Chapter 840: The First Battle of the Exchange

A cold wind swept across the void, and the area outside Gusu City fell into silence.

The ancestors of the various great clans, including those from the Jiang, Su, and Lin families, all wore complex expressions and were unable to speak.

Should they blame Lin Zhexuan? After all, his opponent's realm was higher than his, and she possessed the legendary Dao Source Immortal Seal; Lin Zhexuan had already been monstrously talented enough, but that black-veiled woman was even more terrifying.

However, the price of this failure was unbearable!

Without Lin Zhexuan, who else could stand in the way? If the human race were to suffer a crushing defeat in this first round of challenges, there was no telling how high the morale of the demon territories would soar, or how much the human side would decline; it was feared they would never recover, and many humans would even seek ways to flee the Northern Territory. Once the news spread, military morale would collapse!

Everyone's hearts were twitching and constricting, feeling uncomfortable to the extreme, yet they were powerless, left only with a feeling of desperate pain.

The countless citizens in the thirty-six thousand immortal cities also fell into absolute silence because of those three words; countless faces turned deathly pale at this moment, crawling with despair.

Lin Jinrou opened her mouth slightly, her eyes vacant; the invincible brother who had been like a god in her heart since childhood had actually lost.

He had actually... also bowed his head in defeat.

Su Muqing watched this scene in a daze; she understood Lin Zhexuan, who had already done his best—aside from not burning his Primordial Spirit or taking medicinal pills, he had performed at his strongest.

It was just that the opponent was stronger, absurdly so.

A sense of sorrow suddenly rose in her heart, and she hated herself for her weakness; if she hadn't been defeated earlier and had managed to hold on until she fought that black-veiled woman, she would have burned her True Blood, and even if it cost her her life, she would have severely wounded the opponent. In that way, perhaps she could have created an opportunity for Lin Zhexuan to defeat her, or even slay this demon prodigy, and then sweep through the remaining demon prodigies to secure victory in this exchange.

In that way, she could have saved the lives of countless humans in the Northern Territory, which would have had a massive impact.

Amidst the atmosphere of sorrow and despair, inside the arena, Lin Zhexuan took a deep look at the black-veiled demoness opposite him and said:

"What is your name?"

"Heiji."

The black-veiled woman's eyes were cold; although she hadn't managed to kill Lin Zhexuan, this battle had earned him her recognition as a human prodigy.

Lin Zhexuan nodded. "I will remember you. The next time we fight, the result will not be the same as today."

After speaking, he felt that such harsh words were a bit beneath him—although he truly felt them in his heart, he felt it lacked grace—so he turned and left the arena, returning to the Lin family.

Seeing the expressions of the Lin family members, Lin Zhexuan first thought of Su Muqing and turned his head to look toward the Su family.

He saw Su Muqing's eyes filled with sorrow and grief.

Their gazes met, and the sorrow in Su Muqing's eyes subsided slightly as she offered him a comforting smile.

Although she knew her smile looked terrible, she knew Lin Zhexuan had done his best, and since she was also a defeated warrior, how could she blame him?

Lin Zhexuan felt a slight warmth in his heart and gave her an apologetic look, then scanned the area, seeing the complex and desperate expressions of the ancestors of the various clans and other great families like the Jiang family, and suddenly felt a bit unsettled.

If he could have won this battle, he would surely have become famous throughout the Northern Territory, known to both humans and demons.

But... he really had done his best.

Aside from not burning his Primordial Spirit or taking divine medicine that would damage his foundation, he had already brought out his strongest abilities.

He could only blame the opponent for being stronger, and even more willing to sacrifice; to slay him and prevent him from admitting defeat, she had not hesitated to burn her Primordial Spirit.

"I'm sorry, Grandfather."

Lin Zhexuan looked at Lin Daogong, bowed slightly, and lowered his head in apology: "Your grandson is incompetent."

Lin Daogong had not expected Lin Zhexuan to lose either; his eyes were filled with complexity, vicissitudes, and desolation. Facing Lin Zhexuan's apology, he looked bitter and said:

"This is your first defeat; your Dao heart hasn't been damaged, has it?"

Hearing this, Lin Zhexuan raised his head, his eyes calm as he said: "No. Although it is my first defeat, losing to the Dao Source Immortal Seal is not a grievance. However, once I condense the Chaos Laws, I will surely be able to catch up!"

If the ultimate of the True Immortal Realm was the Nine-Flower Nine-Sequence Immortal Seal, then the ultimate of the Immortal Monarch Realm was the Chaos Laws!

The laws mastered in the Immortal Monarch Realm were condensed from the origin of the Great Dao; the Nine-Flower Nine-Sequence Immortal Seal could nourish all Daos in the world, and thus could master all origin laws of the Dao.

But the true law for killing enemies only required one, only one move!

Therefore, the merging of laws and the mutation of laws were the watershed for the strength of the Immortal Monarch Realm.

Like that black-veiled demoness Heiji, her previous Eternal Night Laws and Supreme Darkness Laws were composed of the fusion of time, space, and earth origin, as well as dark origin laws, surpassing single law powers; their strength even exceeded the five origin laws other than the time-space origin, as well as the Form-Governing origin laws.

