Chapter 20: Third Match Victory

The Giant Puppet let out a strange, frenzied laugh, its fingers dancing deftly as each string was pulled taut and straightened.

Those fine threads that pierced the Terror Mouse, stabbing deep into its body, were like cruel execution devices, roaming wildly over their flesh.

Blood, continuously dripping.

The Arena was stained with glaring red.

Under the Giant Puppet's control, the Terror Mouse's body twisted at unimaginable angles,

its skull tilted, its legs hung from its neck, and its arms rotated around the shoulders a full 360 degrees.

Just like a puppet being manipulated at will.

Assuming all sorts of bizarre postures, it kept contorting its body, the joints cracking with a "crack—crack" sound.

Suddenly!

Splat!

A vivid red column of blood erupted in the Arena.

A Terror Mouse's limbs were torn off by the fine strings, its neck—connecting head to body—was pulled apart, and its skin ripped open.

Under the immense pulling force, the Rat Head separated from the body!

With the first Terror Mouse dealt with,

Next,

as if a chain reaction was triggered, the hanging Terror Mice one by one met the same fate.

Scalding fresh blood kept gushing out, a putrid stench filling the air, making one gag.

At this moment,

All the spectators were dumbfounded; this horrific, bizarre performance became an image they would never forget.

TeMiqi, who summoned the Terror Mouse, cowered in terror in a corner, arms wrapped around its knees, body trembling uncontrollably.

It clearly felt,

echoes of mournful cries reverberated in its mind.

Save me!

Please, come quickly and save me!

That was the Terror Mouse's plea for help.

It was undergoing an unprecedented, searing agony.

Soon,

All the Terror Mice in the Arena were eliminated in that instant!

Ten seconds remained of the agreed three minutes!

"Shadow Puppet Show... this is just too terrifying!"

"Somehow, I feel as if my neck is being pulled by a string, tightly controlled."

"Puppets control puppets, people manipulate people; isn't this Shadow Puppet Show also a reflection of us?"

"Not even three minutes in, Dragon Nation has won again."

The audience's gazes grew vacant; the initial contempt had completely vanished.

"Fack!"

"What on earth is the Dragon Nation's Summoned Creature!"

"Why can't even a Terror Mouse hold it for three minutes??"

Charlie's face turned ashen, and he pounded the nearby fence with fist after fist; even though his fingers bled, his anger engulfed him so completely he was unaware.

At that moment, a phone ringtone rang.

Seeing the caller ID show Qin Meng,

the prior displeasure turned into a more restless irritation.

"Speak!"

"According to the agreement, you must tell me who launched the terror creature attack on Dragon Nation."

Qin Meng's calm voice came through.

Charlie took a deep breath and said coldly:

"Xiao Han Republic."

"Third match, Dragon Nation wins!"

"According to the rules, Dragon Nation's current score is 4:0."

The Mysterious Judge appeared at the center of the ring.

With a sweeping gesture, a black mist enveloped the ring, swallowing the previous bloodstains until they vanished without a trace.

Dragon Nation's Life-or-Death Duel, third round.

Dragon Nation wins!

This result, for Beautiful Nation and other countries that dislike Dragon Nation, was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue.

At this rate, Dragon Nation's clearing the stage with a Life-or-Death Duel is only a matter of time.

"It seems ordinary S Rank is no longer enough to contend with Dragon Nation."

"Baka! Actually, we should have been wary from the start; Dragon Nation's Summoned Creature far exceeds our imagination."

Meng Lingchuanxi suddenly realized at this moment.

The Triumphal Empire's representative nodded in agreement, "In fact, based on the current strength shown by Dragon Nation's Summoned Creatures, they have definitely reached S Rank level, and may even be approaching the SS Rank threshold!"

"What should we do then? Should we send SS Rank terror creatures onto the field?" Meng Lingchuanxi asked.

Charlie shook his head nearby, "No need; I have already informed Dragon Nation of Xiao Han Republic's attack on Dachang City."

I think, in the not‑long future, an irreconcilable conflict between them will inevitably arise.

The next contest will be the Xiao Han Republic versus the Dragon Nation; we can use that chance to return home, gather strength, and strive to defeat the Dragon Nation as soon as possible!

The leaders of the Great Xiong Nation and the Triumphal Empire heard this and found the words reasonable.

