The Creatures That We Are-Chapter 1128: Five Seconds

—Why are you hiding here? I’ve been looking for you!

—Why, did someone bully you? I’ll teach them a lesson!

Sent flying, Gao Yang saw it as a chance to put some distance between him and Wang Zikai. He immediately used his replicated Invisibility.

He hadn’t used it during the first two seconds since he was too close to Pride and thus within his range of attack. There would’ve been no point in turning invisible. And there was always the possibility that Pride would be able to detect him.

The Talent wouldn’t guarantee his safety. Gao Yang only wished that it would buy him 1.5 seconds to use Absolute Barrier or Spatial Jump—the latter being his move of choice in this instance, since the golden energy of a forming barrier would expose him.

Although Spatial Jump would create energy ripples, too, it would be slight. From afar, perhaps he could avoid Pride’s detection by being invisible...

No, he was being naive.

In a flash of gold, Pride pursued in the direction Gao Yang had disappeared in, all the while a powerful heartbeat thumped and unleashed an energy ripple that instantly covered the night sky. That interrupted Gao Yang’s Spatial Jump and exposed him.

Gao Yang heard his own heartbeat responding to Pride’s. It wasn’t a conscious move on his part, but a weakling’s instinctual submission to the intimidation of a stronger being.

Pride’s lips curled into a cold smile.

Found you.

Three seconds.

—Here, give me your hand!

—Wimp, getting so nervous just from vaulting over the wall. I usually walk out through the front gate when I skip classes.

Gao Yang concentrated and attempted to go invisible once more. Pride puffed out his chest and spread his arms, as if he was embracing the night sky, or a sharp object had pierced through his back. His blond hair melted into shimmering radiance, and his eyes cooled into light green gems.

Hum.

The space within Pride’s one-kilometer radius stilled. Gao Yang saw a flash of green, then he was flying. He saw the back of his own head.

Realization hit him. That was an AOE soul shock. The spiritual storm was sweeping his soul out of his body!

He was already seeing his back. He tried to hold onto something, but found no purchase. His soul was about to fly away like a kite with the thread cut.

But suddenly, a spiritual force grasped onto him, originating from Gao Yang’s left arm...the bite mark Fresh Snow left on him!

The two rows of teeth imprint a young Fresh Snow had left on Gao Yang glowed with faint green curse power. It attached Gao Yang’s soul firmly to his body like rows of pins. The kite that was his soul did not get lost in the violet storm.

Four seconds.

...

—My place is a bit messy. Make yourself at home.

—I’ll order delivery. It’ll take some time to arrive.

Gao Yang’s soul settled back into his body. Pride’s AOE soul shock ended. He remained in the same posture, his arms spread and his head lifted. His now golden eyes darted to Gao Yang a hundred meters from him, his tousled blond hair obscuring his eyes.

The moment his eyes met with Gao Yang’s, Gao Yang saw the glint of the Grim Reaper’s scythe.

Absolute Defense!

Gao Yang didn’t think Pride would give him 1.5 seconds to form the barrier. He wouldn’t even give him half a second.

Thus, Gao Yang first created a barrier in the front in 0.3 seconds at the price of damaging part of his energy pathway, which might be the only way for him to survive another second.

And he was right.

Pride’s fist slammed into the single barrier, his left arm almost translucent with a golden wing of light stretching from his left shoulder blade. An impossible power poured out, only to meet the Absolute Barrier that could defend against everything.

Energy great enough to topple mountains and evaporate oceans surged along Pride’s wing. Broken threads of light instantly covered the night sky, turning the dome into a cracked land of gold.

While Gao Yang had endured the punch, the wall of the Absolute Barrier before him had stopped stretching to form a complete barrier.

Yes, it stopped.

Then the single wall before Gao Yang vanished; instead, one much greater wall appeared behind him, almost cutting the night sky in half with its sheer scale.

Gao Yang didn’t know what had happened.

The truth was that Pride had made the punch before Gao Yang’s Absolute Barrier could finish taking shape. The wall endured the attack and reflected the power. Then Pride’s Left Hand of God caught the reflection, considering the Absolute Barrier and the reflected damage both as an energy attack, thus circumventing the restrictions the barrier should’ve posed.

Then it was as simple as Pride doubling the power and retaliating in kind. The wall of Absolute Barrier thus formed behind Gao Yang, cutting off his escape route while he faced Pride.

Suddenly, Gao Yang remembered the afternoon they had skipped class together. They walked to a wall side by side, ready to vault over it.

Five seconds.