Seth stared at Sam Li floating in the sky. He knew Sam Li was strong—strong enough to kill even Ethereals beyond Notoriety.
But the beast before them... it was far more terrifying than any of those.
He hadn't expected it.
Sam Li had actually punched the beast straight out of the air.
Before Seth could make sense of what he was seeing, the Azhdaha, slammed down by that punch, was already climbing back up. With a furious roar aimed at Sam Li, cone-shaped boulders launched from its back, flying toward him.
Just like when it had attacked Zhu Yuan's team before.
The power behind this move—Zhu Yuan, Seth, and the others remembered it vividly. Each rock was like a high-powered cannonball, packing immense destructive force.
Seeing this, Zhu Yuan, Seth, Qingyi, and the others instinctively shouted toward Sam Li to warn him:
"Sam Li, it's attacking again..."
"Rocks, Sam Li, get out of there! Those rocks are insanely powerful—don't take them head-on...!"
"Watch out—rocks incoming!"
...
They tried everything to warn him.
But Sam Li didn't move. He just floated there, motionless, as if waiting for the Azhdaha Dragon King's strike.
In that instant, Zhu Yuan, Seth, Jane, and Qingyi all widened their eyes, locking onto Sam Li above.
The cone-shaped boulders shot toward him at lightning speed.
In just a single breath, they were upon him, closing in from all sides.
There was no room to dodge.
With a thunderous crash, the frontmost boulder smashed into Sam Li.
Then another.
Boom after boom echoed in the air, the sound of each impact deafening, like missiles detonating midair.
Zhu Yuan, Seth, Jane, and Qingyi could only watch in stunned silence as over a dozen boulders slammed into Sam Li from all directions, forming a tightly sealed cage of rock around him.
If it were anyone else, they'd already be pulp.
Even New Eridu's top elites wouldn't survive such an assault.
Watching it unfold, Jane muttered thoughtfully, "Did Sam Li... die?"
Seth's knees gave out. He collapsed to the ground. "No... no way... Mr. Sam Li wouldn't die that easily..."
He kept saying it, but his face told another story—anxious, pale, stricken. As if his own life was on the line.
Only seconds ago, they had seen hope—Sam Li striking down the giant beast with a single punch.
Now, despair swept in just as fast.
Seth stared up at the cluster of massive stones in the sky. "Why didn't you dodge, Mr. Sam Li...?"
Was it carelessness?
Or had that one blow drained all his strength?
Beside him, Qingyi frowned at the rocks above. "What move is he planning now?"
Seth clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "Mr. Sam Li, don't die—"
Zhu Yuan's gaze sharpened. "He's not dead. Sam Li's smart. If he couldn't take that attack, he wouldn't have tried."
That made sense.
But the Azhdaha's assault had gone far beyond anything they'd imagined. None of them had ever seen such raw destructive power.
Anyone else would be dead.
But Sam Li—he might still have a chance.
...
Nicole, Caesar, and Piper were watching from the other side, equally tense as the rocks hovered ominously overhead.
They had just cheered when Sam Li knocked the hundred-meter-tall Azhdaha Dragon King out of the sky.
Now, silence.
All of them held their breath in worry.
Lucy frowned. "He's not really... dead, right?"
Nicole glared at her. "Don't jinx it. Sam Li's the ace of Hare's House—he wouldn't die that easily. He's probably already figuring out how to break free..."
Billy, visibly nervous, pulled out the gun at his waist. "What now, Nicole? Let me shoot the rocks—maybe I can break them and get Sam Li out."
Nicole hesitated. "But Sam Li told us not to get involved."
Billy didn't back down. "Still..."
Nekomata spoke up too. "Nicole, enough with the buts. Sam Li's life matters most. Let's move."
Nicole bit her lip. "Alright. Billy, get ready to fire."
Those rocks were hundreds of meters up—Nicole, Anby, Nekomata, Number 11, none of them could hit them from here.
Only Billy had a shot.
Hearing the order, Billy raised his gun and aimed at the sky.
They were far, but the targets were huge—no way he'd miss.
Just as he was about to pull the trigger—
Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed from the battlefield ahead.
It wasn't aimed at Nicole or Billy.
Nor was it threatening Zhu Yuan or Qingyi.
It was directed at the sky itself—at the rocks.
"Morax, your life is over!"
The roar came from the Azhdaha.
As if that earlier strike hadn't been enough, it let out a furious bellow. Golden light burst from its mountainous back, launching another volley of massive cone-shaped rocks into the sky, straight toward Sam Li.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The explosions rang in the ears of Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, and the others, like a death knell echoing across the battlefield.
Compared to this—
Billy's bullets might as well have been pebbles. They wouldn't even scratch those Geo-enhanced boulders.
But the Azhdaha didn't get to bask in triumph for long.
In the very next moment—
The rocks in the sky began to glow.
A golden light erupted from within.
Everyone—Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, Nicole, Caesar—assumed it was another devastating attack from the Dragon King. They tensed, praying for Sam Li's safety.
Then—
BOOM!
A blinding explosion tore across the sky.
Golden light flared brighter than the sun itself.
The shockwave spread over a radius of more than ten kilometers.
Humans, animals, Bangboos—everything nearby was hit.
But none were harmed.
Instead, a wave of warmth spread through them. Drawn by the brilliant radiance, they couldn't look away.
Moments later—
The dazzling golden light finally began to fade.