Chapter 344: Fall of the King

Golden flames ignited atop the garbage mound, and a man emerged from within them. Dark gold light bloomed from the blades on his back, and pale gold blood gushed from his wounds like a breached dam.

His golden eyes burned like twin suns.

Defeat was unacceptable to a Monarch, even if it came by way of a sneak attack.

Only a bloodbath could wash away the stain of such humiliation.

Burning his very essence, he finally unleashed his true strength. Every step he took left behind golden flames hot enough to ignite a prairie fire.

He looked across at Yan Jing and crossed his blades, rapidly closing the distance in a blur.

His speed and power had multiplied far beyond his previous limits.

In his eyes, Yan Jing was now nothing more than marked prey. The man's arrogance swelled rapidly as Yan Jing's figure shrank in his vision.

Until he was nothing but a speck of dust.

He brought his blades down.

The radiant blades looked capable of tearing through anything in existence, yet they abruptly halted right before this speck of dust, unable to descend a single inch further.

In reality, Yan Jing had simply raised his hand, lightly pressing a single fingertip against the leading edge of the blade.

Fissures spread across Yan Jing's arm, and eyes like those from the depths of hell snapped open with a sinister glare. Feathered tentacles twisted outward from his skin, and the blade resting against his fingertip began to tremble.

When white silk wrapped upward to form a gauntlet of Thorns, the blade shook violently, letting out a sharp, piercing hum that sounded almost like a wail.

The golden-eyed man suddenly snapped out of his daze. Seeing the terrifying sight before him, his expression drastically changed, and he desperately tried to pull his weapon back.

But he was too late.

Billowing black smoke surged from Yan Jing's body. A sharp crack rang out from the tip of the blade, and fissures rapidly spiderwebbed across the metal. In a split second, the dark gold longblade—the physical manifestation of the man's Vessel—shattered into pieces!

"Pu!"

The man's eyes went wide as he spewed a mouthful of pale gold blood. A bone-deep agony sent tremors through his very soul, twisting his face into a hideous grimace.

Before he could even react, a fist slammed into his stomach, sinking in deep and snapping his back into a bow.

"Pu!" He retched up another mouthful of bodily fluid as the force sent him flying backward into the garbage mound.

Yan Jing didn't pause for a second. A pitch-black longspear materialized in his grasp, and he closed in on the airborne man like a phantom. Raising his arm, he unleashed a torrential flurry of thrusts.

Golden barriers flared to life around the man one after another, only to shatter into dissipating fragments an instant later. Within seconds, his body was riddled with bloody, gaping holes.

He looked like a mangled, terrifying mess.

"Boom!!!"

Dark gold flames suddenly erupted around the man. The blood pouring from his wounds ignited like churning magma, the sheer heat finally forcing Yan Jing to take a few steps back.

"Who are you?!"

Tears of blood streamed from the man's eyes as he stared at Yan Jing:

"Where are you from?"

"I don't believe I'm obligated to explain."

Yan Jing replied with a smile.

"You're all from Yueyin! You carry the aura of a land of extreme yin!"

"But someone like you couldn't possibly exist in Yueyin!"

The man's low roar piqued Yan Jing's interest.

Between the ancient language Pan Yue had chanted—a tongue whose meaning could be discerned but whose sounds could not be heard—and this man's talk of extreme yin and Monarchs, Yan Jing was genuinely intrigued.

Yueyin was vast, but it seemed the degree of urbanization outside its borders did not match Yueyin at all.

The Surface World seemed far more complex than he had initially thought.

Beast Lord, Yueyin, Tianzi, Domain, Wanli, Weiyang, Qitian, Maori, Tiangou, Dark Ghost, Dongcang, Dalao...

What was the outside world like? "Even if you refuse to tell me, I have my ways of finding out."

Suddenly, the man let out an inexplicable laugh:

"In the name of the Beast Lord."

"I wager my title as the Eighth Monarch to bestow death upon you."

The moment his voice fell, his golden eyes ignited into a blinding inferno. His aura was just about to erupt, but in the next second...

The world in his eyes came to a dead halt.

The wind, the dust, and the light all stagnated at this moment. Only the boundless, towering buildings around them continued to climb. For the first time, he felt exactly what his opponents always felt—being reduced to a speck of dust, trampled into the mud.

And it would also be his last time.

Black and white Thorns pierced directly between his eyebrows. Two creeping branches extended outward, plunging straight into his left and right eyes. Fear and excruciating agony swept over him in an instant, utterly destroying the last shreds of his consciousness.

"Thud."

He staggered forward two steps, dropped to his knees, and then collapsed completely onto the ground.

The five combatants locked in a fierce battle with Zhou Xian nearby failed to register what had just happened. It was only after confirming the man was no longer moving that it finally dawned on them, and a chilling dread washed over them.

