The Evil Nightmare descended directly at the edge of the city.

Clearly, the location of the stolen Secret Box was where the garrison was stationed. As to why it was there, Yang Zicang no longer wanted to hear any explanations.

“Look over there! “

“The legendary end of the world has really come! “

The soldiers on site also had no time to ask why the “hero ” in the courtyard had killed their commanding officer without warning. Many of them turned around in panic and ran toward the west of the city.

“God, why did something like that appear! “

Yang Zicang and Lena (Lianna) and the others looked toward the distant east; in the darkness, dust and smoke blotted out the sky and covered the earth, but…

Three colossal ironwood-rock pillars, tens of meters tall, pierced through the smoke like a triangle within an area nearly a kilometer wide, rising up. They looked like pitch-black rock, but tiny branches of wood rapidly began to sprout from their surfaces.

Thorne gasped, “That’s that kind of wood! “

On the ground, Bai Yuxian was startled, “How can this be? Those ironwood trees are the most resistant plants to becoming nightmare beasts… “

The pervasive energy of “Silent Night ” was swiftly locked onto by a faint, tainted spiritual presence. Yang Zicang retracted his perception abruptly, but in that instant, he had already sensed a vile pulse—the cold, metallic texture of wood grain mingled with dark red energy surging through a sinister network.

-｛Distributor February. Di’an radiated a just-awakened shock.｝

“Run! “

A truck that hadn’t been turned off quickly reversed its route. Several nearby city-building soldiers clung to and scrambled onto the flatbed as they ran, desperate to escape together.

-｛May Valkyrie, with her wealth of experience, indicated that I was observing a new node in the dazzling prelude.｝

｛And I, the Great Quadrilateral, sensed a powerful presence of nightmare beasts.｝

This was the first time I’d ever heard such a description.

In that brief instant, Yang Zicang had already sensed the fall of at least a dozen natives. The breath that heralds death, which he once felt before entering the Demon Hero Hall, began to appear faintly.

It was far too intense! Even without the aid of that holy being, Yang Zicang could perceive such an aura relying solely on his current spiritual power!

Suddenly, at the top of one of the pitch-black “stone-wood ” pagoda pillars, a vertical feline eye flashed open.

As it opened, the temperature around the entire pillar plummeted, giving rise to a cyan-blue mist that surged forth violently.

“To think it’s an Evil Nightmare capable of awakening its bloodline! ” Bai Yuxian took a deep breath. “But its Sacred Origin Source brand is the imprint of the Five Elements, so there’s still a chance… I’ll have to do it myself. “

Bai Yuxian rose with a solemn expression.

He Yishu, gripping his axe, asked, “Can’t we just attack it? “

“Your… ‘extraordinary abilities’ that can be manipulated can certainly threaten it. But bloodline-born horrors of this magnitude can’t be taken down in a few strikes. You’d need something… monumental for that. “

Because there were many ordinary people present, Bai Yuxian didn’t speak those two specific words.

“However, if we can resonate with the elemental field, we might be able to use magnified matching elements to destroy it more quickly. “

“The Five Elements… ” Yang Zicang furrowed his brow in thought.

“In any case, you should leave first. I’ll hold them off. Fortunately, these three things don’t seem to be able to move, or this city would be doomed. We’ll regroup once we get out of here. “

As soon as Bai Yuxian finished speaking, a “crackling ” sound of shattering chips erupted from the blue-black tower. Just as they turned to look, the onyx pillar suddenly burst, unleashing a deluge of shattered ice shards. Like arrows shot through the air, they rained down over an area nearly two kilometers wide.

A cacophony of screams burst into the air.

“No more waiting! ” He Yishu shouted. “We go together! “

Yang Zicang nodded. Flicking a healing orb of ｛Scar Disperse｝ toward He Yishu, he slid a wavy shortsword from his sleeve.

