Chapter 131: The Kill

The three riders atop the giant locusts had no inkling that Liu Zong and his team were lying in ambush. They were busy plotting to intercept the fleeing squad, planning to strike from the rear, eliminate one or two targets, and then shadow them from a distance to slow their progress until their main force arrived.

It was a perfect plan: rewards without the risk, a decisive victory without the exhaustion.

They were still deep in conversation when a blinding white light erupted before them. The three riders and their mounts were instantly struck with blindness.

This was Reina’s handiwork. She had summoned creatures resembling white mist that vanished at the slightest breeze; when gathered, they could release a sudden, intense flash capable of rendering anyone nearby temporarily sightless.

Liu Zong and his team would never miss such an opportunity. The ghost girl by Liu Zong’s side swung the massive bear she held like a flail, slamming it into the player Liu Zong had targeted and knocking him off his locust.

Liu Zong’s spear was already primed. He leaped onto the iron chains held by the ghost girl, vaulting upward to drive his spear down into the fallen player.

The target, caught completely off guard, hit the ground hard. His vision had barely begun to clear when the bear, which possessed a rudimentary intelligence, clamped its front paws onto the player’s arms. The iron chains coiled tightly around both the bear and the player, rendering him utterly immobile.

Only then did Liu Zong’s spear strike home. The player, barely aware of his surroundings, felt the weapon, wreathed in wind and sand, pierce his body.

The pain jolted the player back to full consciousness, but he possessed no rogue-like skills to escape. With his arms pinned by the bear, he was helpless. He couldn't even summon a defensive shield, forced to watch in terror as Liu Zong withdrew the spear and plunged it in a second time.

Liu Zong had not prepared this second strike, yet it was the first time he had utilized this secret martial technique against a living foe. As the spear tore through, the swirling wind and sand were now stained with a spray of blood; though the power hadn't increased significantly, the sight was gruesome.

After carving a bowl-sized hole in the player’s chest, Liu Zong roared, "Pull him up!"

The ghost girl, standing a distance away, yanked on the iron chains, flinging the player through the air. The bear clung to him tightly, refusing to let go, its jaws snapping repeatedly at the player’s face and wounds, tearing away swaths of flesh.

Boom, boom, boom! After the player had been slammed against the ground three times, the ghost girl swung him up once more. At that moment, an image flashed through Liu Zong’s mind—a technique he had glimpsed in the later stages of his secret martial manual.

Under normal circumstances, Liu Zong wouldn't have dared attempt such an unfamiliar technique. Yet, as the player soared through the air, his body acted on instinct.

Liu Zong pointed his spear toward the sky, positioning it exactly where the player would descend. As the player fell, Liu Zong thrust upward.

The strike seemed simple, but the yellow sand coiling around the spearhead transformed into a localized tornado, engulfing the player completely.

Liu Zong suddenly felt his strength drain away. He collapsed onto the ground, watching as the uncontrolled tornado carried the player ten meters into the air, tossing him wildly.

Inside the swirling sand, the player’s body withered at a visible rate. His skin dried and shriveled until nothing remained but a skeleton rattling in the wind.

Liu Zong glanced at the dissipating tornado, forced himself to stand, and looked toward the other battlefields.

He realized he wasn't the first to finish. That honor belonged to Yuan Ying and Reina.

After the initial flash, Reina had not been idle. Her summoned creatures had already unleashed a coordinated combo. Unlike Liu Zong’s target, the player Reina faced was clearly a mage-type—a class with numerous survival tricks. To deal with such an opponent, one had to seal every exit.

That was exactly what Reina had done. The mage had been the first to recover his sight, but as he regained his bearings, the summons were already upon him.

First came an eel-like creature, a rare spatial entity. While this specific one wasn't strong enough to fully master space, it was capable of causing enough spatial turbulence to prevent teleportation and blinking.

Next was a sheep-like beast whose sole ability was to devour paper—ensuring the mage’s scrolls were consumed the moment they were drawn.

Following that were two demon infants, the bane of any spellcaster, as they drained every drop of the enemy’s mana.

Before the player could even react, his entire arsenal had been neutralized. Targeted summons had stripped him of every defensive measure.

Then, the two long silk ribbons in Yuan Ying’s hands struck. Though they looked like mere fabric, they hit with the force of steel whips. The player felt the impact like a flood cresting over an iceberg, knocking him off balance and sending him reeling ten meters back.

Before he could recover, another force, reminiscent of a massive Arctic surge, smashed him back toward Yuan Ying.

The player looked up to see Yuan Ying standing tall, her ribbons raised like broadswords. She brought them down with the chilling intensity of an avalanche.

The player had no chance to react; he was frozen solid on the spot.

Yuan Ying delivered a final tap to his head, shattering the frozen man into fragments. She looked around, triumphant, just in time to see Liu Zong’s spear-induced tornado. A thought crossed her mind: Liu Zong’s technique was far beyond a Level 3 skill. Though he couldn't fully harness it yet, she recognized it as a power that surpassed even the greatest secret arts of her grandfather.

At that same moment, a voice echoed from Xu Ying’s direction: "Asura Buddha-Breaking Fist!"