Chapter 317: Explosion

"Is it finally over...?"Seeing the searing pillar of fire erupt from the distant land, Tan Xin, leaning against the city gate ruins, closed his eyes with a sigh of relief.

Just then, a figure gently sat down beside him.

Tan Xin heard the movement and sharply opened his eyes. He hadn't noticed anyone approaching him the entire time... And who could still be alive in Aurora City now?

When he saw the red hair fluttering in the wind beside him, he froze.

"You... you left on the train, didn't you?" Tan Xin's eyes widened."Oh, I jumped off," Hong Xiu said casually, sitting amidst the ruins.

"Are you insane?!""My saying I'd leave was just to give you some peace of mind... Did you really think I'd let my subordinates die here while I deserted?""But if you stay, aren't you just waiting to be blown up with me?""I'm the Asura Chieftain; nuclear weapons can't kill me. This explosion is no big deal.""Even so... without the train, how will you get out of the Forbidden Sea?""Didn't you say it yourself? Even without a train, I can fight my way through the Forbidden Sea."

"You..."Tan Xin stared at Hong Xiu, speechless for a moment."Don't worry, I'll be fine." Hong Xiu patted Tan Xin's shoulder. She looked into his eyes, and after a moment of silence, said seriously, "I... I had to see you off."

Boom—boom—boom!!As the explosives in various zones detonated, the chain explosions drew closer to the city gate. The searing flames reflected in Hong Xiu's eyes, and Tan Xin was momentarily at a loss for words.

Finally, he shook his head bitterly and closed his eyes, leaning against the broken wall."...Have it your way, damn it... Who can possibly stop you?"Seeing his helpless expression, Hong Xiu's lips curved into a faint smile. She, too, closed her eyes and leaned against the crumbling wall, letting the all-consuming explosion draw nearer...

A scorching hurricane swept over them, and the black enforcer's trench coat swayed in the wind.Hong Xiu pressed one hand to her fluttering red hair near her ear, her eyes closed, and whispered amidst the roaring sound:"...Tan Xin."

"Hm?""I will carry the will of Aurora City and find a way to save you all...""I know, you're the Chief Enforcer of Aurora City," Tan Xin said, his eyes still closed."Of course, that reason is also very important...""Are there other reasons, then?""There are, guess what?""What's there to guess about me..."

Before Tan Xin could finish speaking, a pair of warm lips suddenly covered his. He opened his eyes in surprise, seeing fiery red hair dancing in the scorching storm, and a pair of glistening eyes gazing at him from close range, tears silently rolling down her cheeks...

Boom—!!The explosives at the city's very edge erupted, and the dazzling sun engulfed the entire ruins. Tan Xin's hands gently wrapped around the figure's back, as if wanting to pull her into an embrace...

The next moment, the fiery glow completely swallowed their forms.

Dozens of explosion points detonated, turning the entire Aurora City into a sea of fire. In this brilliant light, countless calamities were incinerated into ash. The furious roars of giant beasts seemed to tear through the sky, but even they were drowned out by the deafening roar.

Outside the city.Seeing the blinding fire light shoot skyward, expressions of shock appeared on the faces of several members of the Twilight Society.

"Whoa!" Red Heart 9 exclaimed, feeling the intense heat wave wash over him, his eyes wide in disbelief. "Is this Red Heart 6's power?""...These must be the explosives prepared beforehand by the Aurora Base," Chu Muyun said, pushing up his glasses. "While it's still unclear what they were originally for, it's certainly done some good... At the very least, it's reduced the pressure of millions of calamities for humanity.""Red Heart 6 really pulls off big things quietly, doesn't he? This guy's got some skills."

10 nodded slightly, a hint of admiration and praise in his eyes. "Though you wouldn't tell from his appearance, this event shows that Red Heart 6 is quite warm-hearted.""Warm-hearted? Yeah, very warm-hearted indeed," Red Heart 9 said, shrugging. "So warm-hearted, he's probably burnt to a crisp by now."

"Hey, has anyone seen that person?""No idea... Speaking of which, that person seemed to vanish right when the explosion happened...""Could it be...?"

The members of the Twilight Society exchanged glances.

The scorching flames gradually dissipated, revealing a devastated landscape.Amidst the swirling dust and embers, a bloody skeleton was regenerating at an astonishing speed. Bone grew flesh, and flesh grew skin, and within mere seconds, a red-haired figure had returned to her original appearance.Hong Xiu remained in the position she held during the explosion, her arms embracing nothingness. Between her arms, dust and ash silently swirled skyward with the fiery remnants.

She was alive, but he... he was dead, right before her eyes.

The wailing cold wind sounded like a mournful lament. She knelt alone in the ruins for a long time, then slowly and silently rose to her feet.She picked up the dust-covered black enforcer's trench coat from the ground and put it back on. At her chest, a transparent pendant, encasing a tongue, glimmered silently.

Her eyes reflected the flowing green and blue aurora borealis across the sky, and her fiery red hair danced in the wind.Finally, she spoke just two words, calmly and resolutely:

"...Wait for me."She turned and walked away from the ruins.

However, after only a few steps, she suddenly paused, as if sensing something, and frowned, looking towards the depths of Aurora City's remains...

Within the grey Aurora City, even though most of the calamities had been reduced to ash by the terrible explosion, a few massive creatures had survived. They roared in fury, dragging their broken bodies as they seemed to search for something within the city.Thump—

From the ruins of a tower, a hand clad in a crimson theatrical costume suddenly emerged from the discarded bricks.Immediately after, a figure slowly sat upright from the dust, then stood eerily in an incomprehensible posture, like a puppet pulled by strings, every joint in its body cracking and popping.

Despite enduring such a terrifying explosion, the theatrical robe on its body remained spotless, as new as if it had just been woven!

Although it only made a faint sound, it was enough to attract attention in the desolate ruins. The surviving colossal creatures suddenly turned their gaze towards this direction, and upon spotting the sole crimson figure, their enraged roars thundered like thunder!Chen Ling's explosion had not only killed millions of forbidden offspring but also a large number of low-level calamities, creating a deep-seated blood feud. If they didn't kill Chen Ling today, their hatred would remain unquenched!

As the multitude of calamities charged madly towards it, the figure clad in the large red theatrical robe moved. Its neck slowly twisted until its face was turned to the back, staring blankly into nothingness.Its eyes were hollow, like abysses...