130. Thunderous Cross

"Are you ready?"
"Of course."
"I'll wait for you downstairs."
"Okay."
Inside the villa, Xiunan hung up the phone.
He walked into the bathroom, turned on the tap, and cupped a handful of cold water. The freezing sensation made him much more alert.
Xiunan glanced at himself in the mirror, his gaze carrying a hint of exhaustion and faint dark circles under his eyes.
For the past few days, he had been in the laboratory crafting a transcendent item of immense difficulty, which the Stigma Professor of the Milodaren School had taught him. In those short few days, Xiunan had not fully mastered all the knowledge the professor imparted.
Ever since returning to the main storyline, Xiunan had continuously researched projects he had yet to succeed in or fully master.
A rune caster's progress was forged through grinding.
Even with his cheat-like abilities, success could not be achieved overnight.
He took down the towel and wiped his face.
Xiunan turned back to the bedroom and put on his overcoat. He glanced at the counter, grabbed four thumb-sized red crystals from it, stuffed them into his pocket, and walked out.
Half an hour later, in the corridor of the organization's headquarters.
Xiunan, dressed in a trench coat, and Bai Jin were walking along the cobblestone path. Organization members coming from the opposite direction greeted them one after another, all wearing deeply respectful expressions.
This respect was not feigned. Bai Jin was the actual manager of the combat department, while the Fist King Hai Meng was merely a figurehead. What truly gave the Golden Spiral's combat department its cohesion and organization was Bai Jin.
Therefore, the organization members held Bai Jin in high regard.
As for Xiunan, that respect was perhaps two to three times greater than Bai Jin's, or it could simply be called gratitude.
The Golden Spiral was essentially a faction dominated by espers, with ring-casters forming only a minority. Espers were naturally at a disadvantage when facing ring-casters, lacking that layer of ring-power light membrane capable of defending against massive attacks.
Consequently, the casualty rate among the Golden Spiral was not low.
A significant number of people died during every mission.
However, this situation changed with the arrival of Xiunan. The transformation pendant granted espers a ring-power light membrane similar to that of ring-casters, vastly increasing their safety.
It was equivalent to adding an insurance policy and a protective shield to the life of every single member of the Golden Spiral.
With the death rate plummeting, how could the members of the Golden Spiral not respect and feel grateful to Xiunan? His prestige within the organization had long since surpassed other high-ranking officials, second only to the leader, Bai Yan.
"Knight, you are truly well-respected within the organization..."
Bai Jin glanced at Xiunan beside him.
"I merely completed the tasks I was supposed to finish... They don't really need to thank me..."
Xiunan shook his head.
"Heh." A rare smile suddenly appeared on Bai Jin's grim face, and he immediately said, "Almost everyone in the organization now has a transformation pendant, and the combat department's casualty rate has plummeted by seventy percent. We owe all of this to you..."
His tone was dead serious. Although Bai Jin was not the official leader of the combat department, he was its de facto ruler.
Bai Jin regarded the combat department as his own subordinates.
"No need to thank me. Right now, it's only the transformation pendants that have been widely distributed. When everyone has a healing badge as well, the casualty rate might drop to a tenth or even a hundredth of what it originally was. By the time that happens, it won't be too late for you to thank me."
Hearing Xiunan's words, Bai Jin adjusted the black hat on his head. He said nothing more and continued to stride forward.
On the third floor, along a spacious corridor.
Xiunan met Bai Yan and the Fist King Hai Meng.
Down below the building was a vast open ground, densely packed with members of the Golden Spiral.
They were all wearing standard combat uniforms, divided into three large columns: left, middle, and right. The left column had the most people, while the right had the fewest. Each large column was further subdivided into individual combat squads.
Numerous members stood neat and uniform in place, exuding an aura of sternness and solemnity. The combined aura of hundreds of people was so overwhelming that even Xiunan, standing on the third-floor corridor, felt his breathing hitch for a moment.
A sweeping glance showed that all combat personnel had a transformation pendant clipped to their ears, looking quite fashionable.
In reality, this wasn't about fashion; it was about utility.
Anyway, everyone who used it said it was good.
Retracting his gaze, Xiunan couldn't help but find the scene somewhat absurd.
A dozen meters away, Bai Yan was draped in a voluminous black trench coat, arms crossed over her chest, her expression solemn and majestic.
Beside her, Fist King Hai Meng—who was only the height of a child—had dragged a stool over and placed it under her feet.
Standing on it on tiptoe, she imitated Bai Yan by crossing her arms, her childish face holding a stern expression.
It carried a distinct, charming contrast of a little child trying hard to act like an adult.
Although this "child" could punch a person's head straight into their chest cavity, Xiunan still felt an urge to laugh.
"You're here?"
