Surrounded

Kou Beiyue stared blankly at the man before him. What surged in his chest was not hope or joy, but aggrieved sorrow and anguish. Like a bullied child catching sight of a parent, tears burst from his eyes. The seventeen-year-old boy broke into wracking sobs, his face drenched in tears as he choked out, "Good Minister is dead... Tongtong is dead..." Zhang Yuanqing looked toward the living room, then toward the adjacent bedroom. A glimmer of desolation flickered in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I came too late." Even though he had rushed over as fast as he could, he had still arrived a step too late. That slick, timid little fatty had returned to the Spirit Realm. His whole life had been ruined by violence, and in the end, he had died by violence. Zhao Xintong was dead, too. She had not even reached adulthood; she had not even had time to heal the trauma left by her childhood before departing for heaven. If there was a heaven in this world, may there be no abuse or prejudice there. Kou Beiyue wept, "Xiao Yuan... save her, quick! She's dying too!" Zhang Yuanqing's heart sank. Taking Xiao Yuan from Kou Beiyue's arms, he checked her pulse—it was gone, and her heart had stopped beating. The pestilence had corrupted her internal organs, robbing her of vitality and rotting her viscera. Fortunately, within her decaying body, a faint wisp of life still lingered; she had only just "died." Zhang Yuanqing immediately activated the Azure Thearch Longevity Art skill of his belt. A gentle yet vibrant green radiance washed over Xiao Yuan's body, pouring vigor into her exhausted vessel. The Azure Emperor Jade Belt was a Dominator-grade item. The Longevity Art could not only heal injuries, illnesses, and poisons, but also restore physical stamina to its peak—a recovery skill even more potent than concentrated Life Source Fluid. Under his tense gaze, the pale color on Xiao Yuan's face shifted back to a healthy rosiness, and her heartbeat stabilized. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes. Finding herself in Yuanshi Tianzun's embrace and seeing his handsome face mere inches away, her eyes reddened. A thousand words surged to her lips, only to stick in her throat, ultimately dissolving into a rush of tears. Zhang Yuanqing let out a silent breath and held her tight, as if embracing a lost treasure he had just recovered. He soon released her, retrieved two teleportation jade talismans, and handed them over. Without expression or emotion, he said, "Teleport away. Leave this place to me. I will give you all an answer." Kou Beiyue and Xiao Yuan knew the situation was critical. This was neither the time to talk nor the place to vent emotions. Both took their teleportation jade talismans and crushed them with a snap. The talismans drifted down as powder, but the two remained in place, having gone nowhere. "It seems your teleportation items are only at the Saint stage. Secretary Zhou anticipated correctly." A man walked over and stopped in the doorway, cradling a crystal ball in his palm. The miniature model inside the crystal ball was none other than this very flat, complete with tiny figurines of everyone present. This was a Dominator-grade item of low quality and singular function: it could absorb a fixed area into the crystal ball, creating an isolated Dominator-level space for a duration of ten minutes. Within those ten minutes, only individuals permitted by the user could enter or exit. It was specifically chosen to counter Yuanshi Tianzun's teleportation items. During the battle in the Shiwan Dashan, Yuanshi Tianzun had exposed the fact that he possessed teleportation items. Such items were rare and generally confined to the Saint stage; Dominator-quality teleportation items were practically nonexistent. For that reason, Secretary Zhou had personally picked this item for Relentless Raging Waves. Zhang Yuanqing glared coldly at him. "Cai Qinhe's dog? You came for me..." His fists clenched involuntarily. He had guessed right. The true target of the official operation was him; Cai Qinhe was making his move against him. Zhao Xintong and Good Minister Chooses His Master to Slay had died because of him. "Yuanshi Tianzun!" Relentless Raging Waves held up the crystal ball, making no immediate move to attack. Following the original plan, he secretly spread the pestilence while demanding in a low voice, "You have obstructed law enforcement and attempted to harbor evil classes. Surrender now and come back with me to face trial. The Ten Elders are benevolent; perhaps your life may yet be spared." Zhang Yuanqing looked at him calmly. "Are those your last words?" This place was sealed off, and this Rain Master had come specifically to kill him. Surrendering would be no different from sticking out his neck for the slaughter. "Obstinate fool!" Relentless Raging Waves remarked indifferently. "Do you think that just because of your extraordinary