Free Web NovelChapter 373: Chapter 177: Counterattack Again, the Dreamy Men’s Doubles Pair (Long Chapter)
The judge’s every possible move was rendered ineffective under the joint force of two people with future vision.
And the top-tier Evil Fallen such as blacksmiths and merchants also noticed something—the judge had become weaker.
During the process of Bipolar Transposition, what Yan Zizai swapped wasn’t just the position.
On the vast battlefield, in Bai Wu’s view, Yan Zizai was almost invincible.
There might be many Sequences stronger than Bipolar Transposition, perhaps the Temporal Return that could take oneself back to a fixed point in time, or the Mirror Flower, Water Moon that drags the opponent into a dream, or perhaps the God of Destruction that causes irreversible forced damage... but in this scene full of transposition targets—
Bipolar Transposition had an advantage unmatched by other Sequences!
Even though the judge was at an absolute disadvantage, with his attack power, defense, and speed all replaced, and his vitality nearing the bottom—
Bai Wu and Yan Zizai still felt like this person was very far from true death.
"Can’t kill him?"
If one were to make an analogy with a game, Bai Wu felt like the judge’s health bar was locked at the last bit and it wouldn’t fluctuate, no matter how strong the attack he suffered, he would never truly die.
Lock Blood.
But this didn’t mean the judge was invincible; every power and rule has its weakness.
The judge’s weakness... Bai Wu was still unclear, but at least one thing was obvious to him and Yan Zizai—
"Can’t die is one thing, but all sorts of pain still have to be endured."
The two didn’t need to understand each other’s minds, but they knew exactly what the other would do next. freёwebnoѵel.com
So both instantly realized that although the judge couldn’t die, he could be suppressed.
And the stamina of Yan Zizai and Bai Wu—was very abundant.
The judge, who realized the same, felt desperate.
He never expected that one of his trump cards would allow the two humans to attack relentlessly with utter disregard for their own sanity.
The owner of Temporal Power would slip into the space-time continuum when close to death, while the owner of the Power of Life and Death simply wouldn’t encounter death at all.
The judge very much wanted to escape into the Underworld, but the problem was—
All the methods currently available to him were passive.
Be it Requiem, Death Worship, or Nether River Lead, these powerful abilities required specific guidance.
And those two despicable and detestable humans... didn’t give him any chance to make a move!
Even such a simple action as beckoning was pre-emptively interrupted by those humans as if they could read his mind!
To not be able to die meant having to endure endless pain.
The horrifying ungrounded combos continued for a long time in the air, leading many Evil Fallen and humans to think—if it were them, they would probably have been smashed into meat paste.
That was where the judge truly despaired...
...
...
Bai Wu and Yan Zizai’s astonishing performance began to rally everyone!
The fifth squad captain, Long Xiao, the man who usually had the most bravado, led the Vanguard and Secondary squads of the fifth squad to cut a path through Academy Street.
Without powerful Sequences, and without extraordinary Innate Force, under Long Xiao’s leadership, the fifth squad earned the admiration of the Investigation Corps for their courage!
The endless army of evil ghosts was far more formidable than the Evil Fallen they encountered during their usual missions outside the Tower, but with the equipment provided by the Xie Family, they finally had the power to fight!
The captain of the Eleventh Squad, Feng Zhan, was the fastest in the Investigation Corps before Wu Jiu, also possessing a top hundred Sequence—Talent Sequence 68: Storm Sprint.
Unlike Wu Jiu’s extreme speed, Feng Zhan’s attributes were not as imbalanced. He often reflected on whether it was his lack of pure dedication to speed that caused him to always trail behind Wu Jiu.
But now none of that mattered. His body seemed to transform into a storm, and the Evil Fallen who tried to stop him couldn’t even see Feng Zhan’s movements! They only felt battered by a fierce wind!
The first squad captain, Meng Yuan, a man obsessed with pursuing power, was also a true big brother within the Investigation Corps.
Seeing Wu Jiu and Bai Wu’s active performance, Meng Yuan realized that times had truly changed, with each newcomer being stronger than the last. But so what?
