Mirage...
In an instant, a heavy mist enveloped us. A thick purple fog appeared before my eyes. Instinctively, I prepared to strike, but in a daze, I suddenly found myself far away from Lao Chongyuan and Adam Dale.
It felt as if someone yanked me backward before placing me on the ground. Basil Bertram stood beside me, glaring furiously at the distant purple fog.
That guy seems to be able to see me.
Basil Bertram muttered. The mist was still, and everything around us was silent. It dawned on me that we were trapped in a dream.
Mona Ouyang's face was tense as she stared into the distance.
"They're both in my dream. That big guy won't be easy to handle. Ethan Zhang, distract him. Basil and I will take out Lao Chongyuan first."
I responded briefly and floated upward. Facing Adam Dale, I had no chance of winning—my only option was to draw his attention. I flew toward the fading purple mist.
Gradually, I saw Adam Dale retching with his mouth wide open. With a wet squelch, black water sprayed from his gaping jaws. Lao Chongyuan appeared next, shaking off black liquid from his body and glaring at me.
"You've gotten smarter, Ethan Zhang. This isn't the original space, is it?"
As expected, Lao Chongyuan's eyes protruded with tendrils, seeing through everything. Adam Dale's body shrank slightly as he chuckled.
"What now, Mr. Lowell? Looks like we can't get out. Things aren't looking good for Ah Fu and the others."
Lao Chongyuan nodded and looked around.
"I'll deal with Ethan Zhang first. You drag those two Ghost Sovereigns out of hiding."
I widened my eyes as Lao Chongyuan lunged at me. Fist shadows flashed before my eyes.
With several whooshes, black tendrils appeared before me, weaving into a net. With a boom, Lao Chongyuan's fist stopped right in front of me. I smiled and looked at Adam Dale on the ground.
"Want to compete with me?"
As I spoke, I slipped away from Lao Chongyuan and approached Adam Dale. I swung my 'Beauty' at him, but with a clang, Adam Dale blocked with his arm, looking at me in confusion.
"Compete in what?"
"Obviously, it's about who devours whom first."
It's not going to be easy to take down these two. Ethan Zhang, keep him busy—just run if you have to. I need to help Basil Bertram; his strength hasn't recovered yet, and he might not be a match for that guy.
I nodded and looked over. Black veils fluttered as a mass of tendrils in the distance turned to ash one after another. Lao Chongyuan kept swinging his fists, trying to find Basil Bertram through overwhelming attacks.
Suddenly, I pulled out a black grenade launcher and fired at Adam Dale in the air. With a bang, a black grenade shot toward him.
Just as he straightened up from the needle attack, Adam Dale immediately opened his mouth and bit down on my grenade, a cold smile appearing on his face.
I aimed a sniper rifle at the grenade in his mouth and pulled the trigger with a bang.
With a boom, black baleful energy exploded, stirring up the nearby black sand. I knew this had no effect on Adam Dale, so I quickly produced a Gatling gun in both hands. I watched the dissipating explosion quietly; this was the only way to draw his attention, and then I'd run when he came for me.
Bullets rained down on Adam Dale like a storm. The pitch-black bullets exploded on his skin, but none could penetrate it.
I tossed aside the Gatling gun and tried to put some distance between us, but Adam Dale charged right in front of me. His massive fists blocked my left and right. He grinned menacingly at me.
Don't even think about running. I'll finish you off and then go help Mr. Lowell.
Intense flashes of purple light flickered behind me. Lao Chongyuan seemed to be locked in a bitter struggle, so I quickly flew toward the ground.
With a whoosh, Adam Dale appeared before me. With a crunch, his right fist smashed toward me. Immediately, I sensed something was wrong—this move was his ultimate technique, aiming to destroy me from within.
Sure enough, with a buzz, before his fist even touched me, I was drawn toward it and smashed into his massive fist with a bang.
Suddenly, my body turned into black mist, then condensed into a black sphere. Adam Dale looked at me in confusion as I instantly changed the quality of my baleful energy—a skill honed through countless sleepless nights of training.
You think you can hide your ghostly soul like this? Watch me devour you.
