Chapter 76: Arrogance, A Fatal Blow
Everything happened in a flash.
The Withering Flower bloomed, Luo Ling broke free from the Ice Seal, and closed the distance to Artist, only three steps away.
But her next move was unexpected.
However, instead of shock, Artist felt… amusement.
Was she trying to steal his Sacred Tool?
What a newbie, she clearly didn’t understand that Sacred Tools… were bound to their owners from the moment of their creation.
If someone else tried to use a Sacred Tool, it would function as an ordinary weapon, its special abilities inaccessible.
If it were a dagger or a short sword, it wouldn’t be a problem. Even without its abilities, a Sacred Tool’s inherent properties were superior to ordinary weapons.
But a gun, without its abilities, was just a useless piece of metal.
Moreover, Artist’s ability was to animate inanimate objects…
This Withering Flower was already animated, a part of his body, impossible to steal.
Artist didn’t even bother to react, watching Luo Ling with a mocking smile, anticipating her disappointment.
Luo Ling, having finally reached Artist, reached out a trembling hand and lightly touched the Withering Flower, but she didn’t try to take it, as Artist had expected.
She just touched it.
“I’ve been telling you…” Luo Ling looked up, her burning eyes meeting Artist’s. “From the very beginning, you’ve underestimated me.
“Even though you were willing to pay a heavy Price to kill me, to take the ‘egg,’ you still underestimated me. You only cared about the ‘egg.’ Your arrogance is your greatest mistake.”
Her voice echoed in Artist’s mind, her words instantly conveyed through a single thought.
Only now did Artist realize he had been affected by Luo Ling’s ability.
But it was too late.
“Miss Cen, now! Attack!”
“Use everything you have… on Artist, everything!”
Luo Ling’s voice echoed in Cen Xiangyun’s mind, calm yet urgent.
Attack now?
But the Withering Flower’s petals were still falling…
Cen Xiangyun knew that she had only survived this deadly rain of petals because of Ice Seal.
If she attacked, she would have to release Ice Seal and face the Withering Flower, an attack powerful enough to severely injure even a High-Order Awakened One.
However, her hesitation lasted only a moment. The next moment, Cen Xiangyun burst out of the ice, her staff aimed at Artist.
Yes, even if she had to face the Withering Flower, even if it meant risking her life, so be it.
They were facing Artist, a wanted criminal on the Company’s A-rank list. How could they possibly win without paying a price?
Miss Luo Ling had risked everything to reach Artist; how could she not trust her? Trust that she could create an opportunity for a fatal blow?
Trust was paramount between teammates.
Luo Ling trusted her, and she trusted Luo Ling.
So…
“Ice Coagulation! Icefall!”
Cen Xiangyun poured all her inspiration into this attack, gambling everything.
“Sending her teammate to die?”
This was Artist’s first thought when he saw Cen Xiangyun break free from the ice. But the next moment, something shocking happened.
The falling petals of the Withering Flower froze in mid-air.
They stopped falling.
“What’s going on?”
Artist saw a budding black flower blooming on Luo Ling’s fingertip and a theory formed in his mind.
So that was it…
The reason the girl had gone to such lengths to touch the Withering Flower was that she had a way to temporarily control its ability, delaying the rain of petals to create an opportunity for Cen Xiangyun to attack.
But so what?
He knew Cen Xiangyun’s ability; he had countermeasures.
If she dared to attack him, she would be the one who died.
But now, Artist wasn’t so sure. He was no longer as confident as before, his gaze fixated on Luo Ling.
Did she have another trick up her sleeve?!
Use it!
A faint smile seemed to appear on the girl’s mangled face.
As if saying, you guessed right.
Puppet Ballad, third ability, Complete Control!
This wasn’t Luo Ling’s own ability, but the power of the Puppet Ballad. Mycelia threads erupted from where they had been implanted in Artist’s severed finger, consuming and controlling his flesh and blood.
Although Artist couldn’t be completely controlled this way, Luo Ling only needed a moment.
A moment of lost control.
Along with Complete Control came Cen Xiangyun’s Ice Coagulation, and countless ice spikes.
“Fall!”
After a brief pause, the Withering Flower’s petals resumed their descent, bringing with them the chill of death.
But Luo Ling and Cen Xiangyun had succeeded. Two Ice Seals enveloped them, protecting them from the final rain of petals.
At the same time, a third of Artist’s body was hit by Ice Coagulation, his blood turning into ice crystals. Although he quickly dispelled it, it was enough.
Blood seeped from his wounds, his movements slowing.
His right arm went limp, and the Withering Flower fell to the ground, then slowly crawled back to his feet, merging back into his flesh.
