Chapter 1676: Chapter 68: Second Liberation

Buzz—like a high-speed rail train colliding head-on with a skull, excruciating pain washed over Tang Zheng as his brain seemed to shatter into pieces of flesh. His vision went dark, and he collapsed to the ground.

Sizzle—Vajra Circle burst Tang Zheng’s body apart; blood sprayed out from his flesh, staining him into a horrific image of a blood-soaked gourd.

The overwhelming strike shattered the Gravity Abyss and Armored Armor. Without Queen’s Decree, Tang Zheng would have been dead. Yet, even so, he suffered severe backlash from overusing the decree—his chest felt like a meat grinder had been shoved inside, causing convulsions throughout his limbs and body.

“Tang Zheng?!” Qin Yan’s heart ached as her eyes widened in rage. She threw the Magic Spear Thorn with full force to intercept the Sky Serpent King’s attack.

The mournful cries of ferocious birds accompanied fiery stardust, blasting the Sky Serpent King’s arm, buying precious time for Tang Zheng.

Lu Fan recklessly tried to rush forward but was yanked back by Lin Weiguo, who pulled him in. At such a critical moment, it was the battle-hardened Old Soldier who still maintained his composure.

“Stay calm!” The Old Soldier swung Plate Pulse, which fired directly at the Sky Serpent King.

Vasily and Bingxu cared little about others’ lives but valued this young man. They saw an opportunity to create a debt of gratitude that could lead to unexpected rewards later. They unleashed attacks on the Sky Serpent King’s arm holding the Vajra Circle—but unfortunately, they were a moment too slow.

Whoosh—radiant light rippled across the Vajra Circle. Once fully charged, a beam of golden light struck Tang Zheng’s body.

Pow—Tang Zheng’s flank was pierced, leaving behind a fist-sized hole. If not for his inherently resilient body, this strike could have cost him half his life.

His flesh felt as though it were being roasted—an intense, piercing pain that instead jolted the nearly unconscious Tang Zheng back to clarity.

“Decree—beam deflection!” Tang Zheng summoned every ounce of strength to roll away, narrowly evading the second strike.

The Sky Serpent King swung its arm, using the Vajra Circle to smash the Magic Spear and shield itself from further attacks.

Tang Zheng attempted to teleport but failed. He then tried Gravity Bomb Launch, but scales erupted from the Sky Serpent King’s body, covering a range of hundred yards around it.

“Tang Zheng!” Mu Nianqi froze briefly before flying toward the Sky Serpent King, preparing to intercept it and assist Tang Zheng’s escape.

“Get out of here!” Tang Zheng roared in anger, only for the movement to tug at his wound, causing him to cough up blood.

Mu Nianqi bit her lip, ultimately letting rationality prevail. Facing the raging boss, she knew rushing forward would only mean death.

“I’ll repay this favor!” Queen Mu quickly withdrew, leaving the gravely injured Tang Zheng self-reproachful for losing his instinct for survival—it felt unbearably weak of him.

“Focus fire! Aim for that arm!” Dantai roared, unleashing spiritual impacts as though they cost nothing. He even summoned twelve golden warriors to serve as a meat shield blocking the assault.

Bingxu and Vasily exploded into action, targeting the Vajra Circle-wielding arm as well.

“Sis, save him!” Mirene hadn’t forgotten how that big brother had helped her when she was lost in the forest. She was determined to repay his kindness.

The Little Lolita swung her arm with all her might, throwing her doll, which grew more massive as it flew toward the Sky Serpent King.

Boom—the Sky Serpent King’s arm gripping the Vajra Circle was obliterated. However, not only did the strike fail to save Tang Zheng, it enraged the boss, solidifying its iron resolve to end him.

The Sky Serpent King abandoned restraining other Seeds entirely. Clutching the Magic Treasure with its remaining arm, it unleashed an onslaught of ultimate abilities aimed directly at Tang Zheng.

“Perfect opportunity!”

Di Jingfei and Yan Chiyang were ecstatic, seizing the moment to charge up their ultimate abilities.

“Decree—double Ada effect!” Tang Zheng growled low, summoning a woman in a red cheongsam.

This was the pet Ada—a creature capable of taking one fatal blow in place of its master. Under the Queen’s Decree’s interference with fate, the effect was doubled.

Skills rained down on Tang Zheng in an instant, yet the attacks seemed to pierce through a void, leaving him unscathed. In contrast, Ada beside him disintegrated into a shower of broken flesh.

Cough, cough—Tang Zheng spat blood; the decree’s backlash inflicted significant internal damage.

“Decree—movement acceleration!” Tang Zheng was determined to forcefully escape. Watching as the Sky Serpent King prepared to strike with the Purple Gold Gourd, he enclosed Undamaged Lake Light with Gravity Claw and hurled it, hoping to intercept it.

Relying solely on Gravity Barrier was futile against such a unique piece of equipment—the gap in power was simply too vast.

“Hmph. Do you think you can escape?” The Sky Serpent King snorted coldly, its voice booming like thunder, reverberating in their eardrums. Its long arm swung, smashing the Purple Gold Gourd against Undamaged Lake Light.

Whoosh—the blade descended like a meteor, moving with wind-like swiftness, trailing a streak of light as it shot into Tang Zheng’s back, piercing through his left chest cavity.

His heart was injured. Tang Zheng lost consciousness and plummeted from the sky.

Di Jingfei and Yan Chiyang’s attacks finally landed, brutally striking the Sky Serpent King, dealing it severe injuries. Yet, the boss twisted its body amidst the tumultuous winds and clouds, lunging for Tang Zheng’s corpse.

“No! Destroy Tang Zheng’s corpse!” Bingxu froze for a moment before unleashing an attack.