Adam Dale immediately opened his mouth wide. I stared at him calmly. Just as he was about to shove me into his mouth, I found the weak spot in his fist and blasted it with a massive beam of baleful energy. With a boom, the suction vanished, and I broke free from Adam Dale's grip.
Curse Power Heavy Lock...
With a crunch, blood-red chains shot from my chest, instantly binding Adam Dale tightly. I leaped high and landed on his left shoulder, and he immediately turned his head to glare at me viciously.
Baleful energy has mass.
With a boom, Adam Dale crashed to the ground, landing in the sand with a thud. On my back, baleful energy began to condense with a crunch. I felt nothing, but under the immense weight, Adam Dale was immobilized, forced to endure the crushing pressure from his back.
Baleful energy continued to condense, soon forming a jagged little mountain. Adam Dale struggled to get up, one knee already on the ground. The weight kept increasing, and through the curse ghost, it was all transferred to the chains. All I had to do was keep adding more baleful energy.
Adam Dale roared in fury, his shouts turning to howls. I felt my body start to tremble as a tremendous force was about to erupt.
The distant battle seemed to be going well. Lao Chongyuan kept fleeing, dodging attacks from both ground and air. I just needed to keep Adam Dale suppressed; once they finished with Lao Chongyuan, the three of us could take down Adam Dale together.
With a crunch, I widened my eyes.
Qingyuan, get out of here quickly, or you'll be in danger.
The voice of the curse ghost echoed in my mind. I seized the moment and flew out instantly. With a boom, the mountain-like baleful energy behind me was shattered by a rising current.
Adam Dale's roar echoed behind me, but I didn't look back. I focused on escaping, knowing that the others needed time to finish the fight.
The sand beneath my feet shifted, threatening to swallow me whole. I leapt forward, dodging the collapsing ground.
A shadow flickered overhead, and Adam Dale crashed down, sending a shockwave through the battlefield.
I rolled aside, feeling the heat from the hellfire still lingering in the air. Every breath was heavy, every movement a struggle.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Mona Ouyang regrouping, her wounds barely slowing her down as she prepared another attack.
Basil Bertram was locked in combat with Lao Chongyuan, roots and fists colliding in a violent dance.
Sure enough, with a buzz, before his fist even touched me, I was drawn toward it and smashed into his massive fist with a bang.
Suddenly, my body turned into black mist, then condensed into a black sphere. Adam Dale looked at me in confusion as I instantly changed the quality of my baleful energy—a skill honed through countless sleepless nights of training.
You think you can hide your ghostly soul like this? Watch me devour you.
Adam Dale immediately opened his mouth wide. I stared at him calmly. Just as he was about to shove me into his mouth, I found the weak spot in his fist and blasted it with a massive beam of baleful energy. With a boom, the suction vanished, and I broke free from Adam Dale's grip.
Curse Power Heavy Lock...
With a crunch, blood-red chains shot from my chest, instantly binding Adam Dale tightly. I leaped high and landed on his left shoulder, and he immediately turned his head to glare at me viciously.
Baleful energy has mass.
With a boom, Adam Dale crashed to the ground, landing in the sand with a thud. On my back, baleful energy began to condense with a crunch. I felt nothing, but under the immense weight, Adam Dale was immobilized, forced to endure the crushing pressure from his back.
Baleful energy continued to condense, soon forming a jagged little mountain. Adam Dale struggled to get up, one knee already on the ground. The weight kept increasing, and through the curse ghost, it was all transferred to the chains. All I had to do was keep adding more baleful energy.
Adam Dale roared in fury, his shouts turning to howls. I felt my body start to tremble as a tremendous force was about to erupt.
The distant battle seemed to be going well. Lao Chongyuan kept fleeing, dodging attacks from both ground and air. I just needed to keep Adam Dale suppressed; once they finished with Lao Chongyuan, the three of us could take down Adam Dale together.
With a crunch, I widened my eyes.
Qingyuan, get out of here quickly, or you'll be in danger.
The voice of the curse ghost echoed in my mind. I seized the moment and flew out instantly. With a boom, the mountain-like baleful energy behind me was shattered by a rising current.