CHAPTER 245: CHAPTER 159: XIA PINGZHOU’S SECOND CONTRACTED DEMON

Under the moonlight, the Venice Grand Canal ripples gently, enveloped in a rustling sound.

The "Rialto Bridge" spanning the canal is eerily still, with a vast shadow cast from its large eaves onto the walkway, where a pair of red eyes loiter in the darkness.

Xia Pingzhou puts away his phone, slowly lifting his gaze from the screen.

As his eyes land on the bridge walkway, a cold system notification echoes in his mind.

[System Notification: You have encountered two rare demons— "Cloning Demon" (Celestial Driver compatibility with No. 2 unit: 95%)]

"Compatibility? Does it mean suitable for a contract?" He slightly raised an eyebrow, pondering.

"How’s it looking?" the Bloodline grinned, their crimson eyes fixed on Xia Pingzhou.

"You help me cripple it," Xia Pingzhou said expressionlessly, "I’ll finish it off."

"Finish it off?" The Bloodline laughed, "Being able to make ’needing a handout’ sound so nice, exactly what I’d expect from our newbie."

Xia Pingzhou remained silent.

Being known for a poker face has its perks: when you’re caught off guard and don’t know what to say, just don’t speak. Others staring at your poker face might think you’re pondering something serious and won’t dare to tease you.

To cover this up, he gazed forward more intently and solemnly.

At this moment, two eerie figures are slowly approaching them from the shadows, their ghostly footsteps echoing through the corridor.

That’s right, figures. Their silhouette looks nothing like demons. Gradually, their forms are revealed under the moonlight, causing Xia Pingzhou’s pupils to slightly dilate.

What appeared before him were distinctly two humans, but Xia Pingzhou wasn’t shocked that these demons disguised themselves as humans; their appearance is what startled him.

One demon wore a blood-red dress with high heels, its wavy light-golden hair fluttering in the breeze; the other wore a black hoodie, its features handsome, expression indifferent.

They look exactly like the Bloodline and Xia Pingzhou.

"They’ve turned into us?" Xia Pingzhou thought, "Then could they mimic our abilities?"

"Whoa... Cloning Demon?" A hint of surprise flickered across the Bloodline’s brows, "This thing is quite rare, I heard Bai Tanlang mention it once, probably no more than five worldwide, never thought we’d encounter one."

"Be careful not to kill them all. At least leave one, I want to form a contract with it," Xia Pingzhou said.

"Quite the requests, then I’ll take down the one that turned into me first."

With that, the Bloodline’s figure shot out like a scarlet curtain dancing across the moonlit sky.

Her movements are completely untraceable, Xia Pingzhou could only see a flash of blood-red sword light, sometime she had already formed a swaying Blood Sword, held in her right hand. The Bloodline’s high heels tapped the bridge corridor, landing behind the clone, withdrawing her sword.

A blood line appeared on the waist of the clone that had morphed into her form, splitting the body in two along a virtual line, sliding downward through the fissure.

Xia Pingzhou unleashed the Celestial Driver, forming black and white rings around him. He raised his bony fingers, plucking the phantom of the Queen’s Statue.

With a "click," the chess shadow shattered, and instantly the shadow of the Queen’s Statue swept past him.

She spun her body mid-air, forming dual daggers into a bladed top, shredding the twin halves of the cloned Bloodline into a mist of blood.

Reflected in Xia Pingzhou’s jet-black eyes was this scene, his black hair blown high by the wind over the Grand Canal.

[Detected kill of a C-level or above demon, "Winter of the Wild Hunt" system’s accumulated kills updated: 20/40]

[Current progression of the No. 2 avatar’s Celestial Driver "International Chess" is: 8%]

"At least it turned into me, couldn’t you be a bit gentler with it?"

The Bloodline teased as she slowly turned her gaze towards the second Cloning Demon.

Raising her slender fingertip towards it, blood coalesced into a dot, then constricted into a fine needle. Like flicking ash off a cigarette, she lightly flicked her fingers, and the crimson needle shot towards the cloned demon’s head like a bullet.

"King’s Statue," the cloned demon suddenly said.

Xia Pingzhou was startled: "This demon can even use my abilities?"

In an instant, a transparent King appeared behind the cloning demon.

The King raised its scepter, black-and-white energy forming a barrier, enveloping the cloning demon’s body. The blood needle, launching through the air, struck the barrier, emitting a fierce buzz before its force slowly dissipated.

Finally, the blood needle unraveled, turning into scattered droplets of blood, dripping onto the bridge.

"Whoa, really?" The Bloodline raised her eyebrows, "A demon can actually block my attack?"

Xia Pingzhou said without hesitation, "Hit that statue behind it."

"On it, sir." The Bloodline replied mockingly, her figure landing behind the cloned demon.

She lowered her face, her crimson eyes shimmering in the bridge’s shadows. Blood seeped from between her fingers, tracing a wave-like path through the air.

The ink-like red appeared liquid, yet in the next second it smashed into the King’s head like a heavy hammer, carried by a fierce gale.

Amidst the flying silver shards, the Bloodline without looking back, twisted her body to face the back of the cloning demon, delivering a light yet effortless palm strike to its head as if spiking a volleyball.

With a loud "boom," its head was instantly sent flying hundreds of meters into the air, only to crash onto the pointed top of a building, then slowly bounce back into the Grand Canal.