Yama Reborn

Chapter 630 627: It All Began with the Loss of Courage

"I don't want to fight with you, Star Sky Empress."

Corot shrugged, shaking his head: "As someone recognized as the most talented human being not just in the past few centuries, but possibly ever.

I am well aware that your strength has already reached the peak of all humanity; whether it's the Wizard or your husband, they are in fact no match for you.

Although I was once a Controller, I don't think I can win against you."

Saying this, Corot smiled and swiftly retreated.

With a flick of his finger, the spiritual power surrounding him was broken in a corner by the lightning net.

Then Corot rapidly retreated, and with a swish, the tent was cut open by him as his body shot out through the crack!

Lu Xixi leaped in pursuit, her figure flickering as she disappeared through the space.

Corot retreated rapidly, suddenly making a sharp turn mid-air, forcefully braking in the air, then making an unthinkable 180-degree turn. At that moment, it was as if all the rules of physics ceased to exist.

Just as he turned, Lu Xixi appeared behind his position—this guy actually anticipated Lu Xixi's instantaneous movement.

"I told you, I don't want to fight you, Star Sky Empress.", Corot floated in the sky, looking at Lu Xixi from a distance, loudly saying, "I can refrain from stopping you from digging the hole, do what you want."

"Then tell me everything you know.", Lu Xixi said coldly, "Sly guy, surely hiding a secret!"

"I can clearly tell you, I have no malice or hostility towards you, I hide my strength for my own purpose, not to harm you."

"What about Chen Nuo! Why did you stop me from digging underground?"

As Lu Xixi spoke, the lightning whip in her hand already came whistling forward.

Corot, helpless, swiftly retreated over a hundred meters, but the lightning whip shadowed closely, rushing towards his face.

Corot had no choice but to reach out and grab it, instantly, a huge electric current flowed through his body.

Then Lu Xixi, in one step, broke through space and stood in front of Corot, slashing down with a palm, causing Corot's shoulder to stagger.

Corot shrank back, as his fractured shoulder immediately realigned itself, then he shouted loudly, "If you want to hear me speak, stop your hand first!"

Lu Xixi sneered and retracted the lightning whip in her hand: "So tell me? And remember, you'd better not try to deceive me!"

"But I don't know the whereabouts of Chen Nuo.", Corot shook his head: "You know, from beginning to end, I was always on the surface, I never went underground."

"Then how did you get your power?" Lu Xixi fixed her gaze on Corot's eyes.

"..."

Corot finally sighed, pointing at the ground: "Let's go down and talk."

"Alright!"

·

The two swiftly landed on the ground, on a dirt slope surrounded by a wilderness with sparse shrubs. Lu Xixi's whole body was still crackling with electricity, while Corot had withdrawn all his aura, seemingly not intending any tricks.

"Before coming here, I truly was an ordinary person without any abilities.", Corot slowly said.

Lu Xixi immediately interrupted him, "No need to talk about the past, I know it well, no repetition needed, you were an ordinary person who was turned into a pig by the Seed, later helped by the Gray Cat, and became half-human-half-pig!

I want to know, when did you start to regain your strength?"

"From when I came to that small town with the Gray Cat, and met you all."

Corot did not hide this fact: "While staying at the Mayor Mansion, suddenly, one day, I seemed to hear a voice from the void."

"A voice?"

"Yes, a kind of voice.

This voice wasn't transmitted through sound waves, but directly fell upon my mental level.

Accurately speaking, it wasn't a trick played by ability users using spiritual power.

Because if messages were transmitted directly via spiritual power, a nearby person with strong spiritual power would be able to detect it.

At that time, several Controllers, who were all strong in spiritual power, were staying in the Mayor Mansion with you, but none of you detected anything.

At that moment, I understood that the owner of this voice must be stronger than any of you.

Moreover, this way of transmitting was not through mental projection.

It was... perhaps some rule that transcended space, directly affecting the consciousness of the other party."

Lu Xixi fell silent, her mind quickly processing.

Transcending space and distance, directly projecting information into the consciousness of another?

Indeed very powerful, at least she couldn't do it.

Corot's tone became solemn: "The key point is, this voice could communicate with me. I assume you understand the implication of being able to do this, how terrifying it is!"

Lu Xixi remained silent.

·

For someone like Lu Xixi, a top-tier Special Ability User, transmitting information through spiritual power is feasible.

It boils down to relying on one's immense strength, directly projecting the intended message into the other's consciousness space.

For example, saying, "Have you eaten?"

For Lu Xixi, she could bypass speaking, using spiritual power to project the notion of [Have you eaten] into the other's consciousness space, letting them receive it.

However!

It could be sent, but not replied!

