Chapter 153
Chapter 153: The head is raised too high
Deep in the cellar, 3 people fell into silence.
"This thing..."
Luo Kun swallowed. "Is it actually reliable?"
"I don't know."
Liu Ruyan's expression was complex. "But this is our only chance to turn things around right now."
Shadow said nothing.
She simply folded the 【Supreme Wraith Talisman】 and clutched it in her palm.
Then she raised her head and closed her eyes.
At the cellar entrance's hatch.
Rustle rustle—sounds filtered through.
The sound of dry grass scraping against the ground.
"They're...here."
Outside the cellar, a wheat field had sprouted once more.
It was the edge of the Watchful Scarecrow's 500-meter domain.
It came marching at the head of its scarecrow army, vast and mighty!
When it spotted the open hatch at the cellar entrance, its footsteps halted again.
These damned rats had actually burrowed into that forbidden zone harboring its secrets!
The Watchful Scarecrow waved a hand.
It gestured to the Rex Scarecrow and the Alexander Scarecrow.
Without any hesitation, the 2 immediately turned and sprinted back toward the rear lines!
It seemed they were going to fetch something...
As for the Watchful Scarecrow itself—
It led the remaining army, continuing to press toward the cellar entrance!
......
Inside the cellar.
"What do we do? They've surrounded us!"
Luo Kun paced back and forth in agitation.
"This talisman needs any part of the target's body!"
"Where are we supposed to find a strand of that monster's hair or a fragment of its body?!"
Liu Ruyan pondered for a moment, then suddenly spoke.
"How about...we use my hair as a medium?"
She looked at the other 2 and explained.
"Before joining Blade Squad, I once trained alongside several elders from Central Base."
"Though their strength doesn't match Commander Lin's, they are absolutely terrifying existences capable of dominating entire regions."
"If we could summon one of them at their peak..."
"No!"
Shadow flatly refused, her voice resolute and unyielding.
"You're oversimplifying this talisman!"
"Did you not read its description carefully?"
"The victor summoned is random."
"What if you use your own blood as a medium, and instead of pulling an elder from the river of time—"
"You accidentally drag out your father or mother from your childhood, or some other family member?"
"Are you expecting them to come out and smack a scarecrow with a slipper?!"
Liu Ruyan fell silent.
Shadow's analysis was harsh, but given the Supreme Wraith Talisman's randomness—
This was indeed a very real possibility.
After all, getting beaten up should also count as being defeated.
If they really pulled out some ordinary family member in a helpless state...
They'd all be done for.
But...
Shadow had overlooked 1 thing.
"What if I have no parents?"
Liu Ruyan asked calmly.
Shadow: "??"
Luo Kun: "??"
Both simultaneously wore expressions of utter bewilderment.
Now was not the time for this kind of dark joke!
"Ahem!"
Luo Kun cleared his throat and forcibly changed the subject.
"Then we're down to our last option..."
He clenched his fist.
"Yeah."
Shadow adjusted her mask.
"Let's fight to the death."
"Charge out head-on!"
"Even if we have to bite, we'll tear a single strand of straw from that monster's body to use as a medium!"
The words fell.
The 3 exchanged glances.
However.
Just as they were about to rush out—
BOOM!!
A surge of scorching heat suddenly came pouring down from directly above the cellar entrance!
Then—
A violent explosion thundered out!
It was the Yan Mo Scarecrow!
It stood at the cellar entrance, clapping its hands.
It had detonated the Explosive Brand aimed at the cellar's interior!
Rumble rumble rumble.
Countless boulders weighing several tons and scorched earth came cascading down!
The cellar was instantly filled in!
The 3 hadn't even had time to react before they were buried alive under the rubble!
The Yan Mo Scarecrow surveyed the collapsed cellar before it with satisfaction.
On its featureless face, a smug grin seemed to float to the surface.
But the next moment—
BOOM!!
Those collapsed chunks of earth and massive boulders were violently blasted backward into the sky!
Then—
A sword cry rang out, piercing the night!
A colossal black ice sword pierced through the earth's surface!
It directly sent the Yan Mo Scarecrow, which hadn't had time to react, flying into the air!
"Sword-Shatter Art!"
A sharp cry rang out from underground!
That hundred-meter colossal sword instantly dissolved in midair, transforming into a boundless storm of sword blades!
Sword light flashed; cold gleams rained down like a shower!
The Yan Mo Scarecrow in midair couldn't even manage a scream.
It was directly shredded into scattered shards of rotten straw!
Swish!
Shadow, covered head to toe in dirt, was the first to nimbly clamber out of the pit in the rubble.
