Chapter 374

This was completely different from what she had imagined.

Even so, she still launched a surprise attack with full confidence.

Then, she failed.

The situation began to slip out of control.

She thought to intimidate them with her identity as the Thirteenth of the Shadow Guild.

But Fang Yue spotted the flaw.

Indeed, she shouldn't have rushed to let them leave…

But that doesn't mean Luo Shuang has no tricks left.

Step!

Luo Shuang halted her retreat and stared coldly at Fang Yue as he advanced.

"Your speed is too fast—not humanly possible. What cursed artifact do you possess?"

"I'll tell you after you're dead."

Synchronize, activate!

Fang Yue's figure shot forward in a blur, appearing right before Luo Shuang.

In her stunned expression, his fist slammed directly onto her forehead.

Boom!!

Luo Shuang's head shattered like an ice sculpture, her body collapsing to the ground.

Fang Yue paused, puzzled by how cleanly the woman had died—when he noticed his right hand slowly frosting over; soon, a thick layer of ice encased his fist, freezing his hand solid.

"Since you wield a cursed artifact, you must know about the curse. Though using this cursed artifact comes at a heavy cost, the target becomes bound by the curse! Say goodbye to your right fist—starting today, your fist will forever be encased in ice, never usable again."

Luo Shuang's voice came from the nearby pillar.

Fang Yue turned toward the sound and saw Luo Shuang's face emerging from the cement pillar, her cheeks textured with granular ice flakes.

Fang Yue frowned.

He hadn't seen her move at all—had he been facing a decoy from the start?

"Nope, it's the real body—I just shifted…"

Boom!!

Fang Yue swung his ice-encased right fist and smashed the ugly face on the pillar.

The pillar cracked apart; the ice that had only wrapped his fist now spread like a net up his arm.

"Young man, you're too impulsive. The ice on your right hand will kill your cells within three days, turning them to rotting flesh—you'll become Can Yu. You can keep hunting me down and attacking me, but…"

Sizzle!

Flames erupted.

Luo Shuang's voice cut off abruptly.

"... Such a nuisance—I've run into someone whose cursed artifact counters mine!"

On the ground, a human face rapidly retreated.

But Fang Yue, now engulfed in flames, instantly chased after it and slammed his melted fist straight into the ground.

"Subdue the Weak!"

Boom!!

The ground cracked like a spiderweb, erupting into a massive crater.

Inside the crater lay a woman—Fang Yue's fist had struck her abdomen with perfect precision, and the ground's fractures radiated outward from that point.

Overwhelming pain forced her to vomit blood with a loud "Wah!"

Her arms and legs stiffened involuntarily, her eyes rolled back, and her consciousness seemed to unravel.

When the shock subsided, Fang Yue withdrew his fist and stood upright, looking down at the woman in the pit.

The woman's arched body slowly relaxed, as if on the brink of death.

"You—you're who…? This power… rivals Qianlaotou's…"

"You can call me… Jinfu."

Fang Yue exhaled gently onto his fist and spoke calmly.

Jinfu…

Luo Shuang's eyelid twitched as she forced out a grotesque smile: "Spare me… spare my life."

"Don't worry—I don't intend to kill you. A living prisoner is more valuable than a corpse. But first, hand over your cursed artifact."

Luo Shuang's expression froze; her body trembled.

"Kill me… kill me. Better to die quickly than suffer torture."

"That's not up to you."

Fang Yue searched Luo Shuang's body and quickly found the bamboo-tube-shaped iron cylinder she had used earlier.

He fumbled with it for a while but couldn't figure out how to use it.

"How does this work?"

"... It won't work—the iron beads inside are gone."

Fang Yue raised an eyebrow: "So it's useless?"

"The original beads were used up long ago. What I'm using now is a low-grade imitation made with modern technology. Your backers in the Alliance have their own ways to produce compatible iron beads."

Luo Shuang's unexpected cooperation seemed to reflect total resignation.

But Fang Yue didn't lower his guard—he kept Synchronize active.

He still remembered how nearly dying because he hadn't activated Synchronize before had nearly killed Bai Xiaoya.

So wasting it was the only option; compared to matters of life and death, burning a bit of yang-shou was nothing.

"That ability of yours to transform into frost—what kind of strange artifact is it?"

"... On my neck."

Fang Yue didn't bother with pleasantries; he pulled aside her collar and yanked off the snowflake-shaped necklace hanging around her neck.

The necklace was made of jade, finely crafted, and felt very pleasant to the touch.

"How do you use this thing?"

"Hang it on your own chest, and you'll be able to use its power."

"That's all?"

"That's all."

Fang Yue suspiciously hung the necklace around his neck...

Splash splash splash!!

The instant Fang Yue put on the snowflake necklace, a waterfall-like massive surge of water burst forth from the snowflake necklace, drenching his body and clothes, and in an instant, the temperature plummeted wildly, turning him into an ice sculpture.

In just that short while, aside from above the neck, every other part of Fang Yue had completely become an ice sculpture.

"Hahahaha! If you want to kill me, you're a hundred years too early!"

A sharp laugh rang out. The originally half-dead Frost Fall, like ice melting into water, rapidly dissolved into the surface of the ground, leaving only her face exposed on the cement surface, and rushed straight toward the exit.

Fang Yue's expression darkened.

Blazing Fire Heart Method!!

Boom!!

Flames blazed up fiercely, but this time the ice sculpture, compared to being offensive, seemed to lean more toward a sealing attribute.

It took Fang Yue a good three to five seconds to finally melt the ice sculpture away.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle—

Flame and frost clashed; the frost melted into water on the ground.

Frost Fall glanced back at Fang Yue's situation, and her expression immediately changed drastically as she wildly accelerated her escape toward the exit.

And at this moment, Fang Yue had also broken free and gave chase.

One ahead, one behind, the two quickly covered most of the distance.

Although Fang Yue's pursuit speed was faster, Frost Fall had the advantage of the first move and was still temporarily ahead of Fang Yue.

The exit ahead was already right before their eyes, but what neither of them expected was that two people were standing at the exit.

"A Ming? Bai Xiaoya!? Don't stand at the doorway, run!"

"Hee hee hee hee! Aren't these your two companions? Heaven truly helps me!!"

In a moment of stunned silence, the two spoke almost simultaneously, their emotions entirely different.

Amid A Ming and Bai Xiaoya's stunned expressions, Frost Fall's body quickly rose from the cement surface and lunged at the two of them.

"Miss, be careful!!"

A Ming shoved Bai Xiaoya aside with all his might; the very next instant, he was pierced through the chest by Frost Fall—whose body had fully transformed into ice spikes—and sent flying out onto the road.

"A Ming?!"

(End of this chapter)