Chapter 220: The Chosen One Project

After regaining consciousness, Jiang Sui opened her eyes to a dead, silent street.

A pitch-black sky. Roads devoid of any sign of life. It was as if the entire city had been a crumbling ruin for decades.

Jiang Sui looked up, staring intently at the sky.

Soon she realized it wasn’t the sky that was black—it was something covering it.

That pitch-black thing was just too enormous.

So vast it gave the illusion that ‘the sky has always been black.’

‘Where am I?’

When Jiang Sui looked ahead, her entire body froze.

That robed figure was standing right in front of her, somehow already there.

She was so terrified she couldn’t move.

‘Why does it have to appear at a time like this?’

Jiang Sui’s heart sank.

She hadn’t held any similar rituals.

Could it be that the black cat, which had temporarily borrowed her body, was also starting to act recklessly?

Jiang Sui instinctively tried to reach for the ancient book.

But now she couldn’t move even a single finger.

She could only watch helplessly as the robed figure slowly raised its hand.

When it had faced the black cat, it slapped her hard.

But facing Jiang Sui…

It only extended a withered finger and lightly tapped her forehead.

A red glow suddenly flared.

Spreading swiftly like blood vessels.

Her originally light purple eyes were also stained with an eerie crimson.

Jiang Sui didn’t feel pain.

Instead, her body felt extremely comfortable.

From deep within her previously weak and exhausted body, new strength kept surging forth.

In a daze…

She even seemed to catch a faint smile under that dark cloak.

“Mmh!”

Jiang Sui closed her eyes, then opened them again.

Her consciousness returned to the real world.

At the same time.

Yan Chen, who had injected the purple reagent, had already retreated a distance.

But the black cat pounced forward to block his path.

“Hey, what did you do to her?”

“Relax, I’m helping her.”

When the black cat saw the empty needle in his hand, her expression grew even more serious.

“You injected her with Boiling Blood?!”

“How is that helping?”

The black cat knew exactly what Boiling Blood was.

That stuff grants unimaginable power.

But the price is equally terrifying.

Most people who use Boiling Blood end up suffering both mental and physical torment.

In mild cases, they hear vague whispers, their minds become abnormal, and their bodies weaken from overexertion.

In severe cases, they go insane on the spot, undergo physical mutations, and degenerate into monsters.

However.

Yan Chen wasn’t alarmed by her reaction.

Instead, he looked toward Jiang Sui’s location.

“Since you’re her friend, why don’t you take this opportunity to really get to know her?”

“Her potential and talent are far beyond what an ordinary Secret Arts Practitioner like you can understand.”

“Huh?”

The black cat turned around.

Jiang Sui had slowly stood up.

Those crimson eyes first glanced down at herself, then turned to the Hundred Ghosts Apostle.

Just a single look.

The Hundred Ghosts Apostle felt a chill down his spine.

It was the most intense fear he had ever felt since his birth.

‘What is this feeling?’

He wanted to suppress this emotion.

But he couldn’t do it at all.

He even felt an urge to submit.

As if a lower-ranked being had encountered a true superior.

The Hundred Ghosts Apostle shook his head violently.

Forcing himself to calm down.

“It must be another Decoy Art!”

“I’ve seen plenty of these!”

The next second.

Countless pale arms lunged at Jiang Sui at the same time.

If they touched her,

those arms would tear her apart in an instant.

But Jiang Sui just took a deep breath.

Standing still, not moving an inch.

Allowing herself to be completely engulfed by the pale arms.

‘Success!’

The Hundred Ghosts Apostle’s heart leaped with joy.

But the next second.

A violent energy erupted from within that pale sea.

Boom!

All the pale arms exploded instantly.

Even the Hundred Ghosts Apostle was knocked back two steps by the shockwave.

Two arms quickly grew from his back to stabilize his body.

But in the next moment.

A black afterimage had already flashed before his eyes.

“Aaaaagh!!!”

A scream suddenly rang out.

The Hundred Ghosts Apostle covered his left shoulder, stumbling backward.

Blood gushed uncontrollably.

Jiang Sui was already standing beside him, somehow.

She flicked the scythe lightly.

One of his arms had been severed.

Jiang Sui didn’t even pay attention to his screams.

Instead, she bent down, picked up the severed limb, and took a little blood.

Then she smeared it on the ancient book.

After observing in silence for a moment, she couldn’t help but sigh.

“I can’t believe you’re useless.”

“Weren’t you supposed to be the Chosen of the King in Black Robes?”

Jiang Sui had figured it out.

The ancient book’s absorption ability had a prerequisite: the target must bear the Seal of the Black Star Cult.

Earlier, she had sent the black cat back to Lan City to examine the bodies of those she had absorbed.

The result was—

Every successful target had the Cult Mark.

The failures did not.

After that investigation,

she finally confirmed one thing.

The ancient book’s absorption range was completely restricted to members of the Black Star Cult.

Normally, all Black Star Cult members should have the Cult Mark.

Unless they had a special status and hadn’t yet been recognized by the higher-ups.

Why such a restriction?

Jiang Sui didn’t know yet.

She needed to investigate further.

But at least now she understood the rules of the ancient book.

“And you don’t even have the Cult Mark. That really surprises me.”

Jiang Sui couldn’t help but laugh.

“Aren’t you the Chosen One?”

“How come you don’t even have the Cult Mark?”

“Was it the King in Black Robes who didn’t acknowledge you, or the Black Star Cult?”

At these words.

The Hundred Ghosts Apostle’s face twisted, cycling through shades of purple.

He roared in fury:

“What do you know?!”

“I was born a Chosen One!”

