Chapter 43: Redemption

This challenger from the Triumphal Empire, from the moment of appearance, considered himself extraordinary, exceedingly arrogant,

He even rudely interrupted Zhang Cheng's introduction!

This is a contempt for the Dragon Nation!

Kill!

Boom!

In an instant, the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord extended a palm as massive as a giant rock,

that palm, like rubber coated in slime, stretched hundreds of meters and suddenly seized De Wen Kai Er atop the high tower,

firmly grasping his fate in the palm!

"Hey... you, what are you trying to do!" De Wen Kai Er was completely panicked, his composure vanished.

He had originally thought that with Jack the Ripper paired with Annabelle, even if the creature summoned by Zhang Cheng were extremely powerful, it would not be defeated.

But what he never imagined, even in his dreams, was that the SS-grade Summoned Creature, which considered itself superior to all,

in front of the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, turned out to be so helpless, completely crushed with no chance to retaliate!

Who on earth is Zhang Cheng, and why are the creatures he summons each time so terrifying!

The Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord pinched De Wen Kai Er in his palm, and then, countless centipedes sprouted from the palm,

relentlessly gnawing De Wen Kai Er to death.

"Pfft—"

Fresh blood overflowed from the cracks of the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord's palm, and De Wen Kai Er's breath completely dissipated.

Soul scattered!

At that moment, among the countless eyes on the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, the anger slightly eased.

The surrounding scenery gradually faded, and the Dragon Nation spectators cheered again.

They rose one after another, gazing at Zhang Cheng and the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, their eyes full of excitement.

And at that moment, under everyone's gaze, the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord's massive body slowly moved,

countless eyes fixed on Zhang Cheng, filled with desperation and pleading,

as if trying to communicate a brief telepathic exchange with Zhang Cheng through their gazes.

Meanwhile, countless voices of the dead echoed in Zhang Cheng's mind, though their tones varied,

their request was the same—asking Zhang Cheng to grant them release, to end this endless suffering.

Zhang Cheng's heart weighed heavy, and he whispered, "These lost souls cannot go to the underworld to reincarnate, nor can they be reborn as humans. Day after day they endure torment, a dual suffering of mind and body, driving them to desperate suffocation."

"They long for me to end this suffering, even if the price is soul scattered..."

Soul scattered—that is the most thorough death, stripping even the qualification for reincarnation!

Clearly, the suffering they endure is immensely heavy.

If possible, they would also wish to enter the cycle of rebirth, to regain new life, but for them this has become a luxury.

Staring at the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, especially at the helpless gazes of the dead on its flesh-and-blood body.

Zhang Cheng calmed his mind and asked the System:

"How can the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord release these wronged souls; do they still have a chance to be reborn?"

Zhang Cheng's voice echoed in his mind, transmitted to the System, gradually fading until it fell into silence.

Just as Zhang Cheng fell into silence, a deep, powerful voice, as if traversing the abyss of the universe,

resonated with undeniable authority: "Zhun..."

The voice made Zhang Cheng feel his body tremble involuntarily, a shock striking straight to his soul.

Zhun... Zhang Cheng's gaze gradually brightened. A simple single character, yet it contained an unimaginably great power,

enough to allow countless lost souls to be reborn as humans.

Such a feat, perhaps in the underworld, can only be accomplished by a very few!

Who could it be? Yama? The Five-Region Ghost Emperor? Or an even more formidable being...

In the arena's center, hundreds of eyes on the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord instantly dissolved.

Behind Zhang Cheng, at an unknown moment, silhouettes of luminous spirits emerged,

At this time, a vortex spontaneously appeared in the sky,

Time snapped! A sound wave that shook ages erupted, high-pitched like a phoenix's long cry, and as it rang,

a phoenix with radiant wings rose into the air! Following the phoenix, hundreds of birds flew close behind,

their calls almost synchronized with the horn sound inside the vortex.

The phoenix's screech, the birds' chirps, the drums' booming... all sounds intertwined,

playing the final earthly movement for countless lost souls—the Hundred Birds Salute the Phoenix.

At this moment, the wronged souls broke free from the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord's control spanning centuries,

their accumulated anger and sorrow surged like tides, and the sky was again dyed blood‑red,

the watching spectators felt an unprecedented pressure of death.

