Chapter 1612: The Fusion of Evil Seeds

Crash!

As Shen Shen Jinxiao's hoarse, frenzied laughter rang out from within that pitch-black heart, the sea of blood churned violently, and the Golden Armor man—whose skull had previously been smashed by Li Li Lingjing—was swept by the blood toward that pitch-black heart.

Although the Golden Armor man had been severely wounded by Li Li Lingjing, he clearly had not yet completely lost his vitality. From within his abdomen came a low, furious roar, because he could sense that if he truly were absorbed into that pitch-black heart, his vitality would vanish entirely.

The Golden Armor man was furious in his heart. These companions within the Return-Ones Society were truly no good—being ambushed by one was bad enough, and now another was harboring thoughts of devouring him.

If he had known earlier, he should have struck first and finished off these two.

"Jin Jia, don't even dream of resisting. I have received guidance from the Void Heavenly King. Your Extreme Evil Seeds are nothing more than nutrients to further me. In this generation's Extreme Evil Seeds, only I can succeed." From within the pitch-black heart came Shen Shen Jinxiao's cold, sinister voice.

The next instant, the pitch-black heart began to beat faster.

And amid that war-drum-like beating, the Golden Armor man's burly body began to collapse, his flesh and blood withering rapidly. In the span of a few breaths, every last bit of his flesh and blood had vanished, leaving only a single black speck of light floating up.

Within that speck of light was a black seed flowing with an indescribably evil aura.

It was the Extreme Evil Seed!

And moreover, it was an Extreme Evil Seed that had absorbed all of the Golden Armor man's phase force and flesh and blood.

The moment this Extreme Evil Seed appeared, it was as if drawn by an irresistible suction, shooting straight toward the pitch-black heart.

Jiang Jiang Qinge's gaze turned fierce. She abruptly urged her own radiant phase force, and the Sacred Phoenix Umbrella transformed into a streak of light, slashing toward the "Extreme Evil Seed" the Golden Armor man had become, attempting to destroy it and thwart Shen Shen Jinxiao's scheme.

But the moment her attack stirred, the pitch-black heart that Shen Shen Jinxiao had become spewed forth rolling black smoke that blotted out the sky, blocking the Sacred Phoenix Umbrella.

This power came from the black talisman paper the Void Heavenly King had bestowed upon him, so until this talisman paper's power completely dissipated, neither Li Luo nor Jiang Jiang Qinge could stop Shen Shen Jinxiao's transformation.

And the Extreme Evil Seed took the opportunity to merge into the pitch-black heart.

And when the Golden Armor man was absorbed, Li Li Lingjing was likewise affected tremendously. At her brow, the "Extreme Evil Seed"—black as a demon's eye—spread countless black blood threads, crawling like black worms all over Li Li Lingjing's pale cheeks.

A look of pain surfaced on her cheeks.

Clearly, her Extreme Evil Seed had also been affected by the heart that Shen Shen Jinxiao had become.

This caused her body to begin to wither just like the Golden Armor man's, the Extreme Evil Seed within her devouring her phase force and flesh and blood, growing ever stronger.

"Cousin Li Lingjing!"

Li Luo flashed to Li Li Lingjing's side. His face solemn, he watched her transformation, his heart full of anxiety. Indeed, the things of the Return-Ones Society were far too sinister—these powers hid many tricks within them.

"This Extreme Evil Seed is too bizarre. Let me help you destroy it!"

Li Luo clenched his teeth, his five fingers forming a claw. At his fingertips, "Great Non-Phase Fire" rose up—this fire possessed a special refining ability and might be able to affect the "Extreme Evil Seed."

His claw wind stabbed toward the "Extreme Evil Seed" at Li Li Lingjing's brow, but the next instant was blocked by a pale, slender hand she extended.

"Li Luo, you cannot destroy the 'Extreme Evil Seed.'"

Li Li Lingjing's voice was somewhat hoarse, but it carried an extreme resolve. She had fought her way to where she was now, enduring who knew how much pain and degradation along the way. If the "Extreme Evil Seed" were destroyed, all those efforts would be wasted.

She understood that the path she walked had no retreat to speak of. Even if these powers hid the Return-Ones Society's tricks within them, she would not give them up lightly.