"Boss!"

The potbellied man called out tentatively.

But there was no response.

"Your Majesty!!!" The one-armed man sprinted toward the fallen man, stumbling in his panic. But in the very next instant, a longspear made of Thorns shot toward him from his flank.

He did not even sense it before the spear skewered him right through the right shoulder, nailing him to the ground.

"Your Majesty!!!"

The one-armed man howled into the sky. Terrifying agony tore through his entire body, and the veins on his neck bulged violently.

Seeing this, the remaining four were overcome with the same crushing grief.

For a moment, shockingly, not a single one of the four tried to flee.

Moments later, they were all securely nailed to the ground and the walls.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!!!"

The one-armed man struggled frantically against the ground as tears washed over his cheeks. His raw, devastated expression was completely genuine. It was hard to imagine just what kind of environment had bred such fanatically loyal death squads.

"Sometimes, I really envy it—"

Yan Jing murmured with a sigh. He retracted the cage of Thorns and walked over to Pan Yue, whose body had practically been reduced to a charred husk. He grabbed her by the shoulder, fully intending to toss her over to Qi Ming.

But to his surprise, with that single grab, her charred shoulder almost crumbled into black ash and dissipated.

"I've got her! Let me do it!"

Qi Ming hurried over in a panic and carefully gathered Pan Yue's body into his arms.

On the other side, Zhou Xian walked over, completely drenched in blood. Fighting one against five had not been as simple as imagined; a good portion of the blood soaking his clothes belonged to him.

"You've gotten stronger again," he said.

"I suppose so," Yan Jing replied with a smile.

"Let's go, everyone. It's time to head back."

In the Surface World, there was a hidden expanse surrounded by squat houses and chaotic alleys.

Here, grand halls stood in towering rows and immortal palaces clustered together.

Inside one particular grand hall, people dressed in somewhat retro clothing were meticulously cleaning every corner.

Suddenly, a crisp crack echoed from the exact center of the hall.

Everyone turned toward the sound, and their expressions drastically changed.

High above them, the grand throne that symbolized absolute, supreme authority was rapidly fracturing. In a mere matter of seconds, it completely crumbled into a heap of sawdust.

"His Majesty has fallen!!"

Someone cried out in alarm, snapping the rest of them out of their shock.

Instantly, the hall descended into a chaotic din of devastating grief.

In the midst of such chaos, someone even drew a longsword and slit their own throat.

"Hurry up!!"

Jia Wei, the old man dressed in a black and red enforcer's uniform, directed the crowd, beginning to escort the latest batch of "criminals."

His face was flushed with joy. By apprehending such a group of major felons who had assassinated a councilor, his half-buried political career finally had a glimmer of hope again.

Suddenly, the Information Component on his wrist lit up. Seeing the name, he answered immediately, his smile turning fawning:

"Ah! I am here, my lady. Please, speak."

Listening to the old man's sycophantic posturing, Zeng Qing rubbed between her eyebrows in annoyance.

The old man had always wanted to be her loyal dog, but even someone as indifferent to appearances as her found his face a bit too hard to stomach.

"Is the matter handled?"

"Yes, yes!"

The old man nodded vigorously:

"My lady, you are truly divine! The others are still searching blindly everywhere, falling for the red-light traps these humans placed in several locations. Yet right here, there wasn't even a peep, and guess what? They were really here!"

...

Zeng Qing rubbed between her eyebrows again.

"Alright. Since you've found them, begin the interrogation. Now that the two most promising councilors from the Reconciliation Faction are dead, the chances for the candidates behind them have become infinitely greater. If anyone comes knocking on your door next, send them straight to me first."

"If you contact them privately, you know what the consequences will be, right—"

"Rest assured, my lady."

The old man agreed without hesitation.

Internally, however, his mind was racing. If he could genuinely help elevate a new councilor, then the position of Bureau Director afterward—

After all, Zeng Qing's authority primarily lay within the government structure. If he could manage to pull some strings and connect with Zhou Mo, he might actually be able to oust that damn brat working under Zhou Mo.

But right then, Zeng Qing seemed to pick up on his scheming, her voice turning ice-cold:

"Jia Wei. You know the consequences of betrayal, don't you—"

"Do you think you're stronger than those assassins?"

"Or do you think you're stronger than Wen Tian and the rest of them?"

Zeng Qing's words dropped like two massive bombs directly onto Jia Wei's heart.

What did she mean? Wen Tian's death, and these assassins... Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he hastily wiped his face with his sleeve:

"I understand clearly, my lady. Please, rest assured."

"I understand completely. I would never dare to overstep my bounds."

Even after the call ended, Jia Wei's heart continued to pound wildly.

