151: A deadly plot unfolds, a shocking backstab!

Die?

No, he won't die... "Senior, is there really no other way?"

Bedrock was silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Lu Yuan, then glancing at the trembling Flame Sprite.

A faint, imperceptible glint flickered deep in his eyes.

A way?

Perhaps... there really is one.

A... perfect way for himself!

This Flame Sprite can barely be considered the flame heart crown's companion spirit.

With it as anIntroduction, and supplemented by a special secret method, he might just gain the crown's recognition!

As for Lu Yuan... Bedrock's gaze fell on Lu Yuan's bulging backpack.

The flame heart crown must be inside!

This young man has infinite potential and too many secrets.

If he is allowed to grow, will he be an asset or a variable in the future?

His own strength is paramount!

Moreover, in this chaotic spatial passage, one more person means one more uncertainty.

One less person means his chances of survival are one hundred percent!

What is the creed of [Fire Seed]?

Break the cage! Avenge! Liberate!

For this goal, any sacrifice is worth it.

Including... necessary "cleanup."

His obtaining the crown is far more important than him!

"It depends on luck," Bedrock's voice betrayed no emotion. "The spatial turbulence will continuously draw our energy. Whoever can last until the end will survive."

Lu Yuan's heart tightened upon hearing this.

He immediately felt his Source Power draining at an alarming rate!

As if being frantically sucked away by an invisible black hole.

"Senior, my Source Power..."

"Normal phenomenon," Bedrock interrupted him, his tone flat. "Concentrate, compose yourself, and try to minimize consumption. The rest, leave to fate."

Lu Yuan frowned deeply.

Normal phenomenon?

How come he felt that the speed of this Source Power loss was a bit off?

Too fast!

He looked at Bedrock warily.

The other party still had an unruffled expression, eyes closed in contemplation, as if truly resisting the erosion of the spatial turbulence with all his might.

Was he overthinking it?

Lu Yuan forced himself to calm down.

Now was not the time for wild thoughts.

He took a deep breath and, imitating Bedrock, began to restrain his own Source Power fluctuations, fully resisting the omnipresent tearing and draining force.

Time slowly passed in agony.

Lu Yuan felt his body growing heavier and heavier, and his consciousness began to blur.

Excessive consumption of Source Power left him utterly exhausted.

The three little ones in the card slot also seemed to sense the danger, sending anxious emotions.

Especially the Winter Frostflame Phoenix, that pride stemming from its bloodline made it extremely dissatisfied with this passive situation.

Just as Lu Yuan's mind relaxed for a moment due to extreme fatigue—

Bedrock, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly twitched an eyelid!

His slightly closed eyes snapped open!

A cold glint!

Opportunity!

Bedrock's hands, hidden by his wide sleeves, quickly began to form gestures.

One after another, strange and complex hand seals rapidly took shape at his fingertips.

There were no Source Power fluctuations.

No energy leakage whatsoever.

A secret technique not belonging to the Source Power system!

Lu Yuan was completely unaware of this.

He was still struggling to hold on, fighting against the seemingly endless spatial turbulence.

"Hiss!"

The cold light in Bedrock's eyes flared!

No more hesitation!

He suddenly turned around, his right hand, which had just finished forming the secret hand seals, slammed fiercely towards Lu Yuan's chest!

"Ugh!"

Lu Yuan's eyes snapped open!

What greeted his sight was Bedrock's ferocious face!

And that hand, less than three inches from his chest, carrying a cold, sinister aura!

"You—!"

Lu Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted to pinpricks!

He wanted to dodge!

He wanted to fight back!

But it was too late!

Bedrock's attack, long premeditated, was as swift as lightning!

It gave him no time to react whatsoever!

"Bang!"

A dull thud.

Bedrock's palm, wreathed in a sinister grayish-black energy, landed squarely on Lu Yuan's chest!

"Pfft—!"

A mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs spurted out!

"Crack... crack crack crack..."

Cracking sounds emanated from within Lu Yuan's body!

His body, starting from the chest where he was struck, was rapidly petrifying at a visible speed!

A pale, stony color spread!

First his chest, then his neck, arms, thighs... Intense pain!

"Bedrock!"

"Fire Seed?"

Lu Yuan struggled to lift his head; he wasn't angry, but rather smiled.

It seemed he had anticipated this; luckily, he had put the crown into his card slot beforehand.

He wouldn't die, but the Fire Seed organization would probably lose some people.

"Brother, give... give me a reason!"

"A reason to kill you?"

"Yes, a reason to kill you."

"Idiot!"

"[Fire Seed] needs elites, needs sacrifice!"

"Your potential is too great, and you have too many secrets. Keeping you is always a hidden danger."

