170: Chapter 170 Just Once

It’s happening again!

Chu Xuan's expression was as heavy as water.

Through the shared vision, the plane his Clone was on had already closed its doors and was waiting for takeoff; there were no issues at all.

Yet, Smoke suddenly rose around his main body. He didn't believe for a second that this was a coincidence—it had to be that mysterious powerhouse again.

Chu Xuan had intended to blend into the crowd and leave, but he found himself unable to even stand up, bound once more by the Smoke.

He used [Teleport], but it only moved him a little over three meters away. The moment he reappeared, he was instantly bound by the thick Smoke again.

Furthermore, the transformation ability of the [Myriad Forms] skill failed at that moment, causing him to revert to his original appearance.

The crew members acted as if they couldn't see Chu Xuan at all, completely ignoring him as they continued to hurriedly evacuate the crowd.

Is this... Heart Bewitchment?

“I sense the power of Heart Bewitchment.” The Phantom Demon's voice confirmed Chu Xuan's suspicion.

First Smoke, then fire—these corresponded to Zhang Qiang's and Zhao Hongchan's talents respectively. Now, there was Heart Bewitchment as well.

Among the Night Watchers, only Qin Qing possessed this ability!

Just who was this person?

Chu Xuan bit his teeth.

Although his various attributes had increased significantly compared to the first dream, and he wasn't completely immobilized, moving was extremely difficult. It felt as if his entire body was bound by super-strong elastic bands.

“You almost escaped... Why did you suddenly want to leave Haicheng? Did you discover something? Or was it the guidance given to you by [Heavenly Secret]?”

Accompanied by hazy words floating lightly into his ears, a humanoid figure made of Smoke condensed beside Chu Xuan. It turned its head, its featureless face staring intently at Chu Xuan.

“Who... are... you?”

Chu Xuan spoke with difficulty: “Azure Dragon? Ming Xiucheng? Zhang Qiang? Zhao Hongchan? Are you a Night Watcher or from the Resurrection Society? Or both?”

As he uttered each name, Chu Xuan tried to capture the other's emotional fluctuations. However, it was like facing a dead object; he couldn't sense any emotion at all.

Though he had expected this, Chu Xuan was still slightly disappointed. If he could determine this person's identity, things would be much easier to handle.

However, this person was too cautious. Despite having overwhelming strength, they still kept their identity hidden.

“A pity, I wanted to try a few more times... Since you’ve decided to leave, I can’t keep you anymore. First, let me see what exactly [Heavenly Secret] is.”

A faint voice, neither male nor female, echoed in his ears.

Chu Xuan felt as if an eye was peering into his heart again. At the same time, the Phantom Demon's voice rang in his ear:

“Quickly, hand your body over to me temporarily. That way, there’s a sliver of hope for survival. Otherwise, we’re both going to die here!”

Chu Xuan narrowed his eyes.

He was almost certain that if he lent his body out, the other party probably wouldn't return it—he might even be replaced entirely.

If this were reality, facing such a certain-death situation with no way out, Chu Xuan would have definitely handed control to the Phantom Demon to fight for a chance at life, even if it meant ultimately benefiting the Phantom Demon.

But this was still a dream. Chu Xuan still had many chances for trial and error. If he let the Phantom Demon have its way now, he wasn't sure if it would affect his real self.

Though the possibility was slim, Chu Xuan wouldn't gamble on it.

“Eh? There’s actually an S-rank Specter inside your body?”

The Smoke figure let out a small sound of surprise: “A believer of the Final Phantom God... So the S-rank Specter that escaped from the Night Demon Domain was actually inside you? Heh heh! What are you thinking about? Do you think that will stop me from investigating? It's useless; I can see some of your memory fragments...”

Just then, three consecutive chat messages arrived. The sender was [Future Tang Zheng]:

[Damn it! I survived the Heavenly Lightning, but I didn't survive Chu Huan. I'm about to die!]

[Tell my past self: after entering the Mysterious Land on June 19th, do not come out until you've maxed out your Rank to level 10, even if it kills you!]

[When my past self's strength increases, my current self will change accordingly, and I'll have a chance to kill Chu Huan...]

The Smoke figure immediately snatched the phone and let out an exclamation: “You can actually communicate with the future? Could this be your true talent skill?”

[Who is Chu Huan?] The Smoke figure tapped out a few words, but they couldn't be sent. He let out another soft exclamation and tossed the phone back to Chu Xuan.

“Only you can do it? Demonstrate it for me, and I’ll let you die more easily.”

The feeling of restraint weakened slightly. Chu Xuan didn't take the chance to flee or resist in other ways; he simply typed: [Can it leave my body and change its vessel?]

The message was sent successfully. Right at that moment, a System prompt appeared.

[Your talent skill's time limit is approaching. Spend 20 spirituality value to extend it by 1 hour? 10 seconds remaining...]

[10!]

Chu Xuan did not choose to extend the time. Instead, he stared fixedly at the phone screen.

Phantom Demon: “You can actually communicate with Future Tang Zheng? When did you get this ability... Wait, are you still in a dream right now?”

Smoke Figure: “What? This is actually your dream? How is that possible? You must be lying to me! Let me find your memory fragments and see your truest past...”

[Tang Zheng: Once a Specter enters a human body, they reach a certain level of fusion and cannot change vessels. Do not trust the followers of the Final Phantom God; they are masters of bewitchment and deception...]

The corners of Chu Xuan's mouth curled up slightly. Of course he wouldn't trust the Phantom Demon—he hadn't trusted it from the beginning. Now that he had confirmed this, it gave him another layer of planning against the Phantom Demon.

[5!]

Phantom Demon: “Damned insect! To think I would be tricked by you. But don't get ahead of yourself. Even if you know everything, so what? You can only lose; you cannot win!”

Smoke Figure: “This really is your dream?! How interesting. But you have at most 7 days. You cannot escape!”

As the voices of both fell into Chu Xuan's ears simultaneously, a deathly darkness enveloped his body. Intense fear swirled in his heart, and a pressure as heavy as a mountain made it almost impossible to breathe.

Chu Xuan's eyes were bloodshot as he grinned and laughed:

“I have many chances for trial and error, but as long as I get it right once, I can screw you all over!”

[1!]

The countdown ended.

Countless white lights interlaced intensely, and everything turned into nothingness.

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