The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 817: Rile Up

Bam!

Swapping his double with his main body, Gao Yang charged toward Wang Zikai from the side and kicked him in the left side of his face. It turned out that he had conjured a double ahead of time for the swap.

The kick sent Wang Zikai flying sideways into the forest and toppling a few trees, shocking a flock of birds into taking flight.

Gao Yang shouted in his direction, “Wang Zikai, you’re not only clumsy, but also stupid! You’re always getting led on a merry chase like a dog. How is a trash like you going to lead the Nine Scions? To save the world? Don’t make me laugh...”

Thud. A figure shot through the trees. Wang Zikai bled from the corner of his mouth with his face distorted in anger—he was mad!

Although Gao Yang was his best mate, he went too far fooling and humiliating Wang Zikai!

After a round of beating, what little rationality remained in Wang Zikai’s head evaporated. He shot toward Gao Yang like a bullet. Gao Yang raised his right hand to conjure a golden energy bulwark.

Wild killing intent flashed through Wang Zikai’s eyes. Three bone claws shot out of his clenched right fist.

Swish. Three arcs of fierce slashes cut the half-meter-thick energy shield into several fragments.

Gao Yang teleported away from the fierce blade aura piercing through the shield in time and used Strange Whislte.

Wang Zikai, mid-charge, came to a confused halt. Hm? Wang Zikai, what are you doing? How can you go all out with Gao Yang?!

A second later, the whistle ended. As soon as Wang Zikai recovered, Gao Yang had already teleported to him.

Gao Yang punched Wang Zikai in the chest and activated Weak Point, which he had replicated from Nine Frost. Wang Zikai flew off his feet once more.

Gao Yang teleported to give chase and made a second punch at Wang Zikai’s chest in midair.

Weak Point, times seven!

“Gah—”

The punch made Wang Zikai throw up blood, and he flew tens of meters away, smashing through several trees until he was out of the forest and falling into the river behind it. Water splashed as he fell in.

Two seconds later, Wang Zikai broke the surface of the water. His shirt was torn in the chest area.

No sooner had he recovered than Gao Yang appeared once more above his head, shrouded in golden light. With his right fist clenched, he made a swing at Wang Zikai, who was in the middle of the river.

That would trigger Weak Point’s third phase, and even Wang Zikai wouldn’t be able to withstand it.

Gao Yang had not pulled back at all. He was trying to kill Wang Zikai.

Fuck, I’m God! You’re...

Courting death!!!

Wang Zikai lost it completely. In his rage and heartbreak, crimson light shot out of his eyes, and boom! An insidious dark red energy swept along the river; the resulting crimson ripples spread outward, and powerful gusts whipped through the trees.

Wang Zikai’s three bone claws evolved. They elongated at an incredible speed like red lasers, instantly piercing through Gao Yang.

Caught off guard, Gao Yang didn’t manage to react before his shoulder, arm, and abdomen were penetrated.

His Consitution and Endurance were over two thousand, and he had armored himself with Absolute Defense, yet his defense broken down like glass facing the three bone claws swirling with insidious crimson energy.

Swoosh. The bone claws quickly retracted, and like three magnets closely attached to Gao Yang’s body, they pulled Gao Yang along to Wang Zikai.

Gao Yang wanted to swap himself with his double, but he couldn’t. Then he tried to conjure an Absolute Barrier that would defend him from all things, but he couldn’t.

Only then did he discover that the bone claws piercing through him had sealed all the energy routes inside him.

When Gao Yang realized it, he was already pulled to the center of the river by Wang Zikai’s retracting bone claws, and Wang Zikai had clenched his other hand into a fist to make a swing at Gao Yang’s face.

If the punch landed, Gao Yang’s head would shatter like a watermelon, and he would die for sure.

Staring death in the face, Gao Yang embraced it and closed his eyes.

Swoosh.

Powerful gusts hit Gao Yang in the face like razors slicing through his skin. His hair, tied into a ponytail, went loose. Then the rubberband broke, and his scattering hair hit himself in the face.