“Mr. Sorn, and Lianna, make sure you don’t move in the air later. ” With that, Yang Zicang tossed his scarf—and it transformed into a massive blanket. This time, Lianna had no heart for curiosity; Bai Yuxian shot a glance at the object, then placed Ebiser’s body from the ground onto the blanket. It buoyed up the two defenseless figures, dragging them along as they drifted.

Nearby soldiers, panic-stricken, shouted, “Heroes, take us too! “

Yang Zicang turned a deaf ear. Together with He Yishu, he dashed off into the distance, while the stone coffin behind them melted into a flickering shadow, constricted itself, and vanished from sight.

Bai Yuxian charged forward at lightning speed. Three silhouettes surged against the current of terrified onlookers, racing toward the direction from which the fiend had emerged.

“Since you have neither the power of Stellar Yuan nor the amplification from the Source of the Holy Spirit that resonates with the elemental field, dealing with these magical beasts is really no pushover. Don’t force it—just focus on protecting everyone and getting them out of here. “

-｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi is watching my current life experience.｝

“Friend, your intel is outdated. ” A surge of firelight suddenly blazed across Yang Zicang’s sword.

｛I activated the Blazing Sword Path!｝

｛I activated the Azure Dragon Eclipsing Mountain Slayer!｝

｛I activated the Explosive Wind Fist!｝

Boom! A turbulent wave of energy surged into existence, converging in Yang Zicang’s hand.

“What? ” Bai Yuxian stared in shock at the sudden shift in Yang Zicang’s aura and the successive elemental fluctuations erupting from his hand.

｛I activated the Splitting Rock Palm!｝

The hand gripping Yang Zicang’s sword hilt abruptly turned a tough, earthy yellow.

“Four elemental secret techniques! ” Bai Yuxian stared at the young man beside him as if he had lost his mind. How in the world could this guy have cultivated so many secret techniques at once—and managed to get each one to the point where elemental fluctuations emerged?! It suddenly dawned on him what Yang Zicang planned to do next.

“Are you seriously trying to resonate with the Five Elements Field right now?! “

“That’s right! ” With a nimble leap, Yang Zicang dodged a piece of debris from an exploding house brick.

Bai Yuxian listened to this response in utter disbelief. Wasn’t it just a few days ago that this kid flat-out lacked all five elemental secret techniques?! In just a couple of days, he’d not only obtained them but actually mastered them?!

Facing another towering stone pillar, alight with dark red flames and intensifying heat, Yang Zicang’s gaze turned cold.

｛I am activating the Frost-Snow Sword Art!｝

Whoosh~! A chill emanated beside Bai Yuxian and He Yishu. In the seconds following the appearance of the cold mist around the young man at their side, it abruptly became more bitter and condensed. A stream of pure energy surged as if summoned from the void, forming an energy barrier just barely visible to the naked eye, enveloping Yang Zicang completely.

Yang Zicang launched himself into the dust and debris, trailing ghostly flames, and began to attack the monster.

Bai Yuxian had initially thought that, compared to the Fogfolk here, only he, a native, could resonate with the “Five Elements ” Sacred Origin Source Brand.

Yet now, this young man from the newspaper had made a breakthrough right on the verge of battle.

“Hey, which one of you is Fogfolk! “

Amidst the panicked fleeing crowd, a man in a long black trench coat was moving against the tide of escapees. He looked exactly like a shopkeeper who was a heavy drinker and smoker.

“Who’s Fogfolk? Speak up, is it you? ” He shouted to Bai Yuxian, who was forced back by the monster.

“No, I’m not. Damn it, I can’t believe I’m here helping the Helqin people fight against a demon. “

Bai Yuxian spat. As a Steffen man, he never imagined his greatest challenge would arise within an enemy nation, “And who are you? You’re also Fogfolk? “

Bai Yuxian looked at the man beside him who watched the apocalyptic scene without much fear. The arriving man grinned.

