Chapter 330 Force

"Sir, you’ve just stepped into your role, and we orcs don’t have much to offer in support. We can manage seventy percent, though it’s a stretch—it’s our duty. But… the formula isn’t ours—it’s Wang Feng’s. He handed it to us just to use our sales and transport networks to raise funds for the Rose Holy Sanctuary. We’re just making a small cut from it. The formula isn’t in our hands, so we can’t call the shots. Moreover, my granddaughter Su Mei'er’s already tied up with Wang Feng, and it’s probably not a good idea for her to step into the city lord’s mansion. If the city lord is concerned, I can stay in the mansion instead." Wuganda’s bitter smile screamed helplessness. "Guess I didn’t think this through, but we’re really in a tight spot."

At this moment, Wuganda couldn’t care less and had to lean on Wang Feng. As long as Thunder Dragon’s around, they won’t dare make a move. Seriously, who actually believes Wang Feng came up with this, or that someone his age could develop such a fusion rune?

Thunder Dragon? Wang Feng?

Darleaf’s eyes narrowed into slits. The Lei family, under Thunder Dragon, ran the show in Aurora City. Not a single Lei family member showed up at today’s banquet—a clear snub to the new city lord.

Just then, Nie Xin, who’d been quiet until now, let out a sudden chuckle. "It’s that Wang Feng again. I’ve heard all about his lust and greed—he’s turned the Rose into a dumpster fire. Didn’t think Su Mei'er would’ve already been snagged by him. But no rush—news’ll probably drop in a few days. This Wang Feng’s not coming back."

"Oh? Brother Nie’s got the inside scoop!" Darleaf laughed. "Haha, whatever, a few more days won’t kill anyone. Just get everything ready, and don’t give me a hard time!"

?

Wuganda felt like he’d been hit by a bolt of lightning. Nie Xin’s words were dripping with inside info. How’d he, a council member, know about Wang Feng’s fate ahead of time? What really got to Wuganda was Nie Xin not even bothering to hide it, proving the orcs didn’t matter to them.

Wang Feng’s journey to Dragon City was already desperate, facing the full pursuit of the Nine Gods. His undercover identity wasn’t a secret to some in Aurora City, and his break with the Nine Gods was also known. This mission was already near-impossible, but now even the League of Blades was making a move.

This…

In the dark cavern, ahead lay the seemingly endless maw of a monstrous beast. Fantasie ran desperately, but this time, his luck seemed to have run out.

The endless cavern finally had walls, and ahead was a dead end.

The footsteps from the other end of the cavern grew closer and more urgent. Fantasie anxiously felt and knocked on the cavern walls, but the echoes were solid—there was no way through.

Thud!

A sudden rush of sound, and three figures emerged from around the corner of the cavern.

Fantasie turned sharply, looking at the three who had appeared. His heart raced wildly, his body trembling, his palms pressed against the cavern walls slick with cold sweat.

He regretted it. The smooth sailing with Winnie on the first level had made him underestimate the dangers here. He should have left directly; the second level was not a place he should have ventured into.

"Whew! Whew! Whew! Damn, I’m exhausted. This fat guy can really run!" The three were panting heavily. They had spotted this guy at the fork earlier, running fast and with remarkable endurance. A fat guy who could run like this was a first for them.

"This fat rabbit!"

"Hey! No way out, can't run anymore! Little fatty, how do you want to die?"

A tall, thin man chuckled eerily, with a strange sense of pleasure. The pressure of being hunted made the act of hunting all the more exhilarating.

Fantasie couldn’t help but swallow hard. The wall behind him offered no sense of security; instead, it blocked his only escape route. He wanted to beg for mercy, but his teeth chattered, and his tongue wouldn’t cooperate. He felt like crying. Over the past few days, Fantasie had occasionally thought about his own death but had never dared to imagine the details. Although he was a disciple of the Holy Sanctuary and had undergone special training with Hei Wukai and Winnie, since coming here, he felt more and more like a useless fool. What had possessed him to come here? Feng was a smart guy; did he really need his protection?

How inflated and delusional must his ego have been to think such a thing?

"Charles, didn’t you just bag a big one? That Wang Feng from the Rose is quite something. One head is enough to fill you up. Why are you still fighting over this cheap stuff with us?"

Ah Xi, who had almost collapsed, suddenly froze, his mouth agape. "W-what did you say? What about the Rose?"

The tall, thin Charles was momentarily stunned but then laughed when he realized it was Fantasie who had asked.

Ironhand Charles, ranked seventy-fifth in the War Academy, was known for his incredible luck. He had stumbled upon Wang Feng's head while scavenging. Originally, he had only intended to loot the corpse, but he had accidentally found a major prize, complete with identification. Wasn’t this the chosen one?

This was a top-tier bounty with double rewards from the two princes, Long Zhen and Long Xiang. Honestly, his luck was off the charts. Of course, he wouldn’t admit to scavenging; he would claim he had taken it down himself. Adding a Rose head to his record would make it even more impressive.

