**Thud!**
The massive body of Earth Rabbit crashed to the ground, black smoke billowing from his arms.
“Dang it!” He gritted his teeth and stood up, glaring at Song Qi in shock. “You’re actually using **’Combustion’**… When the hell did that ability fall into your hands?”
“Oh?” Song Qi smiled faintly. “You knew the previous owner of **’Combustion’**?”
“You—” Earth Rabbit swallowed his words, forcing them back down. “Your conviction is impressive… The power from such a tiny stone far exceeds my expectations.”
“Thanks.” Song Qi nodded. “I’ve been praised many times in my life, but now that I think about it, compliments from an Earth-level **Zodiac** are the most valuable.”
Earth Rabbit glanced at his forearms. His shirt, already ruined after shedding his suit, was now completely burned away, his skin scorched red and still emitting faint trails of smoke.
Even with an Earth-level **Zodiac’s** enhanced physique, he probably couldn’t withstand too many attacks from such brutal, unreasonable destruction.
“Seems my **’Combustion’** works pretty well on you,” Song Qi remarked. “Even shooting a bear with a pistol—eventually, it’ll die, right?”
“Too bad I don’t believe your conviction guarantees a 100% success rate…” Earth Rabbit rubbed his wrists and sneered. “And second, I don’t believe every one of your attacks will hit me.”
“That’s why I made up my mind the moment I opened the door.” Song Qi reached into his pocket again, this time pulling out a small wooden shard. But instead of throwing it immediately, he crushed it into tiny fragments in his palm.
Seeing Song Qi preparing explosives, Earth Rabbit lunged forward, arms outstretched for a grapple. Song Qi, however, ducked low at the last second, slipping past him at an impossibly narrow angle.
The two instantly distanced themselves. Just as Earth Rabbit turned to pursue, a cloud of wooden shards scattered toward him. A chill ran down his spine—he shut his eyes and raised his arms defensively.
**Boom!**
A chaotic explosion of smoke and fire erupted in the room, the wooden fragments bursting like miniature bombs against Earth Rabbit’s body.
Thick smoke filled the air, forcing both of them to squint.
“Cough… You brat…” Earth Rabbit winced, though the damage was still superficial. The heat, however, was growing unbearable. “You’ve got way more tricks than my old friend…”
“Flattered.” Song Qi took a few steps back, fishing out another small shard from his pocket.
He knew his ability was at a severe disadvantage in an enclosed space. If he stood too close to the blast, he’d be caught in the crossfire.
And the difference in their physiques was night and day—Earth Rabbit could endure multiple explosions, while one solid hit would likely finish Song Qi.
Seizing the moment while Earth Rabbit was immobilized, Song Qi steadied his grip on the stone. His last two successful attacks had been half mindset, half luck. Right now, if he let fear or hesitation take hold… he’d be the one to die.
“Just a big, roasted rabbit…”
Song Qi closed his eyes briefly, steadying his resolve. He’d fought countless battles, but none as perilous as this.
A lone **Echo** user trying to solo-kill an **Earth-level Zodiac**? Absurd.
As Earth Rabbit charged again, Song Qi waited—until the last possible second—before hurling the stone. But Earth Rabbit abruptly changed course, dodging the projectile mid-lunge and pouncing from the side instead.
Song Qi smirked. In the **Endgame**, he’d completed countless missions, honing his combat instincts to perfection. Agile opponents often dodged his attacks, so he’d trained his left hand to always hold a backup stone. Whether his **Echo** failed or his throw missed, he always had a contingency.
Without hesitation, he flicked the small stone from his left hand—right beneath Earth Rabbit’s feet.
**Kaboom!**
The explosion roared between them. Earth Rabbit staggered as searing pain shot through his legs, forcing him to halt.
Meanwhile, Song Qi used the blast’s shockwave and the thick smoke to vanish, putting more distance between them.
“Dang it… You’ve had training, haven’t you?” After these exchanges, Earth Rabbit finally grasped what made this team so bizarre.
They weren’t just a ragtag group—they had tacticians, strategists, coordination, and even individual combat skills.
Had they formed some kind of **raid party**?
In the other rooms, the repeated explosions signaled Song Qi’s battle with Earth Rabbit. The team’s expressions darkened.
Unlike Jiang Shi, Song Qi wasn’t immortal. Once he engaged, this fight would only end with one of them dead—and Song Qi was at a severe disadvantage.
“Xiao Song… You’ve made your move…”
Chen Junnan lowered his head, analyzing the situation. He and Jiang Shi had regrouped, and the remaining three teammates must have secured the last artifact.
Their top priority now was retrieving the flute from Earth Rabbit’s neck. Second was safely escorting Jiang Shi to **Room Sixteen**—because with Lü Dongbin’s sword in hand and Tieguai Li’s crutch embedded in his neck, Jiang Shi was effectively a walking treasure trove. He couldn’t be left behind.
After a moment’s thought, Chen Junnan’s eyes lit up with mischief. He turned to Jiang Shi with a grin.
“Xiao Song and the rabbit are fighting in **’Six’**, right?”
“Should be.” Jiang Shi nodded. “Right next to us…”
“Go get ’em, Xiao Song! Hehe!” Chen Junnan yelled through the door. “Blow that bastard to hell! Teach him a lesson for messing with me!”
No response came from the neighboring room. Chen Junnan turned back to Jiang Shi, grinning wider.
“Xiao Jiang Shi… I just had a brilliant idea…”
“Brilliant idea…?”
“Yep!” Chen Junnan’s smile sent a chill down Jiang Shi’s spine. Their leader’s plans were always spur-of-the-moment. Would this one actually work?
—
Meanwhile, Song Qi continued darting around the room, keeping his distance while hurling shards at Earth Rabbit. The attacks had inflicted notable damage—but as the fight dragged on, his conviction wavered. Two consecutive throws fizzled out, his focus slipping.
Earth Rabbit seized the chance, grabbing Song Qi’s collar—only for Song Qi to twist free, tearing his own leather jacket in the process.
As Earth Rabbit took in Song Qi’s bare torso, he noticed something odd: the man’s upper body was covered in burn scars.
“Oh?” Earth Rabbit brushed off the embers clinging to him and smirked. “The **Endgame** doesn’t carry over scars. Every rebirth gives you a fresh body. So… you got these before coming here?”
“I don’t recall us being close enough for me to share my life story.”
Song Qi steadied his breathing, pushing aside distractions. He reached into his pocket again. He’d anticipated a drawn-out battle, but not *this* drawn-out. Despite multiple explosions, Earth Rabbit remained largely unharmed—and his supply of fragments was dwindling.
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