Chapter Twenty-Four: Despair

Super-speed regeneration, individual fission... Qin Changsheng finally understood why even someone as formidable as Xifeng Lie would feel despair when facing the Mountain of Corpses.

This ability, which allowed the entity to rapidly generate new individuals from even the smallest scrap of tissue, meant that even at Momo’s maximum speed, shaking it off was nearly impossible. Cao Mengmeng was right; they had no chance of winning against the Mountain of Corpses. The only option was to run as fast as they could.

Before them, the Mountain of Corpses tore off an arm composed of several human bodies, leaned back, and prepared to throw it like a projectile directly at Qin Changsheng. The force behind the motion was already brimming over; a new Mountain of Corpses was about to slam into him.

However, before it could launch the attack, several sharp swords suddenly descended. They circled the second Mountain of Corpses at high speed, their blades sinking into the flesh and instantly dismembering the entity into scattered chunks.

"Run!!!"

Xifeng Lie roared from behind, followed by a terrifying shriek from the Mountain of Corpses. He had to hold it off, or no one would escape this place alive.

Before Qin Changsheng’s eyes, the dismembered chunks of the second Mountain of Corpses were already undergoing super-speed regeneration. The scattered pieces writhed toward one another, and in moments, they would reform into a single entity.

This time, Qin Changsheng did not hesitate. Taking advantage of the fact that the regeneration was incomplete, he grabbed Cao Mengmeng and sprinted, quickly scaling the rooftop of a nearby residential building.

They could not win.

How had things devolved into this? During their escape, Qin Changsheng’s mind raced faster than ever before. He soon realized he had pierced through the essence of certain phenomena.

Why did Popcorn Man run away? He had chosen to flee to avoid the Mountain of Corpses, yet the moment it appeared, no one—including Qin Changsheng—had noticed how it manifested. Only Popcorn Man had anticipated its arrival, and there could only be one reason: he had calculated that the Mountain of Corpses would appear beforehand.

Even the incident where Chen Yuanyuan was harmed—Popcorn Man’s flight then was likely not out of fear of Qin Changsheng. Thinking of the explosions he unleashed, turning people into popcorn—was it really just for his twisted sense of humor?

No.

Qin Changsheng finally grasped Popcorn Man’s true objective: the Mountain of Corpses had not appeared here by chance; it had been deliberately lured by Popcorn Man! The sound of the explosions and the scent of blood from the human popcorn were vital factors in drawing the entity in.

Popcorn Man had stopped fighting and fled because he knew that as long as the Mountain of Corpses arrived, Qin Changsheng and his companions would have no path to survival. Popcorn Man was extremely cautious; he would eliminate weak enemies directly but would go to great lengths to avoid situations that might result in his own injury. When faced with enemies like Xifeng Lie or Qin Changsheng, who possessed Shanhai Beast abilities, he adopted a secondary strategy: letting the Mountain of Corpses finish them off.

The Mountain of Corpses possessed overwhelming power. Once locked onto by it, there was no chance of survival. Popcorn Man had treated the Mountain of Corpses as a dangerous weapon, and the lives this weapon was now intended to consume were those of Qin Changsheng and his group.

With the aid of the articulated limbs extended by Momo, Qin Changsheng finally reached the rooftop with Cao Mengmeng. It was a high vantage point, and even the Mountain of Corpses should be unable to launch its fissioned segments up here. For the moment, they were safe.

Yet, Qin Changsheng’s heart was not at peace. They had left Xifeng Lie behind, essentially abandoning him to his death.

As soon as he stood steady on the roof, Qin Changsheng rushed to the edge and looked down. In the residential complex, Xifeng Lie was still locked in a bitter struggle. They had moved from the ruins to the ground level, where Xifeng Lie stood near a rockery, his dancing sword energy carving a massive chunk out of the stone.

The Mountain of Corpses continuously swung fists made of countless human bodies. Each punch seemed slow, but they were immensely heavy. A single hit would likely grind one's bones to powder.

Even Xifeng Lie’s "Longyuan" sword likely dared not take a direct hit. As the Mountain of Corpses threw a punch, the Longyuan sword instantly transformed into several flying blades, spinning around the incoming arm and slicing it into scattered fragments.

Xifeng Lie fought while retreating, using his sharp blades to deflect attacks while moving backward. Qin Changsheng understood that although Xifeng Lie had told them to leave while he stayed behind, deep down, he was likely hoping for a miracle that would allow him to survive. This was human nature; no one truly wanted to die without trying.

Xifeng Lie continuously sought an opening to escape, but the Mountain of Corpses’ encirclement was relentless. The fragments severed by Longyuan quickly began to regrow on the ground, forming new fissioned entities that attacked from different directions.

Xifeng Lie waved his hand, recalling his swords to circle him. A curtain of blades formed a protective wall around his body. As the fissioned segments approached, they were instantly shredded as if falling into a meat grinder, disappearing into a crimson whirlwind around him.

Qin Changsheng realized that Xifeng Lie might still have a chance to escape. Until now, the Mountain of Corpses had failed to cause him any harm; all attacks had been neutralized by the Longyuan sword.

The initial thought surfaced in Qin Changsheng’s mind again: "Look, A-Lie still seems to have the strength. Should I go down and help? Maybe I can save him?"

"It’s useless." Cao Mengmeng’s voice was weak, but her tone was absolute.

"How do we know if we don't try? We can't just stand by and watch him die," Qin Changsheng turned to convince her, but he froze the moment he saw her expression.

Cao Mengmeng’s face was vacant, as if she had suffered a devastating blow. She sat slumped on the ground, staring blankly ahead.

"What... happened to you?" Her state caused Qin Changsheng great concern. The girl looked like a soul that had lost its anchor; she appeared completely lifeless.

Facing his question, Cao Mengmeng did not look at him, simply murmuring to herself: "He’s beyond saving. We can’t do anything. Instead of thinking about rescuing him, we should think about how we are going to survive."

"Are you joking?" Qin Changsheng’s eyes widened. He hadn't expected her to give up so easily. "Isn't he your friend? Are you just going to sit there and watch him die?"

Qin Changsheng took a few steps forward to help her up. However, as he looked her in the face, he stopped. He saw tears welling in her eyes. This girl, who had always maintained such rationality, was now crying.