Chapter 143: The Great Escape

"This is very difficult. You must ensure that the entity cannot escape your control, and it must also be sufficiently strong."

"There seem to be many methods, but in reality, very few succeed."

"These are a dozen or so cases that actually succeeded. They were all powerhouses who walked the Inner World Pathway and later completed it."

"Thank you, Teacher Shen."

"Between us, there's no need for thanks. Xiao Yanzi, make sure you get enough rest. Don't push yourself so hard every day. Once the cloaking items arrive and we have them set up, we can study the next dungeon together."

"Alright."

Right now, Yan Jing's expression was unspeakably solemn. He recalled one of the cases he had just read about.

A Surface World human on the Inner World Pathway had used a specific method to bind an Inner World entity within their own body.

By doing so, they had forcefully completed their fragmented Pathway.

This was exactly what he intended to do.

Except he would be doing it with an Inner World body.

Moreover, his method would be slightly different.

Because the entity he needed to subjugate had to be powerful enough, he had to let the Fear Bird take the Fear Tree Seedling.

A Fear Bird without the Fear Tree Seedling wouldn't be strong enough.

But a Fear Bird with the Fear Tree Seedling would just run away.

Therefore, his only chance was right now.

This was something only he could pull off.

The Cameraman had arrived in this Domain at the age of five. Mr. San's notebook stated, "He completed his Pathway in his teens." Thus, the Fear Pathway of the Cameraman, who had grown up in Old Sin City, must have originally been fragmented.

Furthermore, Mr. San's notebook also mentioned that the Cameraman could trap the Fear Bird in a cage even as a child; it was his innate talent.

More importantly, he also had to absorb the Fear Sapling into his own body.

Mr. San had never done this, nor had he considered having the Cameraman do it, meaning it was highly likely impossible.

But Yan Jing was different.

His Fear Sapling had been brought in by the system; it naturally resided within him.

Therefore, he was the sole intersection of all these possibilities.

If anyone could pull this off, it could only be him.

He had to gamble. He had to gamble that this current body, aside from his own origin, was identical to his previous one. He had to gamble that the Fear Bird would enter his body. And finally, he had to gamble that this method would actually work.

Even if he failed, with the Fear Bird out of Mantou's body, she would regain her health and be taken away by Tiger, allowing her to leave this city.

Hence, this was a gamble with a "one hundred percent success rate."

Then let the gamble begin!

Yan Jing manipulated the Power of the White Stone, slowly pulling the Fear Bird into his body bit by bit. The Fear Tree Seedling was forcibly bound to the Fear Bird as well.

At this moment, Yan Jing could feel a fragmented piece of his body slowly becoming whole.

It was working!

Yan Jing's spirit lifted.

"Fuck! You son of a bitch!"

The Fear Bird was terrified. She felt something draining from her body, yet she was completely powerless to resist. This cage—this damn cage—trapped her firmly inside.

But Yan Jing completely ignored her curses.

Eventually, as time ticked by, her initial insults turned into continuous begging, pleading for Yan Jing to let her go.

She was scared. She was truly scared. She felt a part of herself completely merging into Yan Jing's body. The agonizing, heart-rending pain meant her origin had begun to weaken; even her consciousness was scattering, leaving a portion behind inside him.

She might actually die here, doomed to become this man's stepping stone.

Thus, she cried bitterly, begging for mercy.

However, Yan Jing showed no intention of humoring her.

It wasn't until dozens of seconds later that Yan Jing's slightly odd voice rang out:

"Do you want to live?"

"Yes! I do, I do!"

Hearing this, the Fear Bird, whose consciousness was already extremely hazy, answered repeatedly. At this point, she had completely lost the ability to discern the oddity in Yan Jing's tone.

"Then drag what's left of you back into Mantou's body,"

Yan Jing said slowly.

"But you have to take the cage with you."

"Alright! Okay, okay!"

Even if she had to take the cage, it didn't matter. Right now, the Fear Bird only wanted to survive.

And so, under Yan Jing's deliberate control, the remaining portion of the Fear Bird returned to Mantou's body.

But the moment she entered Mantou's body, the Fear Bird's trembling shriek echoed again:

"Fuck your mother! You goddamn bastard! You'll die a horrible death..."

Yan Jing pursed his lips. This time, even he felt a little embarrassed.

Perhaps because the Cameraman was originally from the outside world, the fragmented Pathway in his body had been quite limited. In just that brief moment, it had already fully completed itself.

In that very instant, he felt the city beneath his feet trembling in submission, preparing to acknowledge him as its master.

Once he became the Lord of Old Sin City, all the Third Tier powerhouses who relied on the Old Sin City Domain would be completely under his control.

This was the power of a Lord of the Domain.

