Love, Gun, Cupid

The King of the Forest would not give her a chance to regain her balance. On the night of the full moon, when the frosty white of the forest floor covered the ground, he could move swiftly across the ground.

He moved to the spot where Kapok had planned to land and slashed at her head-on. Kapok held Lin Jiade in her left hand and her spare weapon in her right, forming an X-shape in front of her.

She blocked the King of the Forest's strike, but had to bear the collateral impact, sending her flying backward. The King of the Forest raised his sword, and the moonlight blazed brightly, transforming into a torrent that swallowed the figure of the cotton tree in mid-air.

Kapok emerged from the light, tumbling and crashing to the ground until her waist slammed against a tree trunk. Kapok let out a groan; her shield had absorbed most of the attack from the King of the Forest, but she had to bear the rest herself.

Mu Mian easily determined that her left leg was broken, and she probably also had one or two broken ribs. If it had been half a month ago, she would have only needed to ask Lin Jiade to help her complete the ritual.

But now...

Kapok gasped for breath as the confusion spell dissipated; now she had to conserve every ounce of energy. Just then, Lin Jiade transformed back into a human and said to her, "Change back into a sword."

Kapok hesitated for a moment, but quickly transformed herself into a sword and joyfully leaped into Lin Jiade's palm. Lin Jiade grabbed her and turned to flee into the depths of the forest.

Chapter 119 The Final Round (20)

The King of the Forest gave Lin Jiade time to maneuver, not because he was letting him win, but because he saw Lin Jiade and Kapok as a secondary threat.

Above the sky, Qi Yanli regretfully put down her weapon. She followed the King of the Forest, intending to use an area-of-effect skill to take him down in one fell swoop when he had reduced Kapok to low health, while also dealing some damage to the King of the Forest.

After all, it's somewhat dishonorable to survive to the end by simply running away and finishing off the enemy, so the Diamond Elf wanted to deal some damage to the King of the Forest.

However, everyone, including her, forgot that this was a virtual space, and the King of the Forest in front of them was not a living person, but a projection with many rules of action added to it in advance. He was not as flexible as a human and could only act according to the rules.

So he let the kapok go and turned to the target that posed the greatest threat to him at the moment. The diamond elf was so angry she wanted to curse, but for the sake of her image, she maintained her aloof persona and silently manipulated the eagle to fly even higher.

The maximum flight altitude of the eagle is around 12000 meters, while the physical limit of the diamond elf is 10000 meters. This means that it is almost impossible for Qiyanli to be defeated before she runs out of energy.

Even on Diana's Holy Day, the King of the Forest couldn't possibly have any designs on a target 10000 meters in the air... That's what Qi Yanli thought.

The next second, the path paved with moonlight connected her to the King of the Forest, who strode towards the sky. Qi Yanli was startled. As she manipulated her eagle to rise higher, arrow after arrow hurtled towards the King of the Forest.

The King of the Forest kept deflecting arrows with his sword in his left hand. He was only a few meters away from Qi Yanli. Just as he was about to throw his hook, Qi Yanli injected energy, and an icy blue shell enveloped the area around the King of the Forest.

The moonlight was cut off, and the path it had paved vanished naturally, causing the King of the Forest, encased in ice, to plummet downwards. Qi Yan Li continued to rise, but the King of the Forest's hook, having broken through the ice shell, struck the eagle's body. The eagle let out a mournful cry and thrashed wildly from side to side.

Finally, it slumped helplessly into the lake, having already been thrown out by Qiyanli and the King of the Forest. The Diamond Elf landed on the lakeshore, while the King of the Forest remained in the water.

The armor on the King of the Forest became a hindrance, allowing the Diamond Elf standing on the shore to relentlessly attack him. The Diamond Elf was filled with rage; her animal companions had been killed—even if it was merely being banished from the virtual space, the desire for revenge still consumed her.

On the water's surface, the moonlight was distorted, unable to form a straight path. The King of the Forest helplessly endured the Diamond Elf's wrath until the Diamond Elf's fingers (wearing gauntlets) ached so much that he could no longer pull the bow, and only then did he stop.

The damage inflicted by the Diamond Fairy was limited, but she successfully trapped the King of the Forest in the lake—a huge block of ice encased the King of the Forest's body, rendering her unable to move.

All we need to do now is deliver the fatal blow, and we'll take first place.

Qi Yanli couldn't resist the temptation to end the battle immediately. In her mind, the competition would end as soon as the King of the Forest died. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the organizers couldn't possibly give first place to those two who had been mere bystanders throughout the entire competition.

To avoid any unforeseen complications, she simply deactivated her protective spells and concentrated all her energy on the next arrow.

A blue vortex gathered at the tip of the arrow, covering the King of the Forest in her field of vision. Just as she was about to let go, a sharp pain spread from her chest to her whole body. Her arm went limp, and the arrow that was originally aimed at the King of the Forest shot down into the lake, stirring up a thousand waves.

The icy lake water splashed onto Qi Yanli's face, like a warm rain, but because her body heat was rapidly dissipating, it became cold.

