Chapter 291 - 288: I Had No Idea... He Just Came Up and Handed Me the Remote Control

He immediately lowered his head and charged straight at the wall. The immense force of the impact blasted through the building’s interior wall, sending rubble flying.

However, a sharp scythe was waiting for him on the other side.

A purple light flashed past, its unstoppable sharpness cutting through the air. Long Jiu had been lying in wait for some time.

Xu Bamboo was at the Middle Stage of Innate, but he was exceptionally talented. Long Jiu was Late-stage Innate and had her physique enhanced by the Twin Dragon Jade, making her combat prowess arguably the second strongest in the Yang Family.

Not to mention the power of her Rune Weapon.

Lu Chengfeng was only at the Early-stage True Gang, his True Gang extending barely two meters. He was in mortal danger from the very beginning.

If he weren’t so important that he needed to be taken alive, it was doubtful he could have lasted even this long.

Lu Chengfeng realized his lair had been infiltrated, yet his subordinates outside hadn’t made a sound. He understood this was a life-or-death struggle and abandoned all hope of a lucky escape.

"You’re courting death! Now, break!"

He pushed his True Gang to its absolute limit, unleashing a violent force that blasted Long Jiu and Xu Bamboo away. The two were sent flying backward like cannonballs.

It had to be said that the True Gang Realm had a fundamental advantage over the Innate Realm.

But neither of them were novices. With a slight adjustment in mid-air, they used the force of Lu Chengfeng’s blast to land vertically on the wall.

Then, they pushed off in unison.

BOOM! With a deafening roar, the wall behind them exploded in a spiderweb of cracks. Xu Bamboo and Long Jiu transformed into two streaks of Spiritual Light, moving in perfect harmony as they instantly crisscrossed past Lu Chengfeng.

Both his forearms were severed, flying high into the air.

Taking him alive didn’t mean he had to be in one piece.

Bringing back just his torso would work, too.

"AHHH!!!"

Lu Chengfeng never expected to be so grievously injured in a single exchange!

To be fair, Lu Chengfeng was no greenhorn. As a high-ranking member of the Rebel Species, he’d had plenty of opportunities to be "cruel" and had personally dealt with countless enemies. He was far stronger than any Martial Artist who just honestly worked a 9-to-5 job.

Most of the time, however, his opponents had been far weaker than him.

Such is the pastime of the cruel.

Lu Chengfeng never imagined he would be so utterly crushed. Fortunately for him, the reinforcements he’d been waiting for had finally arrived.

Suddenly, a series of muffled thuds echoed from the floor, as if someone were repeatedly striking it from below.

The expensive marble tiles buckled one by one, setting off a clattering chain reaction.

The next moment, the floor violently ruptured, and five expressionless figures leaped out of the massive hole.

They had actually smashed their way right through the floorboards!

’This is bad!’ Xu Bamboo thought. ’My Array techniques are still too amateurish. I can’t believe I didn’t detect the space beneath us!’

However, when he saw the condition of the five figures, he froze.

They were five young men, all with vacant eyes and expressionless faces.

Almost subconsciously, Xu Bamboo glanced at Long Jiu. Her already vacant gaze seemed to grow even more lifeless for an instant.

’If they’re like Long Jiu... then these are at least five Middle Stage of Innate fighters... masters of slaughter who know no fear... the strongest possible warriors at the Middle Stage of Innate.’

Lu Chengfeng had lost both his hands, but a swarm of fleshy, bud-like insects poured out from the stumps, sealing his blood vessels.

As a True Gang master, he hadn’t lost his combat capabilities and was now being protected by the five Dragon Soldiers.

He savored the exhilarating feeling of turning the tables from the brink of death.

More and more white, fleshy worms poured from his severed wrists, gradually forming into densely packed "tentacles" that were terrifying to behold.

Lu Chengfeng used one of his new tentacles to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, and the white worms on it scrambled to devour the fresh blood.

"You want my head? First, let’s see if you can stay alive long enough to take it!"

The next moment, a third figure slowly materialized.

He wore a menacing, streamlined helmet and was dressed in the same black cloak as Xu Bamboo and Long Jiu.

It was Yang Shen.

Although this was a training exercise for his subordinates, of course he was standing by to supervise. He had just remained hidden until now.

In fact, he had discovered these five "Dragon Soldiers" long ago.

He’d even had a little chat with them underground.

Xu Bamboo whispered, "I think we can still handle this."

Yang Shen shook his head. "I’m sure you can, but it’s not necessary..."

