Chapter 119: Cao Yuan... Locked

Boom—!!

The emaciated man stomped hard, shattering the asphalt beneath his feet and leaving a spiderweb-like crater. Bai Li Tuming, barefoot, stumbled to avoid the shockwave, letting out a few wild yelps before swinging his large sword again.

The sword's shadow was like a dragon, sweeping the earth.

The emaciated man leapt with great force, soaring four to five stories high to avoid the sword strike, landing lightly and steadily atop a streetlight.

Bai Li Tuming, hearing the explosions in the distance, his eyes began to shine.

"Cao Yuan! Hold on a little longer, reinforcements are—uh..." Bai Li Tuming's words faltered as he saw that, not far away, the madman Cao Yuan had pinned the Three-Sword Man to the ground, laughing sinisterly as he dismembered him with his knife, blood splattering all over his face. He looked like a psychotic killer.

This sight made Bai Li Tuming wonder who the real villain was…

Cao Yuan, in his berserk state, had lost all sense of reason. Even though he had killed the Three-Sword Man in the most gruesome way, he was still immersed in the thrill of the massacre, completely ignoring any help Bai Li Tuming might need.

In fact, it was a blessing that he hadn't chopped Bai Li Tuming into pieces himself.

"You useless fool!" The emaciated man cursed when he saw the Three-Sword Man's brutal end, and his attacks became even more ferocious.

No matter how fiercely he attacked, Bai Li Tuming, though seemingly clumsy, managed to dodge just in time, slipping away like an agile eel, and then counterattacked with all sorts of strange and disgusting methods.

"Ha! Behold my invincible treasure mirror!"

Bai Li Tuming pulled out an ancient-looking round mirror from his towel and reflected its light toward the emaciated man. The moonlight from the mirror hit his face, and the emaciated man suddenly froze.

At that moment, the emaciated man felt as though his brain had been struck with a hammer. His mind buzzed, and his face turned as pale as paper.

"Spiritual attack..."

He barely steadied himself, looking at Bai Li Tuming with a murderous glare. Before he could make a move, Bai Li Tuming smirked and swung his large sword down again!

A flurry of sword shadows engulfed the emaciated man, creating a cloud of dust.

Bai Li Tuming stood with one hand on his waist, smugly rubbing his nose and snorting, "A little Pool stage... laughable."

Just as his words ended, a figure appeared behind him like a ghost!

The emaciated man, half of his body covered in blood, looked utterly savage, as though he were about to devour Bai Li Tuming alive. He raised his right hand high and struck down toward Bai Li Tuming's neck.

Bai Li Tuming suddenly felt a chill on the back of his head, realizing the danger too late. He was about to dodge when a muffled grunt came from behind him.

A man dressed in black, wearing a gentleman's hat, appeared behind him. In one smooth motion, he stabbed a straight blade into the emaciated man's heart, and blood poured from the blade tip, dripping to the ground.

The emaciated man struggled to turn his head, meeting the shadowed face of his attacker. He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but the man simply pulled the blade out swiftly, and blood sprayed as the emaciated man collapsed, lifeless.

Bai Li Tuming, seeing the newcomer, was overjoyed and shouted, "Qi Ye! You're here?"

Lin QiYe sheathed his straight blade, shrugged, and said, "I just came to take a look, do my duties as a good neighbor. Didn't expect to walk right into this..."

His gaze shifted to the distance, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Never mind. Let's deal with that guy first..."

Bai Li Tuming blinked, then turned to look. Cao Yuan had somehow risen from the pool of blood, his shoulders carrying a black flame-wreathed blade. He was grinning as he walked toward them, exuding a murderous aura.

"Good thing you're here," Bai Li Tuming said, shuddering at the sight of the devilish Cao Yuan. "Otherwise, I wouldn't stand a chance against this guy."

"After advancing to the Pool stage, his Forbidden Abyss seems even stronger and more vicious," Lin QiYe said with a frown, extending his hand toward Bai Li Tuming. "The Seal Scroll."

Bai Li Tuming hesitated for a moment, then rummaged through his things, handing over a roll of tape, sighing deeply.

"From now on, this thing should be called the Cao Yuan Virginity Lock... more fitting."

"…"

Lin QiYe's lips twitched slightly. Holding the straight blade in his right hand and wrapping the tape around his left, a wave of darkness spread outward from him.

Cao Yuan seemed to sense the ominous energy in the air, and his movements became more cautious. He fixed his gaze on Lin QiYe, who was surrounded by darkness, pausing his steps as if hesitating whether to move forward.

Lin QiYe raised an eyebrow and, like a ghost, charged toward the berserk Cao Yuan.

Since Cao Yuan had sensed the danger of the Abyssal Darkness and was unwilling to approach, Lin QiYe decided to close the distance and confront him directly.

Seeing Lin QiYe take the initiative, Cao Yuan roared in fury and charged straight at him.

Clang! Clang! Clang—!!

Within the Abyssal Darkness, Lin QiYe and the berserk Cao Yuan clashed dozens of times with their blades, sparks flying!

Amid the murderous aura, Lin QiYe's Abyssal Corruption could not affect or control Cao Yuan in any way. He had to rely on the passive benefits of Starry Night Dancer and the upgraded Godly Domain to fight.

However, Cao Yuan's newly upgraded Black King Slash was equally terrifying. The oppressive energy from his chaotic flames and his berserk battle style were enough to haunt any opponent of the same level.

After a brief stalemate, Cao Yuan easily overpowered Lin QiYe's attack and gained the upper hand in an instant.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!!"

Cao Yuan's fury only intensified, and his sword strikes became even faster. Lin QiYe struggled to parry his attacks, his brow furrowing with increasing difficulty.

In the next moment, a burst of golden light erupted from Lin QiYe's eyes!

The power of the Seraphim was truly the nemesis of berserk Cao Yuan. Just one intense glare from Lin QiYe caused most of the murderous aura surrounding Cao Yuan to dissipate. The madman stumbled backward, disoriented.

Without hesitation, Lin QiYe unrolled the Cao Yuan Virginity Lock, quickly ensnaring Cao Yuan's body. He then dashed behind him, gripping the tape tightly and pulling it with all his strength!

Boom—!!

Using the overwhelming physical strength granted by the darkness, Lin QiYe hurled the berserk Cao Yuan over his shoulder, sending him crashing into a nearby low building.

Thick smoke billowed as Lin QiYe stood holding his straight blade, narrowing his eyes as he watched the wreckage.

After a while, Cao Yuan, now back in human form, crawled out of the window, coughing as he slowly removed the tape from his neck.

"Qi Ye, next time, could you go a bit easier on me?"

Cao Yuan rubbed his neck, where the imprint of the tape had left a mark, and looked at Lin QiYe with a wounded expression.

"You weren't gentle when you chopped me earlier," Lin QiYe replied flatly, sheathing his sword.

"…Holding a grudge?"

"…"

Lin QiYe didn't answer. Instead, he looked up at the sky, where the Boundless Sky Domain had now been broken. The hotel atop the burning building showed no signs of the flames dying down.

"The instructors are still fighting. The enemies they're facing should be from the River stage... Luckily, we dropped down directly," Cao Yuan said with a soft sigh, looking at the scene.

Lin QiYe picked up the black box from the ground and turned toward the other side of the street.

"Those enemies aren't something we can handle. Instead of standing around here and increasing the risk of exposure, how about... we go have a bowl of noodles?"