Chapter 608 - 517: Adaptation and Acclimation
Chapter 608: Chapter 517: Adaptation and Acclimation
After another fierce exchange, Jeming’s newly regenerated left arm disintegrated into ashes again, allowing him to barely spring several kilometers away.
He was still catching his breath, with Spiritual Qi coursing wildly inside him, attempting to make up for the loss and propel his arduous physical evolution.
Yet the relentless pursuit of the Black Robed Wizard, which rarely left room for a respite, did not immediately come.
Jeming exhaled a brief sigh of relief and looked up.
Several hundred meters away, he saw the figure of the Black Robed Wizard hovering quietly, his hood slightly lifted, his dark red eyes seemed to be gazing at some invisible point in the void, his brow faintly furrowed.
He maintained a posture of pursuit but forcibly halted, as if blocked by an invisible wall.
"Hmm?" A low hum tinged with puzzlement escaped his lips.
Just now, as he was about to "omit" the middle process of pursuit once again and appear directly beside Jeming to launch the next strike, he felt an unprecedented sense of obstruction.
It did not originate from Jeming’s own defenses, but from... the environment.
He clearly perceived that the "quota" available for this cycle of attacks had already been depleted following the last strike!
This isn’t right!
According to his precise mastery of his own Laws and his increasingly in-depth "modeling" of Jeming’s defensive system, after breaking through one layer of the opponent’s defense and shattering an arm, there should theoretically have been enough "quota" remaining to at least support a short-distance "process-omitting" pursuit, or a moderate-strength defense.
But the fact was, the quota was exhausted.
The Black Robed Wizard’s formidable Spiritual Power instantly spread like an invisible web, meticulously scanning every wisp of energy flow around.
Then, he found the reason.
In a void environment originally filled with inert elemental dust, weak energy turbulence, and the battle debris of both sides, an unfamiliar, uniquely characterized energy had silently blended in at some point.
This energy was formless and intangible, yet seemed to be omnipresent, gently permeating the battlefield area, subtly merging with the usual Elemental Energy while retaining a certain independent trait.
It did not possess a strong offensive or disruptive nature, and was even difficult to capture with conventional detection methods.
But it indeed existed.
Like a drop of alcohol in clear water, though it did not cause a noticeable change in the overall environment, it had quietly altered some microscopic properties of the entire "solution."
It was precisely the existence of this unknown energy that increased the "complexity" and "uncertainty" of the environment.
For the Fictional Law, accurately "defining" a result involving energy interaction and spatial location in such an environment required additional "environmental variable calibration" and "logical coherence correction," inadvertently consuming more "quota" than in a "pure" environment!
Upon seeing the opponent suddenly observing the surroundings, Jeming couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved, knowing his arrangement had taken effect.
With this precious opportunity, he fully activated his Cultivation Technique to recover, simultaneously guiding his body to continue evolving wildly in a direction that resisted the erosion of the Fictional Law.
"I didn’t expect that," the Black Robed Wizard withdrew his probing Spiritual Power, his gaze returning to Jeming, his voice, coming through the hood with a peculiar implication, "a remarkably talented and resourceful youngster like you, would actually... choose the Fictional Law?"
Through his high sensitivity to the environment enabled by the Fictional Law’s probing, he seemed to have derived a "reasonable" inference - this energy was temporarily "created" or "defined" by the opponent utilizing some ability of the Fictional Law as "imaginary elements."
Jeming was slightly stunned at these words.
But he immediately understood this was a perfect opportunity to stall for time!
The opponent seemed to be in a rare mood for conversation due to their "shared interest," which suited him perfectly.
While silently speeding up the internal cycle of Spiritual Power, feeling the subtle reinforcement occurring in the density of the bones and muscle fibers of his newly regenerated arm, he responded in a slightly hoarse voice:
"Not at all, it is your mastery over the Fictional Law that truly surprises me... After all, this path of laws that transcends the boundaries of theory and reality forms the ’foundation’ of my own research into the Fictional Law."
"Although that’s not the truth at all," Jeming silently added in his heart.
The Black Robed Wizard truly hadn’t encountered another Wizard researching the path of Fictional Law before.
Considering the relationship between the Fictional Law and the Fictional Law, he really was intrigued, "Under normal circumstances, the special environmental field created by ’imaginary elements’ only affects Third and Fourth Level Wizards. Fifth Level and above can easily resist its environmental influence and interference. Your ability to leverage the characteristics of ’imaginary elements’ to add environmental variables and disrupt the Fictional Law’s judgment basis, consuming my quota... This kind of situational adaptability and understanding of laws is quite impressive."
His tone carried a genuine hint of senior appreciation for a junior?
Although behind this appreciation lay a colder, firmer intent to kill.
"Thank you for the compliment..." Jeming humbly responded while remaining secretly wary.
A few Floating Cannons finally managed to quietly start, adjusting to their optimal firing state.
As Jeming had predicted, the moment his words fell, the voice of the Black Robed Wizard echoed over:
"For this very reason, I cannot let you live any longer!"
The Black Robed Wizard’s voice abruptly turned icy, his killing intent sharp as an ice spike!
Simultaneously, the result of him "standing beside Jeming" manifested without warning!
The hand, ominous with the aura of Death, plunged fiercely towards Jeming’s head!
The prior conversation was also a tactic he used to lull his opponent, while secretly completing a rapid analysis and "modeling" of the Spiritual Qi environment Jeming had released!
But Jeming had never let down his guard!
At the same instant the opponent’s figure "flashed," the several Floating Cannons suspended behind Jeming erupted with dark golden light a millisecond early!
