Chapter 1867

Although the shadow was blurry, He Lingchuan recognized at a glance that it was the chaotic creature!

The chaotic creature in the Great Fang Hu did not accept this treasure bead. Zhong Shengquan's face showed sorrow: "Not enough, the energy contained in the Great Expansion Heavenly Bead is not enough; it is indeed insufficient to be used by the Great Fang Hu."

He leaned over to scoop the Great Expansion Heavenly Bead out of the pool, saying: "I originally hoped that it could open up a world of its own within the Great Fang Hu, turning illusion into reality, which would allow us to settle all the people of our city."

"Unfortunately!" Zhong Shengquan sighed, "Heaven does not grant people's wishes!"

Hearing this, He Lingchuan understood.

Zhong Shengquan had long been planning to find a way out for everyone in Panlongcheng.

That glimmer of survival might have been inside the Great Expansion Heavenly Bead.

Unfortunately, looking at the later results, he had failed.

"Lord Zhong, what are you planning?"

"Even if we can exist, it will not be in the form of living people." Zhong Shengquan looked toward the Fortune Pool again. The water surface reflected red light and smoke, which was also not peaceful. "After today, there will be no more Panlongcheng in the world. I did not do well; I could not send away the Great Fang Hu in time like Brother Shao, so I can only let it sink into the ground with Panlongcheng."

"I hope that one day, the Great Fang Hu and all of us can see the light of day again." After saying this, he took off the necklace from his neck and handed it to a huge sand leopard beside him.

This was Zhong Shengquan's spirit pet, which was also covered in multiple wounds at this time.

"You take the sliding shuttle from the West Gate; don't do anything, just protect this necklace and don't let it fall into enemy hands."

The Divine Bone Necklace!

Although the shape was different, He Lingchuan was too familiar with its aura and would never mistake it.

The sand leopard let out a low growl, as if asking a question.

"You don't need to worry. When the time comes, it will naturally find a new candidate." Zhong Shengquan smiled, "I hope he is smarter, tougher... and luckier than us! Especially luckier."

He had failed, and the Abyss King who passed the Great Fang Hu to him had also failed. No matter what they did wrong, their luck was not very good.

"There must always be hope." He patted the leopard's back, "From now on, your mission is more important than anyone else in this city. Go!"

The sand leopard rubbed against his hand sadly, whimpering with reluctance.

It also knew that this departure was a final farewell.

Zhong Shengquan patted its back and urged it repeatedly, only then did it turn around and run west, never looking back.

A few breaths later, it disappeared into the smoke and dust.

"Xin Yi sent me a message saying that True Person Qianhuan betrayed us." Zhong Shengquan looked at the Great Expansion Heavenly Bead in his hand, "Doesn't he want this bead? Give it to him."

After saying this, Zhong Shengquan suddenly turned to the side of the temple: "Come out, you have been hiding there for a long time."

The soldiers were startled, gripping their weapons tightly in unison, then following his gaze.

The side of the temple was empty, with only an old camphor tree burned halfway.

In the past, this camphor tree was called the "Lucky Tree" by the people because it was planted in the temple, and people often prayed to it, with the tree covered in red silk ribbons of wishes.

It even existed in the Panlong world He Lingchuan experienced. In the past two New Years, he and Sun Fuling would go under this tree to hang charms and make wishes, then wear new clothes to visit relatives and pay New Year calls.

Of course, this peace, tranquility, and happiness had already been burned clean along with the camphor tree.

Zhong Shengquan reached out and snatched a bow and arrow from a guard, aiming behind the tree: "Your body is reeking of blood and sin; you cannot deceive me!"

The arrow nocked on the bow emitted a rich red light.

Just as the words fell, a figure emerged from behind the tree—

To the surprise of all the soldiers, it was a little boy.

His clothes were stained with blood, his face was blackened by smoke, and his eyes were red, not knowing if he had cried or if dust had gotten in.

In the chaos of war, no one would pay much attention to him. But since Zhong Shengquan pointed out his abnormality, the soldiers looked closely and found a faint red shadow on him, but it was not clear.

They possessed Panlong Yuan Qi, and even though the city was falling, they were not easily deceived by evil spirits.

He Lingchuan, like Zhong Shengquan, instantly saw through its true form:

Blood Demon! He was somewhat surprised; when Xiao Wencheng introduced the Blood Demon on Stone Dragon Peak, he said that this evil thing had been suppressed under True Person Qianhuan's shrine since the medieval era, and it would take a long time to slowly refine it.

Who would have thought that the Blood Demon would appear in Panlongcheng at this very moment.

It was unlikely that it had slipped out on its own, and even less likely that it had slipped into Panlongcheng on its own.

So who sent it?

It went without saying.

But then again, given Qianhuan's nature, using the Blood Demon to achieve his own goals was indeed something he would do.

Zhong Shengquan looked at it and said: "Did Lingshan or Qianhuan send you?"

"Qianhuan wants the bead in your hand." The Blood Demon grinned: "Just now when the city fell, your people snatched it first."

That was why it found a child to possess and followed—the warriors of Panlongcheng still had strong Yuan Qi protection, so it couldn't possess them.

It just accepted the conditions offered by Qianhuan to run errands for him, it wasn't loyal to Qianhuan, so why should it hide it for him?

Zhong Shengquan turned the bead in his hand: "Why did Qianhuan betray me, just for this treasure bead?"

"How would I know?" The Blood Demon didn't care, "I just came out."

It had been sealed for so many years, and just came out to catch a few breaths, how would it know the grievances between these forces? Of course, it didn't care at all.

