With his mental force, Ye Yin precisely locked onto the location and power level of every tracker. Two Spirit Emperors and five Spirit Kings. Shadow Stream had certainly sent a powerful team.
"Move!"
The moment the assassins followed the decoys into a narrow, dead-end alley, Ye Yin's icy command echoed inside the minds of Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, Tang San, and Dugu Yan.
The two cloaked figures in front suddenly spun around, tearing off their disguises. It wasn't Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing at all, but Tang San and another Spirit Emperor from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School! At that same instant, the real Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing launched themselves from the low rooftops on both sides like tigers uncaged.
White Tiger Vajra Transformation! Hell Civet Possession!
A furious tiger's roar and a wave of chilling killing intent erupted in the confined space.
"Damn it! It's a trap!"
The Shadow Stream assassins reacted with incredible speed. Realizing they had been lured into an ambush, they immediately tried to scatter and retreat, but it was already too late.
"Blue Silver Prison!"
Tang San's third spirit ability, which he had prepared in advance, activated instantly. Countless thick vines of Blue Silver Grass shot out from the ground and walls like living serpents, sealing the alley's entrance and ensnaring a Spirit King who was a fraction too slow. The control wasn't powerful enough to hold them for long, but a single moment was all they needed.
"Jade Phosphor Violet Poison!"
Dugu Yan appeared at the other end of the alley, a thick, purple mist spewing from her mouth. The poison cloud spread instantly, blocking the only other escape route and aggressively corroding the assassins' spirit power shields. Even as a Spirit Ancestor, Dugu Yan's poison was potent enough that even Spirit Emperors wouldn't dare to face it directly.
Dai Mubai immediately engaged one of the Spirit Emperors, unleashing a White Tiger Meteor Shower that slammed into his opponent like a barrage of cannonballs. Like a ghost in the shadows, Zhu Zhuqing entangled the other Spirit Emperor, her razor-sharp claws striking at his vital points with blinding speed. High above, Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda pulsed with light, buffing her allies, while Xiao Wu stood ready at another vantage point, her sole purpose to prevent anyone from escaping.
The battle exploded in an instant. The clash of spirit abilities and furious roars echoed off the narrow alley walls. The Shadow Stream assassins were clearly well-trained; even in an ambush, they formed a defensive formation and attempted to counterattack. The Spirit Emperor fighting Dai Mubai, whose spirit was a vicious black dagger, was a level sixty-two expert. He was significantly stronger than Dai Mubai and quickly managed to stabilize himself, even beginning to push Dai Mubai back.
But their worst nightmare was just about to begin.
Ye Yin, who had remained hidden while controlling the battlefield with his mental force, finally made his move. His first target was the Spirit Emperor who was suppressing Dai Mubai.
Fourth Spirit Ability: Mental Curse!
Effect: When moving at high speed or using agile spirit abilities, the target will be overcome by the illusion that "I am the coolest," and will be compelled to perform exaggerated, flashy, and utterly pointless rolls and turns.
The Spirit Emperor, who was in the middle of a fierce attack, suddenly froze. He had been about to use a complex footwork technique to get around Dai Mubai's guard, but an irresistible thought flooded his mind: If I add a swallow flip to this move, it'll look incredible!
And so, under Dai Mubai's astonished gaze, the assassin's deadly thrust transformed into a theatrical, ridiculously flashy pose. He not only missed Dai Mubai completely but also exposed his entire back. At the same time, he shouted, "Everyone, look at me!"
Though stunned for a second, Dai Mubai's combat instincts took over. He fired a White Tiger Luminous Wave without hesitation.
Bang!
The Spirit Emperor was struck squarely in the back. He let out a scream and pitched forward, spitting blood.
[Resentment from Shadow Stream Spirit Emperor +66!]
"What's happening?!" he gasped, shocked and furious, completely unable to understand why he had just made such a suicidal move. As he tried to get back on his feet, the illusion of "I am the coolest" flooded his mind once again.
No! That landing wasn't elegant enough! I'll do a pigeon roll to soften the impact. That will definitely impress them!
Under the strange stares of everyone present, the powerful Spirit Emperor began his one-man show in the middle of the alley, performing a series of rolls, turns, and poses, each one leaving him wide open. Dai Mubai almost couldn't bring himself to hit him again.
Seeing this, the other Spirit Emperor was horrified. He knew they had stumbled into something terrible and decided to retreat. He tried to shake Zhu Zhuqing and escape into the shadows.
Ye Yin's Mental Curse descended again.
Effect: When attempting to merge with shadows or use clones, the main body and all clones will uncontrollably begin to perform an extremely comical tap dance. The footfalls will be exceptionally loud, making concealment impossible.
The Spirit Emperor had just transformed into a black shadow, about to melt into the corner of a wall, when his feet suddenly began to stomp wildly on the ground against his will.
Da da da! Da da da!
The crisp, loud sound of tap dancing was jarringly out of place in the alley. To make matters worse, his shadow clones all began to perform the exact same dance in perfect, synchronized rhythm. The scene was both awkward and hilarious. Zhu Zhuqing stared, stunned, almost bursting into laughter.
[Resentment from Shadow Stream Spirit Emperor +66!]
"Ahhh! This is evil magic! Evil magic!" the Shadow Spirit Emperor screamed, his mind completely collapsing as he tap-danced frantically and roared in despair.
With the two strongest Spirit Emperors driven to a mental breakdown, their combat power reduced to almost nothing, the remaining Spirit Kings fared even worse. One suddenly began practicing a passionate speech against the wall. Another started frantically trying to tidy his perfectly neat hair. A third began throwing his weapons on the ground like a sulking child.
The entire elite assassination squad from Shadow Stream had been turned into a complete farce by Ye Yin's bizarre curses.
Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others barely had to try as they subdued the assassins one by one, crippling their spirit power while they were lost in their own worlds. The battle was over with shocking speed.
The assassins lay scattered across the alley in various strange states. Dai Mubai looked at the surreal scene and took a deep breath. "Yin Ge, what's the plan now?"
Ye Yin's figure slowly emerged from the mouth of the alley, a gentle, harmless smile on his face. "What now?" he asked softly. "Simple. We take photos and videos of our guests, and then... we package them up and send them to Prince Dai Weisi as a return gift."
He took out a memory spirit guiding crystal and began carefully choosing his angles, making sure to get clear recordings of the Spirit Emperor still doing a swallow flip, the other tap-dancing, and the Spirit Kings giving speeches and sulking. He made sure to zoom in for close-ups of their collapsed, desperate, and utterly humiliated expressions.
"I'm sure Prince Dai Weisi's face will be very interesting when he receives this generous gift," Ye Yin said with a pleasant smile.
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