A few seconds later, everything quieted down.

Gao Yang opened his eyes to find Wang Zikai’s fist right in front of the tip of his nose.

Wang Zikai retracted the bone claws out of Gao Yang’s body. Gao Yang collapsed forward bonelessly.

Wang Zikai quickly caught him, the rage and wild frenzy on his face long gone. All that was left was panic. “You, you you you you...why would you do that? Why must you rile me up?!”

“Does it hurt? Shit, we don’t have any more Medicine C, do we?”

“Stay with me! I’ll find a doctor...”

“I’m fine.” Gao Yang managed a smile with blood streaking down the corner of his mouth. “I have Gecko. I heal fast.”

“Yes! You have Gecko! Amazing! Wonderful!”

Wang Zikai wasn’t even sure who he should be angry at. Supporting the injured Gao Yang, he slowly went to the river's bank.

Then Hong Xiaoxiao, who had been hiding in the shadows, hurriedly jogged up to them. “Are you alright, Captain?”

Gao Yang nodded with a pale face and threw the Black Gold hairpin in his pocket to her. “I’m fine. You should go back and rest. Give me some private time with Wang Zikai.”

“Oh...okay.” Hong Xiaoxiao took the hairpin and turned to leave, not daring to ask any questions.

“Hold up!” Wang Zikai helped Gao Yang sit down before turning to stare at Hong Xiaoxiao from a short distance, his gaze dark.

Hong Xiaoxiao shuddered. It felt like she was caught by a cold, insidious viper. She didn’t move; she dared not to even breathe a little louder.

There was a current. Then Wang Zikai was suddenly by Hong Xiaoxiao’s side. Entirely drenched, he loomed over Hong Xiaoxiao and demanded in an icy voice, “You’ve been following us?”

“Cap-captain told me to. He, he said that if he got killed by you, I should bring, bring him back with Time Reset...” Hong Xiaoxiao stuttered.

“So you heard all our conversation?” Wang Zikai’s gaze bored into her like a physical thing.

“No, no, no! I heard nothing!” Hong Xiaoxiao waved her hands vehemently with visible panic. “I was worried that you would notice, so I kept my distance. I heard nothing, for real...”

“Really?”

“Really! I, I shear it!” Hong Xiaoxiao raised her right hand as she said, her tongue getting twisted in fear. “Please, don’t, don’t kill me...”

“Haha!” Wang Zikai broke into a beam and clapped Hong Xiaoxiao’s shoulder hard. “Who’s gonna kill you? We’re companions!”

“Ha, hahaha...” Hong Xiaoxiao’s smile looked more like a grimace. “Yeah, companion, companion...”

“Alright, go back.” Wang Zikai waved her away.

“Yes!” Hong Xiaoxiao bolted.

Wang Zikai watched her run away, grumbling in his mind, The hell! I’m God! If you know that I’m learning hand-to-hand combat from Nine Frost, I’d never live it down.

Wang Zikai wiped the water off his face and went back to Gao Yang, sitting on the river bank beside him. While it was awesome that he had surpassed his limit right there, it had exhausted his energy, and he was dead tired.

He glanced at Gao Yang. The injuries had mended, and the bleeding stopped. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief.

“Bro, what the hell? You shouldn’t rile me up like that!” Wang Zikai was still reeling. “You knew I got lost in anger easily. What if I accidentally killed you?”

“Hong Xiaoxiao could bring me back,” Gao Yang said.

“She can only bring one person back twice. That’d be a waste!”

“It’s worth it to make you stronger.”

Wang Zikai was so moved that he was stunned for a moment. He smiled embarrassedly. “Haha, that’s true, but don’t ever do that again. Seriously, hurting you makes me feel bad...”

“Wang Zikai,” Gao Yang interrupted him suddenly.

“Hm?” Wang Zikai blinked blankly.

“There’s something I have to ask you.” Gao Yang’s gaze darkened. The air tensed up again.