Energetisch

Kapitel 12

Chapter Seven

"let's go."

Ma Ming issued the final orders before the battle began.

The trio looked at Feng Xi with awe. He was now mysterious and unpredictable, as if he were hidden behind a fog. Although his features were distinct, they could not capture a clear impression of him—except for a sharp, somewhat ferocious smile on his lips.

Shen Fengxi shifted his feet, and the three people immediately moved to either side. Shen Fengxi ignored them and continued walking forward. The silver chain engraved with the character "谨" (Jin, meaning cautious) hung on his wrist, gleaming like the morning star. Wu Bing, watching his retreating figure, suddenly felt as if the other was standing on Mount Everest while he himself was at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

Chu Yunnan asked Ma Ming what he had done, but Ma Ming smiled and did not answer. He only told them not to overthink it, and then began his speech by showing the relationship between the "survival rate at the fire scene" and "calmness and composure".

“How can we stay calm…” Chu Yunnan muttered, nudging Dong Hua with his elbow. The latter grunted but said nothing.

A group of five people slowly walked into this gloomy and terrifying administration building. If this scene needed background music, then the most suitable one would be "The wind is howling, the Yi River is cold"...

"Attention, from now on you must be on your guard." Ma Ming took out his "Qing" character bracelet, wrapped it around his wrist, pinched a talisman and stuffed it into the muzzle of the six-barreled machine gun, then hoisted the entire gun up.

Chu Yunnan groaned, "Aren't you Taoist priests?" He pointed tremblingly at the gun, "What is this?"

Ma Ming turned around and smiled: "It is a symbol of the prosperity of our motherland and the progress of our people in keeping with the times."

There was no air conditioning inside, yet the temperature was extremely low. There was even a light frost on the stairs and windowsills, and scattered crystals were faintly visible in the air. Without any explanation, anyone would think it was a large icebox.

All the lights were off, plunging the surroundings into darkness. Strangely, the five people could still see with their own eyes that a faint light emanating from somewhere illuminated everything with an eerie glow, even tinged with a faint green, like a ghostly realm or the underworld. The spiral staircase in the center of the administration building lay sprawled on the ground like a green monster, its twisted body contorting into spirals leading to the top floor, each step radiating an eerie light.

“I’ll lead the charge, the three of you follow me, and junior brother, you’ll cover the rear.”

“No.” Shen Fengxi refused decisively and walked straight ahead. “I hate walking at the back of the group the most.”

Ma Ming rubbed his brow and sighed at his junior brother's unruly behavior.

This place is exceptionally dangerous; every step could lead to something terrible. If Ma Ming were in front, he could handle the situation properly and fully consider the safety of the three behind him. However, if Feng Xi were to lead the way, given his personality, he would only fight his way through without considering anyone else. Now that he refused to cover the rear, Ma Ming had no choice but to stay at the back of the group, then told the three to be careful. He instructed Dong Hua to follow closely behind Feng Xi; Dong Hua was skilled in escape techniques and should be able to protect himself if danger arose. Behind Dong Hua was Chu Yunnan; Chu Yunnan was equipped with magical artifacts and tools, and even if his own cultivation was insufficient, the power of the artifacts themselves would be more than enough to save his life. Wu Bing followed Chu Yunnan; his mind was the calmest, and if anything happened ahead, he would have ample time to assess the situation and coordinate with Ma Ming to counterattack.

This is the formation that Ma Ming painstakingly devised, and today is its first real-world test—hopefully not the last.

The five people lined up and walked towards the stairs.

The first two floors were climbed without incident; apart from the temperature dropping, nothing happened.

Upon reaching the third floor, several infant-like human figures descended from the ceiling. Their faces were indistinct, and their bodies dripped with a suspicious green liquid. As soon as they landed, they lunged at the five people, emitting piercing baby cries. Chu Yunnan and the others opened and closed their mouths, but their screams were stuck in their throats.

"Get out of my way!"

