Chapter 523


Chapter 70: Near Death

Deep in the valley.

The cold wind howled, dark clouds swirled, and the once vibrant oasis was now blanketed in ice and snow, utterly silent.

The silver-haired girl gasped, exhaling cold air, her snow-white brows furrowed, looking somewhat disheveled.

Her flowing silver hair was slightly curled from the heat, while her drooping arms dripped with blood. The hem of her blue dress was torn, and even her black stockings were riddled with holes, revealing patches of snow-white skin that should have been covered.

The flames of the【Eye of Scorching Flame】came from the evil god, Scorching Flame God Naz. Though her injuries seemed light, the sinister power made Xue Nuo’s bloodline chaotic and hard to control.

However, this battle ultimately ended in her victory.

Behind the girl, countless icicles shot up from the ground.

Cultists draped in red robes were pierced straight through by the enormous icicles, hanging in mid-air, their continuously dripping blood staining the icy blue frost a startling red. In the corners lay some severed limbs that hadn’t even been shredded by the silver wolf.

At the center of this horrifying scene was a stretch of scorched earth.

A charred ascetic slumped to the ground, pierced from bottom to top by the icicles like his subordinates. Even though he desperately fought with stronger flames, he couldn’t escape being slowly consumed by the frost from the inside out, until even his blood froze and his body gradually stiffened.

In those eyes that once gathered the evil god’s fire, only shock and fear remained.

“The empire’s【Ice Soul】is unexpectedly so strong…”

“However, your victory is utterly meaningless…”

【Heart Scorch】sneered, “At this moment, the blood of the False King must have long since…!”

Xue Nuo’s cold gaze sharpened.

The icicles exploded, and blood splattered out, branching into sharp thorns that completely shredded Heart Scorch’s body.

Scarlet blood flowed down the pure ice crystals.

Like a cruel yet beautiful rose of ice.

At that moment, a horrifying scarlet light flickered in the distance.

Xue Nuo had no time to adjust her chaotic bloodline, immediately summoning【Little White】to ride the silver wolf towards that aura.

Roy couldn’t be in trouble.

There’s no way he could be in trouble.

Clenching her silver teeth and gripping the silver wolf’s fur, she repeated those words to herself over and over for comfort.

But the weight in her heart grew heavier, heavy enough to nearly suffocate her.

Since just now, Roy’s presence had vanished.

————————

In the valley’s interruption.

The blood color spread.

The Golden-Winged Griffin roared, breaking the silence, searching for its master, but was trapped in place by creeping vines from the shadows.

An old man, half of his body remaining, struggled to sit up, surveying the wreckage and the half-formed shapes of his companions, furrowing his brow deeply.

What had the blood of the False King done while he was dealing with the griffin?

The sword slash just now had such a wide arc that three priests were ensnared, while the old man, who was left half-torn by【Cheese】, barely escaped disaster.

“Ah, it hurts, it hurts! My lord, save me…”

The【Octopus】priest clutched his severed tentacles, glaring at Mina and wailing, “You didn’t say he had such terrifying powers before!”

If he had known the enemy was this strong, he wouldn’t have stepped into this mess!

On the other side, Barnes, with one leg and arm severed, chimed in angrily, “Is this what you call mastering everything?!”

“Missing just one blessing is one thing! Why didn’t we even know our opponent had such powerful extraordinary weapons?! Are the dragon’s followers all useless fools?!”

Recalling that previous powerful strike filled with bloodlust, Barnes still felt uneasy. Unlike the priests of【All Things Wither】, a necromancer would die from a beheading or a pierced heart.

He was only alive because that sword wasn’t aimed at him; he had merely been swept up in the aftermath.

And at the center of the sword scar that tore the ground, Mina’s situation was the most dire.

Her right arm and dragon wing were severed at the roots, with a deep gash torn open at her waist, spilling organs, blood, and chunks of flesh non-stop.

Once filled with a terrifying dragon power, her eyes were now vacant. The supposedly indestructible ice dragon scales lay shattered around her.

She had clearly received the Frost King’s blessing…

Why did she still lose?!

The immense humiliation made Mina furious, causing her to spit out another mouthful of blood.

Undoubtedly, this was a fatal injury; she couldn’t hold on much longer.

As a fervent supporter of the dragons, Mina did not fear death, but she couldn’t bear it—after enduring the trial to finally receive the blessing, planning for so long, risking everything, only to end up with nothing again, letting the False King’s blood slip away,

Was everything she did just a joke?

Mina held on to a breath of life, angrily declaring, “Now isn’t the time for accountability!”

“Where did the False King’s blood go?!”

Barnes replied irritably, “Where could he go? He’s long gone!”

At that moment, the old man spoke shrewdly, “No, he hasn’t run.”

“Without the griffin, he can’t get far! And my familiar hasn’t found his trail.”

Mina was overjoyed, laughing while spitting blood, “He just found a place to hide!”

“He definitely couldn’t have escaped unharmed with that last strike! Quickly, let’s finish him off while we can!”

Except for Mina, who was bedridden from her injuries, everyone else sprang into action.

Incredibly, this area had very few obstructions; even stones and bushes were extremely rare. But they still couldn’t find Roy’s figure.

They never would have guessed that Roy was just less than a hundred meters away, leaning against a large rock, slumped silently, quietly observing the cultists’ actions.

【Still as Water】 meant that as long as he didn’t use other abilities or initiate attacks, he could use the merfolk’s illusion combined with a special breathing technique to minimize his presence.

Just as Mina had said, he was gravely injured.

The initial【Annihilation】was not for offense, but for defense. Taking advantage of the enemy’s carelessness, focused on killing him to give【Blood Furnace Magic Sword】the opportunity to land its strongest strike.

Yet even with【Annihilation】weakening the impact, the ice dragon’s breath was too ruthless.

Half of the boy’s body was completely frozen, losing sensation. His entire body was covered in burns, bruises, and lacerations too numerous to count.

Worse still, with continuous blood battles,【Blood Regeneration】【Blood Self-Healing】, and the consumption from【Blood Furnace Magic Sword】, the blood—the most vital source sustaining life—was gradually drying up.

The【Blood Furnace Magic Sword】was right in front of him, but the boy was already too weak to retrieve it.

From the rift torn by the sword light, a faint glow slipped through.

Looking at that ray of light, Roy’s gaze became dazed.

A tide of exhaustion washed over him, making every part of his body feel unbearably heavy, wanting to just sleep and never awaken.

Roy was well aware of this feeling.

The sensation of life’s withering away.

He was about to die.