Seeing Chen Jie return, Lin Yao felt as if he had finally found a savior.
He stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Chen Jie Brother, you've finally come back. I just encountered a strange monster. It can hide in the darkness— even I, a third-stage awakened, couldn't detect it at all."
To Lin Yao, Chen Jie was someone who could save him.
Once everyone calmed down, they all gathered around Chen Jie.
By the time Chen Jie returned to the hospital, he had already sensed the presence of this abnormal monster.
But this creature was unlike the ordinary mutated monsters he had faced before.
This mutation was more than just physical—it had undergone a second change, becoming even more brutal and cunning.
It was an incredibly powerful creature.
Chen Jie watched the writhing form in the darkness with caution.
"Big brother, can we take it down?"
Lin Yao stood beside Chen Jie, a trace of worry in his voice.
"Of course we can, but ordinary methods won't work against a monster like this."
He extended his hand toward Xia Wanrou behind him.
"Wanrou, lend me your Green-Scaled Longsword for a moment."
Such a special, re-mutated creature required a weapon imbued with lightning to inflict significant damage.
Hearing Chen Jie request her weapon, Xia Wanrou flipped her hand, and the Green-Scaled Longsword appeared in his grasp.
"Take it, Xiao Jie."
The sword still hummed faintly with residual thunder.
Its exorcising power remained undiminished.
At the same time, Chen Jie summoned two streams of Hongmeng Purity Qi, enveloping the sword.
Immediately, the previously quiet Green-Scaled Longsword began to hum.
The aura of heaven and earth filled it completely, making it resonate with pleasure.
"Human, don't think that with that sword you can defeat me."
The monster's voice emerged again from the darkness, full of arrogance.
Chen Jie swung the sword, sending a massive bolt of lightning crashing toward the creature.
The thunder illuminated the entire hospital.
Finally, everyone could see the monster clearly.
It had five eyes, a mouth full of sharp fangs, and gray skin.
A tail extended from its back, a row of bony spikes protruded along its spine, and two gaping mouths were on its chest.
It was short in stature, yet incredibly ferocious.
Its eyes radiated magical power.
The five-eyed, short-statured monster let out a non-human, beastly roar.
The lightning struck it.
Yet it barely scratched the creature's surface.
It stepped toward Chen Jie, its massive feet pounding the ground with a deafening boom.
The blade in its hand swung down with terrifying speed.
So fast!
Muscles tensed, the monster unleashed immense power.
With darkness enhancing its speed, the blade fell faster than an ordinary person could react.
The air itself seemed to explode with energy, sword and lightning flashing everywhere!
Fortunately, Chen Jie had advanced to the late fourth stage of awakened; dodging such an attack was effortless.
"Clang!"
The monster's blade struck nothing but the ground, which instantly cracked.
Black residues adhered to the surface, like some corrosive energy.
Dodging the blade, Chen Jie flicked his wrist, and the Green-Scaled Longsword thrust forward, striking one of the monster's eyes.
The eye happened to be its weak point.
With the sword's exorcising effect, the moment it pierced the creature, it felt as if its entire soul was being impaled by Chen Jie.
"Argh!!!"
The monster screamed in agony, a sound even more horrific than when it had slaughtered humans before.
"Human! How dare you harm me!"
Its gaze fixed on Chen Jie with hatred, as if it wanted to shred him limb by limb.
It pushed back, trying to shake off the sword.
The two mouths on its chest suddenly opened, releasing a strange red glow.
Moments later, two claws, slick and crimson with blood, extended from the mouths.
The claws were smooth, lacking any biological features.
They resembled manifestations of emotional energy, imbued with hatred, pain, and despair…
Faint wails of suffering emanated from the claws.
These claws were not ordinary!
Chen Jie furrowed his brow, realizing the danger, and quickly stepped back.
Better to observe their peculiar properties first.
Moments after appearing, the claws locked onto him and lunged.
Their speed was terrifying—three times faster than the lightning from the Green-Scaled Longsword!
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, the claws reached Chen Jie, aiming for his face.
He held his breath and swiftly tilted his head aside!
The claws missed by mere centimeters.
One claw missed, the other came from below.
Having dodged the first, Chen Jie now understood their speed.
He focused intensely, and before the second claw reached him, he rolled back two body lengths.
Yet the claws seemed to have a built-in tracking ability, relentlessly pursuing him.
Chen Jie stomped, turned, and counterattacked the claws.
The Green-Scaled Longsword struck at the center of the claws.
"Shsshh!"
Lightning surged, slicing through the claws.
But it felt as if stabbing into water.
Less than three seconds after being pierced, the split claws fused back together, as if glued.
"Does the Green-Scaled Longsword have no effect on it?"
Chen Jie's surprise was evident.
No wonder this mutated, evil creature wasn't afraid of his sword at all!
But where exactly was the weak point of these claws?
His mind raced, analyzing the claws mid-battle.
Seeing Chen Jie struggling, the five-eyed monster shook its head and laughed gleefully.
"Little human, how ridiculous. These claws are forged from the accumulated grudges of countless souls. You can't destroy them.
And if even a scratch reaches you, the endless grudges will corrode your body through the wound.
You'll be tortured to death by these grudges!"
Grudge-infused claws…
Chen Jie dodged while thinking.
Xia Wanrou's Green-Scaled Longsword could repel evil, and his Hongmeng Purity Qi could destroy grudges.
If… he fused the two together, wouldn't it be perfect against these claws?
Thinking this, Chen Jie began infusing a portion of his Hongmeng Purity Qi into the Green-Scaled Longsword.
However, the sword resisted fiercely.
It wasn't naturally compatible with the Hongmeng Purity Qi.
Resistance was normal.
But at this critical moment, Chen Jie could not care about the sword's reluctance.
He poured in massive amounts of Hongmeng Purity Qi, forcing the fusion…