“Wh… why… ” Caden and Shirley, whose face had turned into a giant purple taro, both looked at Yang Zicang with strange expressions.

Even before the dazed, questioning Caden could react, Shirley—already nearly a monster—pointed a trembling finger at the figure before them.

“I… refuse. “

Yang Zicang’s face instantly hardened, as if looking at a true adversary.

“What are you saying?! “

“Shirley! ” Caden lowered his head, his eyes bloodshot. “Why do you have to refuse! Don’t you understand that this man right here could take your life any second? Can’t you guess that my sudden strength also comes from them? “

Caden’s voice turned choked with sobs. “Without that power, I couldn’t even have broken this ground. Without his help, I never would have found you… Why are you so blindly stubborn? We’re no match for him! “

“I… ” Shirley cast a nostalgic glance at him.

Perhaps she had never harbored any feelings for this man before.

But at this moment, he was the only one of her kind she could rely on.

She then turned her gaze toward Yang Zicang.

“Accor…ding to what the Fogfolk said… “

Yang Zicang rose to his feet. The White Shadow Thought-Dragon coiled in the heart of the storm, its wolf-tiger-like massive head writhing with phantom shadows in the wind as it loomed over the humanoid monster.

His tone turned icy. “You’d better get this straight. There are many lives hanging by a thread out there. I won’t give you any more time to hesitate. “

“…Then do it… That’s also what… the elites among you Fogfolk… taught us… “

Thick smoke gushed from the fissures on Shirley’s body.

This smoke, like a viscous combination of gaseous and liquid matter, wrapped around her torso and even began to help her stand up.

Amid the surrounding storm, countless overwhelming ribbons of energy started, strand by strand and wisp by wisp, converge into this ugly, swollen monster.

An aura of immense power emanated around Shirley.

“Why…! ” Kaden collapsed to the ground from exhaustion, looking at the person beside him who exuded strength several times greater than his own.

“Have you never… faced the statue of the founder of the organization, and sworn an oath…? “

“Sworn… an oath? ” Kaden pondered with a puzzled expression.

Yang Zicang also found it somewhat strange to see the maiden who insisted on rising to fight him even in death.

“Of course I went through that ceremony, ” Kaden said nervously, “but now is hardly the time to care about some oath… “

“I DO care! ” Shirley shouted fiercely, “because I felt it back then… the will of our predecessors! Only those who are like them can—only then can they— “

As if influenced by her thoughts, the trembling of the tornado suddenly intensified, quaking violently.

Tens of thousands of threads of polluted energy converged upon her more densely, forming a murky carapace like the leathery hide of an ancient beast capable of withstanding attacks.

“…only then… can we rewrite the shared destiny of the future! This is information that only the will of a select few can obtain from the statue! So I must—! “

She raised her fist, her gaze filled with both apology and resolute determination.

“Land this punch! “

Shirley’s fist came hurtling forward, carrying a densely explosive azure-polluted energy.

“Ughhh—! “

Yang Zicang instantly sensed a cacophony of whispers erupting, as if the terror of thousands of townsfolk flashed before his eyes in an instant. The moment he was startled, that energy-laden fist was already right in front of his face.

Despite being prepared, he still got hit!

In the nick of time, Yang Zicang retreated swiftly, while the White Shadow Mind Dragon radiated intense orange light to intercept the fist.

Boom!

This punch exploded like a surge of breaking waves, causing the entire eye of the storm to shudder violently in sudden disorder.

• ｛The distributor, Loki. Tata Mingqi, with extensive experience, indicated that I am gestating a new node in a glorious prelude.｝
• ｛Distributor Tata Mingqi wants to pre-order the glorious prelude I am gestating.｝

-｛Tataminki thought of his father with strange feelings.｝

Yang Zicang’s figure retreated swiftly under the force of that punch. A dusky shortsword covered in fine, dense ripples appeared in his hand. He crouched and planted the blade against the ground, poised to lunge at any moment.

