MTLNOVEL CHAPTER 240
Chapter 240: The Nightmare Begins
Time: Day 223 of the Black Mist Calendar, Evening
Location: Archean City, City Walls
The atmosphere in Archean City was thick with anticipation. Nearly an hour ago, Heluo had predicted that the city would soon become a battleground.
In response, the four Spirit Realm experts in the city – Quan Chao, Ivy, Heluo, and Uncle Lu – had positioned themselves at different sections of the wall, awaiting the impending onslaught.
Quan Chao, perched atop his designated section, anxiously checked the timer on his wrist, counting down the seconds.
"59 minutes."
"59 minutes and 30 seconds..."
"59 minutes and 50 seconds..."
Time crawled by, and Quan Chao's unease grew.
He wasn't afraid; he knew Mr. Lu was in the city.
But he desperately wanted to prove his worth, to resolve this crisis without burdening Lu Ming.
Finally, the countdown reached zero.
Quan Chao scanned the surroundings, but there was no sign of any enemy.
Did Miss Heluo's precognition fail? he wondered, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind.
Errors in precognition weren't unheard of. The accuracy of such abilities was always uncertain.
Just as Quan Chao was about to leave his post and rejoin the others, a deafening roar erupted from within the city.
He whirled around, his heart pounding.
A monstrous, ten-meter-long black dragon with a single eye burst through the buildings, its wings carrying it high into the sky.
It opened its maw, and a bone-chilling roar shook the very foundations of Archean City.
Quan Chao's brow furrowed, a sense of unease settling in his gut. He couldn't help but recall the small, lizard-like creature that had crawled out of Liu Qingmin's body before mysteriously vanishing.
He didn't connect the two events consciously, but the sudden appearance of the one-eyed black dragon bore an uncanny resemblance to the lizard's disappearance.
Is it a teleportation ability? he wondered. But it doesn't feel quite like it...
Muttering to himself, Quan Chao shed his cloak and launched into the air, a streak of light arcing towards the monstrous dragon.
As Quan Chao took flight, another figure emerged from the City Lord's Manor.
Roda's voice boomed through the city, his words a balm to the panicked populace.
"With me, Roda, here, who dares to wreak havoc in my city?!"
The sudden appearance of the one-eyed black dragon had captured everyone's attention.
On another section of the city wall, Heluo watched the unfolding scene, her brow furrowed in concern.
"What is that thing?" she whispered, her voice filled with unease. "How did it appear in the city so suddenly?"
Ivy, who had rushed to her side, answered her questions.
"We don't know what it is, but it's definitely not an ordinary exotic beast."
Clearly, in Ivy's eyes, Heluo's safety took precedence over joining the aerial battle.
Heluo nodded at Ivy, her gaze returning to the black dragon.
Heluo observed the battle unfolding above. The black dragon possessed incredible strength and resilience. Even Roda, with his Level Six Spirit Realm power, struggled to penetrate its scales, let alone Quan Chao.
Fortunately, Roda and Quan Chao were exceptionally agile, managing to temporarily restrain the one-eyed beast. Uncle Lu, having recovered somewhat, joined the fray, making it a three-on-one fight.
For now, they seemed evenly matched.
But something was off.
"It..." Heluo's voice wavered, pointing towards the black dragon. "It has no Spiritual Pressure."
Exotic beasts, like humans, followed the Origin Power cultivation system, progressing through the Mortal, Physique, Spirit, Origin, and Ancient Realms.
A Spirit Realm creature should possess Spiritual Pressure.
Yet, the black dragon emanated none. It didn't even have a discernible aura.
If not for its fierce battle against three opponents, Heluo and Ivy would have mistaken it for a lifelike statue.
This peculiarity left both women speechless.
Suddenly, the sound of crisp footsteps broke the silence.
Heluo and Ivy turned to see a figure approaching, holding a red oil-paper umbrella.