"Of course, it's Wang Feng from Rose, the rune inventor with the highest bounty!" This guy is an idiot, with no real strength, yet he dares to come to the second level!"

Wang Feng? Dead? Fantesi couldn't believe it; it was impossible. With Feng's smarts, how could he die? He always had everything under control!

"Oh, so you're with Rose too?" Charles laughed loudly. He noticed Fantesi's Rose attire, trembling body, and pale face. What's more fun than scaring someone to death?

Charles pulled something out of the bag behind him. After all, two princes had placed a hefty bounty on this target. He naturally took the Soul Token and the head—both were valuable. He chuckled, handing the head to Fantesi: "Here, take a look. Is this Wang Feng?"

The dim glow from the cave wall shimmered, but Fantesi recognized it instantly. He knew that face so well he could recognize it just by the nose.

It was Feng's face—pale, lifeless, with wide-open eyes, a look of unrelenting death. Fantesi was struck as if by lightning, his lips trembling, his body frozen.

Feng's dead?

He's really dead?

Damn it, why am I still alive? What the hell is going on?

Fantesi had thought he might die, but he never imagined Wang Feng would. Yet, Wang Feng's head was right there, lifelike, his desperate gaze before death hitting Fantesi like a series of explosions...

Seeing Fantesi like this, Charles was speechless. What the hell is this guy? How did he even make it to Dragon City? Weren't both sides supposed to send elites?

This fat guy is clearly a loser.

"Damn, he can't even handle a scare!" He spat at Fantesi, full of disdain: "Ruined my fun."

"This guy looks way too weak, not worth wasting time on." The three were clearly martial artists, and a swordsman stepped forward with a cold face: "I'll take care of him!"

But a smaller guy beat him to it. Though short, his muscles were exceptionally developed.

"Dealing with this kind of trash, no need for you two seniors to bother, leave it to me." He chuckled, a surge of soul power condensed, slightly rippling on his clenched fist, knuckles cracking: "Watch me, if this guy lasts more than five seconds, the head is yours!"

He had to grab the head, otherwise, no one would be polite. Without waiting for the swordsman to object, he suddenly charged, a heavy punch directly hitting Fantesi's chest.

Fantesi was completely stunned, not realizing he needed to dodge. A dull thud sounded from his chest, taking the hit solidly, causing him to stagger back several steps.

The small guy laughed heartily, this fat guy was quite tough, the fat on his body somewhat dissipating the force, making him feel like the punch's lethality hadn't fully unleashed. Though his ranking wasn't as high as Charles's, it was still around three hundred, a name known even in the War Academy's local areas. How could he possibly care about a bottom-tier Holy Sanctuary disciple?

With a five-second agreement with his companions behind him, after laughing, his eyes suddenly flashed with intense light, his figure closely following, a straightforward pursuit, his fists instantly thickening a circle, soul power infused, a sure kill!

"Die!" The small martial artist's forehead veins bulged.

Explosive Steel Fist!

Boom...

Fantesi's head jerked back, but he didn't fall, his face still somewhat dazed. The small martial artist didn't need to look to know his companions' expressions behind him. Damn it, "Die die die die!"

Instantly, a barrage of over a dozen punches, before they even landed, Fantesi's face and body already showed several vortex-like fist indentations.

Bang bang bang bang!

A series of explosive sounds connected in an instant, as if all exploding at the same time. Fantesi's over two hundred pounds of obese body was fixed in place, then as if hit head-on by a magic rail train, like a broken kite, he flew backward.

Boom...

The obese body heavily slammed into the cave wall over ten meters away, causing the entire cave to slightly shake, emitting a dull echo. Fantesi was then bounced off to the ground.

He lay on all fours, a pool of blood rapidly spreading on the ground where his head was pressed, a grim sight.

The swordsman's face remained expressionless, while Charles couldn't help but smirk. Killing a nobody needed such a big show? This guy, who boasted about being a top martial artist from the Western War Academy, was just so-so. Of course, such emotions wouldn't be expressed. Having two lackeys like this could come in handy, so no need to ridicule them.

"Got him!" The short martial artist showed a faint smile on his face. He walked over, about to reach for Fantecy's Soul Token.

But the next second, the guy who should have been dead beyond doubt suddenly rose like a zombie, not even looking at him, his gaze still fixed on Wang Feng's head.

"Li Se, you didn't take a shine to this little fatty, did you? Going easy on him?"

"If you're going to hand over the kill, we won't hold back."

The two behind couldn't help but tease, though they didn't really step forward.

Li Se stepped back slightly, surprised. He knew the power of his punches. The opponent hadn't resisted at all, and every punch had landed solidly. Yet, he still wasn't dead?

"Damn it, just die already!"

Li Se charged forward, not caring about the other's state, throwing heavy punches and kicks, each strike heavy, feeling like each punch should have killed this damn fatty. But why wasn't he dying?

Soul power surged into Fantecy, but he felt nothing at that moment. His own soul power was spilling out uncontrollably, and his originally cool, black pupils gradually turned red.

