First-Year Internship—And You Went to Site 749 to Contain Monsters?!

The Rat Demon perked up at those words.

What it feared was Stone Dang.

That thing was a natural bane for demons and evil spirits.

Even if it cultivated to look more human, it still was not human.

By nature it had to be restrained by Stone Dang.

As for Lu Ding, it was merely somewhat wary of him.

Stone Dang was the true source of its fear.

Now Lu Ding said he would not use Stone Dang, so perhaps he still had means to fight back.

Who would die and who would survive was not decided yet.When enemies meet on a narrow road, the brave win!!!

This was the kind of struggle where a trapped beast still fights.

The Rat Demon cautiously formed hand seals and eyed Lu Ding.

Scenes kept surfacing in its mind: earlier Lu Ding displaying his physical body, then the other side’s techniques forcibly grabbing them and altering the world.

From these pre-gathered intelligence bits,

the Rat Demon thought, “This man’s body is formidable, his techniques profound.”

“To fight him unarmed in close quarters is like seeking death.”

It cast another glance at the standing Stone Dang.

“A technique clash would be unfavorable for me.”

Although Lu Ding said he wouldn’t use it, how could the Rat Demon believe such words?

When it comes to life or death, who actually honors those promises?

So it had to use a torrential onslaught, quickly take down Lu Ding, and force out the method to escape the technique-space.

If unarmed combat won’t do, and techniques won’t do,

then only one thing remained...

The Rat Demon’s expression grew serious: weapons!!!

Only weapons!!!

It had never seen Lu Ding use weapons before.

With such terrifying physical body and such mastery of techniques,

it was impossible for him to also be skilled in weapons.

Hmm!

Weapons it is!!!

Coincidentally, it possessed a nine-section whip forged from its own tail, blending hardness and softness.

Thinking this, the Rat Demon said, “Fine!!!”

“Since it’s to be open and aboveboard, I’ll speak plainly.”

“I cannot match you in raw strength, and for techniques you have the threat of Stone Dang. I only ask one thing: do you dare to duel me with weapons, to decide both superiority and life-or-death!!!”

Fearing Lu Ding might refuse, it hurriedly added,

“Aren’t you an investigator of the 749 Bureau? Under Xiankong Town, in my cave dwelling, there are thirty-seven children. I bound them with my lesser techniques; until the condition is loosened they suffer each day, as if a thousand ants gnawing their flesh.”

“If you agree to the weapons duel, I will hand over the method to break it with both hands.”

If the roles were different, those threatening words would have been ignored by Lu Ding.

Fight if you want—why lecture me about limits? Do you think I won’t open fire right away?

But the Rat Demon asking for a weapons duel was different.

Its right hand held Nanshan Blood Frost, its left hand held forbidden Blood Drippers.

Asking to duel weapons—wasn’t that courting death?

Handing themselves over on a silver platter, and with a hook attached.

If Lu Ding refused, that would be his loss.

Who would pass up such a bargain?

Might as well play along—after all, in the Death Body Black Domain, it was fight to the end; unless one person died, nobody left.

He immediately said, “Agreed.”

The Rat Demon raised a hand and tapped his brow, summoning the strange weapon forged from its own tail, the Hanging-Sky Nine-Section Whip.

Once gripped, demon qi raged unchecked.

Under such a state, the Rat Demon truly became a complete entity in the truest sense.

“Show your weapon!!!!”

the Rat Demon roared.

Being timid did not equal cowardice. From being just a house mouse to now, had it lacked the courage to fight desperately, it would have died long ago on the path of cultivation.

There was no retreat now; if you can win you survive, if you cannot you die!!!

All eyes were on Lu Ding as he reached out to take something.

The red coffin behind him opened. Amid rolling black smoke and bursts of bloodlight, a jade lotus-like arm extended a length of chain.

As Lu Ding tugged,

clatter clatter sounded.

The true form of the Blood Drippers flew out of the red coffin, darting like a swimming dragon, circling Lu Ding, spinning and reflecting a chilling light, eager for blood.

Nanshan Blood Frost was still charging; bringing it out to deal with this Rat Demon would be overkill.

