The strange figure that rushed out from the bamboo grove was not as talkative as the one before. Step by step, it pressed closer, crimson light flowing through its eyes, filled with rage and cruelty. These visitors from the Otherside no longer bothered to conceal their true nature—they had reverted to untamed beasts, feral and mad.
Seeing these unnaturally tall figures, each bearing different grotesque traits, the sixteen bodyguards all tensed. Beads of sweat trickled down their tightened faces.
These creatures were strong—so strong that even two or three of them together might not be able to withstand one. And there were nearly twenty such enemies here. How could they not feel terror in their hearts?
"Roar…" As soon as all the monsters appeared and surrounded Chu Lian's group completely, a being identical to the previous one, yet even larger, raised his finger and pointed at Chu Lian, who was sitting atop the car roof. "Kill!" he bellowed.
That single shout of "kill" became the fuse that ignited the battle. All the monsters leapt forward at once. Their objective was no longer to persuade surrender—it was total annihilation.
"In the end, you're nothing but pawns. But since you are pawns, then you should have the awareness of one. To attack those far beyond your reach… will only lead to your destruction."
The moment they lunged, Chu Lian stood upon Cai Ya's car roof, her calm eyes watching the beasts charging toward them. She let out a soft sigh.
On the other side, Inori's pink-and-white figure had already become the Valkyrie of the battlefield—darting and twirling among the enemies like a butterfly among flowers. Each time she passed a monster, another life was taken.
Even though they were of the undead, they could not resist Inori's attacks, empowered by the abilities of the Apocalypse Virus. Especially when her bullets were imbued with spiritual power and her Deathblow skill, not only did they inflict unbearable pain, but the fear that sank into their very bones was what truly terrified them.
Though Chu Lian had said that this battle would be handled by Inori and Tina, the sheer number of enemies still exceeded her expectations. If she couldn't protect the two cars before Inori and the others finished off their opponents, then even victory would be meaningless.
So she stood there atop Cai Ya's car, blocking the monsters that leapt toward them, kicking them away, while grasping the pendant resting against her chest—the Key of Seven Illusions—and murmured softly, "Seven Illusions Bow."
Brilliant light bloomed between her hands. Unlike the blinding radiance that came when she summoned the Void Greatsword, this light shone like that of a brilliant diamond, refracting a dreamy spectrum of color.
In that instant, the light was not only dazzling but brought unbearable pain to the undead. Two creatures that brushed past her were instantly purified into nothingness.
This reaction was something that hadn't occurred the last time she summoned the Seven Illusions Bow. It was as if the weapon itself was rejoicing—craving something.
The bow was one meter long, its form graceful and elegant. Compared to before, it looked even more exquisite. Half of the bow was engraved with intricate white rose patterns, while the other half remained hazy, as though the roses there had yet to bloom.
"White rose… I see…" Chu Lian's mind worked quickly even amid chaos. In an instant, she understood the cause of this new phenomenon.
From the moment she called forth the Seven Illusions Bow to the instant it appeared in her hand, only a few seconds had passed—yet the tide of battle had already turned.
With her strengthened attributes, Inori could now rival Chu Lian even without the Void Greatsword. Not to mention, she wielded her Spiritual Bullets and Deathblow—two abilities that made her a true reaper of lives.
Under the light, her slender form danced, her expression devoid of smiles, her wine-red eyes frozen like shards of ice. Yet this crystal-like girl brought with her a beauty that struck the heart amid all the bloodshed.
At least, the girls watching her were mesmerized. They had never seen such a beautiful battle—nor realized until now how captivating this girl, as lovely as Chu Lian herself, truly was.
Pale violet crystals bloomed one by one, falling like snowflakes in the night. Yet each petal's bloom marked the end of a life—for these flowers were nurtured by death itself.
By now, seven or eight of the monsters around Inori had already fallen—each one slain within three shots. Even the bodyguards, who had been struggling to fend off the few creatures assigned to distract them, were now freed, as their opponents abandoned them to charge directly at Inori.
Unfortunately for them, none noticed the small figure darting in and out beside her—Tina, in her spiritual form, moving freely between the shadow plane and the physical world. They couldn't see her, nor could they sense her presence.
The ability of the Underworld Watcher was no joke. There was already a significant difference in power between them, and with the Underworld Watcher's passive damage bonus against undead lifeforms, the enemies fell one after another with frightening speed.
Honestly, if their foes this time had not been undead but of some other race, they might not have fallen into such a dire situation so quickly. But as fate would have it, the remaining ones were all of the undead. So they could hardly blame Tina's claws for being too sharp.
Thus, the group of undead—who might have enjoyed a carefree existence in the surface world for a time without the interference of hidden experts—were swiftly reduced to piles of corpses, never to move again.
