Chapter 182: He Has Changed! (Part Two)
Chapter 182: He Has Changed! (Part Two)
Boom!
With that enormous explosion, it swirled up not only spray but also countless miscellaneous things that appeared like tree branches. However, upon closer inspection, anyone would be horrified to find they were not branches at all, but dismembered limbs.
Those dismembered limbs looked like dried tree branches because they had no bloodstains or foul odor, only form.
Those limbs resembled completely desiccated animal corpses in a desert, devoid of any flesh, even scarier because they were merely bones wrapped in skin—true skin and bones!
“Huh?”
Seeing those utterly dried dismembered limbs, Tang Jinbiao was startled at first, but then he deeply furrowed his brows and silently stared at the lake surface.
“Frost Silver Spear!”
Having mentally braced for the oddness here, Tang Jinbiao naturally was not afraid. He gave a low grunt in his mind, and the Frost Silver Spear flew out immediately. It grew as it caught the wind, lengthening to about ten feet, gripped in his hand. At the same time, he thrust his legs forcefully, propelling himself backward as if he had grown wings.
“Whether you are human or ghost, if you dare emerge, today I, Tang Jinbiao, will offer you as a sacrifice to my spear!”
Landing atop a tree, Tang Jinbiao held the Frost Silver Spear. His aura did not burst outward—he restrained it, gathering for the mightiest strike.
Though unclear what was strange in this Deep Pool, it was likely linked to the Azure Dragon. Since connected, it was an enemy and must be eliminated!
If it had been before, seeing the same scene, perhaps his legs would have weakened in terror!
If it had been before, seeing the same scene, perhaps he would have let out a silent scream!
But now, Tang Jinbiao was no longer “Tang Jinbiao!”
From the moment he personally ended Wei Wuya’s life, he ceased to be that Tang Jinbiao.
Or rather, from the moment he saw Jia Longwu’s deceit, he stopped believing in the goodness he once thought existed.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Though not acting yet, the Frost Silver Spear in Tang Jinbiao’s hand seemed to sense his killing intent. Its shaft trembled lightly, its gleam flickering, emitting faint, clear chimes.
When Tang Jinbiao struck, it would—just as when it pierced Wei Wuya’s body before—freeze and destroy the presence in the Deep Pool!
Roar!
Along with the sound of the explosion came a mighty roar, causing Tang Jinbiao’s eardrums to ache painfully.
Rustle, rustle, rustle!
Nearby leaves rattled violently from the huge roar, many swaying and drifting in the wind.
“That voice is so familiar—I think I’ve heard it somewhere!”
Hearing that sound, Tang Jinbiao paused momentarily because it wasn’t an average beast’s roar but a human shriek, vaguely familiar, as if he’d heard the same voice before.
It was a shriek only made when humans suffer agony.
“Not good!”
On hearing the shriek, Tang Jinbiao narrowed his eyes slightly, aiming to discern the figure in the Deep Pool. But before he saw clearly, a withered, skeletal severed arm shot straight at him.
Whoosh!
Even though it was just an ordinary arm, its speed was incredibly swift.
In martial arts, nothing surpasses speed.
This held true for cultivators as well, differing only in their respective limits.
“Hmph!”
Upon seeing that arm, Tang Jinbiao remained utterly unflinching. Letting out a cold snort, he didn’t even shift his stance. Raising his left hand, he punched directly toward the arm.
Chiii!
A soft sound rang out as a burst of Frost Qi erupted instantly from his left fist. The moment it touched the severed arm, the limb froze solid.
“Begone!”
After encasing the arm in ice, Tang Jinbiao wasn’t finished. He summoned Frost Qi once more and slammed it into the frozen limb. The arm instantly shattered into a frozen lump, hurtling straight toward the Deep Pool.
Shoooo!
Just as this ice-blocked projectile was about to strike the Deep Pool, another severed arm shot out from the murky depths.
Boom!
The frozen arm crashed into the newly emerged limb. A muffled explosion followed, shattering both into countless fragments.
Yet, lacking flesh or blood, the debris merely filled the air with Frost Crystals and flying ash.
“Hmm?”
Watching the frosty shimmer in the air, Tang Jinbiao frowned deeply. That sensation felt hauntingly familiar. For that fleeting instant when the limb appeared, something known had pervaded the air – a scent overshadowed by overwhelming rot and bloodshed.
ROOOOOAAR!
Simultaneously, another agonized, tremendous roar erupted from the Deep Pool, sounding even more tormented than before.
Shoooo!
Meanwhile, the Azure Dragon, in its transformed guise as the Big Yellow Dog, had caught up. It stopped a hundred zhang away, observing the scene from a distance, making no move to approach.
“Since you’re here, I might as well settle this swiftly!”
Sensing the Azure Dragon’s gaze, Tang Jinbiao cast a fleeting glance its way, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
“I don’t know what manner of thing you are, but today, you die!”
Tang Jinbiao raised his right hand high, lifting the Frost Silver Spear which thrummed with clear tremors. He centered himself, drawing inward, immersing himself in the profound, almost visceral connection between himself and the spear. Simultaneously, the Qi Energy within his body – long since transformed into Frost Qi – surged continuously from his Pseudo Qi Sea, pouring into the Frost Silver Spear’s core.
He intended to destroy the presence lurking in the water, thereby proving to the Azure Dragon he wasn’t one to be casually manipulated.
