You're Strong But Now You're Mine

"No matter what, we're unlikely to have the chance to take the stage."

Yan Yi stretched lazily and turned to look at the ceiling behind: "So, sister, why don't you come down."

Only to see Ning Xinyuan draped in a gray robe, her legs wrapped around a stone pillar on the ceiling, her whole body hanging upside down, almost entirely obscured by the pillar, with only the gun barrel sticking out of a crevice aiming at the direction of the stairs, appearing vigilant and ready.

This is the fifth floor of the Platinum Tower, Stone Forest Catastrophe Zone.

Both the ceiling and the ground are covered with jagged stone pillars of varying shapes, and even the ground is uneven, the terrain so treacherous it's hard to describe. An ordinary person daring to walk here would fall nine times out of ten steps, and the last time would crash their head and pass out.

But Yan Yi actively requested to guard the fifth floor, not just because she wanted to slack off, but also because this is indeed the battlefield most suited for her—her demon hunting Combat Technique thrives in such complicated environments.

"No need, I'm fine like this." Ning Xinyuan shook her head, glanced at the stone pillar on the ground, and asked: "So, is there any setup on this floor?"

"No, if they do rush up, we'll just have to fight them. But by the time those thugs reach the fifth floor, they're basically old, weak, sick, or disabled, so it shouldn't take much effort," Yan Yi said lightly.

"By the way, why is the fifth floor like this?" Ning Xinyuan, hanging upside down, said: "Is the principal a stalactite enthusiast?"

"Do you think the principal's aesthetic sensibility is enough to appreciate stalactites?" Yan Yi said without enthusiasm: "The principal just wanted to create a new mobile Combat Technique, this is his practice field."

"Mobile Combat Technique?"

"He wanted to create a technique where one doesn't move their feet, but simply uses light explosions to instantly move people to another location in their line of sight."

"...That's impossible."

"Indeed it is, so he gave up. Occasionally, he comes here to exercise. Yet, the principal isn't completely without gain, he claims to have figured out a nearly invincible footwork in environments like the stone forest, where movement speed is faster than the enemy's flying speed, and can strike the enemy down repeatedly without touching the ground, said he'd teach me."

"Did you learn?" Ning Xinyuan asked with a smile.

Yan Yi shook her head: "How could I, that's just a waste of time. Besides the stone forest arranged by the principal, where else on earth is there such a complex terrain to leverage at will?"

"The principal has achieved so many research results in his lifetime, how many can truly be put to use?"

...

...

"Surround him!"

"Drown him with light explosions!"

"Don't let him keep it up!"

Within the ghostly blue barrier, a bizarre scene was playing out: a group of Martial Artists at pillar level treaded on light in mid-air, attempting to attack the red-robed old man flying there, but couldn't even touch the hem of his robe. Instead, the red-robed individual struck a heavy blow against one black-clad person, preventing him from hitting the ground!

First, the red-robed old man delivered a punch to the eastbound black-clad person, then stomped hard, accelerating to run behind the black-clad person, kicked him into the air, continued to ascend by stepping on nothing, appeared above the black-clad person, and double-fisted a belly hammer on the black-clad person...

While dodging the surround attacks from others, he concentrated on pounding this black-clad person, hitting him repeatedly and never letting him touch the ground!

"Ninety-eight!"

"Ninety-nine!"

"One hundred!"

The red-robed old man shouted loudly, as his right leg drew a crescent arc, slicing towards the black-clad person's nape like a decapitating guillotine!

The black-clad person turned into a remnant image, crashing into the courtyard ground as a meteor, leaving a deep pit!

Others were helpless in the face of such circumstances—relying solely on treading light, they couldn't catch up to Cha Huan, nor could they rescue their comrade; they could only watch Cha Huan achieve his aerial hundred-hit combo!

However, compared to Cha Huan's terrifying hundred-hit combo, what was more astonishing should be the black-clad person who was always receiving the blows.

After taking a hundred hits from Cha Huan in the air, he still managed to maintain human form without injury, which was the truly remarkable part.

"Sigh." The black-clad person lying in the pit sighed: "Are you satisfied?"

"Not yet." Cha Huan said coldly: "I still want to tear open your chest to see your heart clearly, smash your head to see your thoughts clearly. I can't fathom the foolish reason that led you to wear 'Blade Armor' against me, my old classmate? Now, the reverse blade armor should be nullified, right?"

"Extreme Divine Weapon · Blade Armor"

"Blade Armor: Reflect 100% of the damage back to the source of the damage, self is unharmed. Maximum limit of endured damage exists, becomes void upon depletion, can be recharged with daylight."

The reason the black-clad person could endure Cha Huan's hundred strikes was because Cha Huan wasn't using full strength!

Cha Huan fed the black-clad person's 'Blade Armor' by maintaining high frequency, low-impact strikes, ensuring he didn't get hurt himself, rendering it useless in the upcoming battle!

Cha Huan didn't want a scenario where he got killed by his own attacks, that would be too disgraceful.

"It's not that complicated, any reason you come up with is right." The black-clad person patted the rubble on his body, sat up with a wry smile: "I could never live as carefree as you, ultimately I became the kind of person I once hated."

"Maybe only hateful people live this long."

"Or maybe those who live long ultimately become hateful." Cha Huan said: "I knew long ago I am a hated person, never thought you were too."

"Cha Huan, can't you stand with us?" said the black-clad person: "We're not as unseemly as you imagine, the world eventually has better solutions."

"'Eventually there are better solutions'... You said those words to me back when Xie Liting was arrested."

Cha Huan remarked: "But back then, you assisted me in delaying those three pillar level Martial Artists, helped me leave Yanjing."

"Now, you're telling me these words again."

"Does it mean you'll eventually help me break this paper-thin barrier and let me leave here?"

"I truly wish I could do that." The black-clad person gazed at Cha Huan, smiling bitterly: "But what can mere wishes protect?"

"I wish to return to the past, to the academy, to ditch class with you, fight together, travel the world, champion justice..."

The black-clad person suddenly stomped and shattered the floor, quickly fleeing from the center of the courtyard.

Revealing an artillery cannon underneath the cracked floor, aimed at the sky.

Luminous Stone Concentrating Main Cannon.

Scatter mode.

Sky coverage, hundred meters.

"Sorry, Cha Huan."

Swoosh!

With a piercing cannon sound, the air vibrated violently, a column of light capable of melting the night erupted upwards, the whole world seemed to become blurry. Nearby civilians couldn't even look directly at this dazzling light, blinking away tears.

Suddenly, Yanjing seemed to become brighter.

The black-clad person wearing blade armor kept watching the sky, perhaps due to the brilliance, his eyes streamed rivers of tears, sliding down the age-sculpted ravines on his face.

"No need to reminisce."

A hand lightly tapped the black-clad person's shoulder, making him slightly startled, but he didn't turn around.

"Even now, we can still ditch class together, fight together, travel the world, champion justice... Although as a teacher skipping class seems odd, but it's not impossible."

"Only the one willing to do these things with me doesn't exist anymore."

The other black-clad individuals saw this and rushed over to try to stop Cha Huan, but the White Night Walker Inn was no pushover, wielding the Scepter to continually trouble them.

The black-clad person shook his head: "Isn't there still Xie Liting?"

"Indeed."

With a crisp crack, Cha Huan snapped the black-clad person's neck, then supported him with his hands and gently laid him on the ground.

"He's the only one left."