Bones rained down like drops of rain, thudding as they hit the ground, almost turning Xuan Ji into a specimen. 

He landed on a slight slope, and due to inertia, rolled forward for about twenty meters. A wind blade followed closely behind, splitting open the crown of a thick tree and smashing towards him.

Xuan Ji: "..."

But it wasn't him who had nailed Aluojin to the coffin board for thousands of years. 

Who could he reason with about this?

Wang Ze: "Look out for the car!"

Three "Wind God" team members drove a van and rushed over. 

Zhang Zhao stepped on the brakes and sharply turned the steering wheel, sweeping the back of the car out and hitting the fallen tree, while Gu Yuexi opened the car door and pulled Xuan Ji up. 

"Hold on tight!" 

As Xuan Ji scanned the car, his eyes fell upon the words "Some Seafood Supplier" on the side, and a sense of foreboding washed over him. 

"Wait, where did you guys get this car?" he asked.

"We commandeered it from the side of the road. It was an emergency," Wang Ze explained, showing off his feet. One foot had a shoe on it, while the other was adorned with a disposable hotel slipper. "I didn't even have time to put on proper shoes."

Xuan Ji was shocked. "So now field agents of the Bureau have to resort to lockpicking?"

Wang Ze nodded towards Gu Yuexi. "She's got X-ray vision and is an expert at lockpicking."

Xuan Ji was about to praise them both when he noticed a flicker of hesitation in Gu Yuexi's expression. 

He awkwardly averted her gaze and swallowed his words. 

Just then, the van shook violently and the window on one side was pierced by a bone. The bone was still attached to half a finger bone, wriggling in a creepy way. Wang Ze elbowed it out, and as he turned his head, he saw Aluojin flying down beside the speeding van. 

Aluojin's feet were slightly off the ground, and he looked like a ghostly figure. He seemed to feel Wang Ze's gaze and turned his head, revealing a creepy smile on his mask and face at the same time.

"Damn, this smile is so damn seductive, it's making my leg hair stand up!" exclaimed Wang Ze.

Gu Yuexi quickly said, "The places on his body with bloody holes are the energy cores."

Wang Ze reached out his hand and Gu Yuexi handed him a gun in perfect harmony. 

Wang Ze aimed his gun directly at the broken window and fired three shots at Aluojin with precision. 

Although he was terrible with directions, his shooting skills were definitely at the level of a national athlete. The special bullets flashed with a dazzling white light as they entered Aluojin's body, one of them hitting the bloody hole in the center of his forehead.

Xuan Ji exclaimed, "Great shot! Bullseye, bro!"

But before he could finish speaking, the bullet holes exploded with blood and quickly healed. The specially treated bullets were like sand thrown into the sea, not even causing a ripple before being absorbed. 

Aluojin's speed did not decrease, and another wind blade formed in his hand! 

"What the heck is this thing, my goodness!" exclaimed Wang Ze. "Director Xuan, do you have any other tricks besides setting fires? If all else fails, try burning him, but if you accidentally set the forest on fire, I'll put it out for you!"

"Don't be ridiculous," replied Xuan Ji.

It wasn't that he had high environmental standards and couldn't bear to burn a tree. 

It was just that this forest park was too close to the city. Creatures like Aluojin, born from fire, had a fire resistance that was probably higher than asbestos. They could withstand the heat of a cauldron, like the Monkey King who had rolled around in one. Ordinary flames would only warm him up.

The fire that could harm him would be enough to turn the entire Dongchuan into an oven, something that even Old Wang couldn't handle with his hybrid carp bloodline.

At the same time, a question flashed through Xuan Ji's mind: How could he be so strong? 

He watched Sheng Lingyuan use coffin nails to nail the demon's head, which was almost as easy as hanging a painting on the wall with a few nails. It was so effortless that Xuan Ji even had the illusion that this demon only knew how to play some small tricks. 

Was it just because he was incompatible with Aluojin's attribute? 

But he didn't have time to think about it. He saw another wind blade forming in Aluojin's hand, the air flow swirling and making a sound similar to metal friction. This "knife" could probably slice a small loaf of bread into toast. 

