35: Chapter 35 Counterattack

To project Spirit Energy outside the body requires reaching the upper realm of Qi Manipulation, which is after the seventh stage. I didn't expect her to be able to do it at the fifth stage.

Tang Long gasped and asked in shock, "What kind of evil art is this? Who exactly are you!"

Ming Meier sneered, "Who I am is not something you need to know. However, your desire to use your Tyrant Body to pull me into close combat is destined to be impossible."

Tang Long's expression became even more shocked, "What did you say!"

"The Tyrant Body is indeed rare. You used this move yesterday; did you think I wouldn't notice? You returned my long whip earlier, that was for this reason too, wasn't it?"

"You are indeed very clever. During our first fight yesterday, you actually hid your cultivation level. But you shouldn't have treated me like a fool just because you won one round."

"You said something very well before: under the blade, everyone is equal. I really want to know now, can the Tyrant Body block weapons?"

Watching Tang Long's terrified expression while saying these words gave Ming Meier a particularly satisfying feeling.

In the next instant, the long whip shot toward Tang Long again.

At this moment, her long whip was like a crazed iron snake, its force extremely fierce. Every collision made Tang Long unable to hold his blade steady, causing him to retreat in a flurry, and it looked like he was about to be unable to defend himself.

However, just as Ming Meier felt victory was within her grasp, she suddenly noticed that the terror on Tang Long's face had disappeared, replaced by a strange smile.

This smile made her hair stand on end for no reason.

It was also at this instant that she saw Tang Long suddenly holding a crimson-gold mask of calamity in his left hand, blocking her whip's tip.

The whip tip scraped violently across the mask, creating a string of sparks and leaving a long scratch over ten centimeters long on the mask.

Before she could react, she felt as if she had been hit on the head with a giant hammer, and she crashed directly to the ground. The rune on her forehead was forcibly shattered, turning into a single star point. The long whip also fell to the ground, showing no more movement.

Tang Long's body also jolted violently, but he quickly clutched his head and laughed out loud.

"You! What exactly did you do!" Ming Meier asked in fear.

"This thing is called the mask of calamity. It is the legacy item of the Sixth Saint under the Red God, and the Saint's soul resides within it. Therefore, anyone who damages it will suffer the soul curse of the Saint."

"Just now, your damage rating to it was 32, so the soul damage this curse inflicts on you is also 32, once per minute, lasting for 32 minutes."

"Actually, I only figured it out this morning; this thing can actually be used as a weapon. But the prerequisite is that you cause enough damage to it."

"Of course I am no match for you. Earlier, I was so afraid that Miss Ming wouldn't strike hard enough that I went to the trouble of acting with you for so long."

"I acted pretty well, right? You definitely believed it, didn't you? Hahaha~~!"

"How is it? Does the feeling of killing yourself feel good?"

Ming Meier was overwhelmed by anger and anxiety, and at this moment, she was also filled with extreme fear. Suddenly, the soul damage flared up again, and she immediately screamed while clutching her head in pain.

Tang Long immediately put away his smile, staggered to the raft to retrieve his bow and arrows, and turned back to aim and shoot at her.

However, this level of soul damage made him dizzy as well. Shooting a stationary target at such close range, it took until the third arrow to hit.

The second-stage Spirit Astral was indeed a bit strong; yesterday, a charged Heavy Strike barely broke her defense. Now, Ming Meier's defensive ability had dropped significantly, yet she could still withstand the arrows. Tang Long did not stop, and finally, with the seventeenth arrow, he shot through her throat.

Then he rushed over, blade in hand, and stabbed it into her heart.

[You killed Ming Meier. Qi Manipulation fifth stage, experience points gained 677, level-gap kill bonus experience points 338!]

Tang Long fell backward onto the riverbank, gasping for air.

"That was damn close! Finally managed to kill this bitch."

Although his progress had been fast enough, his raw strength was still not considered strong.

Facing a fifth-stage enemy was really a stretch, especially one who was a Blasphemer with Blasphemy Power.

Fortunately, the mask of calamity returned in time, and he had a flash of inspiration, coming up with the tactic of using the mask.

