Chapter 1170: How Not To Lose Yourself

The evil clown, which was as tall as Gao Tianming, gave off a repugnant feeling that could instantly fill a person with immense horror. It had a bleeding nose and cracked lips, and even the moles at the corner of its eyes resembled sharp blades that could cut a heart open. Four strings dangled over the puppet clown’s head, and they were none other than intestines…

It looked a little revolting, but this was actually just the psychological effect of Shadow Image, which also indicated how deep Gao Tianming had fallen. Once his heart demon was triggered, the Shadow Image would directly reflect the darkness in his heart.

Using the power of Shadow Dao should usually result in a Shadow Image form similar to the weapon spirit of magic weapons; even if they weren’t as good-looking as Jingke or Mysterious Sea, they should at the very least still have a regular human appearance.

Wang Ling frowned as he gazed at the horrifying image in front of him. His first reaction was to decide to give away his remaining packets of fried intestine-flavored crispy noodle snacks in an equivalent exchange with Heavenly Dao.

He was a sixteen-year-old boy, after all… He couldn’t help feeling a little queasy at the sight in front of him.

So Wang Ling was now doing his best not to throw up the acid roiling in his stomach. Given the power of his gastric acid, if one drop of it fell to the ground, it would probably burn a hole through the earth…

Seeing Wang Ling clutch his stomach, Gao Tianming thought his threat had worked. His Shadow Image was called “Puppet Clown,” and had the ability to create dread through an illusion. When a person was caught in it, the more they looked, the more frightening they would find it. Wang Ling could be considered pretty capable for not fainting on the spot.

“There’s no point in struggling, Classmate Wang Ling. I’m definitely going to make you part of my collection.” Gao Tianming smiled darkly, and with one thought, several more intestines flew out of Puppet Clown’s belly to wrap themselves around Wang Ling’s limbs and drag him into Gao Tianming’s Shadow Image world.

Was this tentacle play…

Wang Ling had no interest in engaging in tentacle play with a man.

He opened his King’s Eye and fixed his attention on the large intestines flying toward him. Under his gaze, these intestines actually slowed down.

This was the passive “don’t touch this great one” effect of the King’s Eye. If these unidentified life forms still insisted on trying to approach Wang Ling after his warning look, they would be directly annihilated.

Thus, these large intestines instantly slowed down in midair and then stopped.

Under the weight of Wang Ling’s King’s Eye, they didn’t dare advance.

As a Shadow Image, Puppet Clown was controlled by Gao Tianming’s will, but it also had some spiritual intelligence and wouldn’t do anything to harm itself. Once the Shadow Image appeared, it was bound to its owner’s body, and any injury the Shadow Image received would also be reflected on its owner.

Gao Tianming was clearly astonished by Puppet Clown’s hesitation. This had never happened before, and he never imagined that his own Shadow Image could actually feel fear.

The Shadow Image and its owner were of one body and mind!

At that moment, Gao Tianming could clearly perceive the panic and terror in the heart of Puppet Clown that was causing it to tremble slightly…

The next moment, Wang Ling’s King’s Eye turned into a sharp sword that directly pierced Puppet Clown!

He used his power of sight to tear open a gap to the Shadow Image world.

Wang Ling knew that there were a lot of people who were still trapped inside the Shadow Image world. If he disposed of Puppet Clown now, those people would also be extinguished along with it.

At this point in the battle, Gao Tianming finally realized that Wang Ling’s strength was basically beyond his understanding. He had manipulated his Shadow Image into devouring people previously, but the person in front of him had forcibly torn open a gap with his own strength, as if he were cracking open a roast duck, and then stepped inside!

The moment Wang Ling entered the Shadow Image world, Gao Tianming had a real mental breakdown!

The so-called Shadow Image world was in fact a small world space which the Shadow Image constructed with the user’s mental energy. Wang Ling entering this small world now was akin to him forcing his way into Gao Tianming’s mental consciousness.

This sort of massive energy monster suddenly invading his mental world made Gao Tianming fall to his knees as his head exploded with pain!

He was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered as he clutched at his head, and his entire body curled up on the ground and jerked with pain!

Wang Ling had forced his way in, which would certainly damage Gao Tianming’s mind. It had to be said, however, that Gao Tianming had brought this on himself… Did he have to turn so many people into puppets for no reason, and put them in his sweatshop in his Shadow Image world?

In the puppet sweatshop, the people who had already been turned into part of his collection worked endlessly like machines. Suspended from strings, they carried bricks one by one to wherever construction was happening; they were collector’s items as well as cheap labor.

Only after Wang Ling was deep in the Shadow Image world did he realize how frighteningly dark the depths of Gao Tianming’s heart were. Wang Ling could sense a force in this puppet factory that could make one lose their sense of self.

All the people who had been turned into puppets here had given up struggling and resisting as they were stripped of their human mindsets little by little. They would gradually forget their names and the people around them, and slowly lose all their memories of being human… Most of the people that Gao Tianming had turned into puppets were Foundation Establishment students. Foundation Establishment cultivators had relatively weak minds and willpower, and were more easily assimilated into this mental world.

The worst cases were those who had completely lost themselves here.

In front of the line of people carrying bricks, Wang Ling noticed a familiar figure who was being flogged with a whip.

It was as Wang Ling had thought. When he felt Wang Zhen’s aura disappear earlier, it was indeed because Wang Zhen had fallen into Gao Tianming’s trap and had been absorbed into the Shadow Image world to become a puppet.

He saw that Wang Zhen had turned into a marionette; his body seemed to be hanging from four steel wires as it worked tirelessly and repetitively beyond his control.

Wang Ling merely stood and watched from afar. He didn’t know if Wang Zhen had been assimilated, or how much of his consciousness remained.

But he looked at the man’s expression and saw that it was different from that of the other puppets.

There was determination in his eyes, as if he hadn’t given up thinking on how to get out of here.

Then, their eyes met.

Wang Zhen’s spirit was suddenly shaken, and he instantly got excited.

“Ling Zhenren!”

He shouted inwardly in the utter belief that Wang Ling could hear him.

Wang Ling was about to praise Wang Zhen for actually being able to retain his sense of self in such a terrible Shadow Image world, when Wang Zhen said, “Ling Zhenren, you’re finally here! I was wondering how not to lose myself in this space… So I’ve been deliberately making trouble in order to be beaten. The moment I’m whipped, I feel refreshed and remember everything!”

Hearing this, Wang Ling slowly gave a “?”

Why did this guy sound like he was enjoying himself?