He was already very old.

While his thirst for power still flickered like a stubborn ember in his heart, his fear of death burned far brighter. "Forget it, forget it. Better not wade into these muddy waters."

Anthill, inside the self-built house.

"Thank you."

Qi Ming had called Yan Jing down to the first floor, and now he bowed deeply to him.

"Compared to a 'thank you,' do you have anything more substantial to offer?" Yan Jing joked with a smile.

"No problem."

Qi Ming nodded without hesitation, but then pursed his lips, looking slightly embarrassed:

"I haven't entered any Dungeons over the past few years, so I don't have much money. If it's cash you want, I can run Dungeons for the next six months to pay you back."

"Or if you want something else, just name it. I'll figure out a way."

"Help me explore a few Dungeons, how about that?" Yan Jing asked with a smile.

"When you say explore, what exactly do you mean?"

Qi Ming's gaze sharpened.

"Just scout out the basic situation of a few Dungeons I want to enter but haven't had the time to go to."

Yan Jing explained.

"You've already reached the level of actively exploring Dungeons?"

Qi Ming stared blankly for a moment, but as he recalled Yan Jing's recent display of power, he suddenly found it completely logical.

Finally, he nodded:

"No problem. Send me the Dungeons you want explored, and I'll handle it."

"Alright, then it's settled." Yan Jing nodded and turned to leave:

"Don't dwell on what happened this time. I only saved you because I wanted your help, and I saved her because of Teacher Shen. I'm a very utilitarian person."

It wasn't until Yan Jing had turned and left that Qi Ming finally seemed to snap out of his daze. He headed upstairs and ran into Zhou Xian at the corner.

"...Thank you."

He offered Zhou Xian the same gratitude, his gaze complex.

"It's nothing."

"You can come to me the next time you run a Dungeon," Zhou Xian said mildly. "Yan Jing already told me he'd generally only look for me to form a party for a team Dungeon. Ordinarily, I also hope to run Dungeons with people who are relatively strong."

"Alright."

Qi Ming nodded, immediately taking a deep breath.

After seeing Yan Jing's near-crushing performance just now, a long-extinguished fighting spirit rose up in his heart once again.

It was time to start a new life.

Several hours later.

After receiving his Dungeon rewards, he exited the Inner World and immediately brought Pan Yue to find Shen Youran.

He explained everything that had happened, as well as the subsequent handling. "Big Sister Shen, we've truly wronged you this time."

He bowed deeply to Shen Youran.

Shen Youran's face was ice-cold. She looked with a complex gaze at Pan Yue, who had practically been reduced to charcoal, her hand gripping that death contract turning slightly white:

"This isn't something an apology can resolve."

"By doing this, you are damaging the trust and affection that Xiao Yanzi and I have so painstakingly built."

When she finished speaking, the shame on Qi Ming's face deepened:

"I am truly sorry. I will do my best to compensate for this."

"For the secondary harm caused to you, Big Sister Shen, I—I don't know what to say anymore. I am truly sor—"

At that exact moment, a tear actually seeped from the corner of Pan Yue's eye as she lay in his arms.

Seeing this, Shen Youran took a deep breath and slowly exhaled:

"You have nothing you need to compensate me for. Since Xiao Yanzi already stated what follows, just do as he said."

"As for Pan Yue—have her run the Bianliu County Dungeon with Mo Lian."

"How are her injuries, exactly?"

Qi Ming answered:

"Mr. Yan Jing used a thread-type Ritual to help stabilize her life. I will take responsibility for her subsequent treatment."

"Alright, then that's that."

Shen Youran's gaze was complex.

The two people before her were already the most reliable members of Zhoulin, yet they had still ended up like this.

The rest of Zhoulin's members would likely only become enemies, leaving no possibility for reconciliation.

"That's all for now. I need to go find Xiao Yanzi and apologize."

She turned and left.

Qi Ming stared blankly at Shen Youran's retreating back and let out a sigh. Then, he spoke to Pan Yue in his arms:

"Let's not leave anymore—I asked Zhou Xian, and it seems they have an organization stationed at the border between Ling'an and Rainbow. Let's go join them."

Pan Yue's body trembled, and she forcefully moved her practically charred head.

And so, the matter was settled just like that.

Before Qi Ming left Ling'an, he went to see one last person.

It was the twin-tailed girl, Ren Tongtong.

But when he arrived at her door, Ren Tongtong refused to open it.

"Go away."

Ren Tongtong's icy words pierced right through the iron door, and also pierced right through his heart.

"We were disconnected for five or six full years after disbanding, and you didn't even take the initiative to look for me when you came back. Why are you coming to see me now?"

"Just who do you take me, Ren Tongtong, for?"