“You’re overthinking it. I, Odyssey, am just a poor wretch looking to cash in on some Radiance. “

“It’s the distributors! “

As Bai Yuxian was astonished, Odysseus pulled out two playing cards from his pocket, glanced at them, and then tossed one to the man beside him. “Any Fogfolk here? “

“Yes, inside. What is that? “

“Betting poker. ” Odysseus glanced at him and said:

“Aren’t you a local with magic blood? This allows you to bet your worthy present experiences against me as stakes. Hmph, I hope after those three Festering Spirit-grade Evil Nightmare Pillars are removed, you’ll still be alive to lose this card and that surviving experience to me. “

Bai Yuxian was taken aback for a moment.

Just as the Odyssey was taking another card in hand, the earth suddenly shook. A single massive black stone pillar that had stood tall and high ahead collapsed, the towering black wood-rock column falling like a divine giant hammer intent on crushing the world, bringing with it an aura of destruction as it crumbled. Each piece of dark, rock-like heavy black wood rolled to the ground, causing the city’s earth to tremble violently.

The Odyssey and Bai Yuxian wobbled unsteadily for a moment. Behind them, amid the smoke, many people who had been madly fleeing fell to the ground.

The distributor looked up in surprise towards the smoke.

“One of them actually took down a Rotten-class Nightmare Pillar! Who’s that inside? “

“Ha, you’ve definitely heard his name. ” Bai Yuxian wiped his mouth, his eyes gleaming with sharp light. “He’s that guy who’s shown up in the newspapers before. “

“It’s him! ” After a start, Odyssey let out a sigh and looked at the two remaining pillars.

“No wonder he’s so fast. My plan to sell some intel on this nightmare has gone bust. Your friend over there likely has no need for it, does he? “

…

RUMBLE! BOOM!

Yang Zicang swung his axe like a man possessed, gasping for air in the thick smoke, covered in sweat.

In another part of the high sky, the floating magic carpet curled its front half, blocking the incoming attacks.

Within the billowing dust, Yang Zicang knelt on one knee on the ground, bracing himself with the axe he’d been wielding beside He Yishu. This Chrono Weapon didn’t put up much of a fight.

That last blow had drained nearly half his strength, but the effect was remarkable. The black pillar had indeed fallen into a state of withering; its single eye went out, and the dark crimson energy channels on its surface also faded away.

However, before he could catch his breath, the ground around the withered black pillar suddenly glowed with violet-black ripples, forming an ever-expanding halo.

Standing not far away, Yang Zicang immediately felt a wave of weakness wash over him; the sting in his wounds intensified tenfold, and even his breathing became labored.

“It’s the domain of decay… ” A strange shout came from beyond the dust and smoke: “Get out of the way! “

｛I consumed 560N of order/sequential time.｝

Yang Zicang gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand up. “It can still generate pollution even after death. “

｛I consumed 500N of order/sequential time.｝

What was even more unsettling was that, as the black pillar withered, the other two pillars—crimson and cyan—seemed to be provoked.

The crimson pillar swiveled its blazing red single eye, pulsing like a molten core, gazing around. The chill radiating from the cyan pillar intensified, its bite growing harsher. The currents of heat and cold roiled against each other, colliding high in the air into a low, rumbling gale.

“Watch out! ” Lena’s shocked cry rang out from above.

Yang Zicang jerked his head up, only to see dozens of magma fireballs erupting from the cracks in the dark red tower pillar. They tore across the night sky, plummeting toward his position like falling meteorites.

-｛Distributor February. Di’an has indicated a desire to acquire the radiant prelude I am currently gestating.｝

From the cyan stone pillar, a ring-shaped shockwave of glacial ice was unleashed, purposefully sealing off every possible escape route.

In that hair’s breadth of crisis, Yang Zicang refused to retreat. Instead, he surged forward, charging straight toward the regenerating black pillar.

Suddenly, a violet-black halo flared up, exuding an even denser aura of decay.

｛I offset 1000N!｝

｛I, the Great Quadrilateral, offset 1200N!｝

“Have you lost your mind?! ” He Yishu cried out in shock.

The sequential cost to counteract those things was absolutely enormous!