Close behind was Luo Kun, maintaining full-power Psychokinesis.
And Liu Ruyan, manipulating the sword formation.
That desperate counterattack just now was the perfect combination of Luo Kun and Liu Ruyan!
Luo Kun had used Psychokinesis to hold up the collapsing boulders!
Liu Ruyan had seized the opportunity to condense the colossal sword and execute a one-hit kill!
However.
When the 3 of them, covered in dust, steadied themselves and raised their heads to see the scene before them...
The killing intent on their faces instantly froze.
Replacing it was horror.
What greeted their eyes was a...
Hell scroll.
The Watchful Scarecrow stood at the front of its army with its hands clasped behind its back.
And in the open space behind it—
8 crosses woven from straw stood upright!
Rex Scarecrow and Alexander Scarecrow stood to the side.
And bound to those crosses were...
Zhao Yan, who had fought to exhaustion.
Andre.
Xin An.
Mai Zijian.
Hu Xiaoxiao.
Lu Qi.
Dorothy!
And God!
All 8 were completely drained of color, sunken into unconsciousness.
And what was most bone-chilling—
Their bodies bore not only Angel's marks, but were also pierced through with countless straws!
They had been turned into...
Mobile living energy power banks!
Moreover, it was clearly visible.
These 8 people's bodies, starting from the soles of their feet...
Were gradually being assimilated into scarecrow husks!
Their ankles were already completely converted to straw.
Their shins were changing color.
Their knees were faintly turning translucent.
Once the transformation spread to their heads...
They would completely become puppets!
"Keheheh..."
The Watchful Scarecrow savored the expressions on the 3 people's faces.
From that split, gaping mouth, a vicious laugh emerged.
It slowly spread its arms wide, embracing the entire world.
These were its final prey.
As long as it finished off these 3 stubborn insects before it—
This grand harvest game would be completely concluded!
At that point, it would descend once more upon the true lands of the Savage Realm!
And moreover...
4 squads! 4 scarecrows!
It would no longer be merely a lone wolf!
But an entire force capable of leveling any base—
A Cursed Legion!
But just as the Watchful Scarecrow was indulging in fantasies of a glorious future...
"Go!"
Shadow led the other 2 in a sudden assault!
Straight at the Watchful Scarecrow!
Hum!
The Watchful Scarecrow laughed.
After having suffered losses from Dorothy's Death's Agent, it had long since made preparations.
With the talisman in hand, they were surely going after the medium on its body!
"Want to repeat that same mistake? Dream on!"
The Watchful Scarecrow clapped its hands!
It controlled Alexander Scarecrow and Angel Scarecrow to unleash their fusion technique!
Rumble rumble rumble!
Howling winds. Trembling earth.
A Scarecrow Ace, even more massive than before, rose up from the ground!
Thud!
"Ahhhhh!"
With just one casual swipe—
A sonic boom erupted in the air, sending the 3 who were trying to approach flying!
But the eyes of Blade Squad's 3 at this moment no longer held even a trace of retreat.
Thud!
"I'll fight you to the death!!"
Liu Ruyan, hair in disarray, her white robes long since dyed crimson with blood—
Abandoned all defense!
Like a complete and utter madwoman, she let the splashing embers scorch her skin.
"Black Ice Dragon Art!"
Liu Ruyan forcibly drove her swords forward in a charge.
The black ice slender swords transformed into an ice dragon, clamping down on Scarecrow Ace's joints!
'This madwoman...'
The airborne Luo Kun watched that blood-soaked white figure, his gaze completely changing.
He bit down until his jaw cracked, a surge of unyielding fighting spirit shooting straight up to the crown of his head!
Anyone could be stronger than him!
But not this woman—not on his watch!
Because he refused to accept it!
"Ahhhhh! Repulsion! Go!!"
Luo Kun's eyes bulged wide, spraying blood!
He risked his brain vessels rupturing at any moment, potentially dying on the spot—
And forcibly pushed his S-Grade Psychokinesis output past its limit to 200 percent!
Spatial repulsion force crashed down, like an Almighty Push!
It hard-forced Scarecrow Ace down to one knee, its movements slowing!
"Now's the time!"
Shadow, who had been lurking in the darkness, gathered all the shadow force within her body!
Condensing it in her hand into a black blade stretching over 10 meters.
Driving straight for Scarecrow Ace's chest!
Crack!
The 3's all-out combined strike finally took effect!
Under Luo Kun's suppression and Liu Ruyan's entanglement, Shadow's black blade pierced into Scarecrow Ace's chest!
With a resounding explosion, it directly shattered the timer.
The blade tip embedded itself in the Watchful Straw hiding inside!