Moreover, the realm she mastered was not low, reaching the Seventh Level of the Origin Realm, the same realm as the mutated laws Lin Zhexuan mastered.

In a state where these mutated laws were all at the Seventh Level, only Su Muqing's Seventh Level Time Origin Law could contend with and suppress them, but Su Muqing's Primordial Spirit had a gap compared to theirs; the opponent could choose to attack from the Primordial Spirit level first, just like the nightmare ability of that demon prodigy earlier, which could create an opportunity to slay Su Muqing.

As for the Chaos Laws, they were the fusion of all Daos in the world, the strongest laws in legend.

They could suppress time, space, the Nine Sequences, and all other mutated or merged laws!

Hearing Lin Zhexuan's words, Lin Daogong's sorrowful heart felt a little more comforted; although they lost this battle, at least Su Muqing and Lin Zhexuan were not dead. These two top human prodigies were still here, and both were existences who could step into the Half-Step Emperor Monarch Realm in the future; as for whether they could become Emperors, that would depend on other opportunities.

With such talent, they only had the chance to glimpse the threshold of a Great Emperor, while countless peerless prodigies in the world couldn't even reach this threshold.

"It's good that your Dao heart isn't damaged, and it's good that you survived."

Lin Daogong comforted him bitterly.

Lin Zhexuan nodded slightly; his Dao heart was extremely strong, reaching the Three Eternal Realms, with nine echoes of the Dao heart, so it would not be easily damaged.

Despite the regret in his heart over this failure, he knew that for the sake of the overall situation in the future, his survival was more important.

"Everyone, we lost this time, but as long as we are alive, hope remains, and we will fight back in the future!"

Seeing the ashen-faced crowd around him, Lin Zhexuan couldn't help but speak loudly.

He said this to encourage everyone; even he had lost, so this round was bound to be a crushing defeat, but at least there was still a future.

However, aside from the Lin family members whose expressions softened, the expressions of the ancestors of the other clans were ugly.

"Lin Zhexuan, the gap between you and that demoness wasn't large, why didn't you fight to the death?!"

"Exactly, everyone else risked their lives, yet you didn't even burn your Primordial Spirit, nor did you use divine medicine. Could it be that your Lin family doesn't have any? If you don't, I will give you some!"

"You lost, so who else can contend? Everyone was hoping you would win, but you..."

The ancestors of the various clans were somewhat indignant; they had all been prepared to let the top prodigies within their own families go onto the battlefield to die fighting.

It was just that the gap in strength between the three demons who appeared earlier and their family prodigies was simply too large; going onto the battlefield meant being wiped out in an instant, unable to even cause damage to the demon prodigies—it was purely sending them to their deaths, which was why there had been no sound.

If they could have fought to the death, they absolutely would have whipped their own prodigies to fight for their lives!

Even if it meant the total destruction of their Primordial Spirits, they would not have hesitated!

Before coming, they had used domain artifacts to preserve a trace of the Primordial Spirit and soul thoughts of the prodigies in their clans, so they could be reincarnated into the family again, and they would be honored as family heroes, their parents' status would be elevated, and they would be heavily cultivated in their next life.

Hearing these angry rebukes and questions, Lin Zhexuan frowned slightly, while the Lin family members turned pale, then glared angrily at those clan ancestors, standing together in shared hatred.

Lin Daogong's expression changed slightly; he knew in his heart that Lin Zhexuan's failure to burn his Primordial Spirit couldn't be considered truly "doing his best," but he also knew that even if Lin Zhexuan had burned his Primordial Spirit, he would only have been gambling on that demoness cherishing her own foundation, and only then would he have had a sliver of a chance of winning.

But that demoness had not hesitated to burn her Primordial Spirit power first in order to slay Lin Zhexuan, which showed that even if Lin Zhexuan had exhausted everything, he might not have won.

Before he could explain, Lin Zhexuan had already spoken, his expression gloomy and cold:

"Burning the Primordial Spirit, taking divine medicine—you all speak so easily!"

"If I burned my Primordial Spirit, wouldn't the opponent burn hers? Doesn't the opponent have demon medicine?"

He glared at these Immortal King Realm clan ancestors without the slightest fear or courtesy, saying:

"If you truly have anger, you should strive to improve yourselves and cultivate your own children into existences capable of serving as the backbone, instead of coming here to accuse me of not doing my best!"

"You!"

"You are too presumptuous! The resources are all in the hands of your Lin family. We would like to, but aren't those heavenly treasures and forbidden lands all occupied by you?"

"Lin Zhexuan, how can you say such things? Even if the opponent burned her Primordial Spirit and took divine medicine with you, if you were damaged, she would be damaged too; at least she wouldn't have won so easily!"

If it had been the earlier words, the ancestors of the various clans, although angry, could have barely accepted them, but Lin Zhexuan's subsequent lecturing words made them like cats whose tails had been stepped on, all of them flying into a rage.

