Systemless Villain

214  A Mysterious Twist

Ling Han dashed towards Tao Tie, his grip on the mystical sword firm and unwavering.

Tao Tie tried to resist, yet the radiant golden light from the World Tree was so intense that it seemed to induce a freezing effect.

Capitalizing on this moment, Ling Han deftly slashed through Tao Tie's massive body, leaving behind swift but minor gashes.

A low groan emanated from Tao Tie. Despite its formidable nature, it was rendered defenseless by the overwhelming golden light.

Ling Han showed no mercy, persistently delivering a series of sword slashes. The mystical sword relentlessly clashed with Tao Tie's super-tough skin, revealing subtle signs of inflicted damage.

Long Tian and Mo Yuegang's expressions shifted from tension to relief as the tide turned in their favor.

Slash!

Slash!

Slash!

Ling Han executed a sequence of attacks, each directed with precision at the defenseless Tao Tie.

The mysterious man, witnessing the scene, wore a grim expression mixed with disbelief. Tao Tie, a formidable mythical beast that took centuries to create, fell effortlessly to Ling Han, especially under the influence of Li Yue'er's peculiar golden light.

Gritting his teeth, the mysterious man shouted, "Fury!"

Yet, Tao Tie remained unresponsive, still writhing in pain from Ling Han's relentless assault.

Undeterred, the mysterious man shouted again.

"Fury!"

"Fury!"

"Fury!"

Despite his repeated calls, Tao Tie refused to transform. Instead, its appearance now looked pitiful, marred with gashes on various parts of its body, black blood streaming to the ground until it could no longer stand.

Ling Han, too, bore the marks of the battle, stained with Tao Tie's blood. He panted, fixing his gaze on the once ferocious monster, now rendered helpless.

Tightly gripping his mystical sword, he raised it high, his sharp eyes focused on Tao Tie's battered form.

The inscriptions carved on the blade of the sword shone with a dim golden hue.

Observing the scene, the mysterious man's expression darkened. "Don't kill Tao Tie!" he roared.

However, Ling Han, resolute and empowered, promptly swung his sword directly at Tao Tie's neck.

SLASH!

In one forceful strike, Tao Tie's neck was immediately severed, its head detached, blood flowing from its body, accompanied by the dissipating negative aura in the area.

The eyes of the mysterious man widened in disbelief. The formidable mythical beast, now lifeless.

Ling Han stood, surveying the aftermath of his intense battle. Truly, it was the most challenging fight he had ever faced, yet it provided an adrenaline rush he hadn't experienced in a long time.

The inscriptions on his body gradually disappeared, along with his mystical sword, and the aura of his golden core realm also vanished.

He turned, only to find Long Tian, Mo Yuegang, and Li Yue'er approaching.

A smile formed on Ling Han's face as he inquired, "How was my performance, young master?"

"You did great, as always," Long Tian responded, a smile adorning his face.

Ling Han's smile persisted, "My success owes much to the young lady's assistance. That tree, I didn't anticipate it striking fear into Tao Tie," he remarked, shifting his focus to Li Yue'er.

"I was surprised too. I didn't even sense the effects of Tao Tie's negative aura," Li Yue'er replied.

Ling Han stroked his chin, "It was the golden light... Your martial spirit appears to be somewhat special, young lady. Nevertheless, it worked in our favor. I appreciate it as it greatly aided me in defeating Tao Tie," he acknowledged.

Li Yue'er smiled, "It's nothing. In fact, without you, sir, we might have been in great danger," she stated.

"Come on, didn't I say to call me uncle, like young master?"

"It just feels a bit odd to address a powerful cultivator with the title of uncle."

"It's okay; we are family, after all."

"Alright, Uncle Ling."

----

While they engaged in friendly conversation, Mo Yuegang, on the other hand, approached the mysterious man who was chained in various positions in the air.

As he neared, an increasing sense of strangeness enveloped him, accompanied by enigmatic whispers echoing in his mind.

From his perspective, the mysterious man locked eyes with him, those red orbs fixated.

"Come closer, my son, I will bestow upon you great power," the man uttered, his voice seemingly reaching only Mo Yuegang's ears.

Mo Yuegang's eyes widened, particularly as he examined the man's face, which, upon closer inspection, bore a striking resemblance to his own.

The mysterious man continued, "I, Mo Xie the great, and you, my descendant, we will forge a new world, with just the two of us."

His voice cut through the air like a blade, penetrating Mo Yuegang's ears with an irresistible whisper.

The closer Mo Yuegang approached, the more he tuned out his surroundings, wholly absorbed in Mo Xie's murmurs.

But in this critical moment, a tap on Long Tian's shoulder abruptly snapped him out of it. He swiftly turned to face Long Tian.

"What are you doing, Sect Master?" Long Tian inquired, a furrow appearing on his forehead.

Mo Yuegang remained silent, unwittingly sensing his body breaking into a sweat. He swallowed, fixating his gaze on Mo Xie, whose eyes remained closed.

'Is this just a hallucination? Shouldn't he have perished along with Tao Tie?' he speculated inwardly.

