Chapter 1886: Hello

"We... we are going to deal with that?"

Veronique spoke with a trembling voice, her gaze fixed on Su Xiao with a look of desperate pleading.

"That's right. Do you have any suggestions?"

Su Xiao's tone was calm. Although he wasn't sure if he could win, if he didn't even dare to try, he would never have risked entering the Dead Silence City—this "simple and honest" hellhole.

"My suggestion is to run immediately. Staying alive is more important."

"Hmm, I accept your suggestion."

"Really?"

Veronique's eyes welled up. After working together for so long, this was the first time Su Xiao had accepted her advice.

"False."

"You're too much. Can't you comfort me just once?"

Veronique clasped her hands together and began to shield the surrounding sounds. Her performance along the way had seemed cowardly, but in reality, there was a streak of ruthlessness deep in her bones.

Su Xiao signaled for everyone to fall back. He walked toward the main entrance of the Birth Hall alone, while Amu and Ignoring Xiang Bubu Wang ran off into the distance, though it was unclear what they were doing.

Standing before the main entrance, Su Xiao was only a few dozen meters away from the Black King inside the Birth Hall. Beneath the crown and helmet, the Black King opened his eyes—they were a dull, grayish-white, with pupils so pitch-black they seemed to swallow everything.

"Hello."

Su Xiao flicked his arm, and with a *clatter*, a transparent chain appeared in his hand. The chain had no weight at all and was at most as thick as a pinky finger.

After aiming, Su Xiao threw the transparent chain toward the Black King.

*Crack, crack... *

The arm-thick iron chains inside the Birth Hall began to snap one by one. The ground within a kilometer radius trembled as if an earthquake were occurring.

As soon as the transparent chain reached the Black King, it suddenly elongated, wrapping around him in an instant. This item was called the 【Soul Shackle】, a very precious tool.

【Soul Shackle】

Origin: Ghost Continent

Quality: Epic

Type: Consumable

Effect: Ignores judgment; the soul chain will imprison an enemy for 15–20 seconds. The physical nature of the soul chain is extremely fragile; if it suffers external attack, the enemy will break free from the soul-imprisoned state.

Note: If the enemy is imprisoned for more than 14 seconds, they will suffer permanent soul-level damage, their maximum HP will be permanently reduced by 50%, and they will be weakened for 30 seconds.

Theoretically, the 【Soul Shackle】 cannot be broken by the target's own strength unless external force shatters it. Even a child with a wooden stick could break the 【Soul Shackle】, but if the imprisoned target tried to break free through brute force alone, they might as well give up.

The collapsing iron chains in the Birth Hall stopped, and the 【Soul Shackle】 formed a square formation around the Black King, the soul chains floating in mid-air.

The Black King slowly raised his arm, and the soul chains around him rattled. Although this item theoretically couldn't be broken by force, the Black King was so terrifyingly strong that it was hard to say if an accident might occur.

One second, two seconds... time slowed to a suffocating crawl. As long as it exceeded 14 seconds, the Black King would suffer permanent soul-level damage, his maximum HP would be permanently reduced by 50%, and he would be weakened for 30 seconds.

If successful, Su Xiao had plenty of other things waiting to greet the Black King. If the Black King still didn't die after that, Su Xiao would have nothing more to say. He had never relied on "limit-breaking" in battle; he simply killed the enemies he could defeat and died to those he couldn't. It was that simple and brutal.

*Click, click... *

The soul chains pulled taut, causing the Black King's armor to creak under the pressure.

11 seconds, 12 seconds, 13 seconds, 14 seconds—success!

*Clatter, clatter! *

The soul chains tightened rapidly, pressing against the Black King's armor until it groaned.

【Note: The enemy has entered a weakened state; effect lasts for 30 seconds.】

Heavy footsteps came from behind Su Xiao. Amu, covered in magma, was clutching an Apollo—this was Su Xiao's last Apollo.

Before using the 【Soul Shackle】, Su Xiao had given Ignoring Xiang Bubu Wang an Apollo, because the dog was faster.

Ignoring Xiang Bubu Wang had activated the Apollo two kilometers away. Five seconds after activation, Su Xiao used the 【Soul Shackle】. The Apollo's detonation time was 25 seconds, while the 【Soul Shackle】's imprisonment time was 20 seconds.

At the same time Su Xiao used the 【Soul Shackle】, Ignoring Xiang Bubu Wang had clamped the Apollo in its mouth and sprinted toward the Birth Hall. As the Apollo activated, its temperature grew increasingly high, which was why Amu was needed for the handoff; Amu was slower than Ignoring Xiang Bubu Wang but immune to the high heat.

The activation from two kilometers away, combined with the restraint of the 【Soul Shackle】, made it impossible for the Black King to evade the Apollo. By the time he sensed the danger, he was already bound.

The temperature of the Apollo became terrifying, but Amu, having eaten the Magma Fruit, didn't care at all. As long as it wasn't caught in the solar flare, it would be fine.

Amu sprinted to the front of the Birth Hall, tossed the Apollo inside, and ran without looking back.

Five seconds later.

*Boom! *

A muffled explosion came from behind. Su Xiao stopped in his tracks. For some reason, the Apollo's explosion hadn't destroyed the Birth Hall. Though he didn't know why, it was a good thing; in such a confined space, the Apollo's power would be even more devastating.

Su Xiao looked toward the Birth Hall. The towering building had been bathed in gold, and solar flames surged out from the dozens of windows and the main entrance, the immense pressure turning the flames into pillars.

Seeing this, Su Xiao turned and rushed back toward the Birth Hall.

Before the battle had even truly begun, the Black King had been dealt a heavy blow. The 【Soul Shackle】 had directly deducted 50% of his maximum HP and left him weakened for 30 seconds.

Just as he entered the weakened state, the Apollo arrived, detonating right in his face. In such a confined environment, the extent of the Black King's weakening could be imagined.

At this moment, the interior of the Birth Hall was glowing a scorching red, making it impossible to see what was happening inside.

They waited for several minutes until the solar flames dissipated, but the interior remained a glowing red, and magma dripped from the main entrance.

Amu, acting as the tank, led the way, charging into the Birth Hall. Two seconds later.

*Boom! *

Amu flew out sideways, rolling a dozen times on the ground before coming to a stop. Most of its body had been blown away, but fortunately, it was in its magma form, so the damage was limited.

Amu had been kicked out by the Black King. As a tank, it was very angry, but it could only be angry; it truly couldn't beat the Black King.

"Amu, cool it down."

Hearing this, Amu switched attributes. Its skin turned from dark to pale yellow. It slammed both its massive hands onto the ground, and ice spread into the Birth Hall.

After a few seconds, the Birth Hall was frozen into a massive block of ice. Amu's ice energy was exhausted, and it switched back to its magma form.

Su Xiao kicked through the ice wall at the main entrance of the Birth Hall, and a puff of steam hissed out. The steam was only lukewarm, indicating the temperature inside had dropped.

Within the swirling steam, a towering figure holding a cross-sword stood there, looking as if it would never fall.