Reverse flow of the Yellow Springs

Chapter 33 Nuo Mask
A murderous intent throbbed in the center of Li Yelai's chest, like a strange, pulsating tumor.

Golden-red blood vessels and veins, like a spider web, extend from the heart of slaughter and cling to the skin.

Infuse the body with its continuous power.

This force is strengthening his physical body, making Li Yelai's muscles stronger and his bones more resilient.

Li Yelai seemed to have gained endless power and inexhaustible strength!

He could vaguely sense that if he activated the Overlord's Mask in this posture...

He will perfectly recreate the overwhelming power and unparalleled might of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu!

Breaking the enemy formation alone is not difficult. With his strength and reaction now enhanced, Li Yelai is confident that he can break through the enemy's weaknesses with a single strike.

But he was also well aware of how terrifying this power was.

It was as if a voice echoed in his heart: "Kill, kill, kill," as if he wanted to please some being through slaughter.

That's all. I don't know if it will affect my personality in the future.

"Why is the Heart of Slaughter moving on its own?" Li Yelai looked at the beating heart in his chest, unsure whether to forcibly remove it: "Isn't it only supposed to bewitch others into wearing it? How come it just jumped up here?"

"It's possible that before the body completely died, it forced the chest muscles to twitch." Cheese quickly approached, looked at Li Yelai's chest, and felt a sinking feeling in his heart, but he suppressed the panic in his eyes and encouraged him, "Don't be nervous. Psionicists have a certain resistance to the temptation of killing intent. You'll be fine for a short time."

Seemingly to ease Li Yelai's tension, she whispered, "Now that I've seen your chest, we're even."

"You absolutely must never go into business in the future!" Li Yelai's lips twitched.

Then, the two civilian employees who had been chased by the killing machine also ran back.

Upon seeing the Heart of Slaughter on Li Yelai's chest, he was startled. However, he calmly said, "For a psionicist, the next thirty minutes are still a safe time. You can forcibly remove it now, but the Heart of Slaughter will be very dissatisfied and will drain most of your strength. Therefore, once it is removed, you will be in a state of weakness and powerlessness for a long time."

“Then I’ll have to keep it on for now. I still have at least half an hour of strengthening time. If I remove the heart now, I don’t think I can resist the Dream Eater’s sleepiness,” Li Yelai said.

The Dream Eater's effects are still present. If one lets their guard down or loses strength, they will likely be quickly pulled into a deep sleep. In the current environment, this could be fatal. If another forbidden entity like the Heart of Slaughter were to appear, Cheese would have to protect Li Yelai while fighting against it.

It's too dangerous.

After thinking for a few seconds, Cheese nodded slightly in agreement: "That's the only way."

Li Yelai continued to inquire, "I am a second-time awakened psychic. Will this affect the safety time? Does a higher level of awakening last longer?"

“There is some impact, but not much difference.” Another civilian staff member said, “Some people can last for 2 hours after their third awakening. Some people can't even last an hour after their fourth awakening. As far as we know, the first half hour is a safe time. Therefore, for safety reasons, the official will provide the third awakening handlers with one free Heart of Slaughter enhancement. After that, you will need to spend merit points to enhance it.”

Li Yelai nodded slightly: "Then I can say that I'm enjoying the benefits ahead of time."

Afterwards, everyone quickly checked the scene, but unfortunately, all the civilian staff who had fallen to the ground had already died.

But before they could grieve, the crowd quickly moved the body into a rest room and immediately got to work.

According to the civilian staff, they encountered three processors, but got separated in the chaotic map.

Currently, the group plans to try to reunite with the other processors.

At this moment, Li Yelai began to miss the 'detective'; if there were any traces of him, everyone could quickly locate their colleague.

Instead of running around everywhere like this.

“Initially, we were chasing and suppressing the out-of-control Hidden Scarf with three handlers, but after the Möbius Loop went out of control, we got separated from two of the handlers at a corner, and then encountered a cavalry force!” a civilian employee said as they traveled.

"Cavalry?" Cheese was taken aback. "Such forbidden items exist in the Black Prison?"

