49 Apocalypse Rules

Chapter 272: Chapter 257: The Birdman’s Shadow Cage

Dragon Soul hadn’t expected Lucifer to know You Hao was feigning death. He was horrified, but it was already too late to save him.

FWISH!

The instant You Hao’s head went flying, Lucifer’s broken wing began to rapidly regenerate!

’Killing an Ascender and absorbing their Psychic Power to heal...!’

A jolt went through Dragon Soul as he recalled the intelligence report on this ability of Lucifer’s.

’So that’s it. The bastard was intentionally holding back, leaving himself... Blood Packs!’

"Surprised?"

Lucifer said nonchalantly.

"Do you have any idea how many people I’ve killed in the lawless lands of the Tulip Federation? After so many battles, do you really think I can’t tell if someone I’ve struck is dead or alive?"

Rage flared in Dragon Soul’s heart, but he immediately suppressed it and began to calmly analyze the situation.

He had barely any Psychic Power left. A fight to the death with a restored Lucifer was out of the question.

’I can still gather all my strength for one final strike.’

As the thought crossed his mind, Dragon Soul glanced at Jiang Lanying out of the corner of his eye.

’Even if this strike could critically injure Lucifer, I’d have no strength left to capture the target.’

’In that case, my target for this final strike shouldn’t be Lucifer. It should be...’

Despite her age, Jiang Lanying had a keen sense of danger.

She watched Dragon Soul warily.

"Dragon Soul, if you leave now, you can still save your life," Jiang Lanying said. "Otherwise, you’ll die here today, and tomorrow they’ll just choose a new Dragon Soul to replace you."

"It’s just like your squad. After three members died, didn’t they immediately add a few new people? To the higher-ups, you’re all just a bunch of expendables. Is it really worth throwing your life away like this?"

Dragon Soul remained unmoved, merely searching for the perfect moment to strike.

Lucifer, however, was growing impatient. Now that he understood the extent of Dragon Soul’s abilities and limits, he had lost interest in the fight.

"Let’s end this here," Lucifer said, beating his wings as he prepared to deliver the final blow.

"You were a worthy opponent. Out of respect, I’ll leave you a complete corpse."

He finished speaking and dove, but he came to an abrupt halt in midair, violently twisting his body to the side!

The next instant, a sharp Black Thorn shot out, piercing the exact spot where he had just been!

Lucifer was startled; he had almost failed to react in time to the sneak attack.

"Who?!"

He scanned his surroundings. Jiang Lanying and Dragon Soul, also taken by surprise, looked toward the source of the Black Thorn.

There, standing not far away, was a figure completely covered in black armor.

Shadow!

In an instant, all three of them recognized the newcomer.

Jiang Lanying was horrified and Dragon Soul was taken aback, but Lucifer was exceptionally excited, his eyes fixed on the figure.

"Shadow... I didn’t expect to be so lucky today. We meet again...!"

As Lucifer spoke, Jiang Lanying suddenly shouted at him, "Get me out of here! Quick—Ugh?!"

Before she could finish, she suddenly felt her entire body go rigid. She looked down to see that numerous black shadows had somehow grabbed her arms and legs, their immense strength making it impossible for her to struggle free.

"Lucifer!"

Jiang Lanying shrieked, urging him to do something.

But Lucifer had completely thrown his mission to the back of his mind. He paid no attention to the troubled and terrified Jiang Lanying, focusing his entire attention on Guan Tong.

"The last time we were on Holy Grail Island, before you ’killed’ me, I told you: the next time we meet, I will be the one who wins."

Guan Tong ignored Lucifer. After restraining Jiang Lanying, he turned to Dragon Soul and asked, "How are you holding up?"

"I’m all right. You be careful."

Dragon Soul breathed a subtle sigh of relief upon seeing Shadow appear.

He guessed that Shadow had come for Jiang Lanying. Although he didn’t know how Shadow had found them, his arrival made it highly unlikely that Lucifer would be able to get away with her.

"Ignoring me?"

Seeing Guan Tong ignore him, Lucifer’s expression darkened. He suddenly beat his wings, sending a volley of feathers blasting outward!

