Chapter 84: The Alchemical Genius (1)

After Li Danteng approached him, Ye Lang decisively discarded the alchemical cannon, tossing aside the immensely powerful weapon as if it were nothing more than an insignificant object.

Everyone was momentarily stunned by his action, including Li Danteng, who had just rushed to Ye Lang’s side.

Soon, though, the crowd understood: Ye Lang’s move was a perfectly reasonable strategy. More importantly, it became clear that the alchemical cannon was not his only weapon.

“Hey, watch out for bombs!” Ye Lang called out, flinging several small cylindrical objects from his hand—items resembling bombs—scattering them toward Li Danteng.

“Bombs?!” Li Danteng immediately dodged. He’d heard of alchemical bombs before, and with the precedent of Ye Lang’s cannon’s terrifying power, he naturally assumed these smaller bombs would be equally formidable.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom...

Ye Lang, notorious for his extravagance, did not disappoint. None of his alchemical devices were ordinary; each was packed with destructive force, their explosions sending chills through everyone present.

No one felt this more acutely than Li Danteng, who rolled and darted in every direction, striving to avoid the dangerous blasts. Yet, faced with their sheer number, he could not escape unscathed—no, not “unclothed.” His garments were blown to shreds, and it was anyone’s guess whether his body had also suffered.

Ye Lang, meanwhile, stood off to one side, lost in thought. Was he planning his next move, or simply admiring his handiwork?

“You bastard, I’m going to kill you!” Li Danteng, humiliated and furious at Ye Lang’s gloating, lost all reason. He forgot the principle of restraint he’d intended to follow, the very measure to avoid reprisal from the Ye family.

“Oh, if you intend to kill me, I suppose I’ll have to kill you first,” Ye Lang replied calmly, producing a small cannon from his bag. This device resembled the previous alchemical cannon, but was much smaller—about the length of a standard rifle.

What? This kid’s arsenal never ends! Toss away the big, bring out the small!

The smaller weapon looked much handier than the large cannon; its power was likely less, but its agility much greater. Even so, its lesser power still promised deadly force.

But was it only a matter of power?

Bang!

As Li Danteng tried to respond as before, he was startled to find that Ye Lang’s miniature alchemical cannon emitted no flash—there was no alchemical array etched on its surface.

Instead, a dark object shot out from the black barrel—not a beam of magical energy, but something tangible.

Whatever it was, Li Danteng knew it was no ordinary thing. He tried to dodge, but realized too late.

The object unfurled midair into a net, expanding rapidly and flying straight at Li Danteng, blocking every escape route, like an inescapable web.

Li Danteng had nowhere to run, but he could still draw his sword and attempt to cut through the net.

Yet Ye Lang’s net was not so easily severed. Li Danteng’s sword, imbued with battle energy, left not a single mark, unable to alter the net in any way.

As soon as the net touched Li Danteng, it wrapped tightly around him, enclosing him within. The net drew tighter, and his struggles only hastened its embrace.

Strength, battle energy—nothing could damage the net!

This was Ye Lang’s custom creation. Not only Li Danteng, but even his grandfather could not escape its grasp. If people knew what material formed this net, they would curse Ye Lang for his wastefulness!

The net was crafted from an exceedingly rare and precious material: silk spun by a special kind of magical spider during a unique period. It could block all magic and battle energy, and its toughness was unmatched. It was the perfect tool for capturing powerful opponents—indeed, this silk was usually reserved for restraining masters.

Such material was so scarce that even an empire possessed little, and none could boast a net as large as Ye Lang’s. Equipment like this was beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.

Ye Lang’s miniature cannon could launch various items, including nets of different specifications and functions. But he had only one net of this material; he wished for more, but none were available. He’d acquired it purely by chance at an auction.

Now, he could confidently tell Ye Lan Yu and the others that his frequent visits to auctions were not in vain—his extravagant habits did serve a purpose!

Of course, the net was not merely made of this spider silk; other materials were woven in, and it was specially designed to expand instantly and shrink immediately upon capturing its target, leaving the victim utterly immobilized.

Anyone caught in this net was certain to become a prisoner—provided they were ensnared to begin with.

“Stop struggling in vain. If you have any last words, say them now,” Ye Lang’s voice rang out, deepening Li Danteng’s humiliation. He was mortified to be defeated in such a way.

He wanted to curse Ye Lang for his underhanded tactics, for relying on such bizarre devices, but when he looked at Ye Lang, he immediately held his tongue—for fear that enraging Ye Lang would cost him his life.

Why did Ye Lang inspire such dread? Simple: when you see someone wielding an alchemical cannon that size, especially when it’s aimed at you, you can’t help but feel afraid.

At this moment, Ye Lang had picked up the discarded alchemical cannon and was preparing to fire at Li Danteng.

“I surrender!” Li Danteng, recognizing the situation, quickly raised a white flag.

If he didn’t surrender, would he really be blasted to pieces?

Yet Ye Lang seemed not to hear, continuing to adjust the cannon.

“Ye Lang! He’s already surrendered, you can stop now!” the First Sword Saint called out in alarm.

“Why should I stop just because he surrendered? He wanted to kill me just now, so I ought to kill him!” Ye Lang replied blankly, as if his mind were short-circuiting again.

This was exactly the Sword Saint’s concern. Ye Lang was always considered a bit simple-minded; if he were to kill Li Danteng now, others would only view it as a foolish act and forgive him anything.

But Li Danteng’s demise would be disastrous for his family and friends.

――――――

Some disruptive and self-important people—Xiao Xiao no longer wishes to comment!

Regarding the chapter titles appearing in the book: this has already been explained. Interested readers can buy Xiao Xiao’s traditional edition in Taiwan, or order it online. Collecting it is also a form of support—hehe...

As for accusations of plagiarism: sorry, Xiao Xiao has never read that book, nor paid it any mind. If he hasn’t read it, how could it be the same? Perhaps there are similar ideas—they’re all of the same genre, after all.

Yesterday, a friend explained: apparently, a few lines were quite similar, namely Ye Lang’s remark as a child that “the earth is round.” Those lines were indeed borrowed from another book—though it was another work entirely. If you haven’t read it, I recommend you check out “Chronicles of the Extraordinary.” The book you mentioned also borrowed from “Chronicles of the Extraordinary.” It’s a classic, and every seasoned reader has read it; Xiao Xiao followed it avidly, and I believe the Taiwanese edition has recently been completed.

Xiao Xiao also wants to clarify: those lines were meant to illustrate Ye Lang’s fractured state of mind at the time, and have nothing to do with the plot—just as the fish balls and noodles in McDull’s story!

Ah, I couldn’t help venting a bit—sorry for taking up your time. Please, continue reading…