"Bastard, you dared to hurt me!" Tang Hao struggled to his feet and glared viciously at Yi Chen.
Yi Chen approached him unhurriedly. "So what if I hurt you?"
"Just you wait! The Clear Sky Sect will never let you off! Prepare to face the Clear Sky Sect's wrath!" Tang Hao screamed hysterically, his eyes savage.
Smack! Another slap sent him flying, leaving his head buzzing and stars dancing before his eyes.
"You useless piece of trash. Try shouting again," Yi Chen snapped coldly.
That slap left Tang Hao utterly dazed.
He had never imagined that this boy, several years younger than him, could be so violent.
"Boo... hoo..." Tang Hao was beaten to tears, his eyes wet as snot and tears streamed down his face.
He had truly never met anyone as brutal as Yi Chen, who refused to listen to reason at all.
Everything happened in a flash of lightning, too fast for anyone to react.
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo froze in shock.
Wasn't this boy far too bold?
"Is he determined to fight to the death? He's far too reckless!"
Yi Chen stared coldly at Tang Hao, killing intent blazing within him.
Unless he eliminated this fellow, he would remain a ticking time bomb, bound to explode sooner or later.
But before that...
Yi Chen raised his brows slightly. He could tell that Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo were unwilling to sit and wait for death.
They had been searching for a chance to escape this entire time!
"Although I can't figure out where this black mist came from just yet, there's no harm in experimenting. Temporarily controlling the direction it spreads is still quite easy!"
Yi Chen slowly spread the five fingers of his right hand, and streams of dense black mist immediately gathered.
"This is bad!" Chrysanthemum Douluo cried out, turning and racing away into the distance.
Yi Chen sneered and pointed a finger. A strand of black mist became a spear and shot through the air!
Whoosh!
The black-mist spear pierced Chrysanthemum Douluo's chest.
"Urgh..." Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes widened, and he crashed heavily to the ground, his face filled with unwillingness, shock, and hatred.
"What about you?" Yi Chen turned his gaze toward Ghost Douluo.
Ghost Douluo trembled all over, both terrified and furious. "You... you can't kill me! Otherwise, the Spirit Hall will never forgive you!"
"The Spirit Hall?" Yi Chen scoffed disdainfully. "You think I'm afraid?"
"I'm an elder of the Spirit Hall!" Ghost Douluo shouted in panic, his voice shrill. "If you dare kill me, the Hall Master will never let you off!"
"Heh." Yi Chen laughed mockingly. "You think I'll believe that? You're not qualified to threaten me!"
The moment he finished speaking, the surrounding black mist surged violently.
The mist churned, swallowing Ghost Douluo in an instant.
"No... no..." Ghost Douluo screamed miserably. He struggled with all his might to break free, but it was utterly useless.
The black mist blanketed several hundred meters around him, wrapping him tightly and blocking his escape.
Ghost Douluo struggled desperately, his hands flailing wildly.
His arms shifted unpredictably, each swing unleashing a streak of sword light that slashed into the black mist, sending plumes of black smoke splashing up.
Yet none of it had any effect.
A moment later, Ghost Douluo suddenly dropped stiffly to his knees. Blood poured from his mouth, and his aura grew weaker and weaker.
"Even two Titled Douluos can't withstand the black mist? What the hell is this stuff?!"
"No, that's not necessarily right. It might be because they're badly wounded..."
After pondering for a moment, Yi Chen looked at the pair, who lay like dead dogs, and shook his head with a sigh. "Forget it. I can't be bothered with you. Without soul power, this black mist will probably dissipate slowly. Or rather, it's already gradually dissipating!"
As he finished speaking, a sky full of swords rained down, flashing with dazzling cold light, about to shred them all to pieces!
Boom! Suddenly, thunder rumbled in the distance, followed by a dark cloud that came sweeping swiftly toward them.
Yi Chen frowned and looked over. Bolts of lightning flickered and leaped within the dark cloud, seemingly containing the power to destroy all things and radiating an oppressive force.
The dark cloud moved incredibly fast, reaching Yi Chen's side in the blink of an eye.
Crack! Thunder roared, and thick bolts of lightning split the heavens, tore through the air, and struck the rain of swords.
In an instant, everything around them lit up as brightly as day.
"Hm?" Yi Chen narrowed his eyes, a trace of surprise appearing on his face.
The lightning had not struck him. Moreover... it seemed to be absorbing the black mist!
"Huh?" Yi Chen raised his brows in astonishment.
Could this black mist have something to do with lightning?
The lightning seemed to possess some kind of sentience, feeding on the baleful yin energy within the black mist and gradually reducing it.
"No, I can't leave this black mist around!" A dangerous gleam flashed in Yi Chen's eyes, his killing intent surging to the heavens!
Something this sinister and unnatural absolutely could not be allowed to exist.
He stamped his foot, instantly closing in on Tang Hao, and threw a punch.
All his soul power went into that terrifyingly powerful blow. It sent Tang Hao flying into the distant forest with an enormous crash.
Yet in the next instant, instead of being shattered to pieces, Tang Hao landed steadily on the ground.
An old man had appeared behind him at some unknown point, reaching out to catch him gently.
"Grandfather! You're finally here! He's the one who looked down on our Clear Sky Sect. You must tear him into ten thousand pieces," Tang Hao said respectfully, while his gaze toward Yi Chen grew even more hateful.
Yi Chen raised his brows slightly and looked at the old man.
His face was aged and haggard, his skin loose and deeply furrowed. His eyes were bloodshot, and his body stooped, like an old man whose life was a guttering candle in the wind.
What a powerful presence this fellow has! Yi Chen's pupils contracted.
"Young man, what is your name? Where are you from?" the old man asked mildly, his tone strangely calm.
"Sir, my name is Yi Chen." After a moment's consideration, Yi Chen gave his name.
Upon hearing Yi Chen's name, Tang Chen shook his head. "Nothing more than an unknown nobody. Who are you to hurt Hao?"
As he spoke, he raised an arm as withered as a tree branch and lightly struck toward Yi Chen's chest.
Alarm suddenly flared in Yi Chen's heart. He instantly shifted sideways, dodging the old man's hand.
"Oh?" The old man looked at him with mild surprise. "Your reactions are quite quick!"
"Hmph." Yi Chen snorted coldly, staring at the old man with icy eyes.
He sensed that the old man had not used any particularly powerful move, yet a terrifying, elusive pressure had locked onto him.
The sensation made him extremely uncomfortable.
"Sir, what is the meaning of this?" Yi Chen demanded coldly.
"Heh." The old man smiled faintly without explaining. Instead, he turned toward Ghost Douluo and said, "Hao, tend to your injuries first. Leave the rest to me."
Tang Hao hurriedly climbed to his feet and respectfully retreated behind the old man, deep hatred showing in his eyes.
Watching this, Yi Chen frowned and could not help thinking, Tang Hao's grandfather? Something seems a little strange about him...