"The treasures of the various holy lands and sacred mountains—which ones hasn't your Lin family occupied? And yet, look at the result: the Jiang family and the Su family have already fought until their Primordial Spirits were burned, yet you are so nonchalant, admitting defeat as soon as you want to!"

"If you protect yourself like this, how will you shoulder the burden of our human race if you encounter danger in the future!"

The sounds of angry rebukes grew more frequent.

Lin Daogong's expression changed slightly, realizing that Lin Zhexuan's words had gone too far, especially since he had just admitted defeat, leaving the human race with no hope and low morale, which would only provoke them further.

"I was considering the overall situation, yet in your eyes, it has turned into being a coward?!"

Hearing these rebukes, Lin Zhexuan's expression also changed, and he clenched his fists in shock and anger.

Lin Daogong's figure flickered, blocking in front of him and stopping Lin Zhexuan from speaking further. His entire body radiated the might of a Half-Step Emperor Monarch, shrouding the heavens and earth; the bit of Emperor might contained within it immediately made the expressions of the various clan ancestors change slightly, yet they looked at him in shock and anger.

"Everyone, Zhexuan was also trying to preserve the future, not out of greed for life or fear of death. Prodigies like Jiang Xuming have already fallen; do you all want to watch Zhexuan fall as well? That would indeed be a glorious defeat, but what about the future? What will we use to fight in the future?"

Lin Daogong's eyes were deep, and his voice was heavy.

Hearing his words, the expressions of the various clan ancestors changed; they had thought the other side would be overbearing, but this low and tactful explanation smoothed over much of the anger in their hearts.

After all, as a Half-Step Emperor Monarch powerhouse, and with a Great Emperor sleeping in the Lin family, if they really wanted to speak with their fists, there would be no need to be so polite to them.

Moreover, thinking of the tragically fallen Jiang Xuming, it was heartbreaking that such a prodigy had fallen at such a young age.

For a time, the air fell into silence once again.

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

The purple-robed middle-aged man clapped his hands; under the pressure of a desperate situation, they had almost fallen into internal strife, accusing each other like dogs biting dogs.

From the earlier waves of neat and encouraging cheers, he had thought these humans were very united.

However, although he had watched a good show and had some fun, his mood wasn't that great.

Neither Su Muqing nor Lin Zhexuan had been killed, and the previous battles showed that these two were indeed existences with terrifying potential who would surely become major threats in the future.

"They are right. Lin family boy, your talent is so outstanding, how could you admit defeat so easily? If you had disregarded everything, Heiji might not have accompanied you; perhaps she would have let you win a round. After all, she possesses the Dao Source Immortal Seal, so why would she really risk her life with a boy like you?"

The purple-robed middle-aged man smiled, his words fanning the flames.

Lin Zhexuan's eyes turned cold as he stared at him, but he didn't speak.

The other clan ancestors weren't stupid; although the purple-robed middle-aged man's words hit home, they had no problem thinking it themselves, but coming from a demon's mouth, the intention to stir up trouble was too obvious, so they glared at the purple-robed middle-aged man instead.

Seeing that his provocation hadn't worked, the purple-robed middle-aged man raised his eyebrows slightly, his mood worsening. He sneered and said:

"Don't just glare at me. Now, who should be sent out to die?"

Hearing his words, the anger in the eyes of the various clan ancestors was immediately scattered, and their expressions turned ugly.

Not only them, but Su Zhenyuan and Jiang Qiuyu also had gloomy expressions; Lin Zhexuan had lost, so who else could fight?

They had been prepared to win at all costs, but now... even at all costs, the gap was there, and they would still lose.

It was like pushing a mortal to the edge; they still couldn't fly.

The scene fell into silence, and the prodigies of the various clans all clenched their fists, their faces full of humiliated grief and indignation, but the black-veiled woman in the arena was simply too far ahead of them; even if they went onto the battlefield and launched a suicidal attack regardless of everything, they feared they wouldn't even be able to cause her any damage or threat.

"I didn't expect that such a thing would really happen..."

Su Zhenyuan sent a voice transmission, his voice extremely bitter.

Jiang Qiuyu's expression was desolate; Lin Zhexuan had lost. They had considered this possibility before, and although it was extremely low, even if it was one in ten thousand, they had still made a second strategy for it.

After all, as the backbone of the human race, how could they put all their eggs in one basket during strategic planning?

It was just that by choosing the second strategy, Jiang Xuming's death earlier... had truly been in vain, completely meaningless!

If one had to say what meaning it had, it was probably to let the world know that there was once a human prodigy like Jiang Xuming.

But how long he would be remembered, and whether his name would be passed down for a hundred or a thousand years, remained unknown.

"For the remaining slots, let the death soldiers fill them."

Lin Daogong looked at Jiang Qiuyu, his eyes filled with apology, and said in a low voice.

Su Zhenyuan nodded slightly, and seeing Jiang Qiuyu remain silent, he took it as her tacit agreement.

Since they couldn't win, they would just send people to fill the slots and be slaughtered by the demons; in this way, they could at least preserve the combat strength of the other prodigies.

The strength of the demons forced them to abandon this first exchange battle and give up the immortal cities.

