Mo Yi finally understood where Moke’s confidence came from.
His teammates… each displayed extraordinary skill and power.
This was a remarkably well-structured adventuring party—mages and archers overlapping their fields, unleashing terrifying ranged firepower, while swordsmen and warriors held the front lines under pressure, with Moke lurking at the edges.
With such a balanced team, offense and defense in perfect harmony, they truly had the means to escape unscathed.
If there was one flaw in this group, it was the lack of a cleric, leaving them vulnerable in prolonged battles.
Mo Yi thought he could exploit this weakness to dismantle their formation.
With his legion of assassins, a war of attrition might…
But events quickly spiraled beyond his expectations.
A crimson magic circle engulfed the sky, dense mana coalescing overhead.
Mo Yi stared in shock at the impending spell, while his assassins, shaken by its terrifying aura, snapped out of their greed-induced frenzy and scattered in panic.
"Hellforge."
Aina’s icy voice rang out as if the heavens had split open—molten lava cascaded from the sky, burying everything below in a boiling, viscous tide.
"Whoa… now that’s something else," Liyana murmured, awestruck by the apocalyptic sight before her, her gaze flickering with a hint of fear toward Aina.
Even after unleashing such a devastating large-scale spell, Aina’s aura remained steady, as though her mana reserves were boundless.
What a monster.
Aina’s peripheral glance caught Xia Lun’s attention—still not on her, but scanning the surroundings for potential threats. A flicker of irritation crossed her mind.
Moke stood dumbfounded as the ground before him transformed into a sea of flames.
This was the place where he had grown up, the place he despised most, filled with nothing but wretched memories… Though Mo Yi had trained and favored him, the others who couldn’t meet expectations had been ruthlessly discarded.
Now, watching it all burn, an indescribable satisfaction surged within him.
"Done."
Aina snorted coldly, as if she were the true merciless assassin.
A glint of steel flashed behind her. Unfazed, Aina smirked—she had already layered defensive spells there. That ambusher stood no chance of harming her.
Yet, before her barriers could activate, Xia Lun had already intercepted the attacker.
With a single heavy swing of his sword, Xia Lun forced Mo Yi back, the latter unwilling to take the blow head-on.
Aina’s mood improved slightly.
Mo Yi should have fled—lingering here served no purpose for him. But rage had clouded his judgment. He couldn’t accept that years of effort had been reduced to ashes in an instant.
The underground was now buried under lava, every trace erased.
His wealth, his authority, the kingdom he built… all gone.
"You… How dare you do this?!" Mo Yi’s face twisted with fury as he glared at the mage. Clearly, this was all her fault. She would pay.
Mo Yi vanished from sight, his speed surpassing the limits of perception.
"Xia Lun!" Moke shouted in alarm—he knew firsthand how terrifying Mo Yi was at full strength.
In Moke’s memory, no target had ever forced Mo Yi to go all out. He was a natural-born killer, his presence synonymous with death.
Xia Lun remained calm. If anything, he was relieved Mo Yi’s focus was now on him and Aina.
Though Mo Yi’s burst of speed was overwhelming, Xia Lun could barely track his movements.
Mo Yi’s slight frame, neither tall nor muscular, was built for agility.
Xia Lun swung at empty air—only a phantom. The next instant, cold steel flashed at his throat.
Xia Lun twisted aside just in time, the blade leaving a shallow cut near his eye.
"Wow, Moke. Your old man’s no joke," Liyana remarked, impressed. It had been ages since she’d seen Xia Lun injured.
"Now’s really not the time for that!" Moke fretted, though he could do little to intervene.
Xia Lun’s left hand shot forward, grasping at shadows—Mo Yi was already gone.
Bypassing Xia Lun, Mo Yi lunged relentlessly toward Aina. The mage was his priority. The others could wait.
Aina’s wide-area spells were his greatest obstacle. Earlier, only a defensive scroll had saved him from Hellforge’s wrath.
A glint of amusement flickered in Aina’s eyes. Instead of shielding herself, she whispered, "Xia Lun… save me."
Xia Lun erupted with inhuman speed, slamming into Mo Yi like a cannonball. The assassin hurtled through the air like a broken kite.
"Never thought you’d ask for help," Xia Lun grinned.
"You’re my boyfriend. Isn’t that your job?"
The Demon King relished ordering the Hero around.
During their clash with Death’s Elegy, both had fought all-out. Now, Aina knew Xia Lun’s limits—hence her deliberate vulnerability.
Hmm… Since the Hero had also gauged her strength, revealing her identity was premature. Besides, she wasn’t entirely confident she could defeat him yet. That’s why she stayed—to uncover his fatal weakness.
"You two…!"
Mo Yi staggered up, disoriented from Xia Lun’s impact. For a moment, he’d blacked out.
"I’ll tear you apart—piece by piece!"
Ignoring the threats, Xia Lun glanced at Moke.
A pause—then understanding dawned.
Blood ties or not… Xia Lun’s consideration was almost excessive.
Moke nodded. "Do it, Xia Lun."
Mo Yi’s frenzied eyes met Xia Lun’s calm gaze.
Then—the world flipped upside down.
Darkness swallowed everything.