talent, you can trample on the Five Elements Alliance's bottom line again and again? Since you have chosen to betray the Five Elements Alliance, I shall execute you according to the law." Zhang Yuanqing suddenly doubled over, coughing violently until his face turned bright red. He was infected. Roar—! A clear, resonant dragon roar rang in the ears of Zhang Yuanqing and his companions, clearing their minds and emptying their thoughts. A Rain Master's dragon roar could dispel illusions and shatter concentration alike. Seizing the opening, Relentless Raging Waves flicked a single water droplet with his finger. The droplet transformed into a torrential downpour, hurtling forward with enough kinetic force to pierce steel plates and engulfing the three of them. To a Rain Master, a single drop of water could serve as a sniper bullet. Clack-clack-clack! The rain hammered furiously and loudly against a thick, earthy-yellow screen of light. Behind the light screen, having activated his trial card, Zhang Yuanqing's expression grew ferocious, his gaze manic. He stared at Relentless Raging Waves, peeling back his lips in a grin. "I love this rage and hatred, even if it comes from myself. Because it will sustain me until I've slaughtered every enemy in this world—not a single one left. Starting with you." Compared to his previous madness, there was now an added hint of sorrow and burning fury in his eyes. He activated the set effects of the Heaven-Worship Set: dark robes enveloped his body, flames swirled into a mantle, yellow clouds gathered beneath his feet, and green light encircled his waist. The Heaven-Worship Set and the Five Elements spiritual power enhanced one another. A terrifying pressure descended from above, striking a deep tremor into the depths of the soul. A bizarre wave of dread rose in Relentless Raging Waves' heart, as if facing a natural predator. The water-attribute spiritual power in his body grew sluggish. The Heaven-Worship Set and Five Elements spiritual power had no special advantage against other classes, but against the five fundamental classes of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, they possessed an innate suppression. Zhang Yuanqing raised a hand behind him, aimed toward Xiao Yuan and Kou Beiyue, and made a gentle grasping motion. Earthy-yellow spiritual power coalesced into four walls, enclosing the two inside. The earthen walls provided formidable defense to shield them from the collateral damage of the battle while simultaneously blocking the transmission of pathogens, keeping them in a sterile space. No wonder Elder Cai wants the Heaven-Worship Set so badly. With the full set assembled, Elder Cai would stand as the foremost among the Ten Elders, perhaps even challenging the Alliance Master. Relentless Raging Waves' heart seized with alarm, and he retreated rapidly. Though his spiritual power was suppressed, he did not panic. Maintaining a calm and composed demeanor, he said in a chilling voice, "We already knew you could slay Dominators. Did you think I was the only one who came to Jinshan City?" Outside the residential complex, a red yarn ball rolled out from the void. Xie Su and Zhang Yuanqing stepped out one after the other along its trajectory, descending into reality. The moment they appeared, Xie Su cast his gaze high into the sky. Two dense clusters of white mist were drifting over from the distance. They seemed slow, but were exceptionally fast, arriving in the blink of an eye. Although the Five Elements Alliance had been unified for over twenty years and low-to-mid-tier official walkers had weak factional attachments, at the Dominator level, old habits remained entrenched. Consequently, Elder Cai's confidants mostly belonged to the Water God Palace. The other nine elders were much the same. Zhang Yuanqing murmured, "They came to kill me. Uncle Xie, I'm going in to help my avatar. Hold them off—ten minutes will be enough." Xiao Yuan and Kou Beiyue were still trapped under the barrier. His avatar lacked armor-piercing items and could hardly breach the Dominator-grade barrier with sword qi alone; he had to go in person. If this dragged on any longer, Xiao Yuan and Kou Beiyue would never escape. Xie Su glanced back at him. At some point, Yuanshi Tianzun's expression had turned terrifyingly somber. He did not ask, but he could guess the reason. Xie Su gave a slight nod and warned solemnly, "Once you rescue them, retreat immediately. Do not touch the elder inside, understand?" Zhang Yuanqing gave no reply, dissipating into starlight. This time, he did not snap his fingers playfully. Inside the sealed command room, Secretary Zhou stared at the projection screen. Through the drone feed, he spotted the figures of Xie Su and Yuanshi Tianzun appearing in the Chonghua Residential Community. "Why is Xie Su here?" Secretary Zhou's expression darkened. He immediately seized his phone, dialed his assistant, and said in a grave