Chapter 152: One Dead, One Wounded, One Captured—Fulfilling the Vow

“Don’t think this is the end for me. Justice will never lose. No matter what, we must eradicate evil. Judgment of the Ten Kings, Final Form, Five-Path Revolving Furnace.” After Hill and Main severed his limbs, Seru wore a mad smile.

“Such a lunatic,” Hill said, holding Main as they quickly retreated.

Another fierce explosion erupted. Though not as powerful as Borus’s Imperial Artifact, it was enough to engulf the two of them.

Meanwhile, two others from the night raid were held back by a sudden, detestable man. Shella kept teleporting around, launching sneak attacks, forcing Najehitan and the injured Black-Eyes to struggle in response. Every time they got close or managed to strike him, he instantly vanished to another spot.

Then, he used a dagger for sneak attacks, utterly unscrupulous.

Leoné faced off against the blond Lan. Though unable to fly, Leoné’s speed and strength matched Lan in the sky. She had also picked up a sturdy shield from the Eight Chambers, specialized for defense, which she made good use of.

The shockwaves from the explosions once again swept through the valley.

“Hill! Main!” Red Eyes shouted in alarm.

“They both carry Xiao Qi’s crystal beads; they should be fine. Now that Esdeath is gone, victory is in our hands. We will annihilate the Hunter unit in one fell swoop.” Najehitan refrained from pursuing the unpredictable Shella, instead forming a defensive formation with Red Eyes.

“Yo, didn’t we just meet? How come you miss me so soon?” Qi patted Hill and Main on the shoulders, signaling them to relax a bit.

“You’re just a useful shield, don’t get too cocky,” Main said, blushing slightly as she released her grip, sneaking a glance at his sunlit cheek.

“Uh, why does your outfit look… so sexy now?” Qi suddenly noticed Main’s dress seemed corroded, turning into a revealing, provocative garment.

Main immediately covered her chest, cheeks flaming. “Shut your dog eyes. It’s because Black Eyes hid the eighth puppet—some giant toad—that accidentally swallowed me during a sneak attack. Then the stomach acid corroded my clothes.”

Though he wanted to say that covering up was pointless without any chest, he restrained himself.

“I heard from that man you, Esdeath, and another girl were teleported to a distant seaside. Was there any danger?” Hill asked, frowning with concern.

“No way. The three of us are the strongest combination. This actually benefits us. As long as we hold those two off there, once the Empire loses Bud and Esdeath, nothing can stop me.”

Qi then remembered and released Hill’s hand. “That bastard’s spatial Imperial Artifact is a great tool. I’m going to seize it and put it to use.”

---

“Why do I feel like Xiao Qi is avoiding me?” Hill asked, puzzled and a little downcast.

“Uh, hahaha, you’re overthinking. Even though he’s just Xiao Qi, he’s pretty busy,” Main said, tilting her head and nervously laughing.

“Bastard, hand over the Imperial Artifact obediently, and I’ll send you off with ease,” Qi said, standing alone in front of Red Eyes and Najehitan.

Shella sheathed his dagger, looking shocked. “You’re back so soon? Impossible. The island is thousands of miles away unless you also have a spatial Imperial Artifact. But spatial…”

“Enough of your rambling. If I have to get my hands dirty, your death won’t be so easy,” Qi said, body like an arrow released from a bow, instantly appearing before Shella.

His fist missed as Shella teleported again. “Haha, no matter how fast you are, you can’t beat my teleportation. But today’s no fun anymore. Red Eyes, former General Najehitan, next time I’ll definitely push you both onto the bed! Hahaha!”

“You better stay here,” Qi said calmly.

“You can’t hold me back.” Shella was about to activate his Imperial Artifact’s Dimensional Array.

A dazzling light flashed. Shella’s smile froze as blood gushed from his right arm like a fountain. Yet he remained tough, not screaming, bending down to pick up his severed arm and the Dimensional Array.

Just as his hand neared the Dimensional Array, a foot pressed down, pinning his hand firmly to the ground, immovable.

“How is this possible? So fast? And the attack… came from the other side…”

“Remember the crimson beam I fired before you teleported me away?” Qi looked down from above at the detestable man.

“Though it hit my left arm, I should have thrown away the crystal dagger. What difference does it make?” Shella gritted his teeth, no longer calm and composed.

“You don’t need to know.” The dazzling light reappeared, blood droplets speckling the desolate rocky ground.

“Ah—” Shella writhed on the ground in agony. Qi had severed his five limbs, immediately cauterized the wounds with intense heat to stop the bleeding, and finally used absolute cold below zero to freeze the blackened severed arm.

“I told you, whether you survive depends on fate. Heaven values life and leaves you a sliver of hope,” Qi said, striking a somewhat mystical pose.

“Hey, winged one, we haven’t decided the winner yet!” On the other side, Leoné saw the blond, handsome Lan spread his wings and flee into the distance, shouting in displeasure.

---

“Xiao Qi, stop him!” Najehitan shouted.

“Understood.”

...

When Labock arrived at the small gathering hut, panting, Lan was already tied up and thrown at the door. Inside the hut, the injured had been mostly bandaged.

“Red Eyes, this is a nutritional serum for wound recovery, not some tasty drink. No matter how much you look at me like that, I can’t give it to you. Sigh, I’ll grill some meat for you tonight.” Qi created diamonds to wrap Red Eyes’ shoulder along with the serum. “It’s not a serious injury; you’ll be fine by tomorrow, and there won’t be any scars.”

“Labock, you’re back. How’s the situation? Did you intercept Borus or Black Eyes?” Najehitan, in a surprisingly good mood, even smiled while smoking.

“Boss, there was a bit of trouble. Chelsea…”

...

Ah, so that’s how it is. The one getting punished is me. Hmph, I originally wanted to come back and hear Xiao Qi praise me. Sorry for breaking your vow. In the next life, I hope to hear you say it again... I will protect you, forever.

Chelsea’s severed head, propelled by inertia, flew to its highest point. Darkness engulfed her vision; the surrounding sounds gradually faded.

“Fool, why did you act so recklessly? And why didn’t you call me when danger came?” A familiar young voice whispered in her ear. In the dim world, a glimmer of dawn appeared. The youth reached out and pulled her, sinking into the abyss, back toward the light.

“Xiao Qi? Is this an illusion? Or the world after death?” Chelsea, now only a head, surprisingly opened her mouth, trying to express her thoughts.

Qi covered her mouth, shaking his head. “You’re strong, you’ve fought hard. My vow hasn’t failed. Now is the time to fulfill it... I will protect you... we are comrades in arms!”