The Fist King turned her head and cast a cold glance.
Xiunan immediately looked away, afraid that the corners of his mouth curving upward would be spotted by the Fist King, leading to a relentless brawl.
Five minutes later, the four high-ranking officials of the Golden Spiral slated for battle stood quietly on the third-floor corridor. Their expressions were silent and grave, resembling fixed statues.
Suddenly, Bai Yan, standing in the middle of the corridor, waved her hand fiercely. Her raspy voice instantly echoed across the entire open ground.
"Move out!"
In an instant, the stream of people poured out of the passageway like a school of fish.
"You all know the mission you need to accomplish, right?" Bai Yan turned her head to ask the other three beside her.
"Mm." Xiunan and the other two nodded in unison.
"Then we move out too."
As soon as Bai Yan finished speaking, the cloak behind her snapped sharply. It traced a straight vertical black line upward.
In barely the blink of an eye, she had vanished.
"Flying? Or teleportation? But definitely not a time-acceleration ability..." Xiunan's rapidly vibrating body returned to normal as he exited his meditative state.
"Let's go." Bai Jin, standing beside him, turned to lead the way.
The sun climbed higher in the sky, and the temperature gradually rose.
In the suburbs, the Purple Iris Villa.
Car after car was parked in the empty lot, easily categorized into four distinct types based on their models.
They were the modes of transport representing four different factions.
Looking down from the sky, the entire Purple Iris Villa was actually built in a very elegant design. The overall architecture was in the Baroque style, supported by rows of white marble pillars.
It featured multiple arched doorways, and the paths were exceptionally wide.
The surrounding perimeter was enclosed by tall white walls, inside of which were planted large circles of ornamental trees alongside sporadic flower beds.
Centered around the grand villa of the entire estate, the left side was completely occupied by the personnel of the Holy Flame Society, while the right side was held by three factions led by the Golden Spiral.
The guards patrolling back and forth between the two sides maintained a semblance of restraint, but whenever they crossed paths, they still occasionally engaged in verbal spats and shoving matches. However, no bloodshed had broken out—not yet.
Because a negotiation was currently underway inside the villa.
Until the negotiation yielded a result, not a single person from either faction dared to act as the spark that set off the powder keg.
Inside the hall, the atmosphere was exceptionally heavy.
The surrounding air felt as thick and viscous as glue, making it difficult to breathe, and everyone's backs were slick with sweat. Only Bai Yan and the hooded commander from the Holy Flame Society remained relatively calm and composed, exuding the most formidable auras.
A long table crafted from precious wood sat in the center.
Its specific construction formed a square U-shape.
The upper and lower sides of the U-shape seated the high-ranking members of both factions. Representing the Golden Spiral side, the three allied factions seated a total of eight high-ranking officials.
Four from the Golden Spiral, two from the Allure Club, and another two from the Ice Bird Holy Ascetics. It was worth noting that both high-ranking officials from the Allure Club were exceptionally charming beauties. The Ice Bird Holy Ascetics were also no slouches in appearance; both the man and the woman were handsome, striking, and aloof.
Aside from the rugged-faced Bai Jin, everyone else—including the Fist King Hai Meng—maintained a high standard of appearance.
In stark contrast, the opposing Holy Flame Society members all projected an inexplicably gloomy demeanor. Aside from the captain of the Black Flower Combat Task Force, Chijin—who had blonde hair, heterochromatic eyes, and the imposing presence of a male lion—everyone else possessed faces that were unusually fierce and unrefined.
At this moment, neither side's higher-ups were speaking.
Just moments ago, the negotiations had reached an impasse, with both Bai Yan and Kevin expressing dissatisfaction with each other's sincerity. Everything that had been discussed previously now seemed to have been reduced to scrap paper.
"Since there are divergences, let's set those matters aside for now." Kevin's voice echoed from beneath his black hood.
"What do you mean by that..." Bai Yan narrowed her eyes.
"Just as I said. Did you bring Releyan?"
Kevin reached out his hands and gently pressed them onto the tabletop.
He wore a pair of black gloves over his palms.
"Of course I brought him. Where is the Carlos I asked for?"
Bai Yan retorted.
"Heh... Bring him in."
Kevin lightly clapped his hands.
Instantly, two people from outside appeared in the hall, escorting a familiar figure. On the Golden Spiral side, both the Fist King and Bai Jin glared over with expressions of fury.
Bai Jin, in particular, was consumed by a look of betrayal.
Carlos was his direct subordinate, someone he had even planned to promote to deputy in the next few years. Yet never in his wildest dreams had he expected Carlos to be subverted by the Holy Flame Society.
While the Golden Spiral side burned with rage, Carlos himself remained completely calm and collected, showing not the slightest trace of the attitude of a mere commodity being traded.