The last petal landed on the ground, and the black flower in the air dissipated.
The rain of withering petals ended.
The Ice Seals melted, and Luo Ling and Cen Xiangyun reappeared, covered in blood and grime. They didn’t rest, their gazes fixed on Artist.
This was their chance for a fatal blow.
If Artist still intended to kill Luo Ling…
…But unfortunately, Artist wouldn’t give them that chance.
“Well played, I concede.” A ritual with intricate runes appeared on Artist’s weakened back, and a pair of terrifying eyes opened on his forehead. “Miss, you were right. I was too arrogant, too careless, which led to my defeat.
“Before I leave, may I know your name?”
Luo Ling was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice,
“The one who defeated you, Luo Ling.”
She and Cen Xiangyun didn’t attack Artist, because they could sense he was summoning something powerful to take him away.
Of course, this came at a Price.
The power of Grotesqueries was strong, but the price was heavy.
“Very well, I’ll remember you, Miss Luo Ling. Next time we meet, I’ll give it my all.”
Artist took a step back, and the demonic ritual consumed him, his form disappearing completely.
He had escaped.
Against two opponents who weren’t even High-Order Awakened Ones, he had resorted to paying a Price to flee, ending the battle.
“We… we actually defeated Artist?”
Cen Xiangyun stood frozen in place, only now realizing the magnitude of their victory.
This was an A-rank wanted criminal, someone who required a P8 specialist or above, someone like Li Shaoheng, to contend against.
And she, Cen Xiangyun, was just a newly qualified P5 specialist, strong among Mid-Order Awakened Ones, but struggling against even ordinary High-Order Awakened Ones, let alone Artist.
If she had been alone, she could only have stalled him with Ice Seal, not defeat him.
“Because he wanted a quick victory, he revealed a weakness,” Luo Ling said softly, her voice weak. “Help me up, ugh, I stink…”
Chunks of rotting flesh fell from Luo Ling’s body, the stench like a months-old corpse, spreading for hundreds of meters.
This was the withering effect of Purgatory, a High-Risk Grotesquery. Even Artist didn’t dare touch it directly. Surviving it… the stench was a small price to pay.
Fortunately, she had been using the Puppet Ballad’s power. If it had been her own, she wouldn’t have lasted so long. Her Proliferation could only have blocked it for a second or two, and then her own flesh and blood would have been consumed.
Just then, the blood-red crescent moon in the sky gradually faded, and the surroundings returned to normal.
Had the incubation barrier deactivated?
Where was the “egg”?
Luo Ling felt a sudden surge of anxiety, but as she examined her own power, she realized… she had lost the power of the Puppet Ballad.
She had returned to her normal state, no longer an “egg.”
…The Puppet Ballad had abandoned her.
Was it because she hadn’t offered it anything in the battle just now…?
Luo Ling suddenly smiled. It seemed she had defeated more than one opponent today.
All the rotting flesh fell away, and her faint smile, appearing before Cen Xiangyun, momentarily stunned her.
Beneath the grime and decay was the girl’s pure, innocent smile. Cen Xiangyun had to admit, this was the one time she agreed with Artist.
This unknown, Grotesque-side Awakened girl was truly beautiful, surpassing anyone she had ever seen, even herself.
Only one ancient saying could describe this scene.
—Emerging from the mud unstained, cleansed by the clear ripples, yet not seductive.
“What’s wrong?” Luo Ling looked at the stunned Cen Xiangyun. “Is there… something on my face?”
“No, nothing…”
Cen Xiangyun shook her head, regaining her composure.
Then, excitement surged through her. Such a powerful newbie, if she could recruit her for the Company, not only this year’s bonus, but next year’s would be secured as well!
And the Company had a hair clip Sacred Tool…
Not because it was pretty, or because it matched the hairpin, but because it could enhance her power!
“How’s my sister? Is she hurt?”
Luo Ling asked. She was so weak she couldn’t even move a finger, could only endure the stench and lean against a nearby utility pole.
“I’ll go check!” Cen Xiangyun hurried over to the frozen Su Wan at the bus stop and examined her carefully. “She’s fine, Artist was only targeting you.”
“…That’s good.”
Luo Ling breathed a sigh of relief.
She had been worried that Cen Xiangyun’s Ice Seal wouldn’t be enough. After all, Artist could use various methods to target her or break through the Ice Seal’s protection.
Although the probability was low, Luo Ling still didn’t want to take any chances.
Thinking back on the battle, Luo Ling couldn’t help but smile wryly. If she hadn’t temporarily gained the Puppet Ballad’s power, and if Artist hadn’t underestimated her, they wouldn’t have won.
