On the Ark.

Chen immediately left the scene and walked to the back entrance of the building. There she saw two tire tracks, impervious even to torrential rain, leading straight towards the slums. She instantly realized something, couldn't help but rub her forehead, and muttered, "Is this guy... insane...?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly sensed something and subconsciously looked down, seeing that the Crimson Cloud pendant hanging at her waist was trembling slightly.

It looked as if it was about to be drawn from its sheath.

……

This will be a very tough opponent.

Lin Ye had already sensed it.

The pressure of standing alone in front of him was greater than the pressure of standing in front of so many people. This made Lin Ye feel that he might as well have let one or two people slip by, saved some time, and then taken care of this guy first. But that was just a thought; he didn't have the ability to turn back time, and he had already made his tough statement, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.

Meanwhile, the scholars who had regained their freedom gradually recovered from their initial panic. Most of them glanced at Lin Ye and Jin Gui, then immediately fled back the way they came, as if afraid someone would leave them behind. Only Rowling, carrying Eyjafjalla, didn't leave immediately, but stammered as she asked Lin Ye, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Lin Ye was somewhat surprised that this female scholar, whom he had previously found to be so mean and annoying, would say such a thing. He glanced at Eyjafjalla, who was clinging to his back, and wanted to ask about her condition, but he knew there was no time for that now. He could only nod and say, "Just help me take Eyjafjalla back. Thank you."

Upon hearing Lin Ye's words, Jin Gui's lips twitched slightly, revealing a smile: "So that's how it is. You chased after them because of this girl? I thought you were from the Guard Bureau... But that doesn't matter." His smile gradually turned sinister. "You don't need to let them get away. In ten minutes, I'll catch up with them after I've dealt with you, and then kill them all."

"Ten minutes? Okay then." Lin Ye patted Lorraine on the shoulder and said, "Take Eyjafjalla away. If she wakes up, tell her that I'll take her out for a midnight snack in ten minutes."

"Then she'll never get to eat your midnight snack in her entire life!" Jin Gui roared, then charged at Lin Ye.

Lin Ye immediately felt immense pressure, but he couldn't back down at this moment. He whispered, "Hurry up, go as far as possible, the Guard Bureau is about to arrive."

After saying that, in order to prevent Rowling and Eyjafjalla from being affected, he also raised his knife and went to meet them.

Looking at Lin Ye's incredibly thin body compared to Jin Gui, Rowling bit her lip, then quickly left with Eyjafjalla on her back.

Clang!

Lin Ye's [Maple] and Jin Gui's folding axe clashed once again, sparks flying. But unlike before, Lin Ye had already slain eighteen people, and by the time he reached Jin Gui, he was practically at his limit. Jin Gui, however, was also hastily retaliating, his axe not even fully extended, meaning neither of them were at their best.

However, both players are now in peak condition after adjustments. Yet, compared to the initial stalemate, the difference in skill this time is obvious.

Lin Ye had never expected Jin Gui to possess such immense power. Even with the ultimate enhancement of his Leaping Wave Strike, he nearly couldn't withstand a single blow from Jin Gui's axe. If he hadn't gritted his teeth and persevered, he would likely have been forced to his knees by the overwhelming force. Although he was barely holding on, he felt every joint in his body creaking and groaning, as if they might break at any moment.

At that moment, a bolt of lightning flashed, and the golden demon's terrifying face was instantly bathed in daylight.

"What's wrong?" Jin Gui asked slowly, his breath spraying onto Lin Ye's face through the rain. "Are you about to give up? Didn't you say you'd finish me off in ten minutes?"

Lin Ye gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "You said that too."

"But I will make it happen!" Jin Gui roared, accompanied by a belated clap of thunder, he kicked Lin Ye in the stomach, sending Lin Ye sprawling back three or four meters. "You brat, you'll pay for what you did today!"

Then, raising the axe high once more, it came crashing down with a powerful blow.

Fortunately, Lin Ye reacted quickly enough and managed to dodge the attack. The axe almost grazed his body, leaving a deep trench in the ground.

Don't confront him head-on!

This was Lin Ye's only thought.

This person's strength is truly terrifying. Apart from Skadi, Lin Ye has never seen anyone who could so easily and perfectly suppress him in his Leaping Wave form. Although Skadi uses one hand, while this guy uses both hands... but whether it's one hand or two, anyone who can rival Skadi in strength is a monster among monsters!

Lin Ye immediately stepped back, trying to distance himself from Jin Gui. At the same time, he glanced in the direction where Lorraine and Eyjafjalla had left. Only when he could no longer see them did Lin Ye breathe a slight sigh of relief.

"What are you so relaxed about?" The next second, Jin Gui reappeared in front of Lin Ye. "I already told you, they can't escape!"