Facing Bai Jin's furious gaze, he actually shot a flippant glare right back, walking step by step to the center of the hall.
"The person is here, so where is the Releyan I requested?"
Bai Yan gently tapped the tabletop.
A haggard-looking man was hauled in from outside—it was none other than Releyan, the director of the Holy Flame Society's large Purple Wisteria Mansion. However, he was now exceptionally gaunt, having wasted away to a fraction of his size compared to tens of days ago.
His cheekbones were now starkly visible.
Releyan's hair was dry and unkempt, his lips deathly pale.
At this moment, he wore a sleepwalking expression on his face.
And those weren't even the most important details; the most striking part was his right arm. The entire sturdy limb had been directly amputated, leaving behind only a small, radish-like stump.
During the battle tens of days ago, the Black Jester had unleashed the ability of the Stele-Burdening Evil Spirit. The life force in Releyan's right arm had been entirely sucked away by the evil spirit, turning it into a statue. Had he not amputated it, he likely wouldn't have survived.
The Golden Spiral would never waste a healing badge on an enemy, so Releyan naturally could not regenerate his severed limb.
On the other side, seeing his subordinate in such a miserable state stirred undeniable anger in Kevin's heart.
Yet he could not simply resort to an eye for an eye.
Carlos had betrayed the Golden Spiral; he was one of their own now. Was the Holy Flame Society supposed to torture Carlos to vent their frustration?
Kevin hadn't lost his mind to that extent.
He let out a cold snort and urged the exchange to begin.
Bai Yan had nothing to fear and promptly agreed.
"Bai Jin, go."
"Understood."
The towering Bai Jin stood up, grabbed Releyan by the shoulder with one hand, and slowly walked across to the opposite side.
Meanwhile, the Holy Flame Society also dispatched a scarred-faced man, who led Carlos step by step forward until the two parties met in the middle and came to a halt.
"Release them." ×2
The leaders on both sides spoke simultaneously.
Immediately, the hostages were exchanged.
Surprisingly, no unexpected incidents occurred during the process. Bai Jin kept one hand on Carlos's shoulder and walked back in slow steps.
Xiunan furrowed his brow slightly. Could it really be this smooth?
Suddenly, Bai Yan appeared before Carlos as if teleporting, pointing a finger straight toward his forehead.
"Hmph!"
Kevin's cold snort resounded through the entire hall.
He likewise materialized instantly in front of Bai Yan, delivering a ferocious punch that caused his cloak to ripple violently like waves.
Boom! A shockwave rapidly expanded.
The generated wind lashed violently against the walls, creating a rapid succession of snapping sounds.
Yet at that exact moment, Carlos—who had seemingly been subdued—suddenly executed a backhanded saber-hand strike. With lightning speed, he slashed diagonally toward Bai Jin's throat.
Bai Jin's eyes widened in horror, but his reaction was a fraction too slow. Xiunan had already flashed to his side.
With a fierce knee-strike, he sent Carlos flying crashing away.
A wall collapsed with a loud rumble, and the rolling Carlos abruptly shifted into a completely different appearance. White hair, white eyebrows, and an utterly bland, ordinary face.
This must have been a mask-like ability, though it had been instantly seen through by Bai Yan just moments ago.
Thud! Xiunan dashed forward in a furious charge.
Immediately, he locked into fierce combat with the white-haired man.
In the hall, Kevin and Bai Yan separated.
"Where is the real Carlos?"
Bai Yan's tone remained as icy as ever.
"Hehe..." Kevin chuckled softly.
"Do you think you've come out ahead?" Bai Yan glanced at Releyan, who was being shielded in the center by the Holy Flame Society members. Her eyes held not only coldness but a piercing intent to kill.
"Since you thought of playing tricks during the hostage exchange, how could I possibly fail to leave a backup plan..."
Bai Yan suddenly snapped her fingers.
Releyan, who was tightly surrounded, underwent an abrupt, drastic change in complexion. His previously hopeful expression instantly plummeted as if cast into hell, turning as pale as a corpse in a split second.
With a dull thud, Releyan collapsed to the ground.
There were no convulsions, no struggles, and no cries. He simply toppled over rigidly like a statue, leaving the protectors around him utterly bewildered and alarmed.
"Come."
Bai Yan parted her crimson lips and made a gripping gesture with her right hand.
On the ground, a faint layer of blue mist suddenly materialized over the surface of Releyan's body. The mist roiled and condensed, actually forming a vague humanoid shape.
The figure hovered and charged forward like lightning.
"Realm of the Dead?!"
Kevin leaped forward instantly, unleashing a massive crackling arc of thunder and lightning that blasted the black robe on his upper body into shreds, revealing a robust, entirely azure physique beneath.
"Thunder Cross!"