MTLNOVEL CHAPTER 242
Chapter 242: Unveiling Weaknesses
Heluo and Ivy exchanged bewildered glances, unsure how to respond to Lu Ming's question while witnessing the bizarre scene unfolding before them. Madam Red, her monstrous face held captive in Lu Ming's grip, struggled futilely, her sharp teeth gnashing harmlessly against his seemingly impervious skin.
Ivy's eyes widened in disbelief. How could Madam Red bite through my defenses so easily, yet be unable to even scratch Lu Ming?
Heluo, however, breathed a sigh of relief. "Mr. Lu is indeed powerful," she acknowledged, her voice filled with admiration. "And you were right about Madam Red's weakness being her face."
Just then, Madam Red made another desperate move.
Her arm stretched unnaturally, mirroring the elasticity of her neck, and snatched the falling red umbrella from the air. With a swift, fluid motion, she swung her elongated arm, the umbrella's tip aimed at Lu Ming like a sharpened blade.
Bang.
The umbrella struck Lu Ming's Divine Fire Shield, but it failed to even dent his defenses.
Instead, the impact caused the umbrella to crumple slightly, and a series of eerie screams emanated from within its folds.
Heluo's eyes lit up. "The umbrella!" she exclaimed. "The umbrella might be another weakness!"
"I see," Lu Ming replied calmly.
"So, this thing has two weaknesses: its face and the umbrella."
He paused, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Then..."
In the next second, a series of sickening cracks filled the air, growing louder and louder.
Lu Ming exerted his immense strength, pulling Madam Red's face apart like a grotesque piece of taffy.
Creak... creak...
"Ugh! Ahhhhhhhhh…." Muffled, incomprehensible cries escaped from Madam Red's gaping maw.
Her mouth stretched wider and wider under Lu Ming's relentless pull, but there were no discernible organs within, only an abyss of darkness.
"That's why I said you're all just monsters..." Lu Ming muttered, his voice laced with disgust.
With a final surge of strength, he ripped Madam Red's head in two.
Crack!
Heluo and Ivy, witnessing the brutal display, felt a chill creep down their spines. Lu Ming had torn apart Madam Red's head as easily as peeling a piece of fruit, a stark contrast to Ivy's harrowing encounter moments before.
The red umbrella, sensing its master's demise, attempted to flee.
But Lu Ming caught it effortlessly and snapped it in half.
Under their watchful eyes, Madam Red and her umbrella dissolved into black tendrils of energy, dissipating into the air.
"What on earth was that thing?" Ivy asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Both Lu Ming and Heluo shook their heads.
"I'm not sure," Lu Ming admitted. "But just like the clown earlier, it turned into black smoke upon death, leaving no corpse behind."
He looked up at the ongoing battle in the sky, where the one-eyed black dragon was still locked in combat with Roda and the others.
"You two find a safe place," he instructed Heluo and Ivy. "I'll be right back."
With those words, Lu Ming ascended into the sky, his powerful form cutting through the air with ease.
An hour later, the group reconvened at the City Lord's Manor. The chaos that had engulfed the city had subsided, leaving an eerie stillness in its wake.
Lu Ming sat at the head of the table, his eyes closed, listening intently.
Heluo, her voice tinged with a hint of unease, briefed the group on their findings.
"I've never encountered creatures like those before, and there's no mention of them in the Aeonian records," she began.
"Based on their combat performance, both Madam Red and the Black Dragon possess the strength of high-level Spirit Realm experts. But strangely, they lack any Spiritual Pressure and don't seem to utilize Origin Power techniques."
"I'll need more time to research and understand their true nature."
She paused, then continued, her gaze shifting to Lu Ming. "There's a more pressing matter that might require your assistance, Mr. Lu."
Her expression was apologetic.
Lu Ming nodded. "Please, tell me. I won't refuse any task within my capabilities."
"Our captain and two other team members went to the Flame Clan Ruin to investigate the source of the Dream Virus several days ago," Heluo explained. "But just a few hours ago, we lost contact with them."
"Could I ask you to go there and check on the situation?"
Lu Ming didn't hesitate. "Of course."
The ruins were undoubtedly the source of the trouble. Even if Heluo hadn't asked, Lu Ming would have investigated eventually.
Ivy spoke up. "I'll accompany Mr. Lu and guide him there."
The Flame Clan Ruin, within the Royal First Research Institute.
Walking through the sterile corridors of the research institute, Zhuang Zun's expression was grim. The protective spiritual light shimmering around his body indicated that he was on high alert.
He was alone.
His two teammates, who had entered with him, had vanished without a trace.
This was deeply unsettling. With Zhuang Zun's Level Seven Spirit Realm strength, he should have noticed their disappearance.
"This place is quite sinister," he muttered to himself, his caution growing.
Then, a faint melody reached his ears.
He quickened his pace, rounding a corner in the corridor. A bizarre scene unfolded before him.
The path had transformed into a winding, overgrown trail.
At its end, a massive, ominous ancient castle loomed, like a slumbering behemoth.
Zhuang Zun spun around, only to find that the corridor behind him had vanished, replaced by a dark, foreboding forest.
He took a deep breath, his heart pounding.
"I've walked into a trap..."
He turned back to face the castle, the eerie singing growing louder. Green, ghostly flames flickered in its windows, casting an unsettling glow on the surrounding trees.
A chilling term echoed in Zhuang Zun's mind.
"The Slaughter Castle..."
It was a terrifying legend passed down among the Eternal Clan, a tale of a cursed place where countless explorers had met their gruesome ends.
It had been Zhuang Zun's childhood nightmare.
"Hahaha," he forced a laugh, trying to dispel the fear gnawing at his heart.
He shook his head.
"Impossible..."
But despite his doubts, Zhuang Zun steeled himself and marched towards the ancient castle, his every instinct screaming at him to turn back.
Meanwhile, as dusk approached, Lu Ming and Ivy finally reached their destination.
Entering the cave, they found discarded food wrappers scattered on the ground, evidence that Zhuang Zun and the others had indeed been stationed here for several days.
But now, they were nowhere to be found.
"According to Soro," Ivy explained, her voice tinged with worry, "this cave leads to another space. I believe our captain and the others saw the connecting light door open again and rushed in without hesitation."
The light door hadn't lasted long.
Zhuang Zun and his companions had entered without leaving any message for Heluo and Ivy. Such impulsive behavior was entirely plausible given the circumstances.
"The problem now is," Ivy continued, her brow furrowed in thought, "when will the light door open again... or how can we trigger it to reappear?"
As she spoke, Lu Ming's eyes darkened, turning pitch black.
Maintaining the effect of the Eye of Void, he nodded.
"I have a solution."
End of Chapter 242