The Earth Rabbit mustered all its strength once again and lunged at Song Qi, who had no choice but to force himself to retaliate.
This time, Song Qi clearly altered his tactics. Instead of hurling the shattered stones at the Earth Rabbit’s body, he pinched a fragment between his thumb and index finger and flicked it toward the rabbit’s ear.
He knew his “ammunition” was nearly exhausted, and killing the Earth Rabbit was a long shot. The only thing he could do now was to cripple its senses as much as possible.
Whether it was the ears or the eyes, disabling even one would provide a crucial advantage for his teammates.
The Earth Rabbit didn’t expect the stone fragments to target its head this time instead of its massive body. Caught off guard, it instinctively tried to press its long rabbit ears aside with its giant hands.
But in its panic, its enormous palm brushed against the tiny stone, triggering an instant explosion right beside its sensitive ears.
**BOOM!**
“AAAH!!”
This time, the Earth Rabbit couldn’t maintain its composure. Clutching its ears, it let out a blood-curdling scream as a piercing ringing drowned out all sound.
Seizing the moment, Song Qi pulled out every last stone fragment and wood splinter from his pocket. After taking a deep breath, he launched them at the Earth Rabbit like a barrage of missiles.
Deafening explosions echoed through the cramped room, blasting the Earth Rabbit off its feet. Its shirt was nearly shredded, leaving it covered in superficial wounds.
Song Qi steadied himself—this was his only chance. He couldn’t afford to let the Earth Rabbit recover. Ignoring his exhaustion, he dashed forward through the smoke.
His eyes locked onto the Earth Rabbit’s exposed chest, where the shirt had been burned away, revealing singed white fur and a bamboo-like artifact hanging from its neck.
Song Qi’s brow furrowed. Standing over the beast, he reached out and snatched the bamboo artifact in one swift motion. Everything had happened in seconds—he had made all the right moves.
“Got it—”
Before he could even process his victory, the Earth Rabbit snapped out of its daze.
A massive, vice-like hand clamped onto Song Qi’s wrist with inhuman strength, rendering him completely immobile.
“Bold little bastard… You dare get this close to me?”
Sweat beaded on Song Qi’s forehead as he felt the crushing grip tighten.
“You think a few firecrackers can kill me?”
The Earth Rabbit slowly rose to its feet, lifting Song Qi into the air by his wrist as if he weighed nothing.
“Out of ammo… What now?” The Earth Rabbit sneered. “Let’s start with you—**’Detonate.’**”
But as the rabbit spoke, Song Qi’s lips curled into a smirk.
A dangerous aura radiated from him. The Earth Rabbit’s instincts screamed—this man had a plan all along. His target wasn’t the bamboo artifact.
“Who said I need explosives… to explode?”
With a grin, Song Qi clenched his free hand into a fist and drove it straight into the Earth Rabbit’s snout.
At point-blank range, with one hand still trapped, the rabbit had no chance to dodge.
**BOOM!**
Sparks erupted from Song Qi’s fist upon impact, followed by a sharp explosion.
Both of them let out pained grunts.
The Earth Rabbit’s grip loosened. Fighting through the agony, Song Qi used his last ounce of strength to yank the necklace from its chest before the blast hurled him backward.
The flute-like artifact was now firmly in his grasp.
“Gah… *cough*… Damn it…!” The Earth Rabbit spat blood, its nose and mouth clearly injured. No matter how much its body was enhanced, its facial features remained vulnerable.
The explosion at such close range had flooded its mouth and nostrils with blood, leaving it in excruciating pain.
Song Qi wasn’t faring much better—his left hand was charred black, fingers twisted at unnatural angles. He lay on the ground, teeth clenched, drenched in sweat.
The stench of scorched flesh hung in the air as both combatants struggled to endure.
“You’ve got some nerve…” The Earth Rabbit staggered to its feet, patting its chest—only to find the “artifact” missing.
Song Qi gritted his teeth and tried to rise, but the pain from his shattered, burned, and torn left hand sent waves of dizziness through his skull.
The Earth Rabbit wobbled toward him and raised a massive foot to stomp down—but Song Qi rolled aside just in time, forcing himself upright.
“Earth Rabbit… Piss me off again, and I’ll give you another punch,” Song Qi hissed through clenched teeth.
“Like hell you will!” The Earth Rabbit wiped blood from its three-lipped mouth, smearing its face into a grotesque mask. “Your subconscious will reject another attack. Your **’conviction’** is wavering. Your brain won’t let you endure that pain again!”
They stood in tense silence for a few seconds, both panting heavily. Even the Earth Rabbit seemed rattled—it hadn’t expected its opponent to resort to mutual destruction.
Now Song Qi faced another problem: he had the final artifact, but how could he deliver it to his teammates?
The only allies nearby were Chen Junan and Jiang Shi in the adjacent room—but their door was locked.
His eyes darted around. Every door in the room was shut. Was there any way to pass the flute through?
“Wait… a tiny flute?”
Staring at the slender bamboo rod, an idea struck him. If this failed, he was done for.
Before the Earth Rabbit could react, he rolled the artifact across the floor toward a door. The narrow gap beneath was just wide enough for the flute to slip through.
“You—?!” The Earth Rabbit’s crimson eyes widened in fury as it watched the flute disappear into the next room.
At that moment, the room’s speakers crackled to life:
**”Participant’s turn ends. The Zodiac’s turn begins.”**
The Earth Rabbit glared at Song Qi, recognizing the man as a true desperado. It decided not to waste time and turned to leave, intent on retrieving the artifact from the next room.
But Song Qi grabbed its ankle.
“Sorry… I’m still alive. You’re not going anywhere.” He grinned weakly. “The only ones reaching that room will be my teammates.”
“You’re dead—”
Lying on the ground, Song Qi exhaled in relief. “Hey… did you hear me? I threw it out! Go get the artifact and escape this hellhole!!”
From the side, Jiang Shi’s voice called out: “But… which room did you throw it into?”
Song Qi’s eyes snapped open. He pushed himself up, staring in confusion at the direction he had thrown the flute.
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