Kuhaus Tam was petrified, unable to move but still conscious. As he watched Dean Bruce slowly approach, his mental fluctuations grew intense, struggling wildly.
Crack—
A crisp sound echoed as the stones on his body trembled, cracks appearing on their surface.
Seeing this, Dean Bruce didn't fully trust Cyb Louis's abilities. With a subtle thought, he immediately cast the Wailing Flame Graveyard spell, sending an overwhelming surge of magical energy rippling through the air.
Boom!
Flames surged upwards, quickly forming into a heavy coffin that enveloped Kuhaus Tam.
Bang!
In an instant, a violent explosion rang out as Kuhaus Tam broke free from his petrified state, charging straight into the flames with a blood-curdling scream.
The heavy coffin shook violently, causing Dean Bruce's gaze to sharpen.
Luckily, he had acted decisively, without hesitation, casting the spell. If he had given Kuhaus Tam even a moment's chance to escape, recapturing him would have been much more difficult.
As for asking Cyb Louis for help?
Dean Bruce had been watching the show, and Cyb Louis wasn't blind—both were crafty old foxes. There was no way they'd genuinely help each other out.
It was all about mutual manipulation.
Furthermore, Cyb Louis wasn't sure if Dean Bruce's words were true, so he kept his guard up.
With his mind focused, Dean Bruce silently channeled his magical energy, intensifying the flames on the coffin, which became more intense, causing the temperature in the entire hall to rise, catching Cyb Louis's attention.
"Ah! It's so hot!"
"I didn't know you could use this kind of magic!"
"I'm going to kill you!"
The enraged, hoarse shouts echoed through the flames and the coffin, followed by a powerful surge of energy, like an erupting volcano.
Dean Bruce frowned slightly, but without hesitation, raised his hand and cast The Compassion of Heaven and Earth, manipulating the walls and stones within the hall, turning them into endless earth that rushed toward the coffin, covering it in a double-layered prison.
Not only that, he infused the spell with more magical energy, increasing the heat and strength of the Wailing Flame Graveyard spell.
Boom!
As the earth surged, a deep explosion followed, and the coffin violently shattered, with chunks of earth flying everywhere.
The terrifying force swept out in all directions. Dean Bruce didn't try to resist head-on; instead, he quickly cast Thousand Mountains Fortress and Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain spells, strengthening his body as he swiftly retreated, distancing himself from the shockwave.
I have to admit, Kuhaus Tam's strength is still formidable, even after being controlled multiple times. Despite the repeated attempts to subdue him, he was able to resolve each crisis.
In fact, the shockwave from the explosion swept through the entire hall, shattering the bodies of many of those petrified. Even Cyb Louis couldn't help but furrow his brows at the sight.
However, Cyb Louis's goal was not to kill Kuhaus Tam. He didn't counterattack but instead waved his right hand. A purple glow materialized into a shield that enveloped the few surviving individuals, protecting them.
Boom!
The immense force exploded outward, sending Kuhaus Tam flying, his face filled with shock and disbelief.
Dean Bruce spoke indifferently, "Such petty tricks. How many times have I seen them? As soon as I get close, you'll immediately retaliate, won't you?"
Upon hearing these words, the corners of Kuhaus Tam's mouth twitched violently.
Sensing Kuhaus Tam's astonishment, Dean Bruce couldn't help but mentally scoff.
This trick? He had seen it countless times in novels and movies from his previous life. How could he possibly fall for it?
Dean Bruce's expression remained calm as he continued, "I'll give you one last chance. If you try anything funny again, you'll be seeking your own death."
As his words fell, the magical energy within Dean Bruce's body began to surge.
Feeling the intense magical fluctuations and sensing the disdain in Dean Bruce's voice, Kuhaus Tam suddenly leaped to his feet, gritting his teeth. "Damn you! Even if I die, I'll never betray the Minister!"
"Since you want to kill me, then today, I'll take you down with me! Soul self-detonation!"
Boom!
In an instant, terrifying magical energy and soul power erupted violently.
Kuhaus Tam's entire body began to swell up, as if it were a balloon filled with hot air.
Feeling the growing intensity and violence of the energy emanating from Kuhaus Tam, Dean Bruce frowned and instinctively took several steps back, putting more distance between them.
A self-detonation of both the soul and the body—this was one of the most destructive techniques in any fantasy or magical world!
What puzzled Dean Bruce, however, was that Kuhaus Tam wasn't one of the elders brought by Elvis Donimo. Why was he so loyal?
Willing to die rather than betray Elvis Donimo?
As his mind raced, Dean Bruce didn't approach Kuhaus Tam. He wasn't foolish; even as doubts filled his thoughts, his soul remained tightly focused on Kuhaus Tam.
Buzz—
Soon, Dean Bruce's lips curled into a smile.
Just as he had suspected, Kuhaus Tam wasn't an old friend of Elvis Donimo, so how could he possibly be willing to self-destruct for him?
Although his entire body appeared to be swelling up and his soul seemed to be burning, he was secretly splitting his soul into two halves.
One half of his soul was controlling the explosion of his body, while the other half was hiding its presence and fleeing toward a corner, trying to escape.
Upon noticing this, Dean Bruce couldn't help but smirk. A subtle thought crossed his mind, and he immediately summoned the Lord of the Golden Sand.
There was no other choice. Even if only half of Kuhaus Tam's soul was self-destructing, the power of that explosion would still be immense. Despite knowing a variety of high-level and ultra-high-level defensive spells, Dean Bruce wasn't sure if he could withstand the full force.
In this situation, only the Lord of the Golden Sand could reliably block Kuhaus Tam's self-detonation and trap the other half of his soul.
Buzz—
With the infusion of magical power, a gust of wind suddenly swept through the area, and brown sand appeared out of thin air, surging toward Kuhaus Tam's body, which was on the verge of self-detonating!