"Lads of the Investigation Corps, show your guts!"
Feng Zhan broke out from the left flank, Meng Yuan from the right.
The other squads, such as the second, fourth, sixth, twelfth, and others, also exhibited strengths far beyond their usual days.
What inspired them was not just Bai Wu and Yan Zizai’s actions, but also that huge Hydra among the shadows.
The people from the original Shudu Prison, despite having suffered over half casualties, had people like Yuan Ye and Colt who were still full of fighting spirit.
"Don’t lose to these humans! The refuge is our sanctuary; they still have the High Tower! Without this place, we have nothing!"
Those who never entered the Tower held some animosity towards it.
The discord between humans and Evil Fallen was deeper than Bai Wu imagined. The Evil Fallen from Shudu Prison did have a good impression of Bai Wu and were willing to let him lead, but they still harbored reservations against humans.
Fortunately, this kind of grudge turned into a healthy competitive desire on the battlefield.
...
...
The full counterattack began, the refuge’s forces had only added a few hundred humans, but in the face of thousands of Evil Fallen, with the efforts of everyone, they were actually able to withstand the strong onslaught.
After slaying the Six-Arm Knife-wielder, Wu Jiu had already found his next opponent.
The merchant.
In an instant, Wu Jiu arrived at the merchant’s periphery.
With the death of the Six-Arm Knife-wielder, Wu Jiu’s terror had intimidated the Huangquan ghosts.
His presence was entirely different from the others’, and wherever he passed, he didn’t even need to wield "Evil Fallen Must Die"; those ghosts fled in terror.
Without the judge’s whistle, the ghosts also became cowardly from fear.
And Wu Jiu was undoubtedly one of the most terrifying presences on the battlefield.
So when Wu Jiu approached the Octopus, the area around the merchant was devoid of any Evil Fallen.
There were a few silhouettes behind Wu Jiu, but these people also tacitly refrained from moving forward.
With the Huangquan Island Master already under Bai Wu and Yan Zizai’s control, it was naturally the Black Gold Island Master’s turn.
No one wanted to be caught in the fallout of the collision of two powerhouses, so like the other side, a not-so-large arena cleared out.
"Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho, what a terrifying look in your eyes. Are you here to kill me?" the merchant chuckled.
Without engaging in idle chatter with the target, the merchant saw two slashes of light appear almost simultaneously in the space before him, intersecting in a cross shape.
At this moment, the merchant’s eyes faltered!
Such fast blades!
If he hadn’t activated his entry defenses in advance, might he have already died?
The smile faded, and the merchant realized that perhaps dying at the hands of this dwarf wouldn’t be so wrongful after all.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, isn’t it better to kill those endless Huangquan ghosts and exchange them for merits? Why fixate on me? I’m just a trader, you know."
Even though he wasn’t on Black Gold Island and both the blacksmith’s and his own strengths had declined significantly, the merchant still retained many defensive entries.
"I’m only involved in business, not battle, ho ho ho ho, can’t you just let me be?"
What responded to the merchant was still Wu Jiu’s relentless strikes.
But those white slashes tearing through the darkness in space never touched the merchant.
Countless straight slashes crisscrossed, yet the merchant seemed to slip into another space entirely.
The direct slashes passed through his body without leaving a scratch.
From the feedback from his weapon, Wu Jiu found... it seemed as if the merchant didn’t even exist at this moment.
Perfect Mutation Entry·Void Dreamscapes.
"The little friend who fought me last time was the most likely to injure me because the only one who could hurt a person in a dream is another dreamer."
Wu Jiu understood.
The merchant, like Zheng Yue, appeared to be able to enter dreams, but the difference was that the merchant’s ability was more convenient, allowing him to use it solely on himself.
No wonder Zheng Yue lost in Mechanical City.
"So, do you still want to kill me? Ho ho ho ho ho, perhaps you should bring your companions, because just by yourself, you certainly can’t touch me."
