Chapter 312: Heart Fire Burning
Duan was forced to lead his tribesmen back into the ruined city. The newly merged human kingdom, the Kingdom of the King-Chosen, fell into despair at this moment.
Nearly five hundred fully armed and intelligent Mundo Giant Beasts forced the humans into the ruined city from four directions.
About five thousand humans were now in a desperate situation. Inside the Dream World, Ace looked at the black wolf before him with some surprise. It was as anxious as a trapped beast, frantically trying to run out of the Dream World.
“A totem born from Tribal Qi… did it become the manifestation of the National Destiny the moment Duan announced the founding of the nation? Is it a creature similar to a rule manifestation? or perhaps a Status Creature?”
Ace opened a corner of the Dream World. Zi, who was overlooking the giant beasts, suddenly prostrated in pain. Tears of blood flowed from her right eye, and pitch-black shadows spread out. The eyepatch shattered, and a majestic, jet-black wolf drilled out of her eye.
It flashed by in an instant. When other clansmen rubbed their eyes, they saw nothing.
Creatures manifested from world rules were invisible to mortals.
Duan concentrated his Blood Qi in his eyes, observing the giant beasts to find a possibility of breaking out. Suddenly, he looked up and saw the pitch-black giant wolf. Above the encircling giant beasts, auras permeated the air, gradually forming a powerful giant beast that engaged the giant wolf in battle.
The giant wolf was no match; it fought like a trapped beast, putting up a desperate resistance.
Duan suddenly had a realization: this likely represented the disparate war between the giant beasts and humans.
The noblest Witch, the “Dwelling of God” Zi, opened her right eye. The ringed hexagram pattern abruptly enlarged and layered upon itself. Ace responded to her call, and whispers began to spread.
Hope appeared on the faces of the people in the city. Although they were in a desperate situation, they still had the great Invisible King.
Just then, Ace, residing in the Right Eye Dream World, felt a sudden palpitation. The fundamental consciousness of the Pocket World issued a warning!
If Ace intervened, he would be thoroughly loathed and even rejected by this Pocket World.
“Planar Consciousness? It seems I cannot directly participate in this war between humans and giant beasts.”
The pitch-black shadow, Ace, realized all this, but he did not intend to do nothing. The humans of this Pocket World were his important experimental subjects; the experiment must continue.
The spreading whispers were suddenly interrupted, and the layered ringed hexagram pattern gradually dissipated. At the final moment, a pitch-black beam of light erupted from Zi’s right eye, instantly killing over thirty fully armed Mundo Giant Beasts.
The Mundo Beast General’s face was filled with disbelief. The exquisitely dressed Mundo beast wearing metal-rimmed glasses was also dumbstruck, staring blankly as he said to the general, “General, did you see that? Black light and shadow… turning everything it touched into ash?”
The Mundo Beast General replied in shock, “Incredible. To think the primitive and backward humans were hiding such a secret!”
He composed himself and said, “This incredible power must have limitations. Either very few people can master it, or the cost of using it is immense. It is likely both. Otherwise, if every human could do this, they would have wiped us out long ago.”
The bespectacled Mundo beast nodded in agreement. “General, you have keen insight!”
The Mundo Beast General made a prompt decision, ordering the other troops to retreat while the First and Second Squads, comprising twenty giant beasts, launched a probing attack.
Duan gathered the more than eighty King-Chosen Warriors. First, he walked to Zi, who was half-kneeling on the ground, and asked, “Noble ‘Dwelling of God,’ can that divine grace just now be performed a few more times?”
Zi shook her head and said solemnly, “The King said this is our war. He made an exception to intervene once, but he cannot continue to do so.”
Duan nodded solemnly, his expression grave. He looked at the fluttering ringed hexagram flag with complex emotions. Without the King’s help, it would be difficult to win in this desperate situation.
“In that case, we prepare to break out!”
Duan’s expression was heavy. He was the Human Sovereign of humans in the northern grasslands and Buri Lake; he had to make a choice. A breakout could not include everyone; inevitably, some, or even most, would have to be abandoned.
Duan ordered all King-Chosen Warriors to mount their horses. Zi was also supported onto a horse, guarded by two King-Chosen Warriors. They observed the situation as the sky gradually darkened. The sun was about to set; night was their only chance.
The King-Chosen Warriors went into battle alongside ordinary tribesmen, repelling the twenty giant beasts. The Mundo Beast General was somewhat hesitant; intimidated by the black light beam, he decided to observe a bit longer.
At night, Duan ordered the main body of the tribe to split into two groups to escape, while he led the more than eighty King-Chosen Warriors to break through independently.
The giant beasts chased the main groups, underestimating the combat power of Duan’s detachment. Duan led the King-Chosen Warriors to kill a dozen giant beasts before successfully breaking out.
Three months later.
Duan and his group were fleeing across the grasslands like stray dogs, chased by the giant beasts.
Because the King of the Mundo Kingdom learned of the black light beam from that day, he mobilized over three thousand Royal Guards to conduct a carpet search. Finally, on a hill, they completely surrounded the fewer than sixty remaining King-Chosen Warriors.
“If you choose to surrender and offer the method of communicating with the deity and the Blood Qi cultivation method bestowed by the deity to our great King, the King promises that you will never have to worry about food or clothing again.”
A giant beast proficient in the language of Duan’s tribe spoke loudly.
Thousands of giant beasts gradually approached Duan and the others. They were in a wretched state, but they did not want to surrender. Those who couldn’t hold on had already left earlier; those remaining were unwilling to become pets or research subjects for the giant beasts.
In the dream, the once huge and dark tribal Qi black wolf was now weak and frail, turned into a tiny wolf cub.
Ace’s eyes flickered. Through whispers, he had already told Zi the only way of salvation.
“Only those who help themselves can receive the King’s mercy. We are King-Chosen Warriors who practice the Way of Blood Qi bestowed by the King. Today, we must find every way to break out! We are humanity’s last hope. Humans will never be slaves!”
A look of determination flashed through Duan’s eyes. He didn’t want to give up his life, for without life, there is no future. But he was equally unwilling to submit; once captured, humanity would likely never have another chance.
Zi looked at Duan with some relief. The ambitious youth who challenged Deer back then had grown into a resolute and decisive man. It was just a pity Deer couldn’t see all this.
“We should not end here, and humanity should not end here. Great Invisible King, please have mercy on humanity, please grant me the power to protect!”
Her white mink fur was stained with mud, and her skin, once as fair and smooth as congealed fat, had become haggard from the homeless flight. But Zi did not give up hope; she firmly remembered the dream she saw in the whispers.
“Blood Qi as fuel, Will as the seed, burn my body, illuminate my race!”
Zi walked forward gracefully. She was barefoot. With every step, she chanted a line. With every line, her aura rose significantly. When her voice fell, she had crossed hundreds of meters in just four steps, arriving beside the Giant Beast General.
Her most tenacious Will was like a spark, falling into her chest where Blood Qi boiled. In an instant, the Blood Qi ignited, turning into a raging, blazing fire.
(End of this chapter)
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