# 119
Chapter 119 – Cao Yuan… Lock
Boom—!!
The gaunt man stomped the asphalt into a spider-web crater. Baili Pangpang, barefoot, staggered aside with a yelp and swung his great treasure-sword again.
The blade-shadow swept the ground like a dragon.
The gaunt man leapt four or five stories high, drifted down, and perched on a street-lamp.
Baili Pangpang heard explosions in the distance; his eyes lit up.
“Cao Yuan! Hold on, reinforcements are—uh…”
He caught sight of the berserk Cao Yuan pinning the three-blade man to the ground, hacking him apart with a maniac grin, blood spraying his face like some psycho killer.
For a moment Baili Pangpang wondered who the real villain was…
The rampaging Cao Yuan had lost all reason. Even after the three-blade man was unmistakably dead, he kept wallowing in the slaughter, never thinking to help Baili Pangpang.
In fact, it was already generous of him not to chop Baili Pangpang too.
“Worthless!” the gaunt man snarled at his teammate’s fate and attacked harder.
Yet however he struck, the clumsy-looking Baili Pangpang slipped away like an eel, then flung out some weird gadget that left him half-sick with disgust.
“Ha! Behold my Invincible Great Treasure Mirror!”
Baili Pangpang whipped a quaint round mirror from under his bath-towel and flashed moonlight into the gaunt man’s face. The man froze.
It felt like a sledgehammer to the skull; his ears rang, face bloodless.
“Mental attack…”
He steadied himself, glaring, but Baili Pangpang grinned wider and slashed down with the great sword!
A storm of blade-shadows swallowed the gaunt man; dust billowed.
Baili Pangpang planted a hand on his hip, flicked his nose, and snorted, “Petty River Realm—how laughable.”
Before the words died, a ghostly figure appeared behind him.
The gaunt man, half his body dripping blood, face twisted, raised a hand to chop Baili Pangpang’s neck—
A grunt sounded.
A black-clad man in a gentleman’s hat had slipped behind them, Straight Blade in hand, its tip through the gaunt man’s heart. Blood pattered to the ground.
The gaunt man turned, tried to speak; the newcomer yanked the blade free, and he collapsed dead.
Baili Pangpang beamed. “Qiye! You came too?”
Lin Qiye sheathed the Straight Blade. “Just dropped by to play host—happened to arrive at the right moment…”
His gaze drifted, brows knitting.
“Forget it. Let’s deal with that one first…”
Baili Pangpang followed his stare: Cao Yuan had risen from the blood-pool, black-flame-wrapped Straight Blade on his shoulder, grinning as he stalked toward them, murderous aura rolling.
“Good thing you’re here—no way I could beat that monster…” Baili Pangpang shivered.
“After advancing to River Realm his Forbidden Ruins got stronger—and nastier.” Lin Qiye held out a hand. “Sealing tape.”
Baili Pangpang rummaged and handed over the roll with a sigh.
“From now on let’s just call it Cao Yuan’s Chastity Lock…”
“…”
Lin Qiye’s mouth twitched. Blade in right hand, tape in left, he let darkness spread outward.
The mad Cao Yuan sensed the danger of the all-dark God’s Ruins and hesitated at the edge.
Lin Qiye shot forward like a ghost.
If Cao Yuan wouldn’t come, he’d close the distance himself.
Taking the charge as provocation, Cao Yuan roared and rushed in.
Clang-clang-clang—!!
Inside the darkness they traded dozens of blows, sparks flying.
Cao Yuan’s murderous aura blocked Lin Qiye’s erosion; he could only rely on Starry Dancer’s passive boost and the upgraded Mortal Divine Realm.
But River-realm Black King’s Annihilation Slash was terrifying—its bale-fire and berserk style a nightmare for any equal.
Soon Cao Yuan pressed Lin Qiye back, gaining the upper hand.
“Roooar—!!”
His blades flashed faster; Lin Qiye parried grimly—then golden light burst from his eyes!
Seraph’s might scattered the murderous aura; Cao Yuan staggered.
Without pause Lin Qiye unfurled the “Chastity Lock,” wrapped Cao Yuan, darted behind, and yanked!
Boom—!
Using night-strengthened muscles he hurled Cao Yuan through the air into a nearby low building.
Smoke rolled. Lin Qiye stood blade in hand, eyes narrowed.
After a while a human-shaped Cao Yuan crawled from a window, coughing as he peeled tape from his neck.
“Qiye, next time go gentler…”
“You didn’t hold back when you were chopping me.” Lin Qiye sheathed the blade.
“…Still holding a grudge?”
“…”
Lin Qiye looked skyward. The Formless Domain had broken; the burning hotel roof still blazed.
“The instructors are still fighting—River-realm enemies, I’d guess. Good thing we jumped down early,” Cao Yuan sighed.
Lin Qiye picked up his black box and started down the street.
“Those aren’t foes we can handle. Rather than stand here and be spotted… let’s grab a bowl of noodles.”