After Giving Birth, All My Beast Ex-Husbands Suddenly Want Me Back

Chapter 430: Another sacred artifact secured

"Watch out, City Lord!"

The beastmen of Milt’s faction yelled out a frantic warning. They were utterly shocked that the Lord of the Barbarian City was this powerful—even being at the absolute epicenter of the array hadn’t managed to pin her down.

Sensing a burst of lethal intent, Milt was forced to cut off his absorption mid-stream and dive out of harm’s way.

Nina lunged forward immediately, seizing the opening to snatch the sacred artifact. Odian had already clued her in: the artifact served as the array’s core. Remove it, and the entire formation would collapse.

Milt’s face twisted in disbelief as he spun around to block her. "You actually broke through the array’s suppression?" The raw power at the epicenter was immense, yet it hadn’t slowed her down in the slightest. He realized he had to be incredibly careful.

"I only played along with your little act for this long to strip away your mask in front of everyone," Nina replied coolly.

And, of course, to wait for him to lower the artifact’s protective seals for her, saving her the extra trouble.

Seeing that Nina was entirely unaffected by the array, the citizens of Serpent City felt their spirits soar. Thank goodness, they were saved! With a leader as incredibly powerful as the Barbarian City Lord on their side, she would surely deliver them from this nightmare. A good number of them became fully resolved to follow her from then on. To have such a wise, formidable leader would be their greatest blessing.

Milt unleashed a fierce volley of elemental attacks at Nina. "You are indeed strong. If the array won’t break you, I’ll tear you apart myself!" Turning to his lackeys, he barked, "Subdue her!"

His loyal followers swarmed Nina instantly, but they were nowhere near a match for her. Within seconds, she sent them flying with a casual sweep, dumping them straight into the active zone of the array. The spot where they and Milt had been standing previously was the only safe zone exempt from the siphoning effect.

Crashing into the active zone, they immediately pulled out their tainted black crystals, channeling their energy to resist the array’s crushing pressure and erosion—a contingency plan Milt had prepared them for.

Nina called out to Odian and the rest of her group: "Round them up!"

Odian and the others sprang into action, moving in on Milt’s faction. They were going to wipe this nest of vipers out today; not a single one would escape.

The resistance offered by the black crystals paled in comparison to Nina’s protective barriers. Heavily suppressed by the array, the traitorous beastmen stood absolutely no chance against Odian’s team. In no time at all, the entire group was brought to heel.

Meanwhile, a violent clash erupted between Nina and Milt. Wanting to avoid harming the innocent bystanders, Nina purposely corralled Milt, keeping the battle contained within a tight radius.

Noticing that Odian and the others had successfully neutralized the lackeys, she shot him a sharp, meaningful look.

Catching her drift, Odian took advantage of the way Nina was pinning Milt down. Slipping entirely out of the City Lord’s line of sight, he ghosted toward the sacred artifact—the Black Scale Ring.

Realizing Odian’s intention, Milt panicked. He shot across the clearing in a desperate bid to intercept him. They could not be allowed to take the sacred artifact! He glared venomously at his captured men. A pack of absolute useless trash!

But Nina had no intention of letting him pass, conjuring a wall of massive vines to block his path. Frantic and eager to avoid being snarled by the vegetation, Milt had no choice but to rocket straight up into the sky.

Nina immediately summoned Goldy, vaulting onto the giant eagle’s back to take the fight into the air.

In an instant, the sky became a chaotic battlefield of clashing ice and fire, sending massive shockwaves rippling through the air.

Milt was beside himself with rage. Damn it! Even taking to the skies wasn’t enough to shake her off. It was glaringly obvious now that she could form contracts with the sacred artifacts; the fiery element she was wielding right now undoubtedly belonged to the Blazing Stone of the Blazing Flame City.

He could not let the sacred artifact fall into Nina’s hands. If she bonded with it, he would never get it back; once an artifact recognized a master, it would be useless to him even if he managed to steal it away.

Without the sacred artifact, how was he supposed to evolve his bloodline? Bound by the limitations of his current lineage, his strength would inevitably plateau, forever barring him from reaching a higher realm.

Driven by desperation, Milt unleashed an even more violent torrent of attacks against Nina, frantically hunting for a gap to break away and retrieve the artifact. He no longer cared about the array or his grand plans; his sole focus was securing the artifact first.

He truly hadn’t anticipated that Nina’s companions would also be capable of moving freely within the array. It had caught him completely off guard.

Down below, Odian had already arrived before the Black Scale Ring. Looking at the artifact just inches away, a slight smile tugged at the corners of his lips. This sacred artifact belonged to Nina now. After a quick inspection to ensure there were no hidden traps, he seized the right moment and lifted the Black Scale Ring from its pedestal.

Up in the air, Milt’s eyes widened in sheer horror. He tried desperately to shake Nina off and dive down to intercept him, but she cut him off relentlessly. He could only watch in absolute helplessness as Odian walked away with the artifact.

The moment the Black Scale Ring was removed, the massive devouring array ground to a sudden halt.

Sensing the suffocating pressure vanish into thin air, the citizens of Serpent City were ecstatic. They were saved! They were truly saved! They looked up at Nina with immense gratitude; they owed their lives to the Lord of the Barbarian City, and they swore to repay this debt in the future.

The trapped males burst out of the designated zones, sprinting frantically toward their females and cubs. This time, the guards on the perimeter didn’t dare lift a finger to stop them. They were already riddled with regret for blindly following Milt’s orders—orders that had nearly cost them the survival of their entire clan.

Seeing that Odian had succeeded and the array was down, a faint smile graced Nina’s lips. Another sacred artifact secured.

She called down to Odian, "Odian! Take everyone and evacuate the plaza first. Leave Milt to me."

If they didn’t clear the crowd soon, the collateral damage from the ongoing battle would become unavoidable. Furthermore, with so many bystanders around, she couldn’t fully unleash her powers.

"Understood, Nina. Be careful," Odian replied.

Seeing that Nina had no time to form a contract with the ring just yet, Odian safely stowed the Black Scale Ring away. He immediately began organizing Ming and the others to evacuate the citizens, with Harin, Vair, and the remaining elders assisting from the sidelines. They prioritized moving the females and children first.

Deeply grateful to Nina for saving their lives, the citizens cooperated flawlessly, following Odian’s directions without a single complaint. The crowded plaza began to clear out at a rapid pace.

Watching the masses being led away, Milt’s eyes turned dangerously cold. Want to leave? It won’t be that easy.

Even if he couldn’t absorb their energy today, he would use their lives to vent his rage.

He whirled around and bellowed at the fleeing crowd, "Didn’t Nina tell you all that the curse is nothing to fear? Fine! Today, I’ll let you see for yourselves just how terrifying the curse truly is!"

Once they bore witness to a horde of completely unhinged, feral beasts, he wanted to see if they would still blindly swallow Nina’s words. Besides, Nina cared so deeply for Idir; if Idir lost his mind and went completely feral right before her eyes, what would she do then? He could hardly wait to find out!

The citizens froze in confusion. What did Milt mean by that? A wave of dread washed over a section of the crowd. What was the City Lord about to do?