The diamond elf looked down and saw a sword tip protruding from her chest. The sneak attack from behind not only caused fatal damage but also forcibly extracted energy from her body, which flowed into the attacker's body through the weapon's channels.

Qi Yanli collapsed. Before leaving the stage, she had another dream. She dreamed that she won first place and that her fellow tribesmen did not have to sell their bodies to become mistresses of high-ranking human officials in exchange for protection. But she woke up from her dream. Her third-place finish was enough to promote her to a senior position, but it was only enough to protect herself.

Di Tao licked her lips. The sneak attack on Qi Yanli had restored her energy reserves to 60%. More importantly, now only she and Mu Mian remained.

The King of the Forest remains trapped in the lake; killing him would put an end to her battle with Kapok. As if tempted, Peach took two steps forward, but the rapid footsteps behind her interrupted her rhythm.

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind? What a joke! I'm the oriole that's unaware of the mantis!"

Di Tao turned around and exchanged swords with the newcomer. She had thought that the one who had ambushed her was Mu Mian, but the one wielding the sword was Lin Jiade.

"It's you? That's good!"

The Earth Peach abandoned the King of the Forest and instead fought against Lin Jiade and the Cotton Tree that had turned into a sword. The endless cold light wove into a crisscrossing net in front of Lin Jiade.

Five minutes earlier, Lin Jiade was running away with Kapok, prepared to be chased. But as he ran, he realized that the King of the Forest was not following.

He immediately put down the cotton tree, took out the Amanda Stone from her backpack, and was stunned for a moment. Two of the three Amanda Stones that were originally arranged among them had broken, and most of the energy stored in them had dissipated.

He informed Mumian of this situation, and Mumian said, "It was probably damaged during the previous battle, and this energy is not enough for me to recover completely."

So, junior, I have a request.

"All of this is for the sake of victory, I understand."

Following Kapok's plan, Lin Jiade used two broken Amanda stones to slightly repair the wound, then put on the last intact Amanda stone to reactivate his shield.

Finally, he picked up the chipped "kapok" and no longer used it as a sword, but as a swordsman on the field, switching between the inner and outer, the two sides of the same body.

“I’m sorry,” Mu Mian said, “the audience has seen it all, and we may face a lot of public pressure after the competition.”

"I never care about public opinion."

"Feel sorry……"

"Enough! Your attitude hurt me, and now you're trying to be the good guy, putting on a pitiful act!" Lin Jiade waved his arm. "We can talk about our business off the field. Right now, all I want is to win this fight!"

With a hint of hope, Kapok asked, "Is it for me?"

"It's for my family who are waiting for me, for my friends who are trying to calm me down, and for the sister of the friend who gave me the training... I don't want to let them down, that's all!"

At that moment, he witnessed Qiyanli and the King of the Forest locked in a fierce battle in the air and rushed to the scene.

Touched

Chapter 120 The Final (21)

Lin Jiade ran under the moonlight, the fastest he had ever run in his life. Waves of pain shot through his left knee, each wave more intense than the last.

His eagerness to fight was also related to his knee injury. Unless he went home tonight for professional treatment, his knee pain would only get worse no matter how many times he rested.

"How's your leg?" Kapok asked.

Lin Jiade said sarcastically, "Without you, these legs would be able to walk as fast as the wind."

Mu Mian's movements faltered, a sense of sorrow emanating from the hilt of her sword. Lin Jiade felt that if Mu Mian failed, the problem would ultimately lie with his left knee, and the source of his left knee injury was none other than Mu Mian herself.

In other words, Kapok's heinous acts may have foreshadowed her downfall today... How ironic.

Lin Jiade encountered Di Tao on the way. Di Tao was not in good condition and did not notice him following him. Di Tao was observing the battle between the King of the Forest and Qi Yanli, while he was observing Di Tao observing the battle between the King of the Forest and Qi Yanli.

Perhaps because he was the person furthest from the battle, Lin Jiade saw things very clearly. The King of the Forest had the leisure to break free of his restraints, but he still pretended to be trapped in the lake, probably to lure the contestants to "take advantage of his vulnerability" and then launch a counterattack.

Diamond Fairy fell into the trap, but not completely, because she was eliminated by Earth Peach's sneak attack; Earth Peach fell into the trap, but not completely, because she was stopped by Lin Jiade.

“He’s a fraudster,” Lin Jiade said. “If you go there, he’ll kill you instantly.”

"Wouldn't that be even better? That way you can easily help Kapok get first place."

"Mu Mian just coasted through the whole thing, and her effortless victory won't convince anyone. She needs to prove herself." Lin Jiade raised his sword. "Can relying on sneak attacks and easy wins really help you gain the couple's trust and allow you to replace Mu Mian?"

"But you're not Kapok, you're just a passerby who both loves and hates her. You idiot, you moron, who comes to the arena to help their enemy play a match!"

Di Tao roared in the encrypted call: "Besides, she is not the Kapok you remember. That Kapok is a fabricated image that we have all built, but you still treat her as Kapok!"

Lin Jiade was slightly stunned, not expecting that what Di Tao cared about most was that he still regarded Kapok as Kapok.