Shen Fengxi gave a deep shout, kicked one of the little demons hard against the wall with his right foot, and then walked forward. Dong Hua and Chu Yunnan were terrified and at a loss, holding their magical artifacts but not knowing how to use them. Only Wu Bing managed to remain calm. Holding a peach wood sword, he hypnotized himself, "This is just an arcade, I'm playing a game," while calmly observing their flight paths to strike. The little demons that were struck were left with light purple wounds on their bodies.

"Hurry, these guys are automated. Once we're out of their detection range, we'll be safe!"

As Ma Ming roared, he raised the six-barreled machine gun, pulled the trigger, and the massive mechanical gun barrel roared and began to spin. The six barrels successively sprayed out cinnabar talismans at extremely high speeds, transforming into six continuous yellow lines that rushed towards the spirits. As soon as the spirits approached the yellow talismans, they let out shrill cries and burned to ashes.

Dong Hua and Chu Yunnan seized the opportunity to rush forward, while Wu Bing turned back to ask Ma Ming, "Master, do you need help?"

“Just stick close to my junior brother,” Ma Ming replied, grabbing Wu Bing’s arm and instructing him, “Don’t let him make a move; save his strength for last.”

"clear."

So the three of them followed Shen Fengxi up the stairs. When they reached the fourth floor, they found Fengxi standing motionless in front of them. Following Fengxi's gaze, they couldn't help but gasp.

Blocking the stairs was a wall of flesh and blood. The wall appeared to be entirely made of human bones and flesh, with even clearly visible blood vessels and nerve endings. The entire wall writhed incessantly, emitting muffled grinding sounds, and occasionally a few bloody bubbles would rise, like the eyes of the dead, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.

Shen Fengxi snorted coldly and raised his hand to smash the wall.

Wu Bing hurriedly hugged him, crying out, "Master said you should save your strength for last!"

"Get out of my way!" Feng Xi shouted impatiently. "How am I supposed to get up there if I don't break through?"

"We'll talk about it when Master arrives."

Wu Bing winked at Dong Hua and Chu Yunnan, and the three of them swarmed forward and pinned Feng Xi to the ground. The four of them rolled around in front of the wall of flesh, looking quite comical. Feng Xi, having been harassed for so long, was furious. Just as he decided to give these reckless guys a good beating without hesitation, Ma Ming finally arrived.

"These are all evil corpse-controlling techniques from the Maoshan Sect. It seems that guy went to great lengths to prevent us from getting close," Ma Ming remarked, gazing at the wall of flesh.

"I quite like the phrase 'losing everything' when it's used to describe someone's wallet or life," Feng Xi replied. At the same time, he assumed a fighting stance, his left hand forming a hand seal, his right hand preparing to deliver a punch. However, his fist was blocked mid-air by Ma Ming.

"Don't forget... save it for last."

Shen Fengxi stared at Ma Ming's unusually serious eyes for a long time before reluctantly lowering his hand: "Hurry up."

"I know."

Ma Ming turned around and gave a series of instructions to the three men. These three had undergone three days of intensive training and were surprisingly well-trained, attacking separately and coordinating their attacks with practiced ease, just like old comrades-in-arms.

They formed a peculiar array that could stimulate the body's own power, creating a network composed of their consciousness. This not-too-large spiritual network was enveloped by the three of them against the fleshy wall.

Wu Bing shouted: "Stop!"

Chu Yunnan and Dong Hua simultaneously closed their eyes and chanted incantations on either side. The spiritual net suddenly contracted, tightly constricting the flesh wall like a net trapping a watermelon. The three exerted force simultaneously, the net tightening further, and although the flesh wall became somewhat loosened, it remained unmoved. At this moment, Ma Ming, already prepared, pulled a small golden hammer from his robes and leaped forward. After its struggle, the flesh wall had exposed its weakest point. Ma Ming saw this, raised the hammer, and smashed it down. The flesh wall let out a mournful cry, crashed to the ground, and turned into a large pool of pus and blood.