After all, they couldn't afford to lose both the lady and the soldiers.

As Su Zhenyuan made his choice, the purple-robed middle-aged man saw that the human side was slow to move. He seemed to have guessed something, raised his hand to tear through the domain, and extracted figures from within, lining them up.

These figures had their power sealed, were wrapped in chains, had disheveled hair, and some were covered in blood.

"Brother Zhe!"

"Brother Feng!"

"Lanjin!"

Seeing these figures, the crowd that had originally been silent suddenly exclaimed one after another.

Although these people had disheveled hair and some had scars all over their faces, they still recognized their identities.

These were human prodigies from thousands of years ago, some from ten thousand years ago, and at the same time, they were the top monsters within their respective families!

They had achieved success in their cultivation and headed to the border battlefield, leading the immortal armies to fight the demons, only to end up as prisoners of war.

They were also the prisoners of war designated for exchange after the exchange battle was discussed.

At this moment, the purple-robed middle-aged man took out all these prisoners of war and revealed them to everyone.

"These are the prisoners of war you designated to be exchanged back. Win one round, and you will not only get a royal city from my demon territory, but also a prodigy prisoner of war!"

The purple-robed middle-aged man scanned the surroundings, his eyes revealing playfulness and a sneer, saying:

"Now, it seems that none of you dare to go onto the battlefield. It's truly disappointing. Is this the level of human prodigies? Could it be that in 20 battles, you can only win one?"

As he spoke, his expression was somewhat exaggerated, but every word was like a blade, stabbing into everyone's hearts.

In 20 battles, aside from the one Su Muqing won, it now seemed they could only win one.

Lin Zhexuan had lost, and that black-veiled demoness was still sitting in the arena; who could win?

The rest could only admit defeat.

They had thought about the possibility of losing, but they hadn't expected it to be such a crushing defeat—nineteen to one; they wouldn't have dared to believe it even in their dreams!

"What, do you intend to give up? These are your human prodigies, the heroic soldiers who killed enemies at your borders. I have brought them to your doorstep and intend to give them to you, yet you don't have the ability to win them back?!"

The purple-robed middle-aged man's words stabbed at their hearts, causing the entire Gusu Imperial Star to fall into dead silence. Countless people in the thirty-six thousand immortal cities clenched their fists, their breathing heavy, and the blood vessels in their bodies seemed to have doubled in thickness. They were furious, yet unable to speak, left only with anger and sorrow.

Human prodigy soldiers and prisoners of war from the border were delivered to their doorstep, yet they had no ability to win them back—what a mockery!

If they couldn't even exchange back the prodigy prisoners of war, then let alone ordinary prisoners of war; being captured meant death!

Many people's eyes revealed despair. They had once lived in darkness, knowing the Northern Territory was surrounded by demons, but they had always believed that there was hope above their heads, supported by the various great families, and by hidden powers they didn't know about!

But now, they were being bullied to their doorstep by demons, and when former prodigy soldiers were brought to their doorstep, could they only watch and admit defeat?

Didn't this mean they were at their wit's end?

They only felt the hope in their hearts shattered, leaving only despair and sorrow. Many people had already begun to think about leaving the Northern Territory and fleeing—even if this was the homeland where many of them were born.

"Truly disappointing."

Seeing those pairs of furious, bloodshot eyes, the purple-robed middle-aged man's smile grew wider and wider.

Anger was good; it would be best if they lost control.

"Aside from this Lin family boy, is there no one else who can go onto the battlefield? Is this your Northern Territory human race's number one?"

The purple-robed middle-aged man teased.

The ancestors of the various clans all clenched their fists, their aura like a violent and suppressed vortex, ready to erupt at any moment.

But they couldn't speak, because the Northern Territory truly couldn't produce anyone else.

Su Zhenyuan, Jiang Qiuyu, Lin Daogong, and others had ugly expressions; they saw their own children and previous clan prodigies among the prisoners of war.

They were right there!

But...

A pair of fists clenched, bones cracking; Su Zhenyuan looked at two of the figures—they were the older brother and sister of Su Muqing, Su Wanqing, and others, named Su Hanshuang and Su Wenyue, who were also peerless prodigies sent to the border, but now they were covered in scars and wrapped in chains.

And the other side also saw Su Zhenyuan, saw this father they hadn't seen in a long time, and a look of relief appeared in their eyes.

Immediately after, they opened their mouths slightly, and although they were silent, restricted by the power of the seal and laws, unable to speak, their lip movements were silently saying:

"Father, we are fine."

"Father, don't fall for his trap."

Seeing the lip-reading of his children, Su Zhenyuan felt his heart twitching and bleeding, and his eye sockets turned slightly red.

He thought again of his inquiry to his wife in the Ming Emperor Hall: am I considered a qualified father?

Am I?

At this moment, he deeply felt that he was unworthy, that he was a failure as a father!

"Children..." He gritted his teeth, having an impulse to break the rules and snatch them back, but he knew that if the demons dared to go to this extent and dared to let that Dao Source Immortal Seal prodigy woman participate in the battle, the demon Great Emperor behind them must be observing this place at all times and would strike at any moment.