"But if this continues, you'll be devoured by Shen Shen Jinxiao!" Li Luo said urgently.

Li Li Lingjing said softly, "Until the very end, who devours whom is still uncertain. This sort of thing, I am more skilled at than he is."

Li Luo remained worried. In this scheme of Shen Shen Jinxiao's, the Void Heavenly King had intervened—how could Li Li Lingjing fight him for this path to survival?

But Li Li Lingjing was by nature a risk-taker. Though this struggle was truly nine deaths out of one life, she did not fear it. After all, over these years she had walked the line between life and death again and again, and had long since grown numb to it.

So now, upon sensing the changes in her own "Extreme Evil Seed," she no longer hesitated and directly took the initiative to abandon her resistance.

The next instant, under Li Luo's gaze, her body rapidly withered and dissolved.

The "Extreme Evil Seed" at her brow grew ever darker, and in the end, Li Li Lingjing's physical body was completely devoured by the "Extreme Evil Seed," leaving only the Green Bamboo Azure Snake Staff in her hand to fall.

Li Luo grabbed the staff's shaft, then watched helplessly as the Extreme Evil Seed Li Li Lingjing had become shot forth and finally merged into the pitch-black heart that Shen Shen Jinxiao had become.

When the three evil seeds united, the surface of that pitch-black heart actually began to harden, as if turning into an eggshell. And upon its hardened surface, countless blood vessels could be seen writhing in eerie fashion.

Across the entire sea of blood, silence once more descended.

Li Luo silently tucked the Green Bamboo Azure Snake Staff away, and a fierce, ruthless look surfaced in his eyes. If, when this pitch-black heart broke open, the one who emerged was not Li Li Lingjing but Shen Shen Jinxiao, then today—even if he had to smash Shen Shen Jinxiao into mincemeat—he would dig Li Li Lingjing out from within Shen Shen Jinxiao's body!

Cousin Li Lingjing had helped him so much; no matter what, he would not abandon her!

Li Luo's gaze shifted toward Jiang Jiang Qinge's position. She could read his resolve in his eyes, and a faint smile immediately surfaced on her cheeks.

Jiang Jiang Qinge gave a slight nod, indicating she would spare nothing in supporting him.

And as Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge began to urge their phase force, brewing their methods, the pitch-black heart, as time passed, saw its heartbeat gradually weaken instead.

In the end, the heartbeat vanished completely.

The faintly visible black talisman paper on the pitch-black heart also dimmed along with it—the power bestowed by the Void Heavenly King was about to disperse.

Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge's gazes grew sharper and sharper. They were waiting for that power to completely dissipate; then they would forcefully strike, shatter this black heart, and stop Shen Shen Jinxiao's devouring.

A moment later, the black talisman paper finally vanished entirely.

Boom!

Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge struck without the slightest hesitation, urging their vast, surging phase force into attacks sharp to the extreme, slashing directly down at the pitch-black heart.

The phase-force light rainbow shattered the void, stirring up towering waves.

But just as it was about to slam into the pitch-black heart, the hardened shell on the heart's exterior suddenly cracked. Two pale hands reached out from within, and on the palms of those hands was a pitch-black vertical mark.

The vertical marks slowly opened, forming two "Extreme Evil Seeds."

The most extreme and evil primordial power flowed forth, coiling around those pale hands and granting them terrifying might.

The two hands directly, forcefully caught the attacks from Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge, and then with a sudden, violent squeeze of all ten fingers, crushed the two's phase force to pieces.

Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge saw this scene, and their pupils both contracted slightly.

Who would it be that crawled out of the heart?!

Under their gaze, the pitch-black heart kept cracking, and finally a figure walked out from within. A face came into view of the two of them, causing Li Luo's expression to darken completely.

Because it was Shen Shen Jinxiao.

Shen Shen Jinxiao, covered all over in blood-filth, stepped out of the shattered heart. He gazed at Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge with a smile, and a voice—gentle yet brimming with killing intent—echoed across this sea of blood.

"Li Luo, surely you two wouldn't be naive enough to think that the one to walk out of this demonic heart would be Li Li Lingjing?"

"The grudge between us, which has endured for many years, has now reached the time for a final reckoning."

"We failed to kill you back then; this time, we shall make up for it."