"Cough, cough, cough..."
Amid the ruins of the Heavenly Court, a figure shrouded in a black cloak gripped the heavy remnants of a palace wall with both hands and heaved them aside.
Zuo Qing coughed violently. Grasping the wrist of a Spirit Medium member, he slowly rose from the pool of blood.
"Are you all right?"
Old Dog Wu was carried on the back of another Spirit Medium member. He spoke weakly from the side.
"...I won't die." Zuo Qing braced himself with a broken piece of wood, panting heavily. His left leg was somewhat misshapen; it had likely been broken in the battle against Chaos just now.
His gaze swept across the area. Several Spirit Medium members were scattered throughout the Heavenly Court, rescuing the Human Apexes and Great Xia Gods from the ruins.
"This time, we have you to thank." Zuo Qing spoke bitterly.
"Not me. It's their doing." Old Dog Wu's gaze swept over the cloaked figures. "They have no life. They can't be injured, and they don't feel pain... Only they could save us under these circumstances."
Zuo Qing nodded. "Lin Qiye's soul drifted down just now. Have you found him?"
"Still looking, but he should be somewhere in the Heavenly Court."
"What about King Mask?"
"He's awake. Over there."
Old Dog Wu looked in a certain direction. Zuo Qing gave a soft grunt, supporting himself with the broken wood as he slowly made his way over.
Within a crater piled high with rubble, a pale, white-haired figure sat weakly on a massive boulder. A cloud of blood burst from his body, then flowed back into him as time reversed.
He seemed to notice Zuo Qing approaching and turned to look at him.
"Are your injuries serious?" Zuo Qing asked.
"I'm fine, just superficial wounds... Other