"All done, let's go." Ma Ming put the hammer away and casually called to the others.

Without a word, Feng Xi turned and left. The three men looked at the pus and blood with disgust, covered their noses, and tried to avoid it.

Ma Ming laughed and said, "Being clean is a good thing, but don't be too fastidious tonight."

Dong Hua's face was pale, and he subconsciously pulled up his trouser leg. He looked behind the stairs and suddenly felt something strange: it was as if something terrifying was following closely behind. Thinking of this, his back went numb. He wanted to tell Ma Ming, but Chu Yunnan grabbed him and shouted, "Let's go!" Dong Hua had no choice but to shut up and grip the magic weapon even tighter.

Everything went smoothly from then on.

They rushed up to the 6th floor in one go.

The three men revisited the same spot and saw again the narrow entrance in the ceiling leading to the roof. It was from here that they had climbed to the top floor a few days earlier, releasing endless yin energy and committing a grave mistake.

At this moment, the place was shrouded in black mist, and the entrance, like the gates of hell, exuded a terrifying aura, as if it were about to suck away all light and hope. An unidentified, sticky substance, similar in texture to the fleshy wall, dripped and gurgled down from there. This dark red slime twisted and contorted into different shapes on the ladder's handrail, resembling slugs.

"Are we really going to climb up from here?" Chu Yunnan asked cautiously.

Ma Ming smiled and said, "Didn't I just remind you?"

With no other choice, the five of them stood in a row and began to file up to the roof from the entrance. Feng Xi was the first, followed by Wu Bing, Chu Yunnan, and Dong Hua, with Ma Ming bringing up the rear.

When it was Dong Hua's turn, he suddenly asked Ma Ming nervously, "Teacher Ma, did you hear that sound?"

Ma Ming tilted his head to listen, then replied, "Nothing special, why?"

"I always feel..."

“There are still many things to worry about. For example, your exams, and my salary.” Ma Ming gave him a push, and Dong Hua had no choice but to climb up, but his unease grew stronger.

When he finally reached the rooftop, Dong Hua found everyone frozen in place like statues. He wiped his sweat, followed everyone's gaze, and froze instantly.

Before them stood a massive wooden altar. The altar was crudely made, constructed of boxwood and plywood, clearly hastily erected. Numerous small ornaments, predominantly purple, black, and green, rustled in the wind, their eerie sounds adding to the altar's mystique. Around the altar was a coffin. Like the altar, the coffins were hastily constructed wooden boxes, easily mistaken for ordinary, one-person-high wooden boxes. Their surfaces were unpainted, revealing unsightly knots and grain. Inside each of the four coffins lay a person—

There were four girls, probably the four from dormitory 416. They lay in the coffin, their arms crossed over their chests, their eyes closed, their faces pale, and a purple aura extending from their foreheads to their snow-white necks.

Each of the four coffins was tied with a red rope, which intersected at the top of the altar, forming a complex knot. This knot was then connected to other silk threads, creating a blood-red net in mid-air. In the center of this net stood a young girl draped in a burial shroud—Xiao Gu.

At this moment, Xiao Gu's face was even paler than the burial shroud she wore; a living person couldn't be so devoid of any life force. Her handsome features, accentuated by this pale complexion, exuded an even more chilling aura. Her arms, suspended by red ropes, were stretched to an unbelievable distance from her body, as if they didn't belong to her at all. To put it metaphorically, it was like breaking the joints of a doll's limbs and binding them separately in different directions.

Needless to say, Feng Xi and Ma Ming could also strongly sense the dense Yin energy surrounding the altar and Xiao Gu. Centered on Xiao Gu, the Yin energy formed a vortex soaked in coldness and chill.

"Why are you here!"

A man's voice came from the side; it was Director Wu. He was there too, still wearing that ill-fitting suit, and even in such cold weather, his forehead was still sweating profusely.

"Director Wu, are we here for an astronomy class during evening self-study?" Ma Ming said with a smile.

Director Wu waved his hand angrily: "Get down here! This is not a place for you!"

"We've come to stop you!"

Wu Bing stepped forward and shouted loudly. He didn't dare to face Xiao Gu directly, but Director Wu posed no threat—besides, he had wanted to yell at the Dean of Students for a long time.

Director Wu's face flushed red: "I recognize you. You're Wu Bing from Teacher Zhao's class, you're Chu Yunnan, you're Dong Hua. Do you want to be punished?"

"What does punishment matter when it comes to justice for the school!"

The three spoke in unison, their eyes turning to Ma Ming. Ma Ming shrugged and wagged his index finger, signifying his agreement. The three were overjoyed; such an opportunity to openly challenge the dean of students at school and escape punishment was rare.

Director Wu couldn't help but back away, waving his hands and shouting as he did so: "Hey, you've misunderstood..."

But it was too late. Wu Bing and his men had already positioned themselves in three directions and were pouncing on Director Wu with their self-created and proud moves.

"The Unparalleled Strike of Heaven and Earth!" Wu Bing exclaimed, a name he had come up with with great difficulty.

"Plasma small momentum dispersion variance!" Chu Yunnan is the most rational, and the name of his ultimate move is also very rational.

"Little happy, Little happy Fist!" Dong Hua might have been referring to Zhu Xiaoxi from the next class when he came up with this name.

The attack was highly effective. Wu Bing's strike momentarily stunned Director Wu, Chu Yunnan controlled Director Wu's limbs, and finally, Dong Hua's blow landed squarely on his jaw. With a scream, Director Wu arced through the air before crashing heavily onto the concrete ground, unconscious.

We won!

The three clapped their hands, celebrating their first victory. But the victory had come too easily, leaving them somewhat disappointed. Ma Ming and Feng Xi didn't make a move, keeping a close watch on Xiao Gu's movements. Strangely, while Director Wu was attacked, Xiao Gu remained completely unmoved, his eyes still closed, allowing the yin energy to accumulate on his body.

"What do you think?" Ma Ming asked.

"I don't know." Shen Fengxi answered expressionlessly. He didn't want to look at Xiao Gu's face at all, and felt an indescribable sense of loss and anger.

Ma Ming nodded thoughtfully and didn't ask any further questions.

After Director Wu was knocked down, Xiao Gu finally reacted. He slowly opened his eyes, glanced at the uninvited guests, and sighed, "You still came after all." His voice was ethereal, indifferent, and cold.

"It is your duty. You have the right to remain silent, but everything you say can be used against you in court."

Ma Ming answered half-jokingly and half-seriously, while gesturing with his eyes for the three guys to stand back. The real battle was about to begin.

Xiao Gu's gaze lingered on Feng Xi for a moment, then she moved her lips slightly: "Student Shen, thank you."

"Trying to curry favor now is a bit too late," Feng Xi said coldly, his heart tightening.

Xiao Gu smiled faintly: "Some things are not as you imagine."

"Is this considered begging for mercy?" Shen Fengxi said sarcastically. "You only need to answer three questions." Without waiting for Xiao Gu's reply, he went straight to the point and asked, "Did you set up those things downstairs?"

"Yes."

"The girls in dormitory 416, you're the one I brought here."

"Yes."

Are you a corpse?

Xiao Gu paused for a moment, then answered, "Yes."

A strange silence fell over the rooftop. The three of them secretly glanced over, never expecting that such a beautiful girl was actually a corpse. It seemed that even corpses were divided into high-level and low-level ones... Ma Ming frowned: he knew that if a corpse had evolved to this extent, it would definitely be extremely troublesome.

Shen Fengxi seemed much more relaxed: "Very good, that makes it simple."

Before he finished speaking, he had already made his move. He transformed into a shooting star filled with killing intent, rushing towards Xiao Gu with a gale and icy chill, like a raging storm rising high in the ocean.