Here stood a tall man in black, with short white hair and a handsome face, a devilish smile playing on his lips, exuding an aristocratic air of elegance. A man like this, appearing at a social gala, would likely inspire any woman present to cultivate a relationship with decidedly carnal intentions.

The instant Lin Luo saw him, a chill shot through his entire body. In a flash like lightning, he yanked Lei, who was still sitting on a stone, pulling her behind him and facing the intruder with the utmost vigilance.

What is the difference between a human and a humanoid alien entity? Do not judge by sight, for that will only deceive the truth. Instead, one must sense the aura of the other, because whether it is a human, a Dead Apostle, a Familiar, a True Ancestor, or any other human-shaped being, their auras are fundamentally distinct.

Lin Luo had spent six months trying to understand the reality of this world. While he hadn't reached the point of deciphering the world's rules, he had made considerable progress in other aspects. One of these developments Lin Luo termed the "Eye of Truth."

No matter how perfect the human facade, unless the being's cultivation level was astronomically high, be it a demon, a devil, a ghost, or a monster, Lin Luo could see through its essence.

Take the man before him, for instance. By appearance alone, he was undeniably human. But...

"Dead Apostle."

Lin Luo felt his voice tremble slightly. He never imagined he would encounter a Dead Apostle in a place like this... the disparity in power levels was simply too vast.

"Tsk, tsk. I don't know why humans are popping up here, but... fighting those other fellows just now drained quite a bit of my energy. You two will serve nicely for a top-up."

He grinned, then lunged at Lin Luo. Both hands stretched out in a posture that completely defied human biomechanics, contorted to an extreme degree, instantly elongating like rubber bands... but for a Dead Apostle, such an ability was hardly surprising; their powers were inherently bizarre and varied.

Though the fellow's skill was ripe for mockery, Lin Luo had no inclination for sarcasm. He instantly activated the highest combat potential he currently possessed, pulling Lei back with a movement enhanced by a nerve reaction speed six times faster than a normal person.

Simultaneously, three Electric Spears shot out with a sizzling sound... mixed with Mystic Codes.

"Oh?" A hint of surprise crossed the white-haired Dead Apostle's face. When the Electric Spears struck him, his body shuddered slightly, but beyond a momentary pause in his movement, he seemed completely unharmed.

"Magician, are you?" Looking at Lin Luo, who had retreated several meters, he remarked casually.

The gap in power really is huge... Lin Luo swallowed, a tightness in his chest. With his current strength, that attack was nearly his maximum output, yet the opponent was completely unscathed. It was... understandable, perhaps, as a Dead Apostle's body wasn't as fragile as a human's; nearly all Dead Apostles were essentially immortal. Relying on Level 4 electricity and low-level sorcery to inflict damage was unlikely to succeed.

If he could form a Sword of Iron Sand, the situation might be better... Lin Luo thought regretfully. While the electricity he could currently command could draw some iron sand from the ground, he couldn't yet forge a sword sharp enough to slice through metal.

What about Gem Magic? While a level gem held a high probability of killing this Dead Apostle, using level Gem Magic required significant preparation time—time he absolutely did not have right now.

Then, could Atomic Collapse work?

Lin Luo felt it was unreliable, but considering the options available, this was the only one worth trying.

A distance of ten-plus meters meant nothing to a Dead Apostle; in the blink of an eye, the white-haired fiend was upon him, his two whip-like arms slicing the air with sharp whooshes.

Swish, swish.

Lin Luo's state had already switched. While evading, his fingers tapped out rapidly, sending five white beams of light shooting from his fingertips. The next moment, blood splattered.

The white-haired Dead Apostle stared blankly at his chest. The body struck by Atomic Collapse was fractured, but... that was all.

Theoretically, a Level 4 Atomic Collapse should be capable of pulverizing any substance, but the Dead Apostle was a life form outside conventional norms. An attack of this magnitude only managed to crack his body. Furthermore...

Click, click.

With sounds akin to the twisting of bone joints, after just a few casual movements, his fractured body had completely regenerated. He then grinned at Lin Luo, "Little fellow, quite an interesting magic."

Saying that, he swung his arms at Lin Luo again... Even this simple attack placed an immense pressure on Lin Luo.

A gale rushed toward his face. Lin Luo reflexively dodged sideways, but his expression quickly shifted... because during that attack, he had let go of Lei's hand. Now, facing the Dead Apostle's assault, Lei, with her constitution, couldn't react at all; she merely stood there blankly, seemingly oblivious to everything.

