Chapter 43: Why Retreat?

Li Chenqiu lowered his eyes, which were filled with bone-chilling frost. "Mistaking cowardice and weakness for a worthy death—I have never heard of anything so utterly absurd."

Standing nearby, a Second-Awakening Awakener looked back and forth between the headless corpse on the ground and Li Chenqiu. His legs trembled uncontrollably until his knees gave out and he collapsed straight to the ground.

What the hell was this speed? He had barely caught a glimpse of a dark shadow before his companion was sent straight to the afterlife. How could anyone fight this!

"You, you—"

Before the man could finish, Li Chenqiu kicked him directly in the head. The terrifying speed prevented the Second-Awakening Awakened from seeing anything clearly, leaving him only the sensation of a dark shadow rushing toward his face.

Boom!

Blood splattered everywhere!

The explosive sound quickly drew the attention of the other Awakened. In an instant, all the Awakened stopped what they were doing in unison, their eyes widening as they stared fixedly at Li Chenqiu.

"This... Li Chenqiu?" Lying on the ground, Wu Shan stared in a daze toward Li Chenqiu's direction, a glimmer of life finally stirring within his once-dead, dry-well-like eyes.

A single stone stirred a thousand ripples. The mere utterance of the three words "Li Chenqiu" made both the Awakened and ordinary people instantly recall the monstrous destiny-chosen prodigy of City 11—Li Chenqiu!

The phenomenal figure of this awakening day who shattered the energy tester with a single blow!

"It's really him! I've seen him on television news!"

"Li Chenqiu of the physical-enhancement path! We're saved, we're saved!"

Those humans who had fallen into despair cheered with elation. In stark contrast, the Awakened wore expressions of utter bewilderment, their eyes filled with unmasked terror.

Even a Second-Awakening was instantly obliterated; what difference would it make for them, mere First-Awakenings, to step forward other than serving themselves up as a free meal?

By the roadside, Li Chenqiu pinched the corner of his sleeve to wipe the blood from his palm and, without even glancing back, said to Qi Mingyue, "My name is Li Chenqiu. Don't get it wrong next time."

With that, Li Chenqiu turned to face the Awakened gathered at the hotel's main entrance. His sharp gaze swept across each of their faces like a blade, deepening the terror in their hearts.

"You, you, you... don't come over!" A male Awakened grabbed a blood-covered female student beside him and used her as a human shield. "Let me go, or I'll kill her!"

"Back up! Fall back to that intersection over there!"

"Do as we say, or nobody leaves alive!"

Seeing this, the other Awakened hurriedly followed suit, grabbing those who were already crippled to shield themselves, while eyeing Li Chenqiu with deep apprehension.

"Save me! I don't want to die yet!"

"My grades are so good, how can I die here? Big brother, please save me!"

"Teacher, hurry up and tell Li Chenqiu to back away!"

The hijacked hostages screamed in terror and begged for rescue, the more cowardly ones already weeping uncontrollably.

Everyone fears death; who doesn't fear death?

Seeing Li Chenqiu standing motionlessly in place, an Awakened shouted harshly, "Step back! Didn't you hear me? What are you standing there frozen for?!"

Wu Shan struggled to prop himself up and shouted with agitation, "Li Chenqiu, listen to them and back away! We can't let these kids die here!"

"That's right! Human lives are at stake. I'm begging you, these children are innocent," pleaded the middle-aged woman as well.

"Back away?" Li Chenqiu slowly walked to a position directly in front of the main entrance. "Why should I back away? Releasing a tiger back to the mountains to spare a few lives, only to let more innocent people fall into a tiger's jaws—that is not a wise choice."

As soon as these words were spoken, the triumphant expressions on the faces of the Awakened suddenly stiffened, replaced by looks of horrified panic.

The middle-aged female teacher rebuked angrily, "Are you out of your mind? These children—"

"Shut up!" Li Chenqiu reprimanded in a cold voice. A faint chill surged from around his body, startling the female teacher into a violent shudder and sealing her lips.

"I'll give you ten seconds to think. Option one: release these people, and I'll leave your bodies intact. Option two: refuse, and I'll blow your heads off."

With that, Li Chenqiu raised both arms, extending ten fingers, and began to drop them one by one in the biting, cold wind.

Hearing this, the Awakened were stunned at first, but reacted a moment later.

"Wait, calm down a second. Let's talk this over. Why does it have to end in bloodshed?"

"Exactly! These kids still have the prime of their youth ahead of them, it's not worth dying here!"

"Don't you know you'll be cyber-bullied for this? Don't ruin your reputation because of us!"

The Awakened panicked, trying desperately to persuade him with earnest reasoning.

If a destiny-chosen one comparable to a top-tier Third-Awakening was dead-set on killing them, running until their legs gave out would be entirely useless.

"Five seconds left. Think carefully." Li Chenqiu lowered his arms, bent down to pick up an iron soup spoon from the ground, and said coldly, "Three seconds."

"Wait, let me argue my case, I—"

"No more chances."

A cold flash crossed Li Chenqiu's eyes. The ground beneath his feet instantly shattered into a spiderweb pattern, and his entire figure morphed into a ghost-like phantom that dashed forward. His terrifying speed tore through the air, whipping up a violent gale that completely shattered the tranquility of the night.

Before the Awakened standing at the very front could react, his head was smashed to a pulp by the soup spoon in Li Chenqiu's hand, blood mixed with white, viscous matter splashing onto the "Slow Down" warning sign by the entrance.

Bang, bang, bang...

The sounds of shattering echoed continuously. The Awakened could only hear the noise without seeing the attacker. Watching their companions inexplicably drop dead around them one by one, they panicked completely, tossed away their hostages, and bolted in every direction for their lives.

Yet all of this was merely futile. Like a grim reaper in the dark of night, Li Chenqiu effortlessly reaped their lives.

Within the span of just a few breaths, these troublesome Awakened all met their ends in the netherworld, leaving not a single one behind.

In the shadows surrounding the hotel, those Underworld lackeys who had intended to play the mantis stalking the cicada all quietly withdrew their little heads and scurried off into the distance, terrified of catching Li Chenqiu's eye.

At the hotel entrance, under the shocked gazes of the crowd, Li Chenqiu casually tossed aside the twisted soup spoon and said calmly, "All Awakened are dead. Two students died. This is my absolute limit."

The crowd fell into an absolute, pin-drop silence.

What kind of monster was this? In a matter of seconds, he had slaughtered every single Awakened by himself. Was this a movie? Was this playing a video game on fast-forward?

Qi Mingyue, who had managed to struggle back to his feet, remained dazed for a long time after witnessing this scene.

He had thought his own First-Awakening prowess in controlling two Second-Awakened was already defying the heavens, but upon witnessing Li Chenqiu's handiwork, he finally understood what it meant to have mountains beyond mountains and men beyond men!

This was simply preposterous!

Ignoring the stunned crowd, Li Chenqiu walked up to Wu Shan and asked, "Captain Wu, are you familiar with this vicinity?"

Wu Shan suppressed the shock in his heart and nodded stiffly.

Li Chenqiu crouched down, pointed at his own shoulder, and said, "Hop on. Take me to other places where survivors are gathered."