Better to use the Blood Drippers the Crooked-Mouth Old Man had gifted, a bit of a nostalgic nod to the old man.

Such an obscure and eerie weapon made the Rat Demon narrow its eyes slightly.

Gripping its nine-section whip tight, it flicked it; the conical whip-head slithered like a viper and coiled over its shoulder, choosing a target to devour.

“The key to dispelling the technique is engraved on my weapon. While the whip lives, the person lives; when the whip dies, the person dies!”

Having said that,

it spun the whip in hand to gather momentum, shaking its wrist and flicking with the White Snake Spitting Tongue move to seize the central line.

The whip-head’s cold light bloomed, demon qi trailing, condensing into a venomous snake illusion that lunged straight for Lu Ding’s face.

Lu Ding reacted quickly.

He shook his hand; the chains rasped, the Blood Drippers spun at high speed. Watching him lift his foot, the chain meant to lock the sky wrapped around his sole.

He kicked forward.

The foot executed the White Snake Spitting Tongue.

The Blood Drippers lunged, black smoke spiraled, condensing a venomous snake illusion.

The same technique: the Rat Demon’s White Snake Spitting Tongue felt treacherous, a one-bite-and-go style.

Lu Ding’s White Snake Spitting Tongue manifested as sheer force, biting and not letting go.

One side wielded the nine-section whip, the other the Blood Drippers.

They collided in midair.

Boom!!!!!

Shockwaves of might surged, stirring blood-clouds into roiling waves.

In the way of weapons, from the very opening, neither side gave ground.

A variety of flexible-weapon maneuvers, all showing off their tricks.

The Rat Demon attacked with guile, the nine-section whip displaying roaring might; jade sash removed and slung, it flowed like a meteor chasing the moon!

Lu Ding countered with fierce ferocity; the Blood Drippers unleashed successive blasts, golden threads wrapped a throat in return, elbows threw a tyrant’s salute!

You come, I go. You advance, I retreat.

They fought until the ground split and the sky wore holes.

After all, this was Lu Ding’s first opponent at the Fourth Restriction; even if the Rat Demon was only early Fourth Restriction, it was still a Fourth Restriction opponent.

The Great Goddess holding the Throne peered on, her face hidden by an open-mouthed mask. Though her features weren’t visible, you could see the corner of her mouth change from a slight upward curve to a downturn.

A little bit of emotion showed.

Broken again...

‘Doesn’t she like this kind of decor either?’

‘Next time change the style...’

Vision snapped back to the arena.

Seeing Lu Ding and the Rat Demon sweep across with power.

From ranged clash, they came to close-quarter grappling.

Although this somewhat deviated from the Rat Demon’s original proposal—only a weapons contest—both sides had ignited true intent, determined to decide life or death.

No more holding back.

Bodies twisting and dashing.

Watching them engage, they both flipped and turned in unison; after several consecutive flips and position swaps, the two performed synchronized backflips, hung momentarily in the air, and then both struck to seize advantage.

Lu Ding reached out; thumb, index, and middle fingers formed a claw, the ring and little fingers pressed to the palm.

Dragon scales manifested, wrapping Lu Ding’s palm and fingers, leaving not an inch uncovered, lending terrifying might.

One Dragon Claw move to snatch helmets, accompanied by the Sin Dragon’s roar.

Ang!!!

Aimed to clamp onto the Rat Demon’s occiput.

This move could strip a helmet, and if there were no helmet, snap the skull.

As he struck, the Rat Demon also reached.

Its index and middle fingers curled into a claw-like hook, the other three fingers pressed into the palm.

A cunning hand used to pluck eyes, accompanied by wind and sand reeking of blood and stone.

Aimed to snatch out Lu Ding’s eyes.

If that hit, even without death it would leave grievous wounds.

Neither wanted the other to live well.

Those two vicious, deadly moves locked in midair and meshed, deadlocked.

At this tug-of-war stage,

Lu Ding’s face twisted into a ferocious snarl, scarlet light blooming in his eyes.

Fingers locked hard, a yank, a twist, a pull, a rip!!!