The Strongest Gene Chapter 872 - The Horrifying Truth

“I predicted you would extend the firing duration of your God Punisher. However, this extension can only be marginal, not substantial. Furthermore, it would invariably lead to a decrease in power. Consequently, it makes no difference even if the strike successfully lands.”

Pu!

Luo Yuan spewed a mouthful of blood, erupting into hearty laughter. “Haha. God Punisher? Hahaha! Truly potent.”

Shua!

His body began to mend with remarkable speed. Despite the immense expenditure of Qi required for this and the severe injuries he had sustained, he unhesitatingly channeled his power to fully restore his physical form. Concurrently, his most formidable offensive had been unleashed upon Chen Feng. As far as he understood, Chen Feng was now at his absolute weakest point.

Pu!

The torrent of light he fired pierced through Chen Feng, impaling him precisely where he stood. Chen Feng’s heart was transfixed. He was rendered so frail that perhaps even a blade of grass would suffice to end his life.

“It is concluded,” Luo Yuan declared, his voice tinged with exhaustion, exuding the relief of a man freed from a great burden. The ordeal was finally over.

Pu!

Luo Yuan continued to cough up blood, having likewise endured grievous wounds. Yet, this was of little consequence, as he could feel his body rapidly regenerating.

“Your intellect is keen. Your power is undeniable as well. Regrettably, your youth betrays you, and you are outmatched by my strength.” Luo Yuan’s gaze met Chen Feng’s eyes, filled with an inextinguishable defiance. “If… if you had entered this world even a moment before me, you would undoubtedly surpass me in might. What a tragic twist of fate… Nevertheless, rest assured. I gave Wang Yao my word that I would spare you. Hehe. The Chen Feng of old can remain eternally with Wang Yao. Is this not a fitting conclusion?”

Luo Yuan then took a seat beside Chen Feng. The tableau of the two figures presented side-by-side possessed a surface-level harmony. Naturally, this illusionary peace would shatter if one’s gaze fell upon the radiant spike protruding from Chen Feng’s chest.

“You have prevailed,” Chen Feng whispered, his voice barely audible.

“Undoubtedly.” Luo Yuan placed a hand upon Chen Feng’s form. “Be at ease. There shall be no coming back from this. This spike possesses the ability to nullify all forms of rebirth and regeneration. This is precisely why I did not permit you to slay me prior to enacting my Nirvana Rebirth; after all, should you have employed some stratagem, it could potentially have rendered the rebirth void.” Luo Yuan offered a cruel smile. “Therefore, depart in peace.”

With deliberate force, Luo Yuan drove the spike deeper into Chen Feng’s being. Once more, Chen Feng was impaled by the sharp implement. In mere moments, Chen Feng’s aura diminished to an ethereal wisp, teetering on the precipice of oblivion.

“You…” Chen Feng’s gaze shifted towards Luo Yuan, brimming with righteous anger. “Did… did you not entertain the possibility that I might still possess a means of rebirth?”

Luo Yuan scoffed. “Rebirth? Impossible.”

“Very well.” Chen Feng’s eyes began to lose their focus. “Did you realize that I still held a trump card capable of facilitating rebirth?”

“It is futile.” Luo Yuan’s lips curled into a dismissive smirk. “I have already informed you. All avenues for rebirth have been sealed.”

Chen Feng: “…Are you entirely certain of that?” A sudden, mirthful laugh escaped Chen Feng. “Indeed, it is perhaps too much to expect you to fall for my deceptions repeatedly.”

“Mhm?” An unsettling question arose in Luo Yuan’s mind. Why did this fellow’s pronouncements sound so peculiar? It was logical to assume Chen Feng was on his deathbed, uttering his final words. Yet, why did Luo Yuan find himself gripped by an inexplicable sense of unease? Rebirth should be an impossibility. That very spike could seal even his own Nirvana Rebirth; consequently, it would surely allow Chen Feng no pathway to regeneration. Still, a chilling sensation permeated Luo Yuan’s very being as he listened to Chen Feng. He lacked any rational explanation.

“It is a genuine shame. Your absolute conviction in my demise… otherwise, I would most certainly have embraced a new beginning…” Chen Feng’s voice dripped with an air of profound regret.