Like the black dragon, this person also lacked any aura or Spiritual Pressure.
Heluo and Ivy's expressions froze.
A gentle voice emerged from beneath the umbrella.
"Look at me. Am I beautiful?"
The paper umbrella tilted upwards, revealing the woman's face.
♥ ♠ ♥
Meanwhile, the one-eyed black dragon's roar had startled Lu Ming from his cultivation. Anticipating trouble in Archean City, he'd been on high alert. The moment the dragon appeared, he emerged from the Void Space.
Stretching to adjust to his newfound strength, Lu Ming stepped out of his room.
But just outside, an unexpected sight greeted him.
"A clown?" he muttered, confusion clouding his features. "Is there a circus in the Black Mist Zone?"
"And why are you here?"
The clown in the courtyard slowly turned, its painted face twisting into a grotesque smile.
"Oh—" It raised an eyebrow, its colorful features contorted in amusement.
Their eyes met for a tense moment before Lu Ming spoke again.
"You are..."
"Hehehehe..." The clown's eerie laughter answered Lu Ming's unspoken question. It snapped its fingers, and a deck of cards appeared in its hand as if by magic.
"Before we talk, let's play a game. Hehehehe."
The laughter sent a shiver down Lu Ming's spine. He sensed a palpable malice emanating from the clown.
He glanced upwards.
In the sky above, the black dragon's fiery breath wreaked havoc, forcing Roda, Uncle Lu, and Quan Chao onto the defensive.
"I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry," Lu Ming said, declining the clown's offer.
The clown's laughter intensified, taking on a sinister edge. "Hehehe... Once you've seen me, whether you want to play or not is no longer your choice..."
A deafening BOOM shook the courtyard.
Two massive craters now marred the ground where Lu Ming had stood moments before.
He reappeared beside the clown in a flash, his grip like iron as he seized the creature's oversized, colorful head and pulled it close.
"Your laughter is really annoying!" Lu Ming growled, his face contorted in a venomous snarl.
The clown's malicious glee had triggered Lu Ming's primal instincts.
"Play a game? Fuck you!"
With a swift, brutal motion, Lu Ming's left fist connected with the clown's face.
A sickening crunch echoed through the air as the clown's head exploded.
Lu Ming tossed the grotesque body aside, his expression hardening. The gentle facade was gone, replaced by a cold, calculating mask.
"You, clown, and that black dragon," he said, his voice low and menacing, "neither of you are good."
"And you're both going to die!"
He prepared to take flight, but a creaking sound from the discarded body stopped him.
The clown was rising, its headless torso swaying unsteadily.
A faint voice emanated from its abdomen. "A clown has nine lives... Hehehehe..."
With a sickening plop, an identical head emerged from the clown's chest.
It had regenerated.
Lu Ming watched in astonishment as the clown's figure began to fade, accompanied by a grating, metallic sound.
"You're very strong," the clown's disembodied voice echoed. "I'm no match for you right now. But wait for me... I'll be back to finish our game, hehehe..."
Before the laughter could fully dissipate, another bang resounded.
Lu Ming had kicked the clown mid-teleportation, shattering half its body.
The dream traversal was interrupted.
While the dream traversal ability was powerful and useful, it had a slight delay in activation, giving most Spirit Realm experts a chance to react.
The one-eyed black dragon had only managed to escape Heluo and the others because the sudden change in the situation had disrupted their rhythm.
The clown's shattered remains began to reassemble in a grotesque, cartoonish fashion.
But before it could fully regenerate, Lu Ming grabbed it by the hair once again.
Their eyes met.
This time, there was no amusement in the clown's gaze, only pure terror.
"Wait..." it pleaded.
BOOM!
Another punch, another exploding head.
"You like to laugh, don't you?" Lu Ming's voice was cold, devoid of any humor.
"You have nine lives, right?"
"Let's see how many punches those nine lives can withstand!"
End of Chapter 240