"This sovereign will raze this place to the ground!" Centipede Emperor roared skyward, its colossal voice rolling across every district.
At the Xuanjian Division headquarters, windows flew open as Awakened Ones stared at the titanic centipede monster whose body spanned who-knew-how-many streets across the sky.
Their faces were ashen—this was the Division's HQ, yet a monster had broken right in.
In the very heart of Town City stood rows of two- or three-storey antique buildings, each one trimmed with gold and silver.
Among these opulent structures rose a vast golden hall two kilometres long and wide—the imperial residence of Nanwu Country.
The reigning figurehead, Emperor Nanwu, a slightly plump middle-aged man with long hair, wore a red-silk robe embroidered with priceless rubies and sapphires.
He stood in a palace room that surveilled the entire city, legs weakening at the sight of the several-kilometre-long black centipede.
"Quick—summon Wu Yuan!" Moments later Emperor Ye Chang shrieked.
If no one stopped a creature of that size, Town City would be wiped off the map today.
"Yes, Your Majesty, at once!" Several officials behind him nodded frantically.
They rushed to phone Wu Yuan.
Meanwhile, atop the Xuanjian Division tower, Wu Yuan's pocket rang, but he ignored it; with a thought the phone powered itself off.
"Coming straight for me? Interesting." Wu Yuan watched the enormous black centipede charge the Division building.
He narrowed his eyes—he had just decided to act, and now this centipede conveniently appeared.
"Looks like the Monster Association has some special way of keeping tabs on me; too many coincidences otherwise."
Wu Yuan stood with hands in pockets, facing the onrushing Centipede Emperor, and merely thought.
Buzz! A peculiar ripple suddenly manifested above the centipede as it raced toward the Xuanjian Division.
A hundred-metre-long double-edged silver sword, dripping with blood, materialised overhead. Its blade depicted mortals slaying gods; a sun-like fireball blazed at the golden hilt.
"A god-killing blade born from my imagination—let's see if you can survive it." Wu Yuan's face was impassive.
Far away, the sword shot downward like a meteor.
Centipede Emperor paid the attack no mind; after evolving it had gained another ability.
Divine Favour: 50 % immunity to energy attacks.
...In HQ City a black tsunami had already flattened the entire metropolis; those who fled too slowly were swallowed by the dark tide.
Outside the city, on a hillock, the surviving Awakened Ones stared in terror at the black flood.
After continuous battles, fewer than two hundred sub-Level Five Awakened remained, and even squad leaders had suffered grievous losses.
At the hill's crest stood six remaining combat-ready Level Fives: Jiang Ao, Fang Wenyu, Qin Wan, Cao Li, Qin Musheng, and Wang Li, silently watching the razed city.
Not far downslope, Zi Wen lay on a stretcher while an Awakened pressed blue energy into his body to heal him.
A hundred metres above, the four Bright Kings sat or stood upon a carpet.
Salo gazed at the ruined city, eyes flickering, then surveyed the others and the devastated Xuanjian Division below.
"Have humans entered their final countdown?" The thought surfaced and refused to leave.
Dozens of kilometres beyond the city.
Inside a battered forest, Bai Wenliang and Liu Zhiyuan's duel raged on, neither able to see HQ City, only hearing the distant thunderous roar.
Bang!
The Hexagonal Crystal shattered Liu Zhiyuan's body again, the six crystals shuttling around him, their dual-attribute attacks punching effortlessly through his flesh.
Black flames flickered over Liu Zhiyuan in a futile attempt to block the crystals, yet they pierced the fire and smashed his body anew.
From afar Bai Wenliang watched Liu Zhiyuan's body break and regenerate repeatedly, his expression grave.
"If I can't kill him soon, he'll wear me down—how the hell is he still struggling?" Bai Wenliang cursed inwardly.
Before advancing to Level Six the man had recovered even when smashed to pulp; now his regeneration was monstrous.
Whoosh! A black paper crane the size of a man appeared above their battlefield.
It shouted at Bai Wenliang: "Director, disaster—the Monster Association has destroyed HQ City!!!"
"What!" Bai Wenliang's face hardened; he had expected the Association to strike while he was busy, but never imagined they could raze HQ City despite so many Level Fives present.
Several hundred metres away, Liu Zhiyuan—stuck in a loop of regeneration—heard the news as well.
Bai Wenliang turned and said coldly, "So this was your plan: stall me while the Association annihilates HQ City. This is the justice you preach? Laughable!"
"Impossible! HQ City couldn't fall so easily—not with all your Level Fives there! This is your scheme to break my spirit!" Black flames burst from Liu Zhiyuan's mangled body, his roar echoing within the fire.
He refused to believe it—HQ City had over two million souls; if they died because of him it would violate everything he called justice.
Sensing Liu Zhiyuan's fracturing psyche, Bai Wenliang waved the Hexagonal Crystal back to him.
Looking at the now fully regenerated Liu Zhiyuan, he said icily, "See for yourself. Two million innocent lives—people with happy families—dead because of you."
Bai Wenliang's voice rose, and in that moment he seemed the righteous one, while Liu Zhiyuan appeared the murderer of two million innocents.
"No... this wasn't the outcome I wanted. I was enforcing justice!" Liu Zhiyuan stood trembling.
Bang! The ground beneath him exploded; a ring of sonic-boom blasted out as he shot straight toward HQ City.
"Justice that can't tell right from wrong is meaningless," Bai Wenliang murmured, eyes narrowing.
He realised Liu Zhiyuan likely wasn't part of the Monster Association at all—just a pawn they exploited.
"If we can turn this kid, a Level Six, to the Xuanjian Division, we'll cripple the Association's plot and gain a powerhouse—three birds with one stone!" The idea thrilled him.
The more he thought, the more excited he became, like scoring a pentakill on the verge of victory.
He shot after Liu Zhiyuan without hesitation.