Honkai Impact: Grandma Pine Sparrow is still chasing me!

Chapter 331 Liberation is Imminent

Even though he had made up his mind, Qiong was still a little worried: how could he constantly remind himself not to fall for Kiana's sweet-talking bullets again?

A rational person should stay away from desires that should not be desired; he should be cautious, as if hiding from a snake in a dense forest—and Kiana, or rather "mochi," is that snake.

Unfortunately, this snake was the same one from the Garden of Eden, and it tempted him, who was still pure, to make a mistake!

As Qiong muttered these thoughts to himself, he took out the Feather Dust Feather Pen and gestured in mid-air. Unable to think of a better way, he could only plan to write these things into his diary (crossed out) pioneering log after today's competition.

"Sky~"

Qiong looked up abruptly and saw Kiana running towards him on tiptoe, holding an ice cream in her hand.

"Here, have something to eat?"

Kiana smiled and handed over the ice cream. As Sora looked at the ice cream being offered to her, alarm bells rang in her mind.

Haha, he just made up his mind to guard against fire, theft, and Qi Bao, and now you want to use "sugar-coated bullets" to pry open his mouth?

You think he'll be beholden to you just because you eat your food? Dream on!

"You can eat it yourself. Be careful not to eat too much junk food like ice cream and become fat!"

Qiong turned her head away, trying her best to keep her face as perfect as Kevin's. Kiana didn't care at all, but Matsuko, who had slowly followed, glanced at the ice cream they had just bought together, and then at her slightly rounded belly after her days of vengeful eating...

Um... have I been overeating lately? But I shouldn't have become fat, right?

No, not really. I have important things to do after I finish eating...

That damned Lithost! How could he change the format so suddenly? How did it turn into the finals today?! But if it weren't for this, she wouldn't be able to be sure that the tower's defenses were weak today—this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

But should we say goodbye?

To be honest, she was already starting to regret it, but the reward was just too good to be true...

After quickly swallowing the ice cream, Song Que stepped forward.

"Um, everyone?"

Qiong was trying to use Baiji to block Kiana's attack when she unexpectedly noticed that Songque poked her back.

Qiong turned around and saw Song Que looking conflicted.

"We...we just wanted to tell you..."

The sparrow hesitated for a moment, then chose a vague explanation.

"Actually, we took on a super troublesome but well-paid job with the Lantern Organization... Because we don't get along well with the Lanterns, we haven't told you guys yet... Time is running out! Nothing else, it's just that we won't be able to congratulate Qiong and Young Master Bai right away after we win... Hahaha, don't worry! We'll be right back!"

Kiana's eyes narrowed into slits upon hearing this.

No, there's a problem.

"That's all for now, I'll be going now! Best of luck in your martial arts endeavors!"

"and many more!"

Qiong wanted to ask a few more questions, but Song Que darted out before the three of them could react.

"That reason is way too far-fetched!"

Watching the sparrow rushing in the opposite direction, Qiong selectively ignored Kiana and looked at Baiji.

"Teacher Bai, what do you think?"

"I think it's fine, let Master Songque go..."

Qiong: ?

Bai Ji remained silent. Before he officially met Song Que, he had already formed a basic impression of her from other people's descriptions. He was also aware of the fact that the Lamp Organization outsourced the project. If he didn't know her well, how could he have accepted the Lamp's commission to have Song Que steal the Zodiac Ring?

However, it's best not to bring this matter up for now...

For the sake of Langqiu, and even for the sake of Luoxing's future.

----------

Tost stood in the center of the ring, looking around.

The stands were still packed with ordinary people eager for a good show, perhaps they genuinely believed the first match was just an accident? Besides the general public, there were only the contestants cowering in the contestant area, too afraid to go on stage and become his first victim—not all of them, of course. The Langqiu woman named Shafulai showed no fear whatsoever, intently polishing her crossbows; and there was Luo Chenxue, just recovered from a serious illness, who, despite having narrowly escaped death at his hands last time, now seemed eager to fight him with her fists?

But Lithost doesn't care about any of that now.

With a gloomy look in his eyes, he had only one thought in his mind: Where is he?

Without the most important person present, all the preparations I've made are useless. Even if I slaughter every single "technique" user here, it will be pointless if they don't come!

With the deadline fast approaching, is he planning to withdraw from the competition?!

Even though Lithost repeatedly told himself that the possibility was slim, once he started thinking about it, his mind couldn't stop...

"Lithost, you heartless scoundrel!"

Luo Chenxue jumped onto the arena and roared, interrupting Lithost's rambling thoughts. This brave to the point of recklessness, the girl's eyes widened in anger, her fists clenched, and she rushed towards Lithost with lightning speed.

It's fast, but a bit stupid.

