Bound Spirit Bo’an looked down at the bundled-up Hong Haocheng, then turned its gaze to Yang Zicang.
{I can sense from your spiritual energy field that you’re not a bloodthirsty person. I hope you’ll keep your promise. Though I have no way to punish you.}
“Don’t worry. As for this guy,” Yang Zicang gave the rolled-up blanket a kick, “I actually knew he would come long ago.”
{Good, then.}
Bound Spirit Bo’an nodded, stepped out, and with a roar, summoned other Bound Spirits nearby that bore the folded lines.
Although the situation had taken a great turn for the better, Yang Zicang didn’t feel even half happy about it. He was making one race slaughter its own kind.
There was no movement under the blanket. Yang glanced at it and levitated it into the air.
Lyu Zhi’s mental apparition appeared there.
“Brother Yang, is this the guy Morrie was talking about?”
“Don’t bring up that topic.”
“Oh, so should we he get some food ready or not?”
“Of course. And set up a tent for Haocheng as well. I’ll ask for leave and stay here for the next couple of days. That bound spirit should be able to gather ten binding cores for me real soon.”
Among the throng of monsters, those bound spirits died without ever understanding why their own leader was killing them.
Bo’an felt his mind growing hazier and hazier. In his gigantic palm, there were now six blood-red binding cores. But he could no longer summon a single monster from the surroundings.
They would go out of their way to avoid him, scared stiff of any encounter.
(Maybe this is the end.)
Bo’an looked up at the swirling mass of clouds.
(Captain, this is our just deserts, isn’t it?)
(This is the price for seeking the forbidden secrets of the old world. Rest easy. Someone will come and free you.)
(Thank you. I must be worth a lot to them.)
He walked towards the camp that belonged to Yang Zicang. With every step, his footsteps grew heavier, and with every step, his hands grew larger.
Just as he was nearing the camp, a psychic form appeared before him.
It was Lyu Zhi, his body radiating the aura of a transcendent powerhouse, who spoke:
{Your state is off; you should leave this place.}
[Won’t your captain blame you for that?]
{He’s told me before—if you ever fall into a distracted state, I may leave.}
“I see. Hah, there’s no reason for me to worry about Haocheng anymore. He’s found a good captain, just like my own.”
The monster opened its palm, about to drop six Spirit-Binding Cores, when suddenly, folded light flickered around its body.
[I will respond to the call of the Ether Tunnel Medal.]
The dust abruptly scattered, and Bo’an’s body vanished with a shwoosh , instantly appearing in a distant part of the city.
Bo’an was stunned for a moment before he saw clearly: before him was the face of a boy staring at him with indifference.
[Why have you appeared here?]
{Because I made a wish.}
Hong Haocheng raised the only two medals left in his hand.
“You never told me that having three of these would allow me to travel as well.”
“Eh? Heh, heh-heh, haha, HAHAHAHA!”
A giant hand gently ruffled the boy’s head with one finger.
“Even Qiao’er doesn’t know this, yet you figured it out. I think… there must… be… other… conditions!”
It dropped the clinking pile of bound spirit cores from its grasp, twisted around, and let out a resonant roar before charging into the distance.
Out in the wilds, countless monsters frantically fled in the opposite direction, and the ground instantly cleared a patch like a tiger descending into a flock of sheep.
Bo’an’s furious roar shook the heavens and earth, its mental pressure spreading in waves.
Hong Haocheng used a badge, but it had no effect! He thought with anguish that the awakened consciousness had completely disappeared.
{I am [Beichuang].}
A voice sounded.
Hong Haocheng looked up at the sky, where something seemed to be lurking in the clouds above.
{I am the sinner [Beichuang].}
{Brothers from my homeland, please rid us of the sins we have committed, and also deliver us ourselves.}
{Let Bo’an find peace.}
Hong Haocheng looked at Bo’an’s frenzied figure. The boy took a deep breath, knowing that Yang Zicang was determined to stay here these two days and would surely come over immediately.
“Bo’an!” Hong Haocheng shouted loudly.
The monster in distance turned a deaf ear to the sound.
“Bo’an!!! Ah!!!!”
The boy’s body turned into a blur, rushing swiftly to the front of the giant figure. The Bound Spirit turned around, and swatted down with its palm!
Rumbling! The ground exploded!
Sword shadows flashed.
An arm was severed, blood spattered and scattered over this being’s torso. It paused briefly before attacking again, but in that split second, a transparent blade wielded by the hand now missing only four fingers had already pierced through the Bound Spirit’s body.
Hong Haocheng pushed off with his feet, bounding into the air, and drove his blood-stained fist deep into the whirlpool-shaped vortex atop its head.
As if the fragile core had been struck, Bo’an’s roar and vision simultaneously shattered in an instant, and he collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Hong Haocheng, lying on the ground, saw rings glowing in his vision, and quickly, the life’s Sail-Ink Drawing of the Bound Spirit appeared on the ground, floating in the air like a giant distorted map!
And this drawing was actually a map of both worlds—Earth and the city here!
“You liar!”
With bloodshot eyes, Hong Haocheng devoured these Sail-Ink Drawings, picked up the barely-formed Spirit Binding Core, retreated with his sword, as a fracture line spread from his chest toward Wu Yun.
{Take me away, but if you try any tricks, I’ll kill you all!}
{Calm down, our Captain Chen is a really good person; I’ll come pick you up right away.}
Hong Haocheng picked up the six Spirit Binding Cores and glanced at the giant blanket, still a small black dot on the horizon.
Wrapping them in his clothes, he quickly moved through the buildings, following the guidance of the Mental Link, approaching the Four-Phase Team’s camp.
