Shackles of Humanity

The heavy rain that had been brewing over the mountain stream finally poured down. A small mountain of shattered bones piled up before the four of them. Not only had the bizarre Abyss Clan People been wiped out, but even the Dark Creatures were few and far between.

All four were utterly exhausted. The white light on Su Chengbo’s body flickered and then gradually dimmed like a dying lightbulb. He slowly collapsed to the ground.

Luo Kai reverted to his normal form and knelt on one knee, his saber in hand. Just as he’d suspected, the Abyssal Clan possessed extremely high resistance to physical attacks but were helpless against Energy Attacks. By activating his Evil Flame, his killing efficiency had increased countless times over. There was no need to search for consciousness points; the all-corroding Evil Flame instantly incinerated anything it touched, preventing the shadows of the Abyssal People from splitting and healing. He panted, ”Is it over?”

Tuoba Ye said in a low voice, ”Not yet. There’s still an old ghost from the Abyss we haven’t seen!”

As they watched the Mist refill the entire mountain stream, their five senses and Perception were once again stripped away. The four of them formed a circle, their expressions bitter. Xi Jinghui gave a wry smile. ”We should have run just now.”

Su Chengbo wearily opened his eyes. ”This Mist probably comes from the residual will of the Yao Yue Liu. It carries a certain amount of Space Power. The fact that the Abyssal People can control the Mist suggests they may have joined forces with the Yao Yue Liu.”

The sharp, blade-like Dark Energy assaulted them again. Luo Kai hastily wrapped the Insect Pupa around himself, frowning in deep thought. ’It seems something as ethereal as will represents Space, which means Spirit must be Time. This Mist is very similar to the one I encountered in the valley on Mist Mountain. The only way to break it is to destroy the source of the residual will—the remaining roots of the Yao Yue Liu. But how am I supposed to find it in this Mist that robs you of your sense of space?’

Just as the four of them were at their wits’ end, a venomous voice echoed from within the Mist. ”Let’s see how long you can last. Don’t worry, I won’t let you die so comfortably. I’ll personally turn you into Dark Puppets!”

Tuoba Ye stood up and roared, ”Damned old ghost! Get out here if you have the guts! I’ll skin you alive!”

”Heh heh!” The voice let out a cold laugh and vanished into the Darkness.

Tuoba Ye continued to curse furiously, and Xi Jinghui also stood up, agitated. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before they could no longer resist the corrosion of the Dark Energy. Their flesh and blood would be eaten away, and they would eventually become one of those skin-and-bones Dark Creatures.

”Don’t panic. There’s a pattern to all things, even Space Power.” Luo Kai was surprisingly calm. As he spoke, he unfurled the Insect Pupa from his body. It was enormous, more than large enough to cover all four of them. It also possessed Space Power, allowing it to block the invasion of external Energy.

Warmth returned to them. Su Chengbo stroked the Insect Pupa, which was as thin as Cicada Wings, and his eyes lit up. ”Xiaokai, does this thing of yours also possess Space Power?”

”Yes. Let’s not be hasty. We’ll wait until we’ve recovered our strength before figuring a way out.”

Feeling the sharp, corrosive Dark Energy disappear, Tuoba Ye was so excited he looked like he wanted to grab Luo Kai and kiss him. He roared with laughter. ”Xiaokai, you’re a goddamn Fortune Star!”

Xi Jinghui also touched the Insect Pupa on his body with a strange look in his eyes. Time and Space were the most ethereal forms of Power in this world. Anything that contained these two powers was a priceless treasure!

With the protection of the Insect Pupa, the four of them were no longer in a hurry. They sat cross-legged on the ground, quietly recovering their stamina. Two hours later, Su Chengbo suddenly touched the Insect Pupa and said in a grim voice, ”This isn’t good. The Insect Pupa can’t withstand the corrosion from the Dark Energy either!”

Outside, the surging Dark Energy formed black whirlpools, swirling around them in an almost solid state. The Insect Pupa, as thin as Cicada Wings, had already become nearly transparent. It seemed all things had to obey the law of conservation of energy, and the Insect Pupa with its Spatial Power was no exception.

”Charge with me!” Su Chengbo stood up, white light once again bursting from his body, though it was far less dazzling than before. His third eye shot a beam of Zi Re light straight into the heavens. Although it was just a single beam, it could guide them out of the Mist.

Just then, the ground suddenly began to roil. Long, narrow cracks appeared, and black branches extended out from within. Soon, a bizarre tree, black as Moyu, rose up. The strange tree wasn’t very large, only seven or eight meters tall. Its gnarled, twisted trunk had a metallic luster, and even its leaves were a bluish-black, like jade.

At the same time, an unparalleled sense of pressure washed over them, creating an impulse to bow down and worship. This was the immense pressure exerted by a superior lifeform.

”It seems I must act after all!” A hoarse, cold voice came from the rustling of the branches and leaves. It was, shockingly, the voice of that Abyssal Person.

Tuoba Ye raised his Golden Mace, exclaiming in shock, ”Damn it, what the hell are you!”

Su Chengbo’s expression changed drastically as a thought occurred to him. ”You’re undergoing Fusion with a Fierce Beast!”

”The Tri-Eyed Race truly lives up to its name. That’s right! I am now the Yao Yue Liu, and the Yao Yue Liu is now me!” The voice was ecstatic, so eager to share the news it didn’t even care that it was talking to its enemies.

With the rise of the path of Body Techniques for self-Cultivation, people had also begun to explore the mysterious plane of consciousness. One school of thought believed the physical body was merely a vessel for consciousness; as long as one’s consciousness was preserved, one could have endless life. The Abyssal Clan were leaders in researching the evolution of consciousness. They had gradually shed their physical bodies—or rather, anything could become their body. And this Abyssal Person had actually managed to use a Complete Form Fierce Beast as its vessel!

”Is this true Power? It’s so immense!” The voice was ecstatic, its entire body trembling. The bluish-black leaves collided, creating a CLANGING sound like Golden Stone striking together.

Tuoba Ye quietly asked, ”Old Su, do we fight or run?”

”Run!”

Su Chengbo answered without hesitation. After continuous battles, combined with having to resist the corrosion of Dark Energy, they were already a spent force.

Of course, the Yao Yue Liu wouldn’t let them escape. Several black roots, as thick as pythons, wrapped toward the four of them. One moment they were in their original spot, the next they appeared directly in front of them. The speed was so fast it seemed to have transcended Space; even the powerful neural Perception of a Body Master couldn’t detect any trace of their movement.

With four muffled grunts, the four of them were sent flying like kites with their strings cut. Each of them spat out a mouthful of blood as they got back to their feet. They circulated their Energy to resist the encroaching Dark Energy while drawing their weapons, holding their breath and waiting. At this point, only a life-or-death struggle could offer them a sliver of hope.

The next moment, the Black Dragon-like branch whipped toward them again. A blinding golden light flared around Tuoba Ye, and his Golden Mace shone even more brilliantly. With a thunderous roar, he blocked it. CLANG! With a deafening crash, he wasn’t sent flying this time, but he was forced back several steps and coughed up a large mouthful of blood. The attacking branch also sustained a gash, but for the Yao Yue Liu, an injury like this was nothing more than a scratch.

Metal’s domain is attack, and it excels at unleashing Sharp Power. If even Tuoba Ye couldn’t truly harm it, the others stood even less of a chance. They were once again sent flying. Fortunately, their physiques were all extremely tough, and they immediately got back to their feet.