Damn it. Lin Luo cursed internally. With virtually no hesitation, he lunged forward, tackling Lei to the ground like lightning. Immediately afterward, he felt a heavy blow land on his back.

"Wha—!"

Simply being swiped by the Dead Apostle's arm felt like being hit by a truck. His internal organs churned; a taste of copper flooded his throat, and he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.

How many ribs are broken? Lin Luo didn't have time to worry about that. Enduring the searing pain, he rolled with Lei tucked tightly in his arms.

Smack. A deep gouge instantly appeared where they had just been lying.

"Little Magician, good reflexes, but you should die now." Withdrawing his arm, the white-haired Dead Apostle wore a cruel smile. His two arms merged into a sharp cone, which he suddenly plunged toward Lin Luo's chest. "Offer me your blood!"

From the previous blow, Lin Luo didn't know how many bones had snapped; his body was nearly paralyzed. His earlier roll had been purely driven by sheer willpower. Now, he couldn't move at all.

Am I going to die? End it all here? How absurd!

Lin Luo's heart was filled with resistance. In this moment, he thought of Misaka, thought of Rin, thought of Mugino and Shokuhou, thought of the innocent girl beside him, thought of his promise and the words, "I will definitely come back."

Yet, his body completely refused to obey. No amount of strong will could bridge the colossal gap in power. Even a spell like Divine Healing couldn't activate fast enough to counter the incoming attack; he could only watch helplessly.

But just as the sharp "cone" was about to pierce him, a dark shadow suddenly shot out from his chest. Lin Luo's eyes widened—it was a... cat?

This cat-like dark shadow darted into the Dead Apostle's body at a speed far exceeding the attack, and his thrust abruptly stopped. A look of utter desolation crossed the fiend's face; he stared blankly ahead, motionless.

What happened?

Though Lin Luo couldn't comprehend it, he certainly wouldn't waste such an opportunity. He quickly deactivated the contract mode, initiated Divine Healing, and in less than three seconds, his body was fully restored. He then grabbed Lei and fled the area immediately... As for that Dead Apostle, his own attacks couldn't harm the creature; why fight?

The white-haired Dead Apostle offered no resistance to Lin Luo's departure. He stood there dazedly, as if already dead, until nearly twenty minutes after Lin Luo vanished. Then, his body suddenly trembled, and with a soft thud, he fell to his knees.

"Blood... blood... blood..."

Completely different from before, his face was now covered in wrinkles, resembling a withered elder clinging to his last breath. His muddy eyes scanned his surroundings aimlessly, finally settling on the mouthful of blood Lin Luo had coughed up.

He placed a palm on the ground and began to crawl forward, step by painful step. The few meters distance took him a full minute. Then, he lowered his head and licked the crimson puddle on the earth.

The moment his tongue touched it, color returned to his dull eyes, and an expression of profound shock washed over his face. After half a second of stunned silence, he abruptly buried his face and greedily sucked at the blood on the ground, even gnawing clean the dirt and weeds stained with the crimson fluid so as not to waste a single drop.

When not a trace of blood remained on the ground, he rose to his feet. It was as if a dying old man had been granted a second youth; his whole being radiated brilliance.

"Hahahaha! How miraculous! This is truly a miracle, this is Holy Blood!"

The white-haired Dead Apostle threw his head back and laughed maniacally. He simply couldn't believe that merely drinking that pool of blood had not only healed all his recent injuries but had almost entirely repaired his previous wounds as well, restoring at least eighty percent of his strength.

"The miraculous Magician..." He licked his lips as if savoring the taste, then turned his gaze toward the direction Lin Luo had fled, quickly pursuing. He was certain that if he could drain the Magician's entire blood supply, he could surely ascend to the rank of "Ancestor."

Meanwhile, Lin Luo, who had narrowly escaped death at the hands of the Dead Apostle, was now hiding with Lei in a secluded ravine. It wasn't that he didn't want to leave the area; it was that he was gradually becoming lost in the forest, completely unable to find an exit.

He hadn't noticed last night, but now he dimly perceived the strangeness of this forest... Arriving here via non-locational spatial jump, it should have been pitch black at most until 1 AM. Yet, that wasn't the case. Although the light was indeed dim then, he could clearly see the surrounding environment without any visual difficulty.

He had initially attributed this to his night vision, but recalling its limits, his night vision wasn't that powerful. Moreover, Lei didn't possess night vision capabilities...

"This is too bizarre; this forest feels as if an enormous barrier has been laid over it," Lin Luo murmured, a bad premonition stirring within him, compounded by the appearance of the Dead Apostle.

Damn it, what is going on? A.