The earthbound spirit Bo’an lowered his head to glance at the bound Hong Haocheng, then looked at Yang Zicang.
{I can feel from your mental energy field that you are not a bloodthirsty person. I hope you keep your promise. Although I have no way to punish you.}
–Don’t worry. As for this guy,- Yang Zicang kicked the rolled-up blanket, –I actually knew he would come a long time ago.-
{That’s good.}
The earthbound spirit nodded, stepped out, and with a roar summoned the nearby earthbound spirits bearing broken lines.
Although things had taken a big turn, Yang Zicang showed no sign of joy. By doing this, it was as if he was making one race slaughter its own companions.
There was no movement from the blanket. Yang Zicang glanced at it and levitated it off the ground.
Lu Zhi’s spiritual illusion appeared here.
{Brother Yang, is this the person Morri was talking about?}
–Don’t talk about this matter.-
{Oh, then should we prepare food for him?}
–Of course. Also, prepare a tent for Haocheng. I’ll take leave and stay here for the next two days. That earthbound spirit should be able to gather ten binding spirit cores for me soon.-
Among the monsters, those earthbound spirits never understood, even in death, why their own leader would kill them.
Bo’an felt his spirit growing more and more chaotic. He looked at his giant palm, where there were already six red binding spirit cores. But he could no longer summon even a single monster from the surroundings.
They would take a detour as soon as they saw me, afraid to encounter me.
[Perhaps, this is the end.]
Bo’an looked up into the swirling dark clouds.
[Captain, this is our retribution, isn’t it?]
{This is the price of exploring the secrets of the old world. Rest assured, someone will free you.}
[Thank you, I should be of considerable value to them.]
It walked toward the camp belonging to Yang Zicang. As it walked, its steps grew heavier, and its hands grew larger.
Just as it neared the camp, a spiritual form appeared before it.
Lu Zhidao, whose whole body exuded the aura of an unparalleled powerhouse, said:
{Your condition is problematic. Leave it here and go.}
[Won’t your captain blame you?]
{He told me long ago that if you fell into a dazed state, you could leave.}
[So that’s how it is. Hah, for that kid Haocheng, I have no reason to worry. He met a good captain, just like my captain.]
The monster opened its palm, about to drop the six soul-binding cores, when suddenly, folding rays of light flickered around it.
[I will respond to the call of the [Ether Tunnel Medal].]
The dust spread abruptly. Bo’an’s body vanished with a swish, instantly appearing in another distant part of the city.
Bo’an was dazed for a moment, then saw clearly: before him was the face of a young man looking at him with indifference.
[Why are you here?]
{Because I made a wish.}
Hong Haocheng raised the two remaining medals.
{You never told me that three of these things could let me travel through as well.}
[Huh? Heh, hehe, haha, hahaha, hahahaha.]
The giant palm gently rubbed the boy’s head with its fingers.
{This is information even Jiao’er doesn’t know. And you actually discovered it. I think there should… be… other… conditions!}
It dropped the clinking pile of spirit-binding cores in its hand, turned around, and let out a roaring howl as it charged into the distance.
In the wilderness, countless monsters crazily fled in the opposite direction. In an instant, the ground was cleared like a tiger descending upon a flock of sheep.
Boan’s furious roar echoed through heaven and earth, waves of mental pressure spreading outward.
Hong Haocheng used one medal—no effect! He thought with a heavy heart: that awakened will has completely vanished.
{I am [Sorrow].}
A voice sounded.
Hong Haocheng looked up at the sky; there seemed to be something in the clouds.
{I am the sinner [Sorrow].}
{Brothers of our homeland, please absolve us of the sins we have wrought, and also absolve us ourselves.}
{Please let Boan find peace.}
Hong Haocheng gazed at Boan’s frenzied figure. The young man took a deep breath. He knew that Yang Zicang would be staying here for these two days and would definitely come at once.
–Boan!– Hong Haocheng shouted.
The monster in the distance turned a deaf ear.
–Boan!!! Ah!!!!–
The boy’s body turned into a blur. He rushed right up to the massive figure. The earthbound spirit turned its head and slapped down!
BOOM! The ground exploded!
Sword shadows flickered.
An arm snapped, blood splattering across that towering form. It hesitated for a moment before charging again, but in that instant, the translucent blade—now with only four fingers remaining on its right hand—had already pierced through the earthbound spirit’s body.
Hong Haocheng kicked off the ground and launched himself upward, his blood-soaked fist slamming straight into the vortex that crowned its head.
As if its fragile core had been struck, Bo’an’s roar and vision shattered simultaneously, and he crashed to the ground with a thunderous boom.
Lying on the ground, Hong Haocheng’s eyes glowed with rings as the trajectory lines of the earthbound spirit’s entire life rapidly appeared on the ground, floating in the air like a vast, distorted map!
And those trajectory lines turned out to be a map of two worlds: Earth and this city!
–You liar!-
Hong Haocheng’s eyes burned red as he devoured those trajectory lines, snatched up the barely formed spirit core, grabbed his sword, and retreated. The fold lines on his chest spread outward, heading toward Wu Yun.
{Take me away, but if you try any tricks, I’ll kill you all!}
{Calm down. Our Captain Chen is a good person. I’ll come get you right away.}
Hong Haocheng picked up six spirit cores and glanced at the giant carpet, now just a tiny black dot in the sky.
