Chapter 577: Chu Mo Island (Forty-Two)
Chapter 577: Chu Mo Island (Forty-Two)
Before Hong Hu’s words had fully faded, a hexagonal light formation surfaced on the surface of Fear Leaf, perfectly enclosing Can Mu’s massive body within its glow.
In that instant, Can Mu’s furious charge came to an abrupt halt. She was locked in place by the formation’s edge, utterly unable to move an inch.
Judging by its effects alone, Hong Hu’s skill was undeniably potent. However, its practical use presented immense challenges. The primary difficulty lay in one crucial requirement—"spiritual artifacts must first be embedded into each formation node marked in the diagram." (The "diagram" referred to a highly intricate spirit particle array. Once the [Spirit Binding Formation] was placed in a player’s skill bar, the pattern could be viewed within the skill’s description window.)
During direct combat, Hong Hu had only one way to activate this skill: first, he had to precisely mark each formation node using Luminous Arrows (non-physical spiritual artifacts of the same nature), and only then could he strike. But therein lay the problem—during this preparation time, the opponent would almost certainly exit the formation’s range. (The formation’s size had to be strictly controlled within a specific range, neither too large nor too small.)
In other words, all of Hong Hu’s meticulous planning might end up being for naught.
Of course, alternative methods existed. For instance, pre-deploying a ritual array in a specific area to lure targets in. (Hong Hu had once used such a trap to kill a scenario Boss, using a string of rosary beads as the spiritual artifact.) But such opportunities were rare, and the current scenario on Chu Mo Island offered no such conditions.
Fortunately, Can Mu had a critical weakness—overconfidence.
It was her arrogance that had led her to approach combat with a playful attitude, to abandon the final blow against Feng Bu Jue, and to overlook Hong Hu’s suspicious movements.
In truth, the coordinated attack from Hong Hu, Tian Ma Xing Kong, and Ji Bu moments ago had merely been a ruse. The [Spirit Binding Formation] was the true keystone of the plan they’d devised. Whether they executed Plan A—splitting forces to rescue the captives—or Plan B—unleashing full force to kill the Boss—the skill’s cover was indispensable.
If Plan A succeeded, the players could escape under the skill’s protection. If forced into Plan B, the Spirit Binding Formation would serve as a powerful control ability, creating space for the team to deal damage.
Knowing the skill’s low practicality, Hong Hu had devised a clever subterfuge. He and Brother Horse, along with Ji Bu, would launch separate attacks, each firing ranged strikes of similar power to create the false impression that all three were attacking simultaneously.
In reality, each of Hong Hu’s arrows embedded a long-lasting Luminous Arrow at a specific coordinate. With his teammates’ coordination, even if Can Mu noticed, she’d assume the arrows were merely stray shots.
“Now!” Hong Hu roared as the skill successfully locked onto the target. “This pest’s capabilities are strong! The Spirit Binding Formation can’t hold for twenty seconds—finish her within ten!”
He was right. The formation’s light had already begun flickering mere moments after activation—a bad omen. The rate of spirit particle consumption was far faster than anticipated. At this pace, even ten seconds might be too much to hope for.
“Haaah!” Ji Bu exhaled deeply, shaking off his fear as fierce battle intent ignited in his eyes. “Alright! I’ll go first!”
So saying, he sheathed his [Peacock Screen], raised his bare hands, and gripped empty air.
A burst of white energy surged forth.
Ice formed into a blade one meter long, its cold radiance stretching ten feet. A crystalline longsword materialized in Ji Bu’s grasp.
“A psionic weapon?” Feng Bu Jue’s first thought was this, though he wisely held his tongue under the circumstances.
“Heh!” Ji Bu grunted, raising the sword overhead in a half spin before bringing it vertically before his forehead. His left hand’s two fingers traced the blade downward, enveloping it in white light.
White spiritual energy erupted around him, surging skyward as he slashed diagonally.
“Ice Wheel Oblique Crush The Sky Long!”
Zheng—
A single strike rang out, the sound of ice fracturing armor piercing the air.
A torrent of crystalline energy slammed into Can Mu, encasing her in ice within a second.
“This can’t be happening!”
The move completed, Can Mu’s face contorted with terror.
Only now did she realize how gravely she’d underestimated her foes.
Can Mu’s nature was brutal and cruel, and her capabilities gave her reason to be prideful. Yet she’d been reckless to treat these “Otherworld travelers” so lightly—they were humans.
No matter how much beings across the multiverse scorned humanity, they couldn’t deny the race’s terrifying potential. It wasn’t their physical evolution, spiritual mastery, or technological prowess that made them dangerous…
“Humans are unpredictable,” Xing Shi had once told Can Mu, and now, at last, she understood—a race with infinite possibilities was the most dangerous enemy of all.
“This isn’t over yet!” Feng Bu Jue’s lightning-fast reflexes kicked in as he noticed the corpse fragments still slowly moving. “Finish the job!”
While shouting, he activated his [Spirit Sense Body Technique - Modified], lunged forward, and unleashed his [Southern Dipper Flying Dragon Fist].
“I’m with you!” Tian Ma Xing Kong stood up from the leaf, wiped blood from his nose, and struck again with his Tianma Liuxing Fist.
At this moment, the Spirit Binding Formation’s light had vanished. Hong Hu, leaping into the fray, nocked his bow and fired his remaining spiritual energy in a final [Spirit Blast].
Cutting, comboing, piercing—the trio’s ultimate moves struck from three directions.
Trapped in ice by [Ice Wheel Oblique Crush the Sky Long], Can Mu had no escape. She gambled everything, unleashing a roar of self-destructive force.
“Zha—” A tangible shockwave erupted from her body, rippling outward like a tidal surge.
The players pressed forward, undeterred, forcing their skills through the sonic onslaught.
In an instant, light blazed and explosions roared.
Rampant energy collided on Fear Leaf’s surface, igniting a storm of blood and gore.
Seconds later, the dust settled. The battle was decided.
Can Mu’s body lay shattered into hundreds of frozen chunks.
The players knelt on the ground, swallowing Survival Supplements.
“Ha… ha…” Ji Bu gasped for breath, wiping blood from his nose before bursting into laughter. “Haha! We did it!”
Sighing, Feng Bu Jue murmured, “No… in a way, we’ve still lost…”
(End of Chapter)
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