Chapter 1553 - 1550: Two Minds in Harmony

Ye Qiu and Fang Wushang just exchanged a glance to understand each other's intentions, both using the exact same motion to repel the scythes.

They struggled to push the sporadic cries of agony and screams out of their minds, focusing their spirits on withstanding the enemy's attacks that hid immense power.

The result was astonishing; halfway through, the two didn't need to speak or even look at each other, yet there was an ultra-conductive feeling as if their minds were completely connected, allowing them to respond with identical techniques and fend off the enemy's relentless, suffocating attacks.

In this fleeting moment—amidst this life-or-death duel, Ye Qiu experienced a sense of unity he had never felt before. It was as if Fang Wushang and Ye Qiu had merged into one, becoming a single battle awareness continuously wielding a sword—this was, in a sense, an incomparable sensory experience. Although sometimes while blocking the enemy's heavy attacks, they'd get hurt by the aftermath, their bodies no longer sensed the damage, and neither of them cared about this at that moment.

The battle lasted a whole hour.

When this seemingly endless deadly duel finally ended, and the giant body of the boss monster scattered everywhere, nobody in the team had the energy left to cheer. Some sat down limply on the obsidian floor, while others lay on the ground gasping for breath.

Is it over—...?

Yeah—it's over—

After this shared mental conversation ended, it seemed the "connection" between Ye Qiu and Fang Wushang was also severed. Suddenly, a strong sense of fatigue overwhelmed Ye Qiu, causing him to collapse onto the floor.

Ye Qiu and Fang Wushang sat back-to-back and were unable to move for a while.

They both survived—though thinking about it, it's not yet time to open their hearts and feel joy. The number of sacrifices was just too high. After the initial three who died when the battle commenced, there was a continuous, steady breakage sound. Ye Qiu stopped bothering to count after he reached the sixth person.

"How many—people in total sacrificed?"

On Ye Qiu's left, Kleek, too exhausted, squatted on the ground and lifted his head, asking Ye Qiu with a hoarse voice. The leader, sprawling beside Klein with limbs outstretched, also turned his face toward Ye Qiu.

Ye Qiu counted individuals one by one, using the number at departure to infer exactly how many had been sacrificed.

"—A total of fourteen people sacrificed."

Even though Ye Qiu confirmed the number himself, it was hard to believe the fact.

They were each top-tier warriors who had been through countless battles. Even if they couldn't escape or heal instantly, by adopting a survival-first combat approach, they shouldn't have died instantly—but—

"You're joking…"...

The leader's voice lost its usual vitality, and a cloud of gloomy air hung over the heads of the survivors.

After barely conquering the fourth time, how many more are left?

Though there are still billions in this world, those seriously aiming to repel the waves and staying at the front line probably number only in the thousands.

If just one raid brings so many sacrifices, everyone is heading towards—a scenario where only the strongest individual might remain to face the final boss.

And in this situation, Ye Qiu thought the one still surviving would be that man...

Ye Qiu's gaze fell to the back of the room. Among the crowd lying on the ground, only one man in blue stood upright with determination. That, of course, was Long Yijian.

Of course, he wasn't entirely unscathed...

Ye Qiu scrutinized Long Yijian, noting that Long Yijian also sustained significant injuries.

The Bone Scythe that Ye Qiu and Fang Wushang barely managed to fend off together, he alone withstood the entire battle. In this scenario, beyond suffering quantifiable damage, it wouldn't be excessive to collapse from sheer exhaustion.

Yet his relaxed standing form made it impossible to sense any mental fatigue. An unbelievable degree of resilience. Almost like a machine—akin to a combat machine equipped with a perpetual mechanism…

Ye Qiu, with blurred consciousness from exhaustion, incessantly stared at Long Yijian's profile. This legendary man's expression always remained so calm. He merely gazed silently at the prone members of the Lantian Clan and other players. His gaze was warm and compassionate—as if—

as if watching a group of white mice playing inside a delicate cage.

At that moment, a terrifying shiver ran through Ye Qiu's entire body.

His consciousness awoke instantly. From fingertips to the brain's core, coldness set in rapidly. A premonition began growing in Ye Qiu's heart. The seed of subtle insight expanded continuously, forming a burgeoning tree of questions.

Long Yijian's gaze, that calmness. It wasn't the expression of sympathizing with wounded companions. He wasn't standing on equal ground with the others. It was aloof benevolence gazing down from a distant height—a creator God's expression…

Ye Qiu recalled the terrifying reflexes of Long Yijian during their duel. Those movements surpassed human speed limits. No, it should be said, they exceeded the fastest speed possible for the human body in this world.

Additionally, his usual demeanor. Despite being the leader of one of the strongest clans, he never issued orders, leaving everything to others, merely observing from the side.

If it wasn't out of trust in his subordinates—but because he possessed intelligence inaccessible to the common man showing restraint…

What kind of existence doesn't subject to the world's limitations? How did he achieve this?

No, there must be one. There's a method that can only be done at this moment, in this place.

Ye Qiu observed Long Yijian's gaze. Theoretically, after a fierce battle, Long Yijian should be quite tired, yet no fatigue was detected.

Never before trapped in the yellow alert zone, this man's defense was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

During the duel with Ye Qiu, Long Yijian only showed changes in expression when nearly struck. But that wasn't due to fear of injury.

Not fear of injury—that must be—

Ye Qiu slowly re-gripped the sword in his right hand. With a minuscule movement, he faintly shifted his right foot back. His waist slightly retracted, adopting a crouched sprint stance. Long Yijian didn't notice Ye Qiu's actions. His calm gaze was only directed at the dispirited clan members.