The Edilu Garden faced a crisis more severe than any in its history, surpassing the invasion by enemy nations five centuries ago, and the CIA's domestic purges centuries before that. Now, two monsters far superior to the CIA were running rampant.

Xi Feng Zhi A had failed to strike down the largest floating city. It had been blocked, not by the ice-attributed Seven Luminous Treasured Tree, but by the Edilu Garden activating its ultimate defense mechanism. Countless high-ranking officials resided within that city; how could they possibly be unguarded? Although activating that defense would exact a heavy toll from them, nothing was more important than their own lives.

“Is that so? Still capable of defense, are we? Then I suppose I’ll have to put on a show.” Lin Luo gave a cold laugh, then glanced back. Xiya, ever since his healing spells had worked their course, had reverted to her human form, but Lin Luo didn't want her to wake up just yet, so she remained unconscious.

Beside Xiya stood CC. She hadn't spoken a single word since Lin Luo and Xiya’s battle began, simply standing there and watching. From the outset, she had decided to remain an observer.

Ahead, the Seven Luminous Treasured Tree that had previously stood in Lin Luo's path, along with her wielder, were severely injured, unable to block that last attack. Now they lay weakly on the ground, utterly devoid of the strength to fight.

“Watch closely, the future of the Edilu Garden,” Lin Luo stated faintly to the two of them, before a black wind surged, lifting him and the Blade of the Verdant Wind, carrying them swiftly toward the largest floating city.

Lin Luo did not seize the opportunity to kill them. Although they were on the opposing side, these two were vastly different from most members of the Orkynard organization. During the recent confrontation, they had shown only the will to resist, lacking any true hostility or killing intent. Furthermore, by nature, setting aside the Seven Luminous Treasured Tree itself, even her wielder had never treated the Seraphim as mere tools, unlike many others.

Revenge must have a target. Lin Luo would not simply lash out wildly. Dying in the heat of battle was understandable, but since they were defeated and gravely wounded, there was no need to deliver the final blow.

“However, whether to deliver that final blow also depends on the target. Up there, there is no one who deserves my mercy,” Lin Luo looked up at the largest floating city, a cruel smile spreading across his face.

“Lanzhu… Damn it, I have no strength left. Those two monsters—” Oruha lay weakly on the ground. Though he struggled to rise, Lin Luo’s previous attack had left him barely able to move.

“Mezlanis has deactivated her limiter. No one can stop her now,” Lanzhu, the ice-attributed Seven Luminous Treasured Tree, said helplessly from beside him.

“A limiter? What is that?”

“The power possessed by the Seven Luminous Treasured Trees is too terrifying. During their zenith, this power nearly caused the destruction of this world. Although they narrowly escaped that world-ending catastrophe for certain reasons, nearly ninety percent of the Seven Luminous Treasured Trees perished in that cataclysm.”

“Is that why the Seven Luminous Treasured Trees are so rare now?”

“Yes. Because most of the survivors eventually died soon after from injuries sustained in previous battles. In the end, each clan was left with fewer than ten Seven Luminous Treasured Trees. To prevent such a tragedy from recurring, the Seven Luminous Treasured Trees reached a consensus: the living ancestors exhausted all their life energy to place a limiter upon their descendants, designed to restrain that calamitous power. Thus, the legend of the Seven Luminous Treasured Trees gradually faded, and they slowly withdrew from everyone’s sight. To this day, even I, a Seven Luminous Treasured Tree, do not know if there is a fourth one besides Mezlanis and us.”

“Then Mezlanis’s limiter…”

“Has been opened,” Lanzhu gave a desolate smile. “She is the first Seven Luminous Treasured Tree to open hers. No one in this world will be able to suppress her anymore.”

