The figure landed solidly on the ground with a dull thud.
The sound rolled across the clearing, drawing every eye.
When Yang Huan and the others saw who it was, surprise flashed across their faces, then gave way to joy. They clenched their fists, trembling despite themselves.
"It's Lord Qin! Lord Qin is here!"
They had never expected Qin An to arrive at this very moment.
For the Holdouts, the arrival of Qin An, the Savior, was a shot in the arm. Hope surged back into hearts that had fallen into despair.
Across the clearing, Liu Changfeng's eyes flickered with caution and surprise at the sight of Qin An, but excitement outweighed both.
"Good, good, good! The Savior really has descended! But coming here is asking for trouble. Today, I'll take your head to the Chief Envoy and have him mark down a fine merit for me!"
Qin An's arrival surprised him, as did its timing.
More than anything, though, it excited him.
At last, he had a chance to take Qin An's head and present it to the Heavenly Demon Chief Envoy.
Word of Qin An's recent escapes from desperate situations had already reached Liu Changfeng.
Before this operation, the Heavenly Demon Chief Envoy had warned all the Heavenly Demon Envoys to be careful of Qin An and never let their guard down.
But to Liu Changfeng, Qin An's narrow escapes had involved a fair bit of trickery.
In the Sea of Hope, for instance, Qin An had borrowed the sea's power. On his own, he probably had no such ability to survive against the odds.
Now there was no one here but them. There was no Sea of Hope, either, and no one to help Qin An.
Qin An had to face Liu Changfeng, who had reached Great