Chapter 403 - 403: Qian Brothers Batto (12)

While the info dump happened upstairs, the game of tag downstairs was already entering the white-hot stage.

Floating bug balls decorated half the field like dark stars and the entire battlefield was scarred thanks to the bloody slashes that got spammed almost nonstop.

But even after circling the field a few times, the prey was still alive and kicking thanks to all the expensive recovery pills that got popped like candy.

An incense stick of time had passed, and the predator was finally getting impatient!

"Annoying flea! Did you really think you can keep your head attached by chewing pills forever? That's enough playing around!"

"Since you're so stubborn and won't surrender, don't blame me for not showing mercy!"

Jin Tiemo didn't bother kiting from afar anymore and simply rushed up!

He zigzagged through all the bug balls that moved like a snail's pace under his sharp perception and cut the gap between both sides in half in the blink of an eye!

But the closer the gap, the harder it is to dodge some things.

Wuuuuum—the sound wave bug cannons blasted him with a shock that can't be seen!

Getting hit by that blast made Jin Tiemo uncomfortable all over and his organs got shaken up so much that there was even hiccups in his Qi flow!

Before, such a blast forced him to change directions or fall back on multiple occasions to avoid worsening his injuries, but this time?

Jin Tiemo disregarded everything and fired his own slashes back! Rend!

Blood-red crescents crisscrossed each other, creating a net of death that flashed towards the escaping shorty!

With his spiritual sense suppressed by the other, Qian Bage's reaction was slow by half a beat and was immediately forced into a desperate situation!

After all, once the distance between both sides shrank, the difficulty spike in dodging applies to both sides!

How can a paper tiger cultivator with short legs escape from such a quick attack that he barely had any time to register? He can't!

Qian Bage could do nothing except stare at death approaching like a deer caught by headlights!

It seems in the next breath, Qian Bage will either get cleaved apart by that blood-red net or reaped by the scythe on chains swinging around!

But just when it seemed like he was doomed, light bloomed from his chest and stripes of glowing runes gushed out and instantly stitched together a cocoon of light that intercepted all the attacks!

Blood spattered all over the cocoon and the glowing runes running along the dome dimmed ever so slightly, but… the barrier didn't break!

Even the blood scythe that slammed into the barrier rebounded off and caused nothing more than a little ripple on the surface!

"What?!" Jin Tiemo was shocked by how strong the barrier was and even Qian Bage looked dumbfounded!

But his dumbfounded face quickly turned proud and he taunted with hands on his hips.

"Ouhahaha! You're the first ever to force me to use my secret life-saving magic artifact! You really deserve applause for that alone, ou!"

That taunt triggered Jin Tiemo and he hammered the barrier from different angles with a few more slashes, but...

Aside from light ripples on the glowing shell, there was no other effect. Heavens, the turtle shell didn't even budge!

But despite his attempts appearing futile, Jin Tiemo sneered.

"So what if you've got a powerful defensive artifact? It's just a futile attempt to delay the inevitable!"

"I know barriers like these works both ways. In there, you can't do anything to me! But I can keep hammering you! No barriers can last forever! I want to see how long you can turtle up in there!"

Right on cue, Jin Tiemo started his mad attack on the barrier, throwing everything at it!

Watching slash after slash battering the cage of light like storm waves, Qian Bage clutched the mysterious chest plate that was the core of this magic barrier with sweat pouring down his face.

If it goes on like this, the barrier will shatter sooner or later and his little life will be doomed!

The only way out seemed to be forfeiting!

But even a coward has times when he can't shrink!

Besides, it's not like there's really no way out...

As somebody that always loves ensuring a dozen "strategic retreat" routes in every scheme planned, how can he, Qian Bage, ever trap himself in a true dead-end situation?

This blood freak really thought he couldn't do anything to him? Ou, think again!

Qian Bage's eyes flashed with a sly smile and looked behind the other's back, where the floating bug-balls were shrinking the circle and homing in towards the rampager bashing the barrier.

Of course, this didn't go unnoticed under Jin Tiemo's spiritual sense radar, but seeing how slow they moved, he didn't think they could do much to him.

But just when one of those bug balls drifted within an arm's reach—BOOM! The surprise carried within detonated!

The blast rocked Jin Tiemo, but since he wasn't caught off guard and flashed aside ahead of time, it didn't damage him much.

But looking at all those bug balls still floating towards him…

Jin Tiemo felt annoyed just thinking about all the explosive tags within!

He thought these bug-keeper freaks loved playing with bugs, but it turns out they love playing with explosives?!

But this was an annoyance at best.

Since this wasn't some killer trap like the Seven Dippers Array that his old nemesis set up earlier, then destroying this layout was child's play!

Or so he thought.

