Chapter 137 – That Heart-Stopping Glimpse of Pale Skin

Deep within the mountain forest, at the artificial lake.

At this moment, a torrential downpour began here.

The enormous splashes of water exploded into a curtain of rain, pouring down with a roaring sound, causing the surface of the artificial lake to churn violently under the countless droplets.

The surrounding trees were also drenched by the rain, gradually becoming soaked.

Su Ming and Xu Qianqian had also reached the shore, bathed in the rain, their clothes completely drenched.

“……”

“……”

The man and woman stood silently on the shore, gazing at each other without a word for a long time.

Especially Xu Qianqian, who glanced at her clothes clinging tightly to her body due to being wet, revealing the color of her skin beneath, her eyes carrying a trace of resentment as she stared at Su Ming.

“I didn’t mean to…”

Su Ming couldn’t help but let his eyes drift toward Xu Qianqian’s figure, weakly defending himself as he stole glances.

Heaven bear witness, he truly only meant to blast apart the waves to prevent them from being swallowed by the lake water.

Yet, in the end, both of them were still drenched. How was this outcome any different from being directly swallowed by the waves and falling into the lake?

Xu Qianqian clearly thought the same, which was why she had been staring at Su Ming with such resentment.

Su Ming could only avert his gaze, no longer looking at Xu Qianqian.

Although the view was beautiful, if he kept staring, the Young Miss would surely lose her temper.

When that happened, it would be impossible for him to avoid shedding blood.

Well, physical bloodshed.

“Sigh…”

Xu Qianqian could only let out a soft sigh, letting the matter drop as she turned her gaze toward the artificial lake.

There, the figure of the Mermaid Girl had completely vanished, without a trace left behind.

“Did she hide at the bottom of the lake?”

Xu Qianqian murmured softly.

“Pretty obvious,” Su Ming replied, glad that Xu Qianqian had changed the subject, and readily agreed. “Seems we scared her.”

That much was also clear.

It was no wonder she reacted that way.

“In this world, she’s probably been constantly hunted and pursued, right?” Su Ming remarked. “With that kind of experience, it’s not strange for her to hide from us.”

Don’t assume Phantom Demons are mindless, brutal beasts—they too can feel fear, terror, and the urge to flee.

An injured beast may be dangerous, but even in the wild, when wounded, beasts know to retreat and avoid confrontation, let alone Phantom Demons.

That mermaid youngster, having experienced relentless pursuit and hunting, had clearly developed a timid wariness toward humans.

So, upon seeing Su Ming and Xu Qianqian, the Mermaid Girl had immediately fled in fright without a word, and now she had even hidden at the bottom of the lake, too afraid to come out.

“True.”

Xu Qianqian thought it over and understood the Mermaid Girl’s behavior.

But now, as for what to do next, the Young Miss found herself at a loss again.

“Should we try to call her out?”

Xu Qianqian turned to Su Ming, seeking his opinion.

Su Ming also turned to look at Xu Qianqian, only to be met with a heart-stopping glimpse of fair skin that sent his mind reeling, nearly causing him to experience Qi Deviation.

Xu Qianqian quickly covered her collar, her gaze toward Su Ming now tinged with a hint of Killing Intent.

“Ahem.” Su Ming coughed dryly. “I don’t think she’ll come out easily.””But we can’t just leave her here, can we?” Xu Qianqian frowned as she spoke. “Not only are the Base City Executives and underground mercenary organizations secretly watching her, but her very existence is a source of chaos. If we abandon her here, who knows what might happen in the future?”

The Mermaid Girl was ultimately just a juvenile. Though she possessed a noble Bloodline and held the potential to evolve into a Nightmare Species, she lacked the power of an upper-tier Phantom Demon before fully maturing.

A juvenile without the strength of an upper-tier Phantom Demon, yet bearing the Bloodline of one—a Bloodline with the potential to evolve—was an incredibly tempting prize. Once her whereabouts were exposed, everyone would want a piece of her.

By then, Longyao City, having just endured a brutal battle, would likely plunge into turmoil once more.

Even Su Ming wanted to avoid such a scenario, let alone Xu Qianqian, who came from a prominent and powerful family.

This was why Xu Qianqian found herself at a loss, uncertain how to proceed with handling the juvenile.

As for Su Ming, perhaps because he already possessed the Bloodline of a Nightmare Species and his strength had greatly increased, his mindset had shifted somewhat compared to before.

“What else do you propose?” Su Ming said, as if it were none of his concern. “Do you plan to take her back to the Xu Family?”

That was indeed a tempting idea.

If the Xu Family learned they were about to acquire a Nightmare Species Bloodline, Xu Qianqian’s contribution would be immense—she might even be considered as the next heir.

Moreover, the sheer allure of everything the Nightmare Species Bloodline could offer—a ticket to the Seven-Star level—was hard to resist, even for someone like Xu Qianqian.

Of course, Xu Qianqian appeared quite composed.

“I no longer desire her Bloodline,” she stated. “It hasn’t fully evolved into a Nightmare Species yet.”

The implication was clear: it could be abandoned.