voice, "Call Xie Su and tell him to roll back to the Xie family! If he dares interfere in this matter, his days as family head are over. In addition, immediately dispatch..." At this juncture, rallying confidants from their faction was obviously unrealistic. Besides, without prior ideological conditioning, even confidants wouldn't dare execute Yuanshi Tianzun. Pausing for a second, Secretary Zhou had a thought and changed his instruction: "Notify all elders from the Pangxie City Branch and Songhai Branch to rush to Chonghua District in Jinshan City immediately! They must arrive within ten minutes!" The crystal ball's containment barrier lasted only ten minutes. Outside, Xie Su watched the two approaching plumes of white mist and called out loudly, "Elders, please halt!" His voice carried a Musician's hypnotic influence, bringing the two Rain Masters inside the mist to a stop. Roar—! Yet in the very next instant, a clear dragon roar shook the night sky, breaking the hypnotic spell. Seeing this, Xie Su swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing as he let out the clear, loud wail of an infant. The cries echoed repeatedly, penetrating the white mist. Soon, crying sounds drifted out from within the mist as well. The mist dispersed, revealing the figures of the two Rain Masters—one middle-aged, one elderly. Both of their abdomens were bulging high, emitting the cries of infants. As their bellies grew larger, the aura of the two Dominators plummeted rapidly. "Humph!" The middle-aged Rain Master snorted coldly. "Xie Su, are you siding with evil classes to make an enemy of the officials as well? Does the Xie family know what you are doing?" As he spoke, both Dominators dissolved their bodies into clear water, letting the fetuses drop. Before the infants could even touch the ground, they were caught up in the surging streams, digested and absorbed. As Dominators, neither was weak; it was difficult to pin them down with a single skill. Yet Xie Su did not panic in the slightest. As a Musician, besides life-domain abilities, he possessed the red string and charm. Xie Su extended both hands and pinched the air, as if catching hold of something. Taking those two invisible threads, he tied them around his own wrists. Red String Connection. He bound the red strings of the two Dominators to himself. This would induce a powerful affection—even homoerotic tension—among the three. Combined with a Musician's charm bonus, a lethal romantic entanglement formed instantly. Notably, as a Musician's greatest life-saving skill, the red string differed from malevolent illusions; it tapped into humanity's most primal emotions, which a dragon roar could not dispel. The two Dominators could only wait silently for the red string's duration to expire. Zhang Yuanqing appeared outside the security door. With a dark expression, he summoned the Purple Thunder Hammer, slipped on the Craftsman Ring, raised the little pumpkin, and brought it down hard on the security door. The door instantly disintegrated into powder, but a glass-like protective barrier deflected the little pumpkin. Zhang Yuanqing swung hammer after hammer, pounding until his arms swelled red, his face flushed purple, and veins bulged on his forehead. Finally, with a loud crack, the glass barrier shattered, breaking the barrier enclosing the spacious flat. The resonance ability of the Purple Thunder Hammer was specialized in wrecking items. An ordinary Dominator-grade item could hardly withstand its relentless pounding. Zhang Yuanqing vanished into starlight, bypassed the fiercely contested living room, reached the master bedroom, and shattered the earthen wall with two swift hammer blows. Amidst the clattering collapse of earth, he saw Kou Beiyue slumped on the floor, and Xiao Yuan sitting cross-legged. "The barrier is broken, get out of here!" Zhang Yuanqing urged. "Go somewhere no one can find you and hide!" Xiao Yuan helped Kou Beiyue up and fixed her gaze on him, her eyes brimming with complex emotions. "Go!" Zhang Yuanqing urged coldly. Xiao Yuan swiftly transformed into her bee-woman form, grabbed Kou Beiyue, snapped her wings, and shot out through the balcony, buzzing away into the distance. The moment she took off, intense gunfire erupted outside the complex. Evidently, the official walkers lying in ambush around the perimeter had spotted someone escaping and attempted to snipe them. But bullets could not keep pace with Xiao Yuan's speed; even a Scout could not snipe what amounted to a fleeting fighter jet in the dark of night. As soon as Xiao Yuan departed, an earthy-yellow wall of qi enveloped the apartment, re-establishing a barrier. Unlike before, there were now two Yuanshi Tianzuns locking the door to beat the dog. Zhang Yuanqing rushed out of the bedroom into the living room. The room was in complete shambles, as if ravaged by a hurricane. Every piece of furniture had been reduced to splinters, and