"Give me a gun," Xuan Ji said, lifting his hand and pressing it on Zhang Zhao's shoulder. "Brake!" 

Zhang Zhao slammed on the brakes, and Aluojin, caught off guard, continued to rush forward. The flying wind blade grazed the front windshield. Xuan Ji's hand caressed the gun given to him by Gu Yuexi, which was engraved with inscriptions all over the body. 

As his fingers brushed over it, the inscriptions seemed to come alive, bursting into flames of light.

"Can you help me out?" Xuan Ji asked Wang Ze in a deep voice. "Wrap the bullets I shoot with water."

Wang Ze was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Wrapping a flying bullet with a water film was not the same as carrying a bucket of water up the stairs. 

The former required an extraordinary level of visual acuity, reaction speed, and control over abilities, as delicate as carving a masterpiece on a fly's wings.

"We can't afford to make any mistakes. The GDP of Dongchuan is nearly two trillion yuan a year. We can't afford to lose it all," Xuan Ji said quickly. "Mr. Wang, you are the top expert amongst water abilities in the Wind God. I believe in you!" 

Wang Ze said, "But I don't have confidence... Hey!" 

The big boss didn't give them much chance to communicate. Aluojin reached out and hooked a big tree, using it as an axis to spin himself around, facing them. 

The former Witch Clan leader still had a bit of childishness on his face, his long hair and robe sleeves jumping around like butterflies dancing among flowers and trees, almost showing a bit of innocent and romantic beauty.

The "Water and Fire Incompatible" duo rolled out of the van from both sides at the same time. 

Xuan Ji lifted his head, revealing a flame-colored pattern on his forehead. 

It was an ancient totem that had been passed down for three thousand years, born from the flames and bones, both sad and solemn. 

So when he stood there without smiling or showing any expression, that strange, ancient, and contradictory divinity once again pierced through time and emerged. 

As Aluojin saw the totem on Xuan Ji's forehead, he grinned menacingly and pushed forward with a wind blade, bearing down on Xuan Ji. But Xuan Ji leapt up, his feet lightly tapping on the wind blade as if he could walk on air. 

He raised his hand and pulled the trigger: "Wang Ze!" 

The bullet, accompanied by a burst of flame, shot out and instantly formed a layer of water film in the surrounding air, tightly wrapping the sparks in the middle. However, the flame temperature was too high, causing the water to continuously evaporate. Wang Ze had to constantly grab the surrounding water vapor, sweating profusely. 

Gu Yuexi looked around and her X-ray vision fell on the cargo box behind the van. Through the car body, she saw what was inside and deftly pried open the box, pulling out a box of mineral water and tossing them into the sky one by one: "Use these!" 

Unfortunately, Xuan Ji's shot missed. 

The bullet, like a shooting star, grazed past Aluojin and landed in the ground. But for some reason, the fire inside the bullet did not extinguish. With the fire still burning, Wang Ze dared not retract the isolated water sphere and could only tell Gu Yuexi, "Don't stop the water!"

As Xuan Ji landed, he stepped on Aluojin's shoulder. 

Aluojin fiercely grabbed his ankle, trying to throw him down. 

Xuan Ji, however, shot a second bullet from above and then kicked Aluojin's wrist with his other leg. After breaking free, he continued to spin gracefully like a figure skater... except for the slightly off aim - he still missed and the bullet was once again embedded in the ground. 

Without waiting for his teammates to protest, Xuan Ji fired the third and fourth shots in quick succession... 

Wang Ze was about to collapse because every bullet that hit the target sparked, and with each additional bullet, his pressure increased, making it almost impossible for him to hold the gun steady!

Gu Yuexi: "We're out of mineral water!" 

Wang Ze howled, "Find a solution!" he continued, "Director Xuan, my brother! You're a ten-ring shooter, right? Please, I beg you, go get some treatment for your shaky hands! Wait, why are you shooting?"

As he spoke, Xuan Ji calmly fired the sixth bullet without changing his expression. Wang Ze shouted, "Give me water!"

With no mineral water in sight, in a moment of desperation, Gu Yuexi fearlessly braved the flying wind blades and climbed out of the car.

