The Divine Bird emerged carrying fire, descending from myth!
But it brought not light, but calamity and destruction.
Boom-!!!
The cavern shook, and the ground collapsed.
Dozens of tiger wraiths were torn apart by the flames, and several transcendent tiger wraiths were blasted into mangled corpses.
Yu Tiezhu had several transcendent tiger wraiths shielding him, yet he was still hurled away, landing in a corner covered in blood.
"How is that possible!?"
The Fat Chef backed away in terror, but he could not escape either.
After swallowing the tiger wraiths in front of him, the flames' lingering force blasted him away too, sending him crashing to the ground in a heap.
"Aaagh-!"
He struggled to his feet and spat blood.
Wu Yu walked out of the flames and hurled several pebbles, but a few charging tiger wraiths intercepted them with their lives.
Bang-!
The tiger wraiths exploded into pieces, and another wave poured in through the passage.
"You... you weren't using Psionic Bombs!"
Realization dawned on the Fat Chef, and anger filled his face.
"You were acting all along!"
Inside the cavern, everything had been caught in the flames except the open golden treasure chest, which remained unchanged.
Holding several Cards, Wu Yu smiled faintly.
"That makes two of us!"
"Your Talent is explosions!"
The Fat Chef gritted his teeth, glanced at the expensive device on the ground, and stomped it to pieces!
The device had already served its purpose, even disabling Wu Yu's Diamond Badge.
But... the flames of the [Bi Fang Sigil] had no effect on Wu Yu!
And scraps of flesh, dirt, rocks, and other debris could hardly hurt him as he was now.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
The Fat Chef's lips trembled with rage. Shaking, he pressed something at his waist, and a Psionic Shield rose around him.
It was standard-issue Inspection Bureau equipment-the very item Liu Zheng had refused to trade to Wu Yu earlier.
Only when he saw the Psionic Shield did the Fat Chef breathe easier. He stared coldly at Wu Yu.
"I don't believe you can keep using your Talent forever!"
"Kill him! Kill him for me!"
A mass of tiger wraiths poured out of the passage, charging at Wu Yu with vacant eyes.
Wu Yu's expression did not change. He strolled forward, pebbles constantly appearing in his palm as he scattered them ahead!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The flames roared again, tearing the tiger wraiths apart one after another.
Even the transcendent tiger wraiths could not withstand multiple [Bi Fang Sigils]. They were blasted apart after charging only a few steps.
One wave, two waves, three waves...
The tiger wraiths kept coming, but they could not get anywhere near Wu Yu. Instead, he blew them to pieces.
After dying, these tiger wraiths dissolved into light, dropping no Cards, just like before.
Watching Wu Yu blow so many of them apart with mere waves of his hand, the Fat Chef's face twisted in disbelief.
How could he be this powerful!?
What about the cost?
Was his Talent unlimited firepower?
"Why!"
"Why!?"
His expression filled with bitter resentment.
He had gained such an incredible opportunity and such a powerful Talent. He had been so close to killing everyone, even turning that Mountain Lord into a puppet...
Just one step away!
"I shouldn't have gotten greedy over the treasure chest's contents."
Regret filled the Fat Chef's heart, and he retreated a few steps in fear.
"No! How can I die here!?"
"I still have a bright future! Even if I abandon everything I've planned, there'll be endless possibilities once I get out!"
Gritting his teeth, he sent the last batch of tiger wraiths forward to buy time, then turned and fled desperately.
Boom, boom-!
Explosions sounded behind him, and the flames drew closer.
The Fat Chef hurried into the passage. When he looked back, Wu Yu had actually not followed him.
Could his Talent have run out?
The thought struck him, but he did not dare test it.
As long as he isn't chasing me.
Despite that thought, the Fat Chef felt a faint unease.
For a fleeting moment,
he caught sight of a brilliant gleam of gold!
"Why is there Golden Light?"
He turned and saw the girl following beside him.
Her clothes were in tatters, and golden patterns shone on her exposed skin,
across her back, her arms, her legs...
Places that had been difficult to notice suddenly stood out as they began to glow.
The pattern looked like... a Divine Bird!
"I think I've seen that before..."
The Fat Chef's eyes widened as terror welled up inside him.
He looked back in horror, but before he could take a step, golden runes covered the girl's entire body.
Divine Bird Carries Fire, and calamity is born!
Boom-!!!
Terrifying flames exploded at point-blank range, ripping through the Psionic Shield and swallowing the Fat Chef whole.
The flames faded. Wu Yu approached naked, his expression calm as he stopped before a charred head.
Fear still lingered on the Fat Chef's face. He probably had never figured out why, even as he died.
"Killing a Tower Climber yielded nothing."
"A cooperative secret realm... If it were a competitive one, what would I get for killing a Tower Climber?"
Wu Yu frowned slightly.
He would never harm the innocent, of course, but he could not afford to let his guard down against others!
If he could enter the Mysterious Tower again in the future and encountered a competitive environment...
Just then!
Blue mist rose from the mangled corpse beside him and spread.
Wu Yu stepped back warily, only to see the girl Chen Lingling's remains instantly transform into a twisted lump of flesh.
"Just as I thought."
He could not help smiling.
Both Liu Zheng, who had been killed in the left passage, and the girl Chen Lingling had been false bodies-a kind of flesh puppet!
They could imitate someone's appearance, but they could not change their true nature. They merely deceived the eye through illusions or similar methods.
Skin, flesh, and bones were easy to assemble, but an individual's Talent and strength could not be replicated.
Back at the Inn, the girl's clothes had been spotless, and she had carried a delicate fragrance. That had definitely been the power of some Talent.
"Hiss-!"
Merely recalling it triggered an instinctive physical response in Wu Yu.
He looked down and was immediately startled.
Fortunately, no one was around. He hurriedly took his original dirty clothes out of his Inventory and put them on.
"That woman's transcendent power is terrifying. Even an upright gentleman like me has an instinctive reaction just thinking about her!"
A little while later,
Wu Yu walked back.
The cavern was a mess. Yu Tiezhu sat beside the treasure chest, covered in blood, his face swollen.
"Young man! You're back!"
Seeing Wu Yu, he hurried to his feet without uttering a single complaint.
Wu Yu glanced toward the blue-haired young man. Caught in the [Bi Fang Sigil]'s blast, he had been reduced to mangled remains too, but he had not turned into a lump of flesh.
Clearly, this man had been real!
"Can you hold up?"
Wu Yu turned his attention back to Yu Tiezhu.
Yu Tiezhu patted his chest with one hand and smiled. "Don't worry. I'm tough. I won't die!"
But as he spoke, a tooth fell out of his mouth.
"..."
Wu Yu shook his head, took several pieces of cloth out of his Inventory, and tossed them over.
He had swiped them from the Residential Area of the Evil Tiger Stronghold, originally intending to test whether he could bring them out of the [Newcomer Secret Realm]. Now they had come in handy.
"Thank you!"
Yu Tiezhu smiled awkwardly, hurriedly picked up the cloth, and wrapped it around his waist.
Wu Yu did not reply. He opened his hand, and the Cards obtained from the [Golden Treasure Chest] dropped into it,
one of them radiating a captivating golden sheen.
Before you continue