Chapter 109: Cheng Ming’s Ultimate Move

Cheng Ming’s shout earlier was merely because Liu was the only one capable of reaching Aro and Ou Xiaolu in the shortest amount of time. In truth, after calling out, Cheng Ming himself had been sprinting toward them as well.

However, Liu was unable to intervene; it was already too late. Ou Xiaolu’s two sharks had achieved their purpose, and Wang, trapped within the tornado, was severed at the waist by the beasts. With this blow, Wang could no longer maintain his extraordinary strength. As the iron sand within the black wind churned, his body was ground into fine filings, merging into the dark gale.

"Wait for me a moment."

Aro sent a telepathic message to Ou Xiaolu, dove into the black wind, and was swept away, vanishing from sight. Knowing Aro had gone to digest the benefits gained from this battle, Ou Xiaolu was not overly surprised. He glanced at Cheng Ming, who was about to reach them, and immediately activated his [Purple Thunder Sky-Escape], flashing far away.

Seeing the black wind disappear, Cheng Ming stopped rushing toward the fray. He retreated to a position near where Liu was fighting, his eyes locked on Ou Xiaolu. Cheng Ming understood his own situation: his ability was excellent for suppressing superpowered individuals, but he could only deal with one at a time. If caught in a pincer attack, he would be helpless. This was why he had the closest relationship with Liu and Wang in the company; in critical moments, Wang acted as a meat shield, while Liu’s superior speed made him ideal for either dragging him to safety or attacking the enemy.

Now that Wang had been swept away by the black wind—and though he hadn’t seen the final result, Aro’s actions confirmed Wang was finished—and with Liu tangled up with Portgas, likely to be roasted alive if the fight continued, Cheng Ming knew he had to secure an escape route.

Running away was impossible. Cheng Ming lacked the ability to move at high speeds, and his opponents—whether Ou Xiaolu, Aro, or the flying Portgas—had all proven their velocity. If they were intent on hunting them down, only Liu stood a chance of escaping, while he would undoubtedly be the cannon fodder.

At this thought, a flash of resolve crossed Cheng Ming’s eyes. His right hand reached into his pocket, grasping an object, while his left hand held steady toward Ou Xiaolu. Without looking back, he yelled, "Liu, the wind is picking up, let's blow this joint!"

No sooner had the words left Cheng Ming’s lips than Ou Xiaolu struck. He was no fool; how could he fail to understand the underworld slang? Seeing Ou Xiaolu attack preemptively, Cheng Ming felt a moment of speechlessness. This had been Jin Guanyu’s requirement, claiming that shouting such a line during a retreat added a certain flair. It never felt right back home because the phrase was too well-known, and none of them had the nerve to say it. But abroad, it was different. Cheng Ming had assumed the foreigners wouldn't understand, yet Ou Xiaolu was the first to react, launching a sword strike without even waiting for Aro to return.

Fortunately, Cheng Ming was prepared. His left hand—a literal gaping maw—spat out everything he had previously consumed, whether energy-based or material. These items, which Cheng Ming had either failed to digest or could not digest, caused the surrounding space to vibrate upon release. One could only wonder what his left hand had been eating. This oscillation not only halted Ou Xiaolu’s advance but also affected Portgas, who felt his body being dragged toward the discarded debris.

At that moment, Aro burst out with the black wind. The gale swept into the objects Cheng Ming had spewed, the iron sand and filings grinding against them and whittling them away. With Aro intervening, Ou Xiaolu glanced at Cheng Ming, gritted his teeth, and unleashed his two sharks. Ou Xiaolu was gambling that while Cheng Ming was busy spitting out his hoard, his left hand would be unable to devour anything else.

Ou Xiaolu’s gamble paid off. When the two sharks appeared in the air, the look in Cheng Ming’s eyes shifted noticeably. Yesterday, they had recovered A-Yuan’s corpse; though it had been sliced up for research, it was clear that A-Yuan had been killed by shark-like creatures. This was unimaginable to them, as A-Yuan’s ability allowed him to transform into water and back into human form, meaning he didn't need to breathe in the ocean and was impervious to attack.

They hadn't understood it yesterday, but seeing Ou Xiaolu’s technique today, they realized that Ou Xiaolu had mastered extraordinary power from his first day in Xinxiang, and was capable of killing the experts they sent.

Cheng Ming shouted, "Get this information back!"

Liu also saw the two sharks attacking Cheng Ming and realized the truth about A-Yuan. He knew Cheng Ming was creating an opening for him; he was the only one who could safely escape. Grateful for his boss’s sacrifice, Liu pushed his ability to the limit, his speed breaking the sound barrier.

Just as Liu was about to break free, Cheng Ming pressed down hard with his right hand. A spectral hand manifested, ripped Liu’s superpower from his body, and absorbed it. Cheng Ming’s speed increased dramatically, and in the blink of an eye, he was about to escape the combat zone.

Ou Xiaolu finally realized that Cheng Ming’s power wasn't limited to his left hand—his right hand possessed abilities too, though using it came at a cost. The now-powerless Liu collapsed into a desiccated corpse in the middle of a stride. Cheng Ming’s complexion turned ghastly, his hair visibly turning white.

Even so, Ou Xiaolu had no intention of letting Cheng Ming return. He glanced at a position just ahead of Cheng Ming, transformed into a bolt of electricity, and reappeared there. As Cheng Ming charged forward, Ou Xiaolu unleashed the ultimate technique of the Lion King Sword Art, manifesting a lion of sword energy that lunged at Cheng Ming.

Though fast, Cheng Ming was no Liu; he lacked the ability to turn at such high speeds. Facing the lunging lion, he could only shield his head and force his way forward. He didn't understand the nature of the Lion King Sword Art, assuming it was like the shark attack—something he could survive with a few bites as long as he escaped.

But the Lion King Sword Art was not so simple; its slashes were relentless. Because Cheng Ming was fast and Ou Xiaolu’s positioning wasn't perfect, Cheng Ming managed to scramble away. However, Cheng Ming’s two arms were left behind, stripped to the bone by the sword energy, his flesh shredded into fragments. Seeing the state of the arms, Ou Xiaolu, who had been about to give chase, paused and let the man go.