"Got it!"
But before the look of joy had even spread across the 3 people's faces—
"Heh heh..."
The Watchful Scarecrow's body suddenly erupted with black light!
Not only had it not dodged—it had actually let the dagger pierce in!
The next moment, a layer of armor perfectly fused from Manifestation and Black Flames surfaced across its body!
Touch it and die!
Crackle!
Shadow's black blade, the instant it touched the armor, was directly vaporized by the Black Flames!
Those black flames followed the blade's handle, instantly igniting half of Shadow's right arm!
The kind of agonizing pain that reached the soul was enough to make anyone writhe in suffering!
But Shadow didn't retreat!
"Come here!!"
She let half her arm burn until white bone was exposed, plunging her hand into the Black Flames.
She grabbed a fistful of dried straw from the Watchful Scarecrow's chest and tore it free!
"Got the medium!"
Shadow endured the excruciating pain, activated Shadow Vanish, and flashed out of the timer!
Roar!!
The Watchful Scarecrow flew into complete rage!
It went straight after Shadow in pursuit!
It could not let this madwoman activate the talisman!
"Catch it!!"
Shadow, mid-air, had absolutely no time to stop and activate the talisman.
Enduring the agony of her destroyed arm, she threw that blood-soaked straw along with the talisman toward Luo Kun on the ground!
At this moment, Liu Ruyan on the other side had already fallen into a 1v2 situation!
Rex Scarecrow and Phantom Scarecrow had her completely tied up—she couldn't get a free hand!
She turned her head, watching the over-exerted Luo Kun.
"Grab it!"
"O-Okay!"
Luo Kun staggered to his feet, pouring every last ounce of strength toward the direction where the talisman was falling!
The Watchful Scarecrow, seeing this, was livid with fury!
It absolutely could not let that talisman radiating a dangerous aura be activated!
A wave of its hand—dozens of ordinary scarecrows nearby swarmed toward Luo Kun!
Right at this razor's edge of a moment!
Pff!
Several shattered black ice flying swords descended from the sky, shredding the scarecrows charging at Luo Kun to pieces!
It was Liu Ruyan!
To buy Luo Kun this fraction-of-a-second opening—
She forcibly dropped all her defenses, taking the Phantom Scarecrow's Spatial Leap full in the back!
Pfft!
Liu Ruyan spat out a mouthful of blood, crashing down from midair, cursing at the top of her lungs.
"Idiot...hurry the hell up!!"
"I know!!"
Luo Kun's eyes reddened.
The Watchful Scarecrow was less than 10 meters from Luo Kun.
Black Flames at its fingertips had already locked onto Luo Kun's head!
Swish!
Countless black Shadow Threads suddenly shot out, binding the Watchful Scarecrow's four limbs!
The blood-soaked Shadow was pulling the threads from a distance.
"Heh...so even a monster like you knows what fear feels like, huh!"
She poured out the last thread of her strength, forcibly dragging the Watchful Scarecrow off course!
Slap!
Luo Kun finally caught the talisman mid-air!
Without any hesitation, he pressed the 2 together!
Hum!
The straw began to be devoured by the 【Supreme Wraith Talisman】!
Then it erupted with sacred black light!
Evidently, the activation had succeeded!
"We won...we won!!"
Luo Kun finally broke into a smile!
However.
At the very next moment—
Whoosh!
A sound of cutting through air rang out.
An arrow carrying Black Flames instantly pierced through Luo Kun's shoulder.
Its momentum undiminished, it nailed that blazing talisman...
Into the mud!
Boom!
Black Flames instantly erupted. That priceless talisman carrying everyone's hopes—
Right before their very eyes, was burned into a heap of black ash.
The wild joy on Luo Kun's face instantly froze.
He stared blankly, turning his head toward the direction the cold arrow had come from.
Inside the timer, the Angel Scarecrow was lowering its compound bow.
Snap—
Shadow's threads were completely severed; she was seized by the hair by the Watchful Scarecrow and dragged before it.
Thud!
"Ahh!"
A scream rang out from nearby.
Liu Ruyan, struck squarely by the Rex Scarecrow's full-charge punch, had her sword formation completely shattered.
Her whole body crashed down near Luo Kun, critically wounded and collapsed on the ground.
Luo Kun knelt in the dirt, his entire body trembling.
He stared at the talisman turned to ash.
Stared at Liu Ruyan collapsed in a pool of blood.
Stared at Shadow being dragged by the hair.
His mental defenses, in this moment, completely crumbled.
"Why...why did it turn out like this..."
Luo Kun clawed at his own hair, despair and self-blame nearly driving him to the brink of madness!
So close!