Guan Tong stomped his foot, and a Shadow Platform made of shadows erupted from the ground beneath him, lifting him high into the air. He not only dodged the feather attack but also rose to the same height as Lucifer.

He raised his palm toward Lucifer, and a swarm of Shadow Thorns shot out from his sleeve, vying to be the first to pierce their target.

"Excellent!"

Lucifer was quite pleased with Guan Tong’s offensive. He twisted and weaved, using the high-speed mobility of his wings to dart between the gaps in the Shadow Thorns, making it look effortless.

Seeing this, Guan Tong willed it, and the Shadow Thorns instantly changed form, morphing into a cage bristling with sharp points, intending to trap Lucifer inside.

Lucifer snorted. His body spun at high speed, and his sharp wings easily sliced the Shadow Cage apart, allowing him to escape.

’This Birdman’s wings have gotten even sharper...’

Guan Tong mused. He had already enhanced the resilience of his shadows, yet they still couldn’t block Lucifer’s wings. It seemed Lucifer had also been constantly strengthening himself.

"Your shadows are more durable than they were on the island, but so what?" Lucifer could also sense the change in Guan Tong’s shadows. "Can they possibly stand against my Fallen Angel’s Wings?"

"A Birdman is just a Birdman. What ’Fallen Angel’..."

It would have been fine if Guan Tong had remained silent, but his words instantly enraged Lucifer. There was nothing he hated more than being called "Birdman."

"Die!"

Lucifer spiraled up and down, accelerating. Down below, Dragon Soul frowned, knowing the man was about to use that move again: Blast Rushing Feather Cut.

The high-speed maneuver made his already incomparably sharp wings even more destructive. A moment ago, if Dragon Soul hadn’t reinforced every muscle in his body, he would have never been able to withstand that strike!

Guan Tong, however, remained unruffled. The moment Lucifer launched his charge, a massive amount of shadow surged from his body, forming a Shadow Layer that enveloped the area.

Lucifer’s vision suddenly went pitch-black, robbing him of his sight. His forward charge came to an immediate halt.

He knew Guan Tong had tools to obscure vision, but he remembered them being Smoke Bombs, not... this.

’What’s happening? Are these his shadows?’

Lucifer couldn’t fathom how many shadows—and how much Psychic Power—it would take to blot out the entire sky.

He then immediately realized something else: his Psychic Power was draining away.

"Obscuring sight and draining Psychic Power... it seems you’ve developed quite a remarkable ability, Shadow. But if you think you can trap me in here until I die, you’re sorely mistaken!"

Lucifer raised his arms, and with a single beat of his wings, shot straight up at extreme speed!

His method for breaking free was simple, like navigating a maze. No matter how complex the labyrinth, if you just pick one direction—following the path when there is one and smashing through walls when there isn’t—you’ll eventually get out.

And his tool for "smashing through walls" was his pair of incomparably sharp Fallen Angel’s Wings!

He was confident that even if Guan Tong filled the entire sky with his shadows, he could still slash through and destroy them.

Within the Shadow Realm, Guan Tong watched Lucifer’s swift decision-making, surprised by the man’s powerful combat instincts.

Anyone else, if suddenly plunged into a sightless darkness, would surely hesitate, fall back on passive defense, and miss their opportunity. The longer they waited, the worse their situation would become.

But Lucifer didn’t hesitate for a second. He immediately made the correct decision to break out in a single direction. His combat intelligence was not to be underestimated.

Unfortunately for him, he still hadn’t figured out the true nature of the Shadow Realm’s power.

This wasn’t a static, unchanging maze of death, but a "living maze" that Guan Tong could manipulate at will.

When Lucifer chose to break out by going up, Guan Tong immediately changed the Shadow Realm’s shape, decreasing its width and increasing its height.

If Lucifer were to change direction, Guan Tong would adjust the Shadow Realm’s orientation accordingly, turning it into a custom-made prison of darkness.

And so, while Lucifer flew ever upward, he could never reach the edge of the Shadow Layer, because its ceiling was constantly rising. The speed of his Fallen Angel’s Wings was great, but it was no match for the speed of shadow, the constant companion of light.

Lucifer didn’t know it, but from the moment he entered the Shadow Realm, he was trapped. As long as Guan Tong’s Psychic Power held out, he would never fly free.

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