Invincibility starts when I see the BOSS health bar.

Chapter 977 Reality and Illusion
The demon in purple-gold armor let out a deafening roar that shattered the sound barrier! His armor shone with a brilliant purple light, and his aura soared to the heavens!

In the shadows below, a figure as fast as lightning rushed upwards, heading straight for Qing Yao and Fang Yu, only to be intercepted without hesitation by the purple-gold armored demon diving down!

His eyes were so resolute, so determined, as if he were ready to die!
"he……"

Fang Yu had just opened his mouth, about to say something, when he was interrupted by Qing Yao, who was moving at full speed. The whistling wind swept past his ears.

"That's not the most troublesome thing. With his strength and defense, he should be able to hold out for a while. The real problem... that even more powerful aura we sense is still locked onto us from a greater distance and is rapidly approaching!"

Qingyao's concise words silenced Fang Yu, leaving him feeling even heavier.

At the same time, I felt a little strange. Why did so many experts suddenly appear? They didn't receive this kind of treatment when they caused trouble before.

Is this what happens when you cause trouble in the capital without the protection of the Juemen?

Below, the purple-gold armored demon had already collided violently with the charging figure, unleashing an astonishing energy shockwave. The fierce battle unfolded instantly, with deafening roars filling the air.

Meanwhile, Qingyao, carrying Fang Yu, increased their speed to the extreme, like two streaks of light, and sped away in the opposite direction from Ouyang Mansion, trying to create distance and break free from the lock.

However, they hadn't been away for long when a new, chilling voice, like a ghost, came eerily from their side, as if whispering in their ear.

"Where are you two going in such a hurry? Before you left, did you ask for the opinion of Zhou Zou'an, the deputy battalion commander of the 13th Army of the Demon Vanguard Army?"

what? !

Fang Yu's expression suddenly changed!
The voice came so suddenly and seemed to be so close that Fang Yu almost thought the other person was standing right next to him!

But when he turned his head sharply, he found that the source of the sound was actually quite far away, and it was approaching them at an extremely fast speed!
Besides this guy who claimed to be the deputy battalion commander of the Demon Vanguard Army, powerful aura fluctuations began to appear on their right, left front, and in various other directions, clearly indicating that more experts were closing in on them!

"Something's not right! No matter how big a commotion we've made, it shouldn't have attracted so many experts from all directions to surround us in such a short time! This doesn't seem like a last-minute mobilization; it's more like we came prepared!"

Qingyao frowned and spoke quickly in a low voice, realizing that something was wrong.

Fang Yu immediately thought of the strange buzzing sound and piercing scream that Ya Qingli's body emitted before she died.

Could it be... some kind of suicidal information transmission method? Or a death marker? That automatically triggers upon death, transmitting location and information to a specific person?

Fang Yu immediately felt that he might have implicated Brother Qing, and a strong sense of guilt welled up in his heart. He immediately had the idea of ​​telling Brother Qing not to worry about him and to leave first.

However, he was unaware that about a dozen streets away from their location, in a seemingly ordinary but actually extraordinary carriage, a beautiful woman dressed in fine clothes suddenly smiled meaningfully and gently shook a small, antique bell engraved with runes in her hand.

The bell was silent, or rather, its sound was beyond the range of human hearing.

But just as the bell rang—

Fang Yu and Qing Yao felt a sudden blur before their eyes almost simultaneously! The whole world seemed to be covered by a layer of frosted glass in an instant, and the scene became blurry and distorted!
Meanwhile, Zou An, the deputy battalion commander of the 13th Army of the Demon Vanguard Army, who was charging forward madly, had already leaped into the air and thrust out his spear, but his fatal blow, which was full of powerful force, instantly missed its mark!
His spear pierced through the afterimages of Fang Yu and the other two, as if shattering a mirage. It only violently stirred the air, and the two afterimages rippled before disappearing.

"They...escaped?"

Zou An, the deputy battalion commander of the 13th Army of the Demon Vanguard Army, missed his attack and landed on the rooftop, his face showing astonishment and contemplation. He hadn't seen how his opponent had disappeared at all.

Then he saw his colleagues and experts who had been attacking from other directions converging on him.

A helpless, bitter smile appeared on Zou An's face, because even he couldn't figure out how the other party had escaped, or in which direction. This method of disappearing into thin air was truly bizarre and unpredictable, beyond his comprehension.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Fang Yu felt as if a blurry mist had flashed across his retina, and the surrounding shouts of battle and howling wind disappeared instantly.

