Even though Gian was the MT, he was utterly routed under Fang Senyan’s relentless assault, primarily because the Demonic Sword Apophis was just too monstrously effective at stabbing.

This time, since Fang Senyan’s main focus was on that woman, Aethelmis, he didn't complete the latter half of the Wither Strike after tossing Gian aside. Instead, as Gian fell, Fang Senyan cleaved sideways with his sword, a ferocious glare dominating his face; he had already unleashed his Extinction ability, slicing off Gian’s right leg just below the calf, sending it flying far away.

By doing this, although the full power of the Wither Strike’s second stage couldn't be utilized, Fang Senyan also avoided the ensuing negative effects—a long period of immobility. This allowed him the necessary mobility to pursue Aethelmis.

The observant Fang Senyan had already noticed that although Aethelmis’s cocoon transformation earlier had been bizarrely fluid, almost without any visible flaw, the Demonic Sword Apophis had still managed to wound her. That trace of blood would betray her. More importantly, the Solar Stairway, being fundamentally a plant rooted deep within the earth, could clearly perceive even the slightest sound on the ground.

No matter how light Aethelmis’s steps were, the relentless erosion of the SARS virus on her health meant symptoms like chest pain, suffocation, high fever, and coughing would instantly give her away. Fang Senyan drove his legs deep into the earth, his eyes half-closed, but his ears absorbed every minute sound.

“Right here!” Fang Senyan suddenly exploded upward like a leopard, having detected an extremely faint cough. But no matter how subtle the sound, it was impossible to conceal from Fang Senyan’s hearing.

Indeed, Fang Senyan saw that the gravel in this area bore the marks of recent trampling, and there were slight ochre streaks upon the faintly bluish ground. He took a deep breath and raised his right arm!

Fang Senyan’s heart instantly accelerated to one hundred and eighty beats per minute, his blood pressure soaring madly. Then his raised right hand rapidly turned dark bluish-black and began to swell, his skin cracking as if it were tree bark. The tendrils of the Solar Stairway thrashed about as if engorged with blood, and then Fang Senyan slammed a punch into the ground.

Vast fissures spread out wildly like root systems toward the front. Suddenly, the empty space about twenty meters ahead was enveloped by these cracks, and the ground erupted with a deafening explosion, scattering mud and stone. Seven or eight phantom giant tentacles materialized, writhing and sweeping about like the limbs of a massive octopus, instantly wrapping around something in the void!

As he struck, a sudden clarity seemed to dawn upon Fang Senyan; it was as if he had finally broken through the shackles within his body. The colossal tentacles immediately began to spin at high speed, carving out a massive spindle-shaped ellipse in the void.

A piercing shriek echoed out, followed by the very clear sound of tearing cloth. A flash of light appeared, and the tentacle phantoms were cut into segment after segment, vanishing into the air. Aethelmis then tumbled out of the void. She was clad in what appeared to be a very tight bodysuit. This suit bore distinct circular nodes at the chest, navel, both knees, and elbows, intermittently sparking with electrical discharges—it was the standard-issue stealth suit for human GIHST units.

This device could refract light to deceive the enemy and achieve invisibility, but it required a constant drain of MP, making its use quite demanding. It was unexpected that Aethelmis could wield it.

However, the stealth suit was now ragged beyond recognition. Its camouflage was only partially effective, with some areas short-circuiting entirely amid sparks. Consequently, Aethelmis’s appearance was utterly bizarre; only parts of her body were visible in the air. Frankly, combined with her beautiful and voluptuous features, it was genuinely alluring.

But Fang Senyan’s gaze was fixed upon Aethelmis’s left hand!

More precisely, on the Nuclear Crystal Container clutched in that left hand!!!

He then said to Aethelmis calmly, "Do you think you can still run?"

Aethelmis screamed in fury, fire seeming to blaze from her eyes. The short hook held in her other hand suddenly emitted a dazzling golden light. With a flap of her transparent wings, she swept past as if a gust of wind, and immediately, a spring of blood erupted from Fang Senyan’s body! Terrifyingly, Fang Senyan didn't even get a chance to counterattack after being struck by this woman!!

However, Fang Senyan consistently believed that if there was no opportunity, one must create it; if there was no certainty, one must manufacture certainty. Despite the vast disparity in speed between them, he immediately clutched his chest wound and relentlessly pursued.

Then, Aethelmis’s SARS symptoms flared up, and the seemingly impossible-to-catch Fang Senyan lunged forward! A scream and a muffled groan sounded simultaneously...

