The battle of the blood road raged on.
The winds of the South Ridge Plain mingled with the roar of killing and screams of rage, merging into a hellish cacophony. Followers fought to the death to block, while hunters surged forward in bloodlust; the air reeked of iron and fire.
——
Step by step Xu Zhu advanced, the staff in his hand like the scythe of Death itself.
Residual Edge's trajectories flooded his vision, crimson lines weaving so densely it seemed the entire world would be torn apart.
[Residual Edge Sync Rate: 97%]
[Warning: Extremity imminent. Mind already beginning fracture.]
The buzzing in his ears twisted into distorted whispers, countless voices hissing:
"Kill… kill… you are residual blood… you are the child of the storm…"
Xu Zhu's eyes burned red, breath ragged. Every step he took felt like treading upon the edge of blades.
——
"Xu Zhu!"
Ling Xue's sword flashed, slashing open an assassin's throat. Her eyes burned with alarm: "Stop! You can't hold on much longer!"
Fatty Third wailed, flinging stones as he cried: "Big bro! If you die, what'll I do?!"
He managed to brain an archer, only to nearly get cleaved by an axe, tears streaming down his face.
But Xu Zhu seemed deaf to them. Residual Edge kept expanding inside him, the flood of death trajectories pressing until he nearly suffocated.
[Residual Edge Sync Rate: 98%]
Boom!
His staff smashed down—over a dozen fell at once, blood mist bursting through the gale.
Spectator channels exploded:
[He's insane! One strike, a dozen killed!]
[Residual Blood Maniac's about to go berserk!]
[This is impossible for a newbie!]
——
The Baqiang guildmaster sneered, greed flickering in his eyes: "This is the moment… his mind is about to collapse. Once Residual Edge fully loses control, he'll be nothing but a husk."
Skyveil's chief swordsman's expression shifted sharply: "No… if Residual Edge breaks through extremity, he'll become the storm itself."
——
[Residual Edge Sync Rate: 99%]
Xu Zhu's world fell utterly silent.
All sound disappeared. Heaven and earth remained only as a net of countless crimson lines of death.
His body trembled uncontrollably, eyes bloodshot, as though the next instant he would be swallowed whole.
"Residual Edge… is shattering," he rasped, voice raw.
Just then, a hand clamped tight on his wrist.
Ling Xue, bloodied head to toe, locked eyes with him.
"Xu Zhu! You are not the Residual Blood Maniac! You are yourself!"
"Whatever the curse is, remember this—we're still here with you!"
Her voice was like a cool stream, dragging Xu Zhu back from the brink of blood-red abyss.
[Residual Edge Sync Rate: 99% → stabilized at 96%]
[System Prompt: Residual Edge extremity trigger conditions not fully met. Curse temporarily suppressed.]
——
Xu Zhu gasped heavily, blood trickling from his eyes, hands still clamped tight around his staff.
Low, he muttered: "I… nearly died within Residual Edge."
Ling Xue, sword firm in her grip, only grew more resolute: "You are not alone."
Fatty Third bawled, sobbing through his words: "Yeah, big bro! Next time you nearly lose it, just grab me! Fatty Third's life is cheap—I can anchor you!"
In the midst of blood and despair, an absurd hint of laughter forced its way in.
——
Far away, the rift sky shuddered again.
The system's icy chime rang out:
[World Event: Storm Overture · Stage Four Commences]
[Stage Objective: Residual Blood Maniac must survive 72 hours in the storm hunt]
[Hint: All players may continuously choose to follow or hunt.]
The entire server roared into frenzy once more.
And the name of Residual Blood Maniac had now become synonymous with the storm itself.