Chapter 654: Avoidance

"The Sorcery Association has sent four Tier 7s this time."

"In our prime, we in the Fleeting Life Painting would naturally have the upper hand. But with the Fifth Hall vacant, the Sixth Hall critically wounded, and the Seventh Hall deceased, we only have two Tier 7 combatants available: the Fourth Hall and the Eighth Hall..."

"This means someone needs to hold back the remaining two Tier 7s from the Sorcery Association."

The voice of the Second Hall came through the walkie-talkie.

"...So, one of them is me?" Wang Jincheng asked calmly, staring at the approaching Tier 7.

"Your Pioneer's frontal combat strength is very powerful. Currently, you're the only one who can hope to hold back a Tier 7," the Second Hall paused for a moment.

"Remember, you only need to 'hold them back'... Although our Tier 7 combat strength isn't as good as theirs, they only have one Tier 8. Once our deployment is complete and the situation is temporarily stabilized, I will personally intervene and eliminate all their Tier 7 combatants."

Wang Jincheng raised an eyebrow slightly and spoke, half-jokingly:

"Sounds like the advantage is ours."

Bang—!

The next moment, the walkie-talkie in Wang Jincheng's hand exploded out of thin air, as if an invisible hand had crumpled it into a mass of sparking scrap metal.

A translucent phantom drifted through the void, and the black-robed figure sneered,

"What? Am I invisible to you?"

Wang Jincheng's communication was cut off, and his expression gradually turned solemn. He stared at the black-robed figure before him, and the ground beneath his feet began to shake violently, as if a war drum were beating.

"...Then let me see what you sorcerers are capable of."

Clang, clang, clang!

"All town residents! Pack your belongings immediately! Head to Hongchen Main City for shelter!!"

"Repeat!!"

"War has arrived! Hongchen Main City is temporarily open! Everyone! Proceed immediately to Hongchen Main City for shelter!!! Leave behind heavy belongings! Only bring essential necessities!"

Clang, clang, clang!!

Several police officers raced through the town streets, beating gongs, their loudspeakers blaring at maximum volume, causing everyone's hearts to involuntarily tighten.

On the side of the street, a group of Twilight Society members stood in a line, uniformly turning their heads to watch the officers rush past, though no one paid them any attention.

"It seems the situation is getting progressively more serious," Jack of Clubs said slowly.

"The purpose of the Boundless Realm is to slaughter civilians to refine the Philosopher's Stone... It's imperative for the Mortal Realm to prioritize protecting its civilians, otherwise, the more casualties there are, the lower our chances of victory," Bai Ye said, pulling his hat brim down slightly.

After he finished speaking, everyone suddenly fell silent.

Bai Ye turned his head in confusion, finding the others staring at him intently, their eyes filled with bewilderment.

"Philosopher's Stone?"

"..." Bai Ye was surprised. "What? You mean you didn't know yet?"

Everyone shook their heads simultaneously.

"I only discovered this while investigating the Boundless Realm... Lord Wuji has awakened. He collaborated with Brand, the Vice President of the Sorcery Association, to attack and kill the former President, Shang Shaoquan. He also sacrificed a large district to refine the Philosopher's Stone..." Bai Ye briefly explained everything about the Philosopher's Stone.

"I secretly tracked Brand to the church where Lord Wuji resides, and that's how I uncovered these secrets... However, I was still detected. Afterward, I faced a joint pursuit by four Tier 7s from the Sorcery Association. They cast some kind of curse on me, and I barely managed to escape by hiding in the Realm Train... I don't remember anything after that."

Philosopher's Stone?

Soul extraction?

Hearing this, Chen Ling's body trembled slightly, and the image of Kong Baosheng's grandmother involuntarily appeared in his mind...

"...I don't know, she suddenly had an attack and was rolling on the ground in pain."

"She didn't miss a single dose of medicine, yet I... I don't know why this happened..."

"Grandma... at that time, it was as if something was being torn out of her alive..."

Kong Baosheng's tearful voice echoed in Chen Ling's ears. He seemed to understand something, and a surge of anger ignited in his eyes, his fists clenching involuntarily...

"So that's how it is..."

Before this, Chen Ling had suspected that Kong Baosheng's grandmother's death was related to the Crimson Sky Sect's attack, but only now did he learn that it wasn't a natural death from illness, but rather her dying soul being forcibly extracted... And this wasn't the final outcome; even if her physical body died, her soul would be forever trapped within the Philosopher's Stone, enduring endless torment.

At this moment, the "Fourth Wall" in the void around Chen Ling subtly trembled with his rage.

Chen Ling was furious, but what could he do? Rush up to Lord Wuji and claw the Philosopher's Stone off his head?

Ultimately, this was just a war between two realms. Who died, or how many died, didn't matter... As long as he could reverse the era and restart the world, everything else was nothing.

As Chen Ling's emotions calmed, the faint black lines at the corners of his eyes gradually deepened. The tremor of the "Fourth Wall" continued for more than ten seconds before finally settling into silence.

"So, the Mortal Realm evacuating its town residents is indeed the correct choice," Ten of Diamonds mused. "Towns near the realm's edge have probably already fallen, and next will be the towns in the middle ring... Evacuating them beforehand not only reduces casualties but also buys the Fleeting Life Painting time to prepare for battle."

"But can Hongchen Main City accommodate so many people right now?"

"After the previous Gray Realm convergence, nearly half of the main city is in ruins, almost crippled... Bringing in fleeing refugees at this point would likely put immense pressure on supplies."

"But there's no other way. Besides Hongchen Main City, where else could accommodate so many refugees?"

"True..."

"In any case, this isn't for us to worry about," Jack of Clubs said finally.

"How Wuji and Hongchen fight doesn't concern us. Our mission is simply to bury realms and inter the Nine Sovereigns... It makes no difference which realm we bury or which Sovereign we inter.

We just need to be 'spectators' in this war."

Hearing the word "spectator," Chen Ling instinctively felt a jolt, as if something had just clicked in his mind.

"So where do we go now?" Jian Changsheng asked. "To Hongchen Main City as well?"

"People go to the main city to escape, why would we go? To walk straight into a trap?" Nine of Hearts tapped Jian Changsheng on the head.

"The main city is definitely out. If the Mortal Realm falls in this war, the main city will become a living hell... We should go somewhere not easily affected by the war and without strong oversight, to await the start of the final 'funeral.'"

Jack of Clubs rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Then where else could we go..."

"Willow Town."

Chen Ling suddenly spoke. Under the puzzled gazes of the others, he repeated with certainty,

"...We should go to Willow Town."