“What do you mean by ‘rewriting the common future’? “

Shirley was no better off themselves. More cracks raced across her body, as if a second murky storm was roaring chaotically into being within her.

“They… used, what… to invest… in the Crossing People. “

“The Crossing People… see countless futures… but cannot choose the future they want! “

Shirley’s body trembled as she spoke:

“They… used their actions and their lives… to let the Crossing People… choose… the future they want… This requires… “

Shirley struggled to stand again, only to collapse under the storm raging inside her. Her legs and wrists went weak. She tried to rise several times but couldn’t succeed…

“Only those… who are the same as them… can… “

Caden gaped as he watched her writhing on the ground.

Yang Zicang walked over and pressed his sword against her throat.

“Now you can refuse this power, because you’ve lost completely. Make your choice. Don’t worry, they won’t blame you. My goal is the same as theirs. “

Shirley on the ground began to lose control of her power. She opened and closed her mouth twice, and finally fainted from exhaustion, unable even to keep her eyes open.

Raden caught her, then looked up at Yang Zicang tensely and said:

“Hero sir, she’s already beaten down, okay? She won’t threaten you anymore. Please start containing the magical energy now!“

The storm around them had indeed calmed down to what it was before, but its momentum had grown even stronger.

-｛Distributor May·Valkyrie gave me a “Favorable Review.“｝

This containment attempt was starting to succeed.

｛The Bloodline Statue is containing the “Turbulent·Erosion·Mind” Chaotic Bloodline!｝

｛Containment Progress: 1%… 15%… 40%…｝

Outside, Mr. Ben observed the change in the storm through his telescope.

That once fiercely raging azure energy tornado was visibly turning into a clean, transparent whiteness, with a point of emptiness seemingly collapsing at its center!

“No! How could this be?!” he screamed in shock. “How the hell does that bastard actually have a Bloodline Statue? And one that matches ’Turbulent’ or ’Erosion Mind’? Stop him! Fire! Open fire!“

Boom, boom!

The barrier in this corner of the force field vanished again for a few seconds. Two rounds of shells were simultaneously fired into the town.

……

Further away, several men with military postures who had been watching the trend in the town steadily since last night were genuinely alarmed as they saw the Magus Blood Storm beginning its faint collapse.

Otto felt his heart pound violently a few times.

According to the intelligence provided by the Empire, neither the “Yang Buchen ” faction nor the “Special Prisoner Exchange Affairs Bureau ” had received any information about Yang Zicang having already obtained a Bloodline Statue.

“So he actually managed to solve the chaotic bloodline contamination. “

“Yes, Major, not only did he get his hands on a Bloodline Statue, but it’s also one that can specifically contain this storm. This is a huge failure for Ben; his subcontinent prospects are gone. “

“How did Yang Buchen manage this? ” Otto muttered to himself, his face full of doubt.

“Sir, the Exchange Bureau has fired again! This time they’re aiming directly at the core, could there be a problem? “

“Those shells will interfere with Yang Buchen’s containment… “

But in an instant, they saw those two shells, which were originally difficult to see with the naked eye, eerily pause for a moment as they neared the storm, then run two circles in the air before falling to the ground.

“？“

This sight sent a chill of uncanniness through the onlookers, both in the open and in the shadows.

｛Containment level at 70%, 85%… 90%…｝

｛-There’s one who enjoys/distributor gets & comma; Tasting in content and punctuation marks… Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi says “Watch from the sidelines. “｝

The cerulean light on Shirley rapidly dimmed, and the terrifying, writhing veins under her skin subsided. Caden immediately picked her up as she lost consciousness. Though Shirley was critically weak and teetering on the brink of death, the corruptive energy dormant within her body was indeed dissipating at an alarming speed!

Although the final containment speed also slowed down accordingly, it was still advancing steadily.

｛91%…94%…97%…｝

Then, as the last trace of azure energy within Snowlily’s swollen and mutated body was drawn into the statue, the energy storm, which had been consistently sustained, lost its ongoing support and became chaotic.

