Chapter 551: Chu Mo Island (Seventeen)
Chapter 551: Chu Mo Island (Seventeen)
A thunderous explosion erupted as spiritual energy howled outward in a chaotic maelstrom.
Back then… even the derivative being Y2-Shining had been reduced to near-death merely by being caught within the ki cannon’s range.
Now, Fu Ling—who was significantly larger in size—had completely absorbed the full brunt of the ki cannon’s attack, not wasting a single iota of damage. Factoring in the adamantine bell’s special effect, the total damage multiplier soared to 200%…
Most bosses would’ve been obliterated by such an assault. But… Feng Bu Jue had been thrust into a nightmare-tier team survival scenario, and Fu Ling was a hidden boss. In terms of power, she far eclipsed ordinary foes, standing firm even against samodi er.
Thus… a bizarre sight unfolded.
After the deafening roar faded, Fu Ling’s colossal, filth-coated body shattered into fragments, yet she hadn’t been killed. Instead, a semi-transparent humanoid figure emerged from within her remains—its size identical to a normal human.
Feng Bu Jue narrowed his eyes. The Fu Ling before him now was essentially a human female. She wore a flowing dress, her slender frame draped in waist-length hair cascading down her back. The sole anomaly was her face—her nose and cheekbones were stripped of flesh, revealing a skull-like visage. Yet above her eye sockets and below her lips, blood and skin remained intact.
“Ah… as expected…” Feng Bu Jue murmured. “Judging by the Realm of the Dead’s aesthetics… ‘beauty’ demands exposed bones.”
“You actually…” Fu Ling’s voice shifted noticeably, “broke the curseseal?” Her tone surged with near-tears by the last words. “Haha… Heh heh… Haaaahaha!” She erupted into laughter, but seconds later, her mirth twisted into sorrowful sobs. After another pause, she laughed again—then wept anew…
Feng Bu Jue stood aloof, silent, making no further move. This reaction didn’t surprise him. If someone had been sealed inside a body of excrement for eons, their psyche might well shatter upon release. Frankly, even if this boss had lost her mind to overwhelming joy, Feng Bu Jue wouldn’t have batted an eye.
“I’m finally… free!” Fu Ling cried, stretching her arms skyward as if embracing the heavens.
Though the air reeked with fetid odor, her expression radiated the ecstasy of paradise.
“Are you quoting Shawshank Redemption’s finale now?” Feng Bu Jue chuckled dryly, descending slowly. He knew his fortune had turned. The ki cannon hadn’t killed the boss, but it had ended the battle in another way.
As expected, moments later, a “buzzing” sound rippled through the air, and the surrounding barriers vanished like mist.
“When you’re done celebrating, answer me a few questions,” Feng Bu Jue said, landing on the rocky path and fixing her with his gaze.
Fu Ling turned, replying, “Of course.” Her voice remained unchanged, still as raspy as an old witch’s. “After all, you’ve done me a great favor… hehe… What do you seek, otherworld traveler?”
“How do I leave Chu Mo Island?” Feng Bu Jue cut straight to the pivotal question.
…
At that moment, deep within Chu Mo Island’s Crystal Labyrinth, the space twisted in surreal, chaotic patterns. Towering crystal pillars of irregular shapes jutted upward, while grotesque, predatory beasts lurked in the crystalline maze.
At its heart loomed a massive Crystal Cage—a flattened, vine-like sphere woven from translucent quartz, its surface latticed with gaps.
Inside, a Black Shadow sat cross-legged in deep meditation.
“A truly ironic scene…” A low, gravelly voice suddenly echoed from outside the cage.
Without lifting his head, the figure within—samo di er—replied in a frigid tone, “Hmph… It’s you.” He paused, then spat out the name, “Bi Li.”
The figure outside was none other than puppet Bi Li.
“Once, you were free while I languished as a prisoner,” Bi Li continued. “Heh… Now, the roles are reversed. I walk free while you rot inside.”
“Did you come just to mock me with such nonsense?” samodi er growled. “And… how did you even infiltrate Chu Mo Island with your feeble strength?” He finally lifted his head.
Moonlight filtered through the Crystal Cage’s gaps, casting dappled shadows across the prisoner within.
Samo di er’s appearance was terrifying. Towering at over two meters, his burly frame bore limbs both narrow and elongated. His face was a grotesque silhouette—dark crimson skin, a pair of earthy yellow eyes glowing like feral beasts, a pair of goat horns sprouting from his forehead, and degenerated bat wings spanning three meters from tip to tip across his back. His clawed fingers and fanged maw gleamed like blades forged by the Blade Guild. His legs were thick as tree trunks, his feet ending in giant hooves, while his thighs and loins bristled with mane-like fur as hard as tempered steel. A lion’s tail lashed behind him.
“Much has changed, samodi er,” Bi Li replied, pedaling his tricycle in circles around the cage. “In the years you’ve been imprisoned, the world has moved on…”
“You claim… you now possess the strength to enter and leave Chu Mo Island freely?” samodi er sneered. “Hmph… Absurd.”
“Is it disbelief… or mere denial?” Bi Li’s raspy voice chuckled. “What if I told you that not only I, but also La Bit and Ao Er Deng, now wield power rivaling yours? How would you feel then?”
“You?” samodi er hissed through clenched teeth.
“Hard to swallow, isn’t it?” Bi Li smirked. “I understand. As the last heir of the Satyr race—the strongest in this era—you cling to your pride and convictions. But back then, even our trio couldn’t best you. Now, each of us surpasses you. Naturally, you’d feel… aggrieved.”
“Don’t presume to know me, little puppet…” samodi er’s eyes flashed with menace. “I don’t even fully understand myself.”
“The player is lost…” Bi Li mused. “To the gods who uphold Order, your actions seem erratic. But I… grasp your nature completely.” He halted before the cage, continuing, “No matter how you stand apart from your kin, you remain a Satyr—your blood courses with Chaos. That primal instinct is inescapable. Even as Shi Guan, a servant bound to Order, you could never shed your innate chaos…
Thus, you betrayed the time lords, fled their prison, and freed us three captives…”
“You still remember that, do you?” samodi er interjected. “Could it be… this is your chance to repay me, Bu Jue?”
“Repay? Haha… Don’t flatter yourself,” Bi Li barked, his tone hardening. “I’m no child. Listen closely—your release of us was merely a ruse to divert the time lords’ attention, buying time for your permanent escape plan. Alas, your scheme failed due to a minor, unforeseen oversight…
You underestimated the otherworld travelers… or more precisely, the power of that ‘Mad Bu Jue.’ In the end, the time lords recaptured you. And your first act upon return? Selling out our whereabouts to save your own skin.”
“You’ve pierced some of my motives,” samodi er replied coldly. “But that doesn’t mean… you understand me.”
“Perhaps not,” Bi Li paused, then pressed on. “Enough banter. I’m here to strike a deal.”
“What?” samodi er’s expression shifted to wary surprise.
“Strange?” Bi Li countered. “On Chu Mo Island, transactions are the only reliable principle, aren’t they? Just as you once bargained with Lei Ensi Fude (see Hunter’s Island), mutual benefit through consensus.”
“You’ve uncovered much…” samodi er’s voice darkened. “Indeed, I did make a pact. Fu De is but a trivial human. I granted him ten points of meager power and guided him off the island. In return, he vowed to avenge me against Mad Bu Jue.” His yellow eyes locked onto Bi Li’s face. “But you… what do you seek from me? I’ve naught left… save suffering.”
(End of Chapter)
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