But on the other hand, if the Puppet Ballad hadn’t chosen her as an “egg,” Artist probably wouldn’t have come looking for her…
The reason for this, Luo Ling didn’t know.
Of course, Cen Xiangyun’s contribution was also crucial.
Luo Ling could only create the opportunity; it was Cen Xiangyun who had seized it.
“Miss Luo Ling, do you need me to take you and your sister home?” Cen Xiangyun asked. “You seem… to be in a bad state.”
Cen Xiangyun didn’t know the specifics of Luo Ling’s situation, and although she was curious, now wasn’t the time to ask.
It was better to let Miss Luo Ling rest first.
“Mm, I need to go home and take a shower…”
The stench was overwhelming. Even after getting somewhat used to it, it was still…
Too much!
Even worse than in the subterranean cavern…
Cen Xiangyun, however, seemed accustomed to such smells, not even flinching.
It was simple. The location of her recent internship, her final task before becoming a full-fledged Company employee… had been rather… unsavory.
“But I don’t think I can walk.”
Luo Ling said helplessly, trying to move her feet, but the earlier use of Proliferation had depleted her stamina and even consumed some of her life force.
Her once thick, black hair now had streaks of white, like highlights.
Defeating a powerful opponent like Artist came at a price.
“That’s easy. Tell me your address, I’ll use Ice Seal on you, and carry you there… and purify the smell at the same time,” Cen Xiangyun snapped her fingers and smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m not a bad person, you can tell me your address!”
…If they hadn’t just been through a life-or-death battle together, even if she was a pretty older sister, Luo Ling would still be wary of such words.
“Alright, thank you,” Luo Ling reluctantly agreed, giving Cen Xiangyun her address, then remembering something, she added, “By the way, when my sister wakes up…”
“Don’t worry, I can explain everything to her, I’m good at this,” Cen Xiangyun puffed out her chest. “My job during my internship was damage control! Except for the times I failed, I’ve never made a mistake!”
“…”
Why did that sound so unreliable…?
But Luo Ling couldn’t hold on any longer. She closed her eyes, succumbing to the exhaustion.
Her vision faded to black.
…
Meanwhile, at the other battlefield.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, Artist is such a loser, he actually failed,” Scientist shook her head and said.
She and Li Shaoheng had been fighting for a while, but neither of them had any injuries, their stamina barely depleted.
It was simple. They were both holding back, waiting for the right moment to unleash their ultimate moves.
Once unleashed, it was a matter of life or death.
The battle between Retrospect and Spatial Distortion was a game of cat and mouse.
Clearly, this game wouldn’t end easily, which was what Scientist wanted. She was just stalling for time, preventing Li Shaoheng from going to the other battlefield.
And Li Shaoheng was waiting for an opportunity to kill Scientist.
But unfortunately, she was too cautious, not giving him any openings.
So, the real battle… was elsewhere.
It wouldn’t end until the other battle was decided, or until Li Shaoheng found a way to escape.
He had already notified the local Awakened organization. The other battle should have reinforcements soon.
The longer they stalled, the worse it would be for the Harbingers of Calamity. Time was on their side.
But he hadn’t expected Artist to be defeated…
Li Shaoheng knew his niece well. She could stall, but she couldn’t defeat Artist.
Was it that Grotesque-side Awakened newbie…?
Li Shaoheng’s eyes flickered, lost in thought.
But regardless, they had won this encounter.
“Boring, I’m not playing with you anymore,” Scientist put on her cat-faced eye patch, sounding annoyed. “I even used a bit of Price to stall that big boss, and he was defeated by a small fry, how pathetic.”
“Leave something behind.”
Li Shaoheng seized the opportunity, and several throwing knives appeared around Scientist, attacking from all angles, leaving no room for escape.
“Heh.”
Scientist just sneered and snapped her fingers.
Her form slowly dissipated.
Retrospect.
The throwing knives missed.
But Li Shaoheng wasn’t discouraged. It had been a long shot anyway.
Scientist’s bounty was three ranks higher than Artist’s, not just because she had committed more atrocities, but also because… she was stronger, harder to kill.
The full extent of her abilities was still unknown. Because of Retrospect, Scientist rarely put herself in danger. The Company had only seen the tip of the iceberg.
Just then, Li Shaoheng’s phone vibrated. He picked it up and twitched his lips.
It was a message from the exchange group.
But…
[Ancient Martial Artist: Arrived at the scene, but the battle seems to be over, no sign of the target.]
[Ice: No shit, we already finished before you arrived!]
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