She and Li Ye exchanged a glance, recalling the containment room they had seen earlier. The civilian staff inside had been trampled to death by horses!
“Absolutely not! I’ve worked here for five years. I know exactly what those forbidden items are capable of. But these cavalrymen are definitely not among them, at least not on the upper level.” The civilian staff member said earnestly, “Their equipment wasn’t particularly sophisticated—leather armor, hunting bows, and scimitars—they were probably some kind of steppe cavalry. But they all had psionic barriers! Their arrows even carried a small amount of psionic energy, enough to neutralize the psionic barriers. We were scattered in just one charge. The cavalrymen went after that handler, and we were lucky to escape.”

“You all saw what happened next. We encountered the Heart of Slaughter! Damn it!” Another office worker’s eyes were bloodshot.

Cheese's expression turned serious: "So, a certain forbidden object can summon steppe cavalry? Could this be the Zhelan King's Banner, whose danger level has suddenly increased?"

Ordinary cavalry, even heavily armored cavalry, would be no match for psionicists, Iron Guards, and firearms.

Leaving aside others, cheese itself alone could command the submission of steppe cavalry with just a single sentence.

But now these cavalrymen all possess psionic barriers and psionic arrows, which makes things very dangerous. They can withstand the fire and force their way into the enemy lines. Even psionicists could be overwhelmed and killed.

Moreover, the number of the other party is unknown.
"Why has this King Zhelan Banner suddenly become so powerful?" Cheese frowned. "Isn't it just a Class D forbidden item?"

“I don’t know,” the civilian staff member shook his head. “Zhelan is a tribe of the Xiongnu, the same race that was once called the Scourge of God by the West. Now, some variable has caused them to revive. I even suspect that the loss of control over many taboos is related to this group of cavalry.”

Li Yelai and Cheese frowned deeply. If a psionic legion possessed forbidden items, the consequences were simply unimaginable.

At this moment, the group ran to the center of a corridor. Just as they were about to continue forward...

Suddenly, a creaking sound was heard, and a steel gate on the wall a few steps away was suddenly opened.

These gates are all-metal gates designed to prevent forbidden items from escaping. They automatically close after the alarm sounds.

Now, influenced by the Möbius strip, no one knew where the gate led. Therefore, no one wasted time trying to open it.

But at that moment, the gate opened automatically.

A figure emerged from the gate; the person was wearing combat uniform and should be a female operator.

But he made Li Yelai and the others tense at the same time.

Because the person was wearing a demon-summoning mask!

Has the demonic mask possessed the body of this processor?
Before he could grieve, Li Yelai rushed toward the other party.

His long sword slashed down like lightning!

Eighteen minutes have passed since Li Yelai donned the Heart of Slaughter, and his physical body has been strengthened for eighteen minutes as well.

So this strike was both swift and ruthless! The leaping motion and slashing motion seemed designed to cleave the opponent in two!
The other party also quickly noticed, or rather, noticed the blood vessels spreading from Li Yelai's neck, the blood vessels of the killing heart!
Then, the sword in his hand flashed with a cold light!
In an instant, a deadly sword light was unleashed.

In the next instant, the longsword clashed with the sword!
The sharp, slashing sounds made everyone's ears ring continuously.

The woman wearing the Nuo mask was forced back a step. Li Yelai's physical strength was actually superior to hers! "Nuo mask, you're courting death!" Li Yelai roared and pursued, supporting his face with one hand. He was about to use the Myriad Manifestations Faceless technique when he suddenly stopped.

The other party also shouted angrily at the same time: "A heart that yearns to kill!"

"Listen to me! Stop! We're all on the same side!" Cheese shouted immediately, stopping the impending brawl.

Only then did the two notice each other's teammates behind them.

Behind the female handler wearing the Nuo mask were two other handlers, five civilian staff, and two Iron Guards!

She was not possessed by the Nuo mask?
But before Li Yelai and Zhishi could even be surprised, the group rushed out of the gate and immediately began operating it, actually trying to close the gate?
It was as if some monster was chasing them from behind.

Li Yelai's heart sank, and he immediately looked towards the corridor behind the gate, where he saw the corner in the distance.

A giant tree sprang up, its branches forming arms that crawled rapidly across the ground.

A Class C forbidden item, the spirit of a tree. Its true form is a large tree that bears fruit in all four seasons.

Its fruit can stimulate rapid plant growth.

It is said that the reason why the giant city had sufficient food reserves was because of its function.

The price is that to harvest the fruit, a large amount of flesh and blood must be offered as nourishment. Otherwise, things will spiral out of control.

Once it gets out of control... well, that's what it looks like now. It will attack flesh and blood creatures everywhere to obtain nutrients.

