[Damn, that’s cruel, threatening them with a child.]
[Classic villain behavior.]
[Looking at it this way, Old Xi and the others are actually quite decent.]
Hearing that his child had not been harmed, the Green Elf official’s expression shifted several times. Finally, he gave a wave of his hand and sighed.
“Follow me!”
He then led Flame Star and the others, who were in mimicry as servants, toward the Pool of Grace—the source of every miracle in the kingdom.
“The Pool of Grace is the most heavily guarded place in the traveling palace. The Tree God Guards stationed there hold hereditary positions and are tied to the fate of the nation.”
“They have protected the Pool of Grace for generations and will never leave unless the King himself orders it.”
After twisting and turning through the corridors for a while, the Green Elf official stopped before a secluded side door that was barely the height of a man.
“This is a service path specifically for the kitchen to deliver meals. It leads directly underground, bypassing the sentries on the first half of the main road.”
Speaking, he looked at Flame Star and the others with hope. “I can only take you this far. I hope you will keep your word.”
“46 Enning Road,” Flame Star said after several seconds of silence.
[He actually kept his word?]
[Did he really let them go?]
The Green Elf official was slightly stunned, and then a look of joy appeared on his face. He bowed to Flame Star and the others before hurriedly retracing his steps.
Watching his figure disappear around the corner of the corridor, Flame Star suddenly tilted his head toward one of the people beside him.
“Go, E Chai, take him out.”
the trainee named E Chai seemed to be a man of few words. He gave a cold “mm” in response, then transformed into a burst of black feathers and vanished on the spot.
Nearby, another green-haired woman asked with a smile, “Flame Star, I thought you actually developed a conscience just now and wanted to let their family reunite!”
Flame Star curled his lip in disdain. “I just wanted to try showing some ‘grace’ to see if he would be grateful enough to spit out more information. Besides, who says I don’t have a conscience?”
He gave a cold laugh.
“Am I not letting them reunite? I am kind-hearted; I cannot stand to see them separated by the veil of life and death.”
When Flame Star was setting up the explosives, he had intended to blow the entire Tree God City into the sky. How could there possibly be a single spot where he had not planted a bomb?
Furthermore, even if the hostages were not killed in the blast, he would never allow such an unstable factor to leave.
[So kind-hearted, he’s practically the world’s number one philanthropist.]
[Wait, if Flame Star is the one causing the explosion, doesn’t that make him the Kill King among the trainees?]
[A new Kill King is born!]
Dealing with an ordinary Green Elf took only a few seconds.
Just as the two finished speaking, the trainee named E Chai walked back from the corner of the corridor.
“I dumped the body inside the utility room,” he said.
Flame Star nodded, too lazy to care about the details. He reached out and pushed open the small double doors in front of him.
“Let’s go! It’s time to claim our spoils!”
***
Not far from the battlefield.
In an alleyway where the emerald-green downpour had not yet reached, Lin Zhen’s group of eight was running rapidly.
Their varying speeds had split them into three distinct tiers.
The first tier consisted of Kaos, Anvil, Zi Jiu, and Lin Zhen.
The second tier was Yun Che and Aili.
The remaining third tier consisted of Genbeier and Guan Kelai, who, as ordinary people, had been left behind by more than ten meters.
Without Yun Ruoxi’s help, they were already struggling to keep up with the tail end of the team, even though they had only left the battlefield less than two minutes ago.
This was even with the entire team deliberately slowing down to accommodate them.
Zi Jiu took a subtle glance back. “A Zhen, we can’t go on like this. Without Xiao Xi, Genbeier and Guan Kelai can’t keep up at all. We can’t keep compromising our speed for them either, or the Tree God Guards will easily catch up.”
“Taking them along was Xiao Xi’s idea in the first place…” Lin Zhen’s tone shifted. “But do you think it’s necessary to keep them with us? Our goal is, after all…”
“In Giant Stone City, we might need their help if we want to avoid alerting the authorities,” Zi Jiu whispered.
Lin Zhen fell silent for a moment. “Fine, I understand!”
With that, he slowed his pace and moved to the side of the two at the back of the line.
“Genbeier, Guan Kelai.” Lin Zhen looked at them seriously and stated his decision.
They were, after all, native Green Elves. Although their speed couldn’t keep up, if they didn’t travel with the group, they could easily blend into the crowds. They wouldn’t attract the attention of the Tree God Guards.
Therefore, Lin Zhen hoped they would leave now and find a place to hide. Once the situation stabilized slightly, they could find their own way to Giant Stone City to regroup.
“You promised to take me with you!” Guan Kelai roared, somewhat angry. After speaking, he began to cough violently because his breathing had become erratic from running.
“The plan has changed. You can insist on coming, but we will be moving at full speed from now on and will no longer slow down for you!” Lin Zhen knew his request was harsh, but it was the only way.
Compared to a “maybe” or even an “uncertain” chance that these two would be useful in Giant Stone City, the safety of his companions was naturally more important.
In fact, if Yun Ruoxi hadn’t agreed to take them earlier, Lin Zhen might not have planned to bring them at all.
Guan Kelai’s expression flickered, and he was about to say something, but Genbeier stepped in and nodded first.
“Giant Stone City, right? I will bring Mr. Kelai there myself later!”
He then pulled Genbeier to a stop. Under Lin Zhen’s complicated gaze, their figures grew more distant until they rounded a corner and completely vanished from Lin Zhen’s sight.
[Iron-blooded Lin.]
[There’s no other way; how can ordinary people keep up with Supernaturals?]
[So my loyal knight is going offline just like that?]
[I reasonably suspect Old Lin is jealous and doesn’t want other males around Xiao Xi.]
[Yandere Lin? That’s actually pretty good.]
Lin Zhen retracted his gaze, accelerated past Yun Che and Aili, and returned to the front of the pack.
“Genbeier and Guan Kelai have been settled!” He nodded to the two leaders. “We can pick up the pace now!”
“Understood!”
Kaos let out a long breath and suddenly activated his supernatural power.
Wild winds surged from the surroundings, wrapping around them and providing a continuous boost. The group’s speed increased instantly as they drew closer to the city wall.
Ten minutes later.
They arrived at the base of the wall.
The walls of the Green Elf Kingdom were not like those built of brick and mortar in human history; they were woven from trees, vines, and thorns.
The overall structure was similar to a plant labyrinth, but far sturdier. It was difficult to cut with blades or axes, and there were no footholds for climbing.
Furthermore, it was incredibly tall; because of its ability to grow infinitely, its height reached several hundreds of meters.
Even for star energy users like Lin Zhen and his team, climbing over it would be extremely difficult.
Fortunately, even though it was woven into the shape of a wall, its underlying nature was still that of a plant.
And as long as it was a plant, it feared fire—something Zi Jiu could handle!
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