At that time, it would be a battle at the Great Emperor level. The Jiang family, Su family, and Lin family all had them, but he knew even more clearly that their ancestors were sleeping; if they were forced to wake up, the damage would be immense, and it would also give the demons an opportunity to spy on the foundation of the human race.

Therefore, even though waves were surging in his chest, his reason still firmly held the upper hand, telling him what choice to make.

That choice was incomparably painful, but reason was so terrifying and so clear!

This was the pain of being the backbone of the human race; to be loyal to the great clan was to betray the small clan, and to be loyal to the small clan was to betray the great clan—it was hard to have the best of both worlds!

Aside from Su Hanshuang and Su Wenyue, the prodigies of the other clans also took this rare opportunity to speak to their closest relatives in their families, expressing their longing, and some told their relatives not to worry, not to sacrifice themselves for them, making their final farewells.

Among the twenty people, not a single one opened their mouths to beg their families for help or to save them.

This scene caused the air outside Gusu City to fall into sorrow, and many people's eyes turned red.

"Brother Hanshuang, Sister Wenyue!"

Su Muqing, Su Wanqing, and the other women also had wet eyes and clenched their fists.

The older brother and sister they had looked up to since childhood were before them, disheveled and covered in scars, yet showing relieved smiles, making them feel even more heartbroken and painful.

"Lin Yeqiu."

Beside them, Lin Zhexuan and the others also looked at the Lin family prodigy prisoner of war, their expressions complex.

The other party was a highly renowned prodigy of the Lin family eight thousand years ago, second only to the current Lin Zhexuan, but now he was covered in holes, his prisoner clothes stained red with blood, and chains pierced through the flesh of his hands and feet, with special materials and laws suppressing the power within his body.

Lin Yeqiu's hair was scattered, his gaze sweeping over the many Lin family prodigies below, his eyes filled with gratification.

At the border, he had heard that the Lin family had given birth to a monster rare in a hundred thousand years, and for this, he had happily treated the whole camp to a night of heavy drinking—of course, they had taken sobering immortal pills afterward.

He looked at his father, Lin Daogong, whom he hadn't had time to say goodbye to, and on his tired and bloodless face, he squeezed out a smile.

"At least there's still a chance to see you old man one last time..."

He opened his mouth, speaking silent words, smiling: "You won't blame me for not having time to fulfill my filial piety at your knees, right?"

"Old man, you will never have the chance to whip me again."

He smiled and smiled, but his eye sockets gradually turned red, and tears flowed down:

"Old man, your child is incompetent and can no longer worry about you... Old man, everything you said before... was right..."

Lin Daogong looked at Lin Yeqiu, whose lips were wriggling, and seeing those silent final farewells, he felt as if a knife was cutting his heart, his whole body feeling so painful that even his soles were shivering with cold.

That child who made him most proud, always calling him old man, that rebellious boy...

His eye sockets were wet and red, and he wanted to speak, but his throat felt dry, and the voice he produced was so trembling and hoarse:

"It was my fault. I shouldn't have let you go to the border so early. You have never disappointed me, never!"

His trembling words were transmitted, and Lin Yeqiu's body, with his scattered hair, shook. His moist eye sockets suddenly couldn't hold back, and tears flowed down, along with snot, making him look extremely sloppy. No one could imagine that the other party had once been a peerless prodigy, handsome and unparalleled.

"Father... your child is unfilial..."

Lin Yeqiu was sorrowful, no longer calling him old man, but calling him father.

Aside from them, among the other prisoners of war, there were also Jiang family prodigies who were making their final farewells to Jiang Qiuyu.

They were all in the purple-robed middle-aged man's domain, seeing what was happening outside, knowing this was their final farewell.

Although sad, they were internally grateful, at least having the chance to make a final farewell and express the words they hadn't had time to say.

Seeing this scene, the purple-robed middle-aged man's expression turned gloomy. He could naturally read lip-reading; originally, letting these prisoners of war out was to let them speak to their families and beg for their rescue, but as a result, not a single one prayed!

These damn guys... A look of ruthlessness appeared in his eyes, but now was not the time to torture them to death.

"Hmph!"

The purple-robed middle-aged man suddenly raised his hand, and a force swept out; many blade-like powers strangled these prisoners of war, interrupting them as they were saying goodbye.

Wounds appeared on Su Hanshuang, Lin Yeqiu, and others, tearing their clothes into rags and soaking them in blood.

And the female prisoners of war like Su Wenyue were even more miserable; aside from being wounded, their clothes were cut away, leaving them naked under countless gazes.

"You!"

Su Zhenyuan's blood boiled, his eyes almost spitting fire, and he struck instantly, a force sweeping out.

At this moment, his reason was finally replaced by anger, and he struck directly at the purple-robed middle-aged man.

The purple-robed middle-aged man seemed to have expected this, sneering as he erupted with aura, blocking Su Zhenyuan's attack.

Su Zhenyuan let out a roar, the pressure of a Half-Step Emperor Monarch shrouding the area, and a majestic force swept out, condensing into two immortal shields that guarded in front of Su Hanshuang and Su Wenyue.

