Forge a path to success.

Chapter 125 Chain Reaction
Outside, the wind howled, and streaks of light illuminated the wooden table like a disco ball. The few customers huddled under the table, each aftershock eliciting cries and screams of despair. Incredibly, this small café hadn't collapsed during the violent earthquake. The manager repeatedly emphasized that it was all thanks to the good condition of his rented premises, but the waitress felt it was more than that.

She glanced furtively at the center of the shop; in this apocalyptic scene, only the small table remained steadfast. Three strange customers sat around it, chatting and laughing as if nothing had happened. Unseen by her, several thorny shadows pierced the earth, fixing the ground beneath their feet firmly, preventing it from trembling even slightly.

“Look at the board in the second round,” Vansalar said with great interest. “The two legends decided to defeat the mad demon, the capricious mad demon set its sights on the whining, pitiful wretch, and the remaining little guys wanted to give him a hand—how many endings will this story have in the chain of misfortune?”

“Unfortunately, Golden Leaf is exceptionally talented on the path to supremacy, and tormenting Sethlen, whom he despises, allows him to achieve his desired state of mind. If the Ascended do not rescue Sethlen, then driven by extreme emotions, Golden Leaf, who has devoured Sethlen, will ascend into Demon Storm.” Olek drew a vortex on the table. “Bad ending. Golden Leaf City sinks, everyone perishes, game over.”

Bernfar agrees with this view: "The stone goblins that can gather and disperse at will have a strong vitality. If they want to stay away from the fate of death, they need to cut off the source before the tragedy occurs and kill the turbid tear that guards the city."

"Equally unfortunate is that the knights' strength stems from their adherence to the precepts, the most fundamental of which is to protect the weak. If Ji Huaisu disregards the deaths of those who once protected the city, then she has forever betrayed her own path." Olek pushed over a toy soldier. "Ordinary ending. Life remains, the knight is dead, and there is no more trouble; peace and tranquility prevail."

He took a sip of his chocolate milkshake: "I can't believe I could come up with such a tender story. I've really given you a lot of face."

“You’re really too afraid that the Discipline Emperor will come out of Heavenly Prison and chop you into a cold appetizer,” Vansalar sneered.

"The karma of the extermination of our clan is too heavy. I have no obligation to take responsibility for the Sea of ​​Illusions." Olek wiped his mouth with a napkin, looking every bit the well-mannered and adorable little boy. "Young man, you still lack experience in this area. The higher the level, the more you need to control your actions properly. You died young because you were too flamboyant."

“But it seems the little ones aren’t appreciating your efforts,” Vansalal laughed, his smile as wide as a crater. “The little knight and her friends are going to rescue the Iceman. Isn’t that a very wise decision?”

Olek laughed too, a meaningful laugh, his red lips and white teeth making him look like a puppet being led astray and laughing.

"Misfortune is misfortune because no matter what choices you make, the outcome will be worse."

·
"Miss Retreat, could you please expand the range of your spell a bit? It's so crowded right now," Ji Huaisu said in a low voice.

"The Shadow Robe Technique has already reached its maximum. Shouldn't you first look for the problem within yourself?" Qingye said softly. "With every step you take, you're pounding my back with your chest!"

"Damn, with the space so tight, how could we not bump into each other? If I were in front, you would still bump into me."

Qingye simulated the collision volume of his temporary teammate and gave a rigorous academic deduction: "No thanks, I'm worried your butt will hurt me."

"Hey schoolgirl, I'm going to hurt your butt right now."

The stone in mid-air wanted to clear its throat to remind the two ladies, but it had no voice, so it wrote a line of grayish words on the ground: "Ladies, please be mindful of the occasion... We need to speed things up..."

The two fell silent simultaneously. Three meters away, a demonic creature, its triangular head twitching, was instinctively searching for prey. It searched around but found nothing. Behind it, an exceptionally tall, bucket-shaped shadow silently brushed past the wall. The two in the midst of the spell breathed a sigh of relief.

The Shura Island, the stronghold of the Heartbreakers, regards the Calamity Species as their mortal enemies. The various "Heartbreaker Techniques" they have developed are exceptionally effective against Calamity Species of the same rank. The Shadow Robe Technique is specifically designed to counter the Demon Slayers. It uses incredibly realistic shadows to deceive the Demon Slayers' senses, preventing them from detecting the person within the technique. If a Demon Slayer tries to use the fake shadow to travel, it will be instantly killed by the blade of the person within the shadow.

There are currently many demons in Jinye City, and if they are ambushed, even with Vande, they will have a hard time surviving. Therefore, Qingye took on the responsibility of covert operations without hesitation. However, the Shadow Robe Technique is designed for solo operations, and even if Miss Qingye is a genius, she can't widen her body much. The two larger teammates had to squeeze together with a distance comparable to that of a subway during rush hour. Qingye held the stone seed and its flowerpot high with both hands, while Ji Huaisu held Vande in one hand and Gulibo in the other. Both of them felt like they were secretly advancing sky-supporting warriors.

"This is the Divine Tree, and I am Gulibobo from the Seafood Bookstore," Gulibobo greeted softly.

"Hello Gulibobo, I am the Eye Demon Vander." Vander shook hands with it using his tentacles. "It's quite a coincidence to meet you in this setting. I've always thought your bookstore has excellent taste in publications."