Unable to conduct a conversation!

Lu Xixi could ask.

But if the other person is just an ordinary person, they have no way to "answer"!

If the other person wanted to answer "I have eaten," they would need to speak.

This means that Lu Xixi's spiritual power transmission can only deliver.

·

"I believe Chen Nuo must have told you about my experiences, I was once trapped in Antarctica, going through many events.

Seed, Mother, these concepts are not foreign to me.

So when I heard that voice, I instinctively reacted, and the other party could clearly converse with me—I mean a dialogue that goes back and forth.

I understood then, the other party must operate on a very high level.

At that moment, I guessed it must be the Mother of this place."

Lu Xixi quickly asked: "So your power, did Mother help you restore it? By what means?"

Corot shook his head: "I am not sure of the specifics, but I feel it certainly utilized the negative, dark emotions and feelings in my heart."

Lu Xixi sneered: "So, you were harboring dangerous emotions and thoughts while among us?"

Corot's face showed a strange expression: "Why can't I have negative emotions? Why shouldn't I have negative emotions?"

His voice raised a few pitches, shouting loudly: "I am Corot! Once a renowned Controller of the Underground World!

But later? What has become of me? The Seed called Seed turned me into a pig!

I live humbly, all my dignity, self-respect are being trampled on every day, every moment!

That girl called Fox, treated me as a pet?

A pet!!!

I, Corot, treated as a pet by a little girl!!

If it were you, could you endure it?

Living in a cage, everyday being fed dog food and other weird foods, treated as a pet!!"

Lu Xixi suddenly understood Corot.

No matter what, if it were herself, she indeed could not endure it.

If she was subjected to such circumstances, her heart would certainly fill with hatred and madness!

"My abilities were completely lost, living every day like an animal—my remaining life, would only be that of an animal!

Until a few months ago, I finally found an opportunity, after encountering the Gray Cat…

It took me away, restored my human form, but only gave me half of each day to be human.

Even so, am I supposed to be satisfied?

From a pure animal, to half-human-half-animal…

Am I supposed to be satisfied? Happy? Grateful?

Once I stood as a peak Controller!!"

"What did the voice, besides the Mother Clone, say to you?"

"Simply put, it asked me if I was content.", Corot's lips twitched, then he burst into laughter: "What a ridiculous question!

It asked if I was content or discontent?

How could I be content?!!

The answer to this question needed no thought, it was almost an instinct within me!

I told it, I am not content!

"Of course I'm fucking unwilling!"

Corot's emotions became agitated, his breathing quickened significantly, and he shouted, "Then, I discovered that my power began to recover!

My consciousness space, which had been broken, had solidified into an ordinary person's consciousness space!

My spiritual power, my control power, suddenly seemed to start reviving.

Every second, every minute, every hour, every day...

I am gradually growing stronger."

Lu Xixi shook her head: "It doesn't sound like a 'revival,' it sounds more like it granted you power."

"Whatever, whether it's a revival or it directly granted me power, I don't care!"

Corot sneered coldly: "I only know that I can restore my power, no longer be a half-man, half-beast existence, no longer be an ordinary, mundane person whose greatest wish in this life is to die peacefully."

Saying this, Corot shook his head and said, "If I had always been an ordinary person, maybe I wouldn't have had such great resentment.

But after all, I used to be one of those standing at the top of the mountain."

Surprisingly, Lu Xixi seriously nodded: "In this regard, I understand you.

But my question is, after your power started to recover and you gained abilities... how could Gray Cat not notice?"

"Because my power is given by the Mother.

You were very right just now; my own power hasn't recovered.

How to explain to you?

It's like there's an invisible pipe inside my body.

This pipe connects me to the Mother.

If I need to use power, then I can use this pipe to directly draw upon the Mother's power.

When I'm not using power, I let this pipe remain dormant.

I seem just like an ordinary person, with no visible issues—even Gray Cat can't detect anything."

Lu Xixi sneered: "It sounds like you're more of the Mother's puppet or, shall we say, a tentacle.

Hmm, your state reminds me of someone, that Pengpeng.

The native god that the Mother created on this land before."

Corot's tone was dismissive: "Whatever, I don't care about these things.

As long as I can escape that half-man, half-beast state, even if I become another Pengpeng, so what? At least I can be a ruler on Earth, one of those atop the mountain."

Lu Xixi squinted thoughtfully: "Then why are you stopping me from digging underground?"

"...," Corot smiled bitterly: "I understand what you mean, but I really don't know if Chen Nuo is still alive, or where Chen Nuo might be."

Seeing the sparks beginning to emit from Lu Xixi's eyes, Corot quickly said, "But I have a hypothesis."