The purple-robed middle-aged man took the opportunity to wave a pitch-black claw mark, containing terrifying destructive power, tearing a piece of flesh from the inside of Su Zhenyuan's arm.

Su Zhenyuan stepped out, wanting to strike again, but the golden-eyed man beside him also released his aura, saying coldly:

"What, do you intend to break the rules?"

Su Zhenyuan gritted his teeth, forcibly enduring it, and looking at his children covered by the immortal shields, he felt a little better in his heart.

"Heh, you're in a hurry now? We have plenty of ways to interrogate demons; what does this count as?"

The purple-robed middle-aged man chuckled, not caring at all about continuing to provoke Su Zhenyuan and the others.

However, observing their expressions, seeing that Jiang Qiuyu and Lin Daogong were also about to lose control, he smiled faintly:

"Don't say we didn't give you a chance. People have been brought here, and you don't have the ability to redeem them; you can't blame us for that. However, I can consider giving you another chance."

His eyes were playful, narrowed slightly, flashing with cunning and deeply buried cold killing intent. "I allow your defeated people to go onto the battlefield again. This Lin family boy is your strongest, right? Even if he performed poorly just now, we can give him another chance to go onto the battlefield!"

He smiled, saying: "As long as you can win, the bet still counts."

Hearing his words, Lin Zhexuan's expression changed slightly, not expecting the spearhead to shift to him again.

Fight again? How could that be possible? The result of fighting again would be the same.

Moreover, the other side's move, using prisoners of war to provoke them, and now saying this, was clearly trying to use the opportunity of fighting again to let that Heiji slay him!

The intention was clear to all.

Hearing this, the gazes of the various clan ancestors fell on Lin Zhexuan, their eyes revealing anger, but also complexity.

Earlier they had indeed been angry that the other party hadn't burned his Primordial Spirit and had easily admitted defeat, but this purple-robed middle-aged man's behavior and intention were too obvious!

Although they were full of sorrow and indignation, they were ultimately people who had lived for tens of thousands of years; how could they be completely influenced and dominated by emotions? The other side was clearly targeting human prodigies, wanting to kill hidden threats like Lin Zhexuan!

Therefore, this time, they didn't speak up to urge Lin Zhexuan to fight again.

They could argue internally, but if the demons wanted to use them to do evil, they had to stand together against the enemy.

It was precisely because of this that the Northern Territory human race had been able to persist for so many years without being swallowed by demons.

"Since I have admitted defeat, I will not strike again. If you have the ability, you can send her to fight me again in a thousand years!"

Lin Zhexuan said with a cold face.

The purple-robed middle-aged man sneered; he would have his own plans in a thousand years, so how could he allow the other party to live until then?

"Scared out of your wits and don't dare to fight again?"

The purple-robed middle-aged man said indifferently: "If you can win, one round will count as ten, and you can redeem ten of them. Do you dare to fight?"

Hearing this, the atmosphere at the scene suddenly changed.

One battle to redeem ten people?

Although they knew the purple-robed middle-aged man's intentions, they couldn't help but be moved.

Lin Zhexuan's expression was gloomy; this was putting him on the spot. If he retreated, even if some people present could understand, could the countless ordinary citizens in the thirty-six thousand immortal cities understand?

He raised his head and looked at Lin Daogong. If he refused this kind of thing himself, it would damage his reputation, but if someone else spoke up to stop him and explained the pros and cons, the impact on him would be much reduced.

However, Lin Daogong's mood at this time was also extremely complex.

His most proud and favorite child was right before his eyes; how could he say the words to let Lin Zhexuan refuse to participate in the battle?

"Father, don't let him agree, please don't let him agree..."

Lin Yeqiu hurriedly spoke at this time, but couldn't make a sound; only his lips could be understood.

Lin Daogong's heart was complex, and he didn't even dare to look directly at the other party, clenching his fists.

"Why aren't you speaking? Does Lin Zhexuan really not dare to fight?"

"One round for ten people—even if you have to fight with all your might, you should go!"

"Could it be that you really can't win, and there's no way at all?"

In the thirty-six thousand immortal cities, countless people became anxious. Although they knew Lin Zhexuan was important, those twenty prodigy prisoners of war were all renowned former prodigies; wouldn't redeeming ten be enough to offset one Lin Zhexuan?

Lin Zhexuan had a gloomy face and didn't speak for a long time.

Beside him, the prodigies of the Su family, Jiang family, and others also looked at him. Although they knew it was the purple-robed middle-aged man's scheme, seeing that he, the number one in the same realm, didn't have the courage and spirit to fight under such pressing pressure, they couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Su Muqing walked in front of Lin Zhexuan and said in a low voice:

"Are you really not confident?"

Lin Zhexuan's heart trembled slightly, not expecting that Su Muqing, who had grown up with him, would also ask a question that put him in a difficult position.

His expression was somewhat ugly as he said in a low voice: "The opponent's scheme is so obvious, can't you see it?"