"Actually, the taste is just average. The fruit flavor is better than the book."

"The operation has begun, little animals, we'll chat another time!"

Ji Huaisu shook his arm, and the two small animals immediately fell silent. Unbeknownst to them, the demons ceased to appear, replaced by a layer of ice covering the buildings and the ground. The surroundings had become a frigid polar region, with the thick ice pillars supporting the ice ceiling not far ahead; they were very close to Sethlen's true form. "Now, let me explain the action plan," Qingye licked his lips. "This city hasn't collapsed yet only because of the Ice Man, but the Ice Man has been captured by the Stone Demon. If we rely solely on brute force to collide head-on, he can at least hold out for a while, so the Stone Demon is using sand and dust as tentacles to infiltrate the ice. According to classic textbook cases, in this situation, the Turbid Tears, also belonging to the Supreme Path, will be completely devoured. Then we might have to deal with earthquakes, floods, ice storms, or something even worse. So we must rescue the Ice Man as soon as possible, or at least sever the connection between the two."

"Simply blast away the ice pillar?"

“Then the igloo on the roof will most likely shatter, and the citizens will be crushed to death by the ice.” Qingye calmly analyzed, “We will use micro-operation to perform cutting surgery. First, we will use hypnosis to give him strong anesthesia to prevent the ice man from subconsciously freezing us to death. Then I will find an opportunity to ‘sever’ the power connection and remove him from the small ice block. Shizhong will be responsible for protecting his ghost body during this process to prevent him from being shocked to death.”

"And me?" Ji Huaisu asked.

“Your mission is the most important,” Qingye said. “When the link is severed, the Ice Man will be greatly stimulated, and he may subconsciously unleash his power. If another great ice seal occurs, our entire operation will be in vain. Therefore, we still need an Ascended from the Supreme Path to seal off any potential large amounts of water elementals…”

At this point, Qingye paused, realizing that unleashing the power of a point-2 Reverse Shadow Seal on Turbid Tears was too much to ask. She had a better way, but…

“Sure, I happen to have the spell.” Ji Huaisu readily agreed.

The young man with a broken heart was stunned: "But this is too..."

"Little sister, you've never taken on a rescue mission before, have you?" Captain Ji smiled. "When lives are at stake, you can't say 'no.' You have to find a way to make it happen!"

She activated her Shadow Robe spell and rushed out first, with Qingye following quickly without thinking. Through the ice, they saw Sethlen lying on his back on the ground, his pupils unfocused and his consciousness completely gone. He was practically a living dead, the uncontrolled ice elements like a runaway horse, transforming into ice spikes as Ji Huaisu charged towards him.

Ji Huaisu cast a light shield around the Eye Demon and slammed it forward: "Vander, use hypnosis!"

"Ugh, ugh, ugh!" Vande felt immense pressure, pulled out his leopard-gazing tube, and glared fiercely. "Stop! Go back to sleep!"

As dusk shimmered, the ice spikes ceased their movement. The reliable hypnosis worked once again; Qingye clenched her fist, knowing this time it was halfway there. She tossed the stone seed across the ice, her precise calculations ensuring it landed precisely beside the ice pillar. The stone seed extended its mental tendrils and began its work.

Sleep... sleep... there's no need to be afraid...

Ji Huaisu tossed out four spare flags and hastily set up a reinforced array using her relics. Her light shield stood poised in the center of the array. Now it all depended on the Heartbreaker's swordsmanship. Qingye took a deep breath, bent down, and drew her sword. Her longsword was enveloped in white light, and when it struck, it was like thunder exploding in ice.

"Musou Reversal Style, Light Blade!"

One of the foundations of his family's swordsmanship is the draw-and-slash technique, which uses the power of glimmering light to enhance the intensity of a strike. It is particularly effective against yin energy. This strike was unstoppable, cleaving through the solid ice and revealing the amber-like Sethlen.

The man screamed in agony as the ice crystals melted and floated upside down, forming a river that surged into the sky. Qingye's fingers moved rapidly, manipulating the blade light into a semi-circular cross-section, using surgical precision to sever elemental connections. Ji Huaisu seized the opportunity and slammed down her light shield; her shimmering power, formed by an array, carved a shimmering emblem with a ten-meter radius into the ground.

Discipline Seal - Proof of Protection. A superior sealing technique that contains one's own power and isolates oneself from enemy attacks. Ji Huaisu was already exceptionally talented, and with the amplification of her relics, this technique was enough to temporarily contain the power of a point 3.

Under the warm glow, the ice surrounding Sethron melted and flowed into the sealing array. Their plan succeeded; without disturbing the igloo above, the Ice Man was freed. Qingye clenched her fist excitedly, preparing to strike again, and instructed Vande, "Maintain the hypnosis; I'll sever the link completely—"

"No!" Vande suddenly exclaimed, his eyes widening.

Suddenly, a ray of blue light shot out from Sethlen's body, which remained frozen in place. The light entered the array, causing Ji Huaisu to let out a muffled groan of pain. The energy density within the array suddenly increased tenfold, far exceeding the limit that a particle 2 could withstand, causing blood to flow from the corner of her eye!

Qingye's body froze as if encased in ice. She saw the true form of that blue light: countless fine, transparent particles—sand mixed into the frozen body!
(End of this chapter)