Chapter One Hundred and Eight: I Never Said That
Ox Head Mountain!
Chen Nuo darted into the woods, sprinting along the mountainside!
This was the site where Boss Guo and Miss Si had ambushed Empress Lu a few days ago.
Chen Nuo had once again led the Wizard here. There was no choice; it was the only nearby place that was rarely frequented and suitable for combat.
If they fought in the bustling city, regardless of victory or defeat, the ensuing commotion would force Chen Nuo to abandon the life he had built over the past six months and become a fugitive.
Moving through the woods, Chen Nuo's figure was like a gust of wind, advancing rapidly. While running, he continually controlled his Telekinesis. As he passed, branches snapped off the surrounding trees and swept towards the pursuing Wizard.
The branches transformed into sharp projectiles, swirling through the air. Although they couldn't harm the Wizard, they successfully slowed his pursuit.
But by the time they reached this spot, the distance between them had narrowed again! The Wizard was now less than ten meters behind Chen Nuo.
Chen Nuo was almost at the edge of the woods. Beyond the forest lay the southern slope of Ox Head Mountain!
The southern slope had been an iron mine in the 1950s. After decades of mining, it was completely depleted. Now, the entire southern slope had become a vast, bare mine pit, nearly a kilometer in diameter!
Chen Nuo's figure shot out of the woods, poised to leap into the mine pit. The pit was riddled with over a dozen mine tunnels; the mountain's veins had been excavated into a spiderweb-like network. Chen Nuo was resolved: if he could just jump into the pit and enter the tunnels, he could use the terrain to further engage the Wizard.
Seeing Chen Nuo about to exit the woods, the Wizard suddenly removed an iron ring from his left middle finger and gently pinched it.
A swirl of golden Runes instantly surfaced on the ring!
The Wizard flicked his hand, and the ring shot out swiftly!
Chen Nuo had already burst from the woods. His body leaped mid-air, resembling a sprinter crossing the finish line, striding through the air, ready to jump into the mine pit.
Suddenly, his body shook violently! He felt a heavy blow to his back!
The ring slammed directly into Chen Nuo's back. His previously extended posture in mid-air instantly contorted, and golden Runes exploded on his back! Chen Nuo spat out a mouthful of blood mist high into the air. He could no longer maintain his glide and, like a bird with broken wings, plummeted towards the floor of the mine pit!
The Wizard leaped to the edge of the mine pit.
The drop from the edge of the pit to the ground was several stories high.
Standing at the top, the Wizard reached out and caught the ring as it returned to his palm. He quickly slipped it back onto his left middle finger, his eyes sweeping over the bottom of the pit.
Although it was dark and the mine pit below was pitch black, a faint golden glow seemed to emanate from the Wizard's eyes.
"Found you, kid."
With a cold laugh, the Wizard leaped down.
About fifty paces from where he landed, Chen Nuo was half-kneeling, supporting himself with his hands, breathing heavily.
Blood stained the corner of Chen Yanluo's mouth. On his back, his clothes were torn, revealing a patch of skin. Upon that exposed skin was a bloody mark, with faint traces of golden Runes still lingering and crackling!
THUD!
Chen Nuo seemed unable to hold on. His hands went limp, and he collapsed onto the ground. The young man's face pressed unceremoniously against the coarse sand and stones. His body seemed to struggle, but his hands ultimately failed to push him back up.
After landing, the Wizard stood with a stern face, watching Chen Nuo coldly. One hand was behind his back, the other raised a finger, flicking it slightly.
WHOOSH!
A nearby stone, taller than a man, suddenly flew over and struck Chen Nuo hard. Chen Nuo's body bounced and was sent flying again. When he landed, he spat out another mouthful of fresh blood.
"Mr. Yanluo," the Wizard said, undisguised anger in his eyes, "I initially thought this would be a gentleman's duel, but your treachery has enraged me. I will make your death even more painful."
Chen Nuo lay on the ground, coughing repeatedly, seemingly unable to utter a word.
The Wizard flicked his finger, and another rock flew over. Chen Nuo struggled to lift his left hand, slapping his palm hard against the stone as his body tumbled away again.
This time, when he hit the ground, he seemed to lack even the strength to cough. Blood spurted from his mouth, and he lay on his back, gasping helplessly for air.
The Wizard had walked over to Chen Nuo, standing less than a meter in front of him, looking down at his opponent.
"Not bad strength, but too young... You actually have a lot of potential. But... you really shouldn't have provoked me! And I won't give you the chance to grow!"
Chen Nuo lay on the ground, fresh blood still trickling from the corner of his mouth. He opened his eyes to look at the Wizard and seemed to smile weakly. "So what if I provoked you?"
"Very foolish."
"Hahaha..." Chen Nuo laughed weakly. "So, if I hadn't provoked you, would you have spared me?"
"...No, but you could have died a little more swiftly." A cold smile touched the corner of the Wizard's mouth.
Chen Nuo sneered inwardly. Others may not understand you, but do I not? This man, known as the Wizard, this supposed leader of the Cultivator Association... is definitely not the noble figure he appears to be. This guy is just a cunning old fox. And an extremely brutal, cunning old fox at that! He talks the biggest game but delivers the cruelest blows. That's the true nature of this Wizard!
"..." Chen Nuo exhaled, looking up at the Wizard. "So... how much did the Captain from The Abyss pay you to kill me?"
The Wizard was startled, then raised an eyebrow. "You actually know?"
Chen Nuo chuckled. Who else could it be but the Captain of the Abyss Organization... Yama! This guy calls me Yama. In this life, Chen Nuo had only revealed his name, Yama, to someone once. It was after annihilating Anderson's group of five in one strike and then threatening the Captain over the phone. In this life, only the Captain knew his codename Yama. So, was there any need to guess who had hired the Wizard?
