Chapter 87: The Unlucky Thunder Dragon

Wounds appeared one after another on Lin Qiu's body, golden blood flowing freely, carrying a faint aura of majesty. He was bound by a contract with Xu Bing; the battle armor Xu Bing wore was a manifestation of his split self—a part of his true form separated to become her armor. Now, that armor had been shattered, and as the original being, he suffered a devastating blow.

"My life is truly miserable!" Lin Qiu stared at the tottering Xu Bing, his palms cold with fear. When struck by the monster, he had only suffered a minor internal injury; but Xu Bing, that coward, had been hit by the shockwave, her armor fractured, and he was severely wounded because of it. This was collateral damage—a disaster he never asked for. If this woman died, no matter how many dreams he harbored, he would surely perish as well!

Watching her spit blood and prepare to charge again, Lin Qiu cried out, "Oh, for heaven’s sake! Don’t do it!" In an instant, Lin Qiu transformed into starlight and entered Xu Bing’s body. The shattered armor began to heal rapidly. Controlling Xu Bing’s body, Lin Qiu turned and fled with all his might. Along the way, he split off a water manipulation skill, directing the vapor to form bands of water, binding Hei Ze, Cute Girl, and Ji Heng, dragging them along in his escape.

"Lin Qiu, you scoundrel, you coward, deserting us in the face of danger!" Unable to move, Xu Bing cursed aloud, "Let me go, I want to kill him!"

"You lunatic! If you want to die, go ahead, but don’t drag me down with you!" Lin Qiu’s mental voice roared in her mind. "That monster is level six—you're just a measly level three, can’t even withstand a single shockwave! You nearly got me killed!"

His voice grew more agitated, trembling with anger. "I must have been cursed for eight lifetimes to sign a contract with such a worthless partner! Every time I try to evolve, you steal my power!"

"If not for you, killing that pest would be no trouble at all!"

"It’s you, it’s always you!"

Lin Qiu’s roar grew louder and louder. Xu Bing’s face turned livid.

"You damned bastard, how dare you insult me like this! I might as well die!"

"I…" Lin Qiu’s rage abruptly ceased, replaced by a choking sob. He raised his head and let out a mournful wail, "Heavens! Why is my life so bitter?"

His eyes reddened, tears streaming down uncontrollably. Every time he met this coward, she would threaten suicide whenever she lost an argument—there was no playing this game. Lin Qiu led his companions out of the village, once again becoming starlight and leaving Xu Bing free. As she prepared to charge back in, Lin Qiu’s eyelid twitched.

"To hell with this—just lie down and sleep!" He struck her at the jade pillow point on her neck, knocking her unconscious. With a wave of his right hand, the Fangtian Halberd in Xu Bing’s grasp appeared in his own.

"Misfortune! Truly misfortune! I must have done something terrible in a past life!" Lin Qiu grumbled as the battle armor on Xu Bing transformed into starlight and settled onto his body. When the starlight faded, he was clad in dragon-patterned armor.

Bound by their contract, both the armor and the halberd originated from his own essence, separated to form a split self. With Xu Bing unconscious, he summoned back the split self—not to merge, but to armor himself.

Admiring the imposing armor and the formidable halberd in his hand, he murmured, "Damn, I’m a genius—armoring myself like this."

He chuckled bitterly, finding amusement in his misfortune, and gazed toward Lei Family Village, now a living hell. Under the moonlit night, he saw Lei Long repeatedly soaring into the sky, only to be hammered back into the ground.

Lin Qiu’s face twitched. "He’s a failure, too. I was hoping he’d tire out the monster a bit. Looks like by the time I go home for a nap and return, the monster will still be full of energy. I just hope Lei Long can hold out!"

He muttered as he gripped the Fangtian Halberd in his right hand, flicked the crimson cloak behind him with his left, and sang in the style of Kunqu Opera, "The wind is bleak by the Yi River, the hero sets forth…"

"Bah! I have no desire to be a martyr!" Lin Qiu spat, holding the halberd in one hand, charging toward the town.

Within the town, surviving villagers watched the towering monster and recalled news broadcasts, their faces changed in horror. They had thought mutated creatures were distant threats, but now one stood right before their eyes.

"That fool, what’s he staring at? Run, quickly!" In a farmer’s house, a multicolored rooster saw its master frozen in shock, screeched, rushed forward, grabbed the eight-year-old child in its beak, and bolted.

In the pigsty, Second Brother broke out and escaped. All the chickens, cats, dogs—they scrambled away in panic. They had all awakened intelligence and secretly cultivated, dreaming of one day becoming human, lounging on sofas, watching beauty pageants on TV, some even fantasizing about making their masters their slaves, serving tea, washing clothes, making beds.

But time wouldn't wait. With the monster’s arrival, their chance for sneaky advancement was lost—they could only flee.

Lin Qiu returned to the town to witness the monster smashing Lei Long into the ground again and again, like a game of whack-a-mole. It made Lin Qiu wince, feeling the pain himself.

He forced a smile. "Sometimes, possessing an immortal bloodline isn’t a blessing. Look at the suffering—too tragic!"

He shivered, watching as Lei Long rose once more, only to be punched back into the earth.

"Fate! I’ll fight you to the death!" Lei Long’s cry was heartrending as his half-buried body struggled, his hands transforming into claws, digging fiercely into the ground. With a thunderous shout, black power erupted, covering dozens of meters in darkness.

Black lightning danced across the earth. Lei Long roared again, his hands lifting, causing the black-shrouded earth to collapse, sending stones flying skyward. Lei Long surged among the debris, moving with even greater speed.