"A hidden danger to me!"

"Moreover..." Bedrock's gaze greedily swept over Lu Yuan's backpack, "the flame heart crown is not something a little bastard like you can possess!"

"That is a primordial treasure! And it's a primordial treasure that hasn't been regularized!"

"Do you think... I would give it to you?"

"Rest in peace. I will complete your contribution for you."

The petrification sped up.

Lu Yuan's consciousness began to rapidly blur.

After the intense pain came a bone-deep numbness.

He could feel his life force draining away at a terrifying speed.

"See you again!"

Lu Yuan used his last bit of strength to utter these four words.

His eyes became hollow, losing all their luster.

"Bang!"

A dull thud.

Lu Yuan's body, within a few short breaths, completely petrified, then crumbled inch by inch!

Turning into a pile of cold, lifeless, grayish-white rubble!

Dead beyond dead.

"Hahaha! Hahahahaha!"

Bedrock looked at the pile of rubble and let out a hearty, unrestrained laugh.

"Idiot! I originally wanted to slowly torture you back at the base, but I didn't expect you to be foolish enough to be dragged into a desperate situation by a Flame Sprite!"

"This is beyond my control! There's a path to heaven, but you didn't take it; there's no gate to hell, but you broke in!"

He triumphantly reached out, preparing to grab Lu Yuan's backpack, which was scattered among the rubble.

The flame heart crown!

It was almost within his grasp!

As long as he obtained it, and with his status and methods as a core member of [Fire Seed], he might just be able to completely control it!

At that time, his strength would surely advance by leaps and bounds!

It might even be possible to surpass those old geezers within the organization!

Then... he would have enough manpower and resources to find his homeworld!

Bedrock's eyes gleamed with determination.

His fingertips were about to touch the backpack's strap.

Just then—

Another anomaly occurred!

"Buzz—!!!!!"

An extremely powerful, utterly domineering force, as if intending to freeze and then incinerate the entire spatial passage, suddenly erupted from the pile of rubble that was "Lu Yuan"!

Ice and fire!

Two completely opposite, yet perfectly fused powers!

Frost Flame Power!

The extreme cold caused even the spatial turbulence to stagnate!

The extreme heat made Bedrock's soul tremble!

"What?!"

The smile on Bedrock's face instantly froze!

An unprecedented life-or-death crisis completely enveloped him!

He had no time to react at all!

That incredibly violent Frost Flame Power, like a divine judgment from the heavens, slammed directly into his chest!

"Pfft—!!"

Bedrock grunted in agony, as if struck by a heavy hammer!

Hot blood gushed from his mouth as if it were free!

He flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing violently into the distorted spatial barrier, then bouncing back!

"Cough... cough cough..."

Bedrock struggled to get up from the ground, his face ashen, his aura extremely weak.

He clutched his aching chest, his eyes filled with horror.

"How... how is this possible?!"

He looked around in shock.

The pile of rubble representing Lu Yuan's "corpse" still lay there silently.

There was no one else around!

Lu Yuan... was clearly dead!

Struck head-on by his [Petrification Divine Palm], his soul annihilated, there was no possibility of survival!

But where did this terrifying Frost Flame Power come from?!

Moreover... Bedrock suddenly thought of a chilling detail!

After a Card Master dies, their cards are bound to drop!

But why was there not even a shadow of a card after Lu Yuan "died"?!

Could it be... an absurd thought flashed through his mind.

No! Impossible!

Bedrock forcefully suppressed the shock and doubt in his heart.

Now was not the time to dwell on these things!

He was severely injured!

Space was already starting to collapse!

He had to leave here as soon as possible!

He gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

He no longer bothered to ponder the mysterious Frost Flame Power.

He stumbled to the pile of rubble, grabbed the still intact backpack and the little sprite, and slung them over his own body.

No matter what happened, the flame heart crown had to be obtained!

This was his only hope!

Bedrock coughed up another mouthful of blood, forcibly swallowed it, and his hands began to form hand seals again.

This time, he was performing the organization's unique short-distance spatial shuttle secret technique.

The cost was enormous, but the speed was incredibly fast!

"Buzz!"

A distorted teleportation gate slowly formed before him with great difficulty.

On the other side of the gate was an unknown space.

But it was better than staying in this damned turbulence!

Bedrock looked back, glaring venomously at the pile of rubble, as if wanting to grind Lu Yuan's "bones" to dust.

"little bastard! You're ruthless!"

"However, the ultimate winner is still me!"

He no longer lingered, taking a decisive step into the teleportation gate!

His figure instantly vanished.

Leaving behind only shattered spatial ripples, slowly dissipating in the chaotic turbulence...