The Life of Lust Demon

Chapter 74 Against All Odds

No mercenary group would destroy their emblem so recklessly. Emblems were sacred to mercenaries, containing crucial information like their rank, reputation, and authority within the guild. Destroying one signified the dissolution of the group, forcing them to start from scratch. For James to crush it so casually, it could only mean one thing—they were never the Bloodsworn Mercenary Group to begin with!

"Of course, we're not the Bloodsworn Mercenary Group," James sneered, his voice dripping with mockery as he strolled forward, each step deliberate, taunting.

Zoey's eyes burned with fury as she pointed an accusing finger at him. "So you've been hiding behind that false identity all along, just to ambush us! I should've seen through this act sooner! You're from the Evil Fiend Temple, aren't you?"

James chuckled darkly, the corners of his mouth curling into a predatory grin. "Oh? You figured it out? Not bad at all. You're sharper than you look."

Beside him, the seductive woman licked her lips and shot Zoey a playful, yet menacing glance. "Smart and pretty. What a rare combination," she cooed, her voice dripping with malice.

Anos' expression darkened as he pieced together the puzzle. This behavior had been odd from the start—two unfamiliar groups crossing paths in such a dangerous place, yet their enemies had been overly friendly. The moment they offered to relinquish a beast as valuable as the Frost Rumblehorn without a fight, the alarm bells should have rung louder. They were too cooperative, and now their real intentions were clear.

"I have a question," Anos interjected, his voice sharp and cutting through the tense silence. "Did you actually register as a mercenary group under the Bounty Hunter Guild, or was that just part of the act?"

The seductive woman let out a low laugh, her gaze shifting to Anos. "Oh, sweetie, we wouldn't waste our time with such formalities. We ran into the real Bloodsworn Mercenary Group before you did. Killed them. Took their emblems, their information... everything we needed to set the perfect stage."

Anos' eyes narrowed, his gaze cold and piercing. So that's how they had pulled it off—ambushing and eliminating a genuine mercenary group beforehand, stealing their identity to lure in their next prey.

The truth hit like a slap in the face. The seductive woman's sneer deepened as she continued. "Why bother registering when the Bloodsworn fools so graciously gave us all we needed? Their emblem, their reputation—it was almost too easy. And now, here you are, playing right into our hands."

The realization hit like a hammer. These impostors had carefully planned their ambush, stealing the emblem and masquerading as mercenaries to lure them in. They clearly understood Bodhi's strength, knowing a direct clash would cost them dearly. Instead, they bided their time, waiting until Bodhi let his guard down before striking with ruthless precision.

"James—if that's even your real name," Anos said icily, fixing his gaze on the burly man who stood at the head of the group.

Continue reading stories on empire

"You don't need to know who I am," the man replied, his grin sharp and predatory.

Zoey's device might have detected them earlier, but it was clear these impostors had similar tools. After ambushing and killing the real Bloodsworn Mercenary Group, they must have spotted Anos' team trailing behind. Pretending to be mercenaries was a ruse to assess their strength. If Anos' group had appeared too strong, these killers would have stayed in hiding. But seeing an opportunity, they revealed their true colors.

"Damn it!" Zoey cursed under her breath, her fists clenched.

The Evil Fiend Temple members rarely operated in groups of this size, which had lulled them into a false sense of security. But luck had turned against them—encountering not only the shrine's operatives but eight of them at once!

"Owen," Zoey turned sharply toward him, her voice laced with urgency, "you're at Spirit Core Realm Stage-Three. They have a Stage-Four leading them, but the others are weaker. If you can hold him off, we might have a shot!"

Bodhi was too injured to fight. Zoey calculated quickly: if she could hold back one or two of the Stage-Two fighters, and Owen took on their leader, there was a chance they could turn the tide.

"It's all on you now!" Zoey's voice wavered, but her eyes burned with determination.

Owen's lips twisted into a smirk, and instead of replying, he strode toward the opposing group with deliberate steps.

Everyone froze, their expressions darkening with confusion.

"Wait... what's happening?" Anos muttered, his fists tightening.

"So… it's you," Anos finally said, his voice cold with realization.

Owen turned, his smirk widening into a grin. "Took you long enough to figure it out."

"What?" Zoey's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You've been with the Evil Fiend Temple this entire time!" Anos accused, his words cutting through the tension like a blade.

Owen chuckled darkly. " You give me too much credit, Anos. I didn't plan for the Evil Fiend Temple to be here,but i won't complain. Luck's on my side today. Killing you was always my goal—and now I get to do it with some help."

"You traitor!" Zoey spat, fury and disbelief flashing across her face.

Owen shrugged. " It's nothing personal. Well.... Maybe a little. You see,Anos, You took something that should be mine.And for that, You'll die."

