allonlinenovel Chapter 165 Another Dilemma
Chapter 165 Another Dilemma
The fragment of the divine artifact in Ye Shuli's hand was like a hot potato, radiating an ominous aura.
She stared intently at the tiny symbol in the corner of the fragment, alarm bells ringing in her mind. This was no magical artifact; it was clearly a scam!
"Wow, this thing... isn't it some kind of 'sinister thing'?" Jiang Ye also came over to take a look, his peach blossom eyes wide open as if he had discovered a new continent. "I say, this symbol looks like a 'death sign' no matter how you look at it. Should we throw it away?"
Ye Shuli ignored Jiang Ye's "nonsense." She could sense that this symbol was not simple.
She tried to touch it with her spiritual power, but a powerful force instantly backfired, making her arm go numb.
The sensation was like an electric shock, instantly bringing her to her senses.
"No, this thing isn't so easy to deal with!" Ye Shuli shook her slightly numb hand, her eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit. "The more it's like this, the more I need to figure out what it is!"
She took a deep breath and focused her gaze on the artifact fragments once again.
The interwoven patterns on the surface of the fragments resemble a complex maze, while the symbol hidden in the corner acts as the entrance to the maze, exuding a mysterious allure.
Ye Shuli was unwilling to give up. Like an enraged "programmer," she was determined to find the loophole.
She held her breath and tried to use her spiritual power to decipher the secrets on the fragments.
However, no matter how she tried, she felt as if she was blocked by an invisible barrier and could not break through it.
The air around her seemed to freeze, making it hard for her to breathe.
She felt her head buzzing, as if a thousand bees were flying around inside.
Anxiety surged up like a tide, making it difficult for her to bear.
"This feels like the day before the college entrance exam, and all the review materials were printed wrong!" Ye Shuli cursed inwardly. She knew this was definitely not a good omen. "Could it be that God is jealous of my beauty and intelligence and is deliberately giving me a difficult task? Humph, I, Ye Shuli, am not the kind of person who gives up easily!"
The determination in her eyes grew stronger, like an inextinguishable flame that still shone brightly even in the raging wind.
She slowly raised her head and looked into the distance.
"I refuse to believe that a mere fragment can defeat me!" She gritted her teeth, as if declaring war on fate.
"Hmm? What are you up to now?" Jiang Ye looked at her with a puzzled expression, feeling that she was starting to exude some kind of dangerous aura again.
Ye Shuli did not answer, but silently took out a slender silver needle from her bosom. Her eyes gleamed, like a hunter spotting its prey.
She gently pierced the symbol on the artifact fragment with the silver needle, as if performing a precise surgery. The air froze instantly, and time seemed to stand still.
A soft hissing sound rang out, as if some mechanism had been activated...
The moment the silver needle touched the symbol, Ye Shuli felt an electric current surge through her body, the tingling sensation almost making her drop the needle.
She gritted her teeth, enduring the discomfort, and stared intently at the symbol. The patterns around it began to brighten at a visible speed, as if they were coming to life and moving across the surface of the fragment.
"Holy crap, what's going on?!" Jiang Ye exclaimed, almost jumping up. "Is this thing going to explode?"
Ye Shuli had no time to pay attention to him, as she was focused on observing the changes in the fragments.
She discovered that the lit-up patterns actually formed tiny characters, like ancient codes, exuding a mysterious aura.
"This...this is ancient divine script?!" A slightly surprised voice rang out. The white-robed sage had appeared behind them at some point. His eyes widened as he stared at the fragment in Ye Shuli's hand, his reading glasses almost slipping off. "This...how is this possible? You can actually activate it?!"
"It's a small matter, a small matter, just basic operations." Ye Shuli appeared calm on the surface, but was secretly overjoyed.
Just as she was about to delve deeper into the study, a chilling murderous aura suddenly approached.
A blood-red figure appeared before her like a ghost, a gleaming blade aimed straight for her throat.
"Damn it, a sneak attack?! You can't take a joke, can you?" Jiang Ye yelled and jumped in front of Ye Shuli in an instant, trying to block the attack.
Ye Shuli reacted extremely quickly, dodging the attack with a sidestep and then kicking the assassin in the process.
The assassin moved with unpredictable movements, dodging like an eel, and then slashed at the enemy with his backhand.
"Clang!" The sharp blade sliced through the ground, sparks flew everywhere, and the surrounding stone tables and chairs were instantly shattered. The battle instantly intensified.
Ye Shuli and the Blood Shadow Assassin exchanged blows, their swords flashing and killing intent filling the air, making it seem as if the very air itself was about to be torn apart.
She dodged nimbly, attacking while simultaneously contemplating a countermeasure, all the while a million curses raced through her mind: "This Black Demon Cult Leader is truly a persistent ghost; he can't stand not causing trouble every day, can he?"
"This assassin is incredibly fast, like he's cheating!" Jiang Ye shouted anxiously from the side. "Watch out, Ye Zi!"
Ye Shuli did not respond. She channeled her spiritual power into the silver needle and pierced the artifact fragment again. This time, the silver needle seemed to transform into a key, and the fragment emitted an even more dazzling light.
"Hmm?" The Blood Shadow Assassin sensed something was wrong and his attacks became even more ferocious. He frantically swung his blade, attempting to finish the fight quickly.
Ye Shuli's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile. She murmured to herself, "Since you're so eager to play, then I'll play along with you properly..."
