Chapter 127: Lure

Even though the basis of this modification had been a low-tier Arcana Technique, its innate composition was still of lightning-type Origin Energy. The powerful tendrils of lightning not only restricted the opponent’s movements but also sent currents through them periodically, causing them to jitter and tremble. This made it impossible for them to ever fully gather their strength.

Su Chen dragged these Arcana Masters behind him and headed straight for the institute’s library.

Before arriving, Inigo had already informed him about where all the valuable locations in the Spiritual Light Institute were.

Inigo, like Su Chen, valued knowledge above all else. As such, the library was the place where the Spiritual Light Institute’s treasures were being stored. Any good items would be found there.

When they saw Su Chen flying in that direction, they immediately understood his intentions and sighed with relief. “Thank goodness, his goal is the library!”

Thank goodness?

Su Chen was taken aback when he heard this.

However, he soon realized that the members of Fate’s Hands were all criminals. To them, an opponent charging in through their front gates could be fatal.

If this guy was only here to take treasures…… how could they not feel some thankfulness?

Su Chen chuckled. “You guys are pretty lucky. My goal is just the treasures in the library. As long as you don’t get in my way, I will spare you.”

Unfortunately, these words were completely pointless.

The Arcana Masters that had been captured by him naturally wouldn’t be able to move anywhere, while the ones that hadn’t would still try their best to stop him. Otherwise, if the head of the institute were to come back and question them, they would be in trouble.

Of course, they had no idea that the institute’s head had already returned and was currently in hiding. As such, they could only fight back with all their strength.

Su Chen didn’t mind. He continued to activate these lightning chains to their fullest extent. In the blink of an eye, he had managed to tie up a large group of the Arcana Masters.

These Arcana Masters weren’t idiots. When they saw that their opponent wasn’t killing them, they knew that they would most likely be able to survive. As such, they stopped struggling and allowed Su Chen to carry them around. However, they did lose some face - as they were in an institute, the students had come pouring out and were staring up at the sky, watching the instructors who were normally far above them being dragged around like this was nothing. They seemed to be growing excited.

“These kids have such little experience,” Su Chen chuckled.

As he spoke, he arrived at the library. He wasted no time and sent out countless Air Tentacles to grab the books.

The low-tier Air Tentacles seemed to contain a shocking amount of power under Su Chen’s control. They appeared in the sky and very quickly expanded in numbers to the thousands, charging into the library and destroying its defenses. They swept through every corner of the library, taking anything they could find.

Secret books, treasures, spiritual ingredients, etc. - anything that had any value whatsoever, he took.

The tentacles were like channels. At their end was a mouth, which would devour anything that it came across. The books and items then traveled along their bodies all the way into Su Chen's hands before disappearing into his Origin Rings.

Everyone was stunned by Su Chen's unique method of plundering the library.

"Air Tentacles! Those are Air Tentacles," one person pointed out.

This small Arcana Technique seemed to have incredible malleability under Su Chen's command. It was as if there was a freak creature with a thousand hands present, wantonly grabbing things from the sky.

"You dare to try and plunder the Spiritual Light Institute? How bold!" An angry growl rumbled through the air as a streak of black light shot in Su Chen's direction.

The black light flew in a strange, twisted manner even though it was formed from light, as if it were a snake.

But it was in fact light, not a snake, and it had a peculiar glow to it. Anyone who saw it would have an eerie sensation rise in their hearts.

If Su Chen didn't know what this skill was, he would have taken caution to avoid it.

Unfortunately, he knew what he was facing.

He had learned about the exact circumstances of the Spiritual Light Institute from Inigo a long time ago, so he knew that his opponent was the vice head of the institute. He was also known as “Twisting Shadow”, and the attack he had used was a skill he was quite well-known for: Withered Flesh.

Withered Flesh was an incredibly powerful attack that could ignore barriers and strike at its opponent, penetrating their body and eating away at it.

The Arcana Technique was impossible to dodge. It would lock onto the target’s position, making it incredibly difficult to dodge.

The best way to deal with it wasn’t to dodge but to immediately destroy it.

Yes, this streak of light could be destroyed.

After all, its intrinsic substance wasn’t light, but a kind of special energy.

The strange, contorted path it took was very much related to space, which was why the attack could ignore barriers.

However, this also made its speed of flight very slow. All Su Chen needed to do was destroy it before it hit him.

The way to destroy it was very simple.

Su Chen flicked his wrist, sending a droplet of blood flying through the air.

A moment later, the black light began to disappear.

Yes, a single drop of blood was enough to nullify the attack.

Withered Flesh targeted blood and flesh. As a result, as long as the target fed it blood or flesh - even down to a single drop of blood - the technique would be nullified.

That was one of the greatest faults of this Arcana Technique, but people who weren’t familiar with the technique wouldn’t know how to deal with it.

The vice institute head didn’t expect Su Chen to know that. He said in surprise, “Who are you? How do you know……”

“Who I am isn’t important. Don’t interfere in my business,” Su Chen replied bluntly as he shot a streak of lightning at the vice institute head.

Even though he was one ring lower than Su Chen, the cultivation path he chose was incredibly treacherous, so he likely possessed some skills that were hard to deal with. It was very easy for Su Chen to get himself into trouble if he wasn’t careful. However, because Su Chen was also robbing the library at the same time, it was hard for him to be careful, so he instead decided to push ahead with force. The streaks of lightning rained down on the vice institute head, forcing him to scramble to defend himself.

