"Now, can I see my fire seed?"
Chen Xiao's voice was calm, but to Alexander it felt like ice. The man's grip tightened; his throat constricted. He couldn't draw a breath.
Alexander thrashed, pounding the ground. A tall, thin Combat Nation man stumbled forward, helpless, and in his open palm lay a thumb-sized crimson orb radiating dry heat.
A fire seed.
Chen Xiao took it. The seed itself wasn't blistering, but the energy within was profound—and threaded with a faint, unsettling aura. Rules-magic. He slid the seed into the Mountain and River Map, watching Alexander's face flush purple as if life was being squeezed from him.
The tall man roared, "What are you doing? We already gave you our only seed!" Two others lunged—no way would they watch their leader suffocate.
Shh! Shh! Shh!
Four figures charged in, all Huaxia. Relief hit the Combat Nation ranks like cold water.
"Finally found you! You run too fast!" someone panted. "Mad Ghost Boss, you could've waited—there's strength in numbers!" "Leave these to us! Give us a chance to shine!"
Chen Xiao's reinforcements had come. A Yao and the others had underestimated his speed and nearly lost him; only a fresh burst of energy led Jiang Ling to the scene. Confronted with sudden Huaxia momentum and reinforcements, the Combat Nation lost their nerve. If it had been only one titan against them, maybe they would have stood. Now they had to think twice.
Alexander slammed the ground again and again. The tall man swallowed his pride. "Huaxia man, we lied. Take all our fire seeds—spare Alexander!"
He actually produced seven more seeds—so the stage hadn't been barren; Combat Nation had simply scoured nearby veins already.
Chen Xiao accepted them, smiled faintly, and released his grip. Alexander gasped for air, prostrate on the stone. He had truly believed himself done for.
"Leader Alexander, are you alright?" his men asked as they helped him to his feet, keeping a wary distance from Chen Xiao. The tall man bowed deeply before leading his group away, not daring to stay.
"Brother Chen Xiao? You let them go?" A Yao stared, bewildered. Zhang Longqi and the others were puzzled, too. Let them live after they'd lied and tried to kill you? Why not finish them off and claim more seeds?
Chen Xiao toyed with a seed between his fingers and said calmly, "The chives are not yet ripe. It is not time to harvest."
They blinked. He smiled: "Now follow me to the cave mouth."
"You don't mean—" A Yao's eyes narrowed."No way, Mad Ghost Boss! You're not going to do something that crazy, are you?!" Zhang Longqi breathed."You're going to block the cave mouth?" Jiang Ling's eyes widened.
They'd guessed his plan: seal the cave entrance and trap everyone underground. The Rules required a return to the surface to crush a fire seed—sealing the exit would force competitors to either wait or perish. It was a gamble that would make an enemy of every team still in the furnace. The third stage was supposed to be nonviolent; this would ignite chaos.
If Cao Linxuan had been in charge, he'd have organized a cooperative grab and left together. But who else would dare this level of recklessness? Only Chen Xiao.
He chuckled at their faces. "What, are you scared?"
A Yao stepped forward first. "Scared? With Brother Chen Xiao protecting me, I've got nothing to fear!"
Everyone else swallowed hard. The Mad Ghost Boss prioritized A Yao and the fire seeds—everything else came after.
Chen Xiao knew their thoughts and added, "I won't force anyone. If you want to exit now, I'll give you a fire seed." His tone shifted hard as steel: "Of course, that seed comes with a price."
They exchanged looks. Leaving meant safety—but who would willingly walk away from the chance for more seeds and a better second animal form? The gamble was dangerous; the reward, enormous.
Jiang Ling was first to decide. "I'll stay. My ability's useful."Zhang Longqi tightened his jaw. "Mad Ghost Boss, I trust you—and I'll fight for Huaxia."Zhao Yuanhang had planned to leave, but seeing the others commit, he gritted his teeth. "I… I'll stay too."
Chen Xiao laughed, unconcerned with motives. He cared only about results. His points already towered; if plenty of "chives" lay ahead, he'd share a sliver. Better to make them fight beside him than to squabble later.
He activated Divine Wind, gathering A Yao into his arms and sweeping toward the cave mouth. A Yao's body melted into his embrace; she looked unusually serene, lashes fluttering as she stared at him, unable to look away.