Chapter 312: On the Verge of Losing Control
Chapter 312: Chapter 312: On the Verge of Losing Control
The faint, bizarre odor hovering in the air continued to drift, its subtle scent pervasive and inescapable.
Yun Sheng’s nose twitched slightly as she unconsciously furrowed her brows. The spiritual power gathering in her palms grew increasingly dense, keeping her on high alert for any sudden developments.
Right at this moment, the arm wrapped around her waist tightened abruptly. Bai Ye’s arm clamped around her without warning. The force was so immense that it caused a slight ache in Yun Sheng’s waist. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked up to ask, "Wha—"
The word died in her throat.
Something was terribly wrong with Bai Ye. His thick brows were tightly knitted, and his sharp jawline was starkly rigid. The aura around him was completely contracted, as if he was trying with all his might to endure and suppress something. The most terrifying part was his normally deep, dark eyes, which were now slowly bleeding with fractured streaks of crimson.
A strong sense of unease instantly surged in Yun Sheng, causing her heart to sink. She immediately realized that this scent might be an induction agent specifically targeted at Sentinels. But the odor was so faint it was nearly imperceptible. The ordinary people around them had no reaction whatsoever. As a top-tier SSS-level Sentinel, Bai Ye possessed spiritual power and a physical constitution that far exceeded those of average humans. How could he be so easily affected by such a weak scent?
Amid her confusion, Yun Sheng caught sight of Bai Ye’s arm from the corner of her eye, instantly recalling what had happened earlier. During the sneak attack by the two men Xing Che had dragged over, Bai Ye’s arm had been scratched by the needle they used as a weapon.
That had to be it. The lingering toxins from the injection were lying dormant in his body, completely disrupting his Spirit Barrier. That was the only way this faint induction agent could have exploited his vulnerability!
As these thoughts flashed through her mind, panic and anxiety seized her. She immediately grabbed Bai Ye’s arm, lowering her voice to ask hurriedly with worry, "Are you okay? Does it hurt?"
Simultaneously, she quietly released her gentle and soothing spiritual power, delicately probing Bai Ye’s wrist. She rubbed against it softly, attempting to ease his discomfort and suppress the surging anomaly within him.
Bai Ye lowered his eyes to look at her. The crimson in his eyes showed no signs of fading; instead, it seemed to be intensifying. A physiological, feverish heat and chaos frantically churned within him. Even so, the gaze he fixed on Yun Sheng remained unbelievably tender.
"I’m fine. It’ll pass if I just endure it for a bit."
Yun Sheng was not reassured by his words, her frown deepening. "Is it caused by the residue from the previous injection? This scent is aimed entirely at you! Cover your nose and mouth quickly and try not to inhale any more of it!"
His gaze was heavy. Bai Ye was fully aware of his own condition, knowing this was a trap set long ago by those hiding in the shadows. He gave a slight nod, his tone remaining steady as he tried his best to put Yun Sheng at ease.
"I know. Don’t worry, I won’t lose control. I’ll be fine."
Standing nearby, Xing Che took in their entire conversation. His indifferent gaze swept over the scratch left by the syringe on Bai Ye’s arm before he spoke expressionlessly. "Their real killing blow will most likely be launched the moment the exit is fully cleared. When the doorway is free of obstacles, the crowd swarms out to escape, and everyone lowers their guard—that will be the perfect time for them to strike."
Bai Ye nodded, agreeing with his assessment. At that moment, the chaotic spiritual power within him surged violently. The crimson in his eyes deepened, and a numbing, feverish heat coursed through his limbs and bones, leaving even his fingertips slightly stiff. He was well aware that his condition was rapidly deteriorating. Even if he could hold out and avoid completely losing control, there was no guarantee nothing would go wrong when they were attacked.
With this in mind, he cast a solemn glance at Yun Sheng, suppressed the stifling tightness in his throat, and spoke to Xing Che. "Later, if my condition worsens and I can’t manage this side, protect her for me."