“What are you trying to do?” Furious, the Warhammer Team snapped.

“Too late, hahaha!” The Sky Serpent King opened its maw wide, tanking the incoming attacks, and devoured Tang Zheng’s fallen body. “Didn’t you all know? Consuming him will restore my wounds.”

The crowd was stunned—even Di Jingfei was somewhat taken aback.

“Bullshit! If you could recover by eating humans, why didn’t you do it earlier?” Lu Fan cried out, seething with rage. “Spit out my uncle!”

“Hmph. You humans are nothing but trash to me. But he’s different. His body contains immense power essence. With him, I can even forge a more perfected Spirit Embryo.”

“Impossible! Tang Zheng is that powerful?” Group Leader Zhao questioned with visible skepticism.

The Sky Serpent King brimmed with pride. Truth be told, the energy within the seven Seeds was substantial as well; however, capturing them posed significant challenges.

“Enough nonsense! Retrieve my uncle’s body—there might still be a chance to save him!” Lu Fan charged at the Sky Serpent King.

“Keep her restrained!” Qin Yan swung her Magic Spear, deflecting Lu Fan, while disappearing from her original position, activating Shadow Country.

When Qin Yan reappeared a moment later, even Bingxu was astounded. Her sudden surge was astonishing—it exceeded standard Hero Level strength despite initially being in that realm.

Qin Yan had already been a half-step into Hero Level. This time, she ascended completely. With prior energy accumulation, her foundation far exceeded her peers.

“Kill!” Lin Weiguo roared, launching himself like an electric shot into the fray. No matter the cost, he was determined to retrieve his companion’s corpse. This all-or-nothing resolve aligned perfectly with Plate Pulse’s will, allowing him to be the first Warhammer team member to merge a unique equipment piece.

Threads of energy were drawn and infused into his body from the heavens and earth, forming a vortex in the air due to the sheer magnitude.

Boom—Lin Weiguo surged, ascending into Hero Level.

Bai Guo, purehearted and uncalculating, was devastated by Tang Zheng’s death and moved by Qin Yan’s tenacity. It felt as though her sky had collapsed; her mind clung to one thought—vengeance.

“I need strength. I must protect Sister Qin Yan.” The Natural Stupid followed Qin Yan’s lead, charging at the Sky Serpent King. This singular determination pushed her into Hero Level.

Tao Ran felt her heart shatter at Tang Zheng’s death. Her legs nearly gave out, weakening as her World Tree Barrier almost cracked.

Pang Meiqin and Li Xinlan were grief-stricken. Yet, as they had recently advanced levels, their energy accumulation fell short, leaving them unable to ascend further.

Xu Biyun, long dormant, finally broke through to Hero Level after witnessing Tang Zheng’s tragic fate. Still, there wasn’t a shred of happiness in her expression—only despair.

This time, fortune wouldn’t favor Tang Zheng with a Resurrection Card. This meant, in the next rounds, they would have to fight alone.

“Without Tang Zheng, how will we survive?” The gaming girl unexpectedly realized that, somewhere along the way, she’d begun seeing him as a Pillar of Strength—a figure who had given her confidence and carried her forward.

Several Warhammer team members burst forth, shocking onlookers. Though already formidable, their sudden transformations might elevate them into the global top ten teams!

“It seems Tang Zheng held great regard in their hearts,” Vasily sighed. “What a pity.”

“No matter their explosions, a bunch of weaklings is still weaklings,” sneered Nuclear Flame, utterly indifferent to the low-level players. “Let’s unleash our ultimate abilities. The Sky Serpent King is severely injured and nearly dead.”

“Indeed, let’s stop wasting time,” Bingxu concurred. “Second liberation—activate!”

“Mirene, stand back!” Elizabeth warned her younger sister before initiating her own second liberation.

The six Seeds erupted simultaneously, fusing their unique equipment with their bodies, achieving weaponized forms!

Light blotches gathered and ultimately formed a luxurious light vessel beneath Earl Qian Nian’s feet, summoning fourteen light pillars to strike the Sky Serpent King.

Light beams, sharp as blades, descended from the heavens, tearing through the boss’s body.

The Sky Serpent King shrieked as its form diminished.

Yan Chiyang transformed into a blazing sun, radiating a brilliance too blinding to behold. He lunged like a comet toward the Sky Serpent King, not only scorching its body but also evaporating nearby water vapor and air alike due to soaring temperatures.

Most Conquerors felt suffocated and had to retreat temporarily to avoid collateral damage.

Bingxu summoned a Slaughter Angel, whose feathers rained judgment upon the Sky Serpent King. Broken Doll attacks now carried traces of destiny’s force, making evasive maneuvers futile.

“Volley fire!” Vasily stood atop a space fortress, where the protruding muzzles all extended outward. With a powerful arm gesture, he commanded an all-out offensive.

Nine Sons Unite—Di Jingfei transformed into an Oriental dragon, conjuring winds and rain, clashing ferociously with the Sky Serpent King.

Elizabeth’s form saw little alteration, except her armor grew more ornate—like that of a valkyrie. She unleashed her ultimate strike at the Sky Serpent King!

Mirene pouted slightly. Though she was capable of weaponization, her lack of practice and the high life-energy consumption led her sister to forbid it.

As the Seeds unleashed their full might, the Sky Serpent King was overwhelmed and sustained continuing injuries.

“So this is the advantage of unique equipment?” Watching combat powers skyrocket among Di Jingfei’s group left the Conqueror onlookers awestruck.

Several reserve Seeds—around a dozen—were also capable of second liberation but wisely chose to bide their time upon realizing their scores were falling behind.

(To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)