Zhao Kongcheng watched the scene and chuckled, his gaze shifting between Yun Hexian, Lin Qiye, and An Qingyu before he spoke, "I'll tell the captain about this, and if..."
"If it really doesn't work out, I don't have to join," An Qingyu said, fingering the small Fruit Basket that resembled a pendant. His eyes were filled with curiosity and intrigue.
An apple suddenly appeared in his palm. An Qingyu studied it for a moment, then handed it to Yun Hexian, signaling for him to eat it. Since he couldn't test the explosion right now, he might as well make the best use of the object and offer it to Yun Hexian as a gesture of goodwill.
Yun Hexian shook his head in refusal. "I'm saving my appetite for dinner; we can have fruit after the meal."
Outside, the rain began to fall harder. Zhao Kongcheng suddenly paused, turned to them, and said, "I'll come to pick you up tomorrow. I have some business to attend to, so I'm leaving now."
He hurried out the door. An Qingyu glanced at his retreating back. "There’s a Mysterious he needs to deal with."
"Hm? How did you know?" Lin Qiye asked. He had been able to hear the sound from Zhao Kongcheng’s earpiece thanks to his Ordinary Domain, but how could An Qingyu have known?
"He was wearing an earpiece; there was static, and his pupils constricted sharply. It was clear he had received bad news," An Qingyu said, pushing up his glasses. "For him to be so surprised and hurried, that Mysterious's destination must be the Old City District, or somewhere nearby."
"The Old City District... I have to go help him!" Lin Qiye stood up abruptly. Auntie, Ah Jin, and the others were all there. If a Mysterious actually made it to that area, the consequences would be unthinkable.
"Let’s go together," Yun Hexian said, rising as well. "Little Qingyu, tell Lin Qiye's Auntie that we'll be back after we settle this, and then we'll have our group meal at Pang Xin's place."
"...Alright." Lacking any special abilities and seeing how surprised that man had been, An Qingyu felt that he wouldn't gain anything by tagging along. "If possible, could you bring me a piece of the Mysterious's tissue?"
"You got it," Yun Hexian agreed instantly. He walked outside with Lin Qiye. "Pang Xin, you stay here with Little Qingyu and help move the tables and clean up the dishes!"
"You got it, Brother Yun!" Pang Xin replied.
Yun Hexian grabbed a plastic bag and ran downstairs. By the time he reached the bottom, Lin Qiye was already far ahead; for some reason, the kid had vanished in the blink of an eye.
Yun Hexian paused at the bottom of the stairs, closed his eyes, and entered the Game Space. He molded a supernatural avatar, this time giving it the appearance of the Demon Lord Chong Lou: wild, messy dark red hair, two horns, a robust and powerful frame, and fiery red eyes—handsome and domineering.The "Demon Lord Chong Lou" was fused with the [Forbidden Ruins - Bursting Flame]. Once fused, he was full of energy, his aura domineering and scorching, surrounded by a faint glimmer of fire. "Main body, who are we going to take down?"
The Bursting Flame was frantic, passionate, and combative. When Yun Hexian didn't override his consciousness, the sub-consciousness would follow the instincts of the abilities it possessed.
...
Cutting through the curtain of rain, Zhao Kongcheng was already locked in battle with the Ghost Face King.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
The blade light was frigid, refracting the dim light of the rainy night. The sound of clashing metal rang out incessantly as the two figures collided repeatedly within the Lawless Void Domain.
Yun Hexian caught up with Lin Qiye. When Lin Qiye saw him, his eyes lit up. He shouted toward the signboard, "Zhao Kongcheng! It's not just me—Brother Yun is here too! Let him heal you!"
"You two brats! Get back! I can handle this myself!" Zhao Kongcheng’s voice came from the signboard, laced with annoyance. "I still have to take you to see the captain tomorrow, so go get some sleep."
"Don't jinx it at a time like this!" Lin Qiye said, exasperated. A golden light suddenly erupted from his eyes.
The corner of the empty street was suddenly peeled back, revealing a sliver of the Mysterious's reality. What greeted the eyes of Yun Hexian and Lin Qiye was Zhao Kongcheng locked in a fierce struggle with the Ghost Face King.
Yun Hexian and Lin Qiye entered the Lawless Void Domain. Because Lin Qiye had exhausted his mental energy, he was a few steps slower than Yun Hexian.
"Caw—" The cry of an immortal crane rang out.
"Ding-ding-dang-dang~" A magnificent melody played.
Golden mist radiated from Yun Hexian. An immortal crane circled the edge of the forbidden domain as magnificent, ethereal music resonated. The golden mist poured into the bodies of Zhao Kongcheng and Lin Qiye.
The rapid replenishment of mental energy and physical strength made Zhao Kongcheng’s eyes flicker with surprise. He yelled, "How did you two get in here?!"
The Ghost Face King seized the opening, punching Zhao Kongcheng in the chest. Zhao Kongcheng struck back with his blade, but he couldn't control his body as he flew backward, landing right next to Lin Qiye.
The intense fire in Lin Qiye’s eyes had not dissipated, the divine pressure of the Seraph bearing down on the Ghost Face King. Sensing danger, the Ghost Face King turned and charged toward Yun Hexian.
"Cough, cough... Yun Hexian!" The injuries from that heavy blow were already being healed by the mist, returning Zhao Kongcheng to health. This made him realize just how powerful Yun Hexian’s healing abilities really were. *He has to keep him and Lin Qiye alive!*
Zhao Kongcheng raised his blade, but Yun Hexian waved him off, a relaxed smile on his face. "No need, Uncle. It can't hit me."
"Huh? Time deceleration?!"
Zhao Kongcheng and Lin Qiye watched as the Ghost Face King seemed to be frozen in time. Its speed toward Yun Hexian was agonizingly slow; even though it had blurred into a black mass, it remained at least two meters away from him."This is the defensive capability of my Forbidden Ruins, Birds and Fish," Yun Hexian smiled slightly. "The furthest distance in the world—it can infinitely stretch the distance between me and anyone or anything that attempts to approach me."
"It's space, not time."
The golden mist was frantically replenishing Yun Hexian’s mental energy, but the cloud covering the fifty-meter radius was disappearing at a speed visible to the naked eye. This showed just how massive the consumption of this ability was.
"Then we can't get close to it either," Lin Qiye frowned.
"We can. Once I move over to you guys, Uncle, you charge in and fight it. I'll rest for a bit," Yun Hexian said, his expression unchanged.
As he spoke, he began to run toward Zhao Kongcheng. The Ghost Face King, now a black shadow, followed him like a pet, maintaining that two-meter distance.
"I choose you, Uncle! Go for it!" Yun Hexian deactivated the effect of [Birds and Fish].The mist in his Forbidden Ruins was completely spent, leaving only the faint image of an immortal crane circling continuously.
*Boom!*
Zhao Kongcheng and the Ghost Face King—now free of the spatial distance—clashed. Both the man and the ghost staggered back three steps. Zhao Kongcheng exclaimed in surprise, "Its strength has weakened!"
"It just ran fifteen kilometers at full speed and is covered in wounds; it must be exhausted," Yun Hexian guessed. The last bit of mist dissolved into his body, and his mental energy was restored once more.
"You brat, you really know how to wait for the right moment!" Excited, Zhao Kongcheng charged in again. With Yun Hexian there to heal, refresh, and restore his strength, the current Zhao Kongcheng fighting the Ghost Face King was like Niohuru-clan Kongcheng battling the Ula-Nara-clan Ghost Face!