Su Muqing naturally could see it, and she said in a low voice: "But... as long as you can win, you can rescue them all, all of them!"

Lin Zhexuan felt a headache. He had been defeated, and now he was being pushed to the forefront; he felt somewhat annoyed, and his tone was somewhat impatient:

"I know, of course, but can't you see the demoness's strength? If I want to win, unless I risk my life, I only have half a chance!"

Su Muqing naturally understood this point, but precisely because she understood, she had an indescribable feeling—like disappointment, discomfort, or perhaps she couldn't bear to force the other party, nor could she bear for the other party to really risk his life... but in the end, something seemed to be slowly sinking into silence.

"Half a chance..."

Her lips wriggled slightly, but in the end, she didn't speak again, because she wanted to say that half a chance was worth giving it her all; after all, the stakes before her were too great.

She raised her head and looked at the many prisoners of war on the black warship, mainly Su Hanshuang and Su Wenyue.

Especially Sister Wenyue; when she was little, she used to hold her, often bringing her food, and taking her to play in the courtyard...

As she looked up, Su Wenyue also looked down and saw this little sister from the past. They were only half-sisters, but she was very fond of this little sister.

Seeing the look in Su Muqing's eyes, Su Wenyue shook her head slightly at her, saying silently: "Don't be stupid, this demon is deliberately letting you come to die."

"Sister Wenyue..."

Su Muqing's eyes flickered slightly. She stared at the other party, her eyes gradually becoming serious.

Finally, she took a deep breath, stepped out, and said: "You said that those who were defeated earlier can go, right? Then I'll go!"

She passed Lin Zhexuan, her face filled with forward-looking determination and a momentum like she was going to her death.

Hearing Su Muqing's words, everyone was shocked. Su Zhenyuan was the first to react, frightened into hurriedly rebuking: "What nonsense are you talking about? Step back!"

"Are you crazy?!"

Lin Zhexuan also reacted, grabbing Su Muqing's arm and wanting to pull her back, but was shaken off by Su Muqing.

"Even if you take divine medicine and burn your Primordial Spirit, you won't be her opponent. The gap between you is too large. Don't be impulsive, okay?!"

He said somewhat angrily.

Su Muqing pursed her lips slightly but didn't reply, only saying: "I want to try."

"Are you going to try with your life?"

Lin Zhexuan couldn't help but burn with anger, shouting loudly.

From childhood to adulthood, this was the first time he had rebuked Su Muqing with such anger, and it was also the first time he felt she was being so unreasonable and ignorant.

Su Muqing didn't speak again. She naturally wasn't completely hot-headed, but she did intend to try with her life, and she felt she had a chance to win!

Only she herself knew that there was another power hidden within her body, which was becoming stronger as her realm improved, and she was slowly feeling that power more and more.

It was just that she didn't dare to touch that power.

She didn't know what would happen, but she had an intuition that once that power was triggered, perhaps... she would die!

From childhood to adulthood, her intuition had helped her turn danger into safety and survive many calamities, and she believed in that feeling very much.

But now... she felt she should try. Even if she died, if she could redeem Sister Wenyue and the many prisoners of war, and slay the opponent's super monster with the Dao Source Immortal Seal, and then slay the other monsters, the human morale would surely soar, and the morale of the demon territory would surely be hit hard... With all these benefits, what did it matter if she traded her life for it?!

"Oh?"

Hearing Su Muqing's words, the purple-robed middle-aged man raised his eyebrows slightly, his eyes flickering, and he smiled indifferently:

"You want to come? Naturally, you can."

Although his main target was Lin Zhexuan, that Lin family boy seemed determined not to go onto the battlefield, and all kinds of provocations were useless. Now, settling for second best, it wouldn't be bad to slay Su Muqing.

"Muqing!"

Su Zhenyuan's figure flickered, blocking in front of Su Muqing, shocked and angry:

"What nonsense are you talking about? You are even worse than Zhexuan. Even if he burns his Primordial Spirit, he might not be able to contend, let alone you!"

Lin Zhexuan also rushed in front of Su Muqing at this time. Seeing that she hadn't listened to his words, a fire of anger burned in his heart, and he said:

"Listen to your father and step back quickly."

Su Muqing raised her head and stared at her father, saying: "Father, I dare to go onto the battlefield because I naturally have confidence. I still have a trump card I haven't used. I can be certain that once I use it, I can win this battle!"

She said it extremely seriously and extremely firmly.

Su Zhenyuan couldn't help but be stunned.

He still understood Su Muqing; she wouldn't be impulsive to the point of losing her reason, which meant it was really possible, and she had a trump card he didn't know about.

However, if she really had such a trump card, she should have used it earlier, unless the price to pay was immense.

"What is the price?"

He asked with concentration.

Su Muqing looked at him but didn't answer.

Su Zhenyuan's heart trembled violently; he already understood the price. Was she... intending to trade herself to win this exchange battle?

His breathing suddenly became somewhat rapid, blocking his chest, and for a time, he was unable to speak.

His damn reason thought of various things in an instant, thinking of how many benefits it would bring to the human race if Su Muqing could really win, but... the downside was losing Su Muqing!