The merchant had no desire to face such a terrifying human as Wu Jiu; he could feel that this human was an ultimate existence that transcended normal humans, just like Bai Wu.
Even in terms of combat power... far more terrifying than Bai Wu. A person capable of killing both Evil Fallen and the Six-Arm Knife-wielder would undoubtedly best him outside of Black Gold Island.
But as long as he hid in dreams, the Little Dwarf could do nothing to him.
He began to laugh somewhat complacently:
"Ho ho ho ho ho ho... Is it really good to just stand here? Your companions are being besieged by the Huangquan Great Army. Or do you plan to come into the dream to kill me?"
Wu Jiu looked at the merchant and actually nodded:
"Then as you wish."
This reply left the merchant somewhat dumbfounded, not understanding what this human meant.
But soon the merchant noticed a lazy figure emerging from the darkness.
This figure startled him!
Zheng Yue.
"Now’s the time everyone sleeps like dead pigs, but you lured me out of the High Tower for this guy. Let’s make it clear... I’ll only fight once. Only because of our friendship, alright?"
The man, yawning and scratching his ear, slowly approached Wu Jiu.
Zheng Yue, disguised as an ordinary member of the Investigation Corps, even went unnoticed by Bai Wu.
Zheng Yue’s arrival was a concerted effort by both Xie Xingzhi and Wu Jiu.
The merchant was now somewhat panicked... how was this person here too?
Wu Jiu watched the merchant quietly, the blade in his hand radiating a chill glare.
...
...
Several days earlier, on the fifth level of the High Tower.
Zheng You, as the true ruler of the Zheng Family of the High Tower, had always been in the forbidden area and seldom went out. As a somewhat older figure, Zheng You always seemed very mild.
There’s always such a person among the rulers — they never are the first to speak up, the first to take a stance. They always choose the safe side.
In the impression of a few other rulers, this man was special — without attachment, without a stance.
Even ninety years ago, during that purge, he thought it was entirely unnecessary, but in the end, he agreed because the minority conformed to the majority.
Zheng You was that kind of person. Once upon a time, Xie Yingjie was too, but Xie Yingjie’s moderation was for the sake of forbearance, whereas Zheng You’s moderation was for moderation itself.
This also led to Zheng Yue being exceedingly indolent.
As the Guardian of the Zheng Family, Zheng Yue was practically a bystander.
He hardly bothered with the Zheng Family’s problems. The old man definitely had his little schemes, and he had not been short of doing atrocious deeds either.
But Zheng Yue’s belief was simple — as long as I don’t know whether you did it or not, then you didn’t do it.
The bliss of ignorance, the laziness of ignorance. That was Zheng Yue’s philosophy of life.
However, not long ago... this life philosophy of his was gradually changed by someone very earnest and methodical in their actions.
Several days earlier, Zheng Yue received a commission from Wu Jiu and Xie Xingzhi, which he found very troublesome and curious.
Zheng Yue also remembered what was said that day and how his attitude gradually shifted.
"I mean, you two, one under Qin Family’s hierarchy and the other a Guardian of the Xie Family, you’re so brazenly trying to recruit me. Is that really okay?"
"Justice? My justice is the comfort of justice. Everything in the world only falls into two categories, not black and white, good and evil, right and wrong, justice and wickedness, but rather comfort and discomfort."
"If I’m comfortable, I’ll do it; if I’m not comfortable, I won’t. Thanks for telling me so much. Yeah, I won’t snitch to the old man that you’ve made such a big fuss outside the Tower."
"Damn... I’m really sleepy, Wu Jiu, what are you implying by staring at me like that? At least I fought for you, so why are you giving me the dead fish eye? What do human refuges have to do with me!"
"Wait, breaking off friendship over this trivial matter?"
"Isn’t this a trivial matter? Do you really believe it’s now possible to survive outside the Tower? A feat not achieved by anyone in seven hundred years?"
"The fact that it’s never been done before doesn’t necessarily make it right. Hey hey hey, I’m not trying to argue here!"
"Don’t go! Don’t go! Damn, what a plastic friendship; break it off, then. I would never do such a stupid thing!"
