The two carriages struggled to arrive near the edge of the barrier force field.

Several nearby villagers, still shaken, stammered incoherently, “We can’t get out! The entire town has been sealed off! “

“Chairman Yang, are there any dangerous figures nearby? ” He Yishu’s voice came from the top of the carriage, rain streaming into lines along the edge of the tarp he gripped.

“I’ve scanned the entire area. There are a few suspicious characters. “

At this moment, he realized that the very individuals he’d just described as suspicious seemed equally astonished by the barrier’s emergence. In several directions, they were attempting to probe that invisible wall.

Rain drummed against the carriage canopy. Just as Ebiser, his daughter, and the coachman stood bewildered and panicked, several dark figures approached from beyond the force field, now within arm’s reach.

They were silhouettes clad in black oilcloth cloaks.

“Finally, we meet our hero. “

Every muscle in Yang Zicang’s body tensed instantly. He focused intently, his breath steady and ready.

There’s a barrier…

Thankfully, so far, he hadn’t spotted that figure from Qijun City who had slaughtered everything within the enclosure—the one who inspired utter despair. But that being could appear right behind him in the next second.

“Yishu, you must watch every corner around me closely. “

“Got it! Keep an eye on my side too! “

He Yishu on the carriage also crouched, his hand steadily gripping the edge of the carriage roof to keep from being yanked backward and thrown off.

But they both knew that, amid the thickening rainy night—against an enemy that could rip apart space itself at any moment—that word felt utterly hollow.

“You people inside. ” The figure in the black oilcloth robe standing at the edge of the force field spoke up. “Don’t fantasize about escaping this barrier. Nothing infused with human ‘vitality’ and ‘will,’ except for the natural manifestations of the five elemental forces, can break through its bonds. “

“Who are you people! ” Ebiser burst out of the carriage, rain instantly soaking his hair. “What are your intentions? “

“You may address me as Mr. Ben. ” A slight grin curled at the corner of this person’s lips.

“As for the intentions… heh, the Honorable Knight, hmm, perhaps even you don’t know about your own title. No matter. This will all end soon—both the world and your identity will turn to nothing. Our demand is simple: hand over the ‘Secret Box’ and go enjoy the days ahead, however many remain. “

He Yishu’s heart jolted, his gaze sweeping toward Yang Zicang. No wonder he had said they only needed to “protect ” Ebiser and his daughter—he had known all along they were carrying some treasure.

What kind of item is that ‘Secret Box,’ to warrant such a grand ordeal as part of their plan!

“You… you really are after the Secret Box! ” Ebiser staggered two steps backward.

“This barrier has been planted with enough firepower to demolish everything inside. Even the ‘hero’ from Fog Valley wouldn’t stand a chance of escaping alive. “

“You people! ” Lianna poked her head out angrily, only to be hastily pulled back by the coachman, but she struggled free, crying out into the pitch-black rainy night: “Hero brother, you have a way, don’t you? “

Before the words had faded, several figures suddenly burst out from the damp alleys on both sides, instantly drawn in by the standoff that was unfolding here.

The six men swept the carriage with sharp eyes, then, like venomous snakes, fixed their gaze on the shadows outside the barrier. The leader, Ashis, barked sternly:

“Is this your doing? Trying to trap us all here and suffocate us? “

“Oh? And who might you be? ” Mr. Ben’s voice carried a hint of annoyance at being disturbed.

“Don’t play dumb! ” one man with pointed ears scoffed bitterly in return, “You came for my ‘Bloodline Trinket,’ didn’t you? Worth going this far? “

“That’s right, ” another man, who had just run up, added harshly:

“The rainwater that can still get through the barrier—it must be natural, right? So how did you manage this? I don’t believe you’d blow a flash investment just to change the weather for a Bloodline Trinket! “

Bloodline Trinket?Yang Zicang’s pupils suddenly contracted. He Yishu, perched above the carriage, also felt a jolt of realization.

This situation, for him, was almost hopeless—he could do nothing but hold out until rescuers arrived. But… these guys, barging in out of nowhere, felt like some predestined loophole set up just for him and his companions.

Mr. Ben froze, startled.

The figures beside him quickly shuffled back a few steps, muttering quietly among themselves.

“Damn! Of all times to run into people carrying the ‘Statuary Soul-Bearers…’ “

“We need to figure out what Blood-line Circuit their statues store. If it happens to overlap with the one we arranged, our plan this time is a bust. “

“Damn it… ” The men who had murmured earlier looked up at their leader. “Mr. Ben. “

The man called Mr. Ben narrowed his eyes as he raised a hand to silence the murmuring behind him. His gaze swept back and forth between the six intruders and Yang Zicang, and finally, with reeking of barely suppressed irritation, he spoke.

“You lot, ” Mr. Ben’s gaze swept over them before lingering on Yang Zicang. He took a deep breath, his tone laced with annoyance. “What Blood-line Circuit do you have? “

Seeing his posture of barely contained anger, a thought suddenly surfaced in Yang Zicang’s mind: Although this man held a high-ranking position, he didn’t seem particularly good at controlling his emotions. He was more like a regular civilian working within a political system, not the kind of combat commander whose decisions could flip between life and death on the battlefield in an instant.

