Chapter 228: Restraint
Chapter 228: Restraint
The black Specter was much larger than the white Wraiths, yet its movements were surprisingly agile and swift.
It instantly retreated backward five or six meters.
Causing Gao Jing’s certain full-force strike to slice through nothing but air!
The blazing long blade cut futilely through resistance, leaving a bright streak in its wake, the scorching heat rapidly fading away.
The black Specter flew backward into the air, looking down at Gao Jing from its high vantage point as the twin flames reignited within its hollow eye sockets.
“Olekasuo!”
With a deep, guttural incantation, the scythe in the Specter’s grasp suddenly fractured into dozens of dark streaks, shooting towards Gao Jing with lightning speed.
Gao Jing, having missed his strike, was falling downward.
Before his feet could touch the ground, the dark streaks reached him.
They coiled around his arms, legs, torso, and neck!
Gao Jing had no time to evade.
Once ensnared, his body stopped falling altogether, frozen in mid-air!
The dark streaks constricting Gao Jing were clearly black snakes.
They hissed with long forked tongues, pairs of sinister crimson eyes gleaming, their scaly bodies binding Gao Jing’s movements with tremendous force!
Their strength was astonishing.
Without his Battle Armor, Gao Jing would surely have been crushed.
Despite their armor, however, the chilling aura emanating from the black snakes seeped through its protection and invaded Gao Jing’s body.
Creeping even into his head!
Gao Jing felt like his head was about to explode.
The whispers of the Undead flooded his ears again, ten times louder than before. The infinite malice, hatred, and rage within them were like glowing-hot steel needles plunging deep into his Spiritual Soul.
Threatening to pierce it through entirely, to tear it apart!
At this critical moment, the Kunlun Divine Mountain automatically manifested, forming a solid barrier within Gao Jing’s Spiritual Soul.
Protecting it.
But the mental assault from the Specter seemed endless, putting Gao Jing’s willpower through its toughest trial yet!
In just moments, countless cracks appeared on the surface of the Kunlun Divine Mountain.
The cultivation level of the Double Mountain realm clearly wasn’t enough to resist the potent mental attack of this Specter. Despite his utmost efforts, he could not reverse the tide.
His Guardian Battle Armor rippled violently under the crushing pressure of the snakes, its radiant light gradually dimming.
Gao Jing faced immense danger both outside and within!
He knew full well he couldn’t hold on for much longer if this continued.
There was no other choice.
Just as Gao Jing prepared to activate the power of the Bronze Anchor and return to the Primary World to escape…
The Bronze Anchor pressed against his chest gave a violent tremor.
Two words instantly flashed into his mind.
Faith Flame.
Faith Flame!
A bolt of lightning seemed to strike Gao Jing’s thoughts, clearing his mind instantly.
He abandoned the idea of retreating. Instead, he immediately channeled a portion of his spirit and will into the Bronze Anchor, drawing a surge of energy from the Faith Pool within it. He condensed the Power of Faith into Faith Flame and wrapped himself in it.
Gao Jing had long mastered the technique to condense Faith Flame. However, because igniting it consumed precious Power of Faith, and he hadn’t previously understood its full purpose, he had only truly used it twice before – both times aboard the luxury liner Royal Star.
That’s when he discovered Faith Flame could temporarily boost luck.
But its uses were clearly much greater!
As the Faith Flame enveloped him, its pristine power flowed perfectly into his armor.
The once crimson-toned surface of his Battle Armor erupted in brilliant, pale-gold flames.
Hisssss!
The black snakes constricting Gao Jing instantly shrieked in agony.
The tighter they had coiled, the greater the backlash they suffered now. One by one, the snakes vaporized into nothingness under the burning force of the pale-gold flames, their binding power evaporating completely!
Gao Jing landed back on solid ground.
Meanwhile, the black Specter, still hovering in the air, convulsed violently as if struck by lightning. Its entire form rippled and distorted uncontrollably, the twin flames in its eyes flickering wildly between brilliance and near extinction.
It let out a piercing shriek.
Suddenly, it whirled around and fled deeper into the Ruined City, vanishing into the mist within seconds.
The mist had thinned somewhat by now, faintly revealing the outline of the city structures ahead.
Gao Jing did not pursue.
Heaven knew how many other Undead horrors lurked within the Ruined City. It was obvious there were beings far more terrifying than mere Specters. Charging in alone would be suicide!
Though the Specter had escaped, Gao Jing’s gains were still substantial.
His primary discovery was the new function of Faith Flame: its power to counteract negative energy!
This made perfect sense. Faith Flame stemmed from the Power of Faith, which was itself formed by concentrated positive energy.
Counteracting negative energy was utterly logical.
In this context, it meant vanquishing evil, dispelling illusions, slaying monsters, and destroying demons!
With this power, encountering Undead creatures wouldn’t paralyze Gao Jing anymore. By infusing his Battle Armor and weapons with Faith Flame, he could significantly increase the damage inflicted against such beings.
His other gain lay scattered across the ground: Tears of the Undead.
Gao Jing had already slain countless Wraiths. While not every vanquished Wraith dropped a Tear, killing so many naturally yielded a considerable harvest.
A rough estimate counted one to two hundred!
His mission required only ten Tears, meaning the surplus could be traded for a substantial number of additional merit points.
However, Gao Jing was caught off guard when, just as he started gathering his spoils, urgent footsteps echoed from his right.
A party of Adventurers appeared in Gao Jing’s sight!
There were five in total. They looked like they had just endured a brutal fight, every one of them injured and disheveled.
Leading them was unmistakably Kui Yang – the very man he had clashed with earlier aboard the Spirit-Powered Railcar.
What an inconvenient encounter!
At the same moment Gao Jing recognized Kui Yang, the latter spotted him too.
“You!”
Kui Yang’s eyes widened in shock.
His gaze quickly swept past Gao Jing, seeing him alone, and then down at the ground littered with softly glowing Tears of the Undead.
Greed instantly flared in Kui Yang’s eyes.
“Heh heh,” Kui Yang chuckled darkly, lifting his heavy Battle Axe as he advanced. “Now? Even if you want to run away, I won’t give you the chance.”
His four companions immediately fanned out with practiced coordination, surrounding Gao Jing completely.
“Boy.”
Kui Yang licked his lips, showing a vicious smile. “Get on your knees. Make it snappy, and I promise your death will be merciful!”
Bang!
The answer came in a sudden, sharp report.
The Adventurer positioned to Kui Yang’s left jerked violently. His skull erupted like a watermelon struck by a sledgehammer. Fragments of red, white, and grey sprayed in all directions, splattering across Kui Yang’s Battle Armor.
Bang! Bang!
Before Kui Yang could even register what had happened, two more of his companions’ heads exploded in quick succession, one behind him, one beside him.
Only now did Kui Yang notice: Gao Jing was holding an unusual silver weapon that hadn’t been in his grasp moments before.
It was this weapon that, within mere seconds, had slain three of his comrades!
Now, its muzzle pointed directly at Kui Yang.
What sorcery was this?!
Raw instinct screamed terror. Kui Yang threw his arms up in a desperate attempt to shield his face.
Bang!