"Boom—!"
Caught off guard by the fox mask's surprise attack with its armor-piercing characteristic, the black-robed figure instinctively released his grip on Tang Sui's back collar, intending to protect his face.
But in the next second, having missed the mask's impact, he was sent flying tens of meters away, smashing through the trunks of several towering trees before crashing heavily into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Regaining her mobility, Tang Sui quickly pushed herself up from the ground, attempting to flee towards Shrek Academy.
However, the moment she exerted force, her legs suddenly became stiff. A chill crawled from her spine to her scalp. A pressure several times more terrifying than before, accompanied by a sudden rise of yellowish-green mist around her, formed a binding barrier, trapping her within!
"Cough, cough! Second Spirit Ability, Poisonous Mist."
A hoarse voice, filled with killing intent, came from the deepening black figure ahead.
Tang Sui, not daring to be careless, immediately activated her third Spirit Ability, entering a state of etherealness to temporarily block the effects of the poisonous gas.
The previous attack from the black-robed figure was linked to spiritual power. With her spiritual power clearly inferior to the opponent's, the locked-on Tang Sui had no escape and could only endure the attack head-on.
But this time was different. The surrounding poison gas merely formed an ordinary vortex. What made her more vigilant was the figure standing in the poisonous mist, not dodging, slowly lowering the hand that covered his face, which was dripping with pus.
Crimson blood mixed with yellowish-green pus, creating a disgusting, sticky sensation.
What kind of face was that?
On the wrinkled old face, the right half resembled dried jerky, covered with blackish-purple lumps of various sizes. The blackish-purple lumps, broken by the mask, oozed yellowish-green pus and streaks of fresh blood, instantly corroding the other half of his intact face.
"Stinky brat, hiss! How dare you break my face..." The black-robed figure's shoulders trembled violently, his killing intent escalating to a terrifying degree.
It was as if he were wearing a piece of human skin, crisscrossed with blackish-purple lumps and scars, with no flesh or blood beneath, merely filled and bulging with pus. The overflowing pus caused that small half of his face to cave in, clinging tightly to his cheekbone, appearing horrific and disgusting.
"I've changed my mind. I'm going to kill you right now!"
His powerful spiritual energy instantly locked onto Tang Sui, just like before. The immense spiritual energy formed a solid cage around Tang Sui, trapping her. With his martial soul in possession, his arms transformed into pincers that could slice through iron, their tips shimmering with a chillingly poisonous glow, striking fiercely at the trapped Tang Sui below.
"Bang—!"
The fox mask, flashing in front of Tang Sui and charging directly at the black-robed figure, was instead batted away by the latter's pincer-like claws. Tang Sui, caught completely off guard, was clearly exposed in the black-robed figure's attack trajectory!
Was this her end?
In her vision, the poisonous pincers drew closer and closer. With no other options, a chill spread through Tang Sui's heart, freezing her limbs and preventing her from moving.
Why, after living so hard until today, before she could even start truly enjoying life, before she could have a healthy body, must she die here?
Threads of fear and inexpressible grievance welled up, a surge of negative and vulnerable emotions overwhelming her, her vision turning completely black, time itself seeming to freeze.
'You're unwilling to die here, aren't you?'
A faint voice entered her ears.
Tang Sui, her eyes wide open as if in a trance, took a gasping breath. In the deathly silence and darkness around her, the air began to flow again.
"Fox Mask... Why..." Why are you only appearing now!
Tang Sui's eyes reddened, a tear mixed with blood rolling down from her eye.
In the pure black space before her, a pure white, jade-like fox mask emerged from ripples in the void. The empty eyes flickered with an eerie red light, as if instantly imbued with a cunning spirit. It rotated subtly, its true form facing the source of the ripples that had not yet ceased.
'Then remember this moment of fear and resentment well.' Another aged and deep voice suddenly appeared in the black space.