Never before had Ye Zhongming felt so utterly powerless.
He had faced level nine beings beforeâthe Holy Father, Armor King, Nine-Winged Crow, Snow Wolf King, and Bear King were all true level nine existences. As his strength grew, he had even reached a point where he could hold his own against creatures like the Snow Wolf King.
He might lose, but he was never completely defenseless!
Yet Ye Zhongming and Xia Bai had no room to maneuver in this cramped cave entrance. When those white filaments lashed out, they couldnât evade.
Under normal circumstances, the two might have chosen to fight head-on. But now, the filaments' resilience left them helpless, just like when they couldnât sever them to free Talking Lady earlier.
Their bodies were ensnared, an immense force tightening around them. Ye Zhongming and Xia Bai both felt as if their bones were about to snap.
The magic crystal, lifted by the filaments, rose to the cave ceiling, looming over them. Though it had no face, its presence radiated unmistakable greed and malice.
Ye Zhongming and Xia Bai could practically feel its hunger.
Xia Bai didnât resist at all. She wanted to push herself to the brink of deathâonly then could she unleash her strongest attack. Her goal was simple: sever every last filament.
Her unique post-evolution traits prevented her from being completely immobilized like Ye Zhongming. She could still summon her scythe beside her.
She knew she had to actâto save Ye Zhongming, whose Second Life was still on cooldown. If he died now, he would lose his elemental spirit permanently.
The King of Cloud Peak was also strategizing. His equipment kept him in better shape than Xia Bai, who wasnât resisting.
The only move Ye Zhongming could think of that might work was Cloud Sliceâstaking everything on a full-mental-power gamble.
But it was risky. With his arms pinned to his sides, the attack could easily backfire and wound him instead.
What to do? Take the gamble or not?
He had no choice but to bet.
He hoped his purple-grade gauntlets and Cloud Sliceâs unique properties could break him free.
A faint glow emanated from the gauntletsâthe sign of a skill activating.
Ye Zhongmingâs mental energy surged violently into the gauntlets. He had made his decision, but frustration gnawed at him.
This level nine lifeform was too bizarre. He had no idea how to counter it.
Now, he was forced into desperation.
Just as Ye Zhongming reluctantly prepared to unleash Cloud Slice, a black energy vortex silently opened on the ground beneath the filament-wrapped magic crystal.
At first, neither side noticed amid the chaos of battle. But as the vortex expanded, both Ye Zhongming and the level nine filament creature became aware of it.
A spherical entity slowly emerged.
It wasnât largeâjust two meters in diameter at most. Its round body was covered in long, soft tentacles, and its entire form seemed unnervingly elastic.
ThisâŠ
Ye Zhongmingâs lips parted slightly, unsure how to process what he was seeing.
Wasnât this the hellspawn he had summoned after activating his bloodline last time? The one female guard members affectionately called "Ball Ball"?
His excitement immediately halved.
He knew why it was here.
Though he hadnât brought it along, as a bloodline-summoned entity, Ball Ball had been teleported from Cloud Peakâs camp outside the city the moment Ye Zhongming reactivated his bloodline.
ButâŠ
Ye Zhongming inwardly sighed.
Right now, even Nine Treasureâs venom might have been worth testing against these filaments. Yet out of all possibilities, it had to be Ball Ball!
Or where was the Thunder Sand Monster? Shouldnât that guy have appeared instantly? Why was it missing?
Ball Ballâs whole deal was its freakish defense and raw strengthâneither of which helped against the filaments!
The filament creature noticed Ball Ball, too, and showed no mercy. Several filaments shot out, instantly ensnaring it.
Ball Ball had eyesâtiny ones easily overlooked. It blinked at the filaments coiling around it and let out a soft, "Ooo?"
The interruption made Ye Zhongming hold off on Cloud Slice. If he didnât have to gamble, heâd rather not.
But seeing Ball Ball crushed his hope. He braced himself to unleash the attack anyway.
"OooâŠ"
Ball Ball was lifted closer to Ye Zhongming and Xia Bai. Its elastic body deformed under the filamentsâ grip, like playdough squeezed by shoelaces.
It stared at Ye Zhongming, its expression utterly clueless.
Ye Zhongming was beyond exasperated.
Canât you read the room? Even if your attacks are useless, at least try to resist! Why are you looking at me?!
Then, the filaments seemed to lose patience. The needle-like protrusions emerged, piercing Xia Bai and Ye Zhongming effortlesslyâtheir armor might as well have been paper.
Ye Zhongming smelled death.
He felt his energy draining, his body growing numb.
The filamentsâ needles carried paralytic toxins.
"Ooo?"
Ball Ball made the sound again. This time, it wasnât looking at Ye Zhongming but the filaments attacking it.
Ball Ballâs defense was legendary. Even level nine beings like the Snow Wolf King and Bear King couldnât truly injure it with their claws or strength.
Yet now, Ye Zhongming saw the filaments pierce its body.
"Ooo!"
The same syllable, but now laced with something else.
To Ye Zhongming, it sounded like⊠anger?
He watched as Ball Ballâusually just a plaything for Yangos and Yellow Ball to kick aroundâslowly opened a small slit beneath its eyes.
Is that its mouth? Ye Zhongming wondered.
A second later, the area around the slit contractedâand a glob of mucus shot out.
Ye Zhongmingâs face twitched.
What the hell?! You got captured, canât fight back, so you spit at it like a toddler throwing a tantrum?!
Could you be any more pathetic? Is this really your only attack besides body slams?
As the King of Cloud Peak, Ye Zhongming suddenly felt secondhand embarrassment.
This is so damn humiliating.
But before the thought fully formed, he felt the filamentsâ grip loosen.
They were letting him go.
Ye Zhongming whipped his head toward the demon crystal.
The level nine crystal, which had been looming over him like a god, was now frantically swarmed by its own filaments. Though silent, their movements screamed panic, as if scrubbing something away.
With difficulty, Ye Zhongming turned to Ball Ball.
Its tentacles were now bent at its sides like hands on hips. One remaining appendage pointed accusingly at the frenzied filament creature.
"Ooo! Ooo!"
(It was, unmistakably, scolding it.)