It was absolutely nothing a mere faction leader within the Domain could compare to.

However... a slight complication arose.

He could feel that claiming mastery required time, and it wouldn't be a short process.

Yet the commotion caused by this acknowledgment was immense.

So immense that, at this moment, the entire city began to faintly tremble.

Therefore, his mind raced, and he came up with a plan.

That was... to screw over the Fear Bird one more time.

"Mantou, Mantou, listen to me."

Having absorbed a portion of the Fear Bird's power, Yan Jing had returned to his peak state. He climbed off Mantou's back, hugged the silly girl who was still confused about the situation, and pinched her cheek.

"Mantou, can you hear me?"

Only now did Mantou finally snap out of her dazed, somewhat entranced state. She hurriedly nodded.

"I... I hear you... Y-Yan Jing... Mantou... can hear you..."

"Good. Mantou, listen to me now. This is what you're going to do..."

Yan Jing quickly explained the plan.

"Did you understand that, Mantou?"

"Mhm... mm-hmm..."

Mantou looked up, her large, blank eyes fixed on Yan Jing.

"Y-Yan Jing... are you leaving...?"

"Yeah."

Yan Jing crouched down. "There's no time to say much, but Mantou, listen to me..."

"After this, you won't just live for two years. You'll live for many, many years, and we'll definitely see each other again."

"Mantou, you only have one thing to do from now on: survive."

"Someone will teach you the rest."

"Mantou... I'm so glad I met you."

With that, Yan Jing gently hugged Mantou and, under her stunned gaze, pressed a kiss to her forehead.

[Favorability +1]

[Favorability Maxed]

[Upon returning to the Surface World, you may select one ability from this security officer to acquire.]

"That's it then, Mantou."

Saying that, Yan Jing picked Mantou straight up, stuffed an item into her hand, and tossed her into the room.

Just as he turned to leave, Mantou's shouts rang out behind him. She stumbled shakily to the doorway.

"Y-Yan Jing!... Y-Yan Jing!..."

"I... I'll be... good!... I'll... survive... and wait for you... wait for you to find me!"

"Y-Yan Jing... be... be careful out there..."

"Y-Yan Jing... Mantou... Mantou likes you!!!"

Mantou shouted with all her might, her voice muffled amidst the overwhelming roar filling the sky.

But Yan Jing still heard every word.

He looked back, smiling at Mantou's tear-filled eyes.

They were still as beautiful as ever—like the stars, like the moon.

"Me too."

He picked up the Walkie-talkie. On the other end was Chen Nian, who was already incapable of speaking normally.

"What's the plan now?"

That was the very first thing Chen Nian said upon answering the Walkie-talkie.

He knew Yan Jing had a plan; otherwise, he wouldn't have used the Walkie-talkie.

Everyone else was right next to Yan Jing. Chen Nian was the only one who required the Walkie-talkie.

After hearing the plan, a sharp gleam flashed in Chen Nian's eyes. The artillery fire from the right side of his body instantly intensified, growing even more ferocious than before.

"Alright, I'll stay behind. In my current state, I can't ride a vehicle anyway. Plus, I happen to need a long time to recuperate."

"I've already told the old guy the trick to driving that thing."

"That vehicle can hold three people right now... But its stability is extremely poor. It might not take you exactly where you want to go. You'll need to visualize your destination in your mind, and you'll need a healthy dose of luck."

"Got it. I'll bring Tiger along,"

Yan Jing replied.

"Mhm."

Chen Nian nodded; that was exactly what he meant.

Switching off the Walkie-talkie, a grin spread across the remaining half of Chen Nian's face that hadn't been fully mechanized.

He cursed, which was rare for him:

"Fuck, making me push myself all the way to mechanical infection! It's finally my fucking turn!"

Second backup battery: engaged.

Overload mode: reactivated.

Stealth mode: standing by, awaiting activation.

Power output: 230%!!!

In an instant, the artillery fire became several times fiercer than before.

Across the battlefield, the First Ward Chief sensed Chen Nian's increased firepower and smirked.

"A desperate last stand, huh..."

But suddenly, he realized something was wrong. He could feel the combat power buff provided by Solitude Ward steadily decaying.

Though the shift was minute, it brought him out in a cold sweat, twisting his face in horror.

This wasn't right!

A phenomenon like this...

There was only one possibility!

He stared down at the trembling ground beneath his feet, turning pale with shock.

Not far away, the Great Elder of Virtue Bridge wore the exact same expression, staring at his own hands in disbelief.

He could feel his Diligence draining away.

This was impossible!

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock and panic mirrored in the other's eyes.

These signs could only mean one thing—the Lord of Old Sin City was being born!

It wasn't just the two of them. Inside the Tower, Giant Mouth mirrored their exact expression.