Because of how strange Twisted Shadow’s attacks were, he did not have particularly great offensive capabilities. Su Chen was also at the Ninth Ring, so Electromagnetic Storm and Thunder Execution backed Twisted Shadow into a corner. Twisted Shadow had no way of launching any counterattacks, so he could only watch Su Chen plunder the library as he pleased.

“My Eagle Pattern Eye! My Boundless Thunder Pearl! The institute head’s Thousand Poisons Spider Silk and Bone-Dissolving Water…… Bastard, bastard, you bastard!” When the vice institute head saw Su Chen plundering treasure after treasure, he hopped up and down with anger as he avoided Su Chen’s lightning attacks.

When Su Chen saw that he had taken almost everything of value, he retrieved the Air Tentacles and laughed, “Many thanks for your generosity. I will be taking my leave now.”

As he spoke, he flew off into the distance.

The vice institute head didn’t want to let him get away just like that, but a tornado suddenly came bearing down on him and blowing him far away, causing him to miss his opportunity to give chase.

Of course, if he had actually decided to give chase, he would have likely been killed.

“A Ninth-Ring Arcana Master skilled in both thunder and wind?” The vice institute head was stunned. “Could it be Shadowsong Frostedge?”

The most famous Ninth-Ring Arcana Master who had mastered both thunder and wind was Shadowsong Frostedge of the Shadowsong Clan. However, the Shadowsong Clan was incredibly powerful, and Frostedge was incredibly proud and aloof. How could he possibly decide to plunder the Spiritual Light Institute? His loyalty to his country would demand that he slaughter everyone present at the Spiritual Light Institute rather than running after taking the treasures.

As such, the vice institute head very quickly rejected that idea.

So was it Skypiercer, then? No, Skypiercer was already four hundred years old. He wouldn’t look that young.

The vice institute head ran through a large list of people he could think of but couldn’t figure out who it could be. Who would come to the Spiritual Light Institute and only try to take their treasures? How would he explain the situation to the institute head?

He was completely bemused by the situation.

At that moment, he suddenly heard a voice, “What happened?”

Everyone was surprised by this familiar voice.

“The Institute Head is back!”

Inigo appeared, along with Youthful Abundance.

He looked like he had only just returned and was completely unaware of what had happened. A blank expression was written on his face.

The instructors were forced to explain to him what had just taken place.

“Institute Head, the person who robbed us only just left. We might be able to catch up to him,” one of the instructors said.

“Catch up to him? Why would we want to do that?” No one expected Inigo to respond in that manner.

“Hm?” Everyone was taken aback.

Inigo said, “You guys already said that our opponent was a Ninth-Ring Arcana Master skilled in both thunder and wind. All of you combined weren’t strong enough to take him on. In other words, I probably am not strong enough to be his opponent, right?”

“This……” Everyone didn’t know how to respond.

Everyone else was afraid of saying that he wasn’t able to do it, but the institute head was afraid that people would say he could.

Of course, since Inigo had said as much, everyone else maintained their silence.

Inigo said, “Did anyone notify the headquarters about the ambush?”

“Yes, it’s already been done.”

An instructor had already sent word as soon as Su Chen attacked.

Fate’s Hands’ headquarters and the Spiritual Light Institute were both in Thousand Poisons Mountain, but for security’s sake they were placed in different locations.

When he heard this, Inigo nodded. “Since our opponent is powerful, then we should ask them to send some more powerful experts our way. Perhaps even the Boss should come as well.”

“The Boss?” Everyone was stunned.

“Yes,” Inigo replied. “No matter what, the Spiritual Light Institute is right next to our headquarters. If we run into trouble, so will they. We cannot be too careful.”

“But our opponent has already left.”

“How do you know he will not return in the future?”

“Yes, sir!” everyone could only reply.

An even more urgent warning was sent out.

Indeed, after not too long, a large wave of Fate’s Hands members arrived on the scene, along with some powerful experts. Even the Boss of Fate’s Hands showed up.

His figure was completely shrouded in darkness, making it impossible to see his face clearly. Even shining on him with light wouldn’t reveal any of his physical features, because the light would automatically try to avoid him.

He was like a black hole; no light could be seen reflecting from his body, and he exuded a tremendously powerful aura. Anyone around him couldn’t help but tremble in fear.

That was an aura that belonged to a legendary individual.

The head of Fate’s Hands was actually a legendary Arcana Master.

“What happened that necessitated you calling me all the way out here, Inigo? How did your mission in Cloudy City turn out?”

“Not very good.” Inigo recounted an altered version of what had taken place in the secret realm, intentionally pointing out that a bunch of humans had stolen the treasures. Even though he tried to kill them all, some of them were able to escape. He didn’t expect to be suddenly robbed yet again so soon after returning to the Spiritual Light Institute.

“So something like that actually happened.” The Boss glanced at the library. He could sense that a Ninth-Ring Arcana Technique had been unleashed there only recently.

Who would do that? Who would come and rob the Spiritual Light Institute?

Just as he was pondering the situation, yet another alarm bean to sound.

The Boss turned his head around in shock and cried out, “Not good! The headquarters is under attack! Robbing the Spiritual Light Institute was just to lure us out!”