Jiang Ruoxue, who had been smiling just moments ago, instantly wiped the expression from her face. After all, there was a fundamental difference between “accidentally brushing against” and “deliberately touching.”
This man gave her an extremely unsettling feeling.
Qi Xia keenly noticed the strange tension between Dr. Zhao and Jiang Ruoxue. Exchanging a glance with the doctor, he gave a slight nod and strode toward Old Sun.
“Man, I really don’t want to lay hands on you. Won’t you reconsider?”
“No need,” Qi Xia replied coldly. “Talking won’t get through to you. Might as well act directly.”
Before Old Sun could react, Qi Xia lunged forward, pivoting into a punch.
Caught off guard, Old Sun instinctively swung the stone club in his hand at Qi Xia’s head.
By all logic, anyone would immediately shield their head—otherwise, even if they struck their opponent, they’d still suffer serious injury.
Yet Qi Xia didn’t dodge. He took the blow squarely on his skull.
Strangely enough, the stone club in Old Sun’s hand seemed to be made of sand, shattering into countless fragments like foam the moment it connected with Qi Xia’s head.
“Huh—?”
Before Old Sun could process his shock, his chin was met with a solid punch.
The strike was heavy and precise. His vision darkened instantly, and he lost his balance.
He staggered backward, landing squarely on a large rock behind him—as if it had been placed there just to catch him.
Qi Xia frowned. The boulder seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, yet that was impossible.
This was the middle of the road. How could he have missed seeing such a massive rock?
In the next moment, the stone began to crumble, disintegrating into sand as if eaten away by termites. Old Sun finally toppled over.
But just as he was about to hit the ground, the sand coalesced back into stone, only to dissolve again moments later.
Watching him finally collapse, Dr. Zhao let out a deep sigh of relief.
Qi Xia wondered if he was losing his grip on reality.
What the hell was going on…?
An “Echo” duel?
Seeing Old Sun knocked out by Qi Xia’s punch, Xiaoxiao’s expression darkened.
“Interesting…” She stepped forward slowly, her muscles gleaming like gemstones under the crimson sky. “Qi Xia, seems you’ve got some training.”
“Just improvising. Your friend underestimated me,” Qi Xia replied, shaking out his right hand, though a cold sweat had already formed on his forehead.
He knew this woman was terrifying.
Her physical strength was formidable, and she possessed an “Echo” ability called “Scapegoat.”
Any damage dealt to her could likely be transferred to someone else.
If he struck her, he might be the one to collapse.
So… how was he supposed to fight her?
But Xiaoxiao showed no hesitation. Clenching her fists, she charged at him.
Qi Xia tensed, quickly adopting his stance again and throwing a punch toward her face.
Yet his speed was no match for hers. In the blink of an eye, she struck his chest.
Her fist was like iron.
“Ugh—!”
Qi Xia was sent sprawling. For ten agonizing seconds, he couldn’t breathe.
Against an opponent like this, Dr. Zhao’s “Echo”—which manipulated the surroundings—was useless.
“Old Sun, tie him up,” Xiaoxiao ordered. “He *has* to join the ‘Extremists.'”
“Cough… Got it…” Old Sun slowly stood, seemingly unharmed. “Didn’t expect this kid to be so skilled. I’ll be more careful next time.”
Just as Old Sun approached Qi Xia with a vine rope, a deep voice cut through the air.
“D*mn, you’ve got some nerve…”
Everyone turned toward the sound. A towering man, nearly two meters tall, was approaching, flanked by two women.
Qi Xia, still on the ground, strained to look and immediately felt a wave of relief.
“Zhang Shan… Aunt Tong… Yun Yao?”
“Hey, what the hell are you three doing? Trying to kidnap someone from ‘Paradise’?” Zhang Shan strode toward Xiaoxiao, his expression icy.
Bloodstains covered his clothes—likely from some recent game.
Xiaoxiao tensed.
The last time she’d seen this man, he had no “Echo” ability—yet he’d killed a bear with his bare hands.
Zhang Shan studied Xiaoxiao’s physique and smirked. “Impressive muscles. Shame they’re wasted on this filth.”
Under his glare, Xiaoxiao found herself speechless.
Meanwhile, Yun Yao recognized a familiar face—one she’d rather not see.
“Hi, Yun Yao,” Jiang Ruoxue greeted, waving cheerfully.
“Don’t ‘hi’ me. I don’t talk to exes,” Yun Yao replied coldly, averting her gaze. “What’s your game? Kidnapping isn’t the ‘Extremists’’ style.”
Dr. Zhao helped Qi Xia up, and the two slowly moved toward Zhang Shan’s group.
“Are you alright, son?” Aunt Tong asked, steadying Qi Xia.
“I’m fine,” he assured her, waving her off.
Jiang Ruoxue kept smiling at Yun Yao. “‘Kidnapping isn’t our style’? Then enlighten me—what *is* our style?”
“I won’t say,” Yun Yao retorted irritably. “You lying, heartless jerk… I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Hah!” Jiang Ruoxue laughed. “Still as adorable as ever, Xiao Yun. Maybe I shouldn’t have dumped you.”
“Get your facts straight—*I* dumped *you* after finding out who you really were.” Yun Yao glared at the trio. “Back off now. If all six of us fight, you know how this’ll end.”
Old Sun tugged at Xiaoxiao’s sleeve and whispered, “Who’s this giant? Fought him before?”
“Yeah…” Xiaoxiao murmured back. “If he’s awakened his ‘Echo’ this time, we’re done for.”
“All three of them are ‘Echo’ users?” Old Sun pressed.
“Yeah. Top-tier fighters.” Xiaoxiao took a cautious step back. Though the situation was dire, she couldn’t bring herself to abandon Qi Xia.
Aunt Tong smiled gently. “Children, you’ve been blessed by the ‘Mother Goddess.’ Why misuse that gift?”
“Misuse?” Xiaoxiao scoffed. “Who says *you’re* the righteous ones and *we’re* the villains?”
“Piss off,” Zhang Shan growled, waving dismissively. “We’ll let today slide. Try kidnapping again, and I won’t hold back.”
Xiaoxiao hesitated at his words.
If he *had* awakened his “Echo,” why was he being so lenient?
Was he bluffing?
But bluffing could be a tactic. She couldn’t afford to lower her guard.
“Zhang Shan…” Xiaoxiao called out. “How about a wager?”
Zhang Shan and Yun Yao exchanged glances. “What do you want?”
“We’re ‘Extremists.’ We *never* back down,” Xiaoxiao declared. “But we *do* want Qi Xia to join us. So let’s settle this in a game.”
“A game?”
“I know of a lethal ‘Earth’-class game. Let’s decide the outcome there—what do you say?”
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