"Holy Lord, what trick are you playing now?"
Perhaps it was due to being kidnapped by Bai Qi so many times, but facing Bai Qi this time, Xiao Yu was not overly scared and jumped out to question him.
Seeing Bai Qi look at Xiao Yu, and recalling past events, Chen Long quickly shielded Xiao Yu behind him, fearing that Bai Qi might have another change of heart and kidnap her again.
"I'm not playing any tricks, nor do I have the time to bother with you. My target isn't you, so don't get in my way, otherwise..."
Bai Qi didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was clear.
Bai Qi walked directly towards the light barrier. A group of Shield agents armed with weapons stood ready, but as Bai Qi approached, they consciously retreated to the sides, clearing a path for him.
The light barrier prevented everyone from entering, but it was ineffective against Bai Qi.
When Bai Qi reached the light barrier and gently placed his hand on it, a gap automatically opened. After Bai Qi walked in, the gap closed again. The entire operation left everyone bewildered.
Coulson asked inexplicably, "Sir, didn't you say..."
"The Holy Lord was originally born from this world, and his understanding of the world's laws is far beyond what we can compare to."
Old Man's words seemed cryptic, but put plainly, it meant he hadn't lived as long as the other and didn't know why.
After entering the light barrier, Bai Qi stopped, his brow furrowed slightly. Honestly, this place made him feel uncomfortable.
A faint aura of death emanated from the depths of the forest.
The aura of death was a very peculiar existence.
When a person is dying, death energy is produced within their body. After death, this energy dissipates within one to two days. Places like cemeteries or morgues, due to the presence of many deceased individuals, accumulate some death energy that fails to dissipate. The fact that this forest continuously emitted death energy could only mean one thing: there were a large number of corpses within this forest.
Despite this, the job still had to be done.
Not long after Bai Qi entered the forest, the bushes ahead rustled, and an adult sika deer leaped out.
Just as Bai Qi was about to remark that there were still living creatures in this place, he choked back his words upon seeing the sika deer's true form.
The front half of the sika deer was no different from a normal one, but the back half was as if it had been gnawed upon, leaving only bones and some tattered organs.
The sika deer noticed Bai Qi's presence. What should have been a gentle animal, upon seeing Bai Qi, appeared unusually agitated, emitting a low growl that its species should not be capable of. It then charged at Bai Qi in a frenzy.
Anyone else might have been caught off guard by the deer's sudden charge, but it was facing Bai Qi.
Instead of being afraid, Bai Qi showed a strong interest in the sika deer. With a wave of his hand, he pinned it in place, then another wave pulled it towards him for a closer examination.
It had to be said that this sika deer was truly magical. After some handling, Bai Qi discovered that it was at the boundary between life and death. Even after Bai Qi violently tore off its head, it was still thrashing about. However, if it were completely incinerated by flames, it could be killed.
"The first world fragment I salvaged is this interesting."
After sending the sika deer to its transcendence, Bai Qi continued forward.
In this forest, Bai Qi encountered various half-dead animals. Like the initial sika deer, their bodies had varying degrees of damage and they possessed extreme aggression.
Without hesitation, Bai Qi sent all the animals that attacked him to their transcendence.
Just as Bai Qi burned a rabbit that attempted to ambush him into ashes, he looked up and saw modern human structures not far ahead. He surmised these must be the unfortunate farm owners.
Upon closer inspection, Bai Qi became more certain. Using the trees as cover, he saw five people, three men and two women, bound and thrown on the ground. Around them stood several soldiers dressed like medieval Crusaders, holding weapons. Their posture clearly indicated they were not there to rescue anyone.
Following this, a one-armed soldier emerged from a warehouse, dragging a comatose man. The man looked very fit, with no excess fat on his body, but he was now being dragged like a dead dog.
After capturing the last survivor from the farm, the soldiers began a ritual, emitting sounds like the friction of metal.
Seeing this, Bai Qi did not act immediately but watched quietly, wanting to see what these soldiers would do next.
As for the lives of the captured individuals, Bai Qi did not care.
People died in this world every day; six more wouldn't make a difference.
From the soldiers' movements, it was evident they were very devout. The sounds they emitted were indeed ear-piercing. Finally, the ritual ended.
The one-armed soldier, his attire different from the others, was clearly the leader. He drew the sword at his waist and walked to the strongest man.
At this point, the man had awakened from his stupor. Upon seeing the soldier's face, he was instantly terrified.
From the man's perspective, the soldier's face was horrifying. His facial skin was withered, as if he had been dug up from a grave after being dead for a long time. The right eye was a mix of pupil and bloodshot white, completely cloudy, while the other was empty, a black abyss, truly ghastly.
"Please, please don't, don't kill me."
The seemingly robust young man was crying torrentially, like a young girl. He didn't dare to resist; even if he were allowed to escape now, he probably wouldn't have the strength to run.
"I have money, lots of money. If you let me go, I'll give it all toβ"
Before the man could finish, the one-armed soldier swiftly swung his sword, precisely severing the man's left arm. The cut was very clean, indicating the soldier's practiced skill.
With his arm severed, the man instinctively clutched the wound and screamed, but his cry stopped after only two sounds.
"N-no pain?"
The man incredulously moved his hand away and found the cut to be very clean. Although a large amount of blood was flowing, it was as if it wasn't his own blood. Not only did he feel no sensation, but there was no pain at all.
The one-armed soldier ignored the man, picked up the man's severed left arm from the ground, and attached it to his own stump.
A miraculous scene unfolded. After a brief connection, the man's arm actually grew onto the one-armed soldier.
One arm clearly couldn't satisfy the one-armed soldier's needs. Unsatisfied, the soldier approached a woman nearby. Amidst her screams, he forcefully gouged out her eyes, affixed them to himself, and then, not forgetting, shoved his own cloudy eyeball into the woman's empty socket.