Chapter 1534: End of the Mission

Without a moment’s hesitation, Zhao Li Xin lunged straight at Sean at rapid speed. Meanwhile, Sean was still shaking from the aftermath of the previous clash, his mind lagging behind his body.

His pupils shrank as the cold gleam of Zhao Li Xin’s blade surged toward him, the killing intent sharp enough to slice through the air itself. Death rushed at him in a single, unforgiving line.

Then the ground shuddered, and all of a sudden, from both sides, thorny vines erupted violently from the floor, thick as iron cables and bristling with barbs.

They lashed out with unnatural speed, coiling and snapping shut around Zhao Li Xin, forming a living cage meant to crush and restrain him in an instant.

Sean staggered back, breath hitching, as he realized how close he was to death. Luckily, someone helped him. A second later, Timothy landed in front of Sean, his expression laced with excitement and bloodlust.

Meanwhile, Zhao Li Xin twisted mid-charge, his body flowing seamlessly into motion. He spun in the air, movements precise and terrifyingly controlled.

His blade flashed in a tight arc, then he released another clean, efficient strike that carved through the vines as if they were nothing more than brittle reeds. Severed coils thudded to the ground, black sap splattering across the ruined floor.

He landed lightly amid the falling remnants, boots touching the floor without a sound. His posture remained steady, unshaken, and his gaze snapped back to Sean and Timothy as if the brief interruption had never existed.

A sharp crack rang out.

Zhao Li Xin glanced down at his blade. A fracture ran along its length, the metal trembling before giving way. He tilted his head, expression touched not by alarm, but by mild curiosity, then a flicker of amusement curved his lips.

"Tch."

Zhao Li Xin threw the broken weapon like a worthless scrap. Before the blade even struck the ground, the air around his hand rippled, and the next thing that happened, another sword materialized in his hand.

The new blade took shape in his grasp as if drawn from the air itself, its emergence soundless and unnervingly smooth. It was long and slender, the metal flowing in a single, elegant line from guard to tip, balanced to a degree that felt almost unreal.

The surface of the sword caught the fractured light of the wrecked hall and returned it in a cold, silvery sheen, neither garish nor dull, refined, restrained, and lethal, just like the owner

Sean and Timothy felt a chill crawl up their spines. What unsettled them wasn’t merely the blade itself, but the manner of its arrival.

There was no sigil carved into the air, no arcane resonance, no mechanical cue. One moment, Zhao Li Xin’s hand was empty, then the next, steel existed where emptiness had been, as though reality itself had yielded to his grasp and surrendered a weapon.

The transition was flawless, instantaneous, unsettling in its simplicity. For all they knew, only the Lucient were capable of such effortless materialization, and even then, theirs were singular, divined armaments, not a shifting arsenal summoned at will. Zhao Li Xin bore none of the Lucient lineage, yet he wielded the

impossible with casual ease. The question gnawed at them: what relic, what device, what forbidden method allowed this? And more importantly, could it be replicated?

The sword itself drew the eye the moment it caught the light.

Its form was long and slender, balanced to perfection, the blade tapering with a subtle elegance that spoke of precision rather than brute force.

The metal gleamed like a calm river beneath moonlight, its surface unmarred, its edge whisper-thin. It did not scream for blood; it promised it quietly. Every line of the weapon flowed into the next with restrained grace, as though it had been shaped not only by skill, but by patience and intent.

Zhao Li Xin lifted the blade, and came a faint, resonant hum from the sword; the sound was soft, steady, almost alive. His gaze sharpened, not with bloodlust, but with appraisal. He examined the sword the way a craftsman inspects his own work, testing balance, sensing responsiveness.

The truth is, the sword is not special at all. This was not a legendary weapon or unique. No, it was merely one of many creations he made in the past.

A weapon forged simply as part of his training, created to refine both hand and understanding, the blade was a stepping stone rather than a culmination.

When he sought to improve his armament skill, he forged many weapons, dozens if not hundreds of them, to the point that many of them were left without a name, only numbers to recognize them

Zhao Li Xin thumb brushed the hilt, finding a small, almost imperceptible marking. It was number forty-three.

[This should do for now...] Zhao Li Xin said half-heartedly, then make a swing, after that he turned his gaze at Sean and Timothy. "Sorry for the wait, let’s continue," he said in a polite tone.

Timothy and Sean lunged at once, closing the distance in a reckless blur of steel and intent. Zhao Li Xin did not retreat. He merely curved his lips into a cold, knowing smirk.

Had the Mong brothers been there, they would have recognized it instantly, the subtle sign that their master had slipped into that fervent state where bloodshed was not just inevitable, but welcome.

Lory spared Zhao Li Xin only a heartbeat of attention. The fight unfolded with brutal efficiency; his movements were precise, merciless, overwhelming.

When she realized Timothy and Sean were already being driven back, their coordination shattered beneath his pressure, the tight knot in her chest finally loosened.

Then again, why did she even bother worrying about Zhao Li Xin? He was, after all, the most powerful cultivator in the world. A man who had dominated the martial realm for decades. Therefore, how could the presence of a few young Paladins, constellation members or not, be enough to trouble him?

Compared to Zhao Li Xin’s vast experience and the dozens of martial disciplines he had mastered over a lifetime, what chance did Sean and Timothy truly have?

Their strength was real, yes, but it was raw and unrefined, like blades fresh from the forge, and against someone like Zhao Li Xin, who bathed in fierce, deadly battle for all his life, of course, they were hopelessly outmatched.

