The Broken Cane
903 Words
"So bright!"
"What is that?!"
"Did somewhere catch fire?"
"Impossible! No fire could shine this bright! And Cangnan City doesn't even have buildings this tall!"
"Quick, quick! Record it! Post it on social media!"
The blinding pillar of light drew the attention of half the city's residents. Pedestrians stopped in their tracks, speculating excitedly. Some guessed an explosion, others thought an optical experiment, some whispered of a divine sign—but only a few understood the truth behind the light.
Two minutes earlier, the old district.
On an empty street, the space shimmered faintly, as if someone lifted a corner of the canvas covering the area. Five figures in black and red cloaks stepped out.
One of them glanced around and walked forward, picking up a "No Entry Ahead" sign and folding it neatly.
As the sign was removed, the silent old district seemed to shatter like a bubble, revealing its true interior.
Blood stained the streets red, scattered dismembered corpses everywhere. If Lin Qiye were present, he would recognize the grotesque faces of the monsters he had faced—at least thirty-four of them.
"[Wujie Zone] retrieval complete," said the one holding the sign calmly. "Call logistics to clean the battlefield."
"Where's Lao Zhao?"
"He's chasing the two escaped ghost-faced ones."
The injured woman clutched her right shoulder, looking exhausted.
"It's not your fault," said the man beside her. "Who knew one of these ghost-faced monsters was a Ghost King?"
"The captain can handle the Ghost King alone, right?"
"Of course. Remember, the captain is a 'Chuan' level, Third Realm. No problem." He paused. "Let's just hope the two that escaped don't harm civilians…"
Just then, a blazing light shot into the sky from another direction, illuminating half of the horizon.
All five turned their heads in shock.
"That is…"
"A divine prison has appeared. This energy… incredible!"
"This must be at least a Fifth Realm 'Wuliang' level, maybe even Sixth Realm 'Klein'… How could such power come to little Cangnan City?"
"No, this doesn't feel human," the man frowned.
The woman, Hong Ying, paused, realization dawning.
"You mean…"
"This is a divine prison, a God's Prison."
The mention of 'God' made all their gazes harden.
"Which God?"
"Radiant, holy, powerful, with the aura of creation… If I'm right, this is…" The man stared at the fading light, word by word:
"God Code 003, King of Angels, Michael."
---
Lin Qiye was in agony.
At the center of the golden pillar, his body floated uncontrollably midair. Endless energy erupted from his eyes.
It felt as if he had returned to ten years ago, staring across the universe at those same eyes.
That supreme, sacred aura lingered in his memory.
The difference: ten years ago it came from the moon, now it came from his own eyes.
The seraphic power and divine might surged wildly from Lin Qiye's gaze, his eyes like twin blazing suns, threatening to reduce everything to nothingness.
Ten years ago, Seraph Michael had stared at him from the moon.
Ten years later, Lin Qiye opened his eyes, releasing the residual seraphic power within.
Fortunately, the power retained in him wasn't overwhelming. After seven or eight seconds, the light dissipated. Lin Qiye fell to the ground, staggering to regain his balance.
The golden glow in his eyes dimmed, leaving only a faint golden halo.
Previously, the light was like the sun; now, it was a mere candle flame.
The surge had been immense, but it wasn't fully his. The remaining glow, however, was entirely under Lin Qiye's control—a trace of seraphic power.
He took a deep breath and slowly lifted his head.
The dark night, the old streets, the terrifying monsters, blood-soaked ground… all of it unfolded before Lin Qiye's eyes. And he smiled.
A genuine, joyful smile.
Ten years had passed, and he could finally see the world with his own eyes again.
Even the bloodthirsty monsters now seemed slightly endearing to him.
During the eruption of his seraphic might, the two monsters had been pinned to the ground, almost crushed.
As the golden pillar faded, they recovered, glancing around in confusion, then fixed their gaze back on Lin Qiye, their eyes burning with bloodlust.
"Yaaah—!"
One monster lunged.
This time, Lin Qiye was calm. The moment it moved, he predicted its trajectory, rolling to the side.
His speed lagged behind the monster, but his reaction was astonishingly fast. Those precious seconds of foresight gave him time to evade.
Not clairvoyance, but his visual perception had dramatically changed since opening his eyes.
His psychic perception range had doubled from ten to twenty meters—an achievement he had spent five years reaching before.
Moreover, his dynamic vision had tripled, giving him reflexes bordering on superhuman, nearly anticipating attacks in close combat.
Other abilities from these eyes remained undiscovered.
The monster crashed through the wall where Lin Qiye had stood, leaping again.
This time, Lin Qiye didn't dodge.
He grasped the broken cane firmly, eyes locked on the monster's.
"Yaaah—!"
Its claws struck at his neck.
At the last moment, Lin Qiye's pupils contracted. The faint golden halo flared suddenly, like adding fuel to a blazing furnace.
A thread of divine might surged from his eyes into the monster's body.
Under this power, the monster stiffened momentarily.
Seizing the instant, Lin Qiye raised the broken cane high…
and precisely pierced the monster's right eye!
- Writer
