Chapter 1741

Boom!!!

But need to preserve the original punctuation and exclamation marks. Chinese lines often have quotes and exclamation marks. We'll translate meaningfully but faithfully.

We must also output after all 【N】 lines the sections:

Boom!!

On the boundless yellow‑red earth, a black giant serpent as long as a kilometer coiled like a strangler around another yellow petrified giant.

The incessant inward squeezing force of the strangling grinds stone into rubble.

The shockwaves of energy produced by repeated explosions collide between them; their power is so great that it leaves river‑sized cracks on the massive, fortress‑like petrified giant.

It resembles the battle between the world‑ending serpent and the Titan god in a divine war.

But upon closer inspection, one discovers that the so‑called black giant serpent is actually a rule‑mimic formed from strands of black light.

And this bloated‑fortress‑like petrified giant is another Star‑Destroyer who has covered himself with a certain rule.

Hei Di!!

You're just seeking your own death!! It's a disgrace to the Star‑Destroyers! You're a traitor!!

You think... Bang!!

The rule explodes.

Under the black serpent's tearing bite, the stone giant agonizingly clutches his right hand.

No time to curse.

The yellow‑brown stone rule shatters in an instant, and immediately a bloom of blood‑red explodes!

Only to see, under the black serpent's violent strangling, the stone blocks on the fortress giant's right arm peel away like flesh, and the eruptive rule force, like a cannonball, throws the surrounding land into violent deformation.

Not only that, a sky‑soaring blood pillar and anguished cries erupt.

Within the layers of wrapping rule power, each Fifth Stage Awakened One is instantly ground into minced meat by the black‑light rule, even merging with the original stone rule that protected them.

To serve Emperor Lin is our honor.

Not far away, the Star‑Destroyer Hei Di, who manipulates the black‑light rule in the void, calmly watches the Overlord Gu Si whom he himself strangled.

Faced with a fellow Star‑Destroyer of the same faction, he shows no hesitation.

He certainly knows exactly what this Star‑Destroying Level adept at petrification rule is saying.

Nothing more than accusing him that serving Lin An is basically helping a tiger hunt, ultimately just a dead end!

You will surely die a more miserable death than us! Foolish coward!!

You will surely regret it!!

The giant roars.

Faced with Hei Di, who is considerably stronger than himself, the petrification‑rule adept Overlord Gu Si can only curse again, as if venting his inner anger.

Hei Di's rule counters him; though his frontal combat is strong, his defense is also top‑tier among Star‑Destroying Levels.

But against Hei Di, he is like a target, only able to take blows passively.

Of course, in a one‑on‑one fight he does not fear Hei Di; as fellow Star‑Destroyers, Hei Di could not realistically kill him!

But the problem is, his opponents are not just one!

He noticed the Chimera Emperor lurking nearby, ready to strike a fatal blow at any moment! Moreover, what worries him most is that Lin An, whom Hei Di and the others have pledged allegiance to, could appear at any time!

Then you need not worry about it.

With a light chuckle, Hei Di casually replied and then intensified the strength of his black‑light domain.

To deal with Gu Si, who wants to flee with his own Fifth Stage forces, he only needs to trap this big oaf; given time, a flaw will surely appear.

A single Star‑Destroying Level...

A fleeting, imperceptible killing intent flickered in Hei Di's eyes; the teleport‑tower passage he had originally opened for Lin An, he now plans to reopen later.

However, at this very moment, it seems to have sensed Hei Di's restless killing intent.

The Overlord Gu Si, who had been incessantly cursing, suddenly turned cold in expression, as if becoming another person, and his rule power erupted throughout his body.

Boom!!!

The yellow‑brown rule power shoots up into the sky, suddenly piercing both heaven and earth.

In an instant, under the tremendous explosion of rule power, even the black‑light domain coiled around his surface is forced apart.

With the domain's instantaneous collapse, a whoosh, this petrification‑rule‑adept Star‑Destroying Level transforms into a yellow bolt of light and shoots out at extreme speed.

At the same time.

Faced with the Overlord Gu Si's desperate, all‑out action.

Hei Di instinctively withdraws part of his rule for self‑defense.

But just as he is mobilizing more power.

The next second, he sees the Overlord Gu Si, who had just shot out, suddenly twist his body like a cicada shedding its shell, fleeing at great speed from his flank.

Huh?!

I've remembered you! Hei Di!!

A low growl, icy and intertwined with resentment, is flung far behind him.

Hei Di blinks slightly; in his sight, the fleeing Overlord Gu Si, who does not even look back, seems to have discarded his flesh and blood—not only shedding his own defenses but also abandoning the clansmen he once carried.

At full speed, he actually managed to escape right from under Hei Di's eyelids!

Roar!!

At the edge of the battlefield, the Chimera Emperor, who had been lying in wait, also startles, then regains his composure and hurriedly roars as he charges forward.

