Chapter 861: The Battle Begins

Chapter 861: The Battle Begins

“Guildmaster! Here they are!” Rewind's voice cut through the crowd, her orange megaphone gleaming in her grip—the petite blue-haired girl dressed like a pretty, youthful cheerleader. A few days ago, she acquired her second Talent, Clairvoyance.

"Continue," Qilin commanded, voice steady.

Rewind's eyes flickered with ethereal blue light. "They're on a bus. War Tiger's driving. I see Gao Yang, Green Snake, and..." Her voice wavered as fear crept in at the sight of her greatest nightmare: The Blond Grim Reaper.

"Wang Zikai."

Sister Ling's hand found her shoulder, steadying her. Rewind drew a breath. "And Nainai, Heavenly Dog, Mischievous Monkey, Dead Pig, White Rabbit, and Zhong He."

"Only eight?" Disbelief colored Amon's voice. Even though she was reluctant to fight, she felt the insult.

Crimson Bee's eyes narrowed. "The others must be hidden nearby."

"Rewind, sweep the area," Colorless ordered.

"Yes, ma'am."

Rewind's gaze shifted from the approaching bus, scanning the bridge's far end, the riverbanks, the roads, and surrounding blocks. But without a specific focus, the search yielded little.

"Dragon isn't here." Surnamed Li's words carried weight despite her soft tone. She was addressing Qilin, of course.

Qilin nodded, his suspicion confirmed. Dragon remained dormant.

Still, he warned, "We can't let our guard down."

“Don’t worry.” Surnamed Li could see into the next ten seconds. Even if Dragon was awake and had been hiding somewhere to use Overlord on them, she would have enough time to warn Qilin to foil the attack.

The bus rolled onto the bridge, War Tiger at the wheel. Cautiously, he stopped a hundred meters out, and eight figures emerged into the night.

Gao Yang took point, his black trenchcoat whipping in the wind, dark eyes unreadable beneath his tied-back hair.

Colorless's frown deepened. It couldn't be this simple.

Disregarding all else, Gao Yang had Absolute Defense. Even if he had failed to conjure an Absolute Barrier because he was caught off guard by Puppet Azure Dragon, he shouldn’t have been wiped out entirely provided his overall physical defense, only hurt by the Serious Punch’s energy shockwaves.

Unless...this Gao Yang was a double.

No, it was possible that the Gao Yang was a fake.

Right, substitutes! They are all substitutes made by Quiet Book, just like what happened at the Millennium Tower. The ones killed then were all substitutes as well.

Colorless quickly concluded. She was about to give a warning when Surnamed Li spoke up first.

"Above, Heavenly Dog," she announced, eyes closed.

The group's collective gaze shot upward, finding nothing but empty air. Colorless's breath caught—Heavenly Dog must have acquired Invisibility, or there was an ally who could grant it.

"Wandering Tune," Qilin commanded sharply.

“Yes, sir!” Wandering Tune immediately understood what he must do after all the rehearsal of tactics he had done.

Above them, invisible and carrying Hong Xiaxiao, Heavenly Dog extended his hands as power gathered around them.

—Spatial Shards!

A hum filled the air as space itself froze around thirty-plus people on the bridge, transforming the area into a prismatic cage. The prison held for one heartbeat before shattering into countless fragments, taking its captives with it.

Sweat trickled down Heavenly Dog's face as his chest heaved. War Tiger's lessons echoed in his mind: Nothing was more foolish than testing an enemy's defenses with half-measures. A killing blow at the first opening—that was true respect for an opponent.

Victory seemed certain. Until searing pain erupted through his back, followed by a desperate cry:

"Wake up!"