Lin Ye hadn't expected Jin Gui to be so fast; despite wielding such a heavy axe, he could catch up with him in an instant.

Jin Gui swung his sword axe with one hand, sweeping it horizontally towards Lin Ye's head. Lin Ye had never seen an axe used like this before, and he immediately ducked his head, desperately lowering his center of gravity to barely avoid the sharp blade of the sword axe. The blade grazed his back, slicing off half of his collar, and then embedded itself deeply into the wall of a nearby house, sending large chunks of gravel flying.

He barely dodged another fatal attack, but in his curled-up position, Lin Ye could no longer evade the attack coming from Jin Gui. Jin Gui then swiftly raised his knee, striking Lin Ye squarely in the cheek. Lin Ye groaned, feeling as if his head was about to explode. His body, propelled by inertia, tilted backward 180 degrees, finally landing face-up in the pool of water, his face covered in blood.

Jin Gui stood in front of Lin Ye and snorted coldly, "Eight minutes left."

In truth, Jin Gui didn't know if Lin Ye could still hear him. In his view, Lin Ye's physique was quite ordinary; taking his knee to the face would most likely have knocked him unconscious, or at the very least, cause a concussion. So, the battle was essentially over; all that was left was to wrap things up.

So he slowly raised his axe, preparing to cleave Lin Ye in two.

But Lin Ye suddenly stood up at that moment and pulled a metal weapon out of his pocket.

Jin Gui noticed what it was, his eyes widened, and he immediately lowered his head.

boom!

A competitor's bullet grazed his scalp, leaving a trail of bright red blood from the powerful kinetic energy.

"Damn it!" He hadn't expected Lin Ye to resort to such underhanded tactics at this moment, so he roared and kicked Lin Ye's gun-wielding hand, not giving Lin Ye a second chance. Lin Ye winced in pain and lost his grip on the competitor, which flew out of his hand. But his other hand, holding [Maple], didn't stop; instead, it aimed directly at Jin Gui's axe.

The slender blade pierced through the notch in the folding switch axe. The one-legged Golden Demon couldn't control the axe properly and was nearly pulled away by [Maple]. Then, [Maple] also pierced into the nearby wall, pinning the Golden Demon's switch axe to it, rendering it immobile.

Jin Gui instinctively tried to pull out his sword, but Lin Ye suddenly released Maple, then leaped up and grabbed his head, slamming it into the wall like a sandbag.

Suddenly, a head-sized gap appeared in the stone wall, along with a head covered in blood.

“You…” Jin Gui tried to break free.

Lin Ye didn't stop attacking. Instead, he climbed a few more steps, kicked Jin Gui in the head, grabbed Maple with his other hand, and then, with a sudden burst of strength, used Jin Gui's head as a fulcrum to forcefully pull Maple out. This also "embedded" half of Jin Gui's body into the wall.

The cracks caused by the several gaps spread like a spider web to various parts of the wall, and then the entire wall collapsed, instantly burying the Golden Demon and his sword.

Lin Ye took several steps back to avoid being caught in the blast.

Looking at the collapsed wall, Lin Ye used [Maple] to support his body, spat out a bloody tooth, and said coldly.

"Seven minutes left."

……

……

Author's note: Twelve chapters still owed.

Chapters 4, 5, and 6: I'll give you ten minutes too (3K)

While Lin Ye and Jin Gui were locked in fierce combat, Mostima watched from a high platform on the other side, then narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Why would someone be so powerful?" Mostima said softly. "It seems a bit presumptuous. It would be better to resolve this quickly."

As Mostima spoke, she raised her staff towards the Golden Demon. As Originium energy gathered before the black staff, she suddenly sensed danger. She immediately withdrew her staff and retreated. The next second, the spot where she had just stood was destroyed by a giant sword; the powerful force directly shattered half of the roof.

"It's really quite good."

When Mostima regained her footing, she looked up and saw Blackback, who had already sheathed his sword and was carrying it on his shoulder.

"You're quite a formidable fellow," Blackback said with a smile, looking at Mostima. "If you hadn't cast that spell, I wouldn't have been able to locate you. Speaking of which, that kind of spell that almost stops time is truly unprecedented. You're too dangerous; you absolutely must never be allowed to use that spell again."

Looking at the smiling black-backed dog, Mostima sighed softly: "Why would someone as powerful as you come to Lungmen to do such a thing?"

"There's nothing we can do, it's a task assigned to us by our superiors." Blackback pointed to the sky. "We can't help it if we don't want to come... although we really wanted to come to Lungmen. The women of Lungmen are just different from those of Ursus. Little sister, do you want to come back to Ursus with me? If you come back with me, I might spare your life. Think about it."

"Go to Ursus?" Mostima pretended to think about it seriously for a moment, then said with a smile, "I can't make that decision. You should ask the person down there."

