Ye initially thought this slash would sever Lin Shen's arm, but when the blade struck, it felt as though it had hit an unyielding steel cable. Instead of cutting through, the collision left his wrist aching.
Just as Ye sensed something amiss and tried to pull his hand back, a dark red shadow tore through Lin Shen's sleeve, curling up his arm like a snake and wrapping itself around Ye's arm.
Earlier, Ye's blade had struck the coiling Death Powder on Lin Shen's arm. Lin Shen had already known that his move wouldn't be fast enough to outpace Ye.
Ye reacted quickly. The moment Death Powder coiled around his arm, his other hand shot out like lightning, grabbing hold of Death Powder's head in an attempt to tear it off.
Unfortunately, Ye had underestimated Death Powder. The instant he gripped its head, Death Powder's tail flicked like a scorpion's sting and plunged into his palm, simultaneously wrapping itself around him and immobilizing both of his arms.
"What the hell is this thing!" Ye's face changed slightly. In a desperate bid, he lunged suddenly at Lin Shen, ignoring the Death Powder coiled around his arms. Using one leg as a pivot, his other leg swept forward like a blur, aiming for Lin Shen's head.
*If he could kill Lin Shen and get hold of the key to this bizarre pet, the tide of battle would turn in his favor.*
Lin Shen had already anticipated this move. Before Ye raised his leg, he had begun retreating and simultaneously activated the Supersonic Gunman to open fire.
By the time Ye's leg lashed out, Lin Shen had already accelerated past the speed of a bullet, narrowly evading the kick. The gust from Ye's attack sent Lin Shen's hair into a chaotic whirl.
Meanwhile, the Supersonic Gunman's bullet struck Ye's body. Though the gun's hardness wasn't particularly outstanding, it was Alloy-Level. Yet the bullet, upon hitting Ye's peculiar scaly carapace, only sparked briefly before being deflected, leaving its tip shattered.
Both Ye and Lin Shen were stunned. Ye was surprised that Lin Shen could maintain such unimaginable speed, far beyond what he had thought possible after seeing him use similar techniques twice. He had assumed Lin Shen's life-saving tricks were limited in number—clearly, he had been wrong. Lin Shen seemed capable of using them continuously.
Lin Shen, however, was taken aback by Ye's astonishing combination of speed and the extreme durability of his Alloy Carapace. The gun's bullets were practically useless against him.
Ye pressed on, chasing Lin Shen and preparing to kick again. Yet before he could lift his leg, Death Powder had already entwined it.
When Ye raised his other leg halfway, it too became ensnared by Death Powder, rendering him as stiff as a mummy and causing him to collapse backward in a heap.
As Ye fell, another gunshot echoed. While lying on the ground, Ye suddenly felt Lin Shen's finger press a spot just below his throat.
*A flicker of joy flashed in Ye's eyes. No matter how many life-saving abilities Lin Shen had, his strength was limited. It was impossible for him to breach the Alloy Carapace.*
*But Lin Shen's proximity offered Ye an immediate chance to kill him.*
As Ye had predicted, Lin Shen's finger pressing on his chest failed to damage the metallic carapace. The sensation was akin to being poked by a blunt wooden stick.
Ye opened his mouth, intending to use his trump card. But then he noticed, to his horror, that his mouth wouldn't move.
In fact, his entire body had become paralyzed.
*Ye's eyes widened in terror as he stared at Lin Shen. Finally, he understood the real reason behind the Supersonic Gunman's immobility after Lin Shen's seemingly insignificant strike.*
*Ye had previously assumed the Gunman had been hit in a vital spot. Now it was clear that wasn't true.*
"Pry open his mouth," Lin Shen commanded Death Powder.
Death Powder's tail suddenly plunged into Ye's mouth, shattering his teeth and forcing it open. From within, it extracted a thin, leaf-shaped blade resembling a willow leaf.
The blade was like a green ghost, translucent and clearly made from Crystal Base material, thinner than a razor blade.
Lin Shen took the Green Leaf Blade and jabbed Ye again.
With several teeth shattered and his mouth bleeding profusely, Ye regained the ability to speak: "Lin… Lin Shen… No… Mr. Lin Shen… I shouldn't have underestimated you… shouldn't have underestimated you Lin Family people..."
"Ye, how has the Lin Family wronged you?" Lin Shen asked coldly.
"It hasn't. The Lin Family hasn't wronged me," Ye laughed bitterly.
"If the Lin Family hasn't wronged you, and given your advanced age, even if you get the treasures from Gourd Mountain, what good would they do? How many years do you have left?" Lin Shen pressed, hoping to glean information from Ye about Gourd Mountain. Ye's desperation suggested he knew something valuable.
"It's because I don't have many years left that I must go to Gourd Mountain. Only by entering Gourd Mountain can I continue living. I haven't lived my fill yet; I don't want to die," Ye admitted.
"What do you mean?" Lin Shen's eyes narrowed. Ye's words hinted at something surprising.
"Mr. Lin Shen, I'll tell you everything I know. Just leave me alive," Ye pleaded.
"Speak," Lin Shen said expressionlessly as he stared at Ye.
"I accidentally overheard a conversation between Mr. Lin Zongzheng and Mr. Lin Zhong. That's how I learned some of Gourd Mountain's secrets. At the time, Mr. Lin Zongzheng and Mr. Lin Zhong were discussing Mr. Lin Zheng. They mentioned that long ago, Mr. Lin Zheng went away for an extended period. Upon returning, he was ecstatic and told them that there was something in Gourd Mountain that could make people immortal. He said that when their strength was sufficient, he would take them, their elder sister, and their siblings into Gourd Mountain, so they could all become immortal and eternally youthful together," Ye recalled.
"Do you honestly believe there's something in this world that can make people immortal?" Lin Shen frowned.
"Mr. Lin Zheng wouldn't lie. If he said there is, then there definitely is," Ye replied, his eyes full of desire.
"So just based on this one statement, you're willing to risk everything to get into Gourd Mountain?" Lin Shen asked, now pondering deeply.
"The older you get, the more you fear death. I genuinely just don't want to die. From now on, I'll serve you wholeheartedly. I won't entertain any other thoughts," Ye promised.
"You won't have a next time." Lin Shen said indifferently.
Upon hearing this, Ye's face changed drastically. He struggled and shouted, "Mr. Lin Shen… you're a Lin Family member… you can't go back on your word..."
Before he could finish, Death Powder's tail pierced straight into his forehead, killing him instantly.
Ye's wide-open eyes reached an almost inconceivable size in death, filled with disbelief.
*Ye never imagined that the usually frivolous and carefree Lin Shen could be so ruthless; nor did he expect a Lin Family member to break his promise.*
"I never agreed not to kill you. Even if I had agreed, I wouldn't let you live. You're too much of a threat to me. If it weren't for catching you off guard, I wouldn't have stood a chance defeating you. Giving you any opportunity would be a death sentence for me. And I don't want to die either." Lin Shen bent down and searched Ye's body, taking everything he found.
*Though disgusted, survival mattered more than anything else.*
Before long, Lin Shen had stripped Ye's corpse of all its possessions.
A single Alloy Short Blade, a Green Leaf Crystal Base Blade, two Alloy Pet Capsules, and three Capsule Keys.
Two keys clearly matched the Pet Capsules, while the third was Crystal Base-level—a translucent, citrine-like key in a heart-shaped design.
"Strange, why is there only a key but no capsule?" Lin Shen muttered, eyeing Ye's corpse again with suspicion.