“What right do you have to judge whether I’m worthy?!”

The pale arms could no longer suppress Jiang Sui.

The Hundred Ghosts Apostle decided to summon all his remaining ghosts.

But this time.

He didn’t use a swarm tactic.

Instead, he made those ghosts converge on himself.

Their flesh began to melt and merge.

Eventually fusing with the Hundred Ghosts Apostle’s body.

In half a minute.

He went from a normal human form to a bloated giant monster.

This was the Hundred Ghosts Apostle’s last desperate struggle.

He roared, raising a massive fist and slamming it down at Jiang Sui.

Seeing this.

Jiang Sui simply raised the scythe with one hand and swung it lightly.

Though the movement was effortless,

a red light flashed in an instant.

The next second.

The Hundred Ghosts Apostle’s movements came to a complete halt.

Then his huge body began to crack and collapse.

Even the building behind him was neatly sliced in two.

Piles of rotting flesh and mud formed a mountain.

Under the sunlight, they emitted a pungent stench.

But in a place Jiang Sui couldn’t see,

a small shadow slipped out from behind the mound of flesh.

It quickly darted into a distant alley.

“We won?”

The black cat was overjoyed.

She immediately ran toward Jiang Sui.

But upon hearing her voice, the crimson in Jiang Sui’s eyes quickly faded.

Reverting to its original light purple.

Then she collapsed to the ground.

That startled the black cat.

She quickly checked on her.

After confirming it was just unconsciousness, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking at Jiang Sui’s sleeping face,

the black cat couldn’t help but click her tongue.

She grew more and more curious about the secrets Jiang Sui carried.

Of course she knew how dangerous Boiling Blood was.

But Jiang Sui was just a girl from an ordinary family.

How could a single dose of Boiling Blood unleash such terrifying power?

And that ancient book—

it was also so powerful that most Secret Arts Practitioners would be ashamed.

What secrets did this girl hold?

Pat.

Footsteps.

The black cat looked up at Yan Chen.

As he tidied Jiang Sui’s hair, she spoke up:

“If she ends up ruined because of Boiling Blood, I won’t let you off.”

“Relax. That won’t happen.”

Yan Chen smiled proudly.

“Don’t underestimate her.”

“I told you, her potential is far greater than you imagine.”

Then he stood up and continued:

“The Execution Division should be arriving soon.”

“Take her away and take good care of her.”

“By the way, why are they so late?”

The black cat suddenly realized.

Yan Chen lit a cigarette, took a couple of puffs.

“Because I led them to the Black Star Cult’s hideout.”

“Didn’t want them disturbing Jiang Sui while she showed her strength.”

That hideout was enormous.

It had taken him quite a while just to handle it himself.

The Execution Division would need even more time for cleanup.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so busy that he could only notify Xia Youqing to pick her up.

“So who exactly are you?”

The black cat asked again.

Hearing this, Yan Chen just waved the cigarette in his hand.

Revealing a meaningful smile.

Then he turned and left.

The black cat sighed.

Circling the unconscious Jiang Sui twice, she started worrying about how to carry her away.

Meanwhile.

In a nearby alley not far away.

The shadow that had escaped from the pile of flesh had taken over the corpse of a dead homeless man.

It was crawling slowly along the filthy ground.

“I barely escaped with my life…”

“Once I recover my full strength, I’ll come back for revenge!”

“Hundred Ghosts Apostle.”

“Or should I call you—Lu Chang?”

Hearing that name,

the Hundred Ghosts Apostle’s body stiffened.

Then he immediately turned around.

He saw Yan Chen walking slowly toward him, hands in his pockets.

“How do you know that name?!”

“The Chosen One Project really did fail.”

Yan Chen sounded like he was reminiscing about the past.

“Three test subjects survived, but none of them were ideal.”

“Your number was 01. You were even given a name.”

“And yet you turned out to be the most complete failure.”

“Your hunger can never be satisfied. You just keep eating.”

Yan Chen couldn’t help but laugh.

Full strength?

Could that thing ever be full?

The Hundred Ghosts Apostle’s face darkened.

“What exactly are you trying to do?”

“If you know what I am, you should show some respect!”

Yan Chen laughed again.

“Do you think anyone will still admire you when you return to the Black Star Cult?”

“Failure.”

“What do you mean?”

“Because among the three surviving test subjects,

there is a true success.”

“What?!”

The Hundred Ghosts Apostle’s eyes went wide.

“That success is still alive and well to this day.”

“But they don’t know about it.”

“That’s why they placed all their hopes on you.”

“You’re lying to me!”

The Hundred Ghosts Apostle screamed wildly.

“They told me I was the Chosen One!”

“That can’t be wrong!”

Yan Chen slowly drew his dagger.

The Hundred Ghosts Apostle’s eyes trembled again. He quickly spoke:

“Wait!”

“Even if I’m a failure, I’m still one of the Chosen Ones!”

“If you work with me, the future is wide open!”

But Yan Chen showed no hesitation after hearing that.

Instead, he leaned down slightly.

“Want to know who the real success is?”

“Huh?”

Yan Chen leaned close to his ear and whispered a single sentence.

The next second.

The Hundred Ghosts Apostle’s expression completely collapsed.

“Impossible…”

“It can’t be that guy…”

“But…”

He kept repeating “impossible” under his breath.

It was as if all his faith had been shattered.

“You hurt Jiang Sui.”

“She is my daughter.”

“So I can’t let you live.”

“Keep dreaming in your next life, if there is one.”

“I hope you’ll be born into a normal family, not a culture tank.”

The blade slowly descended.

Yan Chen turned and left.

In the alley, only the corpse of the real homeless man remained.