“Lanzhu, you are also a Seven Luminous Treasured Tree, so…” Oruha instinctively started, but trailed off before finishing. Even if Lanzhu had broken her limiter, his current body couldn’t withstand such power, and besides…

Lanzhu shook her head, offering a bitter smile. “The limiter is not so easily broken. Along with the limiter, a warning was also implanted within us… Do not open the limiter unless you possess the resolve to destroy everything. I do not have the kind of resolve Mezlanis has, and I truly do not wish to fight her further. If two unburdened Seven Luminous Treasured Trees clash, only the death of one will stop the battle. Whether I die or Mezlanis dies, she will grieve.”

Do not open the limiter unless you possess the resolve to destroy everything. Current Mezlanis has that resolve, so no one can stand against her.

BOOM.

Amidst the violent impact, the vortex of black wind shattered the thick rock wall. The instant he burst through, Lin Luo swung his blade again, and the rampaging wind let out a hideous roar, striking every enemy in sight.

“Ting-a-ling-a-ling!” A piercing alarm sounded continuously, signaling the intrusion of invaders.

At this moment, the high-ranking officials of the Edilu Garden knew that the two monsters had breached their stronghold. Watching countless comrades being torn apart by the gale on their screens, they understood that the enemy was no longer something they could easily stop; if they wished to survive, they had no choice but to fight.

After all, they were executives of a super-organization. Even when facing such a life-or-death crisis, fear aside, they could not afford to lose their sound judgment.

“But if even Lanzhu couldn’t defeat him, how can we possibly stand against a rampaging Seven Luminous Treasured Tree?”

“What other choice is there? At this point, we have no option but to fight to the death!”

With gritted teeth, every executive in the Edilu Garden rushed toward the location of the enemy. To preserve their own lives, they had no choice but to throw their long-pampered bodies back onto the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Lin Luo cut a swath of destruction. Under his terrifying assault, no one in his path could withstand even a single move. The regular human forces couldn't, nor could the Seraphim wielders. All he left behind were corpses, both human and Seraphim.

Although Lin Luo had already shown restraint toward the Seraphim—not killing them instantly with the first strike—those brainwashed Seraphim, who had completely forgotten their selves, continued to attack him even after their wielders were gone. In such a case, Lin Luo saw no reason to hold back further.

Passing through corridors and crossing rooms, there was nothing but slaughter. His blood-soaked figure and bestial eyes filled with killing intent struck terror into the hearts of everyone who saw him. Apart from a few who disregarded their own lives, fewer and fewer humans and Seraphim dared to attack Lin Luo.

“Philo, I’m only saying this once: get out of my sight.”

As he entered the next passageway, a new enemy appeared before Lin Luo: Philo, an artificial angel capable of transforming parts of her body into monstrous forms.

These people were all pitiable, brainwashed souls. Lin Luo issued a warning while simultaneously unleashing the deathly aura of slaughter that radiated from him, hoping to make them retreat.

But these Philo units were indoctrinated thoroughly. Even feeling fear under the suppression of that murderous aura, they still charged Lin Luo, disregarding their own lives.

“If that is the case, then let me end your tragic existence,” Lin Luo sighed internally, and the Blade of the Verdant Wind moved again. Black tempests, like chains stealing souls, swept away the lives of everyone in front of him.

Watching the girls turn to sand and vanish upon death, Lin Luo’s killing intent did not cool; instead, it intensified.

“They could have lived ordinary lives like everyone else—married, had children, and grown old—but the Edilu Garden… the Orkynard organization, because of your ambition, because of your greed, you stole their bodies, their lives, and their souls, treating them as disposable consumables! Edilu Garden, just how self-righteous do you intend to be?”

“ROAR!” What coalesced from the heavy killing intent was a roar akin to a wild beast. Countless iron filings, blocks, and implements began to vibrate, emitting a shuddering sound that shook the entire floating city.

Rumble, rumble.

Every step sounded like a giant’s tread, causing the earth to heave and shake.

“That’s… a monster! A monster! It’s a monster!”

