Tang Qi did not come from a good background. Both of his parents were herb gatherers, and if it weren't for a stroke of fate that allowed him to awaken his special ability, he would likely have met the same end as his parents—dying on the path of gathering herbs.
However, it was precisely because he awakened his ability that his life took a completely different trajectory. Relying on his special power, Tang Qi began climbing up from the bottom, step by step, eventually becoming a well-known and powerful figure in the bounty hunter circle.
All of this was because of his special ability—Ignition!
Ignition was a not particularly powerful but incredibly useful ability. It allowed the user to attach their "mental power" to an object and then ignite it using the power of fire.
However, the condition for attaching the mental power was somewhat harsh—Tang Qi had to directly or indirectly make contact with the target to attach his mental power to it.
So, when the battle began, Tang Qi first attached his mental power to the bullets, making them more powerful. During the subsequent hand-to-hand combat, he took the opportunity to attach his mental power to Chu Xun's body and then ignited him with his ability.
"Ah!" As the flames burned, Chu Xun felt his skin quickly burn from the intense heat. Blisters formed one after another, then burst open, exposing his bloodied muscles.
As the flames continued to burn, his charred and bloody body rapidly darkened and cracked open. A strip of fresh red flesh peeked out from the cracks in the charred skin, making him look like a burnt piece of meat on a grill. It was unbearable to watch.
The intense pain washed over Chu Xun like a tide, relentlessly pounding his body and soul, causing his body to tremble and a blood-curdling scream to escape his lips.
"Hey, enjoy the pain of being burned alive!" Tang Qi sneered as he watched Chu Xun scream in agony, surrounded by flames. He turned and prepared to deal with the mutated wild dog king.
In his eyes, Chu Xun was already a dead man. The flames would not only destroy his body but also consume all the oxygen around him. It wouldn't be long before he died from suffocation or the flames. Either way, he wouldn't have a good end.
Moreover, the pain of being burned alive was nearly unbearable for anyone. Tang Qi assumed that the pain must have driven Chu Xun close to madness by now. Such a person could hardly pose a threat to him.
However, Tang Qi didn't notice that as soon as he turned around, the struggling Chu Xun suddenly stopped his cries. His right leg pushed off the ground, and with an explosive surge of force, he charged straight toward Tang Qi.
"What?" Tang Qi's face changed drastically as he felt the intense heat wave coming from behind. He spun around and looked.
Not far behind him, Chu Xun—whose body had been burned and was now a charred mess—was charging toward him at full speed. His eyes, bloodshot from overexposure to heat, were locked on Tang Qi, burning with rage and killing intent that the raging flames could not conceal.
"How is this possible? Doesn't this guy feel pain?!" Tang Qi was stunned to see Chu Xun enduring the agony of being burned alive and still charging at him.
He couldn't fathom how someone could possess such willpower to keep fighting through the excruciating pain of being consumed by fire!
What Tang Qi didn't realize, though, was that when Chu Xun fused with alien genes, he had endured unimaginable pain—far beyond what most could endure. Compared to the pain of bones being shattered, the pain of being burned alive was child's play!
As the saying goes, the fool is afraid of the bold, and the bold is afraid of those who have nothing to lose. So, in the face of Chu Xun—who now seemed like a demon from hell—Tang Qi finally got scared. He turned and began to run as fast as he could.
He didn't want to risk his life in a fight with a madman!
"Die!" However, Tang Qi had underestimated Chu Xun's madness. When Tang Qi turned and began to flee, Chu Xun let out a roar and reached out his left hand to grab his right arm, tearing the burnt skin off with a violent twist.
Crack!
With a sickening sound, Chu Xun's blackened skin came off in a single motion, exposing red, bloody muscle fibers beneath. Blood poured from his exposed arm, and the blood seemed to have some mysterious power—so much so that even the high flames couldn't evaporate it. Instead, the blood doused the flames and dripped onto the ground, creating pits wherever it touched.
Of course, Chu Xun wasn't tearing off his skin just to put out the flames. After peeling off the skin, Chu Xun swung his right arm and flung the blood forward at Tang Qi.
