Chapter 53: I Want to Clench the Key Tight

Just as the horse-faced man had anticipated, He Lu gripped the tree trunk, swung hard, and ran toward the flare.

If one encounters an unbeatable enemy, the simplest and most effective method is to drag more people into the mess and muddy the waters further—that was what He Lu was thinking.

Following He Lu's change of direction, the giants pursuing him also rushed toward the flare.

The impact of the two flares did not stop there. The flares from the Underworld and the New World served multiple purposes: illumination, warning, and longevity. Their light covered an extremely wide area, and the visibility distance was astonishing.

For a time, countless wandering awakened ones rushed toward Li Chenqiu's location upon seeing the flares, and Shen Yuanguo was no exception.

"Two went off together. Are they fighting each other?" Shen Yuanguo muttered in utter bewilderment.

His subordinate asked, "Boss, should we go over there?"

"Let's sneak a look and see if those so-called mirror people show up."

With that, Shen Yuanguo lifted his legs and ran toward the flare.

At this moment, Li Chenqiu was completely unaware of all this. He was quietly staying inside the palace, admiring the decorations of the main hall and occasionally guessing their prices.

......

......

He Lu was not far from where Li Chenqiu was located, and within just a few minutes, the distance between them rapidly closed.

The outline of the Palace of Doubt had already entered He Lu's line of sight.

A flicker of fire ignited in He Lu's eyes. The muscles in his calves instantly tensed, and he sprinted toward the palace at an even faster speed.

"Come back!"

The large giant shouted in a deep, booming voice, sending terrifying shockwaves rippling through the air that rapidly approached He Lu like charging cavalry.

"Leopard Form!"

He Lu shouted at the top of his lungs, dropping low to hug the ground. His arms bent at a bizarre angle, and he lunged forward like a leopard, increasing his speed by more than fifty percent.

Even so, it was still not enough. He Lu was merely at the First Ban, completely incomparable to a giant with strength rivaling the Fourth Ban.

The soundwave caught up with He Lu, crashing against him like a tidal wave.

"Puff!"

He Lu's face flushed red as he spat out a large mouthful of blood, tumbling a dozen times and leaving his face a bloody, bruised mess.

In this brief moment, the large giant had closed the distance to within a hundred meters behind He Lu, its ferocious and terrifying smiling face exceptionally eerie under the red moon.

Just as the large giant's foot was about to stomp He Lu into a bloody paste, He Lu executed a desperate roll, narrowly dodging the sole.

However, only part of his body managed to escape; his left arm was crushed directly into minced meat by the giant.

The immense pain stimulated He Lu's nerves, clearing his mind for a brief moment.

Why was he so obsessed with a single key, refusing to let go even when his life was severely threatened?

In an instant, the name of the ancient city flashed through He Lu's mind—the Ancient City of Greed!

On the verge of life and death, He Lu finally understood everything. It turned out that this key was the one playing tricks on him.

Just as he wanted to let go of the key, a small giant attacked from the darkness, kicking him away with a flying whip kick.

Thud... thud... thud...

Under this force, He Lu bounced like a soccer ball, rising and falling, smashing one shallow pit after another into the muddy ground. The sound of bones snapping like firecrackers echoed within his body.

Finally, after tumbling seven or eight times, He Lu finally dissipated the small giant's force, collapsing like a pile of mud about ten meters away from the Palace of Doubt.

And the Key of Greed in his hand dropped right at the entrance of the Palace of Doubt.

Looking at the empty surroundings, He Lu wore a desolate smile. "Sigh, looks like I won't be able to go home for the New Year."

Facing death head-on, He Lu felt no fear in his heart, only endless regrets.

Clang—

At that moment, the palace doors slowly opened, and a muffled sound of footsteps came from directly ahead of He Lu.

He lifted his head with difficulty and saw a young man slowly walking out from the palace.

The young man's eyes were like a boundless ocean, and his entire being radiated an indescribable composure and calmness, as if the collapse of the heavens and earth could not cause him the slightest ripple of emotion.

He Lu's pupils dilated slightly as he quietly stared at Li Chenqiu.

The continuous flight and high concentration of attention had long since left him physically and mentally exhausted. Upon seeing such a calm face, an indescribable sense of relief surged into his heart.

Li Chenqiu walked to the palace gates, picked up the key on the ground, raised his eyes to glance at the rapidly approaching giants, and then shifted his gaze back to He Lu.

Seeing the blue sphere on the other's chest, Li Chenqiu asked curiously, "Are you from the Security Administration?"

"Yeah." He Lu nodded reflexively, but quickly snapped back to his senses, staring at Li Chenqiu. "You're Li Chenqiu!?"

Li Chenqiu nodded. "It seems the Security Administration's work is quite leisurely if you still have time to watch entertainment news about City 11."

He Lu ignored Li Chenqiu's teasing, clenched his fists, and shouted anxiously, "Quick... quickly throw the key away! Those giants are all coming for it!!!"

Hearing this, Li Chenqiu pinched the Key of Greed and held it up against the red moon to examine it. "Is this one of the five keys? It's actually black. That's quite rare."

"Can't you understand human speech? Throw it away already!!!" He Lu shouted loudly again.

"Why throw away a key that I've found?" Li Chenqiu tucked the key into his pocket and looked with curiosity at the towering giants. "Are there really giants in this world? Though they sure look ugly."

Li Chenqiu gazed at the group of giants, the corners of his mouth curving slightly as fighting spirit burned in his eyes. His heartbeat grew increasingly rapid, pumping oxygen to every part of his body.

Fighting such bulky creatures must feel amazing!

That was the only thought in Li Chenqiu's mind at this moment.

"What do you think you're doing!" He Lu seemed to perceive Li Chenqiu's intention, his face filled with shock.

"I want to grip the key tightly."

Before his voice faded, Li Chenqiu vanished from the spot like the wind.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~

Amidst the fierce night wind, Li Chenqiu charged fearlessly toward the large giant like a bolt of black lightning.

When he was a hundred meters away from the large giant, Li Chenqiu slightly bent his knees, violently stamped his toes into the ground, leaped high like a bird, and swung his fist toward the large giant's face.

"Scram!" the large giant roared angrily. The thunderous sound caused Li Chenqiu's head to buzz, weakening the momentum of his punch slightly.

Boom!

The large giant's palm tore through the air, pressing down on Li Chenqiu like the Palm of the Buddha.

Bang!

A shockwave comparable to a level six or seven gale erupted from the center of their collision, causing the surrounding trees to tilt sideways, their leaves shooting straight into the clouds like raindrops.

The next second, Li Chenqiu shot toward the Palace of Doubt like a rocket, slamming into a one-meter-deep crater in front of the gates with a loud "boom," causing the ground to tremble.

The large giant didn't fare much better; a bloody hole was blasted straight through its palm, and its fifty-meter-tall body slowly toppled backward.