Chapter 75: My Blade, You Can Keep It

Fresh blood flowed from between its teeth, and it also made a very obvious swallowing motion. He Lingchuan finally understood why his group had never been able to find the whereabouts of Tao Bo, the leader of the Baling expedition and the grand-disciple of Ancestor Zhu Gen; he had likely met the same fate as Nian Songyu. Among those holding Mao Tao, a sand bandit sorcerer suddenly let out an "eh": "What is this?"

He tore open the back of Mao Tao's collar and ripped off a yellow paper doll covered in runes from his back muscles.

Once the yellow paper was torn off, Mao Tao's mania stopped abruptly, his hands loosened, and the treasure blade fell.

In the chaos, no one went to catch the blade.

He Lingchuan moved his fingertips, but in the end, he didn't reach out.

With a "clank," the blade spine hit the hard paving stone, and under everyone's gaze, it broke into two pieces.

Everyone's actions were like pressing a pause button, with only their gazes fixed on the broken blade on the ground, then stealing glances at the Black Dragon.

It broke, the blade broke!

What was the last sentence Nian Songyu said before he died?

Only He Lingchuan knew that the treasure blade originally had a very deep crack, and Mao Tao, who was controlled, had used the back of the blade to smash the wall, causing injury upon injury. It was already very sturdy for not having broken on the spot.

This fall to the ground was just the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Several thoughts flashed through He Lingchuan's mind:

How did the so-called "Heavenly God" know that this treasure blade was the Black Dragon's lifeline? How did it know the blade was on He Lingchuan?

How did it know Mao Tao could break this blade?

Perhaps it noticed He Lingchuan riding the demonic bird back from the south city alone, while Sun Fuping was nowhere to be found, and thus judged that the treasure had fallen into He Lingchuan's hands.

Then what about the other two questions? He Lingchuan knew that there were only more and more complex inside stories involved here, but with the white light being swallowed, the answers were gone too.

And the white light possessing Nian Songyu had also miscalculated; the outcome was being swallowed by the Black Dragon in one gulp. If this blade had broken a few breaths earlier, the situation would have been completely different.

Above and below the city wall, it was deathly silent.

Then, the demonic apes, demonic birds, and other illusion creatures suddenly collapsed one after another, turning into flying ash.

The Black Dragon, however, swam toward the city wall.

Everyone couldn't help but retreat. He Lingchuan coughed and asked, biting the bullet: "Is our previous agreement still valid?"

Although the demonic creatures were gone, the Black Dragon's own combat power had been upgraded, and there were so many Great Wind Army heroic spirits in the city who also obeyed its orders. If it wanted everyone to die, not a single person here would see the sun of the present world.

The Black Dragon looked at the broken blade on the ground, then at him, and suddenly smiled: "You are very clever. My blade, you can keep it."

Uh, what should he say? "Thank you?"

He Lingchuan picked up the broken blade from the stone surface and returned it to its scabbard.

"No, I should be the one thanking you." The Black Dragon shook its head, its voice actually very peaceful, "For so many years, you are the first person to offer me three cups of wine without digging up my grave."

Offer three cups of wine? He Lingchuan wasn't surprised, but instead exhaled: "It really is you, Zhong Shengguang."

This was truly a name that was thunderous to the ears of Black Water City people, yet had been silent for a hundred years.

Hearing this, everyone was incredulous.

Boss Situ Han stuttered when he spoke: "He, he is Zhong Shengguang?"

Zhong Shengguang was a famous general, but first, he had to be a person. How could this Black Dragon be Zhong Shengguang? The Black Dragon ignored the others and lowered its head to the Great Wind Army: "Escort them out of the Panlong Wasteland."

Several Great Wind Army leaders bowed and cupped their fists on horseback, respectful and reverent.

That's right, unless it was Zhong Shengguang himself, who could make the arrogant iron army wholeheartedly devoted?

Just then, a voice suddenly came from the south of the city: "Where is the Great Fang Hu?"

It was He Chunhua who had led his men back.

As soon as he arrived at the Nancheng Gate, he found the battle had ended, Nian Songyu was nowhere to be found, and the Black Dragon was clinging to the city wall talking to his son; the situation didn't look tense.

He immediately judged that the Heavenly God had already lost.

So that meant his side had won, but the purpose of this expedition was still far from being achieved.

So many people had been lost, all for the Great Fang Hu.

"You can't take it away." The Black Dragon glanced at him, "The Great Fang Hu is Panlongcheng, and Panlongcheng is the Great Fang Hu; they have long since become one. Let alone humans, even gods cannot take it away, otherwise, it wouldn't be here anymore."

"On the contrary, it is you." It turned to He Lingchuan, "Your wish might be realized."

He Lingchuan was bewildered, pointing at his own nose and asking: "What wish of mine?"

The Black Dragon didn't answer, but instead faced the south city, sighing eerily: "My mission is finally complete." There was fatigue in its voice, and actually also joy, as well as many emotions He Lingchuan couldn't understand.

Its pitch-black, shiny body was rapidly plated with a layer of gray frost.

In just over a dozen breaths, the giant dragon fell to the ground with a bang, accompanied by a tremor that shook the earth, shattering into countless fragments.

A generation of famous generals had once again turned into the dust of history.

Endless smoke and dust rushed toward their faces.

Everyone subconsciously closed their eyes, covered their noses, and held their breath.

Therefore, no one noticed that at the same moment the light in the Black Dragon's eyes extinguished, a streak of red light shot into the sky from the ruins of the south city!

……

When the dust settled, everyone opened their eyes and realized they were already standing in front of the temple in the Panlong Wasteland City.

Nian Songyu was indeed right; only when the Black Dragon disappeared could everyone leave the illusion.

He Lingchuan opened his arms and hugged He Chunhua: "Old man, I thought you had been blood-sacrificed earlier!"

He and He Chunhua hadn't been this close before; he was just following his inner instinct.

He Chunhua patted his back and then pushed him away, not used to being this close to his eldest son: "Alright, alright, you've worked hard during this time." He took out the broken comb, "With the broken comb, the Great Wind Army stopped attacking, and we had time to escape the array. You talked the most with the Black Dragon; are there any clues about the Great Fang Hu?"

He Lingchuan wondered: "Didn't it say that the Great Fang Hu and Panlongcheng are one, and can't be taken out? Besides, we have already left the illusion."

"It's not an artifact spirit at all, but a vengeful spirit that died over a hundred years ago. How do you know what it said was necessarily the truth?" He Chunhua was unhappy, "We paid such a huge sacrifice, how can we return empty-handed?"

Earlier, everyone only thought about escaping with their lives, but now that they were safe, they realized they were empty-handed, without a single trophy.

This adventure was not cost-effective.

No, it was simply a blood loss.

Ceng Feixiong also said: "Without the Great Fang Hu, what will happen to the war at Woling Pass?"

Boss Situ Han couldn't help it: "You are all regular troops; can't you fight without the god's treasure?"

He Lingchuan pulled open the long blade at his waist to look; it was still there, not disappeared.

This was likely the only real object in the illusion.

"What are your plans, old man?"

He Chunhua pondered for a moment: "Send people in to take another look."

The others retreated two steps in unison; no one wanted to go back into that ghost place again.

He Lingchuan casually picked up a stone and threw it into the well.

Plop.

Although the pool water was blood-colored, everyone still saw it sink to the bottom of the pool.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 76 =====