1603 Self-Destruction Countdown!


    *Rumble*


    The Demon Pce suddenly shook vigorously. The shock came from the outside, apparently from the water’s surface. Cotird and the others had grown impatient and decided to use some sort of powerful weapon to st the Domain that surrounded the pce.


    Cotird was the City Lord in charge of weapons research, and the creation ofrge-scale assault weapons was his area of expertise. Perhaps he had gotten anxious, so he pulled out his most precious treasure, aiming it toward the Demon Pce under the sea, after a series of indiscriminate sts. The crazy old weapons researcher had the nickname of ‘Bomb Maniac’, and the consequences of agitating him could be disastrous.


    *Crunch*


    !!


    Xia Fan desperately lunged over to tear off Traveling Buddha’sbat armor, as Traveling Buddha took several steps back, horrified, “Just what are you doing? I’m not a woman, so why are you grabbing at my clothes?”


    Xia Fan was speechless as he stared at Traveling Buddha. How was this man still in the mood for jokes given how dire the situation was?


    As Traveling Buddha’s muscr shoulder was exposed, Xia Fan could see a ck bruise on his left shoulder. Under the light, he could very clearly make out that a small hole had prated hisbat armor, most likely the handiwork of Stanley nting the Demonic Seed that would turn Traveling Buddha toward Darkness.


    The ck bruise was like a poisonous mand flower, slowly spreading over time. It would not take long before it would fundamentally change Traveling Buddha’s genes, turning him from a human into a Demon!


    When that time came, Traveling Buddha would listen to themands of the Thirteen Demon Kings. If they instructed him to go west, Traveling Buddha would go west, and if they told Traveling Buddha to kill Xia Fan, he would not hesitate to deal the killing blow.


    The loss of freedom was a fate worse than death. Turning into a puppet that the enemy controlled was definitely an oue that Traveling Buddha would not ept, given his personality. He would surely choose to end his own life before hepleted this transformation.


    Xia Fan’s heart sank, as darkness and coldness surrounded him. Ever since he had lost the Disasters, he had not made many friends, and Traveling Buddha was by far the most important one.


    *Boom*


    The assault weapon struck the Domain outside the Demon Pce once again. Because they had lost all lines ofmunication, there was no way for Xia Fan to know what Cotird was thinking. Perhaps he thought that the team that he had sent had already been killed, which was why he was willing to risk the copse of the Demon Pce and attack indiscriminately. Now it seemed like even if Xia Fan did not detonate the underground nuclear bomb he had fashioned, he would also be buried by the Bomb Maniac Cotird!


    “You humans sure are crazier than us Demons when you lose it!” Stanley looked up to the shaking ceiling and sighed. “Forget it. Do whatever you like. In any case, I’ve alreadypleted my task here in your territory, so it’s about time for me to meet up with the others. If I stay for any longer, this Demon Pce of mine will be ruined by your fooling around.”


    That was when Xia Fan got up. The ever-smiling young man had lost his smile. All that remained on his face was an expression colder than a ten thousand year Ice Age. His eyes were red from the rage and hurt he was feeling, and his whole body was slightly trembling.


    “Thinking you cane and go as you please? What a joke. Do you think I’m just paper paste?” Xia Fan gnashed his teeth.


    “I’m not joking.” Stanley deftly snapped his fingers. Traveling Buddha suddenly let out a shrill cry, one hand clutching his shoulder, painfully copsing to his knees. Veins were visible across his face, swelling like pig liver.


    Xia Fan was stunned. Though Traveling Buddha had an indifferent attitude toward everything, fooling around all day, he was still a descendent of the Holy Buddha n. He was someone who had received elite training. For him to cry out such a cry of despair just went to show that the level of pain he was feeling was well beyond the threshold he could withstand, something at the level of an inhuman torment!


    “The Demon Seed has already taken root, and I am in control of a portion of his body. I can let him live, or let him die. The intense pain alone will destroy his nervous system! I don’t think you all have ever seen someone die from pain alone, have you? Trust me, don’t try it. It’s very tragic.


    “Actually, why bother looking so bitter and hateful? We Demons aren’t like you imagine; we also have feelings. We are also sad when a brother dies.


    “Besides, our demands are very reasonable. Those people above had the Lower Realm split in two in order to suppress us, giving half of it to us and the other half to you humans. To put it bluntly, you people are just the weapons of those above, and they are using humans to deal with us, the Demons.


    “That isn’t fair. We wish to take back the territories that originally belonged to us, so we can sit as equals with those hypocritical people above.


    “A capable warrior like Traveling Buddha will no doubt be heavily used once hees over to my side, so there’s no need for you to worry on his behalf. If possible, I also hope that you’ll join us. After all, you’re partners, and having just one of you would be too lonely. You’d both be able to demonstrate your greatestbat effectiveness if you’re together.


    “There’s still some time before the war begins, so why don’t you think about it some more? I am the most gentlemanly individual among the demons, and I assure you that you would not lose out following me.”


    Stanley’s voice gradually disappeared. He had returned to his throne, and the entire seat was sinking down. It was clear that it was a secret exit.