A few days later, when Wu Jiu handed Zheng Yue the rather ugly blue uniform of the Investigation Corps, Zheng Yue grumbled and complained, but he still put it on.
"Just this once, alright? I absolutely won’t help next time. What a hassle..."
The phrase "what a hassle" had already become his mantra, but often when he said it, he would still choose to do the troublesome thing.
The so-called comfort and discomfort are all relative.
Helping a group of people to save a certain area outside the tower? Facing a group of dangerous and strong enemies? Of course, that’s uncomfortable.
But in comparison, losing a friend because of it would be even more uncomfortable.
Zheng Yue felt that, actually, he and Wu Jiu weren’t that close as friends, but upon further thought, Wu Jiu had invited him to a fight as a friend — was this too much?
Thinking it over, he felt it wasn’t too much, but quite comfortable, and so he agreed to Wu Jiu’s request.
Of course, correspondingly, Wu Jiu would also have to agree to some of his requests in the future.
A fair trade, hence the scene outside Baichuan Middle School unfolded.
As he was on the verge of entering deep sleep, Zheng Yue propped open his heavy eyelids and asked Wu Jiu:
"Last time I fought that Octopus, each time I closed my eyes, I would have nightmares. Hey, when you enter the dreamscape, don’t die on me, okay?"
"I will slaughter it."
Wu Jiu was still as reticent as ever.
The previous fight with the Octopus had been a nightmare for Zheng Yue. This time, Zheng Yue hoped Wu Jiu could turn that nightmare into a beautiful dream.
Mirror Flower, Water Moon was activated.
The merchant tried to flee to another place, but it was already too late. The battlefield was still the same, and the surrounding Evil Fallen were still those Evil Fallen.
But the merchant was acutely aware, from the aura feedback from Wu Jiu... the opponent had entered the same zone as him.
Mirror Flower, Water Moon is a super powerful Sequence because within the dreamscape woven by the Sequence, Zheng Yue can expend spiritual power to create many powerful rules—creating an unequal battleground.
...
...
Liu Mu’s body endured the blacksmith’s hammer blows, while in the distance, Nie Chongshan was once again repelled by the Sword Knight Evil Fallen.
The outcome of the battle on both fronts was hard to determine.
The four leaders of the Shudu Prison power silently competed with the squad leaders of other groups in the night, vying for more battle honors.
On this congested Academy Street, the number of bodies covered in filthy dust was increasing.
Bai Wu and Yan Zizai still had the judge firmly under control.
The Huangquan Island Master was already unable to fight.
Even the blacksmith, the Sword Knight Evil Fallen, discovered that even the Black Gold Island Master, the Octopus, had been suppressed.
The Octopus lay on the ground in agony, as if it were experiencing a nightmare.
Not long ago, inside Mechanical City, what had happened... seemed to have been turned upside down.
The previous nightmare of Zheng Yue had become the merchant’s nightmare, and within the dream, Wu Jiu with countless slashes, with his own strength, had pushed the merchant close to the brink of death.
Bai Wu and Yan Zizai also took notice of that battlefield.
Bai Wu was surprised about two things: first, how could Zheng Yue, such a lazy person, possibly involve himself in this war?
And second... the team leader and Zheng Yue seemed to have a tacit understanding. One was responsible for creating the dream, and the other for killing within the dream.
The collaboration between these two individuals made the Octopus... experience feelings of despair.
The balance of victory began to tip. But even so, it seemed that the invaders’ power was still stronger.
Even if the generals were suppressed, even if the refuge forces were rallying to resist.
The endless Huangquan Army still held the advantage.
The twenty-four Black Flame Iron Cavalry riders kept charging, killing wave after wave of evil ghosts. But it still seemed unable to change the situation of the battle.
For human beings to achieve victory in this fight, a huge monster was still missing.
An existence capable of single-handedly blocking the line of battle!
That existence was Gu Hailin.
Only a super-large Evil Fallen like the Hydra could play the role of "holding one side" on the battlefield.
