Although, even at the final moment, Kong Yulin had not appeared. She chose instead to kidnap An Zhizhen, who was just an ordinary person, hoping to reap the benefits after the fight ended.
I had to admit, she calculated her move quite well.
Had she acted prematurely upon seeing him grow weaker from the fight with the ghosts, the burnt corpse evil spirit's last desperate struggle would surely have crushed her.
"I was naturally not your match, but that Forbidden Item originally belonged to me, and to return it to its rightful owner, I had to resort to this."
Cen Dongsheng let out a snort.
In fact, he was indeed very weak now, his entire state at rock bottom.
All his True Qi was used to drive the "Undying Bone" superpower to repair his body, leaving him with no strength to resist. Once he and Kong Yulin clashed, the fragile cycle within him would be broken. He wouldn't even need her to kill him; he would be done for by himself.
He was now like a reed swayed by the wind, so fragile he would fall with a single blow.
Yet, from Cen Dongsheng's aura and expression, there was no hint of his vulnerability, displaying an aloof and indifferent demeanor, as if telling her: "If you want it back, then come."
Kong Yulin realized this, but couldn't decipher the man's condition, her face tense.
"I suppose... you do care about this Doctor An, don't you? You two didn't bother hiding it from others. Is she your woman?"
Having witnessed the previous battle and watching him now standing there with a semi-human, semi-ghost stance, Kong Yulin had no intention of clashing with this terrifying young man, so she could only approach the hostage angle.
Cen Dongsheng chuckled and replied:
"She's my partner."
To be precise, she was a woman who could become a powerhouse in the future. His feelings towards Sister Zhi Zhen exceeded fondness, bordering on reverence.
"...Partner?"
This answer seemed to have surprised Kong Yulin somewhat.
She took a closer look at An Zhizhen's face, the woman she was controlling. Even though this woman could remain calm with a knife at her throat, she indeed didn't seem ordinary... but she clearly wasn't a Curse Forbidden Master, utterly incapable of resistance when being kidnapped.
It was hard to imagine this frail woman being the companion of this man in front of her. Wasn't this equivalent to exposing his weakness?
Refining True Qi required the most basic aptitude, almost entirely determined by talent. It was hard to say whether the woman could become a Curse Forbidden Master unless someone could foresee the future... that was impossible.
Kong Yulin didn't think much of it and shook her head, saying:
"Anyhow, you care about her deeply."
"Yes, I do care."
Cen Dongsheng raised a finger, a smile still on his face.
"Therefore, I give you only one choice. Return her to me now, and then get lost immediately, and I will let you go for once."
"…"
"The Forbidden Item is my trophy, forget it, you ain't taking it."
He spread his hands arrogantly and wildly.
"I managed to survive being burnt to bones, I'm quite curious if you have such skills."
Kong Yulin's face grew dark, a drop of water seemed about to drip.
"No response? Then I'll do it myself."
He stepped towards the two without hesitation, once, then twice.
Kong Yulin's pupils contracted sharply.
He truly seemed indifferent to her threat, walking towards them with a smile, that sinister face combined with an imposing presence.
On the other side, An Zhizhen showed a happy smile, eagerly looking at the man approaching her, as if ready to reach out and embrace him.
She never once glanced at her captor throughout it all.
... What was with this man and woman? Did they not care about their lives?
Kong Yulin clenched her teeth tightly, naturally hesitant, watching him approach, with hardly any time left to hesitate, she had to make an immediate decision.
She had no idea if he was bluffing. If so, should she attack now?
But she dared not. The thought of combat with him brought to mind the image of him punching her face, breaking her head into pieces —
After such a fierce battle, he really showed no sign of compromise, as if everything was under his control.
Kong Yulin had been observing in secret. She had to admit, witnessing firsthand the scene during the fight of this young Curse Forbidden Master had given her a tremendous shock.
The burnt corpse evil spirit was of B-class, but was definitely among the strongest of Fierce Ghosts. If not for an external yin energy forming this Ghost House in such a short time, it would soon transform into a higher-level "house owner."
Or, the strength of the burnt corpse evil spirit was originally only a step away from Class A.
Yu Wentao, a Curse Forbidden Master during his human lifetime, had acquired firepower far beyond his past after transforming into a ghost.
Kong Yulin, who was once a teammate, knew well that if Yu Wentao unleashed his full power regardless of the consequences, he might reach that same magnitude... but the out-of-control Cursing Prohibition would scorch his own flesh, and his survival instinct would prevent him from doing so, which was why he could never go all out.
The Fierce Ghost was different, it feared neither injury nor death, allowing it to exert peak power at any time. Moreover, until its yin energy was exhausted, it could even resurrect repeatedly from the flames, making it far more vexing than a living person.
Even she, Deng Rong, and Yu Wentao combined as a team, under the premise of being in good condition, weren't its match. They would only be wiped out by this unusual ghost, reduced to charred corpses.
Yet, such a dangerous evil spirit was defeated by this man single-handedly, meeting it head-on without falling behind.