“???” Luo Yuan found himself utterly perplexed. How could his certainty of Chen Feng’s death possibly impact his capacity for rebirth?

“Hehe.” Chen Feng let out another laugh. Despite his dissipating essence, his laughter echoed. “My dear Luo Yuan… have you not perceived that every facet of your meticulously laid plans unfolded with unnerving smoothness? To the extent that even the final, fatal blow you delivered to Chen Feng transpired precisely as you had envisioned and believed it would?” Chen Feng’s aura grew increasingly faint. “What a… masterfully orchestrated scheme…”

Shua!

And thus, Chen Feng’s body collapsed powerlessly. Deceased. Chen Feng was undeniably dead. Yet, the words he had spoken in his final moments sent a shiver of icy dread coursing through Luo Yuan’s heart. What enigma lay hidden within his pronouncements? Everything unfolded precisely as Luo Yuan had intended? Was this some form of elaborate illusion? No, that seemed improbable. Then why had that individual uttered such words?

Suddenly, Luo Yuan’s mind flashed back to a past incident, where he, too, had erroneously believed in Chen Feng’s feigned demise and had been deceived for decades. However, this time felt profoundly different. Chen Feng had truly perished before his very eyes, dispatched by his own hand. Consequently, he harbored an absolute certainty that Chen Feng was dead. If that were the case, what possible meaning could those cryptic words convey?

An inexplicable dread seized Luo Yuan. Could this be a trap Chen Feng had laid, ensuring his eternal torment? Or was there some other inscrutable purpose behind it? Luo Yuan remained bewildered. What could those words possibly signify? He was completely flabbergasted, feeling as though he'd fallen into a bizarre state. Was Chen Feng attempting to drive him to madness even beyond the grave?

Regaining his composure, Luo Yuan understood he could no longer linger on these thoughts. He needed to fortify his resolve. Whatever Chen Feng's machinations, Luo Yuan would confront them with sheer power. After all, Chen Feng's remaining strength was merely his band of misfit followers.

Currently, no one possessed the ability to halt Luo Yuan. Even in this strange new world, he stood supreme. Heh... His next objective was to return to the world he knew, to unite it under his dominion. Indeed, he remained the true protagonist of this realm. With renewed conviction, he departed. Yet, before leaving, an instinctive glance was cast towards Chen Feng's corpse.

Immediately, a wave of unprecedented horror washed over him. Chen Feng’s body... had undergone a transformation.

Luo Yuan shuddered. “How is this conceivable?” he cried, rushing forward in a frenzy. He lifted Chen Feng’s lifeless form, his gaze fixed upon it. A chilling realization struck him as he observed the corpse. It was indeed present, but the individual he had personally slain was not Chen Feng. Instead... it was Wu Hui, Chen Feng’s disciple.

Bang!

A deafening explosion reverberated in Luo Yuan’s mind. In that instant, all the peculiar occurrences clicked into place. Why had “Qin Hai” suddenly begun his rampage? It was directly related to Wu Hui's appearance. Wu Hui had impersonated Qin Hai, feeding on the fear and assumptions of the various deities, eliminating all who believed they would fall victim to Qin Hai.

Why had Kong Bai continued his assault even after the correct answer was provided? The reason was identical. The gods were consumed by terror, convinced Kong Bai would annihilate them. This potent belief manifested, allowing Wu Hui to turn their fears into reality.

He himself had unwittingly fallen prey to this. Suddenly, he grasped why the simulated “Chen Feng” had divulted the plan. “Chen Feng” had also declared Luo Yuan’s current strength to be that of a high-tier true god, asserting they now possessed equal abilities. All of this was designed to fuel Luo Yuan’s imagination, which Wu Hui would then exploit.

It was no wonder “Chen Feng” had proven so formidable. It was no wonder that every ability Luo Yuan dreaded had been flawlessly executed by “Chen Feng.” It was no wonder that even the ultimate outcome of their clash mirrored his deepest expectations. True, it had all unfolded far too seamlessly. So, he had been battling his own projections all along?

Hahahahaha!

Consumed by fury, Luo Yuan erupted in laughter, tears streaming down his face. How pathetic. After expending all his ultimate techniques, he had merely vanquished a phantom of his own psyche? Merely some Wu Hui? A mere disciple of Chen Feng?