They had been so close!
If only he had been one second faster...
"HAHAHAHAHA!!"
The Watchful Scarecrow threw its head back in laughter!
It savored the sensation of kicking prey from the clouds down into hell!
"Hope? In this world, I am the only truth!"
"Victory belongs to me!"
Despair suffused the heart of every single person present.
Nearby, Zhao Yan—the 8 of them hung on crosses being used as power banks—
Due to his ability's immunity to control, Zhao Yan opened his weakened eyes.
When he saw this tragic scene before him, he shut them again, unable to bear it.
He knew—these 3 children from Blade Squad had truly given everything they had.
Gazing at that gradually extinguishing heap of black-flame ash, Zhao Yan's eyes were full of helplessness.
He thought of the words Wan Changzheng had once said...
“Do what you can, then leave the rest to fate..."
However.
Just as everyone had completely given up their will to resist.
Just as they were prepared to welcome the arrival of death—
Zhao Yan's pupils suddenly dilated!
Because he saw...
Within that heap of black ash nailed into the mud.
Those Black Flames that should have already been extinguished...
Had reignited!
No! That wasn't Black Flames!
That was a crimson-black flame that caused even the surrounding space to tremble!
That was true...
Tribulation Flame!
Hum!
Under the stunned gazes of everyone present—
That mass of crimson-black Tribulation Flame wildly surged!
It actually bloomed slowly in midair, transforming into a Crimson-Black Lotus!
And at the center of that blazing Crimson-Black Lotus—
The reflection of a tall, upright silhouette was clearly visible!
He was treading on flame, treading on time!
Slowly walking forth!
The talisman had never been destroyed!
That brief silence when it was burned by the Black Flames—was merely the buffering time required for this existence to cross the river of time!
Luo Kun's whole body trembled, eyes fixed on that figure growing increasingly clear within the flames.
'That silhouette...could it be...'
'Could it be No Words Needed?!'
The Watchful Scarecrow's entire body suddenly convulsed, instinctively retreating one large step!
It was afraid!
That was a fear originating from the very depths of its soul!
That was the flame that had once burned it together with an entire wheat field to ash!
The existence that had brought it the most profound despair!
But the next moment!
It shook its head, forcibly suppressing the terror buried deep in its heart!
By now it had absorbed the energy of countless powerful beings.
It had even mastered Manifestation and pseudo-Tribulation Flame!
It was already a completely different existence from before!
Who would emerge victorious was still an unknown!
"Kill him!!"
The Watchful Scarecrow commanded the Scarecrow Ace behind it!
Hum!
Scarecrow Ace condensed an Eight-Part Light Ring capable of cleaving mountains, slashing toward that Crimson-Black Lotus!
Just as the light ring was about to connect—!
That silhouette finally shattered the flames, fully revealing itself to everyone present!
The entire field fell silent.
He was a young man.
His head of white long hair danced wildly in the wind; his features were strikingly handsome, like an immortal descended from the heavens.
On his body, he wore a set of dark, worn armor.
At his right arm, only the arm guard remained; the exposed portion was wrapped in bandages.
And what caused the most soul-shaking trembling—
Were those eyes of his!
A pair of Crimson Dragon Eyes!
With just a single sweep of that gaze, everyone present—including the Watchful Scarecrow!
Could no longer move their bodies in the slightest!
That was life-level suppression!
The Eight-Part Light Ring came howling toward the white-haired man's face!
But he did not even spare it a glance.
He simply raised his right hand lightly and gave a casual wave.
"Scram."
Crack!
The Eight-Part Light Ring snapped in 2 mid-air, dissolving into nothing!
The white-haired man raised his chin, not a single ripple in his dragon eyes.
He looked at Scarecrow Ace, whose head had been raised too high as it gazed down at him.
His lips parted slightly, his voice not loud.
Yet it made every person present tremble with fear.
"Your head is raised too high."
The instant those words fell.
His hand swept forward.
Whoosh~
A gust of wind arose out of nowhere.
Then.
Scarecrow Ace's movements came to an abrupt halt.
Its body was covered in horizontal and vertical fractures!
The next second—
BOOM!!
Scarecrow Ace, as though it had fallen into a grinder—
Was reduced to Ultraman corpse chunks!
The Alexander Scarecrow was instantly ground to dust on the spot!
As for the Angel Scarecrow, it was comparatively fortunate.
A single head flew off into the wheat field!
But Luo Kun, who was closest, saw it clearly!
That was no gust of wind at all!
It was clearly countless slash strikes interwoven into a dense net!
In an instant, it had pierced straight through Scarecrow Ace!
“He...who on earth was he?”
Bunny