Cough! Medusa’s blood surged, and he could no longer suppress his anger. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, furious beyond measure.
“Kill the rabbit, cook the hound.”
Now that these bastards had been saved, and he no longer served any purpose, they had the audacity to frame him like this.
He glared at Yealper and cursed, “Are you stupid? Can’t you see that human framed me?”
“You’re really shameless, aren’t you? Stupid? My leg may be crippled, but my eyes still work fine.” Yealper sneered, pointing at him angrily. “It was someone who specializes in disguise who entered the forbidden area, and you fit the description perfectly. After escaping, you transformed into a golden serpent, just like that.”
“This…” Medusa’s jaw dropped. It seemed to be true.
“My lord.” At this moment, Immortal King spoke up. “I just remembered, this guy secretly left recently.”
“You’re talking nonsense!” Medusa spat another mouthful of blood, furious. “You’ve taken that human as your master, a nest of snakes and rats. Don’t think I don’t know!”
“With both human and material evidence, you still refuse to admit it. Die!” Yealper, losing all patience, didn’t care to listen to Medusa’s nonsense. He shouted angrily and broke the golden ring, charging at Medusa.
Boom!
A loud crash echoed as Medusa took a heavy blow, spitting blood as he was sent flying.
The other soldiers broke free from Medusa’s restraints and roared as they charged forward.
“You vile human, I will never let you go!” Medusa gritted his teeth and turned to flee.
“You won’t escape.” Yealper relentlessly pursued him, his great blade swinging with earth-shattering force, easily suppressing Medusa.
John was somewhat surprised. He could sense the strength of Yealper, but he hadn’t expected it to be this formidable.
The man was no less powerful than a nine-star warrior.
Pfft!
Blood splattered as one of Medusa’s tail segments was severed.
Medusa let out a pained howl, writhing on the ground in agony.
“Hmph, pathetic!” Yealper sneered, his figure flashing and appearing above Medusa. He delivered a lethal strike.
Boom!
The blade descended, blood sprayed, and a massive crack appeared in the ground.
“Hmm?” Yealper frowned. Dust rose and black mist swirled around him.
With a flick of his hand, the mist dispersed, revealing a bloodied snake skin on the ground. Medusa had vanished.
“Escaped?” Yealper couldn’t believe it. His spiritual energy expanded, covering the entire Underground City.
“John! Yealper! The humiliation I’ve suffered today will be repaid a hundredfold!” Medusa’s voice echoed, gradually fading into the distance.
“Dammit!” Yealper growled, seething with rage. He hadn’t expected Medusa to be so prepared, already having an escape route planned. It was impossible to catch up now.
John furrowed his brow, surprised that Medusa had managed to escape.
But he wasn’t concerned about the threat Medusa posed.
Just a cornered dog!
Yealper turned to his soldiers and ordered, “Continue searching for him. He’s likely still in the underground tunnels. If you find him, kill without mercy.”
“Yes!” The group responded in unison, following the trail left by Medusa as they exited Underground City.
Yealper, however, did not leave. He turned to John and said, “I came to speak with you about something. Let’s go inside.”
With that, he led the way into the courtyard.
John furrowed his brow but followed him in.
Yealper glanced at the others before getting straight to the point. “We’ve been struggling to survive in Underground City for years, but now we finally have a chance to escape. However, we need your help.”
“Oh?” John gave him a wary look and said, “Go ahead, I’m listening.”
Yealper turned his gaze toward Gaka and spoke. “You should know something about the situation in Dark City. Their power comes from a magma chamber deep underground. It’s filled with the most evil dark energy, unstable and chaotic, but only an Emperor-level warrior could trigger its explosion.”
An Emperor-level warrior triggering an explosion?
John’s brow furrowed as he began to piece things together.
Gaka also understood and calmly spoke, “You mean I would need to self-destruct at the magma vent?”
The others’ expressions changed at once.
A self-detonation by a powerful warrior meant the destruction of their Divine Soul, total annihilation. It was clear that Yealper was asking Gaka to sacrifice himself.
“That’s right,” Yealper confirmed without hesitation. “Only by sacrificing the elder can we escape this place.”
“I disagree,” John said firmly, refusing outright.
Gaka had helped them, even passing the Sea God inheritance on to Spoorate.
Even if he couldn’t save Gaka, he at least wanted him to have a peaceful end, to die of natural causes, if nothing else.
Yealper frowned and said, “John, you should understand the elder’s situation. Death is inevitable for him; it’s better for him to die with purpose, making a valuable sacrifice.”
To him, it wasn’t a big deal. Everyone in Underground City, including himself, was prepared to go down with the enemy if necessary.
But John couldn’t accept that. “Maybe we still have other options. You said it yourself, the magma in the volcano is filled with evil dark energy and is unstable. It could easily explode.” Stay updated via empire
Yealper shook his head. “Just because it’s easy to cause an explosion doesn’t mean it will necessarily happen. This is the best option. Think it over, and we’ll act in three days.”
