Chapter 1415

The Weng brothers recognized its danger and hastily stepped aside.

Xue Zongwu grabbed a hammer and swung it at He Lingchuan.

At the point of life and death, all magical artifacts and divine abilities were exhausted; he could only rely on combat skills, martial prowess, and willpower to carve a bloody path to reunite with his troops! Under the gaze of all, the black-armored man let out a long howl, black fire steaming around him, his power suddenly surging again! Xue Zongwu blocked two of his strikes, though the purple-gold melon hammer was clearly a heavy weapon capable of making enemies' hands tremble, yet now it was his own tiger's mouth that split open, sticky blood flowing over his hand.

Even if the Nine Nether Great Emperor suddenly withdrew his spiritual power, even if Xue Zongwu had already used the "Diligence Talisman," the latter still could not withstand him.

Only then did he realize that the person before him had not fought with full strength earlier.

Xue Zongwu's subordinates had arrived; no need to delay further. He Lingchuan's eyes flickered beneath his mask, his movements opening wide, striking faster and fiercer with each blow!

Clang clang clang—twenty-five consecutive strikes in a single breath, like hammering iron; Xue Zongwu could only parry, unable even to straighten his waist and back.

He felt himself like a nail, about to be driven into the ground by the Nine Nether Great Emperor.

The frantically rushing Baoxin and others stared in shocked silence, unable to believe their eyes. The mighty and domineering Marshal Xue, actually pressed to the ground and beaten without any power to resist? After enduring these twenty-five strikes, his energy, blood, and fighting spirit drained completely; Xue Zongwu knew he could not continue.

His junior brother and subordinates were nearly here, but it was already too late.

A fierce look flashed in his eyes as he shouted loudly: "He is..."

He is He Lingchuan! The Nine Nether Great Emperor is He Lingchuan! His voice and blood gushed forth together. Even if he died, before his last breath he would spread this information, letting He Lingchuan suffer the pursuit of the entire world!

But his voice had already gone hoarse; amidst the background sound of wooden beams collapsing in the rear hall, it could not carry far.

At the same time, the black-armored man swept aside his purple-gold melon hammer; that chilling blade light left an afterimage, slicing across his neck.

Smooth and light, like splitting a leaf.

Xue Zongwu's cry cut off abruptly.

This precious secret, so valuable, ultimately could not be revealed to the world.

His eyes were full of resentment.

But before Xue Zongwu's consciousness fully dissipated, a detail suddenly surfaced from deep in his memory: he had read the Nine Nether Great Emperor's dossier, which contained a line—

The Nine Nether Great Emperor enjoys public executions.

Publicly!

Before, Xue Zongwu himself had also liked doing this, under the gaze of all, to achieve a deterrent effect.

But now he thought: the black-armored leader's earlier combat had not been at full strength; instead, it was like trimming saplings—slow and steady, weakening him, waiting for what?

Waiting for other witnesses to arrive.

Waiting for the members of Xiaotao Mountain Villa and the Xue family army to rush to the scene, so he could personally witness the Nine Nether Great Emperor carrying out a public execution, beheading Xue Zongwu! Exactly, exactly—the Nine Nether Great Emperor had gone to such lengths to eliminate this "evil person"; of course he had to make the ritual complete, hype it up, and immerse everyone in an unspeakable great terror! Without an audience to appreciate it, it would be half the effort—how could the Nine Nether Great Emperor not do it?

How he hated it—why hadn't he thought of this earlier? Why hadn't he made good use of it? Now, everything was too late.

He Lingchuan grabbed the top of his hair from behind and pulled hard—

Head and body separated!

The headless corpse collapsed.

In this world, many divine arts simulate death, but only decapitation is truly certain.

Xue Zongwu, deceased! This battle took place right before the burning main hall, collapsing beams and sky-filling flames almost freezing this scene: the Nine Nether Great Emperor literally ripped Xue Zongwu's head off!

Absurd and bloody, yet as clear as slow motion.

The person opposite stared in shock, mouth agape, instinctively stopping his steps.

Had General Xue died? The general hailed as a national pillar, actually killed by an unknown black-armored man in a head-on clash, publicly executed?

Before over a hundred elite subordinates, before his fellow sect juniors, beheaded in public! The Weng brothers also gaped, unable to utter a sound.

Butcher Xue truly dead! Had they just avenged themselves? Weng Xing slapped himself in the face. Ouch, not a dream.

Taking advantage of the opponent's delayed reaction, He Lingchuan lifted the criminal's head with his left hand and threw out the soul-hooking chain with his right; Xue Zongwu's dying soul was drawn out of his body before countless eyes, unwilling and resentful, flying into the soul-seizing casket.

Body and soul both extinguished.

The evil spirits imprisoned in the casket, the nutrients of the nourishing treasure tree—now one more.

Just as He Lingchuan was about to move, the soul-capturing mirror in his bosom suddenly called out: "Wait, there's treasure on the surname Xue!"

Xue Zongwu had just battled the Nine Nether Great Emperor for a long time, his magical artifacts and divine abilities appearing endlessly, his combat strength truly formidable, his treasures truly numerous.

He Lingchuan immediately bent over, guided by the evil mirror, quickly searched the corpse; in the span of two breaths, he pulled a sail-shaped silk brocade from Xue Zongwu's waist.

The mirror said: "Yes, yes, this is it. I can feel it—this is a good thing."

He Lingchuan grasped this artifact and could immediately sense its nature.

