Sorry, I'm late

Heaven and the Underworld are already at war, yet you, the Supreme Commander, still have the leisure to play chess.

Immortal Gu moved the queen piece in chess, pressing forward with his attack.

"I’ve been missing for ten years. Whether I’m here or not makes no difference—they probably think I’m already dead."

Mikhael defended, holding a chess piece as he pondered. "I just can’t figure out where I went wrong."

"Truth and lies, spies and deception—no one can say for sure."

Immortal Gu advanced his bishop, capturing Mikhael’s queen.

Mikhael rubbed his ring, his eyes narrowing as if struck by a sudden realization. His pupils constricted sharply.

"King Biancheng! There’s a traitor!"

If this speculation was correct, then Lin Lan should be...

Chun Nan Island.

Even though it was already December, the sunlight here remained warm and bright.

King Wuguan has fallen in battle.

Lin Lan read the report, her beautiful eyes clouded with sorrow.

King Wuguan had always been one to stay neutral, keeping himself out of conflicts.

Yet, against all expectations, he was the first to meet such a tragic end.

Lin Lan sighed softly, her gaze hardening.

Among the three Underworld Kings who had followed King Chujiang’s betrayal, King Biancheng had been part of her faction.

She had uncovered King Chujiang’s identity as a mole so quickly precisely because King Biancheng had played the role of a double agent.

In the end, he had even risked his life to eliminate Heaven’s Supreme Commander.

Yet, in the end, he hadn’t escaped this fate.

"Brother Liang, may you rest in peace."

The photograph before her was King Biancheng’s portrait—Liang Zhong, his true name.

Lin Lan held a piece of yellow paper, burning it in a brazier, her exquisite face shadowed with grief.

Fifty years ago, the Underworld had still been able to stand against Heaven in battle.

But now, the Underworld was rotting from its very foundations.

For the past decade, Lin Lan had exhausted herself trying to stabilize the Underworld, preventing this towering tree from collapsing.

Now, with Heaven and the Underworld locked in their final battle, Lin Lan knew the Underworld stood no chance.

Yet, she had to hold on.

"Mom..."

Qin Yao entered from outside, looking at her mother with hesitation.

Lin Lan turned to her, her gentle eyes hardening with resolve. "Yao Yao, this place isn’t safe. You need to leave—now."

Zhou Island.

Kirupa’s greatsword deflected the scythe of an Underworld Enforcer.

With a horizontal slash—

Sschick!

The Underworld Enforcer was no match, cleaved in half at the waist, blood spraying wildly.

Kirupa panted lightly, wiping the blood splattered across his face.

At the other end of the island, the Armor Demon, clad in full-body armor, rampaged through the battlefield like a killing machine.

A crimson aura surrounded him as he charged forward like a raging rhinoceros.

Screams erupted in succession!

Seven or eight Underworld martial artists were flung into the air.

A rain of blood scattered.

"Hahaha, this feels good!"

The Armor Demon grinned eerily.

Then—

A staff, swift as a dragon’s strike, lashed out!

Multiple staff shadows struck the Armor Demon’s armor.

Clang!

The Armor Demon, a mountain of flesh, was sent flying.

A lean, middle-aged man in a red cape emerged, wielding the staff with precision.

A powerful aura radiated from him, his sharp eyes burning with intensity.

"King Yama!"

The assassins paled, their weapons trembling in their hands.

At that moment—

A grotesque greatsword slashed toward King Yama from behind!

Clang!

King Yama seemed to have anticipated the ambush, spinning around with a sweeping strike of his staff.

Kirupa staggered, sent flying ten meters before crashing hard into a boulder.

"Impressive, impressive!"

Kirupa coughed violently, grinning as he looked at the lean man. "I’ve long heard King Yama’s strength is second only to King Qinguang. Now I see it’s true!"

From that brief exchange, he could tell—

King Yama’s power was at the Peak of the Void Realm!

King Yama flung off his cape, his crimson eyes locked onto Kirupa and the other assassins. "Vermin! Perish!"