｛“Turbulent Erosion Mind” Containment, 100%!｝

｛The bloodline under my control has birthed the first Ring of Bloodline.｝

A faint glimmer of light emerged from the small hole beneath the statue, where two different kinds of energy intertwined.

｛I, the Great Quadrilateral, have obtained the Bloodline Statue imbued with the “Turbulent Erosion Mind“!｝

｛This statue has been imprinted with the mark of “Spiritual Origin Treasure Gaze.“｝

Boom! The storm suddenly exploded outward at that moment, and having lost its sustaining power, it swept across the entire town.

The wind and rain were momentarily dispersed, spraying outwards in all directions, creating a transient, small pocket of vacuum.

A few breaths later, the pouring rain continued to crash down with a loud splatter.

But the maddening energy storm and the chaotic interference from the depths of the soul had vanished completely!

In the entire town, the townspeople who had been unable to reclaim control over their bodies, and even their minds, suddenly found that their thoughts began returning one by one, and their heads were clearing up.

“I… what is this!“

One person tried to turn over from the rain, and to his surprise, he succeeded with his first attempt!

“I can sit up!” a person in the distance shouted joyfully amid the rain.

“I can control my body and move again!“

“Heavens, the demon’s power has vanished! “

More and more people climbed to their feet from the ground, shouting excitedly at the top of their lungs; many turned their gaze towards the area of devastated homes behind the town’s main street, where the towering, earth-scorching storm had completely disappeared without a trace!

“Someone has defeated the demon! “

“Good heavens, by the gods above! “

Those who had already been standing were now joined by many others dropping to their knees.

“This must be heaven’s blessing! “

-｛Distributor February. Di’an gave me a “Favorable Review “!｝

-｛Distributor February. Di’an wants to pre-order the glorious prelude I am nurturing.｝

The statue’s exterior had transformed entirely, revealing a deep, dense lapis lazuli hue; its surface was covered with complex cracklike patterns, as if some kind of crystalline liquid flowed within, emitting powerful yet restrained energy fluctuations.

A debris fragment suddenly fell away from the statue, revealing parts of what lay inside.

Yang Zicang’s gaze fell upon it, unmoved.

｛The Bloodline Statue is recalling the life of the “Undying King “.｝

What does this mean?

｛I suddenly sense that if I could bestow upon this statue, engraved with countless conviction marks, a truly complete Pure Bloodline, I would be able to read the “Hero’s Memoir: The Undying King “.｝

Yang Zicang’s eyes shot wide open.

｛After purifying the first ring of the Bloodline Statue, it will be able to resonate with the model, enabling grid-level collection.｝

｛Current Bloodline Statue grid: None.｝

“We succeeded! We actually succeeded! ” Qiao Bing’s figure charged in excitedly, finally prompting Yang Zicang to quickly lift his gaze from the object in his hands.

He saw Eibesser and the others outside surging toward them as if reborn. In the distance, a few townspeople who had stumbled to their feet also noticed the group over here. Some had already begun supporting one another as they walked this way.

But many would never stand again, and cries continued to drift out from amidst the rain.

“Brother Bucheng. “

Lianna’s tears mingled with the rain as they streamed down her face.

Kadun, cradling the unconscious Shirley in his arms, gave Yang Zicang a heavy nod, his eyes filled with a complex mixture of gratitude and tangled emotions.

Yet aside from them, far more people in the distance still looked at him with hostility in their eyes—especially the townsfolk who were now drawing near.

“Did they save us? “

“Look at that monster on the ground! ” one villager shouted, pointing at the mutated humanoid carcass lying on the ground. “It’s got that blue energy on it—you see it? It’s definitely him! “

“So that’s the devil! ” many others cried out after looking, their voices boiling with rage. “That man right there! Kill him to avenge our loved ones! “

Several adults had already grabbed weapons—clubs, bricks, stones—ripped up from the surrounding damp ground.

“Wait! “

Seeing this furious crowd who had suffered an unwarranted miasma attack, had been forced to lie pathetically in the torrential rain, and had even lost loved ones, even Yang Zicang, himself a converger of miasma, could not utter the words “Please forgive her ” when facing them against an enemy like this.