But a few minutes ago, a monster of equal size to Gu Hailin appeared.
Dandelion!
Originally just of ordinary size, Dandelion, by relying on infinite regeneration, belonged to an unkillable existence, which was troublesome but among the vast offensive generals, Dandelion’s strength was generally second-tier.
However, soon, as human beings gathered here and Dandelion, with a great craving for human flesh, instantly entered the second phase.
The gigantic him revealed a stomach-like form.
A monster resembling a huge stomach capable of covering an entire area appeared.
Strong acid began to pour out like a torrent. Dandelion, with his Mutation Entry modified by the doctor, upon entering the second phase, became absolutely the most terrifying monster on the battlefield!
If Dandelion’s strong acid was allowed to spray continuously, the favorable situation that had been hard-won only after restraining both island masters and Jing Wu would collapse again!
Gu Hailin unhesitatingly blocked Dandelion head-on.
The vast corrosive liquid caused him immense pain, but in the face of Dandelion’s direct attack, Gu Hailin did not retreat a single step!
With his own strength, he stopped the powerful acid tide on the eastern side of the entire battlefield.
Dandelion sneered:
"Your attacks are meaningless to me, no matter how many times you attack, I can fully recover, and the parts of you that are corroded... will become the power for the growth of my flesh!"
In the face of Dandelion, Gu Hailin’s huge size had no advantage, especially since the opponent had an Entry like infinite regeneration.
It seemed that the only thing Gu Hailin could do was to hold his ground.
The green stomach acid continuously corroded Gu Hailin’s scales, the immense pain making him seem extremely weak.
Among the three great generals of the invaders, neither the blacksmith nor the Sword Knight had expected that the one to change the situation on the battlefield wouldn’t be the troublesome Mirror Being, but the monster covered in tumors.
"Well done! Crush the humans completely!"
The invaders had seen it, once Gu Hailin fell, a huge gap would appear in this fight.
And that gap would be filled by the horrifying stomach acid, with everyone dying in the acid!
The blacksmith, while suppressing Liu Mu:
"I must admit, humans have indeed performed beyond our expectations, but you will ultimately be defeated!"
Liu Mu did not speak; he was just very curious.
Bai Wu with such a mind, couldn’t have failed to notice this point, couldn’t have been unaware of Gu Hailin’s importance.
But why... Bai Wu seemed to have no reaction?
Could it be that Bai Wu really had an oversight?
When everyone began to smell the foul odor in the air, when people realized that Gu Hailin’s abdomen had been corroded to the point of revealing bone... they all grew worried about the battle.
The tide of battle changed in an instant; if their own giant creature died, if the enemy’s giant creature broke through an opening, then what the Investigation Corps and the Surveillance Power would face was a catastrophe that could leave them with no remains.
At the moment when everyone was on tenterhooks, the numerous strong gastric fluids began to contract sharply!
The tide of stomach acid, blocked by Gu Hailin’s massive body, seemed to defy the law of gravity, constantly returning into Dandelion’s body.
Dandelion watched Gu Hailin in shock.
The others didn’t know why Dandelion suddenly stopped, and the blacksmith wished he could run to the eastern battlefield and angrily rebuke him.
But now, on the battlefield, every commander was restrained by the enemy!
Dandelion naturally wouldn’t stop without reason.
He and Gu Hailin were almost natural counterbalances.
Gu Hailin’s powerful snake scales gave him terrifying defense, but this defense couldn’t block the stomach acid that could corrode everything.
Especially since... although Gu Hailin was stronger than Dandelion, he couldn’t retreat because he had to hold his advantageous position.
This battle should have been without suspense.
But... inexplicably, a seemingly timid young boy climbed to the top of the third snake head along Gu Hailin’s massive body.
The boy, dressed in Investigation Corps attire, kept waving his hands as if seeking help from the giant stomach in the sky.
Nobody could have imagined that an act that seemed like a death wish would actually make Dandelion halt!
"Dandelion... stop, please stop! I beg you!"
Bai Xiaoyu didn’t know if his voice could reach across the battlefield, where the sounds of killing shook the heavens.