But as Yang Zicang charged into this decaying domain, bracing himself to dash toward the nearest icy pillar, a strange, uncanny aura suddenly gripped him.

Though the drain on his vitality instantly doubled, the terrain beneath his feet seemed, to a degree, to interfere with attacks from the other two pillars.

Lava fireballs visibly slowed to a crawl as they approached the bounds of the decaying domain.

Yang Zicang’s eyes snapped open.

—｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi says, “Check, check, all steady!“｝

Whoosh! The shockwaves from the frost dissipated heavily at the domain’s very edge!

Seizing the moment, Yang Zicang dodged a flurry of coordinated strikes, but a single lava fireball grazed his left arm. Even with the model’s disruption, the intense, blood-imbued aura instantly cleaved open his shoulder, flesh and skin sizzling as a charred stench filled the air.

As expected — the energy in those attacks was nothing like ordinary nightmares!

Yet Yang Zicang had never dreamed even a paper-thin graze could inflict such devastating damage.

“Damn… But… so that’s it… ” he gasped, gritting his teeth against the agony. A spark of insight blazed in his mind:“These domains interfere with each other!“

Right then, an enormous sapphire light blazed from the lone eye atop the cyan pillar, launching a beam of utter frost straight toward him.

“Watch out! ” Bai Yuxian’s voice rang out from afar.

Clenching his teeth, Bai Yuxian shouted, “Look at that cyan pillar! Its core is exposed again! “

Yang Zicang looked up, and sure enough – after taking a powerful shot, the single eye of the cyan pillar seemed to briefly drop its guard.

But now, to get close to the green pillar, he had to cross the vast frost-devouring domain. The ground was already covered in thick ice, and the cold air had almost solidified. Some people had already been turned into ice sculptures in an instant.

Yang Zicang thought to himself: if he stepped in and got frozen—even with a lifespan that vast to the natives—he dared not be certain that he could escape before his time-tracking reserves were used up.

“Oh, our ‘hero’—I’ve got something here that can fix your little trouble. ” A voice suddenly came from behind.

Yang Zicang turned his head. In the black smoke, a figure ambled out of the darkness.

In Odyssey’s hands, a stack of playing cards was washed as smoothly as a hand-played accordion.

“Use this. ” He flicked a card with two fingers and tossed it to Yang Zicang. “It’ll temporarily boost your fire-element ability—but only for about a dozen seconds. “

The instant Yang Zicang caught the playing card, a surge of warmth flooded his body.

A white energy seemed to emerge slowly yet urgently between his two fingers.

｛I am beginning to commune with the ‘Source of the Holy Spirit / Five Elements Force Field’！｝

That energy—the very same he had once seen on Bai Yuxian—the moment it appeared, it instantly resonated with the mysterious Five Elements Force Field as though seeking a response from an ethereal power deep within the cosmic fabric.

A faint flame swiftly enveloped Yang Zicang’s outer body, like an invisible scarlet suit of armor.

“He Yishu! ” Yang Zicang shouted. “Cut a path for me! “

He Yishu understood and, with Amplified Chrono, swung his axe and slammed it heavily into the ground.

Boom!

A crack shot forward, temporarily disrupting the continuity of the Frost-Devour Field.

Now! Yang Zicang took a deep breath. His flame energy surged as he shot forward like an arrow off the string, melting the ice underfoot in an instant!

A temporary path appeared beneath his rushing feet!

He pulled out the name card.

｛Trajectory Master!｝

Swish! The man’s silhouette instantly transformed into a ferocious, surging shadow!

Above, Luna poked out her little head and watched in awe as the boy burst forth like a heroic savior, tears of shame and helplessness in her eyes.

She had caused such a huge disaster, yet this big brother still selflessly stepped in to clean up her mess…

Fifty meters! Twenty-fifth, fifteen, ten…!

The cyan pillar, sensing the threat, furiously unleashed ice shards and frost in a desperate attempt to stop Yang Zicang’s approach.

But shielded by strengthened flames, most of these attacks evaporated before they could hit him.

