of war.
As Cen Dongsheng absorbed and refined the yin energy, he squatted down, picking up a blood-red orb from the ashes.
This, he supposed, was the "forbidden object" Kong Yulin and the others desired, the culprit behind the "ghost house transformation."
He had no time to think about its purpose for now and casually tucked it into his skeleton since he was currently "empty."
What's most important right now...
Cen Dongsheng closely examined his body.
With the replenishment from refining the yin energy, the previously exhausted True Qi began running at full speed, and the power of the Tiger Demon spread throughout his body.
After waiting a moment, he saw a milky film start to envelop the skeleton, which would later become the meridians, muscles, organs, skin...
He exhaled a long sigh of relief.
Finally...
He would not truly die.
After all, courage and diligence were one thing, recklessly charging in without regard for life was another entirely... It was precisely because Cen Dongsheng sensed an ability hidden within him that he decided to gamble his life against the evil spirit.
He was not truly meant to die; he just needed to face death directly.
—The First Level Superpower of the "Tiger Demon Cloak," the "Undying Bone."
It allowed a Curse Forbidden Master to survive in critical situations where it was impossible to live on, even if they lost all flesh, organs, and internal structures, continuing to fight even when turned into a skeleton.
Once the superpower was triggered, the Curse Forbidden Master's soul temporarily resided within the "tiger bone." As long as the tiger bone remained, the light would not extinguish.
However, this state could not last forever. Cen Dongsheng estimated that it might last less than five minutes.
Beyond that, and the soul attached to the skeleton would dissipate, and it would truly become a pile of dead bones.
Additionally, once the "Undying Bone" state ended, considerable True Qi was needed to restore the body; otherwise, the Curse Forbidden Master would eventually die without sufficient rest.
And naturally, the "Undying Bone" could not be used repeatedly in a short time frame, serving as a last resort when pushed to the brink.
Yet, this was already a rather remarkable ability.
Cen Dongsheng had never heard of any Class A curse granting immortality, especially as a first superpower—regardless of the limitations, it still reversed life and death, overturning yin and yang's mighty power.
"Rather than call it 'Class A' for a first superpower, it would be more fitting to say it's part one of 'Special Class'... As expected, the highest level of curses and the idea of 'A B C D' are fundamentally different concepts."
He reflected internally for a moment.
According to the universal "Three Talents" pattern within the Forbidden Master's world, along with the imagery from his initial meditative contact, completing mastery over this unknown Special Class Curse Prohibition indeed required two additional "Demons."
The path was long, but that was a consideration for the future.
Having personally eliminated the enemy and claimed the spoils, he naturally needed some recovery time next...
Cen Dongsheng suddenly heard footsteps. He looked up to see two figures approaching in the darkness.
Kong Yulin's face was cold and pale, clearly indicating severe injuries. In her hand was a short knife pressed against another person's neck.
"Dongsheng..."
"Sister Zhi Zhen."
After a long and anxious night, Cen Dongsheng and An Zhizhen were finally able to speak face to face once more.
*
"Sigh."
Cen Dongsheng let out a long sigh.
He subconsciously scratched his face, feeling an itch on his cheek; it turned out new flesh was beginning to grow there.
Half of his face was exposed skull, the other half sprouting new muscle; his current appearance must have been terrifying, the kind that would give children nightmares.
He initially worried about leaving Sister Zhi Zhen with psychological scars, but as he noticed her staring without blinking, eyes shining brightly, her expression showing no disgust or fear... It seemed there was no issue.
Doctors were different, he thought.
Although the situation was dire, Cen Dongsheng was no longer his former self; not only was he not very tense, but he even had the leisure to let his mind wander.
"Mr. Cen, can we have a proper conversation now?"
Kong Yulin said, gesturing the dagger at An Zhizhen's neck, using it as a threat.
Cen Dongsheng ignored her, his gaze fixated straight at the person she held hostage—
"Don't worry, Sister Zhi Zhen, I will get you out of this."
"Mm, I know."
Sister Zhi Zhen calmly responded. She seemed unaffected by the cold blade at her throat, gazing at Cen Dongsheng with trust-filled eyes.
She was soon once again restrained by Kong Yulin, her arms pinned tightly behind her.
Perhaps due to feeling ignored, Kong Yulin's tone became even cooler.
"Whether you can rescue her depends on your decision, Mr. Cen. Hand over the item, and I will return her to you, and we can part on good terms."
"...You do know how to pick your moments."
Cen Dongsheng finally turned his attention to her, his tone dripping with undisguised sarcasm.
Of course, Kong Yulin making a move was anticipated; she was here for the "forbidden object."
At first, he feared she would intervene in his intense fight with the Core Ghost, so he remained on guard; but as the battle dragged on and he resolved to stake everything, he set aside those concerns completely, abandoning all reservations.
"""
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone