Yuko Ono had been infiltrating the Wang family for over a year but had failed to find the Black Jade Demon Heart. This earned her a serious warning from the forces behind her. If she didn't want to die, she had no choice but to take a gamble at all costs.
Wang Guohui was incredibly stubborn. Yesterday, Ono Yuko had tried to get the whereabouts of the Black Jade Demon Heart from him directly, but she failed. Wang Guohui refused to budge, insisting that he would only reveal the location of the Black Jade Demon Heart if Ono Yuko helped him take back Xinda Daily Chemicals. Left with no other choice, Ono Yuko had to do her best today.
"If you refuse to do as I say, what good will it do if I spill your blood five steps away?" Ono Yuko raised her eyebrows, then suddenly tossed her head, and the strange hair clip on her head flew off and landed in her hand. Then she reached out and pressed on the hair clip, and three small silver butterflies sprang up from it at the same time, like three living butterflies, and began to circle around Ono Yuko.
Zhou Ziwei's gaze immediately sharpened as he stared in horror at the three silver butterflies before him, his heart surging with a sense of utter shock.
Zhou Ziwei was certain that the three silver butterflies were made of metal and were definitely not alive. Earlier, when he noticed that the hair clip on Ono Yuko's head looked strange, he was worried that it might contain explosives or something. So, he used his soul power to scan it, but he didn't find any life force at the time. But now... how come these silver butterflies seem to be alive?
This scene quickly reminded Zhou Ziwei of his own experience controlling the new cross-shaped darts. Could it be that... there really are people in this world who possess soul abilities just like him?
To Zhou Ziwei's astonishment, he once again swept a wisp of soul power over it. This time, the result of the scan was surprising. Although there was still no independent soul body in the silver butterfly, it clearly contained a wisp of soul power that was as solid as a substance.
Although this soul power was not strong, it was very solid, almost as solid as Zhou Ziwei's liquid soul power. This soul power was not without roots; on each silver butterfly, there was an extremely fine strand of soul power that was faintly connected to Ono Yuko's brain. Clearly... Ono Yuko was using this method to subtly control the three silver butterflies.
Ono Yuko was very satisfied and pleased to see the surprised expression on Zhou Ziwei's face. Now she was basically certain that Zhou Ziwei was not the spiritual martial artist she had imagined. If that was the case, then perhaps she could easily deal with Zhou Ziwei by herself without her senior brother's help!
"Perhaps... you're already starting to regret it, regretting rejecting me just now, right?"
While manipulating three silver butterflies, Ono Yuko looked at Zhou Ziwei with a smug smile and said, "However... it's too late for you to regret it now, because the secret of my three butterflies cannot be revealed. And since you've already seen it, then... according to my usual rules, your only fate is death... Of course, if you decide to obey my orders now and do everything as I say, I might spare your life, but the price will be that you give up your tongue and your eyes. This is your punishment, understand?"
Zhou Ziwei was amused by Ono Yuko's words. He was just surprised that someone could manipulate a non-living entity like he could, but he was not really alarmed by the strength Ono Yuko had shown.
Now that things have come to this point, and it's clear that things can't be resolved amicably, Zhou Ziwei no longer needs to hide anything.
“Three silver butterflies…hehe…they seem quite lethal!” Zhou Ziwei exclaimed with admiration. “However…don’t you think that while these things are undeniably beautiful, their practical value isn’t very high? Oh…coincidentally, I can also manipulate some random things like you. Since you’re interested in this, how about we have a little spar? Haha…to be honest, this is the first time I’ve encountered an opponent like you. You really excite me, hahaha…”
After Zhou Ziwei finished speaking, he suddenly reached out and patted his waist. Immediately, three silver lights flew up from his waist, like three silver lightning bolts, and quickly spun around in the somewhat empty conference room.
With a series of sharp cracking sounds, the three cameras installed on the ceiling of the conference room, some visible and some hidden, were all shattered into pieces.
Only after the crisp sounds stopped did Ono Yuko and Wang Guohui and his son be surprised to see three strangely shaped darts with wings hovering above Zhou Ziwei's head.
If seeing Yuko Ono control a tiny butterfly to flutter in the air might evoke a sense of awe, then seeing Zhou Ziwei wielding three sharp, new-style cross-shaped darts filled them with nothing but fear.
Wang Guohui never imagined that his son-in-law was not only very capable in business and scientific research, but also so skilled in these mysterious fields that he inspired genuine awe.
“You…you really are a Spirit Warrior.”
When Yuko Ono saw the three new-style cross-shaped darts fly out from Zhou Ziwei's waist, she completely lost her composure. When she finally saw what the three silver lights were, she was even more unable to maintain her composure. She stood up from her seat in horror, her eyes fixed on the three new-style cross-shaped darts above Zhou Ziwei's head, her eyes filled with nothing but fear.
Spirit warriors can achieve the effect of controlling objects remotely by cultivating spiritual power. However, using the ability to control objects remotely consumes a lot of spiritual power. With Ono Yuko's current ability, she can only barely control the three small silver butterfly darts, which are only the size of bottle caps and weigh less than an ounce. Moreover, she cannot sustain this ability for long.
Then she looked at the three darts the other person was controlling. Each dart was at least as big and heavy as her three butterfly darts combined. How could she possibly compete with that? It seemed she could only pin her hopes on her senior brother...
Just as Ono Yuko was lost in thought, she suddenly saw the three winged darts above Zhou Ziwei's head flash and fly swiftly toward her neck...
Volume 2: The Assassin's Nightmare, Chapter 452: Clash of Strength
"don't want--"
Yuko Ono was just contemplating whether her senior brother would know about the changes that had occurred here, given that Zhou Ziwei had destroyed all three cameras, and whether he would arrive in time, when she saw Zhou Ziwei, without giving her any time to react, already driving three new-style cross-shaped darts at her.
Seeing the speed and agility of the three winged darts, far surpassing the butterfly darts she controlled, Ono Yuko felt utterly despondent. Her confidence had been shattered the moment Zhou Ziwei revealed the three new-style cross darts. Now, witnessing such a terrifying attack, however, a powerful will to survive surged within her. She shouted to alert her senior brother to come to her rescue. At the same time, she unleashed all her spiritual power, controlling the three butterfly darts hovering above her head, and desperately rammed them into the three strangely shaped new-style cross darts…
With a "crack," six bright silver lights collided spectacularly not far from Yuko Ono's head, instantly bursting into a series of dazzling sparks. Then, Yuko Ono felt countless pieces of scrap metal falling from above her head, landing on her disheveled hair that had become loose after her hair clip was removed.
"It's over... the butterfly dart must be destroyed."
When Ono Yuko saw the three new cross-shaped darts with their gorgeous design and sharp appearance, she had no confidence that her butterfly darts could win in a clash. However, Zhou Ziwei's sudden attack forced her to fight desperately. In this life-or-death situation, she didn't care whether the three extremely precious butterfly darts would be destroyed. Naturally, she had to charge forward first. It was better for the butterfly darts to be shattered than for her head to be smashed!
However, to Ono Yuko's utter surprise, the moment this thought crossed her mind, she immediately sensed that the three butterfly darts were still perfectly intact, hovering above her head. When she looked up again, there was no trace of Zhou Ziwei's three new-style cross darts.
Ono Yuko's expression froze. She simply couldn't imagine how those three magnificent and spirited darts controlled by Zhou Ziwei could be so flimsy, crushed into powder in a single collision. If the outcome were reversed, Ono Yuko wouldn't be too surprised, but now... she was truly speechless with astonishment.
Did I really win just like that? This surprise came too suddenly!
The father and son, Wang Guohui, who were watching from the sidelines, were also so shocked that their mouths were agape for a long time. They had just been marveling at the amazing ability that Zhou Ziwei had displayed, which seemed to be even stronger than Ono Yuko's. But in the blink of an eye, the two had just exchanged blows and such an unimaginable result had occurred.
Even if... even if Zhou Ziwei had fought Ono Yuko for a few rounds before losing, Wang Guohui and his son could have accepted it more easily. But this... is just too ridiculous! He lost in one move?
Yuko Ono was stunned for a long time, then gently raised her hand and picked a small piece of metal fragment, no bigger than a grain of rice, from the top of her head. This should be the residue left after the new-style cross dart was crushed. Yuko Ono held it to her mouth, stared wide-eyed, looked at it from left to right for a long time, and finally couldn't help but exclaim: "This...this is actually...it is actually made of ordinary iron."
The initial disdain and contempt she felt for Zhou Ziwei vanished once again after Ono Yuko saw through the true nature of the metal fragment. She was utterly astonished, and when she looked up at Zhou Ziwei again, it was as if she were looking at a prehistoric monster.
Fan Tie… His three strangely shaped darts were actually made of Fan Tie. No wonder they were so fragile. They shattered into pieces after a light collision. But… how could he control Fan Tie so skillfully?
Zhou Ziwei frowned slightly. He hadn't expected that the new cross-shaped darts he had meticulously handcrafted would be completely destroyed in a single collision with the three butterfly darts controlled by Ono Yuko. The destruction was so clean and swift. The independent soul that was originally contained within the new cross-shaped darts also shattered completely in the air in an instant because it had lost its vessel. This made Zhou Ziwei feel as if he had lost a loved one.
Fortunately, although the independent souls within these new-style cross-shaped darts possess some intelligence, it is quite low. Zhou Ziwei only communicates with these independent souls when he uses his own soul consciousness to control them, so the bond between them is not very deep. Otherwise... Zhou Ziwei would have gone berserk immediately.
Despite this, the fact that the three new-style cross darts were destroyed in one hit still infuriated Zhou Ziwei. Just as he was wondering why this had happened, he heard Ono Yuko holding a piece of the discarded new-style cross dart in her hand, muttering something like "ordinary iron" in Japanese. This made Zhou Ziwei's heart suddenly stir.
Since she was so amazed by the quality of her new cross-shaped darts, then that means... at least the three butterfly darts she was controlling must not be made of ordinary steel. If they weren't made of ordinary steel, then what could they be?
Is it because her butterfly darts were not made of ordinary iron that they were so sharp?
Zhou Ziwei's heart suddenly warmed up. When he looked up at the three butterfly darts hovering above Ono Yuko's head, a hint of longing and greed unconsciously showed in his eyes.
Yuko Ono met Zhou Ziwei's gaze and felt a chill run down her spine. She immediately let out a sharp cry and, disregarding all worldly concerns, used the little spiritual energy she had left to control the three butterfly darts, which, like three streaks of light, swiftly slashed towards Zhou Ziwei's head.
It's true what they say, the tables have turned... Just a moment ago, Zhou Ziwei was wielding the new cross-shaped dart, aiming it at Ono Yuko's neck, but now the tables have turned, and Zhou Ziwei, at least on the surface, has no weapon left to defend himself.
Having learned the sharpness of Ono Yuko's butterfly dart, Zhou Ziwei naturally dared not be careless. If he were to be cut on the head by this thing, he would be guaranteed to lose half his life, if not die. However, Zhou Ziwei dared not use his new-style cross darts to fight back. After all, the quality of his new-style cross darts was far inferior to that of the butterfly darts. Zhou Ziwei estimated that even if he threw out all the new-style cross darts he carried, it might not have much effect on the butterfly darts. He could see from the previous collision that his new-style cross darts were basically no different from tofu in front of the butterfly darts.
The butterfly dart came very fast. No matter how fast Zhou Ziwei was, it would be difficult for him to dodge it in such a narrow space. Moreover, since this thing was controlled by Ono Yuko with her mind, even if Zhou Ziwei could dodge it once, it would be difficult for him to avoid the butterfly dart that was relentlessly pursuing him. Therefore, Zhou Ziwei was determined to go all out and fight this thing.
"Whoosh—" As the three silver lights flashed close, Zhou Ziwei suddenly waved his hand... Instantly, a long alloy shield emerged from his wrist. This alloy shield was naturally transformed from his alloy suit. Because he was worried that it wouldn't be able to withstand the attack of the butterfly darts, Zhou Ziwei had deliberately made the shield slightly thicker, so that more than 40% of his alloy suit was transformed into this alloy shield in an instant. As a result, Zhou Ziwei looked rather strange at this moment, because the alloy suit was not very thick to begin with, and now it had suddenly become almost half as thin, making it look almost transparent.
However, despite Zhou Ziwei's desperate efforts, he still couldn't stop the three butterfly darts. The thick alloy shield only provided a slight barrier when it encountered the three butterfly darts, and then shattered with a "crack" into countless tiny metal fragments scattered all over the ground. After passing through the alloy shield, the three butterfly darts only paused briefly before swooping down again.
Damn it... How can this thing be so sharp? It can't even stop an alloy shield. If it were to cut me directly, even the alloy armor would be completely useless.
Where did that white light that could practically devour all metal go? What happened to that so-called source of divine power? Why hasn't it appeared yet… God… where is that damned white light…?
If that divine power source were still there, Zhou Ziwei believed that as long as that wisp of white light flashed in front of him, regardless of whether it was ordinary iron or not, it would definitely be completely devoured by the white light that the old charlatan in the pilot plane called the divine power source. And if the divine power source absorbed these three butterfly darts, and then decomposed the components of the butterfly darts and integrated them into the alloy suit he was wearing, then the performance of his alloy suit would definitely be further optimized.
Unfortunately, ever since that time on Mount Wolong in the pilot plane, when Zhou Ziwei swallowed too much soul power in one go with the Six-Syllable Mantra and almost exploded, all the white light that had merged into his body suddenly concentrated in his brain, tightly surrounding his sea of soul, which prevented his sea of soul from exploding.
And from then on... it was as if these divine powers had completely disappeared from his body, and they never came out again.
Lamenting the disappearance of the divine power source, Zhou Ziwei dared not change his mind when faced with the three butterfly darts as sharp as flowing light. He had placed all his hopes on the divine power source, which he didn't even know if it still existed. Now that the three butterfly darts were so close to him, he had no choice but to use any other means to defend himself.
In situations like these, the quickest response is human consciousness.
What is the fastest thing in the world? Many people might think the answer is light, but in reality, the fastest thing in the world is human thought, or rather, a thought... The speed at which a thought arises is absolutely more terrifying than the speed of light.
Faced with life and death, Zhou Ziwei had no scruples whatsoever. After shouting loudly, his consciousness flashed and he instantly released countless streams of soul power from the sea of others' souls, filling every space around him to the brim in the blink of an eye.
Soul Coverage... This is probably the smallest but also the densest soul coverage that Zhou Ziwei has ever released. The coverage area of this soul power is only about half a meter, but the concentration of soul power in this half meter is an unbelievable level, almost the same as the density of soul power in Zhou Ziwei's sea of souls.
At that moment, it was as if Zhou Ziwei had completely moved his sea of soul outside his body, immersing his entire being in it.
The dense, misty soul power filled every inch of space around Zhou Ziwei. When the three butterfly darts flashed and fell into this area completely covered by soul power, it was as if a foreign object had pierced his flesh. Zhou Ziwei could clearly feel every subtle change in the three butterfly darts and their weight, speed, and other natural factors.
Zhou Ziwei's goal at this moment was not to control the three butterfly darts, but to cut off the thin tail that was attached to the butterfly darts.
Since the other party is controlling these butterfly darts with that thin strand of soul power, then I might as well sever it. Once that strand of soul power is broken, I suppose that Japanese woman will no longer be able to control those three butterfly darts!
Almost immediately after the three butterfly darts entered the range of his soul, Zhou Ziwei's powerful soul energy transformed into invisible yet sharp knives, continuously striking the long tails trailing behind the three butterfly darts.
It's just unknown what method Ono Yuko used to refine the thin strand of soul power connecting the three butterfly darts into something as solid as a rubber band, incredibly tough. Even after Zhou Ziwei slashed at it dozens or even hundreds of times, it showed no sign of breaking.
However, although that wisp of soul power was very solid, it was clearly greatly restricted after invading an area almost entirely covered by Zhou Ziwei's soul power. Its speed, which was originally as fast as lightning, also slowed down rapidly, as if it had suddenly fallen into an endless swamp.
Ono Yuko was immediately shocked. Although she couldn't sense other people's soul power as clearly as Zhou Ziwei, the soul power that Zhou Ziwei was releasing was far too dense. It was so dense that it seemed like something that could be seen and touched. The incredibly powerful feeling made Ono Yuko horrified.
How could he possess such profound spiritual power as a martial arts master... He... He is definitely already a terrifying martial arts master.
Good heavens... how did I end up encountering such a terrifying person here...?
Utterly horrified, Ono Yuko dared not continue to control the butterfly darts to attack. In fact, the three butterfly darts were already as slow as snails due to the suppression of Zhou Ziwei's soul power. Even if Ono Yuko wanted to continue attacking, she had no confidence that she could make the three butterfly darts pass through the mere half meter in front of Zhou Ziwei before her spiritual power was completely exhausted.
However, once your feet are stuck in the mud, they are not so easy to pull out. Ono Yuko strained her spiritual power to try to retrieve the three butterfly darts, but she soon found that her spiritual power seemed to be entangled by countless vines, or as if a huge boulder was tied to her feet. Every little bit she moved made her feel physically and mentally exhausted.
Large beads of sweat began to roll down Ono Yuko's forehead, landing on the ground with a crisp "plop". Ono Yuko's seemingly delicate and beautiful body trembled as if she had been struck by a stroke, and her face became even paler, as if it had just been brushed with flour.
"Crack—" A crisp sound seemed to come from within her soul. The last bit of spiritual power in Ono Yuko's body was finally exhausted in the constant struggle and tearing. That strand of spiritual power, which was like a rubber band, was immediately crushed by Zhou Ziwei's soul power. As a result, Ono Yuko completely lost control of the three butterfly darts.
With a "thump," Yuko Ono, completely exhausted, collapsed to the ground like an empty rice sack, her eyes filled with boundless fear and dread as she looked at Zhou Ziwei.
He was indeed a Spirit Martial Master, and it seemed he was even more powerful than his master. He could so easily snatch away the butterfly dart she controlled simply by relying on his abundant spiritual power.
Good heavens... what kind of monster have I messed with...?
Zhou Ziwei ignored the horrified Ono Yuko and took a step forward. His alloy shoes immediately absorbed the alloy fragments that had been shattered by the butterfly darts and quickly integrated them into his alloy suit. Zhou Ziwei suddenly felt... that he really looked a bit like the liquid metal robot in Terminator.
Volume 2: The Assassin's Nightmare, Chapter 453: The Samurai Sword
"This...Oh my god...I...I'm not seeing things, am I?!"
Wang Guohui was sitting in a position that allowed him to see Zhou Ziwei's footwork. At first, he only saw Zhou Ziwei stepping on the broken metal fragments and didn't pay much attention. However, a few seconds later, he suddenly noticed that the metal fragments on the ground seemed to have decreased significantly. Wang Guohui was immediately surprised. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the broken metal fragments on the ground seemed to come alive, turning into tiny metal balls that rolled to Zhou Ziwei's feet. They were then absorbed into what appeared to be a pair of silver-white leather shoes worn by Zhou Ziwei. Countless tiny metal balls were absorbed into the silver-white shoes, but the shoes themselves did not change shape at all. Instead, Zhou Ziwei's clothes gradually became thicker. They had been almost transparent before, but in a short while, they returned to their original shape.
Wang Guohui found it hard to describe his feelings at that moment. He felt that he had wasted his life. He realized that there were so many strange and wonderful people and things in the world. He used to think that such outrageous things were just made up by novelists, but now a real scene was unfolding in front of him. He realized that his self-proclaimed rich life experience was nothing more than the delusion of a frog in a well.
Zhou Ziwei was very interested in the three butterfly darts he had snatched from Ono Yuko. These things could easily pierce through his alloy armor, which shocked and delighted Zhou Ziwei. Of course... he was delighted because these things were now in his hands. If these things were still in Ono Yuko's hands, he wouldn't be happy at all.
However, looking up at Ono Yuko, who had collapsed to the ground completely exhausted, Zhou Ziwei knew that even if he returned the three butterfly darts to her now, she probably wouldn't have the strength to use them as she had before.
Zhou Ziwei originally intended to simply kill the person behind the scenes, but... when he witnessed firsthand the powerful attack force displayed by Ono Yuko wielding her butterfly darts, a strong sense of crisis suddenly arose in his heart. He didn't know how many people like Ono Yuko existed, or whether there were even more powerful enemies than Ono Yuko. He had to find out the truth about these things; otherwise, he might have to face those lurking enemies at any time, and he would know nothing about them—that would be an extremely dangerous situation...
Moreover… Ono Yuko isn’t the only enemy in this building. There’s another enemy, clearly stronger than Ono Yuko. After experiencing Ono Yuko’s strength, Zhou Ziwei has curbed his arrogance and no longer believes he’s truly invincible on Earth. Perhaps the other person lurking in this building is even stronger than him. Therefore, Zhou Ziwei has to prepare for battle. If he were to kill Ono Yuko now, the person hiding in the shadows would surely be enraged. In that case, Zhou Ziwei would be like provoking a lion. But if Zhou Ziwei simply captures Ono Yuko, the other party might hesitate to act rashly…
Some might think that using this method to deal with one's enemies is not honorable enough, but Zhou Ziwei doesn't care about that. Since the enemy is hiding and playing dirty tricks on you in the dark, if you still insist on being honorable in everything you do, then what's the difference between this behavior and being an idiot?
It took Zhou Ziwei about ten seconds to finally absorb all the metal fragments that had fallen to the ground after the alloy shield shattered. Then he slowly walked towards Ono Yuko, who was slumped on the ground.
In fact, Zhou Ziwei had already sensed that the powerful enemy was currently in a corner of the building, monitoring the activity in the room in a strange way.
The person was very well hidden, and he had almost completely concealed his life force. At this moment, even if someone walked past him, they probably wouldn't be able to sense that there was a living person right in front of him.
Unfortunately, no matter how well that person hid, it was impossible to completely evade Zhou Ziwei's soul power. The person also seemed to be able to sense Zhou Ziwei's scan. After trying to hide several times and realizing that he couldn't escape Zhou Ziwei's lock-on unless he left the building, he could only helplessly accept reality. It's just that this person was born with a sly nature. Even though he knew that Zhou Ziwei had discovered him, he still kept walking in the dark corners of the building, still desperately trying to conceal his life force, as if this would make Zhou Ziwei ignore his existence.
Although Zhou Ziwei shattered the three cameras in the conference room, the other person was still able to detect everything that happened in the conference room through his unique methods. When Zhou Ziwei released the three new-style cross darts, the shadowy figure visibly trembled. When Zhou Ziwei's three new-style cross darts shattered into pieces upon colliding with the butterfly darts, the other person was shocked again. And when Zhou Ziwei forcefully severed Ono Yuko's control over the three butterfly darts with his incomparably powerful soul force, and forcibly seized the three butterflies, while Ono Yuko collapsed to the ground exhausted... the other person finally lost his composure and began to sneak towards the conference room from one dark corner after another in the building.
But as Zhou Ziwei used his shoes to pick up the metal fragments from the ground bit by bit, the dark figure stopped again not far from the conference room, then retreated into the air conditioning duct on the ceiling and remained motionless.
Zhou Ziwei was quite helpless about this guy's reaction. Obviously, this guy was not confident of victory, so he preferred to hide in the shadows like a coward rather than make a move easily, lest he bring shame upon himself.
Although he dared not make a move, he did not immediately leave the area, which clearly showed that he would not easily abandon his friend or let Zhou Ziwei off the hook.