"Master?" Qin Hai called out, his voice shuddering. He truly wished that his master had merely suffered from his cultivation going astray. After all, things like this were rather usual. If that was what had happened instead…
"Hehe, you have arrived." Duma raised his head and gave Qin Hai a glance, the same kind expression still on his face. Yet in his eyes, killing intent could be seen. Qin Hai sank into silence. Duma's present state was completely the same as Qin Hai's fellow apprentice brothers. Even his master had fallen to the pink energy!
"Qin Hai." Chen Feng took a deep breath and asked, "Your master is only dressed up like this because his hobby is cross-dressing, right?"
Qin Hai: "…" He knew what answer Chen Feng was wishing to hear. Alas… Qin Hai sighed. "He has fallen."
Chen Feng's hands trembled. "F*ck." That was indeed the case! His lips felt dry. This plot did not seem right. Normally, the plot should have developed in a manner where after they charged in with great difficulty, they would be able to encounter the final boss. After killing the final boss, they could return victorious. Yet now even the final boss had turned pink. This was too excessive! Wasn't Senior Mu supposed to be the only one who possessed the power to brainwash everyone here in this Land of Legacy? Yet Senior Mu was clearly already dead.
Fine, Duma had already fallen under the enemy's control, but this posed a new question. Who was the person behind Duma? Transforming the power within the Land of Legacy and controlling everything here, who was it, exactly?
Suddenly, a feeling of horror arose in Chen Feng's heart. This was no longer a question of whether he could defeat Duma. Rather, the question was, after defeating Duma, what else would appear? This seemed like game over to him.
"Spirit, is Luck Aura done upgrading?" Chen Feng asked.
Spirit shook her head. "Nope."
Chen Feng: "…" It seemed like he would not be able to rely on his cheat this time. Ever since he had reached S class, it had been unreliable. He could only rely on himself now.
Shua!
The power of the awakened flashed in his hands. Chen Feng prepared for the start of the battle. Facing an enemy at the level of this Duma, he did not dare to be careless.
Duma looked at Chen Feng. "You are very strong. However, it is ineffective against me."
"Why are you guys stopping my advance, then?" Chen Feng's gaze swirled around as he instinctively started searched the area. "Where exactly is the source of that pink energy that was controlling all of you?" Chen Feng fixed his gaze on Duma as he said, "Perhaps… it's right here?" Indeed, the moment he finished his sentence, a nervous expression could be seen on Duma's face.
"Xiao Ying, search," Chen Feng urged inwardly. "Be careful of this guy. Do not approach him."
Shua!
Xiao Ying flashed out and went underground.
"Looks like it's indeed here." Chen Feng maintained a calm expression. "Therefore, you guys have been trying to stop our advance without stop, since if we battle here, that thing might be affected, right?" asked Chen Feng. He had a feeling that he would be able to obtain some clues from Duma. As for Spirit, she was analyzing all available information faithfully for Chen Feng.
Duma laughed. "Heehee. You are indeed extremely intelligent." He was clearly an old man, yet the tone with which he spoke was extremely bizarre. Combined with his pink clothing, he exuded a rather sinister aura.
"Unfortunately, you will not be able to find it," Duma said indifferently.
Shua!
Chen Feng and Qin Hai exchanged glances. Not able to find… In short, the source of the power that had transformed the entire Land of Legacy was really here? Moreover, from his words, that thing might truly be a certain power, or some other thing, instead of a person.
It seems like Duma might have been influenced by something he obtained… Chen Feng guessed. Qin Hai arrived at a similar conclusion as well. After all, things like items with unique powers that affected their masters were rather common occurrences. Besides, just recently, they had also found out about the existence of that small town called Mysterious Town.
Those primordial remnants there… Duma might have obtained something similar to those things. Both Chen Feng and Qin Hai were extremely intelligent people. In a short period of time, they were able to deduce a rather huge amount of information. Duma might have obtained an item from the Primordial Era and wanted to study it. In the end, he had been controlled by that item instead, and the power of that item had spread and enveloped the entire Land of Legacy. This sequence of events was rather logical.
Chen Feng heaved a sigh of relief. "Fortunately." If so, all would be fine as long as he could last long enough for Xiao Ying to discover that thing. Chen Feng exchanged glances with Qin Hai. Qin Hai agreed with his conclusion. If that was the case, they still had hope! As long as they found that thing, there might still be a way out of this!
Drag!
They both decided to drag this out.
Swish! Swish!
Xiao Ying streaked around underground, searching everywhere at a rapid speed.
As the previous awakened they had encountered had been able to discover Xiao Ying, this time, Xiao Ying was moving around cautiously to avoid detection, searching around while hiding carefully. This would require some time. Since this old man was a chatterbox, this was advantageous to Qin Hai and Chen Feng.
"Are you both thinking that I am a chatterbox?" suddenly, Duma asked.
What? Their hearts sank.
"Foolish children…" Duma smiled. "You two… I don't know what exactly you two are thinking about, nor I am aware of the reason you are trying to drag this out. But dear children… for me, time is a nonexistent factor. It is fine for Chen Feng to not be aware of this, but Qin Hai, my dearest disciple, even you are not aware of this?"
Hum—
A faint radiance surged out. Suddenly, Chen Feng and Qin Hai felt the energy within their bodies being exhausted at a rapid rate. Apart from that, even their appearances were aging at a rapid pace. Yet in front of them, Duma was turning young instead.
"???"
Chen Feng was alarmed. This…
Time! Duma was actually capable of controlling time! Suddenly, he recalled that the young lady from back then was apparently the daughter of this Duma. She had even given Chen Feng a figurine molded after herself. That young daughter lady seemed to possess the power of time as well!
One ought to know that the power of time was a power at a tier far above the power of space. Was this the power of an awakened? Chen Feng was shaken.
"He is absorbing our time!" Spirit said with a solemn expression.
Chen Feng pointed. "Disintegrate!" Alas, it was ineffective.
This power of his that had been able to disintegrate everything was ineffective against the power of time, which had no shape or form. Besides, this was also a power at the same level as his own. As such, the probability of his power working against it was rather low.
"Spirit, deduce the operation method of his ability," Chen Feng said inwardly.
"Deducing. However, time is required." Spirit appeared helpless.
Chen Feng was walking a path no human had ever walked before. As such, there were no predecessors he could learn from. As the first awakened of humanity, he would have to learn everything himself, including the how to use awakened power.
Two abilities had been learned from studying that devil expert. Now, facing this ancient awakened, Chen Feng had to study once again. Yet, worryingly, with this speed, by the time the study bore fruit, he would probably have been devoured to death by this Duma. The power of time was too scary. Yet at this moment, a trace of doubt and astonishment appeared on Qin Hai's face. As he immersed his senses in this power, he recalled something.
"Time… Such a power... Master once gave me something to read. Back then, I couldn't understand it."
Chen Feng recalled the scene back then. Suddenly, he gained some sort of understanding. "That mysterious race… That peculiar species… I understand now."
Qin Hai seemed to have finally understood something. "Duma… is in fact not a name!"