"Impossible!"

He roared. Originally investigating the site of an explosion, he smashed right through the window and leapt out. Ignoring the pain of the fall, he sprinted madly toward Rotten Vegetable Village.

If there was anywhere such an anomaly could occur, there was only one place: Rotten Vegetable Village.

Meanwhile, inside Rotten Vegetable Village.

Before the First Ward Chief and the Great Elder of Virtue Bridge could even react, Yan Jing and Tiger had already dragged the bewildered Old Man onto the vehicle.

"Let me off!"

"I'm not leaving!"

The blood-soaked Old Man bellowed, assuming the two were trying to force him away:

"I'm not going! Take Nizi or kid Chen instead!"

It wasn't until Yan Jing whispered a few words in his ear that his eyes widened in pleasant surprise.

"Are we leaving or not?"

Yan Jing asked.

"We're leaving right now!"

The Old Man whipped out a cigarette from who knew where, performed a slick sideways vault to straddle the fuel tank at the very front of the motorcycle, and gripped the handlebars with both hands.

"Hold on tight!"

"Charge!"

The engine roared with a deafening buzz. The silver motorcycle let out a furious howl as the trio instantly blasted out of the alley on the other side.

At this point, even if the First Ward Chief and the Great Elder of Virtue Bridge were completely dense, they finally realized what was happening.

The next second, the toll of a bell resounded above them. Instantly, a shower of radiant light ascended throughout Rotten Vegetable Village, while Yan Jing's entire body emitted a dark glow.

It was him!

The two instantly locked onto their target. The bell had tolled, and the Lord of the Domain had been crowned!

It was him!

Disregarding everything else, the two frantically chased after Yan Jing's group.

Within the labyrinthine Rotten Vegetable Village, the Old Man expertly navigated the motorcycle.

"Don't go too fast."

Yan Jing said beside him.

"I know."

The Old Man chuckled.

Despite saying that, it wasn't long before they turned out of the residential area and arrived at the entrance of Rotten Vegetable Village to avoid being caught.

Walking straight toward them was Giant Mouth, a furious expression plastered across his face.

Of course, he had also noticed the ascending light shower in Rotten Vegetable Village and heard the tolling of the bell.

Feeling his own power draining away while the dark glow around Yan Jing grew increasingly prominent, he was both shocked and enraged. His slender, giant hands reached out, swatting toward their motorcycle.

Yan Jing smiled faintly as the Black and White Dual-Colored Long Spear materialized in his grasp.

It was the perfect time to test his newly acquired power.

"Fear Memories!"

The spear shot out. Weird Energy coalesced at its tip, accompanied by the faint semblance of a bird's cry.

The moment he struck, it seemed as if... a bird's nest had settled among the tangled Thorns. A tiny phantom rested atop it. It merely glanced at Giant Mouth and let out a chirp, causing Giant Mouth's outstretched hand to abruptly halt.

Meanwhile, Yan Jing's long spear pierced into Giant Mouth's right arm with the force of a thunderbolt.

"Argh!"

This time, it was no longer a spear lacking the Power of the White Stone, but the Black and White Long Spear infused with the Fear Bird's power.

Dark blood sprayed into the air.

Amidst the agonizing pain, a series of terrifying memories surfaced in Giant Mouth's mind. By the time he regained his senses, the motorcycle was already fading into the distance!

Giant Mouth stared despairingly at the fleeing group. The frustration and fury in his chest ultimately morphed into a string of ferocious roars.

Burning his origin, he unleashed these roars, causing them to echo throughout the entirety of Old Sin City!

"Are you all still not going to make a move?!"

"Are we really going to just watch an outsider climb over our heads?!"

"You refused my plan, but are you going to let someone else succeed?!"

"Is this what we've waited so many years for?!"

Amidst his roars, figures who usually never showed their faces began to emerge from their respective Domains one after another.

An elderly bus driver blew across the top of his thermos, eyes flashing. He stood up and walked toward the dilapidated bus parked nearby.

It had been many years since he had last driven.

A boss standing and wiping a wine glass stepped out from behind the bar counter. He reached out, grabbed a pool cue, and sank the billiard balls—carved from skulls—one by one. Finally, under the terrified gazes of his patrons, he walked out the door and got into a red car that hadn't been driven in ages.

His skin, which hadn't seen the sun in a long time, looked exceptionally pale.

Lastly, a Fat Man stood up in his office.

"Lu Miao, get the car ready."

"This is bad. This is very bad."

He muttered, using a tissue to wipe the sweat from his head.

"It was fine when it was just minor skirmishes, but haphazardly destroying the Order like this is truly terrible."

"What Lord of Old Sin City? In my opinion, the current state of affairs is perfectly fine."

"We can't have reckless changes."