At that moment, Tianshi, caught off guard, was struck by the Nine-Headed Lion and sent flying.
The lion ignored everyone else, its nine heads continued spewing raging flames.
Crackling explosions rang out as the fire blazed.
Nine massive fire dragons rampaged across the sky, roaring as they dove toward the town.
“Stop them! There are still people who haven’t evacuated!” Lin Bao’s face changed drastically.
With a roar, he charged at one of the fire dragons.
Nearby, the Demon-Subduing Arhat frowned and stepped into the air, arriving in front of the town.
Righteous energy continued to swirl around him. With every step he took, his aura grew stronger.
As the remaining eight fire dragons soared through the sky, he drew a deep breath.
All the righteous energy around him gathered and surged toward the fire dragons like a tidal wave.
“Let this be my final repayment for the lives you once saved.”
An explosion echoed through the air. Sparks scattered. The righteous energy collided with the dragons, and both were swallowed by the mist.
When the smoke cleared, the eight fire dragons had completely vanished.
But the Arhat was now kneeling on one knee. His white robes were torn, he had clearly pushed himself to the limit.
On the other side, Lin Bao had stopped the last fire dragon.
The blast knocked him into the ground. His flesh was torn open, and he was gravely wounded, no longer able to fight.
The Nine-Headed Lion let out a sky-shaking roar.
Its nine voices merged into one thunderous sound that shook the heavens and pierced the ears like exploding lightning.
Its aura grew even more intense. Each head reignited with blazing flames, preparing to summon another round of fire dragons.
Within the town, panic and children’s cries blended into a chaotic roar.
Tianshi, seeing this, smashed his fist into the ground and shouted, “Damn it!”
He wanted to fight again, but the blast from earlier had shattered his leg.
He couldn’t feel his right leg at all, it was useless now.
The Nine-Headed Lion lowered its heads. All eighteen of its pupils focused on Lin Bao.
Opening its jaws, it exhaled a cloud of white smoke. Fire engulfed the air.
A colossal fire dragon formed, swirling within the flames.
As a deafening dragon’s roar echoed, the beast surged through space, heading straight for Lin Bao.
The space around it shattered.
“Uncle Lin!” Tianshi roared, watching helplessly as the dragon hurtled forward.
At the critical moment, Lin Qing suddenly appeared in front of Lin Bao.
She opened her arms, closed her eyes, and stood in the path of the incoming fire dragon.
Even from afar, the heat could be felt, blistering and intense.
Everyone turned their gaze to Lin Qing.
People screamed in despair, powerless to stop it.
Just as the fire dragon was about to swallow her whole, a streak of radiant light shot in from the distance.
With a single slash, the dragon was cut clean in half, disintegrating into nothing.
Everyone looked toward the sky and saw Xu Zimo walking through the air, standing high above, with his sword Shadow Tyrant just drawn.
A powerful Imperial Meridian Realm aura blanketed the heavens.
“Th-that’s…” the townspeople were too stunned to speak.
“Everyone back off. I’ll handle this.”
Xu Zimo’s gaze fixed on the lion as he calmly addressed the crowd.
“O-okay!” Lin Qing snapped out of it, helping Lin Bao retreat with the others.
The lion roared again. Its nine heads unleashed another inferno, painting the sky in fire.
“Is that all you’ve got?” Xu Zimo scoffed.
Lightning exploded around Shadow Tyrant, crackling arcs of pale blue electricity snapping violently in the air.
A blade of light fell from the heavens, slicing through the sea of flames, severing one of the lion’s heads.
The Nine-Headed Lion roared in fury, unclear if it was pain or rage.
It lumbered toward the town. Its eight remaining heads spewed even fiercer flames.
Waves of Creation Power surged around Xu Zimo, dimming the light of the world. Only a single sword beam remained, cutting through the sky.
Xu Zimo appeared above the lion, striking again and again.
One by one, the remaining eight heads were all sliced off.
He landed nearby, gripping Shadow Tyrant, breathing heavily.
His entire body trembled with fatigue. Sweat dripped from his brow.
Just as everyone was starting to relax, the lion’s severed heads suddenly twitched.
Spiritforce surged around them. One by one, the nine heads exploded.
A tsunami of fire erupted, engulfing the entire sky.
“Look out!” Xu Zimo shouted, stepping forward to shield everyone, standing alone before the wall of flames.
When the fire finally faded, Xu Zimo lay collapsed on the ground, barely alive.
“Brother Zimo! Are you okay?” Everyone rushed toward him, staring at his broken, blood-soaked body.
“Why did you shield us? You could’ve escaped!” Tianshi shouted, voice shaking.
“I… I don’t think I’m gonna make it,” Xu Zimo said weakly, lifting his trembling hand. “To save so many lives… one death is worth it.”
“No! You’re not going to die!” Tianshi pulled out a pile of pills from his storage ring and tried to feed them to Xu Zimo.
“It’s useless,” Xu Zimo whispered. “My internal organs… they’re shattered. Unless you have some divine miracle pill, there’s no saving me.”
Some townsfolk had already begun to cry.
Lin Bao, holding back tears, said, “You’re the savior of Greensky Town.”
Xu Zimo shook his head, smiling bitterly. “I grew up poor in an ordinary family. Back then, I didn’t believe in fate. I worked hard to change my life, to become someone. I finally reached the Imperial Meridian Realm… only to die . I’m not ready to go.”
“It’s our fault,” Lin Bao said, grief-stricken.
“I don’t blame anyone,” Xu Zimo shook his head and looked at Tianshi. “I remember you once told me… You were developing a method, a secret artifact, to defy fate.”
“Yes!” Tianshi nodded rapidly. “But it’s incredibly difficult. I don’t even know if I’ll succeed.”
“Can I ask you one thing?” Xu Zimo coughed up blood, speaking with effort.
“Anything. Just say it,” Tianshi said, eyes red.
“You know I’m not from this era. One day, when the timeline resets… even if I die, my body will return to the Imperial Era,” Xu Zimo said weakly.