Yang Zicang appeared in a flash at the base of the cyan pillar, channeling all his strength. The power of the four elements converged on the blade, shining with a radiant burst of light.

“Break!” He yelled, cleaving fiercely into the pillar’s single central eye.

Just as the blade was about to strike the base, the single eye of the cyan pillar suddenly closed, and the entire surface of the cyan tower instantly cascaded with a thick layer of ice armor from the top down.

At the same time, the distant scarlet pillar spewed a stream of molten lava, which shot not toward Yang Zicang but directly at the base of the cyan pillar!

The extreme heat and biting cold erupted instantly, unleashing a violent blast of superheated steam!

Boom! The steam billowed everywhere.

“Damn it! “

As if being roasted alive, Yang Zicang instantly felt unbearable agony beyond words.

“Run! ” shouted He Yishu from several hundred meters away; he could already feel the searing temperature from there, as the surrounding ice men instantly melted into filthy chunks of blood and flesh that tumbled to the ground.

{Do you think you can outrun the power of nature? }

Gritting his teeth, Yang Zicang looked up at the glaring eye at the top of the tower.

“The power of nature? Ha—if this were truly nature, a monstrosity like you shouldn’t even exist! “

｛I have neutralized 3500N!｝

A blaze of gold-veined spectral flames suddenly flared to life on the black blade.

“He Yishu! “

Understanding his intent, He Yishu poured all his remaining Chrono Sequence into Yang Zicang without hesitation.

｛I have invested 1000000N of Chrono Sequence into the battle!｝

Thwack!

The black blade slammed violently into the junction of the lava flow and the cyan pillar!

{How dare you! } the cyan tower roared in terror.

Crash!

The violent explosion sent Yang Zicang flying, but he managed to adjust his posture mid-air and landed steadily. A piece of gravel in his hand was “whooshed ” toward the tower body ahead, triggering another cracking explosion.

Boom! Boom! The earth shook violently.

Everyone held their breath, staring at the center of the explosion.

The lava flow was forcefully redirected, wrapping around the lower half of the blue pillar instead. The two forces of extreme cold and intense heat clashed violently, producing tearing sounds that vibrated the eardrums.

{You… will die! I… curse you, you… regrets! }

Massive cracks appeared on the surface of the blue pillar, and the single eye at its top flickered wildly, as if enduring agonizing roars. But eventually, the sound was drowned out by the cracking, degenerating into indistinct quivering tones.

“Well done! ” Odyssey couldn’t help but praise from outside. “Good job, my friend, this experience really opened my eyes! “

Yang Zicang breathed heavily, but a faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

“Phew… thank you. “

He had gambled correctly—while these pillars could cooperate, the forces of different attributes inherently countered each other. As long as he seized the right moment to guide them, he could turn them against each other.

“Haha, no need to thank me. There’s still one more ahead, though. By the way, do you have enough time sequence left? “

Yang Zicang froze in surprise, while Odyssey chuckled and walked over step by step, playing with a deck of cards.

“From your face, it looks like you don’t have enough. How about we make a deal? “

— ｛The distributor, February Di’an, stared warily at the man beside me.｝

Odyssey chuckled, “If you’re planning to sell me that experience, I happen to have another card like this one. “

The newcomer raised a “Red Heart A ” embellished with blue patterns.

-｛Distributor Di’an’s expression shifted drastically.｝

“Huh? ” But before Yang Zicang could get a clear look, the bases of the two pillars suddenly emitted a low humming sound. The group looked up to see energy veins flickering along the remaining red tower pillar at an unprecedented speed. The foundations of the two broken stone pillars also began to tremble in unison!

The final tower pillar seemed to resonate dangerously with them!

“Not good! ” Odyssey’s face hardened. “Stop them quickly! “

But it was already too late.

The energies of the red pillar and the blue pillar suddenly converged, forming a vortex of intermingling red and blue energy! At the heart of the vortex, the vague phantom of three pillars could be seen slowly coalescing!