Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Blue-green arcs of electricity leaped across the blade of the Dragon Slayer, each flash accompanied by the detachment of several Dark Guardians.

These monsters, twisted from the inhabitants of Eisenra, charged towards the group relentlessly, but their numerical advantage was nothing but a paltry number in the face of overwhelming force.

Facing the approaching enemy, Su Xiao's expression remained unchanged, his eyes as calm as a deep pool.

Compared to the extreme oppressive feeling he had when facing Azathoth, where a slight misstep could result in being crushed into mincemeat and having one's soul annihilated, these Dark Guardians who attacked based solely on instinct were at most tough and resilient, and in his eyes they were indeed just a group of troublesome pests.

Their attacks lacked structure and, while powerful, were noticeably rigid. Apart from their exceptionally tough, woody bodies, which had been corrupted by dark power and required more effort to break through, they posed almost no real threat.

Between battles, Su Xiao even had time to observe his surroundings.

Most of the buildings in Eisenla were dilapidated, and the streets were shrouded in a thick, inky fog, with the air filled with the smell of decay.

The power of the rules originating from the bronze gate still lingers, distorting the perception here and making the distant scenery appear somewhat blurry.

However, Su Xiao soon realized that he didn't seem to need to take action so frequently.

"Roar!"

A roar, filled with the pent-up frustration of thousands of years, erupted from the side front.

The immortal wizard Gus had completely abandoned his magic at this moment. Like a berserker, he wielded a giant axe the size of a door and charged directly into the area where the monsters were most concentrated.

The [Radiant Gold Potion] applied to the axe blade emitted a pure golden glow, and upon contact with the Dark Guardian's body, it emitted a hissing burning sound, demonstrating its astonishing efficiency.

Every time Gus swung his axe, it carried the power to shatter mountains and split rocks, often cutting several Dark Guardians in half at the waist, and the aftershocks could even shatter the bodies of monsters further away.

His fighting style was extremely wild, without any fancy techniques, just pure brute force.

It seems that being trapped in the self-imposed stone chamber of the Wizarding Guild's high-ranking officials for thousands of years has really driven Gus crazy. The anger and frustration that had been building up in his chest has finally found a cathartic outlet.

He reveled in the cathartic release of pure destruction and slaughter, and with axe flashing, he single-handedly halted the surging tide of monsters ahead.

Seeing this, Su Xiao slightly turned his wrist, and the Dragon Slayer Flash returned to its sheath.

He was pleased that someone was willing to take on the heavy responsibility of clearing out the rabble, so he simply took two steps back and stood beside Amu, who was like a mobile fortress, while his gaze was more focused on Lin Yi, who was being carried on Amu's back.

In this highly dangerous environment, Lin Yi's safety is undoubtedly of paramount importance.

Lin Yi was still in poor condition, lying pale-faced on Amu's broad back. Although his breathing was steady, it revealed an undeniable weakness.

The backlash from four consecutive overloaded activations of [Soul Suppression] cannot be recovered in a short time. His current soul essence is like a glass vessel full of cracks, which may shatter completely if he is not careful.

However, Gus's "unrivaled mowing" did not last long.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Gus's fierce offensive had to be slowed down, and he eventually retreated back to the core area of ​​the team, leaving behind a strong smell of blood and a faint black mist.

"Troublesome!" Gus spat, his face turning rather grim.

He raised his right arm, which was gripping the axe tightly, and rolled up his sleeve.

Starting from his palm and extending to his shoulder, a large patch of ominous, pitch-black lines coiled around his arm like living creatures, and the blood vessels beneath his skin were also an eerie, dark color, as if his entire arm had just been pulled from a pool of ink.

This darkness is not still; it is still slightly writhing, trying to erode deeper.

"Although the three ancient gods are dead, the rules of this area still resonate with their remaining power."

Dawn's voice rang out, her gaze warily fixed on the invisible dark energy in the surrounding air: "After killing these Dark Guardians, the pure power within them will instantly dissipate and actively attach itself to and corrupt the nearest living being. For the Dark Guardians themselves, this is nourishment, but for us..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was self-evident.

This kind of erosion at the rule level is extremely troublesome, as it continuously consumes vitality and may even trigger uncontrollable mutations.

Gus turned his gaze to the sorrowful woman who had been standing silently to the side, hoping she would remove the darkness from his arm.

The purpose of creating the Sorrowful Daughter was not only to accompany Nia, but also to eliminate darkness.

Seeing the look in Gus's eyes, the Sorrowful Woman pondered whether to use her primal power to dispel the troublesome dark corruption in Gus.

This is troublesome, especially in the current dangerous environment.

Just then, a white light, like the first ray of dawn piercing through the dark clouds, landed on Gus's dark arm.

It's Lin Yi.

He didn't open his eyes, but relied solely on his senses and instincts to raise his finger in the direction of Gus.

The darkness that had been wrapped around Gus's arm and was a challenge even for Laurent and Dawn, melted and dissipated rapidly upon contact with the white light, like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun, making a faint "sizzling" sound.

