The shut-in Xiao Cheng easily caught Chu Long's lightning attack.
The sight truly shocked everyone present!
"How is that possible?!"
Li Yunwei had almost stepped in, afraid that the man would be killed by his opponent.
But who could have imagined that he would take the attack so easily...
No, something was very wrong with him!
He wasn't acting of his own accord at all. It seemed someone was controlling him from behind the scenes?
Li Yunwei hurriedly looked around, searching, but there was no way she could see Chen Nian, who had already used "Hidden Shadow."
Qin Yu and the large group she had brought were also deeply shocked, their mouths hanging open...
"Xiao Cheng is only level 30... Is he really that strong?!"
"What the hell!"
Only Deng Rongrong and his two companions felt intense delight after a brief moment of confusion.
Of course they knew it wasn't this man's own strength. Someone was helping from the shadows!
Who could pull something like this off without anyone noticing?
Only Chen Nian, of course!
Using "Void-Escaping Spirit Snake," Chen Nian controlled Xiao Cheng's body and slowly raised his right hand.
"Ah... My hand! My hand is moving on its own?!"
Word Spirit, Flame Explosion!
Boom!
A burst of flame suddenly exploded in the direction Xiao Cheng pointed.
One of their opponents was blasted away on the spot, his body charred black. Clearly, he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon...
"What the fuck?"
Xiao Cheng stared at his hand in disbelief, three question marks popping up over his head.
Have I fucking been possessed?
Before he could process it, his finger pointed at another man.
Boom!
Fierce flames erupted beneath the man's feet like a volcanic eruption.
Another man fell and stayed down.
"Nice hit!" Qin Yu couldn't help cheering, thinking her money had been well spent. She had actually hired an expert.
Meanwhile, Deng Rongrong and his two companions marveled at how powerful Buyu truly was!
Without even showing himself, he could use his miraculous abilities to control someone else in battle, making a scrawny shut-in seem possessed by a god or demon. Terrifying!
Where are you?!
Li Yunwei's gaze swept over almost every corner of the scene.
Yet she still couldn't find any trace of the person behind it all.
She couldn't confirm whether Chen Nian was the one intervening, but who besides Chen Nian would bother with this mess?
"B-Boss! There's something seriously strange about this guy!" Yang Yan couldn't help swallowing, sweat already forming on his forehead.
As a powerful fighter, Chu Long had naturally noticed something was wrong too.
He's being controlled!
Could it be a "puppeteer" ability?
Or some kind of superpower like "telekinesis"?
Fine, I didn't expect a real powerhouse to be hiding among them. If you won't show yourself, I'll blast the person you're controlling to death first.
"Playing tricks, are you? Then don't blame me for showing no mercy."
Chu Long made a finger-gun gesture with his right hand.
His left hand gripped his right arm, making him look like someone indulging in chuunibyou fantasies.
But suddenly, electric currents from all over his body converged on his right index finger, a terrifying surge of lightning energy poised to burst forth!
"Fuck, run!"
"We're gonna die, we're gonna die..."
The people around Xiao Cheng practically scrambled away on all fours.
Only Xiao Cheng remained, all alone.
Of course he wanted to flee too, but he couldn't escape. His legs wouldn't move!
"Oh, Mom... This can't be happening."
While his legs trembled nonstop, Chu Long's "Lightning Spear" shot straight at him.
Concentrate on a single point and reach the pinnacle!
Lightning Spear was an undeniably powerful single-target attack skill with unparalleled penetrating power. If an ordinary person took a direct hit, death was certain!
Chu Long was certain this strike would either kill or cripple his opponent.
Even if he killed someone, he wasn't afraid. A powerful player like him was a precious combat asset for Linhai City in facing the Blood Moon Calamity. There was no way he would be held accountable.
But what happened next made his pupils suddenly contract!
The Lightning Spear, like the sword of a heavenly god, was actually stopped by a transparent wall. Its terrifying energy was completely neutralized, without the slightest bit touching Xiao Cheng.
"Impossible!"
Chu Long cried out instinctively.
He was currently the highest-level player in Linhai City. No one in the entire city could easily withstand such a powerful strike from him.
How could he possibly do it??
Of course, Chen Nian was the one who had stopped the Lightning Spear.
He had simply used "Hidden Shadow, Formless," so no one else could see him.
As for how he had stopped it, he had merely stood in front, taking no special measures.
With Chen Nian's additional defense as high as "500" and his 100 constitution, getting hit by this thing was like being tickled. It didn't even scratch his skin!
Meanwhile, Xiao Cheng had been frightened to tears.
Even as he cried, his hand kept moving against his will.
Flame Explosion!
Flame Explosion!
Flame Explosion!
Chu Long's subordinates were blasted down one after another by erupting flames, completely unable to fight back!
In the end, only Yang Yan and Chu Long remained.
Xiao Cheng's raised hand aimed at Yang Yan first. He was the one who had stolen Qin Yu's equipment.
"B-Boss!"
"This guy is too fucking freaky! How are we supposed to fight him?!"
Chu Long said coldly, "What the hell are you scared of?! His attacks lack variety. They might work against low-level noobs, but how could they work against you and me?"
His analysis was actually correct.
Flame Explosion was one of Chen Nian's lowest-tier Word Spirits, its main advantage being convenience. Since Chen Nian's attack wasn't particularly high, its power wouldn't be very great either.
But it wasn't his only move.
Word Spirit-Flame Explosion.
Word Spirit-Flash Lightning.
Word Spirit-Wind Demon Slash.
Fire, lightning, wind.
Three Word Spirits intertwined, striking Yang Yan simultaneously.
Yang Yan screamed and fell to his knees. His body was already charred black, covered in countless bloody cuts from the wind. It was a horrific sight...
"..."
Chu Long instinctively took two steps back.
Three elemental attacks at once?!
Elemental mages usually specialized in a single element. For example, he only knew lightning. He had never seen multiple elements used together like this!
At this moment, he finally realized just how terrifying the person behind all this was...
This was an existence he couldn't possibly shake!
Who knew how this woman had managed to get such a powerhouse involved? Linhai City truly had hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Level didn't represent strength.
Continuing the fight would only humiliate him.
"I admit defeat."
Chu Long helplessly raised both hands in surrender. "We'll return the equipment. On behalf of the guild, I apologize."
He looked ahead, but his gaze wasn't focused on anyone. Instead, it rested on empty space.
Because that apology was directed at Chen Nian.
Chen Nian didn't attack again either. He released the control of Void-Escaping Spirit Snake, and with that support gone, Xiao Cheng's legs buckled, leaving him unable to stand steady.
"We won?"
Qin Yu was still bewildered.
But when that piece of epic equipment returned to her hands, she couldn't have been happier.
Xiao Cheng also became the hero of the hour. Everyone else had to call him big bro when they saw him, though those were all people who didn't know the truth.
The ones who truly knew what had happened were the few who knew Chen Nian's identity.
"Quick, let's go find Chen Nian!"
Qin Yu spoke gleefully. She couldn't wait to give the equipment to Chen Nian, lest a long night bring more trouble.
Uh... Big Bro Chen Nian is right here. Where are you going to look for him?
The others couldn't help inwardly snarking.