The corner of the fatty's mouth twisted into a strange, almost insane grin.

Li Se sensed something was off. He threw another punch, but this time, his soul power was repelled, and he actually took two steps back.

The swordsman stepped forward. "This kid's weird. The token's yours, but the head's mine!"

But this only provoked Li Se. Who cares about face? Could this damn fatty really fly? "Don't interfere, hah!"

He took a deep breath, then exhaled, settling into a stance, concentrating all his soul power, and punched towards Fantecy's heart, aiming to kill him with the force!

Suddenly, Fantecy raised his head, his eyes completely red, a silent, eerie smile spreading across his face. The punch that was almost at his chest slid past uncontrollably. Fantecy's body tilted slightly, and his thick right arm swung across, locking onto Li Se's head.

The next second.

Crack! With a twist, Li Se's neck snapped. Fantecy let out a strange 'hehe' from the corner of his mouth, his right hand pulling, and the head fell to the ground. Then he slowly looked at the remaining two, his gaze sweeping over "Wang Feng's head." The red in the fatty's eyes seemed even more bloodthirsty, the flesh on his face twitching uncontrollably, yet no sound came out.

"Attack together, kill him!" Iron Hand Charles coldly shouted.

The swordsman curled a cold smile and responded, "The head is mine."

Without Charles needing to say more, he had already leaped, the blade light spreading in the air like snowflakes, slashing towards Fantecy layer by layer!

Hurricane Thirty-Six Slashes!

An unparalleled speed of the blade, over thirty slashes seemingly completed in a single second. The snowflake-like blade lights in the air seemed to weave into a dense net, leaving no room for evasion!

It was clear that the fatty was a defensive martial artist, with slow movement speed. His attack type completely countered this, chopping him into...

In an instant, the obese Fantecy's body swayed like a leaf in the wind, not moving much, even giving the impression of not being fast at all, his feet not even shifting position. Yet... every slash missed!

???

Suddenly, a warning sign appeared, but the fatty in front had already crashed in like a cannonball.

Thud~~~ Boom...

The swordsman was sent flying, directly crashing into the wall over ten meters away, his chest already caved in, blood splattering everywhere, a gruesome sight.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Charles's iron chain had already been unleashed. He was the strongest among the three, and sensing something strange about the little fatty, he had let his teammates take the lead. Seizing the moment when Fantecy's move was spent, he directly locked onto Fantecy's neck.

You’re still going to die!

"Go join your buddy on the road to hell!" Charles laughed, about to exert force, when suddenly his body left the ground.

Arriving behind Fantasy, he simultaneously locked Fantasy's neck, almost standing in an invincible position. Yet, somehow, Fantasy spun around and directly embraced Charles, like a slick, slippery eel.

However, the next moment, Charles felt a deep fear. A flash of red light appeared before his eyes, and two blood-red eyes appeared inches from his face, followed by a thick, fat hand wrapping around him.

Charles instinctively tried to tighten the deadly chain, but crack...

It seemed something broke, and Charles’s soul power drained away instantly...

By now, Fantasy had picked up Charles, snapping his spine, but this was far from enough to vent his rage.

A deafening roar echoed through the dark cave.

With a thunderous crash...

Charles, held by Fantasy, was shattered. The spiral infusion of soul power had already lost its defense, instantly collapsing.

—A suffocating love

"Huff! Huff! Huff!"

Gasping for breath, his mind blank, consumed by the frenzy of slaughter, Fantasy in his berserk state fiercely swung his arm, a powerful gust of wind erupted, and the wall was blasted open, leaving a gaping hole.

"Roar... Roar..."

The sound faded away, Fantasy's body slowly collapsed, and the head in Charles's waist pouch was also flattened, rolling out onto the ground.

Fantasy slowly crawled over, picked up the head, like a mindless beast, could only helplessly wail in a low voice.

Fantasy picked up the flattened and rubbed head, staring into its eyes... Slowly, the blood color in his pupils began to fade, consciousness began to return.

Fantasy stared blankly at the head for seven or eight seconds, finally regaining his senses. At this moment, he could no longer suppress the grief in his heart and burst into loud wailing: "Ah Feng, Ah Feng! You died so tragically! I’m sorry, brother! I said I’d take the bullet for you, but not only did I not take the bullet, I couldn’t even save your head, and I deformed my Feng, left you without a whole body—I’m sorry, brother..."

Fantasy was heartbroken, the sorrow came from within; the more he cried, the more he lost himself, the more sorrowful he became. He tightly held Wang Feng's head in his arms, completely disregarding any blood stains or smells. But holding it, he sensed something was off.

While sobbing and wailing, he subconsciously glanced into his arms.

Huh?

Fantasy was stunned: "Ah Feng, why’s your skin coming off?"

He saw that the lower half of the head's face had shifted, folded near the nose, like a withered, wrinkled piece of skin. Was it because he had used too much force earlier?

Ah Xi was startled—Ah Feng was already without a whole body, only a head left, and he’d even rubbed the scalp off!