Only two people at the scene clearly witnessed Zhao Yingkong's movements: Zhao Ruikong, whose vision was entirely dedicated to scanning with her spirit, meaning any object, regardless of speed, could not escape her mental probe; and Zheng Zha, whose physical prowess allowed him to easily follow Zhao Yingkong’s actions, though what he saw struck him as utterly bewildering. In that instant, Zhao Yingkong’s speed even surpassed his own when using "Explosion," only slightly lagging behind "Destruction."

Moments before, Zhao Yingkong had charged to within several meters of Zhao Ruikong, where an intangible yet substantial psychic force blocked her onslaught. The little girl lashed out with a claw swipe, managing to tear through the psychic barrier as if it were mere cloth. However, Zhao Ruikong’s reaction time was equally astonishing; in a mere flash, a massive surge of psychic energy welled up around her. Had Zhao Yingkong not retreated quickly enough, that psychic power would have ensnared her completely.

(Incredibly strong. In terms of sheer physical quality, she’s only slightly inferior to my Coiling Dragon Transformation, but her speed is vastly superior to it. Speed must be her forte. And looking at the changes in her appearance, her ancient ancestors must also have been non-human…) Regardless, because Zhao Yingkong had fully entered the Heart Demon state, her power had reached the mid-stage of the Fourth Level. Now, Zhao Yingkong and Zhao Ruikong were locked in battle: one specializing in close combat, the other in ranged attack; one physical, the other spiritual.

Although their combat styles were vastly different, they currently stood on entirely equal footing in terms of power level. Then, under everyone’s gaze, Zhao Yingkong attacked relentlessly, as if driven mad.

Zhao Yingkong’s speed was so extreme that most observers could only catch glimpses of afterimages. Even those few with slightly better dynamic vision could only see a few more blurs. From the crowd's perspective, a large mass of dark shadow constantly impacted and entangled Zhao Ruikong, punctuated by continuous hissing sounds in the air.

Zhao Ruikong’s surrounding psychic energy was constantly being torn open, only to reform and then be torn again. The speed of the psychic energy attacks was nowhere near fast enough to trap the sprinting Zhao Yingkong. As a result, it appeared as if Zhao Yingkong was overwhelming Zhao Ruikong in the exchange. Although the teenagers couldn’t discern the fine details, expressions of relief slowly spread across their faces.

At this point, two more teams were approaching from beyond the distant thicket. The sheer intensity of the fighting had already felled several large trees.

The commotion was loud enough for everyone on the island to hear, and the battle had been ongoing long enough for the youths from the other assassin families to close in. The first team would reach the battlefield within the next minute at the latest.

“But… this is not good.”

Zhao Zhuikong silently observed the two approaching teams in the distance.

Frowning, he spoke to the others.

The surrounding teenagers and young women looked at him in confusion. A youth, perhaps sixteen or seventeen years old, asked, “Why? Didn’t Yingkong seize control of the rhythm? And now that everyone is gathered, so many of us can surely defeat that white-eyed demon… Oh, sorry, I forgot she is…” Zhao Zhuikong shook his head, bitterly pursing his lips. “It doesn’t matter. My little sister is already dead; what remains is merely some kind of demon manipulating her body… Putting that aside for now. Yingkong’s current situation is actually quite perilous. Every attack she launches consumes immense energy. We all know that unlocking the Gene Lock doesn’t grant extra energy; it only increases the rate at which existing energy is used. In contrast to Yingkong’s heavy expenditure, she... Her fighting style is one of conserving strength. As long as Zhao Ruikong cannot break through the psychic defense layer, she remains eternally undefeated. The only question is whether maintaining that power costs her more energy than Yingkong expends in attacking…” (Indeed, this is precarious. Yingkong was already seriously injured before this, and now she is in a near-irrational frenzy. The main reason she is attacking Zhao Ruikong is that Ruikong poses the greatest threat. Currently, only Ruikong can harm Yingkong. If I were to intervene now, her target might switch to me… But can she win on her own? How did these people survive that previous incident she went through?) The teenagers might misread the situation, but for Zheng Zha, who had experienced countless life-and-death battles, the outcome of this fight was determined from the start. Zhao Yingkong’s true strength lay in her combat intuition and technique. If she lost those two things, her sheer power and speed, though formidable, absolutely could not match Zhao Ruikong, who wielded psychic power and the ability to control others’ genes. Therefore, unless a new variable emerged, the confrontation would inevitably lead to defeat after the stalemate.

