Chapter 200: with translation of chapter title

Under Shen Zexi's Aberrant Arts, Qi Hengyu coughed up a few mouthfuls of clotted blood, his injuries quickly stabilized, Luo Jinyou's complexion also regained a hint of rosiness, Chen Mo Zhi staggered to his feet and fastened the Medicine Bottle at his waist.

Ying Duo's condition was fully restored, and his Ying Guang Lu hair turned the ice wall an eerie green.

Bai Mu Yun glanced at the eager Lu Mu beside him, "Resolve it quickly, don't play around."

Lu Mu smirked, "What's the rush? The Supervision Bureau's reinforcements aren't coming that fast. Look how hard they're trying—geniuses of dual Aberrant Arts, breaking free of your Illusion Realm's little ghosts so quickly—killing them like this would be a waste."

He examined Shen Zexi with interest, then glanced at Min Tianyou, whose face was pale but eyes resolute.

Besides, that brat dares to defy you now; someday he'll rise high. Better let him understand his place now, right?

Otherwise, revealing his identity might save those little ghosts, but if Ying Duo truly revealed the Flame City Cannon's proper power, how would others view him?

Heh.

Bai Mu Yun fell silent for a moment; he didn't know much about Ying Duo, but Ying Duo seemed to have relatives in the hands of those people above, so letting him understand the situation clearly wouldn't be bad.

Having received assent, Lu Mu's smile grew more blatant.

Shen Zexi's heart sank to the depths; although Bai Mu Yun's inaction eased the defensive pressure, Lu Mu alone could crush them all.

Luo Jinyou hasn't awakened yet, Min Tianyou, protect him a bit—Chen Mo Zhi, Qi Hengyu, find an opportunity! Ying Duo, long-range suppression!

Understood!

Qi Hengyu endured the pain, a golden light flickering at his fist's tip, while Chen Mo Zhi had already produced several vials of eerily colored poison from his fingertips.

Min Tianyou's mouth twitched; Shen Zexi seemed to have directly placed him in Luo Jinyou's original position, saying, "Let me be clear—I'm not good at combat, I can only do my best."

No, blocking that much is already his limit—he's not a defense type!

Lu Mu looked at the Makeshift Troupe before him and laughed, his laughter full of contempt.

He didn't even use a weapon, merely strolling forward like a leisurely walk.

Whoosh!

Ying Duo opened fire directly; the submachine gun's bullets poured down like splashing water, and the Blue Bar began to drop at a visible speed.

Lu Mu's form flickered, leaving afterimages in the rain of bullets; most shots missed, and the few that hit were easily deflected by the Shadow Energy circulating around him, not even piercing his defense.

Shen Zexi clasped his hands, and several thick Lightning Chains, like chains, struck Lu Mu from different angles.

Lu Mu neither dodged nor evaded; shadow condensed into a huge Crow Feather Shield, blocking all the Lightning Chains.

Qi Hengyu roared and charged up; Lu Mu merely raised his hand casually and pressed his palm against Qi Hengyu's fist.

Boom!

The shockwave exploded, sending Qi Hengyu flying backward again, where he slammed into the Ice Wall.

Chen Mo Zhi seized the opening and flung out three Test Tubes, which burst in the air into poisonous mist.

Lu Mu furrowed his brows, seemingly finding the smell unpleasant; with a raise of his hand, several Ravens appeared, flapping their massive wings to disperse the poisonous mist.

Pure strength crushed them.

Even though they had tried to coordinate some attacks, in the face of absolute power and speed they still appeared pale and powerless.

Lu Mu seemed to have grown tired of this one-sided suppression, producing from somewhere a Six-sided Die marked with numbers, which he flipped back and forth between his fingers.

"Warm-up's over," Lu Mu said with a playful smile, "Let's make a bet—if you win, I'll let you live a bit longer; if you lose......"

His gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Min Tianyou.

"The price isn't big—just a life. Who will take it?"

"Who would bet with a cultist like you!" Qi Hengyu shouted low, but Shen Zexi raised a hand to stop him.

"What are we betting on? How do we bet?"

Shen Zexi asked in a low voice, while glancing at Luo Jinyou with the corner of his eye—he remained unconscious, his complexion abnormally grim, as if suffering from some nightmare's erosion.

Even though everyone else had woken up.

"Simple."

Lu Mu tossed the Six-sided Die high into the air and caught it steadily.

"We'll bet on luck, comparing the numbers; the side with the lower number must accept a 'little punishment.'"

Malice nearly overflowed from his eyes.

"The punishment's content is decided by the winner—it could be chopping off a hand, gouging out an eye, or........ straight to death, fair?"

Shen Zexi knew well that this was just Lu Mu playing with them, but at present they had no chance of winning; stalling for time was their only option.

He looked at the still-unconscious Luo Jinyou, then at his companions whose wounds hadn't healed, and fell into hesitation.

Min Tianyou stared fixedly at the shattered ice crystals in his hand, their surface reflecting his sorry state; for a moment his expression fluctuated.

"I'll go."

Min Tianyou took a deep breath and wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth.

"Don't agree to him!"

Qi Hengyu struggled to rise, but the sight before him inevitably brought to mind the dangerous prophecies concerning the Fate Oracle.

Although Min Tianyou was merely an ordinary Fate System Mystic, his Aberrant Arts were after all related to his sister's; if the prophecy were to fall on him.......

"Don't worry, I'm not a Fate Oracle."

Min Tianyou's mouth twisted into a grim smile; he had never believed in fate, only in himself.

He didn't need to.

He had long since stopped begging fate for mercy; his confidence had always come from himself,

Even if this ability........ was not what people imagined.

The reflection in the shattered ice was so sorry, yet Min Tianyou's eyes were unusually bright.

Lu Mu whistled, seemingly pleased with Min Tianyou's 'courage.'

"Then I'll go first, to show fairness?"

He seemingly casually tossed the Six-sided Die into the air; it spun, bounced a few times on the dust-covered metal floor, and gradually came to a stop.

The upward side—five.

A fairly high number.

Lu Mu spreads his hands, a look of innocence on his face.

"Looks like my luck is good today."

He truly didn't employ any means to tamper with the dice; the very act of leaving life and death entirely to chance thrilled him.

The pressure instantly shifted to Min Tianyou.

He needs to roll a five or six to have any leeway, otherwise........

Min Tianyou inhaled deeply, bent down, and picked up the dice stained with dust.

What he hates most is this kind of pure luck, utterly illogical affair.

If Lu Mu had tampered with it, he could still try to discern a pattern, but he didn't.

That truly is pure luck, yet his luck has never been great.

Min Tianyou closed his eyes; the dice rolled across the smooth metal floor, emitting a crisp "clack" sound, as if striking each person's heartstrings.

Everyone's gaze followed it closely.

Rolling........ slowing........ stopping.

The upward side—a single bright red dot.

"Dead" side.