Since the Divine Ghost Killing Arena appeared,

the Xiao Han Republic has remained low‑key and patient.

Biding their time in the shadows,

plotting unspeakable schemes.

Now is the time to let them show their true faces.

Zhang Cheng plopped onto the chair, and Qin Meng's phone rang sharply,

"Qin, what's wrong?"

"There's a bit of news, half happy, half sad—one good piece of news and one bad piece of news."

Time is tight; although this adjustment still allows five hours, it feels like it will pass in the blink of an eye.

Qin Meng said bluntly, "The good news is, based on your current performance, the nation has decided to award you a lifetime highest honor, plus a hundred‑million‑yuan prize. You're welcome; you deserve it."

Zhang Cheng is not a timid person, and since it is a national reward, he simply accepts it.

"And the bad news?"

"I just confirmed with Charlie that the attackers on our Dragon Nation were that bunch of Korean thugs from the Xiao Han Republic. That inconspicuous little country dares to run amok on our territory—do they really think the Dragon Nation is easy to bully?"

Qin Meng's tone added a few degrees of coldness.

Zhang Cheng furrowed his brows, "Qin, I think the matter isn't that simple; the Divine Ghost Killing Arena has indeed boosted their strength, but compared with our Dragon Nation, the gap remains vast."

"If they dare to move against us, someone must be pulling the strings behind them!"

"Hmm."

Qin Meng agreed, "I think the same; the chief envoy is certainly not the Xiao Han Republic—they lack the courage."

"So I suspect the hidden hand behind this is the Beautiful Nation."

"Since the Divine Ghost Killing Arena appeared, the Xiao Han Republic has used the rewards to appear idle publicly while developing secretly, surely brewing malicious plans."

"The Beautiful Nation likely intends to provoke a clash between the Xiao Han Republic and us, thereby weakening both nations' strength."

That analysis does have merit.

However.

"Is the Xiao Han Republic willing to be the Beautiful Nation's gun?"

"Provoking us wouldn't benefit them either, right?" Zhang Cheng was perplexed; why would they act that way?

Qin Meng shook his head, "Not very clear."

"But it is certain that, given the Xiao Han Republic's current strength, they wouldn't dare defy the Beautiful Nation's orders."

Used as a gun, perhaps?

Zhang Cheng thought this was logical.

The Beautiful Nation may proclaim liberty and peace, but everyone knows it loves to oppress other countries.

"By the way, has Team Zhou completed their mission?"

"Did they capture the attackers?" This matter weighed on Zhang Cheng.

Qin Meng said, "Not yet, but we just received intel; the attackers' exact location has been locked, and we should resolve it within an hour."

Dachang City.

Ju Hun Jiang led Jiao Hong and Yu Haili into a deserted mall building.

The spacious corridor had cracked, mottled floor tiles.

The shops inside the mall had long been empty.

The shelves inside were looted clean, still bearing obvious gunfire marks.

"Senior Ju Hun Jiang, are the attackers really here?"

Yu Haili looked around; in the dim setting, the flashlight's beam appeared faint.

Ju Hun Jiang toyed with the Soul‑Reaping Rope, nodding earnestly,

"Young lady, you must trust my intuition."

"Regarding souls and such, my sensing is unusually sharp; if I say it's here, then it is definitely here."

Yu Haili waved her hands hurriedly, "No, no, no, Senior Ju Hun Jiang, you misunderstand; it's not that I don't believe you."

"It's just that you may not know, the people of the Xiao Han Republic are extremely cunning and adept at disguise."

Ju Hun Jiang patted her shoulder, "Don't worry, apart from the two Black and White Impermanence, no one can evade my eyes."

"Let's go, we'll take a look; I can feel that aura getting closer."

Following Ju Hun Jiang's lead,

they reached the end of the first floor.

Ahead was a closed, cramped restroom.

It was dark and damp, and stepping in released a foul stench.

An unclosed faucet dripped on the sink.

They first entered the women's restroom,

but after searching every stall, they still found nothing.

"No doubt, they're definitely hidden here."

Ju Hun Jiang pointed at the men's restroom and strode in, unafraid of the darkness.

Jiao Hong and Yu Haili followed closely behind.

Upon entering the men's restroom,

A wave of unbearable nauseating odor hit the nose.

Not the ordinary foul smell of a toilet,

but a fishy stench,

it is the stench of decay!