He glanced at the leader of Evil Fiend Temple group." Leave him to me. You can have the others."

The burly leader laughed, eyeing Zoey with a hunger that made her skin crawl." Fine by me. But the girl.... she's mine."

" You're disgusting!" Zoey snapped, taking a defensive stance.

The woman beside the leader snickered." Don't mind him. He's always had a thing for feisty ones."

The Iron Reavers Group stood in stunned silence. Betrayed From within and surrounded by overwhelming power, hope seemed to slip through their fingers like sand

"Attack!" the leader barked.

The Evil Fiend Temple surged forward, and chaos erupted

After minutes of relentless fighting, their injuries worsened, and despair set in. Every move they made felt futile, and even the so-called plan seemed more like a cruel gamble. The idea of sacrificing their lives to buy Zoey a few seconds to escape was a bitter pill to swallow. And yet, Anos insisted he had a way.

"Do you really have a plan?" Zoey's voice quivered, a mix of desperation and doubt in her tone.

Anos's expression was grim, his breaths labored. He wasn't sure himself, but this was their only shot. "I don't know if it'll work," he admitted. "But if we're going to die anyway, I might as well stick with you to the Underworld. Sound good?"

Zoey glared at him, her voice shaking with frustration and fear. "How can you joke about something like this? Stop being ridiculous!"

Anos shrugged, masking his fear with a faint smirk. Then, his gaze turned sharp. "We're out of time. Disperse the hurricane!"

Zoey hesitated, torn between holding onto the shield of wind that gave them precious seconds of safety and trusting Anos's untested plan. If she didn't let go, their deaths were certain. If she did, there was still a glimmer of hope, however faint.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "Alright… I trust you." With a wave of her hand, the raging wind dissolved into nothingness.

Anos stepped forward, gathering what little energy he had left. A surge of power erupted from him, crackling and fierce, as he prepared to make his stand.

Their enemies barely paused, sneering at the display.

"You're finished!" James roared, his aura flaring as he charged with killing intent.

Owen's blade gleamed coldly in the dim light as he lunged straight at Anos, aiming to end it all in one strike.

"Ding … Activating the power of time. Select desired effect."

"Time Stop!"

"Ding … Select effect intensity!"

"Consume all spiritual energy!"

"Ding … Select targets!"

"Ding … Targets selected. Time Element activated!"

Whoosh—

A terrifying force erupted from Anos's body, rippling outward. The attacks poised to strike them, along with the figures of their enemies mid-motion, froze completely in place.

Zoey and the others, who had resigned themselves to death, suddenly realized something was wrong. The members of the Evil Fiend Temple, charging at them with killing intent, were motionless. It was as if time itself had come to a standstill.

"This… what is this?" Zoey whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief.

Anos, exhausted and barely upright, half-knelt on the ground. "What are you all waiting for? Kill them now!"

His shout jolted everyone back to their senses. Gripping their spirit weapons tightly, they rushed forward. Their frozen enemies, no matter how strong, were utterly defenseless. It was like cutting through stone statues, each strike lethal and decisive.

Anso forced himself to stand, his legs shaky. Gripping the Celestial Serpent Blade tightly, he staggered toward Owen. His eyes burned with determination.

With a flash of cold steel—shua!—Jiang Tianyu's head rolled to the ground.

"Ding … You've killed a Stage-Three Spirit Core Realm cultivator. Experience +20,000."

Anos let out a deep breath before collapsing to the ground. In just a few seconds, the group had wiped out their seemingly invincible opponents.

This was the overwhelming power of the Time Element. Anos knew how rare and powerful it was to freeze time completely. When time stopped, even the strongest of enemies couldn't retaliate. Yet, it wasn't without its limits. Anos had risked everything. If he hadn't succeeded, it would have been the end for all of them. But he had done it—just barely. Even James, a Stage-Four Spirit Core Realm cultivator, was frozen for enough time to seal his fate.

Anos smiled faintly. Not only had he saved everyone, but with the experience gained from killing Owen, he could feel himself on the brink of breaking through to the Spirit Core Realm.

However, he understood the reality of time and space Element. They were the most challenging to master, their true potential often remaining untapped even by the most gifted cultivators. Freezing time completely, especially against those in the same or higher realm, was nearly impossible without the system's assistance. Yet for now, this brief mastery had saved their lives.

As the group caught their breath, the silence was deafening. The impossible had happened—they were alive.

"Hu—" Zoey exhaled shakily, looking around at the lifeless bodies of their enemies. "We… we actually survived."

Everyone nodded, still in disbelief, the adrenaline slowly leaving their bodies. Anos lay on the group, a faint smile on his lips, already thinking about what came next.