These words marked a rare display of vulnerability for someone as powerful as him, revealing his bottom line—he would exhaust everything to keep Yun Sheng safe. Faced with Yun Sheng’s safety, everything else could take a back seat.
Hearing this, Xing Che’s eyes paused for a moment as he gave Bai Ye a profound look. He understood the compromise and worry embedded in those words, and he knew Bai Ye was currently not in a good state. He didn’t take the opportunity to mock him, nor did he drag things out unnecessarily. He merely maintained a cold face and said indifferently, "Even if you didn’t say it, I would still protect Shengsheng."
Yun Sheng’s heart tightened upon hearing this. She unconsciously tightened her grip on Bai Ye’s sleeve, an indescribable sense of unease and urgency pressing heavily on her mind, refusing to dissipate.
Soon, the noise of obstacles being cleared outside the main doors grew louder. The sounds of rolling rubble and shifting steel frames became increasingly distinct. Piercing light seeped in bit by bit through the gaps, signaling that the exit would soon be completely opened.
The crowd in the hall grew completely restless. Everyone scrambled to squeeze closer to the doors, their bodies tense as they eagerly waited to be the first ones to rush out and escape. Their minds were entirely filled with the joy of breaking free, completely oblivious to the hidden dangers.
Right then, the faint, bizarre odor in the air abruptly thickened. It was no longer the nearly imperceptible scent from before. Instead, it suddenly intensified, drilling into their nasal cavities with every breath, silently enveloping the entire area.
Bai Ye’s expression drastically changed in an instant. The crimson in his eyes suddenly flared, and the chaotic spiritual power within him bolted out of control. Without a moment’s hesitation, he grabbed Yun Sheng and violently retreated, pulling them safely away from the hazardous, densely packed crowd.
Almost at the exact same moment he fell back, several dark figures lunged out from the gloomy corners on both sides of the hall. Moving with blinding speed, they charged straight in their direction. This time, the assailants didn’t launch a close-quarters ambush. Right from the start, they unleashed a wide-range spiritual power attack.
A violent, frigid wave of Spiritual Suppression instantly crashed down over everything. It was highly targeted, blatantly aimed at the unstable Bai Ye and Yun Sheng.
While being carried backward by Bai Ye, Yun Sheng reacted immediately. The gentle spiritual power she had already gathered in her palms instantly unfurled, steadily enveloping both herself and Bai Ye to form a solid Spirit Barrier.
The moment the barrier blocked the impact, Bai Ye suddenly exerted his power. His top-tier spiritual power erupted with a roar. A chilling, dominant, and intensely oppressive Spirit Shock crashed straight forward, forcefully tearing the assailants’ spiritual onslaught to shreds.
Xing Che, standing nearby, moved with astonishing speed, striking out almost simultaneously with Bai Ye. Two top-tier streams of SSS-level spiritual power—one cold and the other fierce—crushed down layer upon layer.
Under the combined suppression of the two peak experts, the attackers instantly crumbled, firmly suppressed until their attacks dissipated.
Yun Sheng’s heart settled a little, and she let out a secret sigh of relief. But in that fleeting moment, an ear-piercing scream suddenly rang out.
"Ah!"
It was Su Wan’s voice.
Yun Sheng immediately looked toward the sound, only to see that the attackers—unable to close the distance due to the suppression—had actually changed direction and were ambushing Su Wan. These people were ruthless and straightforward. Unable to gain the slightest advantage in a frontal assault, they immediately picked the softest target, intending to use Su Wan as a hostage to keep Yun Sheng and the others in check.
Although the few bodyguards around Su Wan were also Sentinels, they were only B-level. They couldn’t possibly withstand the sudden ambush. Several icy waves of Spiritual Suppression abruptly locked onto Su Wan, crushing down on her ruthlessly.
There was no way Su Wan could withstand this kind of attack. Her body instantly went rigid, her scalp tingling in terror. Her legs gave out, nearly sending her collapsing to the ground, leaving her to instinctively let out a terrified scream.