The next instant, the rapidly receding street scene and the cold night before him and Qingyao vanished abruptly, replaced by the interior of a dimly lit, elegantly decorated carriage.

"Where...is this? What's going on?"

Fang Yu was stunned and looked around blankly.

It was as if he and Qingyao had been teleported away from that inescapable encirclement by some incomprehensible supernatural power!
The only one capable of doing this is probably the woman sitting leisurely on the carriage cushions, watching them with great composure.

[Mountain Swallow: 100/100.]

"Lord Shanyan!"

Upon seeing this woman, Qingyao immediately concealed all his aura, bowed respectfully, and spoke with obvious reverence.

Fang Yu looked at the woman known as "Shan Yan" with even more suspicion. She didn't seem to have any powerful aura fluctuations, but she gave off an unfathomable feeling.

Shan Yan, however, did not seem to care about Fang Yu's scrutinizing gaze. Instead, she winked at him in a friendly manner, her smile carrying a hint of amusement.

"Little one, we meet again."

Fang Yu was taken aback.

No, who are you, ma'am? Have we met before? I have no recollection of you at all.

Before Qingyao could even begin to introduce them, Shanyan suddenly stopped smiling, changed the subject, and spoke to Qingyao in a calm tone, yet with an air of unquestionable authority.

"Qingyao, you've wasted too much time on personal matters. But... I quite like the commotion you've caused!" Her words seemed somewhat contradictory, making it difficult to discern her true attitude.

"Lord Shan Yan, I apologize. This man is an old friend of mine, and extremely important to me." Qing Yao's attitude remained respectful, but her tone was firm: "I want to send him back to the safe Ouyang residence first, and then immediately attend to important matters. What do you think..."

Shan Yan stretched out her finger and gently shook it, stopping Qing Yao from continuing.

"No need. I will personally escort him back to the Ouyang residence. You, go and do what you need to do right now. Don't waste this rare opportunity for you to move freely, which we have worked so hard to secure for you."

"..."

Qingyao was clearly hesitant, her eyes filled with unease as she looked at Fang Yu.

But when he saw Lord Sanen's calm yet profound eyes, he hesitated and struggled for a moment before finally nodding slowly and choosing to obey.

"In that case... then I'll leave it to Lord Shan Yan. Please make sure he is safely escorted to the Ouyang residence."

"Don't worry." Shan Yan smiled faintly, but her tone carried weight: "I never break my promises."

With Lord Shan Yan's assurance, Qing Yao finally felt a little relieved.

His gaze turned to Fang Yu, a thousand words seemed stuck in his chest, but in the end, they were reduced to a brief word of advice.

"Diao Deyi, take care of yourself. The capital is a dangerous place, be careful in everything you do. I will come back to find you again."

“…Yes! Qing-ge, you be careful too!” Fang Yu nodded vigorously. He understood that this was not the time for brotherly affection and rambling.

Moreover, he already knew that Qingyao was in the capital and seemed to have connections with certain forces. At worst, in the most extreme case, he could find a way to infiltrate deep into the palace and find Qingyao himself.

Qingyao is a decisive and efficient person who never drags things out.

After giving his instructions and receiving Shan Yan's promise, he bowed to Shan Yan again, then gave Fang Yu a deep look before turning around and disappearing into the carriage in an instant, as if blending into the shadows.

Having finally reunited, they barely had a chance to exchange a few words before having to part again. Fang Yu couldn't help but feel a mix of complex emotions—disappointment, worry, and anticipation for the future.

Just then, Lord Shanyan gently tapped on the carriage wall and spoke.

"Get up the sedan."

Fang Yu was taken aback, only then noticing that the carriage seemed to have been stationary the whole time.

"We... we're just going to leave like this? Just walk away like that?" He found it hard to believe; there was a massive net outside.

"Otherwise what?" Lord Shanyan asked with a smile, looking quite relaxed.

"This...this is too ostentatious!" Fang Yu felt that this was as if they were completely ignoring the experts searching outside.

"That's called true seclusion in plain sight." Lord Shan Yan had a mysterious smile on his lips. "Besides, aren't there others who are 'working hard' to attract attention for you and cover for you?"