Since it's not picky about food, it's not difficult to appease; getting some scraps from the slaughterhouse is enough.

Suppressing them wouldn't be difficult. The enemy is weak in fire.

"The Spirit of the Tree?" Cheese was taken aback, then shouted, "Suppress it! There are so many of us! It'll only take a minute!"

"No, no, no, there's something behind it!" the woman wearing the Nuo mask shouted. "Close the door!"

Only then did Li Yelai see the tree spirit fleeing in panic.

Behind him, the thunderous sound of hooves echoed.

Furthermore, arrows pierced the spirit of the tree.

Is it the Zhelan Iron Cavalry?

Are the Iron Cavalry of Zhelan chasing after the Spirit of the Tree?

Li Yelai was taken aback. At that moment, the metal gate slammed shut.

The woman wearing the Nuo mask continued pointing in a certain direction, saying, "Keep going! It's still not safe here!"

So, everyone had no choice but to follow them.

We crossed another intersection and passed through a gate.

The crowd then stopped.

At this moment, Li Yelai also learned about the situation from the explanations given by those people.

In order to find her teammates and locate the Möbius strip, the female processor chose to wear a divination mask. With the mask's divination abilities, she found several teammates and gradually gathered her strength.

However, they still encountered the fleeing Tree Spirit and were forced to escape to the gate, where they met Li Yelai and his group.

“That’s one way,” Cheese said after a moment of thought. “Don’t forget, once you take down Nuo Mian, you’ll lose a lot of your memories.”

“Everything involves trade-offs,” the female processor codenamed 'Sand Grain' responded. “Suppressing the Möbius strip is the most crucial thing. Besides, afterwards, I'll gain divination abilities, which are nothing more than some memories. It's a good deal!”

Cheese nodded slightly, agreeing with this statement; if it were her, she would have made the same choice.

Then, Shali looked at Li Yelai sitting to the side and asked, "General Ye, have you put on the Heart of Slaughter?"

“Yes, we were unexpectedly provoked by the Heart of Slaughter.” Li Yelai nodded in response: “Judging by the time, it has been more than twenty minutes.”

"Don't worry, maybe you can last even longer. My friend lasted an hour and a half," Shali comforted her.

At this moment, an old voice suddenly came from the Nuo mask: "I advise you not to travel with him."

Clearly, these words were spoken by the true form of the Ghost Calculator Nuo Mask.

"Don't travel with Li Yelai?" Does this mean abandoning Li Yelai?

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Cheese sneered in response.

"Shut up!" Shali cursed in a low voice, not wanting Nuomian to continue speaking.

They would never abandon their teammates.

But Nuo Mian's voice continued: "You are Cheese, right? His fate is too terrible. If you continue to stay by his side, very bad things will happen. I hope you will make a choice."

"Something bad? What?" Cheese sneered. "Maternity leave?"

"Pfft!" Li Yelai, who had just received a cup of water from his teammate, choked on it.

Shali's lips twitched, and he suddenly regretted it. Wouldn't it have been a great loss if he had forgotten this?
Nuo Mian paused, then sneered, "Sharp-tongued and ungrateful! His fate is filled with malice; just the one that guarantees you'll encounter a powerful enemy is enough to make you suffer! Once this curse is triggered, what do you think you'll meet? Do you think everyone here is as benevolent as I am?"

"What kind of benevolence do you have?" Cheese suddenly realized that, to Li Ye, "If you encounter any danger, just use the mask and hide away to raise your own 'gu'."

Does that mean I've attracted a bunch of forbidden creatures to fight? Do they really think I'm a monster spawner? Li Yelai thought to himself, but still nodded.

"Enough. Continue divining the location of the Möbius strip." The sand grain spoke up: "Otherwise, even if I lose my memories, I will leave you here forever."

Nuo Mian spoke softly, "It's too late. In five minutes, the lower level will be touched by the Möbius strip, and then a Class B forbidden item will be thrown into the maze. How about I lead you out of the maze?"

Five more minutes? Everyone's hearts sank. Shali continued, "We still have to keep looking for the Möbius strip. Even if we don't have enough time, it's good to solve the maze as soon as possible."

“It seems you’re all stupid,” Nuo Mian sighed. “I really can’t understand humans.”

(Sorry I'm late. I spent a long time booking the hotel this afternoon.)
(End of this chapter)