Zhang Zhao exclaimed anxiously, "Sister, you're too brave, you..." 

Gu Yuexi ignored him and quickly dismantled the engine. 

She pulled out the water tank from the car and exclaimed, "This can still be used!"

The sixth bullet narrowly missed setting the vines on fire. Wang Ze hastily scooped water from the tank and managed to extinguish the flames just in time.

Xuan Ji was being chased by Aluojin and the wind blades, darting around in a frenzy. He narrowly avoided danger several times, dancing on the edge of a knife. Suddenly, he didn't notice a vine underfoot and stumbled. 

Although he didn't fall, his rhythm was immediately disrupted.

"Let's burn him again," Aluojin glared at him fiercely and muttered in the language of the witch people, "Let's burn him again!" 

The gentle and deep voice of the witch language broke from his throat, sending shivers down everyone's spine. He conjured a three-meter-long wind blade in his hands and pushed it towards Xuan Ji like a small mountain. 

Xuan Ji rolled away in a panic, scraping a wound on his neck that perfectly matched the one Sheng Lingyuan had made with a nail in the witches' tomb.

But before the first wind blade had fully pushed out, the next one had already formed and chased after him. 

This time, Xuan Ji had nowhere to hide. Wang Ze's face changed, Gu Yuexi couldn't help but turn her head away, and Zhang Zhao, in a state of panic, checked his watch.

Time seemed to freeze, but Xuan Ji didn't dodge. Instead, he used this precious second of escape to shoot at Aluojin's feet, completely ignoring the wind blade that was closing in on him. 

Wang Ze wanted to push him away, but it was too late. 

"Are you crazy...?" 

At the moment the seventh bullet hit the ground, it somehow connected with the other six buried bullets, and a flame-colored net emerged, with Aluojin right in the center of it.

Xuan Ji shouted, "Close!"

Aluojin suddenly realized that it was too late to dodge. 

The "big net" was made up of seven real flames, each corresponding to one of the blood holes that had been nailed into Aluojin's body. The flames were like thin threads, piercing through Aluojin's body and "sewing" him to the ground.

The dangerous wind blades dissipated, leaving only a shallow mark on Xuan Ji's clothes.

Aluojin struggled fiercely, but he couldn't break free. 

The "threads" were immovable, causing the white bones around him to fall to the ground. Then, the "threads" tightened, bending his waist and causing Aluojin to scream in pain as his body began to stiffen. 

Wang Ze stared at the demon trapped in the net, intending to say something to Xuan Ji. But when he saw the totem on his forehead, he inexplicably felt a little fear and forgot his words for a moment.

Above the forest park, only one morning star remained, and the east was faintly turning white. This chaotic night was finally coming to an end.

Xuan Ji's expression flickered, and the pattern on his forehead disappeared. His smooth forehead shone, and his whole demeanor became gentle and bright. 

He took a half step back, exhausted, and leaned against a big tree behind him. 

He joked, "Wang, you're really a porter of nature. Do you really need have to have a ready source of water? Okay, now that the water tank is empty, how are we going back?"

Wang Ze looked at him hesitantly, unsure of what to say. With just one glance, Xuan Ji saw through what he was thinking, 'Dream on, get lost! I'm not a commercial airliner!' 

Gu Yuexi and Zhang Zhao got off the car and didn't dare to approach Aluojin in the formation. 

From a distance, Zhang Zhao asked, "Director Xuan, how do we handle this?" 

"Who knows," Xuan Ji sighed, his hands stuffed into his sleeves. He looked worriedly at Aluojin, trapped in the formation. "I only know this one formation, and if I move it, it will break." 

He had just read about it in the "Dongchuan Witches Book" a few days ago. 

Wang Ze looked at Xuan Ji with interest. Xuan Ji was always silent and had a distant feeling, as if he was far away from the whole world. 

However, when he spoke, he always had a bit of a bitter and humorous temperament. 

"I think we should leave him here for now," Xuan Ji pondered, his expression becoming even more vexed. "Let's go back and ask that...that person."

