Chapter 94: The Turn
Chapter 94: The Turn
Amidst You Honghu’s light snort of anger, a mental storm, like a terrifying tidal wave and tsunami, surged forth with overwhelming force!
Here, one could see the formidable and unmatched power of the Sigil Mage.
A Spell Apprentice’s cultivation only allowed for a “Psychic Blast” that could generate thunder in the void, but a Sigil Mage’s mental power could be condensed into sharp needles to pierce souls on a small scale, or transformed into a storm that blotted out the sky and sun on a larger scale!
Li Yi’s face twisted, yet he remained unafraid. With an angry roar, the phantom of an Ancient Dragon appeared around him once more, roaring defiantly, its presence as solid as a heavenly wall!
Even if he had to lose, even if he had to die, he would die with dignity!
Boom!
The world before him shook and swayed. He let out a bitter laugh, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, before he fainted.
The gap in cultivation was as vast as the distance between heaven and the abyss; it was simply too great.
You Honghu swayed slightly, his expression shifting between dark and light. “Damn it!”
During the recent mental clash, he had felt pain once again.
Moreover, in that sharp, needle-point collision of wills, he could sense the other’s unyielding defiance and arrogance, which hadn’t diminished in the slightest!
Even as Li Yi lay unconscious, You Honghu could see the faint trace of mockery at the corner of Li Yi’s lips.
—Clearly, it was mocking him for not keeping his promise!
“A mere Spell Apprentice…”
He had thought that by taking action personally, he would easily capture Li Yi and play with him at will. Yet, he hadn’t expected that even the nine “Skeleton Warriors” specially crafted by the You Clan couldn’t subdue him!
A little insect like that actually made him feel a sense of defeat?
“I’m going to crush you bit by bit!”
Unable to contain his rage, You Honghu stared at the unconscious face, his fists clenched so tightly they creaked.
…
It was already daytime, but this deep, secluded cave remained dim and gloomy.
“Cousin, what’s going on? Why didn’t you just kill him outright?” You Wucheng asked, looking puzzled and speaking softly. “What’s the point of bringing this burden back?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to give you a chance to do it yourself?” You Honghu replied with a sinister smile.
“Really? That’s perfect then!” Upon hearing this, You Wucheng’s face revealed a fierce expression.
“However, there’s a condition—you must fight him in a fair duel.” You Honghu’s next words were like a bucket of cold water poured over him.
“A fair duel?” A flicker of fear passed through You Wucheng’s eyes, and he looked troubled. “But… I’m not his match…”
“Don’t worry, I have a way…” Feeling contempt in his heart, You Honghu didn’t show it. He turned his hand over, and a vermilion-red sphere appeared in his palm.
“This is…”
You Wucheng looked at it. Inside the vermilion sphere lay a fierce, horned demon with a crimson body, a menacing and ferocious appearance, and a chilling aura of blood.
“Didn’t you want a demon projection?” You Honghu said with a smile. “This is ‘Zhu Xie.’ It can raise your cultivation to the level of a High-Rank Spell Apprentice. Being two realms above him, defeating him shouldn’t be difficult, right?”
“Of course!” You Wucheng thought for a moment, then grinned viciously.
“I’m about to hold a Night Feast, and he is to be my main course,” You Honghu said with a faint, composed smile. “You understand what I mean?”
“A Night Feast? Is he worth it?” You Wucheng looked surprised.
“Don’t worry, I have my plans.” You Honghu chuckled coldly. “You cannot kill him, but you can use every means to humiliate him, trample him, destroy his dignity, shatter his mind, make him go mad, make him lose his sanity!”
“I understand.” You Wucheng thought of something, and a fierce light flashed in his eyes.
“Good. Now merge with this Zhu Xie quickly. I’ll assist you.”
His fingers spread out, and the demon Zhu Xie floated into the air. A giant crimson shadow manifested above You Wucheng.
Its roar seemed capable of shattering the heavens. The boiling crimson radiance made the surrounding mountains pale in comparison. You Honghu pointed his finger, and strands of black ropes wrapped around the demon layer by layer, binding it tightly so it couldn’t move.
Tugged by the ropes, it struggled incessantly, its expression unwilling, yet powerless. Eventually, bit by bit, it sank into You Wucheng’s body.
“Ah!”
Blood aura surged within You Wucheng’s body; dark light flowed like a tide. He clutched his head, howling and crying out in pain.
“What a waste! You can’t even merge with a mere Zhu Xie!”
You Honghu’s eyes were cold and clear. His index finger moved continuously, and strands of magical restraints swirled and intertwined across You Wucheng’s skin, suppressing the demon’s ferocity.
A long time later, You Wucheng’s curled-up body returned to normal. However, within his eyes, there was a trace of near-mad crimson glow.
“Cousin, this Zhu Xie is too powerful!” Feeling the abundant Mana within his body, he showed an evil smile, overjoyed.
He didn’t know that this item could forcibly boost his cultivation but would drain his potential, making his future cultivation increasingly difficult.