"Really? So you were with that guy." Blackback nodded and said, "But it doesn't matter, he's about to be killed by Golden Ghost anyway. I can tell that guy isn't anything special. Without your help, he wouldn't have lasted five minutes against Golden Ghost."

"Is that so?" Mostima put away the black staff, then slowly took out the white staff and said softly, "It seems I have to deal with you quickly before I go to support him."

Despite her words, Mostima knew she had been overconfident. She hadn't expected the bandits to have two warriors of this caliber hidden among them. She had initially thought that her presence alone would be enough to protect Lin Ye. But alas, the Timeless Locks that had bound over twenty people had drained a significant amount of her power, and she wouldn't recover quickly. And now, being unskilled in close combat, she was being engaged in melee by an opponent who excelled in it—nothing could be worse.

No, there's more. If Lin Ye also gets into trouble, that would be even worse. Mostima doesn't want that to happen; she would never forgive herself for it.

So she raised her white staff, aimed it at the smiling Blackback, and powerful Originium energy gathered at the end of the staff.

We have no choice but to give it a shot.

……

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..."

Lin Ye was panting heavily; he felt like his body was about to fall apart.

Lin Ye himself could hardly believe he had pulled off that series of maneuvers, but he had managed it nonetheless. The feeling of dancing on the scythe of death was, to say the least… absolutely awful. If he could, Lin Ye would never want to try it again. But reality wouldn't allow it. Just as Lin Ye was about to retrieve his competitor, which he had accidentally let go of, the collapsed wall suddenly began to shake.

"No way," Lin Ye muttered, "They're still alive?"

Jin Gui was indeed not dead. He staggered to his feet from the rubble, covered in blood.

"You... bastard!" Jin Gui gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot. "I will kill you today!"

“You already said that.” Lin Ye used [Maple] to support his body and tried to speak in a calm tone, “But it’s no use. I’m still alive and well standing in front of you, while you’re about to die.”

Lin Ye didn't want Jin Gui to see that he was already at his limit. Perhaps because of the torrential rain, this wave-leaping attack was the longest he had ever experienced, and it hadn't subsided yet. However, the burden the wave-leaping attack placed on his body was constantly increasing. Lin Ye felt as if his entire body was filled with lead, making movement extremely painful. Once the wave-leaping attack ended, he would probably immediately fall into a coma and then lie in bed for three days and three nights… but he had to survive. If he died here, he would have nothing left.

Therefore, we must defeat the Golden Demon before the blessing of Leaping Wave Strike completely disappears.

However, direct confrontation or attrition warfare is suicidal; we must devise a way to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop.

Lin Ye quickly racked his brains, trying to figure out what trump cards he still hadn't used. There was no way to hide them anymore; if he wanted to survive, he had to use them all.

"Then just watch!" Jin Gui pulled his sword from the ruins and charged at Lin Ye.

What else? What else? He only needs one chance with his sword. Just give him one chance, and he'll be able to…

Lin Ye suddenly thought of something.

Yes, if it's that kind of thing, then there is indeed a chance.

Although he hasn't successfully used it yet, he has no choice but to give it a shot now.

Lin Ye pulled [Maple] from the ground, then looked up and saw the Golden Demon charging towards him, raising its battle axe high. Its terrifying, blood-stained face looked like a demon in the rain. Logically, at this moment, Lin Ye should either use [Maple] to parry the attack or dodge it directly, but he didn't. Instead, he stood still and used [Maple] to stab at the Golden Demon's neck.

"You're courting death!" Jin Gui swung his axe down directly. At this moment, Lin Ye's speed was absolutely no match for Jin Gui's.

The axe swung down with a thunderous roar, seemingly about to cleave Lin Ye in two.

However, just as the axe blade was about to strike Lin Ye's forehead, a black shield suddenly appeared between the two of them, forcefully blocking the powerful axe blade.

Jin Gui's eyes widened: "What is this?"

This is a dogmatic stance.

Lin Ye answered Jin Gui in his mind, his movements unwavering as he thrust towards Jin Gui's neck. Jin Gui, sensing Lin Ye's intention, immediately abandoned any thought of breaking through the shield, his combat experience allowing him to attempt to block with his axe while simultaneously retreating sharply. But Lin Ye had no intention of giving him a chance. His dogmatic stance meant he could only help block this attack. He already sensed that just blocking this one blow was nearly exhausting the power stored in his amulet. If Jin Gui were to retreat and regroup for another attack, Lin Ye would have no chance whatsoever.

Therefore, we absolutely cannot let him slip away unscathed!

As Lin Ye reached out and grabbed Jin Gui's axe handle, trying to stop him from blocking, he desperately tried to recall the insights he had gained while squatting in the toilet over the past two days.

come on!

He shouted in his heart.

Let me keep this damn big guy here!

And his body responded to his call for the first time.