"If you hate the kapok tree, and therefore hate all the sisters who participated in creating this image; then by the same token, if you still love the kapok tree, you should love all the sisters."

But you've noticed it yourself, haven't you? You spread your hatred evenly, but your love remains fixed on her alone.

This isn't fair! This is so unfair! Why is she always the special one?! Mom and Dad get it, and you get it too!

Di Tao was acting crazy, but what she said was true. Lin Jiade suddenly realized the root of his abnormal mentality. If he was to divide his hatred equally, should he also divide his love for Kapok equally?

There was a kapok tree in front of him, a female kapok tree with a plump chest and a pert bottom. When Hehuan and the others said "the kapok tree is very big," they were probably referring to this one.

However, he did not love them. Although the lines of their bodies were sexually attractive to him, he was certain there was no lust involved, because when he thought of them, he did not feel sorry for Jasmine.

Just then, Jasmine sneezed in front of the TV screen.

“But before that, let’s call a truce,” Lin Jiade said. “Let’s deal with the King of the Forest together first, and then we can take care of the rest.”

"Working with someone you hate, huh?" Di Momo smiled enigmatically. "Aren't you afraid that the betrayal of that summer will be repeated?"

Lin Jiade became agitated: "I live for myself and for my family. I hate, but hatred doesn't control me. I won't throw away my present happiness because of past hatred."

Do you deserve it? You don't deserve it! Don't even think about dragging me into the mud. I finally managed to climb out, washed myself clean, changed into clean clothes, and now I have fellow travelers. Let's hold hands and stride forward together.

My future is bright, and happiness awaits me ahead. I'm only stopping now to clean up the last few stains. I can't stay with the stains; I have to get myself clean. Do you want me to turn back into the mud?

No! I want to raise a whole football team's worth of kids, to see if one or two can inherit my football dream. To achieve this, I need to climb higher and earn more money...

"Hey X, wasn't I just arguing with you? But why did I end up hurting myself?!"

A man's breakdown can happen in an instant. In contemporary society, the cost of raising a child is enough to make ordinary citizens restless. As an ordinary citizen, Lin Jiade directly bears the pressure of 11 times the lower limit and 30 times the upper limit.

Di Tao was naturally impossible to persuade, but reality could help her accept Lin Jiade's proposal: the King of the Forest abandoned the fishing mode, leaped out of the water, and came stepping on light.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared between Di Tao and Lin Jiade, raised his hand, aimed at the main threat Di Tao, and slashed down with a sword blade imbued with magic.

The electric current, arriving later but arriving first, struck the King of the Forest's arm, dispelling the spell on it and slowing down the King of the Forest's movements.

Lin Jiade showed his sincerity, which slightly encouraged Di Tao—she still had this fool to use as cannon fodder.

She slid her hands left and right, retreating while maneuvering her weapon to fly up to the back of the King of the Forest, attempting to peel off his armor plates using the same trick as before.

At this moment, Lin Jiade waved his hand, making a gesture as if he was about to run away.

What happened to all that empty talk you were spouting?!

Di Tao was somewhat annoyed. She had genuinely believed that Lin Jiade was a fool, but the clown turned out to be herself. So, she also withdrew her weapon and quickly ran away. Looking back, she saw that Lin Jiade was also running away, but not very fast, and he had also thrown Mu Mian away, sending her flying in a direction far away from the battlefield.

The King of the Forest walked towards Lin Jiade. At this moment, Lin Jiade was all alone, without any companions or reinforcements. The King of the Forest's strength was like a towering mountain, while he was just a rock at the foot of the mountain.

However, he still possesses a power capable of turning the tide of battle—the divine blessing bestowed upon him by the cuckoo, a power that can only be used once a month, and it is also his trump card.

He drew his revolver. To kill the enemy, he first had to be determined to kill himself. For him, who cherished life so much, every time he pointed a gun at himself, it was a test.

Lin Jiade gasped for breath, his eyes fixed on the King of the Forest. Just as the enemy was about to launch his attack, he pulled the trigger. The bullet flew out, and Lin Jiade's "death" was forcibly transferred, transforming into a black line that surged toward the King of the Forest.

Chapter 121 The Final Battle (22)

Lin Jiade was certain this was the ultimate technique. In the Mirror Realm, Korobochka was unmatched, yet he ultimately died under this divine decree. The King of the Forest should not be spared, because in terms of oppressive power, the King of the Forest was inferior to Korobochka, which meant his strength was below Korobochka's.

A black death swept in, and the tree suddenly snapped in half. The upper half rushed toward the head of the King of the Forest, but was cleaved in two by the King of the Forest's sword.

The lake water surged, and the already dead eagle took flight, its chest wound filled with pale flames. Lin Jiade activated his Soul Vision and discovered that it had transformed into an undead creature, emitting a piercing shriek towards the king of the forest.

"Hey... what did you do... why isn't my body listening to me?"

Di Tao trembled. Her will and physical instincts fought against each other and were completely defeated, so much so that she turned around and joined the fight against the King of the Forest.