The darkness receded at a visible speed, revealing Gus's original bronze skin underneath, and even some of the negative effects that had remained were purified.

The whole process took only a few breaths.

Gus moved his arm, which had been restored to its original state, in surprise. He clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within it, and his face showed an expression of disbelief and elation.

"Haha! Good lad!"

He patted his arm hard to make sure there was no discomfort or residue, then glanced happily at Lin Yi, let out another battle roar, and turned to charge towards the monster horde ahead.

After doing all this, Lin Yi seemed to have exhausted a lot of energy. He withdrew his hand and gently rubbed his still throbbing temples.

After a short period of rest, releasing such basic healing and purification skills is still within his tolerance and will not cause his injuries to worsen.

However, it is no longer possible to precisely control the Dark Soul Silk to set traps or forcibly activate [Soul Suppression] as before.

Lin Yi did not have the Sorrowful Woman take action for other reasons.

The Sorrowful Woman's situation is special; she is essentially a doll, acting on the spiritual power granted by Nia's heart and the dawn.

Her power is indeed formidable, but once overexerted, it not only takes time to recover, but may even require a specific method of replenishment similar to "winding up" a clockwork mechanism.

In the current perilous environment, preserving her peak combat power to deal with any sudden and powerful enemies is undoubtedly a wiser choice.

Meanwhile, the surprise attack team launched a decapitation strike.

Guided by Bubuwang's exceptional stealth abilities and Xia's [Spirit Eyes], Mr. J and his group moved quickly and quietly along the shadows of the city walls and the ruins of buildings.

They evaded several large groups of Dark Keepers, and the operation went even more smoothly than expected.

Ten minutes later, they found a relatively intact section of the clock tower ruins, which they used as a temporary observation point.

Xia cautiously peeked out, looking in the direction of Su Xiao and his assault team.

She fell silent after just one glance.

That was a scene that could no longer be described as a "battlefield".

From her vantage point, a crystal-clear "blood trail" paved with severed limbs and broken torsos stretched from the foot of the city wall all the way to the city center, like a hideous scar.

As far as the eye could see, there was almost no intact ground, only layers upon layers of monster fragments in various twisted shapes. Dark red blood soaked every inch of the land, and the thick smell of blood in the air seemed to be able to be smelled even from a great distance.

Almost all of this was the "masterpiece" of Gus's berserk giant axe.

Xia silently pulled her head back, leaning against the cold wall, her face pale.

Although she has experienced wars in various derivative worlds, most of the time she has stayed in the relatively safe rear as a well-protected logistics personnel or supporter.

This was the first time she had ever witnessed such a hellish scene up close.

The shock of sight and imagination made her stomach churn. Mr. J, of course, noticed Xia's unusual behavior. His face, covered in clown paint, showed no expression, neither mockery nor comfort.

He just grinned, revealing a smile that was hard to decipher.

In this level of task, no one is obligated to act as a babysitter.

Xia's ability, [Spirit Eye], is key to the team's ability to accurately locate the Bronze Gate, which means she must personally go to the front line and bear all of this.

This is her value, and also her responsibility.

Just then, Bubuwang, who had been scouting ahead in the shadows, quietly slipped back, let out two low growls, and scratched the ground a few times with its paws.

"Woof!" (The leader has attracted most of the big, clumsy guys, the road is basically clear, we can go now!)

Mr. J's eyes lit up: "Excellent! It seems our 'main force' has done a good job. Well then, everyone, it's our turn to perform."

The group quickly slipped down from the clock tower, preparing to take advantage of the opening created by Su Xiao and his team to strike directly at the heart of Aisenla.

But just as the group stepped onto the street, before they could even speed up their progress, another unexpected event occurred!

A golden fireball, indescribably brilliant and terrifying, suddenly rose up from another direction in the city center without warning!
It's Apollo!

The second Apollo was detonated!

Even though they were several kilometers apart, the burst of light still blinded everyone briefly. What followed was a shockwave that was as real as a physical object, carrying debris, dust, and indescribably hot air, sweeping in with the force of destruction!

"Watch out!" Mr. J reacted quickly, grabbing Xia who was a little stunned and pulling her behind a relatively intact stone wall.

Xia only had time to instinctively grab the soft, long fur of the dog beside her and bury her face in it.

The next moment, the violent wind pressure slammed into the stone wall like a heavy hammer, emitting a tooth-grinding groan.

A charred and twisted head of a Dark Guardian crashed down less than ten meters in front of her with a mournful howl, embedding itself deeply in the ground and kicking up clouds of dust.

The wind pressure swept by, making her arms ache.

She barely managed to lift her head and look at the enormous head. Judging from its remaining ferocious outline and lingering aura, this Guardian of Darkness must have been an exceptionally powerful being in life.

However, under Apollo's destructive power, it was no different from the other grunts.

Then, a scene that Xia Yongsheng would never forget unfolded.

Because the shockwave and updraft generated by the Apollo explosion were too violent, the limbs and severed bodies of the Dark Guardians who had been killed by Gus and Su Xiao and directly affected by the explosion were all blown into the air.