“You’ve gained the benefits; now get to work.” Of course, You Honghu had no intention of telling him this.
“Cousin, I’ll give it my all! But… can I break his arms and legs?” You Wucheng rubbed his hands together, a full-faced, sinister grin on his face.
“That’s fine. Just don’t damage his head.”
…
Li Yi sat upright, imposing and alert, his eyes scanning his surroundings.
All around were cave walls and rocks, the light was dim, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
He sniffed the air, and the faint scent at the tip of his nose made him sense something was wrong.
The fragrances of rosemary, soul-devouring grass, hidden-heart flower, and night-blooming datura—these aromas were all things that could induce hallucinations, disrupt emotions, and even cause madness.
What kind of place was this?
Furthermore, why hadn’t they killed him? What scheme was this madman plotting?
Amidst his doubts, the sound of echoing footsteps reached his ears.
He turned his head, on guard.
There were two people.
A flash of sharp light in his eyes; the other person was familiar to Li Yi as well—it was You Wucheng.
“Oh? You’re quite calm…” You Wucheng sneered.
“What? Were you hoping to see me weep bitterly or kowtow like pounding garlic?” Li Yi retorted with a mocking smile, a look of disdain appearing on his face. “Sorry to disappoint you…”
“Li Yi, don’t say I’m not giving you a chance,” You Honghu said with a smile, feigning sincerity. “Isn’t he your former defeated opponent? Defeat him once more, and you can leave.”
“Can your words be trusted?” Li Yi responded with a noncommittal, scornful expression.
“Oh, you’re referring to last night’s incident? Last night, you didn’t lose, but you didn’t win either. It was just that time was limited; I didn’t break the Rules.” You Honghu evaded with clever words, then added, “This time, there’s no time limit. There’s only one condition—one side falls!”
Hearing this, Li Yi’s eyes turned cold.
“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you,” You Wucheng said with a vicious grin, baring his teeth. “I’ll play with you like a cat with a mouse, humiliating and breaking you until I watch you go mentally insane, wailing and raging.”
“You don’t have what it takes…”
Even as he said this, Li Yi grew wary. You Wucheng’s cultivation had actually reached the level of a High-Rank Spell Apprentice!
Under his Dawnlight Eyes, he saw the boiling Mana within You Wucheng’s body, like a savage beast rampaging left and right. Observing his speech and actions, it seemed even his reason was somewhat affected. Obviously, this was some secret technique with severe side effects!
But even so, the cultivation of a High-Rank Spell Apprentice was genuine.
“Come on, let’s see if your skills are as sharp as your tongue.”
You Wucheng lowered his posture slightly, his Magic Gestures eerie and sinister. Before him, a mass of purple-black energy transformed into a vortex, resembling a black hole. A chilling, demonic intent seethed and roiled.
Another 2nd-level spell—”Prison Arrow” technique!
In an instant, a dark light shot through the Void, faster even than the blade of a Sword-Drawing Technique!
“Hah!”
The Aura Armor protected him from the outside, while three layers of Air Shield Technique were inside. Li Yi moved his fingers and palms swiftly, activating both the “Spirit Armor Pendant” and his own spells almost simultaneously.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of loud explosions rang out as the air shields shattered. Li Yi’s body slammed hard against the cave wall.
A gloomy hellish aura spread over him like clinging thorns, rising and falling, eroding his vitality.
“Li Yi, weren’t you quite formidable?” You Honghu chimed in from the side, attacking with words. “To be so weak is truly disappointing.”
“Heh, one attacks, the other distracts. Two against one—I’m really honored.” Li Yi remained unyielding, his words cold and sarcastic.
“Fine. I’ll make you submit willingly.” You Honghu frowned, then turned and disappeared into the darkness.
“You just said you wouldn’t kill me?” Li Yi raised his eyes, tilting his head slightly as he looked at You Wucheng, an aura of killing intent radiating from him. “As for me, I’m the exact opposite…”
…
“Li Yi! Li Yi! I’m here!” Wang Sheng called out several times but received no response. He frowned. “Didn’t we agree on this earlier? He’s usually very reliable.”
Shaking his head, he was about to leave when he caught a whiff of something amiss—a faint dark aura was seeping from the door crack!
His expression changed dramatically. With a flick of his finger, the door swung open.
The lingering dark aura and the bone-like footprints on the ground made his face turn grim.
“It’s You Honghu! No mistake, it must be him!”
“But where’s Li Yi? If he wanted to kill Li Yi, he could have done it easily. There was no need to hide the body.”
“Then, did he take Li Yi away?”
“Why? Wait, could it be for the Night Feast? If that’s the case, the location of the Night Feast must be…”
“You Honghu, I will kill you!”
With an angry roar, he strode out the door. His body transformed into a brilliant pillar of light and shot into the sky.
Two Mages who were chatting and laughing happened to pass by. Seeing this, they fell silent.
“Did you just…”
“That was… Wang Sheng?”
The two stared wide-eyed, shivering simultaneously, before hurrying away.