He was startled by his own thought. Was this the result of his increased mental power stimulating his thinking and making it more active?

Then he keenly sensed that this man’s reaction seemed a bit excessive. Earlier, his attitude toward himself had been incredibly arrogant, as if everything was already in his hands.

“You don’t even know what circuit we’re here to sell? ” the others sneered.

“While I still have patience, name your price! ” Mr. Ben’s voice carried a barely suppressed violence.

Yang Zicang’s mind raced in a flash, recalling the few sentences Mr. Ben had just spoken.

｛I’m thinking, the moment he came in and explained that this barrier wouldn’t let us leave, it was to make us understand its effect and give up resisting…｝

｛Soldier No.4 still hasn’t shown up, and they also know that I am aware of the information about the barrier.｝

More crucially, that so-called danger capable of destroying the “Fogfolk ” as well, yet supposedly harmless to the “Secret Box “… the answer is staring us right in the face!

Yang Zicang’s gaze hardened as he stared straight at the irascible Mr. Ben.

He suddenly smiled, his voice cutting through the curtain of rain, carrying an icy chill that saw through everything:

“Mr. Ben. “

The man opposite jerked his head up.

“The danger you’ve prepared… it’s Miasma Pollution, isn’t it? And it seems like that statue can contain it? “

“You! How did you kn— “

Mr. Ben stumbled back a step in shock, then snapped back to his senses. “Damn it, you were fishing for information from me! “

“Miasma Pollution! ” Ebiser’s face instantly turned pale as a sheet.

Lianna covered her mouth in terror.

The six figures felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave, looking at each other in disbelief before fixing their gazes back outside the barrier with deadly intent.

“They’re going to use Miasma Pollution against us? No wonder! “

At this moment, turning their heads, they saw the man standing just outside the barrier’s domain, his light makeup washed away by the rain, revealing his true features.

Suddenly, one of them cried out, “Wait a minute, could you be the savior himself? “

“What! ” The six people who had rushed over finally, by the faint glimmer of light, stared at the tall, upright man standing in the rain curtain before them. “It really looks like ‘the Hero’—heavens above! “

The six of them surged forward excitedly in an instant.

Without any hesitation, the tall, burly leader among them took down the bundle from his back, retrieved a package half an arm’s length long from inside, and handed it to Yang Zicang.

“This is the Bloodline Statue we obtained from the dead Fogfolk, Hero. My name is Ashter. “

Mr. Ben’s voice trembled with anger: “I refuse to believe in such a coincidence. You already have a statue capable of storing the bloodline circuit in your hands, just perfectly able to contain the ‘gift’ we prepared for you. “

What a perfect opportunity this was—perhaps the only one—because these Fogfolk in sight could leave at any time. Yet, every effort had been dashed because of such an inexplicable occurrence!

Beneath his hat brim, Yang Zicang’s steady eyes contemplated the object his hands now touched.

｛Qualified upgrade: perception module active.｝

He pulled open the tightly knotted drawstring of the velvet bundle, tugged it downward, revealing a stone statue bearing a furious expression on half its face.

｛Synchronization directive: Terminated channel acknowledged.｝

“Torrential Ruin. “

Yang Zicang spoke calmly, his voice quiet yet striking like a thunderclap in the ears of those around him. Without Mr. Ben needing to say more, his reaction and that of those beside him had already told the story to Yang Zicang, who curled his lips into a faint smile.

This small wooden sculpture—it was the treasure capable of containing the miasma pollution the enemy had prepared. The Bloodline Statue!

“How could this be! ” a man in a black tarpaulin raincoat cried out in astonishment.

“It’s possible, after all, it’s a one-in-eight chance, ” Mr. Ben said, barely containing his fury as he raised his hand.

“Damn it, how could it be such rotten luck? Is one of them carrying a ‘Light of Fortune’ investment? “

Mr. Ben’s heart was flooded with a tearing sense of disappointment and rage.

Another person spoke urgently: “Mr. Ben, what do we do now? If that’s the case, the countermeasures we’ve prepared might not be enough… Maybe we should retreat. Even if we keep them under siege, it won’t be long before other Fogfolk hear the news and come to rescue him. “

“No, we can’t, ” another figure in a raincoat said. “Even if we could still find a way to get the Secret Box, it would be next to impossible to trap Yang Buchen again. “

Murmuring, gibberish-like sounds drifted in, muffled and unclear.

Mr. Ben’s expression shifted several times as he watched Yang Zicang caressing the Bloodline Statue in his hands.

“Torrential Ruin “—no wonder these six thought this trap of beasts cornered was designed just for them. A full inheritance pulse channel bearing the essence of “destruction” itself is, no matter where, a peril object capable of unleashing pure annihilation. Those who fight to possess it will give its guardians the most vivid demonstration of what it truly means to “destroy ” everything in a frantic snatch.