After the first, most intense wave of impact subsided, it began to "rain" from the sky.

Those weren't water droplets, but scattered remains of limbs, bits of flesh, internal organs, and broken bones of varying sizes.

They fell like a torrential rain from the sky, which was stained dark red with smoke and dust, crashing onto the ruins with a continuous series of "plop" and "thud" sounds.

Mr. J pulled out a sturdy-looking black umbrella from somewhere, opened it with a "whoosh," and held it over his and Xia's heads.

A series of loud thuds immediately came from the surface of the umbrella, as if it were being hit by a violent hailstorm.

However, what fell was not ice particles, but the shattered body of the Guardian of Darkness.

"Here, take this." Mr. J even had the leisure to shove the umbrella handle into Xia's somewhat dazed hand, while he skillfully dodged the larger impact points. His red clown costume looked particularly eerie against the backdrop of blood rain and dismembered limbs.

Xia instinctively took the umbrella, listening to the continuous thuds above her head and feeling the vibrations from the umbrella. The thick, irresistible smell of blood and burnt flesh filled her nostrils. She had expected to feel fear, nausea, and vomit.

Strangely, Xia's heart was completely calm at this moment, even... frighteningly calm.

She was simply calmly analyzing the frequency and size of the falling debris, assessing which pieces posed a threat.

An indescribable sadness, like a cold stream, quietly washed over her heart.

She realized with a heavy heart that she seemed to be... beginning to get used to this hellish scene.

In the past, such a scene would have filled her with fear and nausea, but at this moment, her emotions were so stable that even she herself felt unfamiliar with them.

"I can only say that this trip to the native world has really broadened my horizons..." Xia thought to himself.

Having faced ancient gods, witnessed the might of immortal wizards, experienced the scheming and plotting among allies, and now traversing a torrential rain of severed limbs... if she were thrown back into the second-tier derivative world now, the so-called ultimate BOSS there probably wouldn't even be able to exert a shred of pressure on her.

This experience, though cruel, was also a cruel form of growth, directly raising her mental resilience to a level far beyond her current level.

In terms of this "insight" alone, she has surpassed 95% of the contractors below the fifth rank in the Reincarnation Paradise.

The attacking team was also affected by the explosion of the second Apollo.

The Sorrowful Woman reacted with lightning speed. The instant the golden light flashed, she slashed out with her sword, slicing off the upper half of a dilapidated high-rise building in front of her. At the same time, she pushed to the side with her other hand, blasting away a huge boulder with a diameter of more than five meters that was hurtling towards them.

Amu let out a low moo, its massive body acting as the most reliable bulwark, directly supporting the half-collapsed house to its side and firmly protecting the area carrying Lin Yi beneath it.

Gravel and dust fell in a flurry, but they couldn't budge it an inch.

Lin Yi was well protected by Amu, but the shock caused his blood and qi to churn.

Su Xiao drew his Dragon Slayer sword the instant the shockwave from the explosion arrived.

Countless fine and sharp blades wove together in front of him into an impenetrable net. All the flying stones, broken wood, and even small remnants of the Dark Guardians were shredded into finer powder the moment they touched the net.

As the glint of the blade faded, Su Xiao calmly stepped out from the ruins he had "handled" himself, his clothes spotless.

As soon as he steadied himself, his gaze swept over a figure not far away whose head was buried in the rubble, with only half of his body sticking out, struggling to pull his head out—it was Gus.

Su Xiao walked over expressionlessly and kicked Gus hard in the buttocks.

With a "plop," Gus finally pulled his head out of the rubble, covered in dust and coughing repeatedly, his face still showing lingering fear and a hint of embarrassment.

"Ahem... It was a mistake, a complete mistake!"

Gus scratched the back of his head and explained with an embarrassed laugh, "I miscalculated the detonation time of that thing. It exploded in the sky as soon as I threw it out..."

This second Apollo was something Gu specifically asked Su Xiao for.

As the group passed through this area, they discovered a square filled with guardians of darkness.

With such a dense crowd, it would be incredibly difficult to break through.

Just then, Gus remembered the Apollo that Su Xiao had thrown out earlier, so he couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked for one, intending to blow it up for fun as well.

As a result, he misjudged the activation time given by Su Xiao and injected mental energy too quickly, causing Apollo to be detonated prematurely, less than 100 meters into the air after he was released.

The terrifying explosion cleared the square, but the shockwave and flying debris caused some minor chaos within their own ranks.

Looking at Gus's appearance, Su Xiao felt a rare moment of speechlessness.

He originally anticipated that the greatest danger of this trip would come from Sphinx's hidden trump card or a sneak attack, but he never expected that the first real "accident" would come from his own temporary teammate who was eager to "set off fireworks".

He silently made a note that next time there were any dangerous goods, he would be more careful in considering who to deliver them to.

At the very least, something as destructive as Apollo shouldn't be handed over to Gus.

After the brief interlude, the teams on both fronts resumed their advance towards their respective objectives. (End of Chapter)