Even she, the heir to Lucient’s power, would still be overwhelmed if she were to truly fight Zhao Li Xin. Well, that wouldn’t be possible unless he were affected by external influences like before, but even then, the possibility was almost zero because Zhao Li Xin’s heart was now much stronger than before.

Lory then turned her attention toward Jay, only to pause. He didn’t look like someone in need of saving, either. If anything, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the fight with Andreass, perhaps the chance to fight a powerful enemy rarely came since Lucas became a King and was stuck in the Palace, therefore Jay savor the moment wholeheartedly.

However, Lory soon realized that the real problem was the swarm of enemies surrounding her once more. Even though they should have known they stood no chance against her, they continued to attack relentlessly. They were like mosquitoes in the summer—no matter how many she killed, more always came back.

"Really, guys," Lory sighed.

Annoyance flickered across Lory’s face. She lifted a hand and released a spiraling gust of compressed air. The wind howled outward, a violent whirl that swept through the crowd, hurling bodies away like insects caught in a storm.

When the last of them skidded across the floor, she tapped the communicator on her wrist. A notification blinked on the screen.

’It’s done, I’m gonna light up the firecracker.’

Lory frowned in puzzlement. "Firecracker...?"

The answer came immediately.

’BOOOOM!’

A violent tremor roared up from below, the shockwave ripping through the structure. The floor lurched beneath her feet, shuddering as cracks spiderwebbed outward. Chunks of the ceiling tore free, crashing down in a rain of debris.

Lory staggered, throwing an arm up as dust and stone filled the air.

"Dam*it, Clift, this is not firecrackers!" she cursed, her voice swallowed by the chaos.

Zhao Li Xin’s movement came to an abrupt halt. The air around him seemed to freeze as his expression darkened, shadows gathering in his eyes. Then he turned and vanished in an instant, his figure dissolving like smoke carried by the wind.

Sean and Timothy had fought for no more than five minutes, yet their bodies told a harsher story. Bruises bloomed across their skin, shallow cuts burned along their arms, and blood trickled from the corners of their lips.

When Zhao Li Xin disappeared, they released deep, exhausted breaths. Relief washed over them, thin but real. The situation had only grown worse; the facility groaned ominously, on the verge of collapse, but at least they were still alive. Alive meant hope. Alive meant another chance to fight another day.

Elsewhere, Jay drove his fist into Andreass with brutal force. The blow sent Andreass rolling across the floor, but before he could rise, the ground beneath him shattered.

The floor collapsed inward, swallowing him whole, and he vanished into the darkness below.

Jay didn’t linger. He could feel it the structure around him was starting to collapse.

"This place is about to come down!" he shouted, turning toward Lory. "Lo—um, Jane, we need to get out of here!"

"Right away!" Lory replied, already drawing breath to cast a spell.

She never got the chance.

An arm wrapped firmly around her waist, lifting her clean off the ground as the world blurred into motion. At the same time, another hand seized Jay’s wrist. Zhao Li Xin had returned, silent, decisive, and in the next heartbeat, he was carrying them both through the chaos.

He launched himself upward, leaping into the open air as the ceiling collapsed behind them. With Lory secured against him, Zhao Li Xin rebounded off shattered beams and broken slabs, striking falling debris aside with ruthless precision.

Jay kept pace, firing shot after shot to obliterate chunks of stone hurtling toward them. Explosions echoed, sparks flew, and dust filled the air, but piece by piece, they smashed through every obstacle in their path.

Moments later, they burst free from the wreckage and landed hard on solid ground at last.

Jay wasted no time. He raised his wrist and spoke into the communicator.

"Clift, do you read me?"

Only static answered.

Lory and Jay exchanged tense looks, and for a moment, their breath halted. Then came a noise sound soon the signal cleared. 𝖋𝙧ⅇ

"You managed to get out?" Clift’s voice came through.

Both of them exhaled at once, relief softening their expressions.

"Yeah," Jay replied. "We’re out. How about you and Samuel? You guys in one piece?" he jokes.

"Of course," Clift chuckles. "Anyway, I got everything. What about you?" his voice turns serious.

"Come on, it’s me," Jay said arrogantly.

"Good, let’s meet at the safe house." Clift replies.

"Copy that," Jay answered.

The connection cut off, leaving them standing amid the settling dust. Lory turned to look at the chaos behind them. The half-finished tower was collapsing in on itself, its skeletal frame folding as if made of paper.

Beneath it, the structures below had caved in like massive sinkholes, swallowed by darkness. Thick, black smoke poured upward from the depths, rising and twisting into the sky.

"Wow... that was insane," Lory said, planting her hands on her hips as she stared at the gaping crater and the smoke climbing into the orange-tinted morning sky. Only then did it truly sink in; it was already dawn.

After a moment, she turned back to Jay and Zhao Li Xin, a familiar spark of mischief in her eyes.

"Let’s do it again next time."

Zhao Li Xin shook his head, a low chuckle escaping him. Jay, meanwhile, could only give her a helpless look.

"Well," he said with a sigh, "Maybe some other time..."

Suddenly, the distant wail of sirens cut through the air, growing louder by the second. The heavy thrum of helicopter blades followed soon after, beating against the sky. The authorities were closing in.

Jay shot Lory a sharp look. "Let’s get out of here."

Lory nodded without hesitation. "Okay."