Chapter 9: I'll Wear You Down

Just as he dodged, a voice both familiar and strange echoed in his ears: "Yun Yi, run!"

It was Xiao Li’s voice, yet it carried a sense of resolve and tragic heroism that did not belong to her. Yun Yi turned abruptly, his gaze locked firmly upon her. In that moment, he saw a glimmer of clarity flash through her eyes like a shooting star in the night sky, only for it to be swallowed instantly by a powerful, alien force, as if buried under endless darkness.

Yet, just before this force could consume her entirely, Xiao Li had gathered her last shred of willpower to issue the warning. Though her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum, it carried a soul-piercing impact. Yun Yi’s heart was rent asunder; he understood clearly that Xiao Li was being controlled by some mysterious and formidable power, and that the entity controlling her intended to use her as a puppet to ambush him. What moved him most was that even in this life-or-death moment, Xiao Li had managed to fight through the control to warn him of the danger.

"Xiao Li!" Yun Yi roared, his voice filled with anxiety and determination. His eyes remained fixed on her, brimming with both agony and defiance. But as he called her name, Xiao Li, completely engulfed by that strange power, fell from the air like a kite with a broken string, her fate unknown. Yun Yi’s heart leaped into his throat, watching her fall, helpless to intervene.

At that moment, a voice dripping with mockery and self-satisfaction echoed all around: "Ha! I never imagined that an ordinary mosquito could actually resist my mental control and briefly recover its consciousness."

The voice was cold and arrogant, as if it held the power of life and death over all lesser beings. Following the voice, a magnificent giant mosquito with thick legs and iridescent, shimmering wings emerged slowly from the nearby flowerbeds. Its eyes, like two brilliant gemstones, pulsed with a chilling light. This was the patriarch of the Magnificent Giant Mosquito clan, the Master of Devouring Heaven.

Looking at Yun Yi, the patriarch curled its mouth into a cruel smile. "Are you the mysterious powerhouse who killed my clansman?"

Yun Yi turned to meet the gaze of this behemoth. Though his heart was in turmoil, he maintained a calm exterior. Recalling the creature's words, he quickly connected the clues, realizing this was a relative of the one he had killed. Despite his confusion over how the creature had tracked him so precisely, the urgency of the situation left no room for reflection. Whether out of revenge or some other ulterior motive, the patriarch was clearly a dangerous foe. What pained him most was that Xiao Li lay wounded nearby, her life hanging in the balance.

Though he had initially hesitated to admit his actions, he realized that if the creature had found him, it must possess definitive evidence. Any denial now would be futile.

"Yes," Yun Yi replied briefly and firmly.

Before the word had faded, the patriarch—a massive creature with wings like leaping flames—did not hesitate. Its eyes flared with what seemed like burning fire, and its body transformed into a streak of light, moving with a speed that distorted the surrounding air. Carrying a pressure that shook the atmosphere like a flash flood, it lunged at Yun Yi. Every beat of its wings sounded like thunder, and the air seemed to be sliced apart, leaving visible cracks in its wake.

Facing this overwhelming onslaught, Yun Yi remained cool-headed despite his shock. He sensed that his opponent’s cultivation was indeed superior to his own—at least at the third level of demonic energy—making a direct confrontation unwise. He adjusted his stance, his wings vibrating at an incredible frequency, dancing through the air with agile shifts. Each dodge was perfectly timed, neutralizing the patriarch’s lethal strikes.

The patriarch’s eyes flashed with surprise. It let out a cold snort and remarked, "Little mosquito, not bad. You are indeed worthy of having killed my clansman. But do you think that because you could kill him, you can do the same to me?"

As it spoke, its attacks grew more violent, each strike imbued with enough power to tear a smaller creature to shreds. The air seemed to solidify under its immense power, compressing Yun Yi’s space and driving him toward a corner. Yet, to the patriarch’s taunts, Yun Yi only offered a slight smile, remaining silent.

He knew that words were meaningless; only action would prove his worth. He focused entirely on the battle, his dodges becoming more precise and his counter-maneuvers perfectly timed. While he could not inflict substantial damage on the patriarch, he maintained the rhythm of the fight, refusing to let the enemy gain total control.

The battle intensified. Their silhouettes wove through the air, each collision accompanied by explosive cracks. The flowerbeds within dozens of steps were reduced to ruins, petals and leaves scattering in the wake of their struggle. Yet, Yun Yi’s gaze grew only more resolute; he understood that only by persisting could he find an opening for a counterattack and secure a chance for survival in this lopsided fight.

The patriarch, however, grew impatient. It soared high, carving a graceful arc through the air, and dived straight for Yun Yi. Knowing of his potential, it decided to end the fight with a lethal, decisive blow. It opened its beak, which was covered in feather-like antennae, the tip glinting with a cold, piercing light.

With a low, powerful roar, it shouted, "Sting of Obliteration!"

A dazzling light erupted from the patriarch’s beak, followed by hundreds of small, razor-sharp needles that poured out like a meteor shower. Each one carried lethal force, whistling through the air as they shot toward Yun Yi. Facing the barrage, Yun Yi flashed toward the flowerbeds, attempting to use the dense foliage to evade the deadly assault. Hiding behind a sturdy stalk, he calculated how to exhaust the patriarch’s energy while waiting for his moment to strike.

"I will wear you down," Yun Yi whispered to himself, confident that with enough patience, he would find the flaw in the patriarch’s defense.