The Wizard narrowed his eyes, looking at the young man before him.
Indeed, The Abyss had paid a hefty price to enlist the Wizard.
The Captain of The Abyss had genuinely been cowed by Chen Nuo's threats.
However, firstly, abandoning their entire East Asian operations was too devastating a cost for The Abyss. This loss was so significant that the Abyss Organization would likely forfeit its largest source of revenue for the next ten years, directly crippling its future development potential.
Although the price was steep, the Captain had initially resolved not to provoke this individual nicknamed Yama again. The gruesome deaths of Anderson's five men had made the Captain suspect that this Yama was a hidden Controller!
Controllers were those who stood at the apex of the world's power pyramid. The Captain knew he couldn't afford to antagonize such an adversary.
It was a consensus in the Underground World: only a Controller could contend with another Controller. And if the opponent were indeed a Controller, other Controllers would refuse such a commission.
But... an unexpected development occurred.
After the Cleaner from The Abyss returned to Abyss Headquarters with the bodies of Anderson's group, the Captain disseminated the news that "a suspected Controller-level Psychokinesis power user may have been found in Huaxia Country."
This information quickly reached the Cultivator Association and caught the Wizard's attention.
The Wizard proactively contacted the Abyss Organization. After examining the bodies of Anderson's group, the Wizard concluded that this Yama was not a Controller.
Very strong, and very much like a Controller.
But not quite one!
If someone else had reached this conclusion, the Captain might have doubted it. But if the renowned Wizard said so... and since the Wizard himself was a universally recognized top expert in Psychokinesis, practically the ceiling of the Mentality Series in the Underground World, the Captain was willing to believe him.
Since he wasn't a Controller... the Captain's desire for revenge could no longer be suppressed!
Besides, the East Asian business was critical to the Abyss Organization's development potential for the next decade!
"How much did that Captain pay to hire you?" Chen Nuo sighed weakly.
"A lot," the Wizard snorted. "But you're indeed worth that much."
The Wizard didn't disclose the specific price. To engage this formidable figure, the Captain had paid: twenty percent of the Abyss Organization's profits from all business in East Asia for the next ten years!
Chen Nuo shook his head, "I'm just curious, why would someone of your stature take on such a task... to confront an opponent who is very likely at the Controller level? Don't Controllers usually try to restrain themselves to prevent war among them?"
"First, you're not yet a Controller. Your sleight of hand with Mentality Series powers... the tricks you used to intimidate the Captain. You can't fool me," the Wizard shook his head. "Second, powerful experts of the Mentality Series hold a special attraction for me."
Chen Nuo's heart stirred. In his past life, it seemed... when the Wizard accepted commissions... thinking back carefully, many of his targets were indeed Mentality Series opponents. It seemed this fellow had a particular "fondness" for opponents from the Mentality Series?
"Alright, our conversation can end now." The Wizard raised his finger. With a slight flick, a nearby stone automatically split into more than a dozen sharp, blade-like fragments, which then floated up and surrounded Chen Nuo.
"Villains die from talking too much; I've heard those sayings," the Wizard shook his head. "The reason I was willing to talk to you was that I thought your escaped companion might appear... But it doesn't matter. I'm only interested in experts of the Mentality Series. As for others, I have no interest."
With that, a savage smile crossed the Wizard's face, "In your next life, don't be a Mentality Series user."
With a light flick of his fingertip, all the stone blade fragments suddenly shifted direction, pointing towards Chen Nuo.
Lying on the ground, Chen Nuo suddenly let out a light sigh, a strange smile appearing on his face.
"Ha, hahaha, HAHAHAHA..."
The Wizard frowned, "What are you laughing at?"
"I'm laughing... that such a trick really works especially well on you."
In my last life, the first time I tricked you, I used this same method...
A sense of alarm flashed in the Wizard's mind; caution surged.
Lying on the ground, Chen Nuo slowly stopped laughing. Then, looking into the Wizard's eyes, he spoke, word by word:
"Who told you I was... of the Mentality Series?"
The Wizard's face suddenly twisted in alarm! An intense premonition of danger overwhelmed him!
The experienced Wizard instinctively tried to retreat rapidly!
"Too late! You sneaky old devil!"
Chen Nuo, who had seemed immobilized on the ground, suddenly sprang up, instantly closing the distance to the Wizard!
With only three steps between them, the Wizard had no room to dodge!
Chen Nuo's right hand formed a fist, and he suddenly unleashed an uppercut!
Upon the fist, it was as if innumerable, diverse power elements from all directions within the mine pit converged, forming a massive ball of light...
BOOM!
The punch landed squarely on the Wizard!
The Wizard's body flew like a ping-pong ball struck by a powerful smash!
In mid-air, the ball of light enveloping his body exploded in a rapid series of cracks, like firecrackers!
The Wizard's body flew hundreds of meters before plunging headfirst into the wall of the mine pit, disappearing into a mine tunnel. Subsequently, a series of muffled, thunder-like rumbles erupted from its depths!
With a deafening blast, a disk-like, invisible shockwave erupted from the mountainside. The slope shattered, and the disheveled Wizard flew out from the rock face. He stumbled upon landing, dropping to one knee, his face and body smeared with blood!
His shoulder, in particular, was a mangled ruin of blasted flesh.
"You, you're not of the Mentality Series!"
"I never said I was."
The Wizard gasped for breath. He quickly raised the hand wearing the ring; countless Runes flashed on it, pouring into his body, swiftly mending his damaged flesh.
"You, what power was that just now?"
"Hmm..." Chen Nuo thought for a moment and answered earnestly, "Kidney-Liver."
"?? "