Let Me Chop Baal If I Have To

Guan Jinyue was silent for a moment, then changed the subject. “Baal, do you still give out welcome gift packages to new hires now?”

“What’s that?”

Baal couldn’t keep up with Guan Jinyue’s train of thought at first.

“That leopard—I’ve seen it before,” Guan Jinyue said, recalling. “In Rust Harbor, the man called He Chenguan—you referred to him as Beidou.”

Baal’s laughter abruptly stopped. Damn it, this kid was making him clean up the mess again.

“That’s… a welcome package from someone else,” Baal said, quickly fabricating an excuse as he returned to his usual cheerful demeanor.

“Beidou, along with the White Tiger you saw before, belongs to an organization called the Guiyuan Group.”

“As it happens, our little friend Chen Guan is also a member of that organization.”

Baal chose to expose one of Chen Guan’s identities in order to protect another.

As for why he was helping to cover for him? Simple—it was entertaining.

The existence of the Guiyuan Group was something Guan Jinyue, as the prodigy of her era, would inevitably learn about sooner or later. Baal didn’t mind speeding up the process.

What He wanted to witness wasn’t just Chen Guan’s fate, but Guan Jinyue’s as well.

“The Guiyuan Group… what kind of organization is it?”

Hearing the name again, curiosity flickered in Guan Jinyue’s eyes.

“An organization that only recruits geniuses,” Baal replied after pondering for a moment. “A madman leading a group of other madmen, trying to change the era.”

Compared to the person before him now, whose true identity remained unknown, Baal had a vivid memory of the organization’s previous leader.

He didn’t even know if that former leader was still alive. People said He lived an incredibly long life, but Baal knew that if that man were still living, he would certainly have outlived even Baal himself.

In fact, even Beidou’s lifespan might surpass Baal’s. Before their first meeting, Beidou had already lived through who knows how many years.

“Are they strong?”

“Of course.”

Baal answered almost without hesitation. Even that kid White Tiger was already a peak-level powerhouse in this world, and there were two others stronger than White Tiger.

Especially that leader, whose identity remained unknown—someone capable of succeeding that man’s position as leader, someone whom Beidou, a near-divine immortal, acknowledged. That person was likely a true deity, just like Baal.

Guan Jinyue said nothing more, lost in thought.

A moment later, she turned her head to look at Chen Guan.

“Chen Guan, could I put Xiao Heng inside your leopard’s space?” she asked, making a request.

Chen Guan looked into her eyes, puzzled by her decision. “You should know that once something’s put in that space, no one can take it out except on my orders.”

He laid out the main risk upfront.

“This item is tied to a piece of eternal cold jade, and inside it lies your only remaining family member.”

Chen Guan pointed at the altar. “Leaving it with me—aren’t you afraid I’ll just take it and run?”

“Compared to those demons who might turn their backs on me for profit at any moment, I’d rather trust you,” Guan Jinyue said without a moment’s hesitation. The moment she opened her mouth, her decision was already made.

If she couldn’t trust someone willing to die for ordinary people, then there was no one in this world worth trusting.

Besides, she had already learned from Baal that Chen Guan was backed by a mysterious organization.

“Reformers of the era”—that was no trivial title.

Chen Guan stroked his chin.

Taking on this ice coffin meant taking on trouble.

But he needed Guan Jinyue, a top-tier fighter, to accompany him in exploring the secrets of the Ice Sea. No matter how he looked at it, it was a worthwhile deal. Besides, Baobao’s space was pretty spacious.

“Leaving it out in the open really isn’t safe. Since we’re partners now, I’ll handle it,” he said, nodding in agreement.

Chen Guan pulled a red-and-white sphere from his pocket, pressed the button in the middle, and tossed it onto the ice.

“I choose you!”

Red light quickly intertwined in midair, outlining a massive silhouette.

A majestic purple leopard landed imposingly in front of the wide ice steps.

Baobao let out a long yawn, shook his glossy fur, and looked quite proud.

“I’ve got a real job for you,” Chen Guan said, patting Baobao on the head and pointing at the massive, frost-covered ice coffin on the altar.

Baobao followed his pointing direction with a glance, then let out a low, deep growl to indicate he fully understood his master’s orders.

A spatial gate opened, enveloping the ice coffin above.

The altar was instantly cleared, leaving only a few lonely wisps of white mist swirling where the ice coffin had been.

Chen Guan raised the red-and-white sphere in his hand. A flash of red light, and Baobao returned to his quarters.

Guan Jinyue stared at the now-empty altar, and the heavy stone that had been weighing on her heart finally lifted.

With the physical burden of the ice coffin gone, she could now leave this place without any reservations at any time.

“Chen Guan,” she said, turning to face him with a tone more solemn than ever before.

“I’ll remember this favor.”

She made her promise.

“Even if you asked me to go after Baal, I’d be ready to act for you at any moment.”

Baal: ???

Wait, lady, wasn’t I the one who showed you the way?

“We should talk about the route to the Ice Sea,” Chen Guan said, steering the conversation back on track.

“The Ice Sea lies on the edge of the Northern Territory, about three hundred kilometers from this sacred altar,” Guan Jinyue explained.

“That place is perpetually shrouded in storms, and even many demons dare not venture beneath its surface.”

She laid out the harsh conditions of their destination.

She didn’t know why Chen Guan wanted to go somewhere so inhospitable, but that was his business. All she had to do was fulfill her role as a guide.

…

Meanwhile, on the other side.

When the space tossed everyone out, An Changqing could only shield Su Yuehe with his body as his shoulder and back slammed into the shattered concrete, numbing half his body.

Long Ao hugged Hong Yuan as they rolled over ten meters before crashing into a wrecked car door, creating a large dent in it.

Yin Chen was pulled down by Yin Tianzheng as they landed, with a layer of ice wind cushioning their fall. Still, Yin Tianzheng coughed up another mouthful of blood.

Long Ao pushed himself up, shaking off the metal debris pressing on him. Unable to believe his eyes, he asked, “Where’s Chen Guan?”

An Changqing remained silent.

Hong Yuan grabbed her battle axe and spun around to look.

“Don’t just stand there—find him! He must have been thrown out too.”

Yin Chen helped Yin Tianzheng to his feet. “Let’s get out of here first. The spatial collapse isn’t over yet.”

Hong Yuan turned on him in fury. “Are you telling me to leave now?”

Yin Chen shouted back, “I’m saying don’t stand around in the collapse zone waiting to die.”

The tower that had once stood at the city’s center was breaking apart layer by layer, the remaining spatial barriers peeling away from its structure. Large sections of steel framework and glass plummeted from above as the entire building groaned with a piercing metallic howl before tilting and crashing down.

Su Yuehe stepped back, dodging falling debris. “The tower is about to fall.”

Hong Yuan raised her axe, casually smashing pieces of rubble out of her way as she stepped forward. “Then that’s even more reason to find him. What if he’s still inside?”