Ugh, he had to deal with that person again. Just the thought of them made Xuan Ji feel as if he hadn't slept in ten days. 

He let out a frustrated sigh, wondering if he quit now, would the Bureau still pay him for the first month. 

"Wow, you're amazing! Did you come up with this formation on your own or is it a family art?" 

Zhang Zhao carefully studied the formation and the more he looked, the more impressed he became. 

In his eyes, the seven bullets on the ground formed a closed loop, cleverly trapping Aluojin in the middle. Even if Aluojin had the power to move mountains and seas, he was only competing with himself. The more he struggled, the more he consumed himself. 

Aluojin's mask twisted into a grimace, blood oozing from the corners of his eyes and down his cheeks.

Zhang Zhao cautiously stood a few steps away, observing the ancient demon trapped before him. Aluojin, trapped and facing the innocent yet curious eyes of the young man, suddenly let out a heart-wrenching roar. Zhang Zhao was startled as he saw the terrifying monster desperately trying to break free from the net. 

The thin threads were cutting into his flesh, and the mountains of Dongchuan were silent in the morning mist.

Ever since he led his young clan members to leave their homeland, the mountains and rivers no longer responded to his voice. In one's lifetime, there will always be regrets and remorse. 

Many people have daydreamed about "if everything could start over," but when they wake up and realize it's impossible, they let it go.

As for Aluojin, he was attracted by the worldly dreams since he was young, and his rebelliousness as a teenager was born out of his burning passion. He grew up in a land of flowers and luxury, unaware of the hardships of life, wandering in countless unrealistic dreams. 

Then those dreams shattered one by one, except for this last poisonous one that he won't wake up from. 

"As long as the Chiyuan fire is lit, Dongchuan will return to its original state, as long as..." He became obsessed with it and did not end well.

Zhang Zhao suddenly felt a sense of unease and involuntarily shuddered, taking a few steps back. 

"We should quickly contact the headquarters and have them figure out a solution - oh, right, Director Xuan, is he the person sealed in the coffin? How did he escape? What's the situation with Director Xiao and the others? I'll contact them..."

Before he could even unlock his phone, a call came in from an unknown number with a prefix indicating it was an internal line from the headquarters.

Zhang Zhao answered without hesitation, "Hello, this is 'Wind God Team One' Zhang Zhao. We have a situation here that needs to be reported to our superiors... Hello?" All he could hear was the sound of rustling wind on the other end.

"Hello?" Zhang Zhao furrowed his brow. "Is the signal not good... ah!" 

As Gu Yuexi looked over at him, she suddenly realized something was wrong and activated her X-ray vision. 

Her pupils contracted into thin lines and she gasped, slapping Zhang Zhao's phone out of his hand.

But it was too late. Zhang Zhao suddenly felt a sharp pain in his palm, and the phone emitted a burst of black flames, corroding the skin of both people who had touched it.

The phone fell to the ground, and a hoarse voice emanated from within, reciting incomprehensible words.

It was... a Yin Sacrifice ritual text! 

"Step aside!" Xuan Ji was momentarily stunned, but then he pushed Wang Ze aside and flicked a coin from his fingertips, smashing the phone on the ground. 

But it was already too late... 

From his phone, dark and ominous Yin Sacrifice ritual text emerged. In an instant, it sank into the ground, causing one of the seven bullets to be jolted halfway out of the earth. 

With a furious roar, Aluojin struggled to pull it out, breaking the intricate formation. The fiery "threads" imbued with demonic anger doubled back towards Xuan Ji, ready to strike.

Xuan Ji's vision went white. 

He was done for. 

He hadn't even received his first month's salary and now he was going to die on the job...

But just then, a figure darted past and stood firmly in front of him.

Xuan Ji's pupils dilated as the fiery threads pierced through the person's body. The figure trembled slightly but didn't make a sound.

It wasn't until then that the breeze the figure brought with them finally caught up, ruffling Xuan Ji's hair. 

The wind carried a scent of antiquity and luxury.

Could it be... him? 

As Aluojin saw Sheng Lingyuan standing between him and Xuan Ji, he was stunned. 

