Proofreader&Editor: Lotas
Devotee?
Lin Qiye steadied himself, his heart sinking.
The mere strike from before made it clear to Lin Qiye the gap between them; the man before him was definitely at the peak of the "River" realm, perhaps even having reached the "Sea" realm.
With such a vast disparity in strength, coupled with the man's identity as a Devotee, Lin Qiye's situation became extremely perilous. The roles of prey and hunter were once again reversed.
The Serpent Woman, standing behind Han Shaoyun, finally recovered from the shadow cast by the twin Divine Mights. Her snake-like pupils were chilling to the bone.
"You may go," Han Shaoyun said to the Serpent Woman, turning his head slightly.
She nodded slightly, gave Lin Qiye a final glance, snorted coldly, and once again performed her Serpent Eye Teleportation, vanishing from Lin Qiye's perception.
As the Serpent Woman left, the red glow that enveloped the street gradually faded. The pervasive snake-eye patterns, like the imprints on the ground, the interwoven branches, and the cracks on the walls…
After the disappearance of the Serpent Woman's Divine Ruin, these "reasonable" snake-eyes returned to their original form.
The pressure of the Divine Ruin lifted from Lin Qiye's heart, but his unease did not abate. He knew that the seemingly harmless man before him was a hundred times more terrifying than the fleeing Serpent Woman.
"Are you here to recruit me?"
While speaking, Lin Qiye probed into the Mental Hospital within his mind.
Facing an enemy of this caliber, Lin Qiye had no chance of victory. The only option before him…
Summon Nyx!
However, Nyx's divinity was damaged, and her combat level was uncertain. She might not win against the man before him, so using Night Flicker to escape was the best choice.
If he wasn't mistaken, aside from the recently fled Serpent Woman, the man before him was the key figure in this assault.
Having repelled the Serpent Woman and lured out this big fish, Lin Qiye was already at an advantage.
"Regrettably, I'm not here to recruit you," Han Shaoyun shook his head gently, flicking his long halberd, and a powerful whirlwind erupted from him. "I'm here to kill you."
Lin Qiye's brows furrowed, and at the same time, he successfully connected with Nyx in the Mental Hospital. Just as he was about to summon her, an unexpected change occurred!
A subtle fluctuation emanated from three directions, the sky seemingly covered by an invisible canvas. The space around them rippled slightly, then returned to calm as if nothing had happened…
"This is…" Lin Qiye saw this scene and seemed to realize something, a glint of understanding in his eyes.
Han Shaoyun looked up at the sky, his brow slightly furrowed.
"Night Watchman, No-Restrictions Zone…"
***
In the midst of the snowstorm,
At the other end of the street,
Six figures in dark red cloaks walked slowly across the deserted street, stepping on the white snow.
A breeze blew, revealing the face of the leader, Chen Muye, who slightly lifted his head, his sharp gaze falling on Han Shaoyun, his hands resting on the hilt of his blade…
In the wind, his voice was clear and deep:
"—Team 136 is here in full force. Who dares to seek death?"
…
Thud—!!
On the frozen canal, a shadow plummeted like a cannonball, shattering the ice and plunging into the cold waters below.
In mid-air, two more figures flew out, one enveloped in flames, the other riding the wild wind, both charging towards the man in the center.
The flames mixed with the wind formed a tornado, enveloping the man, but in the next moment, a dark light burst forth, tearing through the fiery twister!
The man grinned, instantly appearing before the fire wielder, dark light swirling in his palm, and with another slap, he sent him crashing into the canal.
In the distance, Baili Pangpang, who was silently observing the battle from a corner, swallowed hard.
"Your bodyguard team seems to be losing," Cao Yuan said, holding his blade, his voice ghostly.
"Pah, pah, pah! Shut your crow's mouth!" Baili Pangpang shuddered, covering Cao Yuan's mouth with a reflex, muttering curses, "Damn it, where did this 'Sea' realm madman come from, insisting on chasing after me to kill?
The four Forbidden Artifact Masters together can barely contend with one from the 'Sea' realm. If he keeps fighting recklessly like this, all four Forbidden Artifact Masters, and us, are done for!"
Shen Qingzhu heard this and pondered for a moment, "Should we… settle the accounts for the past two days first?"
"…"
Whoosh—!
A massive water dragon burst from the frozen canal, the Water Master frowning, supporting the seriously injured Fire Master, and landed steadily on the nearby land.
The man sneered with lowered brows, changing direction in mid-air, his body shrouded in dark light, and slammed heavily towards the ground where the two were.
At the same time, the earth seemed to come alive, raising a wave of sand and stone, striking towards the man!
The man, like a bullet, broke through the wave, his gaze intense, grabbing the throat of the Earth Master hidden within the sand and stone, spinning half a circle in the air, and violently throwing him to the ground, creating a huge crater!
Dust rose in all directions.
The man walked slowly through the rising dust, heading straight for where Baili Pangpang was hiding. He hadn't taken many steps when three disheveled figures appeared before him.
The already injured Fire Master, Wind Master, and Water Master… As for the Earth Master, he had completely lost consciousness after that last strike.
"The Forbidden Artifact Masters of the Baili family are nothing special," the man sneered. "You're injured to this extent, and you still want to stop me?"
The three Forbidden Artifact Masters remained silent, but their actions spoke volumes about their resolve.
"Good, good…" Dark light emerged again in the man's palm, step by step approaching the three.
"Wait! Wait! Hold on, hero!"
Just then, a rotund figure stumbled out, standing in front of the three Forbidden Artifact Masters.
"Hero, tell me, how much did the person who hired you pay? My Baili family will pay double… no, triple!" Baili Pangpang's face was ashen, holding up three fingers, speaking earnestly.
"Money?" The man sneered. "Do you think I'm someone who lacks money?"
"Then you…"
Just as the man was about to say something, he suddenly shuddered, turning to look behind him.
At some point, a middle-aged man in military attire had appeared there, his domineering presence pressing down on the entire scene.
His gaze was calm, like a deep pool, yet also like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
He was the head of the Training Camp and the deputy captain of the Night Watchman stationed in Shangjing City, Yuan Gang!
"Heh, you finally showed up," the man said upon seeing Yuan Gang, a look of successful scheming on his face.
"You've been so brazenly spreading the 'Sea' realm aura, even at the cost of your life, to chase after Baili Tuming, all to lure me here?" Yuan Gang's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So what if I did?" The man grinned. "Since you're here now, you won't be able to leave for a while…"
"And then, you'll have the chance to let another from the 'Sea' realm go after Lin Qiye?" Yuan Gang scoffed, looking at the man with a hint of disdain.
"What makes you think that in this Cangnan City, the only one who can kill someone from the 'Sea' realm… is just me, Yuan Gang?"