When the high-ranking officials of the Edilu Garden saw this scene, the courage they had gathered instantly crumbled. They could risk their lives fighting an enemy to protect themselves, but only as long as that enemy remained human. Was the entity before them truly human? Was it not a calamity meant to destroy everything?

“Stop… stop! We mean no harm! We have no intention of opposing you, so please, stop! Stop it now!” As Lin Luo walked toward them, everyone retreated uncontrollably, driven by fear.

“No malice? Ha, don’t joke with me,” Lin Luo scoffed coldly. “On my way to the Edilu Garden, I was attacked by you people quite often. Stealing Mezlanis, killing Mezlanis’s Contractor—you claim you had no ill intentions while doing things like that? Are you… serious?”

“Th-this was just a little game we were playing internally, seeing who could obtain Mezlanis first. So, it was just a game,” someone stammered in panic.

“Oh, just a game, was it.” Lin Luo smiled, but there was no warmth in his eyes. “Just because you were bored, you decided to play a game, and the content of this game was to kill someone completely unrelated to you. Indeed, it’s a game. If that’s the case, then let us play a game too…”

Saying that, Lin Luo raised his hand. Attracted by magnetic force, countless metal plates tore loose from the walls with a clatter, pointing toward the people ahead.

“The content of this game is: whoever survives my attack gets to leave here.”

Everyone’s face fell, but it was too late to say anything more. The instant Lin Luo waved his hand, those metal plates, large and small, shot out like arrows toward their targets.

The corridor was narrow, negating any need for aiming. In an instant, nearly half the people were bisected by the metal shards. The lucky ones were decapitated instantly; the unlucky ones could only watch their severed bodies let out agonizing screams, waiting painfully for death.

“It seems you aren't very good at games. Half of you were eliminated in the first round. How will you play with me in the next few rounds?” Lin Luo walked toward the survivors, ignoring the carnage on the floor.

“Ah! Devil! Devil!” Everyone felt a tremor to their very souls and scattered without hesitation, fleeing.

“Devil, you say? It’s not wrong to call me that. Then I shall use the devil’s methods to make you understand.”

Lin Luo calmly began the pursuit.

Regarding all this, Lei simply kept her eyes closed, her face grim, offering no comment. When a good person decides to treat enemies with cruelty, they can be more ruthless than the wicked.

Ruthlessly destroying the lives of the Edilu Garden and eradicating the sins committed here required no sympathy or pity.

“You say it’s to build an ideal nation—is that truly so? Or is it just for yourselves?”

“Trampling on the flesh and lives of countless people to pile up magnificent palaces and secure a more comfortable life for yourselves—can you truly sleep soundly and eat with relish?”

“Those people you claim to protect and coexist with, you treat them as disposable tools. Are you truly protecting them?”

“Just to pass the time, you arbitrarily take the lives of strangers, even killing your own comrades so easily. Do you… still possess humanity?”

“Those children could have lived their entire lives like ordinary people, but because you needed to strengthen your national power, you ruined their lives, making them wretched. Have you ever considered the principle of reciprocity?”

“Those Seraphim risked their lives to aid your ideals, yet you treat them as experimental subjects. Have you ever considered the feelings of an experiment?”

“When you raise your hands to kill ordinary people, did you ever consider that one day, a monster would use the same methods against you?”

“Good and evil are eventually repaid; what goes around comes around. Now is the time for you to settle all debts. After enjoying so much, now you must experience what it means to pay—and what you pay with is your… lives.”

He spoke as he walked, and he killed as he walked, never pausing, never stopping, because the anger in his heart had not yet subsided, and only more lives could soothe it.

Eyes bloodshot, the blade continued to move.

Drenched in blood, the wind kept blowing.

Treading over corpses, his heart still could not find peace.

“So, I said from the very beginning, I came to destroy. Because the Demon King is destined to bear the sin of life. Do you… understand?”

PS: Only one chapter left; the weapon arc concludes here. V