With that, he stood up and left.
Though he told them to think it over, he had already made up his mind.
“Big brother, we can’t let the elder die!” As soon as Yealper left, Spoorate spoke up immediately.
Over the past few days, Gaka had taken good care of her and had given her the Sea God inheritance without reservation.
John smiled as he ruffled her hair, comforting her. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to the elder.”
Gaka furrowed his brow slightly and spoke softly, “Kid, I think this is the only way we can escape.”
“Senior, you can’t really believe that guy’s nonsense, can you?” John replied angrily.
Although they were in a dangerous situation, John would never agree to sacrificing Gaka just to escape.
Gaka smiled faintly, his expression calm. “These people can’t be trusted, but the situation should be real. I’ve also heard about that magma chamber. It’s the energy core of the entire Dark City. Destroying the entire city might be impossible, but wiping out Senren and the Baron’s territories should be easy. Once that happens, you’ll have the chance to escape amid the chaos.”
“Grandpa, I don’t agree!” Spoorate pouted, looking upset.
“Yes, Senior, this can’t be the only way,” Sini and the others also spoke up in an attempt to persuade him.
“Enough.” Gaka interrupted them and spoke firmly, “I’m grateful to have met all of you in my final moments. My fate is already sealed, and this decision is final. You won’t be able to stop me.”
Seeing his determination, the women turned to John for help.
John spoke calmly, “Senior, what if I can help you break the limits of your life and keep you alive?”
“What?” Gaka froze, his voice trembling slightly. “Kid, you really know how to make things difficult for someone.”
No one wanted to die, especially powerful beings with endless lifespans like Gaka.
If there was hope, he didn’t want to die either.
He looked at John, his brow furrowing. “You’re not just trying to comfort me, are you?”
“Would I joke about something like this?” John replied confidently. “If it were before, I wouldn’t have been able to help. But after seeing that Skybroke cripple, I came up with a plan.”
“A plan?” Gaka raised an eyebrow, already suspecting what was coming.
John pointed to himself and said, “Coexist with The Tree of Life. But you might be trapped in my World-in-Hand. However, I’ll find a way to restore your freedom.”
Spoorate’s eyes lit up. Worried that Gaka would refuse, she hurriedly added, “Grandpa, if you’re afraid of loneliness, I’ll stay in World-in-Hand with you.”
Gaka smiled appreciatively, looking at Spoorate with a tender gaze. “Loneliness? What’s there to be afraid of? I was locked in the Tower of Death for thousands of years. This is nothing. But without me taking action, how will we escape this place?”
John’s gaze turned cold. “One Emperor-level warrior can trigger the explosion, but multiple nine-star warriors can do the same. And if that’s not enough, then we can count on everyone in Underground City!”
These people had been struggling to survive for too long, and death was the best fate they could hope for.
And he had already realized that these people, who appeared to be friendly, were actually coveting the vitality they carried.
The ancient tree had the ability to Devour life, as well as to give it back to others.
And they themselves were the targets of the tree’s Devour.
These people deserved it, just as Yealper had said—it would be better for them to die with more value.
The others were also shocked by his words, but they did not reject the idea.
Spoorate spoke up, asking, “But Big Brother, do you think they would sacrifice themselves?”
“If they’re unwilling, we’ll force them.” John sneered, already having a plan in mind.
“Hmm?” Sword Demon, who had been silent, interrupted. He quickly took out a communication stone and spoke, “Godslayer, it’s Forest King.”
Forest King?
John furrowed his brow and took the communication stone.
“John, how are you all? I’ve come to rescue you with some men,” Forest King’s voice came through.
John was somewhat displeased with him for leaving Sini and Spoorate behind, but he hadn’t expected that Forest King would risk coming to Dark City.
His anger dissipated, and he replied, “We’re fine for now, but we’ve been trapped in Underground City.”
“Underground City?” Forest King sounded confused, and then continued, “Don’t worry. I’m coming in to rescue you right now.”
“Don’t act recklessly. Dark City’s forces are complex, and we have a way to save ourselves,” John quickly rejected. He had witnessed Senren’s power, and Forest King was definitely no match for him.
If things went wrong, he might even need to save Forest King himself.
Forest King responded nonchalantly, “Kid, don’t worry. I’ve brought the Heavenly King and Nine Phoenix Emperor with me. They’ll be able to get you out.”
The Heavenly King? Nine Phoenix Emperor?
John was shocked.
The Heavenly King was probably one of the Seven Emperors, but what truly stunned him was Nine Phoenix Emperor—a Ten-Star Emperor!
Forest King had actually brought in an Emperor. That must have come at a heavy price.
He continued, “Don’t rush. We’ll make our move in three days. We’ll notify you then. With us on the inside and you on the outside, the success rate will be much higher.”
“Alright, I’ll wait for your news,” John replied. Forest King confirmed that they were safe and ended the communication.
John handed the jade stone to Sword Demon. With their help, he felt more confident in the upcoming mission.