Returning to the Mysterious Era-Chapter 695 - Not Even One Move!

"Golem Sect business, out of the way! Move aside if you don't want to die!"

Figures in black emerged from the distant darkness with light yet powerful movements. They crossed more than ten meters with a single step. They wore uniform tight combat suits embroidered with the word "Golem" that resembled tight-fitting armor.

Some wore fingerless gauntlets, some leather-studded wristbands, while others had white bandaged wraps. However, they were all unmistakably martial artists. They shared common traits like their tall builds, bulging muscles, fierce Qi, and vicious eyes that were clearly not to be trifled with.

"This forest ahead is a murder scene, you... you mustn't..." Beside the yellow pine tree forest, the police chief assisting the exorcists stammered nervously.

A massive bandaged hand suddenly shot out, grabbing the middle-aged police chief's collar and half-lifting him up. His toes barely touched the ground as he was forced to look up at the burly man with a hideous scar towering over him. He was expressionless, yet radiated extreme ferocity.

"A murder scene? Heh, if you don't want this place to turn into a murder scene too, then get your men out now! And don't point those bird-shooting toys at us... what use is such little firepower?"

Nearby, the policemen who had drawn their guns were frozen. The scarred man sneered, snatching the pistol from the chief's waist and crushing it with a light squeeze of his fingers. The metal barrel warped and twisted like clay until it was kneaded into a small lump of metal. The pale-faced chief collapsed onto the ground.

"My friends, though I don't know your origins, I must warn you. There are monsters beyond human imagination inside this yellow pine tree forest. Beings that manipulate the mind with ease. Physical strength alone cannot resist them. If you enter, the casualties will be unimaginable..." Carter, a steward stationed outside from the Exorcist Association, warned them.

"Who said we were going in?" The scarred man slowly turned toward Carter. "Do we look like we're seeking death?"

Carter exhaled in relief. He thought this mysterious faction also knew when to retreat in the face of danger.

"Our master, Holy Lion Simu, one of the Four Kings of the Golem Sect, is inside. If he unleashes his full strength, he'll flatten the entire forest! He won't spare us either if he gets caught up in the madness of battle. We're not that stupid..." The scarred man sneered, and the others of Golem Sect nodded in agreement.

They had learned their leader’s temper well in the past months. Once he found a worthy opponent, he became a berserk lion! Sometimes he even demolished half a mountain along with the martial halls! Keeping a safe distance was the wisest choice.

Across from them, Carter froze. Could the massive explosions just now have been caused by this Holy Lion Simu? The murder scene... Could they be the culprit?! Was it also true that the entire forest could be leveled? If so, then the Nightmares and the Exorcist Association inside who were already locked in battle were surely doomed!

***

At the very center of the yellow pine tree forest, Nightmares and exorcists were battling near the ruins. The exorcists held crystal spheres, coating their short blades with a faint violet glow. The ring-shaped pendants at their necks lit up, covering their bodies with pale white membranes.

At the president's command, exorcists burst out from all directions, slashing at the Nightmares preparing their ritual.

In the middle of the ritual array, the Nightmare leader pulled back his hood. "Hmph, finally they've come! Kill them!"

Nightmares charged out as well. They enhanced their strong human hosts to the point of grotesqueness. The black energy surrounding them seeped into their swelling bodies. Veins bulged, arms mutated, and terrible fangs bared.

Bang!

An exorcist was smashed into the ground and reduced to pulp.

Squelch!

A Nightmare was pierced through the heart by a violet short blade. It collapsed silently into a human corpse. In the blink of an eye, exorcists and Nightmares clashed in the clearing. Black energy tangled with white light, growing ever fiercer.

A man and a woman watched from behind a large tree at the edge of the battlefield.

"So this is a battle between exorcists and Nightmares? This... this is incredible! It's something I could only dream of..." Julia gasped, stunned and shaken. The sight of blood flying around and supernatural duels terrified her. Just a day ago, she was an ordinary bank employee. In less than twenty-four hours, she was living through a surreal nightmare.

Beside her, her boyfriend Joey patted her back. "I'm going in. Stay hidden and stay safe. Keep the amulet I gave you on at all times, don't take it off!"