-｛Distributor May · Valkyrie, with her vast experience, marked new nodes for the Glorious Prelude for me.｝

-｛Distributor May · Valkyrie firmly believes I won’t sell this experience to her.｝

The barrier still stood.

The army outside remained menacing, watching like hungry tigers.

And these townsfolk, who had barely crawled back onto their feet, held little gratitude for the group before them.

For beyond the barrier, loudspeakers were proclaiming, ordering the releaser of the miasma pollution to drop their weapons and surrender.

“Did you hear that…? ” A villager cupped an ear to the shouting from outside. He said loudly, urgently, to the others nearby who were clutching broken hoes as they crept toward the trampled opening, as if seeking solidarity among his companions.

— “Only a releaser would have the means to prepare such a containment ability! Folks in the town, rest assured the Fogfolk can do nothing to us. Surround them! We must not let them leave and release that miasma pollution again! “

“Yeah, that’s right… ” The crowd around him tightened their grip on bricks and wooden clubs.

— “Rebels inside, listen up! Drop the Bloodline Statue and surrender. “

……

At the words shouted through the loudspeaker, Mr. Ben grabbed the tin funnel the man was holding and snapped, “Are you stupid! “

“Then… sir, what should we do? Keep surrounding them? “

A soldier in a rain robe leaned in and said in a low voice, “Mr. Ben, the townspeople are all up. If we open fire, the casualties might be too great. How about we withdraw for now and find another opportunity later? “

“They’re all up… ” Mr. Ben paused for a moment, then asked, “How is Mr. Black Beast doing over there? “

“Our people couldn’t get anything out of them. The atmosphere on their side is a bit strange; maybe they got some high-value intel and don’t want to share it with us. “

“Damn it! These mercenaries are all the same—can’t rely on them at all! “

Mr. Ben angrily tossed the tin funnel, then picked it up again, looked at it, thought for a moment, stepped forward two steps, and shouted into the force field barrier:

“Everyone inside, the statue in the target’s hands is extremely dangerous! Make him hand it over beyond the barrier, or we’ll conduct a fire strike to eliminate the rebels! “

……

“Suppressing fire! “

“Rebels! “

The townspeople in the center stirred in shock and began clamoring. Some looked at Yang Zicang and those around him with fear. That monstrous figure actually seemed like he was being protected by him.

“Sir, that man right there.” One person shouted to Yang Zicang, forcing a strained smile. “Sir, that ‘Miasma Pollution’ earlier… was it released by your people? “

“You believe that nonsense? “

“If that’s not the case, could you listen to the officers’ arrangements and hand over that thing in your hands for us to keep, how about it? “

Yang Zicang let out a cold chuckle.

“Sir, ” a man gripping a scythe, his face flushed crimson, pointed at Shirley, who was being carried in Carden’s arms, barely alive, and said:

“If you truly didn’t create that demon, then why are you shielding that monster behind you? Hand her over to us, so we can use her to honor our fallen kin! “

“She’s already been defeated by me, ” Yang Zicang refused. “She’s my prisoner now. “

“See? It’s them! “

Their expressions twisted in rage as they pointed and shouted.

“Still denying it! “

“What excuse are you drumming up? This town’s disaster was brought by you, wasn’t it! “

“Brothers, get ready! “

At that moment, another furious roar erupted from outside.

— “Yang Buchen! See? Even if you’ve absorbed the demonic energy, so what! Hand over the secrets, the statue, and that sword! Other wise, I’ll keep this barrier up until an entire brigade’s forces assemble and open fire on you! Do you think I can’t muster the garrison of Hydrapower City and mobilize, you rebel preaching insurrection who spared no effort in releasing the demonic bloodline in the pursuit of destruction! “

At the sound of this voice, the townsfolk, originally spurred en to charge at the demon-drawing figure surrounded by the army, all froze in place.

“What did he say? “

“Th… that’s the ‘hero’ from the papers? “