But Sheng Lingyuan raised his hand and grasped the "thin thread" that had pierced his chest. Blood suddenly flowed out along the "thin thread," and the blood was black.

Aluojin, who was already crazed, suddenly felt like he had encountered his archenemy and quickly retreated. 

The clear night sky suddenly darkened, and the stars and moon disappeared in an instant. Absolute darkness spread out from the man with long hair at the center. 

Whether it was the experienced elite agents with over ten years of experience or mysterious folk masters, they were all instantly enveloped in the darkness and had no way to fight back.

Xuan Ji's scalp tingled, but he was firmly rooted to the ground by an indescribable fear. What kind of power was this?

That's right, the demon in the Chiyuan Hospital that seemed unbeatable was just a fake body, and the one standing in front of them now was the real deal! 

In an instant, a huge chill ran up Xuan Ji's spine, a foreboding feeling like ice water pouring into his body without his life sword. 

"Stop!" he shouted. 

As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt all the hairs on his body stand on end. Then, a bright light blinded everyone, and the violent lightning tore through the dark realm created by Sheng Lingyuan. 

When their retinas began to regain their blurry vision, the thunder finally sounded like an explosion.

It was as if... something that was not allowed by the rules of the world suddenly broke into this time and space, causing the anger of heaven and earth and bringing down divine punishment. 

However, Sheng Lingyuan did not dodge or evade, enduring the blow without a flinch. His blood seemed to have a life of its own, quickly extinguishing the flames on the thin lines and piercing through Aluojin. Black energy spread from Aluojin's forehead, limbs, and chest, leaving spiderweb-like cracks on his face.

The heavens, seeing that Aluojin showed no fear, became even angrier and sent down a thicker lightning bolt from the sky.

Xuan Ji didn't know what he was thinking, but he suddenly took a step forward, risking being struck by lightning, and pulled Sheng Lingyuan away from the spot. 

The thunderous bolt narrowly missed Sheng Lingyuan and broke the bloodline between him and Aluojin, piercing through Aluojin.

Aluojin shuddered fiercely, but his gaze remained fixed on Sheng Lingyuan, piercing through the lightning and thunder. 

Suddenly, he smiled and spoke in the language of the witch people, "Brother Lingyuan, I heard them talking about your fate... The mighty Emperor of Man, in the end, couldn't even save himself... But you're the same, aren't you?" 

Sheng Lingyuan may be truly anti-social, with an extraordinary psychological quality. No matter what the other party says, his eyes remain unchanged.

Aluojin jumps with electric light all over his body, like a broken old doll about to fall apart. 

He whispers, "Otherwise, why can the Yin Sacrifice ritual awaken you? You were bound since birth, and life and death were not allowed by the heavens... Are you willing to accept that?"

Aluojin's words were cut off as he, like a cracked mud embryo, started splitting along the black lines.

"In your whole life," he froze, his throat making a dry and hoarse sound, his face frozen with a strange smile, "have you ever had even one day... of being carefree and painless..."

Sheng Lingyuan didn't answer, he just closed his eyes.

With a soft "pu" sound, the young clan leader disappeared into ashes. 

In that moment, all the silent birds in the Dongchuan Forest Park cried out together and flew up into the sky. The morning mist in the mountains suddenly dispersed, revealing the clear ridges.

Sheng Lingyuan calmly pulled out the few "threads" that had been stuck in his chest, and as his fingers passed over them, his burnt clothes and wounds quickly healed and recovered.

He glanced at Xuan Ji indifferently and said, "The thunder talisman I left behind was triggered by someone, but it seems that only a clone was summoned, not the real mastermind. I didn't know your identity before, sorry for the oversight."

Xuan Ji's lips moved, still not recovering from the shock just now.

What was his identity?

This person... was shot through the heart by the fiery thread and struck by lightning, but is he really okay? 

Sheng Lingyuan didn't even glance at the spot where Aluojin had turned to ashes. 

He lifted his leg and walked back and forth on the path. 

After a few steps, he suddenly remembered something and leaned against a tree. 

Xuan Ji thought he had something to say, but then saw Sheng Lingyuan's knees bend and he sank down against the tree.