Originally, this item was named "One Sail Wind-Following"; at critical moments it could protect its master and transform external attacks into repelling force—both a defensive tool and an escape device. When Xue Zongwu was ambushed by the Weng brothers, he relied on it to dodge Weng You's first strike, full of vigor and breath; just now he used it to block He Lingchuan's waist slash—truly a fine life-saving item.

The mirror also had good taste, though it did not take a liking to the divine bone necklace.

He Lingchuan honestly and without courtesy shoved this artifact into his pocket, then casually took Xue Zongwu's weapon as well.

Taking one is taking; taking two is also taking.

Having done what the Nine Nether Great Emperor must do, He Lingchuan said to the Weng brothers:

"Come, enter the hall."

Enter the hall? The Weng brothers instinctively followed him toward the main hall, glancing upward. This hall bathed in Xiong Xiong firelight, also thanks to Qiyun Sheng's repairs using ample materials—even with fierce white flames, it would not burn down quickly.

But just walk in like this? Xiong Xing couldn't help but shout: "With that fire monster here, we can't get in!"

They had previously been driven out by the white flames; this thing sticks to whoever it touches, bringing misfortune, never ceasing until reduced to ashes.

After Xue Zongwu's death, that shoulder-squatting beast, having lost its master, did not return to its armor but instead plunged headfirst into the hall, as if celebrating its regained freedom.

Inside the hall, the firelight was Xiong Xiong.

Now entering the hall, if the Nine Nether Great Emperor proceeds as if nothing happened, the Weng brothers fear they are walking into a dead end.

The black-armored man continued striding forward, his steady voice reaching their ears: "No problem, but follow me."

The Weng brothers stared at each other.

Follow or not?

Although the hall's ferocious flames raged sky-high, after tonight's great battle, their trust in the black-armored man had risen in a straight line.

He shouldn't be tricking them.

Rushing to the front of the hall, the frenzied tongues of flame were almost licking their eyebrows, when the black-armored men ahead suddenly stopped, taking a deep breath—

This inhalation was like a whale sucking in water, except what was drawn in wasn't seawater, but fire!

White fire.

The small fire beast on Xue Zongwu's shoulder earlier, after devouring half the hall, had swollen to a hundred times its size; the flames covering the hall now vaguely took shape, revealing the outline of a monster.

By accident, it seemed to have found a way to grow.

But when the black-armored man inhaled like that, he actually sucked all the white flame into his mouth.

To everyone behind, it looked as if the white flame didn't dare to pounce on him, but was instead desperately fleeing back into the hall.

Too bad, you can't twist your arm against your thigh.

Even if it was unwilling, roaring while fleeing, it was still sucked into the black-armored man's mouth.

After just two or three breaths, what remained of the fire that had ravaged the entire hall was only ordinary flame.

The white flame had been taken by the black-armored man; now this place was merely an ordinary fire scene, just with a larger blaze.

Though the Weng brothers found it unbelievable, now was the time to flee for their lives—emotions set aside, they followed closely behind the black-armored man, step for step.

If this were really a person, it would be too godlike!

They didn't know that the one who had swallowed the white flame was naturally the Divine Bone Necklace; to outsiders, however, that monster appeared to have been taken by He Lingchuan, just as he had merely gone along with the situation when dealing with the killing aura of Yangshan Archipelago back then.

The White Fire Spirit was swallowed whole by the Nine Nether Great Emperor! This appearance alone was intimidating.

Re-entering the fire scene, the heat waves and thick smoke came at them again. But the white flame had been completely sucked clean by He Lingchuan, leaving no trace, and the Weng brothers felt relieved.

As habitual arsonists, they were practiced in producing two masks to cover their mouths and noses, then asked He Lingchuan: "Benefactor, do you need one?"

He Lingchuan waved his hand, striding forward: "Don't stray too far from me."

The Bell Dragon Battle Armor and the mask on his face could both isolate toxic smoke.

The Weng brothers followed four feet behind him, yet felt no heat from the fire scene at all. Otherwise, an ordinary person entering would be covered in blisters within two and a half steps.

The Nine Nether Great Emperor's fire-controlling ability was truly miraculous.

The burning wooden beams and pillars were still collapsing; though the black-armored man walked as leisurely as in a quiet courtyard, falling debris never struck him. Twice, the Weng brothers had just stepped forward when they heard a thunderous crash behind them—the broken column falling where they had stood three breaths prior.

It looked dangerous, but in fact, they were repeatedly missed.

They didn't know that, amidst this chaotic and complex scene, the Soul-Capturing Mirror in He Lingchuan's embrace was continuously giving voice guidance: "Five steps to the right, ah yes, a rafter is about to fall above! Ah no, just three steps..."

This was truly a bizarre and wondrous sight; though the Weng brothers had seen great storms and waves, they still felt tonight's adventure was too incredible to believe.

Weng Xing turned his head back and said: "The pursuers have also entered the hall!"

Baoxin led over thirty people charging into the fire scene, urgently grasping their thoughts.

Weng Xing noticed that a faint blue light emanated from Baoxin's side, enveloping everyone behind him, as if it could shield them from the fire's roast.

Those who dared to come in would have to each display their divine abilities.

Weng Su immediately said: "The remaining over a hundred people didn't come in—probably their magical artifacts' protective range is limited?"

This building complex covers a large area and is built against the mountain, with cliffs on both sides like carved walls, a height difference of about ten to twenty zhang, so there is no other way to reach the northern cliff.

(End of Chapter)