Chapter 674: Undying

Chapter 674: Undying

Deng Shentong sensed something unusual about the flames from Phoenixin Ren’s self-immolation.

Without a moment's hesitation, he broke free from Phoenixin’s grasp with all his might and retreated far back.

In the midst of the crimson blaze, Phoenixin was still smiling.

Even though his body was on the verge of collapse, not a trace of fear showed on his face.

“What the h*ll is going on?”

Deng Shentong stared warily at him.

He knew that as the leader of Moon of Corrosion, Phoenixin’s abilities couldn’t possibly be that simple.

But so what?

He’d fought plenty of tough opponents over the years.

As the flames raged, Phoenixin’s body slowly slumped to the ground.

But rather than dying out, the fire only grew fiercer—and Deng heard a sharp, piercing cry.

The crimson flames transformed into a three-headed flaming phoenix!

Moments later, the charred remains began to move again, rising from the ground.

The blackened dust fell away, revealing a powerful new body underneath.

Though naked, it radiated strength.

Phoenixin Ren had been reborn from the flames—and there wasn’t a single scar on his body.

It was perfect, as if he had just been born.

For the first time, Deng Shentong’s expression turned serious.

He remembered clearly—his punch had pierced through Phoenixin Ren’s chest, nearly shattering his heart.

There was no way a human could survive that.

So why… was this guy standing here again, good as new?

Was it because he hadn’t landed a finishing blow?

Deng licked the blood at the corner of his lips—Phoenixin Ren’s blood.

“Then I’ll just kill you again.”

The glow of Sacred Form Enhancement around Deng grew even more brilliant.

His speed increased sharply—he was practically the embodiment of light.

Just reborn from the flames, Phoenixin was immediately struck again—Deng had closed the distance and launched another punch!

Phoenixin smiled as he raised both arms to block.

Even with his vision stripped away, he had special ways of predicting Deng Shentong’s movements.

Outside the blinding haze, Takeuchi Mayumi knelt in the rubble.

She slowly slit her wrist, letting thick streams of blood pour onto the scroll before her—the Takeuchi Scroll.

The blood infused the scroll with a haunting energy.

Inside Phoenixin’s now-white eyes, the mark of reincarnation began to spin.

Even at the peak of their powers, the battle between two top-tier paranormals still came down to flesh versus flesh.

Deng Shentong’s ability to rob opponents of their sight gave him an overwhelming advantage.

Phoenixin was stuck in a defensive posture, relying on special techniques.

He tried to go on the offensive—but without sight, he was always a step behind.

Even with phoenix fire blazing around him, he still couldn’t locate Deng, who moved within the brilliance of light.

Splat!

This time, Deng formed a blade with his hand and drove it precisely through Phoenixin’s heart!

“Let’s see if you can still come back from this!”

Deng stared him down, enunciating each word.

But once again—Phoenixin’s body ignited, and he crawled out of the ashes completely intact!

At last, Deng Shentong understood Phoenixin’s ability:

Undying.

Even a fatal blow could be reversed—he could be reborn through fire.

This ability… was seriously troublesome.

No matter how you killed him, unless you annihilated every single cell, he’d keep coming back.

Phoenixin stood once more in flawless condition.

With a teasing grin, he said:

“Sorry! My best trait is—I just don’t die.”

An immortal opponent could slowly grind down anyone with endless methods.

But Deng Shentong wasn’t fazed at all.

He snorted.

“Can’t kill you? Then I’ll just kill you again. And again.”

He didn’t believe there was such a thing as true immortality.

Every carbon-based lifeform eventually dies.

Either he hadn’t found Phoenixin’s vital weakness…

Or he just hadn’t killed him enough times.

But it didn’t matter. He’d keep going until Phoenixin could no longer resurrect.

Deng gently touched his own cheek, his voice turning cold.

“My teammates are still waiting for news of my victory. I don’t have all day to waste here with you.”

“So… let’s speed things up!”

“Great Sumeru, Illusory Realm!”

In a daze, Phoenixin’s sight returned for the first time.

Inside the sea of white, he actually saw Deng Shentong’s distant figure.

But before he could feel joy, Deng’s shadow stretched endlessly—

And the world around him twisted into a kaleidoscope of illusions.

He saw bustling Kyoto, then suddenly the fields of Kagoshima.

He jumped through time and space—from villages to cities—

Even the clamor of human life buzzed in his ears.

“This is… an illusion?”

Phoenixin realized what was happening—but he couldn’t stop it.

Everything he saw, everything he heard—was fake.

BOOM!

His head exploded like a watermelon.

Blinded and deafened, Phoenixin had no way of defending against Deng’s assault.

Outside the mist, Takeuchi Mayumi’s blood had faded from the scroll.

But without hesitation, she cut her wrist again.

It was too cold—the wound kept clotting quickly.

She had to reopen it repeatedly to keep her sorcery active.

Nishijumu Satoru looked on, heart aching.

Everyone knew this could cost her the entire use of her arm.

Even for a miko with supernatural powers, that rule was no exception.

But Takeuchi Mayumi didn’t hesitate at all.

Back in the illusion, Phoenixin stood up again.

He looked completely unaffected.

No matter how many times he died—he was reborn in flames, perfectly whole.

No deterioration. No fatigue.

“Impossible. That’s completely impossible…”

Deng Shentong frowned, forming a theory in his mind.

“Even if resurrection is his power, it has to cost energy. He may look fine on the outside, but it must be draining his ability reserves.”

“If I kill him a few more times, he’ll eventually disappear!”

Deng remained completely calm.

He refused to believe that someone could be truly immortal.

Compared to other foes, Phoenixin’s only strength was being harder to kill—

In every other aspect, he had no advantage.

“Come on. Let’s see how many times you can die!”

Deng Shentong, glowing like the light itself, flashed behind Phoenixin.

His right leg whipped around like a long chain and slammed toward the back of Phoenixin’s skull!

But this time—even with his sight and hearing stripped away—Phoenixin still managed to block the strike with perfect precision!

Author's Note