To tell the truth, this tactic was extremely dangerous, and he wasn't sure how effective it would be.

Ming Meier had indeed been cursed, but as the bound user, he also had to suffer the same punishment.

If the effect was too weak, he couldn't kill the enemy. If the effect was too strong, he might not be able to withstand it either.

Moreover, the mask had only recently returned, and he was still in the state of Calamity Sacrifice; if this damage exceeded his limit, he would end up killing himself too.

The soul pain was indeed hard to endure; the first time he sacrificed 10 points, it left him unable to move for a long time. This time, it directly caused Ming Meier to lose her ability to act, allowing Tang Long to finally complete the counter-kill and remove this major threat.

However, for the next thirty minutes, he would have to endure this pain alone.

----

Elder Ming woke up suddenly in a state of shock, the black mark on his forehead flickering, and tears streamed down his face.

He knew that Ming Meier was dead.

As the leader of the Scale Mountain group, he was granted a third-class Blasphemer Star, possessing the ability to sense the status of group members. This was actually a method of control, and he could even directly control the life and death of his members.

Ming Meier was his granddaughter, his only relative in the world.

Although they had prepared for this the day they joined the Blasphemers, when it actually happened, he found that he could hardly bear the grief of a white-haired man burying his black-haired descendant, and a fierce fire of revenge ignited in his heart.

He only wanted to find the killer immediately and avenge his granddaughter with his own hands.

But he also understood that the killer was very strong.

Although he was at the sixth stage of Qi Manipulation, he was already old, and Ming Meier's actual combat ability was not below his. Since the killer could kill Ming Meier, he might not necessarily succeed, and the operation carried huge risks.

Therefore, before that, he still needed to report his decision to his superiors and group members.

He took out the mirror again, and as his Spirit Energy surged, the black mark on his forehead quickly appeared, and the black star in the mirror flickered continuously.

However, there was no response from his superiors for a long time.

He sighed and could only reach out to draw a few symbols on the mirror again.

In a short while, two figures appeared in the mirror.

"Ah Zuo, Ah You, how is your mission going?"

The other side replied, "Elder Ming, the mission is complete, and we are on our way back, expected to arrive in five days. You suddenly contacted us, what happened?"

"Meier is dead."

"What! What happened?"

"She went to hunt down a mission target, and I just sensed her flame of life extinguish."

"Elder Ming! We share your grief. Please calm down; report to the higher-ups first. We will set off immediately and can arrive in three days!"

Elder Ming shook his head, "I just contacted the higher-ups, but there was no response. If I wait for you to return, in three days, the killer might completely disappear without a trace. I cannot wait even a minute."

"Elder Ming! Meier is not weak, and even she fell into the opponent's hands. You are old, and going alone is extremely dangerous! Wait for us to return! We swear to you that we will definitely find that guy and avenge Meier!"

"No need." Elder Ming shook his head expressionlessly, "I will use the Blasphemy Power; even if I cannot defeat him, I will definitely be able to drag him to the grave with me."

"Elder Ming, please don't be impulsive! Your Blasphemy Power is too special, and the price of using it is already high. You are at this age; forcing its use will be unbearable!"

Elder Ming still shook his head, "Meier is dead, and there is no meaning for me to live. Let me settle this matter with my own hands. You are still young, and the organization needs you. I will leave this mirror and some information at the old place. From now on, the position of Scale Mountain group leader will be taken over by Ning Zuo. I will send this decision to the higher-ups immediately. That is all!"

"Wait, Elder Ming, listen to me first..."

Elder Ming did not wait any longer; he directly wiped away the figures in the mirror. Then he cut his finger, rewrote some characters on the mirror, packed his things, and quickly headed toward Blue Ridge.

Late the next night, he found Ming Meier's corpse by a river south of Blue Ridge.

He buried Ming Meier on the spot, lit a bonfire, and holding the nine arrows taken from her body, the black mark on his forehead jumped and burned like flames.

"Rest assured, Meier, even if Grandpa has to risk this old life, I will definitely make the killer pay in blood!"