Ye Shuli exerted force with the silver needle in her hand again, and the light of the artifact fragment instantly surged, becoming as dazzling as a small sun.
She felt a warm current flow through her body, and her spiritual power seemed to be injected with a stimulant, gushing out continuously.
"That's it?" She smiled contemptuously, her figure flashing like a ghost, dodging the Blood Shadow Assassin's fierce attack, and striking his chest with a backhand.
"Pfft!" The Blood Shadow Assassin flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing into the wall with a dull thud.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with horror, clearly not expecting Ye Shuli's power to suddenly surge.
"Is this all you've got? You dare to embarrass yourself like this?" Ye Shuli sneered, feeling as if she had activated an "invincible buff," her confidence soaring. "Looks like this artifact fragment is still somewhat useful, at least it can be used as an 'amplifier'!"
The Blood Shadow Assassin struggled to his feet, his face contorted with rage. He brandished his blade once more and charged at Ye Shuli like a maddened beast.
However, in Ye Shuli's eyes, his attacks appeared slow and clumsy.
Ye Shuli effortlessly dodged his attack again and kicked him to the ground.
“Trash!” she spat out the two words contemptuously, as if mocking his overestimation of his abilities.
The Dark Demon Lord, witnessing this from the shadows, turned ashen with rage. He clenched his fists so tightly that the veins on the back of his hands bulged and cracked. "Useless! You can't even handle this small matter. What use are you!"
Ye Shuli sensed a powerful killing intent. A slight smile played on her lips as she turned to look at Jiang Ye. She saw him looking at her with a worried expression, his peach blossom eyes...
"Don't worry, it's nothing, I've got your back!" She winked at Jiang Ye, her tone teasing, as if she were talking about something trivial.
Jiang Ye had no time for banter; his brows were furrowed, and his eyes were filled with worry. "Be careful, Ye Zi!"
Ye Shuli felt a warmth in her heart; she could feel Jiang Ye's care for her. She smiled slightly.
The moment their eyes met, time seemed to stand still, everything around them became blurry, and only their figures were clearly visible in each other's eyes.
An ambiguous atmosphere spread between them.
Just as the two were gazing lovingly at each other, a sudden voice shattered the beautiful atmosphere.
"Ye Shuli, don't be so smug, the real show has only just begun!"
Ye Shuli looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the Black Demon Lord had appeared not far away at some point. He had a sinister smile on his face and held a black blade in his hand, the blade reflecting a chilling light in the sunlight.
"Heh, finally couldn't resist getting involved yourself, huh?" Ye Shuli chuckled, her eyes filled with provocation. "Fine, today I'll show you what 'experience is the best teacher' really means!"
The Black Demon Cult Leader ignored her provocation. He stared at Jiang Ye behind Ye Shuli with a sinister look in his eyes, a strange smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "I think you should worry about your 'little wolf dog' first."
Ye Shuli was startled, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart. She turned to look at Jiang Ye, about to say something, but found that he had already disappeared...
"Jiang Ye!" Ye Shuli exclaimed in surprise, her heart sinking.
The surroundings were empty; there was no sign of Jiang Ye anywhere.
Only a faint scent of peach blossoms lingers in the air, a testament to his existence here.
The Black Demon Lord chuckled sinisterly, like a venomous snake eyeing its prey. "Don't be hasty. Your little lover is in my hands now. Be obedient, and perhaps I can spare his life." A transparent sphere appeared out of thin air in his hand, inside which was a miniature version of Jiang Ye, curled up unconscious.
"Despicable!" Ye Shuli was furious, her fists clenched so tightly that her nails almost dug into her flesh.
She could sense that Jiang Ye's aura was getting weaker and weaker, obviously because he had been placed under some kind of restriction.
That damned Black Demon Cult Leader, he actually resorted to such despicable means!
The Black Demon Cult Leader reveled in Ye Shuli's furious expression, his heart filled with a perverse pleasure.
"Now, I'm giving you two choices: either hand over the artifact fragments, or he dies." His tone was icy, leaving no room for negotiation.
Ye Shuli took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
The fragments of the divine artifact are related to the safety of the entire continent and must not fall into the hands of the Black Demon Lord!
But Jiang Ye...
She glanced at Jiang Ye, who was unconscious inside the sphere, and felt as if her heart was being torn apart.
How to do?
Time ticked by, and the tense atmosphere, like an invisible net, tightly enveloped Ye Shuli.
She felt difficulty breathing and her mind went blank.
"What, haven't you made up your mind yet? My patience is limited." The Black Demon Cult Leader's voice rang out again, carrying a hint of urging and threat.
Ye Shuli closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down.
Various thoughts flashed through her mind as she analyzed the current situation.
The Black Demon Cult Leader's goal was the fragments of the divine artifact, and Jiang Ye was merely a hostage in his hands.
If she hands over the fragments, will the Black Demon Cult leader let Jiang Ye go?
No, not possible!
How could someone like the Black Demon Cult Leader easily let go of his prey?
Even if she hands over the fragments, he won't let Jiang Ye go; he might even kill her to silence her!
Therefore, the only solution is...
Ye Shuli suddenly opened her eyes, looked up at the Black Demon Cult Leader, and sneered, "You think you can trap me with such childish tricks?"
The Black Demon Lord was taken aback, a bad feeling rising in his heart.
Before he could react, a gleaming dagger suddenly appeared in Ye Shuli's hand, its tip pointed directly at his heart. "If you dare to touch a single hair on his head, I'll..."