Jiangxia stands guard here Who dares to cause trouble Surrender immediately

The torn sky had mended itself, but the bone-deep aura of destruction had yet to fully dissipate.

Su Qi's expression was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. Only he knew how tightly his nerves had been wound—only now did they finally begin to unwind. Cold sweat clung to his skin, sending a faint chill through him.

He had gambled—and won.

But the risk had been so great that even now, looking back, a tremor of fear ran through him.

The "Lord of Ashes" had retreated not because Su Qi's cards were invincible, but because of misinformation and that deep-seated terror. The bastard had scared himself into submission.

The survivors, still reeling from the shock, hadn't fully regained their senses.

Chen Yuan, pale as paper, was being supported by others. He stared at Su Qi's back, lips parting soundlessly. A storm of emotions—awe, reverence, bewilderment—left his mind in chaos.

A god had descended. A god had retreated. The world had been destroyed. The world had been restored.

All of it had happened in the span of mere moments.

Amid the lingering silence—

"Huum—"

A strange, resonant hum echoed, not from the sky or the earth, but from a shift in the very fabric of reality.

The invisible shackles binding this primordial realm loosened slightly.

Then, a vast and overwhelming presence—like a slumbering beast awakening—spread rapidly from the distance.

This aura stood in stark contrast to the Lord of Ashes' deathly chill. It radiated majestic authority and an ironclad, blood-soaked solemnity.

"Jiangxia Guardian here! Who dares cause chaos? Surrender now!"

A thunderous roar split the heavens.

Following the voice, a streak of light shot through the sky, coming to a sudden halt midair.

At its forefront stood a middle-aged man clad in silver-white battle armor. His hawk-like eyes gleamed with sharp intensity, his body radiating formidable energy. He assumed a combat stance, scanning the ground below with electric vigilance.

Yet—

The anticipated earth-shattering battle did not unfold.

Instead, he was met with an eerie scene.

The land, though smooth, bore traces of recent upheaval. The mountains, though restored, stood with unnatural precision.

The air still carried the thick scent of blood, mingling with dust and something else—an indescribable, lingering divine terror.

Most importantly, there were no enemies.

Only a group of shell-shocked survivors.

The Jiangxia Guardian's furious expression and killing intent slowly froze on his face.

He had finally broken through the realm's seal, ready to unleash his wrath and execute multiple battle strategies—only for everything to stall in his chest, unresolved.

Had it… already ended?

His gaze swept over the scene, landing on Chen Yuan's ashen face and the visibly wounded team members.

"Chen Yuan?" Guardian Jiang frowned, his figure flashing to the ground in an instant.

"Guardian Jiang…" Seeing him, Chen Yuan's tension eased, and he nearly collapsed before being steadied by those beside him.

Jiang Xia hurried forward, assessing Chen Yuan's injuries. "What happened here?"

His instincts told him this was no ordinary incident.

If even Chen Yuan—a man who clung to life like a coward—had fought until he was drenched in blood, the situation must have spiraled beyond control.

"R-reporting to the Guardian…" Chen Yuan gasped, his voice hoarse. "It… it was a god…"

"Divine being?" Jiang Xia's pupils constricted sharply.

Though they had dealt with incidents involving Descenders and sacrificial rituals before, they had never truly faced the direct manifestation of a divine will.

Chen Yuan struggled to organize his words, briefly recounting everything that had just transpired.

From the sudden attack of the tenth-tier Origin Beast, to the descent of the masked divine servant, to the Ashen Lord's will tearing through the sky, and finally... how Su Qi had "persuaded" that terrifying entity to retreat.

Of course, Chen Yuan couldn't explain how Su Qi had managed it—he could only describe what he had witnessed.

A single phrase—"How dare you!"—and the entity had cowered.

Another phrase—"Get lost!"—and it had actually fled.

Damn it, even in his wildest dreams of being the protagonist of a power fantasy novel, he wouldn't have dared imagine something like this.

The more Jiang Xia listened, the more his expression shifted between disbelief and bewilderment, as though he were hearing a fairy tale.

To openly berate a divine being to its face?

And then watch as it obediently repaired the world before slinking away with its tail between its legs?

This...

Jiang Xia forcibly suppressed the storm of emotions raging inside him.

He turned to Su Qi, his gaze indescribably complex.

Shortly after, seven or eight more capable fighters arrived at the scene, a step behind Jiang Xia.

Jiang Xia waved his hand and ordered in a grave voice, "Assess the casualties, tend to the wounded, and secure the area!"

"Yes, sir!"

The casualty report came swiftly.

"Commander! Our losses... total 407 dead or missing, 215 severely injured, and nearly everyone sustained at least minor injuries..."

Even for a major city like Jiang Xia's, losing so many elites in one blow was a devastating blow.

His eyes flickered with grief as he surveyed the wounded—some lying on the ground, others being supported by comrades—and those who would never rise again.

The Origin Realm was, after all, merciless.

Even with the divine being's retreat, the lives lost could not be reclaimed.

The Ashen Lord had mended the world, but not the scars in people's hearts, nor could it resurrect the dead.

Jiang Xia's expression darkened. "What about the examinees?"

"Seventy-six dead, eighteen severely injured, 145 with minor injuries, and none missing."

Jiang Xia approached Su Qi and bowed solemnly. "Thank you for your assistance. However, you may be contacted for questioning afterward. This matter... is beyond my authority to suppress. But rest assured, there's no ill intent. Great Xia is simply desperate for any means to counter divine beings. They will offer you terms you find acceptable."

Su Qi gave no indication of agreement or refusal.

Right now, he just wanted to leave this trouble behind as quickly as possible.

The toll of expending his hidden card and the mental strain of forcing such a brazen act had left him exhausted.

Jiang Xia opened his mouth as if to ask more, but ultimately held back.

It was clear Su Qi had no interest in further discussion.

Besides, some knowledge might do more harm than good.

At the tenth tier, truth be told, he still couldn't touch the true inner circles of Great Xia.

His current position was largely due to his potential—he was barely thirty and still had a chance to break through to the eleventh tier.

"I don't know what to say. This was my failure. I never expected that lunatic to use his own life as a diversion."

"If you ever need help in the future, come to me. I'll give it everything I've got."

Jiang Xia offered his promise.