His staff whirled, dozens of afterimages lashing out at Kirupa.

Kirupa blocked frantically with his greatsword, his arms numb from the impact.

"You insolent bastard!"

The Armor Demon clashed his fists together, sparks flying as he charged like a raging bull.

Even outnumbered two to one, King Yama fought with ease.

Then—

Kirupa was struck by King Yama’s staff, sent crashing to the ground.

The Armor Demon seized the chance to land a punch on King Yama’s chest—only to be sent flying by a counterstrike.

But at that moment—

Unnoticed by anyone, a shadowy figure slipped forward like a ghost.

A dagger plunged into King Yama’s back, piercing through his chest.

"Coward!"

King Yama staggered back, his furious gaze locking onto the newcomer—Ariel.

"Hahaha, I’m starting to admire Shaliel even more. No wonder he sent three of us."

Ariel twirled the bloodied dagger, retreating slowly.

Kirupa rose, leaning on his greatsword. "Surprised? There’s three of us!"

Meanwhile...

Qiu Shan Island.

Kamel and Metatron slaughtered Underworld martial artists side by side.

King Pingdeng, his arm severed, was subdued by four assassins, blades pressed against him.

Fu Shou Island.

King Dushi struggled under Raguel’s massive hammer, barely holding on.

Like a reed in a storm, he could collapse at any moment.

Despite the one-sided slaughter, every Underworld fighter knew—

As long as Hui Ming Island held, there was still a chance to turn the tide.

Hui Ming Island.

A violent surge of energy erupted, engulfing the battlefield.

Raphael clashed with a man in his fifties, clad in a red cape.

Trees were uprooted, the ground torn apart in deep gashes.

Bodies—both Heaven’s assassins and Underworld warriors—littered the area, a gruesome sight.

Before these two world-class powerhouses, even S-rank assassins and Dark Force martial artists were little more than cannon fodder.

Boom!

Raphael’s bizarrely shaped blade struck the iron bracers on King Qinguang’s arm.

The shockwave ruptured eardrums, blood trickling from the ears of nearby fighters.

King Qinguang staggered back, blood surging up his throat—

He forced it down, but a moment later, he coughed violently, crimson spilling from his lips.

His face was deathly pale, his spirit broken.

Raphael’s overwhelming energy had already ravaged his organs.

"Old man, don’t push yourself if you can’t handle it."

Raphael grinned, his smile chilling.

"My King!"

Underworld warriors rushed forward, desperate to aid him.

"All of you—stand down!"

King Qinguang’s voice was strained.

As the Underworld’s strongest, even he was outmatched by Raphael.

For the others to intervene would be suicide.

"Hahaha! Seems the Underworld hasn’t improved at all. The same faces from ten years ago, the same weaklings today! Is there no one in the Underworld who can fight?!"

Behind Raphael, Heaven’s assassins drew their weapons.

"That old man is mine. The rest—slaughter them all! Leave none alive!"

Raphael’s grin widened, his eyes gleaming with cruelty.

King Qinguang’s gaze turned icy as he clutched his chest, rising unsteadily.

"I’ll hold him off. The Four Underworld Enforcers—with me! The rest—retreat!"

"My King!!"

The Underworld warriors’ faces twisted in anguish.

They all knew—

This was the Underworld’s final stand.

At that moment, an indescribable sense of danger surged through the air.

In the blink of an eye, Raphael's figure appeared above King Qinguang, his long blade raised high.

"No need to rush. You'll all die soon enough."

The blade swept down!

Clang!

A black T-shaped baton intercepted Raphael's strike.

The violent impact forced Raphael back a step. His murderous gaze narrowed as he fixed his eyes on the cold-faced young man before him.

"Lin... Lin Chen!"

Clutching his wound, King Qinguang stared in disbelief at the young man who had appeared so abruptly.

Lin Chen retracted his Cloud-Splitter baton and said calmly, "My apologies. I'm late."

Tip: Tap/click the left or right side of the screen to go to previous/next chapter.