But before the Chimera Emperor even instinctively thinks of detaining his opponent, a helpless voice from Hei Di sounds.

"Chimera Emperor, forget it. We can't catch up."

"If he escapes alone, even if we pursue, what do we do with the Fifth Stage forces he left behind?"

As he speaks, a flicker of regret crosses Hei Di's eyes, but he quickly returns to calm.

This is their fourth round of hunting Fifth Stage beings under Lin An's orders.

His luck was still not bad; he ran into Gus Overlord, who was hiding with about a hundred Fifth Stage. Although they fought, he discovered that Gus Overlord was relying on his own ability, taking these Fifth Stage and fleeing.

This amounted to being slowed down, to the point that he developed killing intent.

But if he fled, there was nothing that could be done.

At least, these Fifth Stage stayed behind.

Damn rabbit! Still saying we're cowards!

Feeling somewhat unwilling, the Chimera Emperor watched Gus Overlord sprint away, disappearing in a blink at the horizon's edge, and couldn't help spitting scorching sparks from his nostrils.

Although he didn't mind Gus Overlord's insults, he also wanted to kill him first and then talk.

Two against one, plus Lin An suppressing the formation.

Such a good opportunity really gives hope of taking down a Star-Destroying Level.

However, he also knew that Hei Di was correct.

If they wanted to chase down Gus Overlord, both he and Hei Di would have to pursue; otherwise the risk would be too great. Moreover, after fighting all the way, they might draw the attention of other Star-Destroying Levels.

Although they had surrendered to Lin An, with that monster's deterrence, there was still some risk.

"Hei Di, what should we do now?"

"Should we let the Lin Emperor come over?"

A single claw pointed at the hundred abandoned Fifth Stage on the battlefield, and the Chimera Emperor's eyes inevitably flashed with a hint of greed.

Whether or not the Fifth Stage adept at spatial rules had already been divided up, among these Fifth Stage that Gus Overlord had to abandon, there wasn't a single spatial type. But in quality, they were genuinely all War Stars.

Given so many points, it's false to say he isn't moved.

It seemed as if he could see that the Chimera Emperor wanted to kill a portion first and then talk.

Hei Di shook his head and spoke calmly;

"Catch as many as you can bring back. The Lin Emperor needs living War Stars, so we naturally must satisfy him."

As his words fell, the Chimera Emperor's face changed instantly, looking at Hei Di as if he were a madman.

What kind of joke is this!? These are over a hundred War Stars!

Although they are no match for them, the difficulty of disabling versus killing is completely different! Actually, after finishing dealing with this batch of Fifth Stage and sending them to Lin An, he could be exhausted to death!

Moreover...

"Hei Di! Are you crazy!?"

"You really treat yourself like a dog!?"

"Even if we eat a portion first, that one won't notice anything! If we send them all over, we'll gain nothing! Moreover..."

"No."

He raised his hand and directly cut off the Chimera Emperor's psychic transmission.

Hei Di chuckled lightly, as if truly extremely loyal, and bowed slightly toward the fortress direction.

"Capturing so many War Stars, the Lin Emperor will surely be very pleased."

"Moreover, after we disable this batch and the Lin Emperor kills them, we will also gain points."

"What difference would a few more points make?"

"No need for the Lin Emperor to act; troubling him, as his servants we naturally must think more and consider more for him."

As his words fell, the Chimera Emperor instantly froze in place.

It was as if seeing a ghost alive, looking at Hei Di with a sincere face.

Too fake, really too fake.

If he weren't certain that Lin An wasn't nearby, he would have thought Hei Di was showing loyalty, as if he were a different person!

This kind of talk, is it meant for him to hear!?

Noticing the Chimera Emperor's slight fright, mistakenly thinking Lin An was secretly observing their expressions, Hei Di gave another light chuckle and slowly shook his head.

"Chimera."

"The Lin Emperor is not nearby, and he is certainly not secretly monitoring us."

"I simply truly wish to serve the Lin Emperor."

"Oh right, you'll be responsible for bringing these Fifth Stage back later; I'll go first to search for other nearby Fifth Stage. Acting together makes our target too big, so the remaining scattered Fifth Stage won't be so easy to find."

Having said that, Hei Di directly went past the Chimera Emperor, whose face kept changing, and rushed straight to the discarded Fifth Stage captives.

Watching Hei Di leave, the Chimera Emperor stood dazed in place for a long time before coming to his senses.

For some reason, looking at Hei Di displaying such 'loyalty,' he actually felt a creepy sensation.

"Could it be that this old fox has discovered something again?"

"Or maybe..."

"What is he scheming behind my back!?"

Unable to understand why Hei Di's behavior is becoming increasingly strange.

At this moment, the Chimera Emperor only felt that his unease was growing deeper.