Litost felt that if Chenxue hadn't cursed him this time, but had simply rushed up and thrown a punch without any sense of martial ethics, he might have instinctively killed her with one move. However, he would probably have taken a punch himself due to his rare moment of carelessness.

"Miss Chenxue."

Litost did not retaliate immediately; instead, he leaped into the air and landed in an open area on the other side of the ring.

“You and your sister have already obtained the ticket to Ruimu, and you were already defeated by me last time, so why continue? Go back, I never waste time with the weak.”

Chen Xue's actions enlivened the audience. The ignorant crowd thought it was just an ordinary final, but anyone who knew the rules would have noticed something amiss: there should have been restrictions around the ring.

"Enough with the nonsense, I'm going to kill you! Today it's either you or me who dies!"

Her all-out attack missed nothing, and coupled with Lithost's persuasive words that were tantamount to mockery, Chen Xue's eyes were once again filled with anger and hatred.

Lithost thought that Chenxue would back down out of rationality, knowing that she knew she was doomed to defeat and would inevitably be killed. However, she was still resentful of the previous crushing defeat and did not think things through. Her anger overwhelmed her reason. At this moment, she only wanted to kill Lithost and end this ridiculous war of ten spells.

Litost glanced at the girl who was about to commit a suicidal charge. His attempts to dissuade her were unsuccessful. It seemed he would have to commit more killings before he died... otherwise, how could he convince Qiong and the others that he was a demon and take his life?

She wasn't the first, and she certainly wouldn't be the last, but her reason was one she had intended to use to guide others, yet it was ultimately untenable—her older sister, Luo Xiaoxing, was the "thirty-first" one...

“Miss Chenxue, don’t you think you’re overestimating yourself? If you could kill me, I would be overjoyed, but…”

Lithost simply stood there mocking, not even bothering to strike a pose. Chen Xue swung her fist at Lithost; in just a few more seconds, her iron fist would have sent the big bad guy sprawling on the ground, teeth knocked out...

How could Corritost just stand there and let her hit him?

Lithost snapped his fingers, and a pitch-black shadow, resembling tentacles without sharp teeth or mouths, emerged from in front of him, and the unstoppable Chenxue crashed into it...

boom!

After the dust settled, everyone saw Chen Xue, who was bound and unable to move by black tentacles.

"No no no!"

Lithost walked slowly forward, his eyes cold, holding a longsword.

Lithost's actions made even those viewers who initially thought he was just trying to create a bloody spectacle to generate more buzz for the Ten Arts War feel uneasy. Whispers began to circulate among the crowd: Would Lithost really kill someone in public?

As Lithost raised his longsword, he saw Chenxue's exposed eye: it held the fear of death and hatred for herself.

"stop!"

There was no barrier, no sound of wind breaking. A crossbow bolt, fired at some unknown time, bore the insignia of the Light Organization, its arrowhead aiming to pierce Lithost's nape and end his mad act of public murder.

If we only consider the latter, it was undoubtedly a success. When Safrai, wielding a rapid-fire crossbow, leaped from below the ring onto the platform, she completely diverted Litost's attention.

Shafule stared warily at the organizer, never considering whether she could defeat him in his current frenzied state. She wasn't a hero; she just wanted to do something…

"Oh? It's Miss Saffra... um?"

However, Lithost's attention remained on Shafulai for less than three seconds. Three seconds later, his face turned towards the entrance to the players' area, and he paused slightly before revealing a barely perceptible smile.

"It's finally here."

"what?"

Before Saffra could understand Lithost's meaning, a wave of energy emanated from Lithost and spread outwards in all directions—those who were nearby, including Saffra and Luo Chenxue, were all blown away by this wave.

"Sister Lamp, watch out!"

Saffra thought she would land headfirst after being thrown into the air, but she managed to regain her balance in mid-air.

Upon closer inspection, she saw a stunningly beautiful woman with white hair grabbing her and pointing at Luo Chenxue with her other hand—it was undoubtedly her doing to freeze Luo Chenxue in mid-air.

"Um... thank you."

Although she didn't know why she didn't fall, it didn't stop her from thanking Kiana.

"You're welcome, Miss Lantern—the Lantern Organization."

"Thank you so much. May I ask your surname?"

"Nightmare Shadows Burn Bones, Ember Night Demons Arise!"

Saffra wanted to press Kiana for answers, but as Lithost acted, Saffra stopped talking and instead focused her attention on Lithost.

In his Ember Night Remains state, Lithost's lips, no longer suppressed beneath his unseen mask, revealed a sinister smile: Today, liberation is imminent.

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Who said it's about depravity? But speaking of this, after some thought, the earliest form of depravity we've encountered and learned about is probably...

When I was a kid, I watched old cartoons, and I remember the seventh brother in Calabash Brothers playing with the magic gourd.