Chapter 7: Epic Showdown (6)
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Without Luo Ying paving the way in front, the Young Man’s skills were about as useful against the hundred or so Fallen Species as trying to tickle a dragon. Talk about a one-way ticket to the great buffet in the sky!
And at this moment, the Young Man was airborne, leaving him as vulnerable as a piñata at a birthday party. The Fallen Species could attack from every imaginable angle. All they needed was to poke him with their nasty little mouthparts, inject him with some gooey slime that could melt bones, and poof – instant dinner!
“Come on, you wimps!”
Even though it was a dire situation, the Young Man held on to a glimmer of hope. He yanked out his sword, backed against a cliff, and went all out against the oncoming tide of creepy bugs.
Meanwhile, the Fallen Species that hadn’t yet joined the fray hovered around, cackling with a high-pitched laughter that was just as fun as nails on a chalkboard. You could practically feel the cringing in your bones!
“Clink clink clunk…”
In a cacophony of noise, the Young Man finally managed to fend off the sharp mouthparts of the Fallen Species. His breathing was ragged, and his hands and feet trembled. After an intense clash, he’d only managed to take down a measly few of them.
But then, a swarm of excited insects came crashing towards him like a tidal wave.
Seeing the overwhelming mass in front of him, despair washed over the Young Man.
Never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d meet his end at the hands of half-man, half-bug creatures.
Just as he was about to become their special recipe for dinner, a deep voice suddenly boomed, “Stop!”
The voice wasn’t loud, but somehow it held a strange power, making the Fallen Species freeze in their tracks. They looked at the Young Man with hungry eyes but reluctantly backed off, abandoning their tasty snack.
A mysterious figure in a black robe stood at the cave entrance, beckoning the Young Man with a finger.
“Interesting, I can smell the scent of the Divine Clan on you. But seeing you, I’m quite sure you’re not one of them. This is a strange thing I’ve never encountered before. Perhaps you can clarify my confusion?”
The Young Man, grateful to be alive, floated down to the cave entrance, bewildered by what the figure in black was saying.
Divine Clan scent? When did he ever get involved with them?
Was it just because he took a little trip to the Animal World?
Seeing the Young Man’s confused expression, the man in black continued, “Come with me. Perhaps a little rest will jog your memory. But my patience is limited. Even if you were truly of the Divine Clan, killing you wouldn’t impact me one bit.”
Within the passage, a Fallen Species guard stood every ten steps, their elite status miles ahead of the chaos floating lazily in the air.
Their mouthparts shone with a dark golden tint in the dim firelight, and their muscular bodies showed they had feasted well on plenty of humans or Fallen Species.
But the Young Man felt no fear now. Had the man in black not intervened earlier, he might have already been dinner for those Fallen Species outside.
Every second he lived was a bonus!
With that thought, he strutted behind the man in black like he was on a stroll in the park, totally unfazed.
Just like when Feng Yalin scouted this cave last time, they walked for a while before reaching the main part of the cave.
Of course, this cave was no longer the chaotic graveyard Feng Yalin had encountered.
Torches were spaced every two meters along the stone walls, illuminating the entire cave with a warm glow.
In the center stood a lotus throne, nearly as tall as a person, but it was closed up like a flower bud, appearing especially sacred in the flickering firelight.
“Sit down,” the man in black said. “The aura emanating from you is quite similar to a Divine Clan friend I met years ago. Can you tell me where you encountered him?”
The Young Man decided not to play nice and plopped down directly opposite the mysterious figure.
At that moment, he remembered he had indeed dabbled with the Divine Clan before.
That was back in the Sighs Temple deep in the East Sea, where some self-proclaimed observer from the Divine Clan had taken over his body, trying to stop the Flowerless Palace from activating the bl**d of All Spirits Formation.
He thought Frost North Snow would obey his command, but when push came to shove, she turned the tables and crushed the observer trying to escape his body.
He had thought that was the end of it, that it had nothing to do with him anymore, but now this man in black had sniffed out the lingering scent of the Divine Clan on him.
Though he couldn’t quite grasp why the man in black wanted to know about this, he was pretty sure the Female Character was somewhere in this cave. That feeling was getting stronger by the second.
So, he needed to stall for time and find out where the Female Character was trapped.
“Before I answer, can I know why you’re interested in this?” the Young Man asked.
The man in black looked intrigued. “He’s an old friend of mine. It’s been ages since I last saw him, and I just want to catch up on how he’s doing.”
The Young Man replied firmly, “He’s dead.”
“Oh? Who killed him?”
“Frost North Snow.”
The man in black hesitated, “Frost North Snow? No way! Why would she want to k*ll him?”
He looked at the Young Man seriously. “Please tell me everything you know.”
The Young Man looked around and suddenly burst into laughter. “This is too good! Just too good!”
The man in black was taken aback, not understanding the Young Man’s reaction.
“Frost North Snow is right here! Why not just ask her directly?”
“How do you know… who are you?” The man in black stood up suddenly, his gaze on the Young Man filled with suspicion and shock.
The Young Man felt a weight lift off his shoulders. The man’s reaction was just as he expected, so the Female Character was definitely in the area.
But where exactly was she?
Feigning calm, the Young Man replied, “Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is that you guys could squash me like a bug anytime you want. I’m no threat to you.”
The man in black scoffed, “Now you decide to play weak? Too late!”
“No, no, not late at all! I’m still useful to you. If you want to threaten Frost North Snow, just bring me in front of her and she’ll do whatever you say. No questions asked!” the Young Man hurriedly explained.
“So, you’re like her lover?”
“Lover is a strong word; I’d say we’re more like really close friends who share everything!”
Suddenly, the man in black pulled out a long sword.
“I suddenly find you really annoying. As for that so-called Divine Clan loser, I’ve wanted him dead forever. I just wanted to confirm his location and status by talking to you.”
“But now, I’m not interested in him anymore. So, you’re worthless to me.”
The Young Man was taken aback, struggling to keep up with the man in black’s erratic thought process.
Is this guy a bit unhinged?
Wait, the way things escalated seems to have started shifting the moment he mentioned Frost North Snow.
This dude clearly had a wild obsession for her!
As the sharp sword drew closer, the Young Man stubbornly asked, “What’s your relationship with Frost North Snow?”
The man in black slowly lowered his hood, revealing his face.
The Young Man gasped and immediately blurted out, “Shiyuan?”