Even so, the anomaly caused by Chu Lian's summoning of the Seven Illusions Bow had drawn everyone's attention. The few remaining monsters were clearly the stronger ones among them—including the two who looked identical to the one who had spoken earlier.
"It seems we underestimated you. Who would've thought that aside from you—the strongest of your group—there are two others of nearly equal power. But if you think we'll surrender so easily, you're far too naive."
The two spoke at the same time, their voices perfectly synchronized. Their tone, voice, and even height were identical, and they stood symmetrically on either side. Without extraordinary memory or eyesight, one could not tell them apart at all.
"Then let us show you the hidden ability of our race—the power even the Orai Clan fears…" As they spoke, the two suddenly faced each other and collided.
Chu Lian, Inori, and Tina could all have destroyed them before they moved—but considering they might encounter similar opponents in the future, Chu Lian decided to observe and learn about their ability. She held Inori and Tina back, watching calmly as the two collided and formed a dark orb of energy.
"Black light that shines… how unpleasant. The abilities of the undead are indeed mysterious—and boring," Chu Lian murmured with a faint, derisive smile. Seeing Inori and Tina move to her side, she added softly, "It seems if we hadn't killed their third brother earlier, this could've turned into real trouble."
Inori glanced quietly at her, then turned back, observing the black orb carefully. Tina, on the other hand, rolled her eyes, clearly displeased at Chu Lian's casual dismissal of her power. After all, she could now handle even high-level Spirit-ranked undead with ease—why would she fear opponents who hadn't even reached the Spirit Peak?
"Roar…" A deep growl suddenly echoed—sending a tremor through their hearts. The five or six remaining monsters threw themselves at the black orb without hesitation.
Without warning, the orb vanished the moment they merged into it. What appeared before them was a colossal figure nearly five meters tall—with two heads, eight pairs of bone spines jutting from its back, and its entire body covered in scales.
At that moment, the system issued a warning: "Caution, Host. A Spirit Peak-level undead has appeared. Due to the disparity in power, do not engage directly. Enemy data: Strength 90, Agility 30, Stamina 80, Spiritual Perception 5. Note: This creature possesses ancient dinosaur-like strength. Avoid its attacks."
"It seems… I really overdid it this time… cough…" Chu Lian gave a wry smile as she read the alert. The spiritual power maintaining the Seven Illusions Bow strained her body, causing a fit of coughing.
"You two hold him off… I'll finish this…" she said after closing her eyes briefly. When they opened again, her gaze had turned sharp and resolute.
"Chu Chu, Cai Ya—you two, go first. Come back in three minutes. Remember—no matter what happens, return exactly three minutes later. Understood?" Chu Lian said firmly, then turned to the two drivers and gave a stern warning. After that, she addressed the bodyguards. "Your job now is to protect them—and to stop them from doing anything foolish. If either of them tries to come back before the time's up, I won't guarantee what will happen next."
Her tone was unusually serious—so much so that Chu Chu and Cai Ya, who wanted to speak up, didn't dare to. They simply nodded in obedience.
"Then… let's begin."
With a light tap of her toe, she leapt into the air, landing gracefully atop a slender bamboo branch. Her delicate figure swayed gently with the wind, yet in that moment, it seemed to radiate a strange sense of calm.
The four cars started up the moment she raised the Seven Illusions Bow, speeding off into the distance. They didn't want to leave—but they couldn't stay either. Remaining behind would only be a burden.
Fortunately, with both Inori and Tina's recent surge in strength, neither feared the monster before them. Their agility far surpassed its brute power, and holding it off was not difficult—allowing Chu Chu and Cai Ya's group to retreat safely.
Of course, part of that was because the monster's fusion had clearly reduced its intelligence. With its Spiritual Perception dropped so low, its mind was likely in chaos.
"How interesting… Let's see if you can withstand this arrow."
Her spiritual power surged wildly. Though her body was injured, that did not mean her power had waned. The Seven Illusions Bow drew upon spiritual power as its source of attack—and Chu Lian could pour every last drop into it if she wished.
This arrow consumed 99% of her remaining spiritual power. Once released, it would shake heaven and earth.
Sensing the danger, the monstrous creature went berserk. Its pillar-like arms flailed wildly, trying to strike down Inori and Tina—but its efforts were futile.
The surroundings, once merely damaged, were now shattered under its rampage—the ground splitting apart, the road cracking, resembling a wasteland blasted by missiles.
But soon, even these traces would vanish—erased by Chu Lian's arrow, leaving behind only a massive crater.
"Farewell…" she whispered softly. As the arrow flew, Tina immediately pulled Inori into the shadow plane, reappearing at Chu Lian's side.
Light burst forth—radiant, dazzling beyond words.
That night, there were some who would never fall asleep again.