However, not long after, he redirected his attention to Long Tian, patting his shoulder, "Thank you, Young Master Long; I almost lost control of myself," he admitted.

Long Tian furrowed his brow upon hearing this, questioning, "What do you mean?" n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Mo Yuegang shook his head, "It's nothing. Well, since Tao Tie has been defeated, we should address the man up there," he said, indicating the chained mysterious figure.

Agreeing with a nod, Long Tian shifted his gaze to Ling Han, who, alongside Li Yue'er, was inspecting Tao Tie's lifeless body, "What's your plan, Uncle Ling?" he inquired.

"It seems I could use some help, young master; Tao Tie's skin and even its flesh are exceptionally tough," Ling Han responded, persistently attempting to cut through Tao Tie's body with a sword, with Li Yue'er assisting.

"I'm coming," Mo Yuegang promptly replied, hastening to join Ling Han.

Long Tian proceeded to follow. However, his steps abruptly came to a halt due to a mysterious sound echoing in his mind.

His expression contorted in surprise as he turned around, discovering the mysterious man's intense gaze fixed on him.

His eyes widened in disbelief as he recognized a startling resemblance between the man's face and his own. The shock rendered him speechless.

The enigmatic sound persisted, captivating his mind and seemingly rendering him oblivious to his surroundings.

Unconsciously, Long Tian found himself drawn closer to the mysterious man. His hand involuntarily raised, reaching out to the man.

Simultaneously, Ling Han drove his sword into Tao Tie's abdomen.

"Oh, finally. Unfortunately, I need some time to recover; otherwise, it would have been a piece of cake," Ling Han remarked.

Intrigued, Mo Yuegang approached, eager to explore the contents of Tao Tie's stomach, the mythical creature.

Meanwhile, Li Yue'er sensed something was off. "Where is Long Tian?" she inquired, her gaze fixed on Mo Yuegang.

Mo Yuegang began to respond, "He's at..." but his voice trailed off as he witnessed Long Tian extending his hand, seemingly reaching for the mysterious man.

His eyes widened, "Young Master Long, stop!" he urgently shouted, rushing toward Long Tian.

However, in an abrupt turn of events, a brilliant white light flashed at Long Tian's location, propelling Mo Yuegang backward, crashing into the dungeon wall.

Ling Han and Li Yue'er stood in shock and confusion, their attention now fixated on the dissipating light.

Unable to restrain his curiosity, Ling Han turned to Mo Yuegang, concern evident in his voice, "What happened to him?"

Mo Yuegang, now back on his feet, replied with gravity, "He's in danger!"

"What!" Li Yue'er exclaimed, her reaction mirroring Ling Han's surprise.

The seriousness in Mo Yuegang's words also startled Ling Han.

As the bright light suddenly vanished, it revealed Long Tian standing in its wake.

Mo Yuegang, Ling Han, and Li Yue'er hurriedly approached him, genuine concern etched on their faces, particularly Ling Han and Li Yue'er.

"Young master, are you okay?" Ling Han inquired, his tone serious as he held both Long Tian's shoulders.

Long Tian, on the other hand, appeared confused, "What just happened?" he asked.

"What? You don't remember anything?" Ling Han questioned.

Rubbing his chin, Mo Yuegang furrowed his brow, finding himself at a loss for words.

12:00

Li Yue'er, inquired sincerely, "But you're genuinely okay, right?" her tone infused with concern.

Long Tian scratched his cheek, "I really don't know what happened. It's like I blacked out for a moment and then woke up again," he responded.

Hearing this, Ling Han wore a puzzled expression, unsure of what else to say.

Mo Yuegang, in contrast, directed his gaze upward, where the chained mysterious man had vanished.

Pointing towards the empty space, he voiced his concern, "Look, the man has disappeared. Could it be that he entered your body, Young Master Long?" his inquiry carried genuine worry.

Long Tian appeared surprised as he replied, "Is that even possible? I didn't feel anything, though."

Rubbing his chin, Mo Yuegang furrowed his brow, finding himself at a loss for words.

Li Yue'er, inquired sincerely, "But you're genuinely okay, right?" her tone infused with concern.

"I'm perfectly fine, and I didn't sense a thing. I'm still the same as I was ten minutes ago," Long Tian responded.

Li Yue'er let out a relieved sigh upon hearing this.

"It appears this situation is somewhat complicated. What if we seek counsel from some Elders to understand what happened to you? Fortunately, there are individuals here well-versed in matters of the soul and death," Mo Yuegang suggested.

"So, our initial purpose of coming here was just to confront Tao Tie?" Long Tian questioned.

"Look around. There's nothing of interest. The mysterious man has also vanished. The only notable presence here is Tao Tie's corpse, which might contain something within," Mo Yuegang responded.

Ling Han nodded, "Indeed, young master. For now, it's prudent to exit this place and unravel the mystery surrounding what happened to you," he recommended.

In agreement, Long Tian nodded, "Alright, I suppose there's no other choice. Let's leave this place," he declared.

With that, the four of them exited, carrying Tao Tie's lifeless body.