Wrapping them in clothes, he darted quickly through the buildings. Following the guidance of Syn-Link, he approached the camp of the Four Phases Celestial Group.
The next day.
A patch of open ground was cleared in the camp.
Chen Yunze walked over: –Don’t grieve over losing Bo’an. This city’s fate is already sealed, and our existence is to rewrite it.-
Hong Haocheng sensed the map of Bo’an in his mind and nodded.
Chen Yunze exclaimed:
–As expected of the Puming Group. Yang Zicang’s huge blanket, suspected to have been obtained from the editor-in-chief, can even wrap you who possess the bloodline.-
It could even wrap those level-bound spirits—what about himself? Chen Yunze’s expression turned grave.
–They are formidable,- Hong Haocheng said coldly.
–They are strong, but you are not inferior. Given time, Yang Zicang is nothing to fear, but only if our city doesn’t fall below thirtieth in next year’s ranking.-
Chen Yunze elaborated on the key points. Hearing that the city ranking concerned the interests of the hub town and the qualification to enter City No. 11, the young man nodded.
–So, if we lose the ranking, we might instantly drop many places. Because the winners take the top ranks, and the losers are placed after all winning cities in order, based on their performance and duration of persistence and the scores they obtain. But I believe with you joining, we can win.-
Hong Haocheng looked at him: –I am not your Moxel, can I still fight?-
Cheng Yunze nodded: –As long as it’s a team, it’s fine. But I still don’t have full confidence in winning.-
Their own hidden cards had all been exposed, while Yang Zicang’s trump card was only partially revealed by the earthbound spirit at the very last moment; the others from City 41, where he came from, hadn’t even shown up yet.
Sensing Cheng Yunze’s concern, Hong Haocheng asked:
–Isn’t there any way we can suppress them? I remember Zhang Miao said that as a city holding its rank, we still have some advantages.-
–There is.-
Cheng Yunze looked at him:
–But precisely because of that, I need those cores in your hands. They will be of great use to me.-
While Hong Haocheng was still pondering, Cheng Yunze continued:
–When you first entered here, that voice should have told you: with ten crystals, the city chief can exchange for one appropriate request from Hub Town. And I am the chief of City 23.-
–What are you going to do?-
A hint of madness flickered in Cheng Yunze’s eyes:
–I’m going to apply for an assessment of extreme difficulty. I want them to be utterly defeated.-
–Utterly defeated?-
–We have the right to set the trials!-
A light sparkled in Hong Haocheng’s eyes.
Cheng Yunze said confidently:
–As long as they can’t clear the trials, 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 apply to Hub Town immediately. Right in front of you!-
Only then did the people around understand 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, haha.- Hong Haocheng burst into laughter, his mirth tinged with fury: –So that’s how it is. Fine. If that’s what you want, I’ll give you everything—just as long as you make them lose!-
Hong Haocheng turned and retrieved the Bound Spirit Cores.
Cheng Yunze took them; it was an unexpected delight to obtain the remaining six so effortlessly.
More members of the team gathered around, staring at the red cores arranged in two rows on the ground.
–I’ll submit the application to the council right here, in front of you!-
Cheng Yunze solemnly placed the tenth crystal on the ground.
He rose, tilted his head toward the swirling storm vortex, and declared:
–I am the chief representative of City 23’s ranking battle, captain of the Four Phases Team, Cheng Yunze. I hereby submit an application to Hub Town!-
The silk strand on his chest shot forward, vanishing into the void.
{Land of Lost Frequencies, the Silver-White Mayor has begun to heed your plea.}
All eyes fell on him as Cheng Yunze proclaimed with pride:
–Using ten Bloodline Bound Spirit Cores as the condition, I request that the annual settlement ranking assessment difficulty be raised to the maximum!-
{City 23’s current recommended assessment difficulty ranges from ‘Crimson Moon level’ to ‘Moon Shadow level.’ Requesting the highest difficulty will trigger a ‘Demon Hero level’ ranking battle. Have you given this serious thought?}
–I confirm!-
Cheng Yunze did not hesitate—he had already made his final decision.
[I have applied for the descent of the [Demon Hero Level Arena City].]
{The Mayor of Hub Town has received your request.}
To the astonishment of all, one after another, a dozen light masses materialized in the sky.
The three brightest small orbs of light slowly descended, revealing delicate tiny figures within.
Cheng Yunze and Hong Haocheng watched this sacred scene nervously.
They hovered over the misty ground, and as their little fingers touched, a miniature black hole was born.
The black hole swiftly expanded with a whoosh.
The ten crimson crystals on the ground were instantly sucked in and vanished.
{Easy peasy.}
{Bye-bye, scary big shots.}
The small figures disappeared.
A surge of relief washed over Hong Haocheng; his recent gloom seemed to fade along with the core’s disappearance.
[Yang Zicang, prepare to lose the match!]
……
{Emergency mission: all personnel on leave must return by 23:59 today.}
In the camp, Yang Zicang, who was venting to Morri about Hong Haocheng via the Moxel link, suddenly heard this voice from the Lost Illusion Company.
He sensed the telepathic message with a jolt of surprise.
{All new employees, report to the company for a large-scale emergency mission—the design and production of the Demon-Hero-tier Arena City!}
Demon Gear’s Teeth
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