"Speak!"

"My power hasn't disappeared."

Corot uttered this sentence.

Lu Xixi was taken aback, but instantly understood what Corot meant.

Corot's power came from the Mother.

An invisible pipe.

He could use this means to draw upon the Mother's power...

The fact that Corot still possessed power indicated that...

"So, you mean, the Mother clone hasn't died... and perhaps in the underground battle, it won?"

Corot smiled bitterly: "Whether the Mother won or not, I don't know. But at least with my current situation, I can be sure that it definitely hasn't died. If it had been taken out, eliminated, I should have no way to use power anymore."

Lu Xixi nodded: "So, you stopped me from digging underground..."

"I'm not clear on the battle situation, but... at least I know clearly that the Mother hasn't died, which is to my advantage.

If you were to dig underground, supposing there's still a standoff, still fighting, then...

Your involvement, more or less, would be a disadvantageous weight against the Mother, right?

For me, maintaining the status quo is the best choice."

Lu Xixi laughed: "Cowardly, timid, and extremely cautious... I overestimated you before; I thought you were hiding some huge conspiracy."

"I just want to escape a miserable fate," Corot shook his head: "I've never even gone underground, I have no idea what's down there at all."

After pausing, Corot continued: "Even if you say I stopped you from having someone dig, I'm actually not sure what outcome digging would produce, I'm just..."

"You're just choosing all the factors that are advantageous to you and cautiously trying them out," Lu Xixi's tone held a hint of disdain: "I can understand your desire to escape a tragic fate.

However, your cowardice equally makes me look down on you.

If I were in your position, faced with this situation, I would fight recklessly. You want to profit, but you want to keep yourself safe, hiding behind the scenes, lurking."

"There's no need to demean me." Corot shook his head: "You haven't gone through my miserable experiences; if you had gone through everything I've been through... trapped in that ghost place Antarctica for decades, turned into a pig by others once I came out...

You too would lose your courage."

"Then why hide around me?"

"Because of cowardice, I don't dare to leave here... in fact, I can't escape this place.

Remember Pengpeng?

When you guys were chatting and conversing, you never avoided me before—because you all already considered me a non-threatening existence.

So, I'm also very clear about the situation you mentioned about Pengpeng.

Before the tunnel collapsed, while pretending to help handle those debris, I left in between.

Made some attempts, and the result was...

I couldn't leave this land.

Just like that previous Pengpeng.

I've been granted great power, but I am also imprisoned on this land.

If I were to leave this land, all the power would immediately leave my body.

So..."

"So you're cowardly, scared, and afraid, staying around me, wanting to see what happens? Or, you want to hide yourself first, then see if there is any advantage to be gained?"

"Now that you've discovered, I'm willing to forgo resistance," Corot smiled bitterly: "As you said, I've lost the courage I had before.

I'm only seeking survival now.

I'm not your opponent, Star Sky Empress.

Not only can't I beat you, but I can't even escape—you know my special situation makes it so I can't leave this land.

If I opposed you, once you chase me down, I wouldn't even be able to escape far, once I leave this land, I would lose power and become an ordinary person again, and then... you wouldn't even need to act, any mortal could kill me."

Lu Xixi looked earnestly at Corot, suddenly taking a deep breath: "Mr. Corot!"

"Hmm?"

"Actually, I find you quite pathetic.

From the day you lost your courage, you were no longer a Controller, no longer one on top of the mountain.

Unrelated to your power."

·

Thud!

After returning to the tent, Lu Xixi threw Corot onto the ground.

Corot stopped resisting, obediently complying after being dragged back by Lu Xixi.

Lu Xixi left a spiritual power mark on Corot.

This mark wouldn't restrict Corot's actions, but if Corot ever tried to resist or erase Lu Xixi's spiritual mark, Lu Xixi would immediately be aware, having warned Corot that if he dared to erase the mark, she would mercilessly kill him!

Put simply, it was a hemp rope tying up a ferocious wolf.

The wolf could break free from the hemp rope, but once it did, there'd be a gun ready to fire on the side.

Essentially, Lu Xixi considered killing this guy directly.

However... this guy had some kind of inexplicable rules, capable of connecting to the Mother. Out of caution, Lu Xixi decided to keep him around until she found Chen Nuo.

Just in case he may prove useful?

Once Chen Nuo is found, Lu Xixi would not hesitate to kill him.

Lu Xixi wasn't wrong, this guy had already lost his courage.

A person who has lost his courage doesn't deserve to stand at the top of the mountain.

In that respect, he's not even as good as the Wizard, who is a veteran schemer.

Though the Wizard is also treacherous and cunning, he truly never lost the courage to confront formidable foes.

·