"If you fought to the death—you, Long Jiu, and a few apprentices for backup—you might have the superior firepower. But it would be dangerous, and you’d make too much noise."

"Especially since... these ’Dragon Soldiers’ aren’t Middle Stage of Innate. They’re Late-stage Innate..."

’And they’re priceless...’

Yang Shen looked ahead. ’Those aren’t five enemies. Those are clearly five new Shadow Guards for the family!’

’I’ve got to thank my pals in the Rebel Species for the generous gift!’

’The Yang Family will make very good use of them.’

Lu Chengfeng was still unaware that the ’Dragon Soldiers’ protecting him were no longer under his control. Seeing another person appear, he quickly began to calculate the balance of power.

’Worst-case scenario, this last guy is on the same level as the two women...?’

’So what? I have five Dragon Soldiers on my side!’

’I don’t know who these people are, but they’re powerful. I absolutely cannot let them live!’

Cunning and ruthlessness took over. He yelled out, "Are you from the Ding Family? Do you want a war to the death with us?"

But even as he spoke, he leaped high into the air, launching a sneak attack.

The white larvae on his stumps whipped around, scattering like tiny stars. They were clearly some kind of harmful Gu Insects.

And then... he found he was completely immobilized.

He was suspended in mid-air, with no leverage to be found.

Yang Shen had merely raised a hand, pointing it casually at Lu Chengfeng.

An immense True Gang, far more powerful than Lu Chengfeng could have ever imagined, had enveloped him, stopping him dead in mid-air. He could feel an enormous crushing pressure all over his body.

"You... what?!"

Lu Chengfeng was dumbfounded...

Yang Shen, however, found it amusing.

’Huo Jun’s lesson just keeps getting more valuable... It seems that even after reaching the True Gang Realm, you really shouldn’t get cocky for no reason.’

This Lu Chengfeng must have been one of the weaker Early-stage True Gang cultivators; his True Gang didn’t even have a two-meter range.

And at this moment, he was suspended about two and a half meters from both the floor and the ceiling.

Suddenly trapped by a True Gang far beyond his own, he was effectively rendered "weightless."

If he were on the ground, the sheer power of his True Gang Realm physique would have allowed him to break free with a single kick. But "kicking air" was useless against Yang Shen’s True Gang.

Of course, this was also due to the freakish strength of Yang Shen’s True Gang...

He had basically jumped up and gift-wrapped himself.

Lu Chengfeng was horrified beyond belief. He had never been in a life-or-death battle against someone stronger than him, nor had he ever imagined such an absurd defeat was possible.

How was this any different from jumping up and offering himself as a free kill!

He was in such a panic that he didn’t even wonder why the five "Dragon Soldiers" behind him remained completely still.

And so, driven by fear, Lu Chengfeng made one last decision.

He still had a trump card! He still had a fighting chance!

A vicious expression suddenly twisted Lu Chengfeng’s face. His aura surged as he roared, "You Jianghuai People! All of you deserve to die!"

A fissure split open on his forehead, and cockroach-like antennae crawled out.

The fleshy white worms that formed his hands gradually hardened, transforming into something resembling arthropod limbs.

A gray film slowly clouded his eyes. All emotion, fear, and hesitation were sealed away, leaving only the most primal instinct. He had become the ultimate killing machine.

This was the latest result of the Dragonification Experiment...

The Dragon Seal!

It sealed away all emotion, fear, and consciousness, taking over the body much like a Dragon Soldier. The trade-off was a massive boost to control, explosive power, and reaction time!

With his last shred of sanity, Lu Chengfeng looked ahead and snarled, "Didn’t see this coming, did you..."

He wanted to see the looks of terror on their faces. After all, his current appearance was sufficiently horrifying and grotesque...

Instead, he only saw a look of stunned surprise on the face of the man in the lead...

Then, the man extended his fingers and formed a Finger Technique.

"Slap yourself."

Without a moment’s hesitation, Lu Chengfeng delivered a resounding sla— well, a pincer-strike to his own face.

He was dumbfounded...

’Something feels... wrong...’

But once the Dragon Seal was activated, it wouldn’t recede until it confirmed there were no nearby threats. It was a state that could not be ended at will.

His final shred of sanity was gradually suppressed... In his field of "vision," all he could perceive were Yang Shen’s approaching footsteps.

...and a voice that sent a chill straight through his heart.

"I’m speechless... He jumped right up, tied himself into a neat little package, and then handed me the remote control... basically telling me to press any button I like!"