However, Xu Qianqian seemed unwilling to let the Bloodline fall into someone else’s hands.

If it did, the power dynamics in Longyao City would inevitably shift, affecting the Xu Family. And if their rivals obtained it, the Xu Family would face even greater challenges.

For this reason, Xu Qianqian neither wanted the Bloodline nor could she stand idly by and do nothing.

“For now, let’s keep her with us,” Xu Qianqian suggested, settling on this less-than-ideal solution.

“Fine.”

Su Ming shrugged.

He wasn’t particularly keen on getting involved with the juvenile, fearing it might bring trouble later.

But then he reconsidered: even if he distanced himself from her, when chaos erupted in Longyao City because of her, could he truly avoid being dragged into it?

Rather than being passively swept up, it was better to keep the source of chaos close, at least giving him some control over the situation.

Besides, with the Demon Binding Spell Formula, this juvenile—who had such high potential to evolve into a Nightmare Species—was practically already in his grasp.

If this child really did evolve into a Nightmare Species in the future, wouldn’t he have a Nightmare Species as a subordinate?

The thought alone made Su Ming feel a surge of excitement.

With that, Su Ming raised his hand, preparing to activate the Demon Binding Spell Formula once more.But the pained cry that had erupted when he first activated [Demon Binding] suddenly echoed in Su Ming’s mind, causing his movements to falter slightly.

A few seconds later, Su Ming changed the spell formula he was using.

“[Forty-Fifth Form: Rising Force Binding Stream].”

Su Ming employed a technique capable of detecting life, revealing all living beings within a certain range.

Back then, the sorcerers from the Underground Mercenary Group had used this same technique to track down the Mermaid Girl.

Now, Su Ming followed their example, allowing waves of Spirit Power to expand from his body, sweeping across the entire artificial lake like a radar scanner.

Before long, Su Ming detected a particularly vibrant life form moving restlessly at a certain spot on the lakebed.

“Found you.”

A faint smile curled at the corner of Su Ming’s lips as four circular arrays materialized around his wrist.

“[Thirty-Third Form: Stasis Lock].”

Invisible chains erupted around Su Ming, soaring through the air like unseen pythons.

“Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!”…

The invisible chains diving through the air plunged into the artificial lake, sending explosive sprays of water high into the air as they penetrated deep into the lakebed.

They writhed through the water, churning up waves in their wake.

They stirred the lake, creating a swirling vortex at its center.

Gradually, the artificial lake became turbulent, with rumbling sounds from the depths informing Su Ming and Xu Qianqian on the shore of the turmoil below.

Until finally, the largest spray of water yet erupted from the lake surface, creating another spectacular downpour.

Amid the spray, the Mermaid Girl fled in panic, as if pursued by something terrifying.

And indeed she was.

One after another, invisible chains emerged from the lakebed, intertwining and crisscrossing to form a massive net that encircled the Mermaid Girl.

Ripples of water energy emanated from the Mermaid Girl’s body, transforming the surrounding space into something like a lake surface, creating waves that deflected the incoming invisible chains.

Having been hunted by the Underground Mercenary Group using [Stasis Lock] before, the Mermaid Girl seemed to have gained some experience dealing with it.

Unfortunately, those who had previously used [Stasis Lock] to capture her were merely Two-Star Sorcerers.

This time, the one employing [Stasis Lock] was Su Ming, who had already undergone Awakening, obtained the Vision Mark, and become an Upper-Rank Sorcerer.

“You can’t escape, you know?”

Su Ming delivered another villainous declaration, lacking only a sinister “Heh heh heh” laugh to complete the image.

Under Su Ming’s control, the invisible chains danced back and forth, trapping the Mermaid Girl above the artificial lake with no means of escape.

And then…

“[Fiftieth Form: Drowning Torrent Steaming].”

The circular arrays around Su Ming’s wrist increased to five, unleashing a powerful surge of Spirit Power.

The next moment, something marvelous occurred.

“Boom!”

The water waves continuously emanating from around the Mermaid Girl began boiling as if heated, directly vaporizing and evaporating.

“Miling!”

The sudden transformation made the Mermaid Girl pale with fright.

But by the time she reacted, it was already too late.

One after another, invisible chains abruptly wrapped around the Mermaid Girl’s petite body, like a spiderweb ensnaring its prey.

“Miling! Miling!”The Mermaid Girl struggled, ripples of water surging around her body, accompanied by waves of chilling cold, her Aura formidable.

Unfortunately, bolstered by Su Ming’s immense Spirit Power, the 【Stasis Lock】 executed through his hands possessed an extremely high restraining force—far beyond what the still-developing Mermaid Girl, who merely possessed a Bloodline but remained at the lower Phantom Demon level in strength, could break free from.

Dragged by the invisible chains, the Mermaid Girl was pulled before Su Ming.

“Done.”

Su Ming clapped his hands, brimming with confidence.

Xu Qianqian gazed at the Mermaid Girl, her eyes sparkling.

The Mermaid Girl slumped on the ground, trembling as she looked at Su Ming and Xu Qianqian.

Her demeanor resembled that of a bullied little girl.

(End of Chapter)