Splat! Splat! Splat!
Chu Xun's blood sprayed like raindrops, splashing across Tang Qi's back.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
In an instant, smoke began to rise from Tang Qi's back, and his clothing was quickly burned to tatters by the corrosive blood, revealing his muscular back.
But that was just the beginning. The acid in the blood continued to eat away at his skin, and the pain intensified. It was as though Tang Qi's back had been subjected to intense heat, and massive blisters began to form all over, bursting in a horrible display. His back quickly became a grotesque mess of flesh and blood.
"Shit! What kind of monster is this?!" Tang Qi cursed as the pain in his back increased. He accelerated, trying to get away.
However, running only made things worse. As he ran, the muscles in his back worked harder, causing more blisters to burst open, spilling yellowish pus everywhere.
At the same time, Chu Xun once again swung his arm, sending even more of his acidic blood toward Tang Qi's already damaged back.
The moment Tang Qi's back was completely coated, his skin seemed to be boiling, with more disgusting blisters appearing and popping. His back was now a grotesque mess, nearly unrecognizable.
"Dammit, I'm done!" The excruciating pain made Tang Qi's face turn pale. He realized that at this rate, Chu Xun would either burn him to death or he'd be killed by his acid blood. He had no choice but to turn around, face Chu Xun, and prepare for the final confrontation.
When Tang Qi saw Chu Xun's charred, bloodied appearance, his heart filled with regret. If he had a choice, he would never have made an enemy of someone like him.
But unfortunately, there were no "what-ifs" in this world, and now he could only fight to the death.
"Die!" Unlike Tang Qi, who was plagued by doubt and regret, Chu Xun's mind was completely consumed by the singular thought of tearing Tang Qi apart.
Without hesitation, he screamed and charged at Tang Qi with fire blazing around him.
"Shit!" Facing the furious Chu Xun, Tang Qi couldn't help but curse, gritting his teeth as he swung his right fist at him.
Earlier in the fight, he had discarded his modified rifle after running out of bullets, and his alloy knife had been knocked away by Chu Xun in a single strike. Now, unarmed, Tang Qi knew that fighting with his bare fists against Chu Xun was foolish, but he had no other option.
It turned out that his decision was indeed foolish.
Thud!
With a muffled sound, Tang Qi's right fist was caught by Chu Xun's left hand. The flames that had been burning Chu Xun's body now engulfed Tang Qi's arm and began to spread across his body.
"Ah!" For the first time, Tang Qi experienced the same burning pain he had inflicted on others. The searing heat made him scream in agony.
However, being a seasoned bounty hunter, Tang Qi wasn't about to give up on his last chance. Despite his agony, he swung his left hand, aiming for Chu Xun's carotid artery.
The carotid artery was a vital part of the human body, and a direct strike could cause unconsciousness or death!
But Tang Qi still underestimated Chu Xun's speed. Just as his left hand moved toward Chu Xun, Chu Xun's blood-soaked right hand shot out like lightning and plunged straight into Tang Qi's palm.
Thud!
Chu Xun's sharp fingernails pierced through Tang Qi's palm instantly. With another savage twist, he grabbed Tang Qi's hand and turned it with terrifying strength.
Crack!
With a sickening sound, Tang Qi's wrist bone snapped like a dry twig. The white bone shards poked out of his broken wrist, exposing red muscle fibers and tendons. It was a grotesque sight.
At the same time, the flames on Chu Xun's body spread to Tang Qi. Unlike Chu Xun, Tang Qi didn't have such a resilient body, so the flames quickly turned him into a blackened husk, his skin cracked and muscles starting to carbonize.
At this rate, Tang Qi would soon become nothing more than a pile of ash, just like the people he had burned alive in the past.
"Ah!" Screaming from the pain of being burned and having his bones shattered, Tang Qi stared at Chu Xun, his eyes filled with hatred and desperation. "You bastard! I won't let you off even if I become a ghost!"
As he spoke, Tang Qi's pupils turned blood-red, and an incredible heat began to build up inside him, as if some terrible power was about to explode.
This guy... He was preparing to self-destruct, using his own flesh and blood as