-｛Distributor Loki. Tata Mingqi awaits my supply.｝

“Now, I have no choice but to sell off all these experiences I’ve been saving up. “

Yang Zicang smiled faintly and comfortably. The six people before him were all very willing to sell their experiences to him. Even though the price was as high as over two hundred thousand Silver Coins, merely because of the word “hero, ” they were willing to trust that he would make up the payment later. They knew that as long as Fogfolk were willing, they could become wealthy in just a few months.

“How do you use this thing? ” He Yishu asked from a high place.

-｛Distributor January. Locamei left me a message saying: The first chaotic bloodline contained in a Bloodline Statue can be any bloodline. However, from the second to the fifth, each subsequent chaotic bloodline must contain at least one bloodline that is the same as the first. For example, this Bloodline Statue, which contains “Torrential Ruin, ” must also include either “Torrent ” or “Ruin ” within the second chaotic bloodline it accepts. The third must share common traits with the bloodlines contained in the first and second.｝

-｛Distributor February. Di’an has further increased the price for my current prelude of glorious birth to 135%.｝

He Yishu’s face lit up with joy, and he repeated the words of the January Distributor.

Yang Zicang looked slightly surprised. Both of them instantly understood the function of the Blood-line Circuit and the Bloodline Statue. No wonder the names of the bloodlines all seemed somewhat similar and strange—they originated from turbid chaotic bloodlines.

As for the so-called Bloodline Statue, it’s an indispensable tool for purifying chaotic bloodlines into pure ones.

“So there’s still another chaotic bloodline around in this town somewhere, right? “

Yang Zicang confidently fixed his gaze on the man whose face had turned utterly grim. “And as luck would have it, I’ve racked up quite a few valuable stories to share recently. “

Mr. Ben gritted his teeth and took two steps back. He knew this so-called ‘hero’ wasn’t bluffing—the man had the leverage to seize control of this statue, which was never his to claim. “Fine, you got lucky. Let’s go. “

Yang Zicang stepped forward, standing straight as an arrow behind the barrier’s border, watching their turned backs. To witness him, you’d think he was the resolute champion regarding his defeated rivals.

“Since you’re set on stealing the ‘Secret Box,’ I take it this little present you’ve prepared for me shouldn’t utilize bloodlines related to ‘annihilation.’ So, it must be ‘Rapidcurrent,’ right? This rain must be a set concoction for such a surge? “

Mr. Ben nearly wiped out on the slick ground.

“You bastard, just you wait and see, someone will take you down sooner or later. ” He turned around and lifted his finger, “I’ll go pray. Just you wait, you’re bound to fail. “

Yang Zicang grew increasingly certain that the other party was someone from a noble clan embedded within certain organizations. Seeing the man’s infuriated retreating figure, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Yang Zicang’s lips.

He thought to himself, though it was a bit more dangerous than Bicling Town, they had at least made it through safe and sound.

He Yishu relaxed a little, easing the tension in his shoulders.

The six people nearby, along with the father, daughter, and butler in the carriage, all let out a long sigh of relief. No wonder he was called the “Hero. “

They thought that, although it was a stroke of luck, if it hadn’t been for the hero’s sharp perception, the resolution of this incident might have had to wait until the demonic energy erupted, only then would the key point have been discovered.

Just as everyone collectively breathed that sigh, they seemed to also hear someone ethereal let out a long sigh.

“Waiting for the ripples of fate’s fluctuations to sweep across the unfolding events—sure enough, that can never set the pointer straight. “

Yang Zicang’s faint smile froze on his face. The world seemed to stretch slowly, and from the forest path in the distance, a man in a long robe emerged, leaning on a rough-hewn wooden staff. He was so clear, because the road beneath his bare feet seemed to radiate a phantom glow as if painted by the faint light of the setting sun.

“It’s you! “

That man shot Yang Zicang another gentle and cultured smile, then his gaze fell on the few people turning around.

“So you’re just going to leave like that? Wake up. This is the wrong path. “

Several figures in raincoats gazed warily at the mysterious white-robed man.

Having said this, Joshua lifted his head to look at Yang Zicang. “Embrace your end. “

With a thud of his wooden staff, the faint path of light before him seemed to transform into a road bathed in the glow of sunset.

He walked forward slowly along the path. In an instant, a line afterimage of Joshua appeared on the road, while numerous phantom figures of villagers materialized on the path of light as well. The narrow trail extended by these luminous traces veiled the curtain of rain as it stretched all the way into the town.

Yang Zicang and He Yishu’s faces darkened as they turned to follow the source of the radiance that had ignited in the darkness.

Around them, everyone saw in terror that, every step or two along the road, there stood one of this man’s doppelgangers.

Joshua finally appeared beside a small restaurant at the edge of the town.

The restaurant, cloaked in darkness, was now illuminated by a sourceless sunlight, resembling a small theater stage for a play. A tall man who had just walked up to the entrance, a bag slung over his back, was studying the hanging menu while shielded by his companion.

“That… is me? ” Ashis stared in shock at the “crystal clear ” scene mirrored in the distance.

At that very moment, all the apparitions came to life, as if reliving a fleeting instant from a dusk long past.

The next second, all the anomalies vanished. The path of light, the sunset phantoms, and even Joshua himself, all disappeared without a trace.