As Joey turned, Julia grabbed his hand. "Don't go! It's too dangerous! I don't want to lose you, Joey!"

Joey squeezed her hand and reassured her, "I don't want to lose you either. I have to find the Nightmare that marked you and kill it! Besides, my companions and my father are battling those monsters. How could I just watch?"

"I can't..." Julia stammered.

Joey turned, gazing deeply into her blue eyes. "Julia, don't worry. I won't die. I'll come back to marry you!"

Then he resolutely turned, pulling free from her grasp. The scene was deeply moving. One looked determined, while the other’s eyes glittered with tears.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, three figures dove down nearby. They crashed through the trees like three cannonballs.

Bang, bang, bang!

The ground shook, forming a deep crater. The dust cleared, revealing three mighty figures at the crater's bottom. On the left stood a golden-haired lion of a man with domineering Qi. Smirking, he raised his powerful arms, squaring off against the fists of two others in a clash of strength. One fist seemed ablaze with fire, while the other was drenched in blood.

"I admit, both of you are indeed strong. However, you're still only in the realm of a top-tier combat artist!"

Scarlet Qi rose slowly from Blood Hand Vincent's shoulders.

"The three of us are all top-tier combat artists, yet you want to defeat us two at once? Delusional!" roared Burning Fist Carlo.

"Heh, how would I know if I don't try?!" A cold gleam flashed in Holy Lion Simu's eyes.

Terrifying Qi burst forth, whipping his clothes like a hurricane. He unleashed a punch that echoed with a lion's roar.

Bang!

A bloody fistprint slammed against it in a violent clash. The next second, Vincent staggered back with trembling arms. At his side, Carlo charged, and Simu likewise lunged. Their afterimages collided in midair.

Bang, bang, bang...

Their shadows tangled swiftly under the moonlight. Beside the crater, a high-ranking Nightmare that had already slaughtered five hunters roared. Its bluish-black body swelled to four meters as its feral eyes landed on Vincent and Simu locked in combat.

The dull thuds of their blows drew its attention.

"Humans?" The high-ranking Nightmare charged. "You dare enter the battlefield without exorcist energy barriers?! Pathetic worms!"

It spread its monstrous arms wide, ready to crush the fighters. Just then, one of the two combatants was hurled away like a bloody meteor. The Nightmare was right in its path. Delighted, it unleashed a bloodthirsty roar.

Bang!

The bloody meteor crashed into it with terrifying force. It felt like a tsunami sweeping through the land. The Nightmare's eyes bulged grotesquely, blood spurting from its sockets. Then, it burst like a smashed watermelon!

Blood rained down, interrupted only by the fragments of organs pattering to the ground. For a moment, every single exorcist and Nightmare froze. A high-ranking Nightmare, one of the top five of its kind, had been accidentally smashed to death by the impact of one of the fighters being flung into it!

What the hell...

The one who shattered the Nightmare, Burning Fist Carlo, spun in the air and landed, feet driving hard into the soil. A trace of blood marked his lips as he looked gravely at Simu. "Your realm... have you already stepped halfway into the realm of an extreme combat artist?!"

Blood Hand Vincent flickered through the air and silently arrived at Carlo's side. Together, they stared at Holy Lion Simu.

Simu smiled faintly, his cold pupils betraying nothing. Dusting his clothes, he said, "What do you think?"

All three vanished in an instant as deafening crashes started to ring out. Wherever they passed, trees exploded, black soil geysered upward, and deep trenches appeared. Around them, exorcists and Nightmares alike faltered. The power of these unknown outsiders was beyond imagination!

In the distance, Joey froze mid-step. He turned to his girlfriend. Their eyes met, both filled with shock. Julia, an ordinary woman, could hardly believe it. Even Joey, son of the Exorcist Association's president and heir to the strongest exorcist of his generation, had never seen such strength! Could his father withstand even a single move from the weakest of these three?

Joey glanced ahead. A yellow pine tree with a trunk as thick as four men was smashed through by a fist. A figure kicked it sideways, sending it hurtling toward Simu but midair, it was pounded to splinters and crushed into sawdust by fists.

He swallowed hard, reaching a conclusion.

Absolutely not! Not even one move!