At the very instant the two charged at one another, Zhou Wen's eyes—bloodshot and crimson—suddenly regained a faint trace of clarity.
Though he still rushed toward Qin Yi like a ravenous beast, his face bore an expression of unmistakable pain.
Had Qin Yi already lost all reason, he never would have noticed such a subtle change.
But even if he could not restrain his own hunger, everything he saw was faithfully transmitted to Liu Ming's mind.
Thus Liu Ming saw it clearly—Zhou Wen's pain, and his struggle!
Yet… what difference did it make?
Both had already chosen the other as their next meal. With boundless killing intent, they barreled forward to collide.
So deep was the hunger in their bodies that even the most basic exchange was impossible. No compromise, no reconciliation could exist.
The outcome of this clash… might decide the final victor of the trial.
Zhou Wen hunched low, muscles swelling, ready to explode with savage force.
Now he looked less like a man than a beast, his mind reduced to a single thought—kill the other, devour the other!
Qin Yi's condition was slightly better. Though unable to suppress his own desire, his true self's interference allowed his mind to remain lucid.
Since Zhou Wen had become nothing more than a slaughtering beast, Qin Yi resolved to use the killing techniques recorded in the Blood Feast Codex to strike him down completely.
It was still devouring—but at least he could control the method.
He halted his charge ahead of time, quickly sinking his stance, knees bent, weight lowered, crouched in place—waiting.
In his plan, Zhou Wen would surely, under the hunger's sway, recklessly throw himself forward. At that instant, Qin Yi would sidestep, seize the fleeting opening, and kill him in a single blow.
Yet when Zhou Wen thundered to a stop before him, just as Qin Yi shifted aside—
Zhou Wen's body… halted.
He froze, teeth chattering, lips trembling violently, and forced out a few hoarse words:
"Kill… me…"
Qin Yi was stunned.
What was happening?
How could Zhou Wen still stop himself?
This sudden shift shattered Qin Yi's planned move. The feral hunger within instantly surged through the breach, overwhelming him completely.
In the next heartbeat, he lost control and lunged straight at Zhou Wen!
Had Zhou Wen chosen that moment to strike back, the two would have perished together, leaving the outcome to fate.
But to Qin Yi's astonishment—Zhou Wen did not retaliate.
He stood still, silently watching as Qin Yi's palm pierced through his chest.
Only then did a single turbid tear roll down his cheek, as he whispered the final words of his life:
"Th… thank you…"
With that, his body shriveled rapidly before Qin Yi's eyes, flesh and blood essence pouring out in a rushing crimson tide, consumed by the Blood Feast Codex.
The stench of blood drowned out Qin Yi's shock.
He had… stopped himself, by sheer force of will.
Qin Yi could not deny it—Zhou Wen's resolve was stronger than his own, more steadfast against the indescribable hunger.
And yet, even such a man had to die at his hands, leaving behind not even a complete corpse.
Qin Yi stood in silence, uncertain of what to feel.
But the mortals, enslaved by desire, would grant him no peace.
The heavy reek of blood drew their attention.
Like sharks scenting prey, they closed in on him, eyes burning with greed and madness.
In that instant, Qin Yi realized—
One who cultivated the Blood Feast Codex was both hunter and hunted.
By practicing this demonic art, he gained the power to devour all things and grow stronger. Yet at the same time, the condensed essence within his own body became the most tempting delicacy to others.
Though he was no longer a mere mortal, though he had already stepped onto the path of cultivation, these frenzied mortals still sought to consume him!
If they swallowed him, they would inherit his refined spiritual power.
He… in a sense, was also a medicine.
Qin Yi's eyes flickered in shock, but the encroaching mortals broke his thoughts.
With a frown, he unleashed the full might of his third-level Qi Refining aura.
A formless wave of pressure erupted outward, blasting from his body in all directions!
The approaching mortals fell like stalks of wheat in a storm, knocked flat to the ground, unable to move.
At that moment, Qin Yi realized he could suppress the hunger within.
Perhaps it was because he had just devoured the entirety of a third-level Qi Refining cultivator's essence.Perhaps it was Zhou Wen's final struggle that had shaken him deeply.Or perhaps… it was because the bottleneck to mid-stage Qi Refining within him had begun to loosen, ever so slightly.
Whatever the cause, his will returned enough for him to seize control once more.
He no longer needed to kill and eat everyone in sight.
Which meant he could now test his earlier conjecture.
Those who survived this far already had blood on their hands—he need not worry further.
He bound them all, then chose two of the stronger mortals. In front of them, he recited aloud the Blood Feast Codex, etching each line of incantation into their minds.
Then, dragging over the corpses of the fallen, he let the two maddened mortals feed.
Under the Codex's automatic circulation, one of them successfully broke through, stepping into the first level of Qi Refining.
Qin Yi pressed him further, forcing him to devour more flesh until he was pushed all the way to the third level of Qi Refining.
Only then did Qin Yi strike him down without hesitation.
As the man perished, a surge of abundant essence flooded into Qin Yi's body. He felt the bottleneck within loosen further.
His guess… was correct!
The second man, however, no matter how much flesh he consumed, failed to break through.
Qin Yi did not know if it was due to lack of talent, or because he had not absorbed the Codex's teachings in full.
In the end, Qin Yi replaced him. Fortunately, the next man succeeded.
Once again, Qin Yi fattened him into a third-level Qi Refining cultivator—then slew him instantly.
At that precise moment—
Qin Yi heard it clearly.
The sound of something breaking inside him.
A sound he had experienced before.
The sound of a breakthrough—
He was about to step into the fourth level of Qi Refining!