Chapter 870: They’ve really latched onto a powerful figure (Part Two)
Hearing their leader's reminder, the purple-robed man and the black-clad man were somewhat dismissive, thinking that their leader was making a mountain out of a molehill, but they still put aside their contempt and slowed down.
Soon, the four of them slowly descended, forming a semi-encircling tactical formation, tightly surrounding Zhou Huai and the girl on the ground.
The surrounding air became heavy due to the magical energy emanating from them, and even the wind seemed to stand still.
Just then, the girl lying on the ground, barely alive, seemed to sense something.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Seeing the four people who had fallen and completely surrounded her, and the griffin that was letting out a low growl, the girl's already bloodless face turned deathly pale in terror, and her eyes were filled with a deathly despair.
She knew what would happen if she fell into these people's hands; it would be a hell more terrifying than death.
Driven by extreme fear and the instinct for survival, she grasped at the last straw.
The girl gritted her teeth and struggled with the last of her strength, crawling forward on the rough asphalt road. Blood left a long, shocking red trail on the ground.
She crawled little by little to Zhou Huai's feet.
Then, she suddenly stretched out her hands and grabbed Zhou Huai's thigh tightly.
"Help...help me..."
The girl looked up, her voice trembling with sobs as she pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "If you save me, I'll repay you... I'll give you anything you want... please..."
This sudden action startled the people surrounding them.
The one-eyed leader's eyes instantly turned sharp.
He gripped the heavy cleaver tightly, its blade gleaming with a bloodthirsty light. He stared warily at Zhou Huai, his voice cold as he questioned:
What is your relationship with Eliza?
One-Eyed Dragon secretly pondered: if this kid really is an accomplice, he must be a master; he must strike first.
Zhou Huai remained expressionless when questioned.
He glanced down at the girl who was clinging tightly to his leg.
Then he silently raised his foot and kicked her aside without any mercy.
The movement was as natural as kicking away a rock blocking the way.
"It's nothing."
Zhou Huai patted the dust off his trousers and said in a flat tone, "I was just passing by."
The girl rolled on the ground, her wound reopened, and she gasped in pain, looking at him in despair.
Seeing this, One-Eyed Dragon and the others relaxed their tense nerves a little.
It seems this kid is just a passerby who doesn't want to get into trouble.
The next second...
The girl who had been kicked away seemed to unleash amazing potential, lunging forward and grabbing Zhou Huai's leg tightly once again.
He hugged her even tighter than before, his fingers turning white from the excessive force.
"Please..."
The girl's voice was filled with despair, her tears mixed with blood smeared on Zhou Huai's trouser leg, and she clung to him tightly.
Zhou Huai: "..."
Zhou Huai was speechless.
Aren't you about to die?
Why are they clinging to someone so tightly? Do they have such a strong will to survive?
The one-eyed man couldn't see through the blond, blue-eyed youth in front of him.
In the desolate wilderness, a seemingly unsuspecting young man, facing four high-level professionals above level 60, not only showed no fear but also looked at Eliza with disdain and tried to kick her away.
This unusual occurrence made the naturally suspicious one-eyed man uneasy.
Before figuring out the details, he decided not to cause any unnecessary trouble.
The one-eyed man's tone suddenly softened.
“Eliza, I’m still your uncle, no matter what.”
As he spoke, the one-eyed man urged the griffin forward two steps, its massive shadow enveloping Eliza on the ground. He sighed with feigned sorrow, "I am your father's most trusted sworn brother, and I watched you grow up. Can you really bear to watch you die in this desolate wilderness, devoured by those mutated wild dogs?"
"Take your uncle's advice and stop struggling in vain."
He stared at the girl on the ground, his tone becoming increasingly gentle: "If you tell us the location of the sacred tree, we might consider letting you go."
"You're still young, and you have a long road ahead of you. Why risk your life for an inanimate object? As long as you agree and hand over the key to open the secret realm, I guarantee that no one will lay a finger on you today. You can even take a large sum of resources and live out the rest of your life in peace in another major city."
Eliza was so angry she was trembling.
She raised her face, which was covered in dust and blood, stared intently at the one-eyed dragon in mid-air, and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Pooh!
Blood splattered on the griffin's claws.
"uncle?!"
"That's how you deceived my father!"
"He clearly trusted you so much, and considered you a brother!"
"He even shared the family's most core secrets with you!" Eliza pointed at the one-eyed man and yelled, "You actually betrayed him!"
"I'd rather trust a dog than you!"
The three accomplices around him exchanged mocking glances.
The one-eyed man's feigned kindness vanished instantly, replaced by a ferocious expression.
"You shameless slut!"
Enraged, he suddenly raised his heavy cleaver, the blade gleaming with a dark red light. The oppressive aura of a level 60 berserker was unleashed without reservation, stirring up clouds of dust.
"Once I cut off your limbs and gouge out your eyes, let's see if your mouth will still be so stubborn!"
The griffin also let out a roar, preparing to launch an attack in coordination with its master.
Just then, Zhou Huai suddenly raised his hand.
"Wait, the Sacred Tree?"
"What sacred tree?"
The one-eyed man was interrupted, and his anger flared up.
"Kid, who do you think you are, daring to meddle in my business?"
The one-eyed man brandished his cleaver.
He had no idea what kind of being he was facing; that level 60 pressure had no effect on Zhou Huai.
"I'm in a bad mood today!"
"Get out of my way if you don't want to die."
"Otherwise, I'll chop you up and feed you to the dogs!"
Seeing Zhou Huai standing still and unmoved, the one-eyed dragon completely lost his patience and ordered his men to attack.
"Chop this kid into mincemeat!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the three black men who had been eyeing him from the sidelines launched their attack.
The purple-robed mage raised his staff high, chanting rapidly. A massive purple fireball, over two meters in diameter, condensed in mid-air, carrying an intense heat capable of incinerating everything, and slammed down towards Zhou Huai. The other two assassin-type professionals transformed into two afterimages, one on the left and one on the right, their poisoned daggers aimed directly at Zhou Huai's throat and heart.
One-Eyed Dragon wasn't idle either. He rode his griffin down, his bone-chopping knife carrying the force to split mountains and shatter rocks, slashing down at Zhou Huai.
The combined attack of four high-level professionals (level 60 and above) was powerful enough to level this wasteland.
However, when faced with the attack, Zhou Huai only had to think about it.
Boom—!
A bolt of golden lightning, as thick as a bucket, struck down without warning.
Golden light instantly illuminated the wilderness.
The massive purple fireball in mid-air vanished instantly. The three accomplices didn't even have time to scream before their protective magic shields and armor were easily torn apart by the lightning, killing them instantly.
The one-eyed dragon, bearing the brunt of the attack, was like paper in front of the golden lightning. He was charred and burned, and crashed straight to the ground.
The whole process took less than two seconds.
A pungent, burnt smell filled the wilderness. The four men who had been so arrogant just moments before were now charred corpses. Only the griffin remained alive, its feathers blackened, lying on the ground foaming at the mouth, staring at Zhou Huai in terror.
The entire room fell silent.
Eliza slowly opened her eyes, staring at this unbelievable scene, her mind completely blank.
Four powerful individuals at level 60+... just like that, gone? They didn't even see how the opponent made their move?
What kind of monster is this?!
She swallowed hard, feeling the real touch of the leg she was holding with both hands.
Has he really managed to latch onto a powerful figure?