Less than ten minutes later, Fang Senyan covered his wounds. He now had seven or eight mangled injuries of varying sizes across his body, stark and deep enough to reveal bone, from which blood poured out, pooling around his legs before soaking silently into the mud and sand below. Yet, as he staggered forward, every footstep left a print, every stride a bloody mark, creating a startling trail of crimson on the ground behind him.

Only Fang Senyan’s gaze remained steadfast, even carrying a hint of coldness! There was no sign of wavering whatsoever.

Although Fang Senyan’s Radiant Heal and Elixir of Honor were on cooldown, although his health was less than half, and although the difficulty presented by both Gian and Aethelmis far exceeded his expectations.

Nevertheless, there was no doubt: he still held the upper hand.

An absolute advantage.

The corpse of Gian lying behind Fang Senyan was the clearest testament to this.

Gian died with eyes wide open in regret. Even now, his eyes were staring blankly, his remaining right hand still desperately trying to grasp something. It seemed that even in his final moments, he was fulfilling his MT duty to hold the opponent, but alas, he could grasp nothing now.

Aethelmis was currently kneeling on the ground, panting heavily. Her condition appeared better than Fang Senyan’s, but her injuries were far worse than his! The formidable power of the Demonic Sword Apophis could not be slighted!

Aethelmis was starting to feel dizzy. Her right lung, pierced by the sword, had lost its data-conversion capability and thus its ability to supply oxygen. Moreover, while Aethelmis’s dual hooks possessed formidable attack power, Fang Senyan was hardly a pushover! And the SARS effectively negated the gap in speed between them. Under conditions where their attack power was comparable, trading injuries meant the one with lower defense and less health would inevitably suffer a crushing loss!

Fang Senyan wiped a smear of blood from his mouth and smiled at Aethelmis: "Say your last words. I’ll give you ten seconds—a special courtesy, out of respect for Ronnie."

Aethelmis’s face suddenly changed: "Ronnie??? How do you know him?"

Fang Senyan chuckled: "Of course. He calls me boss now. You are a thorn in his heart. If that thorn isn't removed, that man can never return to his peak state."

Aethelmis was still plotting to negotiate with Fang Senyan, but hearing this, despair immediately flooded her heart; she knew that involving Ronnie meant there was no room for compromise between them. Maintaining a calm exterior, she fixed a vicious plan in her mind, then let out a sudden, sharp cry and charged wildly toward Fang Senyan!

Fang Senyan was confident of victory, so he became doubly cautious; this was understandable. Aethelmis was like meat on his chopping block; he only needed to wait for the disease to strike and expose a flaw, then effortlessly end her life! There was no need to take risks.

But just as Aethelmis lunged in front of him, her body suddenly stiffened, revealing a massive opening. Fang Senyan was extremely familiar with this sign—it meant the onset of her illness.

Fang Senyan had not forgotten that Aethelmis might have reinforcements arriving quickly, so, almost without hesitation, he thrust his sword forward.

Yes, this was how direct and simple Fang Senyan wielded the Demonic Sword Apophis—treating this powerful weapon like a butcher’s blade. Thrusting, stabbing, and cleaving were his most frequent techniques! While lacking the elegance of a swordsman, it was imbued with the imposing air of a street butcher...

But at that very moment, Aethelmis, who should have been convulsing in pain and immobilized, suddenly produced an object to block! This move was completely outside Fang Senyan's expectation, and it was clear this defense had been meticulously premeditated, even accounting for Fang Senyan's attack style, calculating that he wouldn't be able to retract the thrust in time!

Against the sharpness of the Demonic Sword Apophis, the blocking object was instantly pierced through, shattered, and destroyed. The weapon even plunged deep, sinking into Aethelmis’s heart. The muscles in Aethelmis’s face twitched, but the look in her eyes toward Fang Senyan was filled with vengeful satisfaction: “Ha, hahahaha, good, very good. The Queen of Blades will arrive soon, and you will surely die from my counterattack!”

The item Fang Senyan had shattered was none other than that Nuclear Crystal Casket capable of isolating scents and creating pocket dimensions! And inside it was the counterfeit Divine Artifact.

Once the Nuclear Crystal Casket was destroyed, the artifact's aura could no longer be contained... The Queen of Blades was clearly not dead, which meant she would arrive immediately! Given the cruel nature of the Zerg Queen, she would certainly kill every non-Zerg creature nearby.

Yes, this was Aethelmis’s revenge plot—a cruel, perfect, insane plan!