The new variable appeared quickly. Zhao Yingkong once again tore open the psychic shield around Zhao Ruikong. This time, however, the shield did not instantly close; instead, the rent gap began to widen. Zhao Yingkong instinctively lunged into the opening and clamped a claw around Zhao Ruikong’s neck.

(Is her energy depleted? Or is the cost of maintaining this psychic power terrifyingly high? That shouldn't be right. Although this psychic power is strong, it definitely isn't stronger than Chu Xuan's Willpower. If that Willpower could sustain itself for so long, this psychic power absolutely shouldn't last for such a short duration. What is she planning?) Only Zheng Zha saw all of this with the clearest view, and he understood the inner workings of this battle better than anyone. Even he found it hard to believe that Zhao Yingkong could instantly seize Zhao Ruikong, yet it was happening right before his eyes, leaving him no choice but to accept it. With Zhao Yingkong’s grip secured around Zhao Ruikong’s neck, the battle was essentially over. At such close quarters, even if Zhao Ruikong possessed a Willpower drive like Chu Xuan’s, she would have absolutely no chance of turning the tables. Zhao Yingkong could instantly kill her.

Just as Zheng Zha predicted, Zhao Yingkong tightened her grip on Zhao Ruikong’s throat. A slight twist of her hand would be enough to instantly sever the head from the body. However, some unknown emotion caused Zhao Yingkong’s movement to pause momentarily. By the time she reapplied pressure, Zhao Ruikong’s eyes had somehow returned to normal. The little girl looked up at Zhao Yingkong, tears welling, and whispered, “Big Sister… Yingkong Big Sister, do you want to kill me?” Everything happened in a flash. Because of the patterns that had appeared on Zhao Yingkong’s body, her speed was so great that many couldn't even track her movements. Only after she had seized Zhao Ruikong and the girl spoke did Zhao Zhuikong and the others clearly grasp what had occurred. Zhao Zhuikong immediately shouted, “Don’t stop, Yingkong! She is no longer my sister!” But Zhao Yingkong’s hand had already loosened without her conscious command. In the next instant, surging psychic energy flooded wildly from all around Zhao Ruikong. It was too late for Zhao Yingkong to retreat; the psychic force completely enveloped her. In the next second, she was swept up into the air by this power, as if grasped by an invisible giant hand. As the force intensified, Zhao Yingkong cried out, spitting up a large mouthful of blood. Then, the power slammed her violently toward the ground. With a few sickening thuds, Zhao Yingkong was left battered and near death, yet the markings on her skin grew darker and more pronounced.

“Big Sister, do you want to kill me?” Zhao Ruikong giggled, her eyes once again turning a blank, milky white. She said, “I gave you a chance just now, Big Sister. Why didn’t you kill me? Is it because you still have a bond deep in your heart for me? How utterly endearing. Truly the little fruit I picked—so sweetly unripe…” “What kind of death do you desire, Big Sister? I can grant you the most peculiar method of dying. Perhaps killing my brother first, and then committing suicide out of devotion? Hee hee, such a melodramatic way to go…”

“Or perhaps I could make you personally kill everyone standing here, all these comrades you cherish. What do you think of that, my dearest Yingkong Big Sister…” Zhao Ruikong laughed sweetly, yet the most malicious and indescribable words issued from the little girl’s soft tone. Enveloped by the psychic power, Zhao Yingkong’s strength was utterly insufficient to break free from the immense grip. She floated in mid-air, manipulated by the overwhelming force into performing various monotonous motions, resembling nothing more than a marionette dangling from strings. Zhao Ruikong burst into loud, unrestrained laughter.

(There’s no choice, I have to move again. This little girl is too much like the future Zhao Zhuikong. Is it genetic? Does this mean the future Zhao Zhuikong also devolved into this Heart Demon state?) Just as Zheng Zha prepared to act, numerous black threads suddenly began to emanate from Zhao Yingkong’s body. The source of these threads was the dark markings on her skin. Whatever the mechanism, the psychic power that touched these black threads instantly vanished, as if absorbed by them. As the psychic energy dissipated, the black markings on Zhao Yingkong’s body began to emit a dim, faint light. These markings seemed alive, constantly crawling over her skin until they formed an indescribable pattern of runes. Zhao Yingkong broke free from the remaining psychic hold. In the next second, she had Zhao Ruikong by the throat, hauling her body and rocketing away into the distance...