But when his scythe's crescent blood slash lashed out to tear apart the bug balls, it was like cutting into water, only chopping off a thin slice of bugs…

Some of the bug balls even temporarily scattered apart like startled schools of fish to slip past the brunt of the killing edge before reforming again!

Not only that…

When another one of those bug balls got smashed apart, it didn't explode into flames.

Instead, out hissed a mushroom cloud of foul green smoke that caused all the bug balls caught in it to drop like flies!

"Poison?!"

Jin Tiemo heightened his wariness of those balls closing in to the max and was forced to completely abandon his assault on the turtled-up prey to get out from the encirclement!

But the previously sluggish-moving bug balls actually all sped up to chase after him like angry hornets!

And because he recklessly rushed into this bug-infested hive, there were bug balls surrounding him on all sides, and he couldn't escape them all even if he wanted to!

Kaboom! Puff! Boom! One surprise erupted after another!

From violent explosions that rocked the field to toxic purple or green smoke that played their roles as roadblocks to blinding flashes of light…

Each bug ball was like a blind box and even Jin Tiemo didn't dare face them head-on!

This turned the battlefield into a disgusting mine field! A moving and living one!

The most disgusting part?

Once some gets destroyed, more will replace them!

Since Jin Tiemo abandoned the attack on the mastermind, the barrier didn't have to stay up permanently.

This allowed Qian Bage to release even more bug balls filled with wonderful surprises!

This money-burning tactic made the predator's eyes turn red! Even a mid-stage foundation master from the main lineage like himself can't bear to burn money like this!

What a wastrel!

But the Dao of Money was indeed... powerful!

Not only did his flesh get roasted even more, he even had to force out the refined blood that got contaminated by toxin…

All this aggravated his previous injuries even more.

Anybody can tell how annoying this sounds and Jin Tiemo really didn't expect a pathetic little early-stage pest could bug him so much! How laughable! How infuriating!

Of course, annoyance was annoyance, but it was just that.

Except for the nasty unknown poison, other means like explosive tags and light talismans really didn't do much harm.

Besides, anybody could tell this was just a temporary stalemate.

After all, the bugs Qian Bage possessed and controlled were limited!

As more and more bug "mines" got pumped out, the great bug-shaped sound cannon gradually shrunk in size...

Eventually the sound cannon was out of commission.

From then on, there was nothing stopping the other from rushing over except the thin wall of bug balls!

Poor Qian Bage could do nothing except replenish the bug mines that blew up as much as possible while fleeing for his little life!

Alas, this can delay the inevitable but can't stop Jin Tiemo forever…

Eventually, the bug mines in the arena thinned out enough that Jin Tiemo no longer had to dance around danger at every step.

Once that happened, Jin Tiemo closed the gap once more! Then, while evading the last of the bug balls, he even had time to spare on breaking the barrier that got booted back up!

One or two slash didn't do much, but three, four, another, and another…

The light barrier's runes shattered and faded away one after another while visible cracks spread across the cocoon like it was a cracked eggshell.

Jin Tiemo could almost hear it—that barrier shattering!

"Kehahaha! Your blood is mine! One more strike—!"

The wild grin of a hunter ready to tear into the prey appeared on his face. "Break for me!"

But just when Jin Tiemo thought he could smash through that barrier and tear this annoying flea into pieces…

Qian Bage thrust a hand straight upward and shouted at the top of his lungs as if afraid nobody could hear: "I forfeit the torch! Elders, ancestor, save meeee!"

That shrill cry for help turned Jin Tiemo's bloodthirsty smile upside-down.

"Don't even think about it!" His hand speed picked up and he wanted to smash that annoying face in so bad!

Unfortunately, before he could smash that eggshell, he crashed into an even stronger invisible wall.

The elders intervened. Just like that, the life of a young foundation-realm genius got preserved.

This was the unspoken rule. It also counted as paying back the life of their Jin Clan's young genius that got spared earlier.

Glaring at the back of the shorty that can't wait to duck under the opening gates to scurry out like a frightened rat, Jin Tiemo spat out a glob of black blood and cursed loudly.

"Cowardly trash! Don't think you'll be so lucky next time! Next time, I'll turn your spine into chopsticks!"

Knowing he was safe, Qian Bage wasn't afraid at all and even twerked his booty back. "Ouu, stupid! There won't be a next time!"

After making a face, he quickly bolted away, leaving a furious man venting at nothing but air.

After cooling off his anger for a bit, Jin Tiemo was about to go around to replenish his blood.

But he barely took a few steps when footsteps came from the gate that the shorty just fled through.

Jin Tiemo's gaze snapped over to see a young man unhurriedly stepping out.

A faded, yellowed gown and... an ugly farmer boy's face. It was the newcomer that made a splash since the start of this Inner Sect Exchange.

"It's you." Jin Tiemo's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Bubai smiled back and cracked his knuckles. "It's me."