Chapter Eighty-Nine: Unfathomable Hostility

Chapter Eighty-Nine: Unknown Hostility

Several people did not retreat in time and were instantly caught in the aftermath of the explosion, their bodies hurled through the air, not a single spot on them left unscathed.

The assassins, as if forewarned, withdrew quickly without any prompting.

Shen An’s expression darkened as he stared at Sun Li.

All of this was orchestrated by him from the shadows.

Clearly, this man had prepared multiple contingencies for this occasion.

Just as Shen An was about to close in on Sun Wu, he suddenly frowned again.

He saw a figure, bathed entirely in crimson, charging toward him at incredible speed.

The man's eyes seemed to burn like flames, as if containing an endless inferno within them. Not only that, but his entire body was a fiery red, and he moved so swiftly that he was in front of Shen An in the blink of an eye.

Wang Yuan, who was ahead, caught sight of this man, his eyes lighting up.

“This guy’s power is impressive. There’s fire burning in his eyes. Does he want to see whose flames are stronger? Ha! Come on, then.”

With a fiery gleam in his gaze, Wang Yuan stepped forward to intercept him.

Flames flickered to life in Wang Yuan’s hands as he rushed toward the newcomer. Yet the man didn’t so much as glance at Wang Yuan, his eyes fixed solely in Shen An’s direction.

Wang Yuan, blocking his line of sight, was merely a fleeting obstacle to him; he barely registered his presence before looking past him.

Those burning eyes met Wang Yuan’s, and the latter shuddered uncontrollably.

Then, as if nothing could halt him, the red figure barreled straight into Wang Yuan, sending him flying.

Wang Yuan spun once in midair before hitting the ground, terror filling his eyes.

This man’s strength was clearly beyond his own.

Wang Yuan had unwittingly become the test subject.

In the next instant, the red figure stood before Shen An.

Wang Yuan’s eyes widened. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth where he’d been struck, his internal organs badly shaken.

He watched as Shen An made his move.

The newcomer attempted the same tactic, trying to crash into Shen An. But he hadn’t counted on the fact that Shen An was not at all on Wang Yuan’s level.

In an instant, Shen An met him head-on.

Bang!

Both of them staggered back several steps.

The crimson man looked at Shen An, a smile curling at his lips.

Shen An, however, frowned.

“There’s something off about this man.”

He was inwardly startled.

This sudden expert was even stronger than Sun Li—his physique, speed, and strength all surpassed Sun Li’s by a wide margin.

Yet, the power Shen An sensed from him did not belong to the man himself.

Although he was formidable, his true cultivation was only at the late second tier, not even reaching the third.

And yet, such a person could match him in strength. It was truly baffling.

Shen An considered this for a moment before making his move again.

His body flickered, muscles crackling, moving like a swimming dragon as he rushed toward his opponent.

Boom!

The two collided once more.

Suddenly, the other man’s expression changed drastically, a look of pain contorting his face.

Shen An now wielded something like a spiked club, forged from ironwood—an object from his own space that could shift its form at will.

Held in Shen An’s hands, the mace exuded an imposing aura. The muscles on his arms bulged, the beauty of raw power radiating from his form.

“I thought your aura seemed familiar just now,” Shen An said with a smile.

He already understood the cause of the man’s transformation.

This was very similar to the forbidden drugs from before.

Except this time, the drug seemed somewhat improved.

The earlier versions were crude—uncontrollable, quickly turning users into mindless husks. But now, this substance appeared far more advanced: not only did it greatly enhance strength, it also allowed the user to retain clarity of mind, not wholly subjugated by the drug.

Clearly, this new drug was of a much higher grade.

“Heh, so you’ve figured it out,” the man replied, looking exhilarated.

Having been outmaneuvered by Shen An, he showed no anger—on the contrary, he seemed pleased.

He appeared unafraid of pain.

Shen An sensed a deeper issue.

“Shen An, you can’t beat him. This is the result of years of painstaking research. You have no idea how terrifying it is. Shen An, join us—only by joining us can you hope to survive,” Sun Li interjected from the side.

He was supremely confident in his creation.

This was the product of countless experiments. What they’d given the Chen family before was low-grade, failed batches meant only to confuse their opponents.

Now, seeing the drug’s immense power manifest, Sun Li knew its time had come.

“Does it mean there are no side effects?” Shen An asked, astonished.

Judging from Sun Li’s words, this drug was not a recent development but had been researched for a long time.

Shen An wasn’t sure if his guess was correct.

But he had a strong sense that things were far from simple.

A deep furrow appeared between his brows.

Just then, the middle-aged man charged again.

He was the test subject for this round of experimentation, with no room for refusal.

His current goal was to kill Shen An.

Only by killing him could he survive, only then could he regain his freedom.

He had waited many years for this chance.

From the moment he’d been taken from his home, he’d understood his fate. Now, if he could kill the man before him, he could win his freedom.

Freedom!

The one desire that burns in every heart from childhood to old age.

Yet that yearning is often answered only by a single sound.

No outsider would ever know the world they lived in.

It was a world where only one could survive.

“Kill. If I kill you, I can be free.”

His footwork was strange and shifting as he spoke, and his words made Shen An hesitate for a moment.

“His tone?” Shen An suddenly noticed something different.

The way this man spoke was strikingly similar to those he had encountered in that place on Phoenix Mountain.

Li Shan Sect?

Shen An remembered that incident vividly.

He had nearly lost his life there.

“You’re not from this world!”

Shen An’s demeanor instantly became razor-sharp.

As he spoke, he dodged the man’s attack, contorting his body in an uncanny fashion to evade, while at the same time swinging his spiked club at his opponent.

Shen An showed no mercy.

Sun Li, watching from the sidelines, stared in shock.

He hadn’t expected Shen An to guess the man’s true identity.

“Damn, this brat seems to have uncovered some secrets.”

His gaze turned even more sinister.

Hearing Shen An’s words, the man paused, surprised, and scrutinized Shen An.

He, too, assessed Shen An with a searching look.

“Outsider, what else do you know?”