    General Dresden could tell that Stanley was about to escape and he wanted to give chase, but Xia Fan’s shout stopped him.


    “Don’t move! Let him go!”


    Xia Fan looked ghastly. He was not afraid of the Scarlet ze Demon King, but did not want Traveling Buddha to be tortured any further. A simple wave from Stanley’s hand and Traveling Buddha would suffer an agony worse than death. That was akin to holding onto Xia Fan’s weak point, making it impossible for him to do anything to Stanley.


    Dresden’s face twitched. As the old general that was participating in this battle, he did not feel good letting a young man like Xia Fan shout at him, but he did his best to hold back. Xia Fan’s strength was beyond doubt, and he ought to show face to a young man with so much potential. After all, he was already old, and the future belonged to the young.


    “How are you feeling?” Xia Fan asked with wrinkled eyebrows.


    Traveling Buddha shrugged with a remarkableck of worry. “Rx, I won’t die. How could you have let the enemy run off? This isn’t like you. Don’t you dare say you did that for my sake, because I’m not about to appreciate that.”


    “It’s not because of you, but because I wasn’t confident,” Xia Fan replied.


    “That’s more like it,” Traveling Buddha mumbled. “Being the imperious Little Old Buddha that I am, I am most afraid of being someone else’s deadweight. Rx, if therees a day when I really can’t make it, I’ll find a ce and end things by my own hands. Just be sure to ry the news of my death back home.


    “Speaking of which, I can’t be reconciled with the fact of what happened. I’m different from a bachelor like you. I’m someone with a wife and kid. I don’t care that my father would be sad with my passing since we’ve never seen eye to eye on things since I was young, but I do feel bad for Hidden Water. She’s really such a silly girl. There’s so many men out there in the world, yet she stubbornly decided to stick with me.”


    To speak such nonsense even when he was at death’s door. That was truly Traveling Buddha’s style.


    But every word of incoherent gibberish that Traveling Buddha uttered hung in the heart of Xia Fan, cutting like knives.


    The atmosphere was heavy. Everyone was wondering why Traveling Buddha did not have a Demonic bloodline and who could have helped him fake the Runes on his arm, but this was definitely not the best time to look into matters, given the situation.


    Nikai was surrounded by Dongfang He and Jia Yuntian on her left and right respectively, checking in on her health. Nevertheless, Nikai’s eyes were drawn to the slightly skinny man a short distance away. Xia Fan and Traveling Buddha were seated on the floor together, with thetter still spouting nonsense, as if he was really going to die. Meanwhile, Xia Fan did not say a word, and was merely silently listening, tears brimming in his eyes.


    ‘He is a man who values emotions greatly, to treat his own sworn brother so well…’, Nikai thought to herself.


    Actually, Nikai was not at all familiar with Xia Fan, but for some unknown reason, she felt as if she had known Xia Fan for many years already.


    When she was trapped here, all alone, it was Xia Fan’s voice that had kept herpany, telling such funny stories that Nikai nearly forgot what sort of situation she was in. Had her surroundings been a garden filled with flowers, it could easily have been mistaken as two people who were spending time together and gradually falling in love.


    Being captured by Stanley and then made into a hostage, only for Xia Fan to risk himself and save her, snatching her away from Stanley’s clutches. For this, he had even gotten his brother to tag along. Even the chubby Traveling Buddha looked big and tall in Nikai’s eyes. Without his involvement, she probably would have been spirited away by Stanley just now, and been forced to be his lifepanion.


    “Dammit. To think Stanley managed to get away!” General Dresden wasining as he hurriedly arranged for his men to look for a way to leave this ce, or to reestablish contact with the people above at sea.


    Actually, Xia Fan was capable of destroying the Domain. The Law of Gold had an amazing ability; the moment he imbued himself in its golden light, he would be able to pierce through any Domain!


    It was just that Xia Fan currently had no desire to leave. The Law of Gold could not whisk Traveling Buddha away, so he might as well stay here and apany his best friend, his brother for life, here. Even if Xia Fan had to die, he would rather die by his brother’s side.


    “Quick run! This ce can’t hold it anymore!”


    All of a sudden, Xia Fan heard Cid Raleigh’s voice.


    “Say, aren’t you being a bit toote?” Xia Fan muttered silently. “When I needed you the most, you didn’t even say a word. But now that Stanley has left, you suddenly appear. Just what are you ying at?”


    “Who cares about ying you!” Cid Raleigh said in a stern voice. “With a Demon King around, if I dare make a sound, I would most definitely be discovered! Because of some things that I’ve done in the past, the Thirteen Demon Kings all basically hate me to the core. If I want to survive longer, I need to hide from them!


    “Right now isn’t the time to talk about all this though. Stanley has already activated the Demon Pce’s self-destruction sequence. I know that person too well, calling himself a gentleman when he’s really far more vicious than anyone else! If you don’t run, you’ll end up being buried here with the Demon Pce. If you wish to save Traveling Buddha, you’ll first need to flee with him!”