She had barely finished speaking—

Bang! ! !
The ground suddenly shook violently! Even the carriage they were in shook!
The terrifying aftershocks of a battle, originating from some distant place, have somehow reached this area! This gives you an idea of ​​the intensity of the fighting.

Fang Yu's heart jumped, and he immediately became worried about Qing Yao's safety. He couldn't help but want to rush out of the carriage and fight alongside Qing Yao.

But then Lord Shan Yan spoke slowly, his tone carrying an inexplicable certainty.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine."

Fang Yu frowned and looked at her: "How did you know? It's so dangerous outside!"

"because……"

Lady Shan Yan smiled, but the smile became somewhat eerie. She suddenly raised her hand and gently waved her palm in front of her—

The next moment, her face rippled like water, and a furry, cunning, and charming fox face was clearly revealed to Fang Yu!
"...I'll be there to protect him from the shadows."

In that instant, the indicator above the swallow's head, which originally displayed "[Swallow: 100/100]", suddenly changed!

[Phantom Fox Demon: 100/100.]

Fang Yu's pupils suddenly contracted sharply, his body tensed instantly, and he cried out in surprise.

"It's you?!"

Instantly, Fang Yu's mind was filled with vigilance and hostility, and his muscles tensed up to the extreme! After all, this was a powerful demon that had once caused him great trouble and oppression!
But soon, Fang Yu suddenly realized what was happening.

That's right! To the enemy, the Illusionary Fox Demon is powerful, mysterious, unpredictable, and extremely dangerous.

But as a teammate, or rather, as Qingyao's superior, the Illusionary Fox Demon's power and supernatural abilities, as well as her unfathomable methods, are incredibly reassuring! With her secretly protecting him, Qingyao's safety will indeed be much higher!
"This...is this your true form? Or just another shell?" Fang Yu asked, his voice filled with doubt and surprise.

"Guess what?"

The fox demon chuckled and waved her hand in front of her face again. The fox face vanished instantly, and she returned to her ordinary human woman's face.

[Mountain Swallow: 100/100.]

"..."

Fang Yu fell silent, his heart churning with turmoil. He finally understood where that eerie sense of familiarity and unfathomable feeling came from.

Meanwhile, faint rumbling and loud energy collisions could still be heard from afar outside the carriage, making Fang Yu feel extremely uncomfortable and frustrated.

Despite possessing such formidable strength and no longer being the one who needed protection, she could only watch helplessly as Qingyao fought and risked her life for her outside, while she hid in this seemingly safe carriage, receiving protection.

This kind of thing...this kind of thing!! made him feel incredibly frustrated and uncomfortable!

brush!
Fang Yu suddenly stood up, his eyes resolute.

"No! I still have to go help Brother Qing! I can't hide here!"

"Oh? Is that so?" The fox demon looked at him with interest, her smile unchanged: "Then you'll have to be able to get out of my carriage first."

Fang Yu frowned, refusing to believe it. With a whoosh, he shifted his body, accelerating to his maximum speed, and charged directly towards the carriage door!

However, just as his body was about to burst out of the carriage curtain, as if the screen had been refreshed, his vision blurred, and he inexplicably and perfectly returned to his original position inside the carriage!

"How is this possible?! What kind of method is this?!"

Fang Yu was stunned, his face filled with disbelief. He was now far more knowledgeable and capable than before, no longer the naive young man he once was.

He quickly forced himself to calm down and said in a deep voice, his tone carrying a warning.

"Fox Demon, I don't want to hurt you. But I have to help Brother Qing! Let me leave!"

Upon hearing this, the phantom fox demon seemed to have heard something extremely interesting, and covered her mouth to giggle, her laughter full of amusement.

"Little guy, do you really think... with your current strength, you can harm me in the slightest?"

Fang Yu frowned, said no more, and decided to prove himself with actions. In a flash, he reached out and grabbed the shoulder of the phantom fox demon who was right in front of him!

However, just as his fingers were about to touch the other person's body, they passed right through him without any hindrance, as if he had touched a phantom!

Fang Yu was completely stunned as he stared at his hand that had passed through him.

What kind of bizarre technique is this? Physical immunity? Illusion? Spatial distortion?

"Hehehe... Interesting." The phantom fox demon laughed heartily. "Little one, do you think you really attacked just now? Or did you just sit there the whole time without moving at all? Is everything you sensed necessarily real?"

(End of this chapter)