Not aimed at the Black Robed Wizard, but detonated at zero distance between Jeming himself and the Black Robed Wizard!
Boom!!!
The terrifying light and heat burst forth suddenly!
The dark golden Fire Extinction Divine Light transformed into a destructive frenzy, completely inundating the narrow space between the two!
The Ruins Armor on Jeming’s body glimmered with gold, steadily absorbing the explosive impact from his own weapon.
The Black Robed Wizard’s descending hand paused slightly the moment it encountered that destructive blaze.
The Fictional Law passively triggered, forcibly consuming quota to shield him from being injured by this sudden close-range explosion.
Crack!
Despite having the protection of the Fictional Law, the Black Robed Wizard’s hand still penetrated through the heart of the explosion, landing solidly on Jeming’s hastily raised right arm in defense.
The right arm instantly disintegrated!
But Jeming also leveraged the explosive shockwave and the buffer afforded by the sacrifice of his arm to retreat again rapidly!
The Black Robed Wizard’s face was cold as he prepared to pursue, but several more floating cannons behind Jeming had already fired again!
A barrage of Fire Divine Light shot forth once more!
The Black Robed Wizard had to halt again, using the remaining "quota" to "erase" the attacks, his figure momentarily hindered.
Fine cold sweat appeared on Jeming’s brow, and alarm bells rang wildly in his heart.
"Something’s wrong... very wrong!"
Just now, the opponent’s palm broke the Ruins Armor and shattered his arm with frightening fluidity!
This indicates that during their brief conversation and observation, the opponent has already concluded previous data and found the ’optimal model’ to break the Ruins Armor in current conditions!
Luckily, he had prepared in advance, utilizing the close-range burst from the pre-fired floating cannon to gain reaction time.
Yet the initiative still firmly rests with the opponent.
The Fictional Law’s characteristic of directly manifesting attack results is too cunning; once close, Jeming barely has time to operate the floating cannon or perform other complex maneuvers.
"Continuous interference is necessary; can’t allow him to easily complete ’modeling’ and optimal attack!" While frantically retreating, Jeming attempts to control the floating cannon to continue shooting harassment.
However, the Black Robed Wizard, having suffered once, clearly incorporates the attack pattern of the floating cannons into consideration.
The subsequent dark golden beams shoot empty succinctly, while he again spookily closes the distance as if "result-jumping."
Jeming can only strive desperately, relying on the maneuverability of Void Step and continuously sacrificing his arms and the Black Giant to reluctantly maneuver.
When necessary, he even uses the floating cannon itself as a substitute, inserting it between punches and palms in a critical moment to endure destruction instead of his arm!
After dozens of breath-taking exchanges.
The figure of the Black Robed Wizard once again "freezes" like a phantom in front of Jeming.
The corner of his mouth beneath the hood seems to curve with an assured arc.
"Finally adapted... adjustments for various interfering variables are completed."
"The Black Giant Priest, that black elemental cannon fodder, should have long been exhausted."
"Those exploding floating cannons were pretty much consumed as substitutes during the recent battle."
"Most importantly... the optimal model to crack his domain defense resisting the Fictional effect is finally perfected."
The Black Robed Wizard’s dark red eyes lock onto Jeming, murderous intent congeals into reality.
He can feel that the "quota" required for this strike has been compressed to an extremely low point.
Low enough to leave ample energy to face any potential counterattack after the attack is completed.
"This strike, let it end."
He silently chants in his heart as his body "disappears" from the spot once more.
In the next moment, the result of "palm imprinting Jeming’s chest" is about to directly manifest.
Yet Jeming, much like the dozens of times before, almost instinctively... even somewhat numbly raises his newly regenerated right fist to meet it.
Fist and palm are about to intersect again.
The Black Robed Wizard even anticipates the familiar sight of the arm instantaneously crumbling like smoke.
However...
Just as fist and palm touch in that split second!
BOOM!!!
The expected silent annihilation doesn’t occur.
Instead, a muffled blast akin to thunder erupts!
A violent shockwave, visible to the naked eye, mixed with golden rune fragments and dark red energy ripples, explodes at the convergence point of fist and palm!
Sweeping in all directions in an instant!
"What?!" The pupils under the hood of the Black Robed Wizard dilate suddenly, causing tumultuous waves in his heart!
His Fictional Law... actually failed?!!
No, it’s not a failure.
Because at the moment of contact, Jeming’s right arm transmits an excruciating, bone-cracking sound like beans popping continuously!
The muscle fibers of the whole arm twist madly, breaking repeatedly!
The skin surface explodes with countless minute blood openings, light golden blood mixed with tiny blood flesh spurts out!
The entire arm, in less than a fraction of a second, becomes a mass of fleshy, shattered bones, almost losing its shape!
However...
It did not directly turn to dust and disperse like before!
The Black Robed Wizard confirms his Fictional Law indeed took effect, and the opponent’s arm shattered as he set the result.
But something felt wrong, because... the final result deviated.
Clearly this time, the little wizard before him hasn’t given up on his arm, yet the defined total body collapse result only shattered the opponent’s arm.
Despite the severe cost, almost completely ruined, it indeed blocked!
The light from the shockwave gradually fades.
The Black Robed Wizard looks incredulously at the twisted, deformed, and utterly tragic arm still attached to Jeming’s shoulder.
And behind that arm, the face faintly twitching in pain yet with corners uncontrollably pulling up, revealing an excited smile mixed with extreme agony and ecstasy.
Jeming lifts the almost flesh-stripped right arm barely connected by some skin, the pain causing his voice to tremble yet each word crystal clear, carrying irrepressible excitement and relief:
"Finally... adapted...!"