Tears streamed down his face as he trembled inside with fear.
For seven hundred years, there had been a bond between him and Dandelion that couldn’t be clearly defined.
Even before that, they shared the same name.
Because before being saved by Bai Wu, Bai Xiaoyu’s name was also Dandelion, until later, when he got the name Bai Xiaoyu because of Wu Jiu.
Bai Xiaoyu was afraid that his friend no longer remembered him; he had not seen Dandelion in a long time.
But perhaps because he had really been very happy these days with the Investigation Corps, Bai Xiaoyu found that... Dandelion’s presence in his heart was diminishing.
So, as he climbed to the top of the giant snake head, he couldn’t help but wonder if Dandelion no longer cared about him?
Seven hundred years of non-human imprisonment by Cain made Bai Xiaoyu particularly cherish his days of freedom.
He loved Bai Wu and everyone around Bai Wu; from a world that had only Dandelion, he found a much broader world, yet he felt like he was betraying his only friend ever.
"Dandelion! Leave this place! Stop hurting humans!"
Bai Xiaoyu no longer knew what to say; he just kept praying.
At this time, Lin Wurou, Wang Shi, Yin Shuang, Shang Xiaoyi, and even Qin Lin all climbed up the snake’s scales and onto its head, positioning themselves in front of Bai Xiaoyu.
They did not know about Bai Xiaoyu and Dandelion’s past; they only wondered... Had the kid lost his mind? Who did he think he was? A savior?
Wasn’t such a move nothing more than provoking the opponent?
Without overthinking it, those from the Investigation Corps who were familiar with Bai Xiaoyu’s kindness stood before him, wanting to pull him away, but this time Bai Xiaoyu seemed very obstinate.
He continued to plead with Dandelion.
Then, Yin Shuang and the others realized... the terrifying gastric juices were actually beginning to reverse flow!
In the darkness, did the colossal monster truly listen to Bai Xiaoyu’s words?
Dandelion looked at Bai Xiaoyu and, in an instant, read the thoughts in Bai Xiaoyu’s heart through his eyes.
"Is he afraid of me?"
"This gaze, it seems like he feels sorry for me? So much time has passed, yet still so cowardly... "
"It seems... after going with that human to the High Tower, you finally found a new life. You’ve even made friends who would stand before you. Should I be angry?"
"Forget it... Compared to you, these humans are insignificant. Perhaps one day, you will completely forget me, but Dandelion, I will never forget you.
"I will always remember that it is because of you that I am alive. No matter what identity or name you have among humans, to me, you will always be Dandelion, my other half."
The giant stomach swiftly contracted.
The being that had held its own against the Hydra had vanished.
An ugly, tumor-riddled monster fell from the sky under the cover of night.
For a moment, it seemed as though Dandelion and Bai Xiaoyu’s gazes crossed.
"I will never harm you. Don’t feel guilty, there’s no such thing as being guilty towards oneself."
Dandelion uttered these words.
As it fell from the sky, those words were spoken softly, yet Bai Xiaoyu felt as if he could hear them.
Bai Xiaoyu had always believed that perhaps Dandelion had survived on its own organs, but that Dandelion and he were not the same person.
Yet, as he watched that body plummet into the night, for the first time Bai Xiaoyu felt...
Maybe Dandelion truly did have some kind of soul connection with him.
The great crisis had been averted, and although Gu Hailin was wounded, his astonishing recovery ability meant it wouldn’t be long before he could start reaping the battlefield.
Atop the snake’s head, Yin Shuang looked at Bai Xiaoyu and said,
"Do you know that monster?"
"Yes... his name is Dandelion. He’s my... my other self."
Bai Xiaoyu’s eyes brimmed with tears as he silently bid farewell to Dandelion.
One by one, the biggest obstacles to the shelter’s power were disappearing. With Dandelion also vanishing into the night, the only ironworker left capable of fighting finally realized...
They were going to lose.
In the direct confrontation between humans and Evil Fallen... the Evil Fallen were losing!