But,

this sense of oppression arrived quickly and left just as fast, soon dissipating.

The phoenix, carrying the flock, continuously spiraled upward around the blood‑red vortex.

Where they passed, they scattered pure, holy light; in a flash, the blood‑red vortex was enveloped by pristine golden radiance,

cleansing the hatred in the dead's hearts, guiding them on the road ahead.

Countless wronged souls broke free from their bonds, rushing toward the vortex.

Finally,

As the final cry sounded,

the phoenix's silhouette vanished at the edge of heaven and earth.

Ten thousand wandering souls also attained redemption at this moment.

Zhang Cheng stared at the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord before him.

Without the wronged souls, the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord lost most of his power and reverted to the appearance of an old Taoist.

Some spectators from other nations were also moved by Zhang Cheng's actions just now.

Since the Divine Ghost Killing Arena appeared, nations have frantically sought Summoned Creatures, caring not for their origin, only for their power.

Yet the Dragon Nation actually allowed the Summoned Creature to relinquish its own power, solely to redeem tens of millions of wronged souls; such an act is something they never even dared to imagine!

"The Dragon Nation possesses millennia of cultural heritage; before matters of great right and wrong, it has never erred!"

"In the past we often heard in international news that the Dragon Nation promotes benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust, and we thought it was merely superficial!"

"Saving tens of millions of wronged souls is a great cause!"

"I announce that from now on, I, Peter, become a die‑hard fan of the Dragon Nation; if anyone again defames the Dragon Nation, I will be the first to refuse!"

"Peter? If I recall correctly, you were the one who most fiercely criticized the Dragon Nation before!"

"Hmph, the past me is gone; now I am a loyal fan of the Dragon Nation. I like the Dragon Nation—any problem?"

At this moment,

many foreign spectators, because of this, were completely won over by the Dragon Nation.

Of course, some viewers still blindly blackened the Dragon Nation, saying they were foolish to abandon the powerful Summoned Creature.

Regarding this,

Zhang Cheng utterly dismissed it.

A glance shows that most of the spectators are from Da Xiong Nation and Xiao Han Republic.

He didn't even want to bother with them.

…

Dragon Nation's Life-or-Death Duel, sixth round,

Dragon Nation wins!

Current score: 7–0!

At this rate, if the Dragon Nation wins three more rounds, the Life-or-Death Duel will conclude!

By then, the Dragon Nation's overall strength will far surpass that of other nations!

"What a splendid match."

"I must admit, since the Life-or-Death Duel began, the Dragon Nation has indeed given us many surprises."

When the Mysterious Judge's figure appeared at the center of the arena,

the hearts of the entire audience tightened instantly, their eyes filled with anticipation.

The match ends!

According to the agreement,

the Dragon Nation will obtain an SSS-level Artifact, as well as a Gravity Factor!

"Next, the long‑awaited reward showcase; everyone, please don't blink!"

"SSS-level Artifact, appear!"

As the Mysterious Judge's words fell,

the next second,

a clock suddenly materialized before him.

The clock stood one meter tall, its construction intricate and complex.

Its outer layer was covered with a golden‑yellow metal,

the dial bore an unprecedented ancient rune, incomprehensible, with twenty‑four markings.

Exquisite, esoteric patterns were inlaid on the clock's body.

Tick‑tock…

The pendulum swung back and forth,

the sound of bearings and gears turning was so clear that everyone present could hear it.

Yet their hearts were full of doubt.

Is this thing… an SSS-level Artifact?

How does it differ from a retro art‑style mantel clock?

Such a thing, how can it be called SSS-level!

The crowd felt very confused.

But soon, a series of actions by the Mysterious Judge completely overturned their doubts.

He gently stroked the clock, gave a slight smile, and then an invisible barrier spread out from the clock.

The surrounding space seemed to be covered by a special, colorless, odorless thin film,

and if someone looked down from above, they would see a hemispherical barrier enclosing the entire Divine Ghost Killing Arena.

While the spectators inside the barrier,

their bodies showed no abnormality.

not even a single wound.

They intended to complain a few words, but as soon as the harsh words reached their lips, it was as if an invisible hand covered their mouths,

preventing any sound from escaping!

Not only that.

In their minds, an inescapable thought appeared.

Freeze!