The next day.
An open area was cleared within the camp.
Cheng Yunze walked over: “Don’t be sad over losing Bo’an. This city’s fate is already sealed, and our existence is meant to rewrite them.”
Hong Haocheng felt the map belonging to Bo’an in his mind and nodded.
Cheng Yunze sighed:
“Sure enough, the Pulang Group’s big blanket that Yang Zicang supposedly obtained from the chief editor is powerful enough to wrap up you bloodline-holders.”
Even those high-ranked Bound Spirits can be sealed by it—what about himself? Cheng Yunze’s expression turned grave.
“They’re formidable,” Hong Haocheng said indifferently.
“They are strong, but you’re not bad either. Given time, Yang Zicang won’t be a threat; however, that’s on the condition our city doesn’t drop out of the top thirty in next year’s ranking.”
Cheng Yunze explained the key points in detail, and the boy nodded upon learning that the city’s ranking was tied to the Hub Town’s profits and the entry rights to No. 11 City.
“So, if we lose in the ranking, we could plummet dozens of spots instantly. That’s because winners seize the top positions, while losers are ranked after all winner cities in order of points based on their performance and endurance time. But I believe with you on board, we can win.”
Hong Haocheng looked at him: “Imprints like me—can I also fight in the battle?”
Cheng Yunze nodded: “Yes, as long as it’s a team with a roster. Still, I don’t have absolute confidence in victory.”
His own hidden trump cards were all exposed, while Yang Zicang’s had only been scratched slightly, finally revealed by that Bound Spirit, and the others from his ranking 41 city hadn’t even shown up yet.
Sensing Cheng Yunze’s anxiety, Hong Haocheng asked,
“Isn’t there some way to suppress them? I recall Zhang Miao mentioning that as the defending ranking city, we do have some advantages.”
“There is one.”
Cheng Yunze looked at him:
“But that’s precisely why I need the cores you have. They’ll be of great use to me.”
While Hong Haocheng was still pondering this, Cheng Yunze continued:
“When you first entered this place, that voice should have told you: ten crystals can be exchanged for a reasonable request by the city chief from the Hub Town. And I am the chief of the 23rd City.”
“What are you planning to do?”
A hint of madness flashed in Cheng Yunze’s eyes:
“I’m going to apply for an extreme-difficulty assessment. I’ll make them lose completely.”
“Lose completely?”
“We have the right to set the test questions!”
A gleam of light flashed in Hong Haocheng’s eyes.
Cheng Yunze said confidently:
“As long as they can’t clear the stage, they lose the match! We already have three white cores and four red cores. If you give me the six red cores in your hands, I can immediately apply to the Hub Town—right in front of you!”
Only then did the surrounding people realize that their captain had been pushed to such a corner by the Puming Group. It was hard to imagine that this was the same man who always seemed to have everything under control.
“Ha! Hahaha!” Hong Haocheng laughed heartily, his laughter tinged with anger. “So that’s how it is. Fine—if you need them, I’ll give you all of them, as long as they can ensure their defeat!”
Hong Haocheng turned around to fetch the Bound Spirit Cores.
Cheng Yunze received them; it was an unexpected delight to obtain the remaining six so easily.
More members of the team came over, looking at the red cores arranged in two rows on the ground.
“I’ll submit the application to the Council right in front of you!”
Cheng Yunze solemnly placed the tenth crystal on the ground.
Rising to his feet, he looked up at the swirling vortex of wind and demanded:
“I, the chief representative of the rankings battle for City 23, Cheng Yunze, captain of the Four-Phase Team, hereby submit an application to Hub Town!”
The thread on his chest shot out a long distance before penetrating into the void.
{Land of Severed Frequencies — the Silver White Mayor has begun to heed your appeal.}
As everyone’s gaze fell upon him, Cheng Yunze declared proudly:
“I want to use ten Blood-bound Soul Cores as the cost to apply for the annual settlement ranking assessment difficulty to be adjusted to the maximum!”
{For City 23, the currently recommended assessment difficulties range from “Crimson Moon Class” to “Moon’s Shadow Class.” If you request the highest difficulty, it will trigger the “Demon Hero Class” rankings battle. Have you carefully considered this?}
“I confirm!”
Cheng Yunze didn’t hesitate, having already made his final resolution.
[I have applied for the descent of the “Demon Hero Class Arena City.”]
{The Mayor of Hub Town has received your request.}
Amid the stunned gazes of the crowd, one, two, three — over a dozen light orbs manifested in the sky.
Among them, the three brightest small orbs drifted slowly downward, revealing graceful, tiny silhouettes within.
Cheng Yunze and Hong Haocheng watched this sacred scene with bated breath.
They hovered above the misty ground, pressed their small fingertips together, and conjured a miniature black hole.
In an instant, the black hole rapidly expanded.
In a flash, they absorbed all ten vermilion crystals on the ground, making them vanish without a trace.
{Easy peasy.}
{Farewell, fearsome big shots.}
The tiny figures vanished.
A sense of relief welled up in Hong Haocheng’s heart, as though the recent displeasure vanished along with the disappearance of the core.
[Yang Zicang, just wait to lose the match!]
……
{Urgent mission: all vacationing personnel must return before 23:59 today.}
At the camp, Yang Zicang, who was complaining about Hong Haocheng to Morrie through a model link, suddenly heard this voice from the Lost Illusion Company.
He was somewhat taken aback as he sensed the telepathic message.
{All new employees, return to the company to participate in a large-scale urgent mission—the design and construction of the Demon Elite Arena!}
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