the faucets in the bathroom and kitchen gushed uncontrollably. Water flooded the floor, lapping over their feet. Two human figures composed of water pursued each other through the flood, leaping out of the water one moment and diving beneath the surface the next. A wave of terror erupted in Relentless Raging Waves' chest. He had never expected to lose so quickly. Every skill he possessed, Yuanshi Tianzun also commanded. And skills he did not possess, Yuanshi Tianzun commanded as well. Fighting this youth was like fighting a Dominator who mastered all five orthodox Orderly classes simultaneously; there was simply no chance of victory. At the very start of the clash, he had nearly been drained of spiritual power by a terrifying vortex. His Dominator-grade mirror skill had saved his life, creating a double to swap out his true body so he could slip away. He had then manipulated the tap water in the pipes to burst them, using the overflowing water to create a rudimentary home-field advantage and play for time against Yuanshi Tianzun. Among the five elements, earth conquered water. But this was a residential high-rise, disconnected from the earth below, so the earthen spiritual power available was limited. The water from the pipes flowed endlessly and proved difficult for flames to evaporate, while the unique traits of a Water Ghost neutralized the physical attacks of Wood Monsters and Swordsmen. Only in this manner had he managed to barely survive. He was waiting for Yuanshi Tianzun's consumable item to expire, or for reinforcements from his two fellow Rain Masters. Zhang Yuanqing's gaze swept across the living room. Without hesitation, he drew the Form and Spirit Annihilation Blade. Well aware of a Water Ghost's traits, he engaged the black blade and activated Soul Snatch. He raised his left hand and made a grasping motion toward Relentless Raging Waves. A translucent spiritual projection was dragged right out of the man. Immediately switching to the Battle Soul skill, Zhang Yuanqing brought the blade down in a vicious slash. "Argh!" This strike proved too much for the already struggling Relentless Raging Waves. Screaming, he tumbled out of his water-clone state, clutching his head in agony. Zhang Yuanqing's avatar pounced with a savage grin, expanding a qi vortex that latched firmly onto him. Spiritual power drained swiftly from Relentless Raging Waves' body. His skin withered, and his eyeballs bulged from their sockets. Only now did he recover from the spiritual shock, only to find himself trapped in the vortex, his spiritual energy depleted to the point where he could not even cast a mirror double. He felt the terror of death—a suffocating dread. This was a sensation he had not experienced since advancing to Dominator. "Yuanshi Tianzun, you can't kill me... you can't kill me..." Relentless Raging Waves croaked hoarsely. "Killing an official elder without authorization is a capital crime! You can't kill me!" Zhang Yuanqing's avatar smirked. "Haven't you ever sat in on my tribunal? I was born rebellious to the bone. You think threats work on me?" With great difficulty, Relentless Raging Waves tilted his head to look at the real Yuanshi Tianzun. Zhang Yuanqing looked toward Zhao Xintong's room, then toward the little fatty submerged in the floodwater. All his emotions finally distilled into a single phrase: "Return to the Spirit Realm!" His killing intent was absolute! "No, no! I can testify against Elder Cai for you! He orchestrated this operation! His real objective was to deal with you! I can be your witness..." Relentless Raging Waves' frame shriveled further, like a desiccated old man. Zhang Yuanqing ignored him. Such promises were utterly meaningless; the moment the man escaped this peril, he would surely turn on him. Despair and reluctance flickered in Relentless Raging Waves' eyes. He lacked a mirror at this moment; otherwise, he would have realized that his expression was no different from that of the "sewer rats" he had just slain. Relentless Raging Waves ceased his struggles. The expressions of despair, indignation, and hatred froze on his face. He had returned to the Spirit Realm. At that moment, the duration of the Five Elements Spiritual Power Trial Card ran out. The avatar swiftly stripped off the Heaven-Worship Set and tossed it back. "Hurry up and run, original self. If we don't run now, we're done for." The avatar was no longer insane; his intellect had reclaimed higher ground. No sooner had he spoken than the earthy-yellow barrier outside the balcony shattered with a crash. Eleven figures broke through the barrier and stormed into the room. Aside from Xie Su and the two who had been fighting outside, the elders of the Songhai Branch and Pangxie City Branch had arrived. The Dominators swept their gazes across the room, fixing in unison on the mummified corpse of Relentless Raging Waves held in Yuanshi Tianzun's hand. The elders' pupils shrank.