Zhong Shengquan asked again: "Where is Qianhuan?"

The Blood Demon chuckled: "Not far. He doesn't want to come over."

"In the past two days, has he been to the Singing Sand Forest?"

The Blood Demon didn't make a sound. Zhong Shengquan raised the treasure bead in his hand and shook it at it.

The meaning was very clear: there was a reward for answering.

The Blood Demon only said one word:

"Yes."

Zhong Shengquan casually threw the treasure bead to the Blood Demon, who subconsciously caught it and looked at it, somewhat surprised: "You just gave it to me like this?"

Without sternly denouncing it a few times, nor struggling a few times, he just gave it away so readily? Tsk, too smooth, it thought there would be a big battle.

Zhong Shengquan didn't draw his bow, but drew an arrow with his bare hands and threw it at it.

The Blood Demon shrank and disappeared behind the temple with a swoosh.

The human slaughterhouse was its playground, and it could come and go as it pleased.

"Lord Zhong?" Captain Xiao Maoliang Maoliang and all the soldiers didn't understand why they should benefit the enemy of Panlongcheng. "This is the instruction of the Great Fang Hu." Zhong Shengquan looked toward the Fortune Pool, "It believes that it is better for the Great Expansion Heavenly Bead to fall into the hands of True Person Qianhuan than to be shelved by the Heavenly Demon."

"Panlongcheng is about to fall, I know I am not qualified to negotiate terms, but the spark of resistance against the Heavenly Demon needs to be passed on, and the Great Fang Hu must never fall into enemy hands." Zhong Shengquan knelt on one knee toward the Fortune Pool, "I beg the God to give Panlongcheng one more chance. No matter who the later successor is, please let us be able to fight for all living beings once again; in exchange, I, Zhong Shengquan, am willing to become a demon and guard the Great Fang Hu, forever suppressing the Panlong Wasteland!"

After taking the oath, he took a knife and cut his wrist.

Drops of blood fell into the pool water.

Zhong Shengquan stared at the pool water without blinking, and several stray arrows flew close, but were knocked away by Captain Xiao Maoliang Maoliang and other soldiers.

The shouts of battle grew closer, and several reports came from the front that Panlongcheng officials were falling one after another.

Soon, another order soldier came to report: Dean Xu of the Shumin Academy had died in the line of duty! Zhong Shengquan's breath hitched, and he closed his eyes.

He Lingchuan felt his pain, because more than half of those who fell in the city were familiar names.

They were also He Lingchuan's relatives and friends in the city.

The last time he returned to Shumin Academy, Xu Shichu had picked five jin of self-grown beans and eggplants to give to him.

However, at this moment, the red shadow reappeared in the pool water, swallowing the blood Zhong Shengquan had dripped in.

The chaotic creature flicked its tail and disappeared, its movements more agile than ever before.

This meant that the Great Fang Hu had agreed to his request? Seeing this, Zhong Shengquan's expression was one of relief.

He drew the long knife from his waist and pointed it at the South Gate, and also at the enemy getting closer and closer: "Soldiers, listen to my orders!"

The surrounding soldiers responded in unison: "Here."

"Protect my Panlong, as long as the city exists, we exist!" Zhong Shengquan's eyes turned red, and this deafening roar echoed over Panlongcheng, "Kill!"

His blade reflected the light of the torches, and He Lingchuan recognized the dragon head on the hilt at a glance.

This was what the Floating Life Blade looked like back then.

The warriors of Panlongcheng gripped their weapons tightly and followed Commander Zhong to launch a final charge against the enemy.

As long as the city exists, we exist.

If the city dies, we die.

In this war of blood and fire, at the very last moment of Panlongcheng's 32-year history, they used their lives to fulfill the oath they made on their first day of joining the Panlong Army.

Everything that happened afterward was beyond saving, and it was the ending He Lingchuan least wanted to see.

He thought he wouldn't be able to bear watching it, but in fact, he watched it carefully, engraving every detail in his mind.

Calm, objective, and careful.

He saw many things and found many answers.

Just as historical records stated, Panlongcheng was destroyed, and the people were all slaughtered, with no survivors.

The Beijia army dug three feet into the ground in the city, but they didn't find the Great Fang Hu.

Three days later, the Panlong Wasteland began to blow with gale winds, and three-corpse insects ran rampant.

The vast Panlong Wasteland became a desert where fierce winds howled, and Panlongcheng was buried under the vast yellow sand, turning into a ghost city and a desperate land.

Before today, He Lingchuan had always thought that the sandstorm season in the Panlong Desert was caused by the Great Fang Hu; until now, he understood that it all started with Zhong Shengquan!

After his death, with the help of the Great Fang Hu, he became a demon on the spot, and even changed the rules of the Panlong Wasteland, using violent sandstorms to guard Panlongcheng and the Great Fang Hu.

Whether before or after his death, his belief never wavered.

After 150 years like this, he finally waited for the successor of the spark, the next owner of the Divine Bone Necklace: He Lingchuan.

So, when He Lingchuan first entered the Panlong Illusion, the revival of the Black Dragon statue was not an accident.

Zhong Shengquan used the most extreme method to guard the Great Fang Hu alone for more than 150 years, until He Lingchuan appeared, only then entrusting the Great Fang Hu and Panlongcheng to him.

This was indeed something Zhong Shengquan, whom He Lingchuan knew, would do.

The illusion before his eyes faded away like a tide.

He Lingchuan opened his eyes and found that he was still standing on the back of the chaotic creature, but this giant creature had already floated and stopped on the sea surface, no longer swimming.