Vibrate Vibrate Vibrate!
As Tang Jinbiao and the Frost Silver Spear achieved a state of perfect synchronicity, the white light enveloping the spear grew increasingly brilliant, and the weapon itself trembled with greater intensity.
At this moment, Tang Jinbiao seemed like a changed man. He gave a strange impression – it wasn’t the Frost Silver Spear radiating cold; rather, Tang Jinbiao embodied the chill, and the spear’s frigidity was an extension of his own power.
In this instant, not a trace of the recognizable “Tang Jinbiao” remained.
Yet, no one could truly say whether this current Tang Jinbiao was the real “Tang Jinbiao,” or if the former version was the genuine one.
BOOM!
An immense aura erupted outward with Tang Jinbiao as its epicenter, blasting violently in all directions.
“I am Tang Jinbiao!”
Suddenly, Tang Jinbiao snapped his eyes open and roared.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Just as Tang Jinbiao and the Frost Silver Spear seemed to merge into one, the deep pool erupted once more, launching countless severed limbs towards Tang Jinbiao in the air. Simultaneously, a dark silhouette was mixed among them.
Thud!
The Azure Dragon, watching from afar, felt its heart suddenly lurch for no apparent reason upon seeing Tang Jinbiao. It felt as though it was witnessing the awakening of another soul within Tang Jinbiao’s body.
“What was that?”
Though its cultivation level was gone, the Azure Dragon’s keen eyesight remained intact. For an instant, it seemed Tang Jinbiao had changed.
Snap!
Suddenly, Tang Jinbiao’s eyes snapped wide open. A gaze palpable as physical force burst forth from them.
“I am Tang Jinbiao! You die for me now!”
Tang Jinbiao bellowed in rage, his eyes flashing like lightning, locking fiercely onto the black figure surging toward him. His body moved slightly, and the Frost Silver Spear immediately shot from his hand, flying of its own accord.
Through their time together recently, the Frost Silver Spear had seemingly accepted Tang Jinbiao as its master. It responded readily to his thoughts, enabling him to control it perfectly. Sometimes, it even attacked autonomously without his direction.
Whoosh!
At this moment, the Frost Silver Spear seemed imbued with life by Tang Jinbiao—completely awakened. Or, perhaps, it possessed a soul all along. Sharp, chilling gleams erupted along its shaft as it streaked toward the dark silhouette.
“Ah!”
The black figure hurtling toward Tang Jinbiao seemed to recognize the terrifying power of the Frost Silver Spear. It abruptly halted its momentum, instantly changed direction, and shrieked in alarm as it plummeted downward toward the deep pool on the ground.
“Hmph! Think you can come as you please and leave as you will? Who do you think Tang Jinbiao is?”
Seeing the shadow trying to flee back, Tang Jinbiao naturally wouldn’t allow it. He snorted coldly.
Whoosh!
Before the figure could even fully retreat, the Frost Silver Spear moved with blinding speed. In the blink of an eye, it pierced toward the figure.
“Heh heh!”
A triumphant smile spread across Tang Jinbiao’s lips as he saw the Frost Silver Spear strike its target. The might of this spear was beyond what ordinary beings could resist. That Wei Wuya, of the Middle Third Tier, had merely brushed against its chilling aura and become immobilized—and even that aura had been diluted passing through his own body.
At this moment, Tang Jinbiao seemed to foresee the figure pierced by the spear, frozen into an icy statue. His smile widened further, and he deliberately glanced back toward the Azure Dragon in the distance.
Thud!
Although not afraid of Tang Jinbiao, the Azure Dragon felt a jolt of apprehension when Tang Jinbiao swept that almost provocative gaze over it.
“Damned fool! I hadn’t expected this brat to be so ruthless and vicious! Could I have misjudged him from the start?”
If it weren’t for Huang Biaozi’s restriction, an existence like Tang Jinbillo wouldn’t even register on the Azure Dragon’s radar. A quiet unease stirred within it now.
“Ahem. What a pity! So rare to encounter a fellow traveler, only for him to be snuffed out by that brat so quickly!”
Watching the dark figure desperately fleeing in the distance, a sense of loss filled the Azure Dragon’s heart.
Earlier, when it had scouted the path, it had chanced upon this shadowy figure. With a glance, its seasoned insight instantly identified him as a demonic cultivator. It had observed him covertly for some time before deliberately steering him onto Tang Jinbiao’s intended route. The plan was to use another’s hand to eliminate a threat—borrow a knife. Yet, unexpectedly, he couldn’t last even one round against Tang Jinbiao.
The Azure Dragon seemed to see the tragic scene of the demonic cultivator perishing wretchedly beneath the Frost Silver Spear. Unable to bear the sight, it slowly closed its eyes.
Clang!
Suddenly, to the Azure Dragon’s astonishment, the sound that reached its ears wasn’t a death cry— it was a sharp, clear metallic clang!
“What happened?”
Hearing that sound, hope flared within the Azure Dragon. Immediately, it snapped its eyes open, snapping its gaze towards the source of the noise.
“What?!”
Not just the Azure Dragon, even Tang Jinbiao was momentarily stunned. He stared, incredulous, at the Frost Silver Spear— the unfailing Frost Silver Spear—now shockingly knocked flying, encountering resistance for the very first time…