He gritted his teeth, his eye sockets turning red. As a father, even with the cultivation of a Half-Step Emperor Monarch, he didn't know how to choose for a moment.

If he refused... but Su Hanshuang and Su Wenyue up there were also his children!

This burly body, the backbone of the human race, was shivering slightly at this moment, as if standing in the winter frost.

Beside him, Lin Zhexuan was also stunned, looking at Su Muqing's calm and determined face, and suddenly, he fell silent.

Having grown up together, he knew the other party's character and knew she wasn't lying.

But...

He stood in place, looking as if shrouded in shadows for a time, unable to see his expression, and didn't react.

Su Muqing looked at the two men blocking her path, both standing stiffly in place like stone statues. She swept her gaze over her father, looking at that extremely complex and painful face, her eyes somewhat soft.

Although her father's reaction provided the answer, she didn't blame him.

Her gaze swept to the young man beside her, and looking at that gloomy face that didn't dare to face her, she also understood the other party's answer.

A flash of disappointment appeared in her eyes, but it vanished in an instant.

"Father, I am very happy to be your daughter. If there is an afterlife, I hope I can be reincarnated into the Su family again."

Su Muqing whispered softly, passing Su Zhenyuan's burly and huge body, and walked toward the front.

Her words didn't stop, whispering: "Brother Zhexuan, thank you for your company since childhood. I have treasured all the flowers you gave me. My courtyard is called the Zhexian Courtyard, using your 'Zhe'; you should understand my feelings..."

Lin Zhexuan's body trembled slightly, as if he had been shaken.

"Believe in me, I will bring them... all back!"

Su Muqing raised her head, a smile appearing on her face, along with a gaze that gradually became as firm as a rock.

Her slender and small body passed by the two men who had shielded her from the wind and rain since childhood, and walked toward that Tiantian Tiantian Mo Zu arena from fifty thousand years ago.

Carrying determination, as well as a sense of desolation, loneliness, and tragedy.

But soon, her footsteps stopped.

Because she saw in astonishment that a figure was walking in front of her, stepping onto that Tiantian Tiantian Mo Zu arena, and standing within the arena.

It was... Li Hao.

The other party didn't come to pull her or block her again, but had taken a step ahead of her and entered the Tiantian Tiantian Mo Zu arena.

Subsequently, the young man's voice was plain, yet revealed a touch of unquestionable calmness, slowly transmitted from the Tiantian Tiantian Mo Zu arena:

"Let me handle this battle."

It was still the same words as before, but carried an unprecedented calmness, as well as determination.

It wasn't just Su Muqing who was stunned; others were also stunned. Su Zhenyuan, Lin Zhexuan, including Jiang Qiuyu, Lin Daogong, and the ancestors of the various clans, all looked at the young man in the arena in astonishment.

Facing the black-veiled demoness who had defeated even Lin Zhexuan, someone actually dared to go onto the battlefield to seek death?

If it were Su Muqing, at all costs, perhaps there really was a tiny chance, but... who was this person?

"Are you crazy?!"

After Su Muqing was stunned, she reacted violently, her body rushing toward the Tiantian Tiantian Mo Zu arena, and at the same time, she said the words she had subconsciously spoken when Lin Zhexuan blocked her earlier.

On the other side, Su Wanqing also reacted, hurriedly rushing to the edge of the Tiantian Tiantian Mo Zu arena, anxiously saying:

"Haotian, come out quickly, you will die!"

Her words reached the ears of Su Muqing, who was passing by, and the latter's body trembled slightly.

Soon, Su Muqing rushed into the arena and came to Li Hao's side.

"Get out quickly!"

Su Muqing grabbed Li Hao's arm and rebuked, wanting to throw him out.

But a burst of immortal power made her unable to shake Li Hao's body.

Su Muqing couldn't help but be surprised and stunned for a moment.

Subsequently, she saw Li Hao turn his head, and the young man's eyes, which she had once detested and loathed, fell on her face.

There was calmness in those eyes, as well as deeply buried emotions, but no lust or greed.

For the first time, Su Muqing discovered that this young man's eyes were actually so beautiful and exceptionally moving.

How could she have thought these eyes were ugly before?

Such a thought appeared in her mind, but it vanished in an instant; the situation at this time didn't allow her to think too much.

It was just that before she could speak again, the words stopped at her lips.

Because the young man's entire body was radiating a thick and majestic, terrifying immortal power that seemed to be constantly spraying out from the deep abyss of the sea.

Along with the release of this immortal power, an immortal seal, as if floating out of the deep sea...

Gradually revealed itself from the flesh and blood of the young man's forehead before her.

Visions of origin laws appeared one after another: time, space, form, governance, five paths... Nine-Sequence origin...

But that immortal seal didn't have the exquisite nine origin flowers, but was a unified whole, the Nine Sequences returning to one.

That was the Dao Source Immortal Seal!!!

At this moment, Su Muqing was stunned.

Her hand grabbing Li Hao's arm froze there, her red lips slightly open, and the young girl's face was full of astonishment and disbelief.

In the distance, Su Zhenyuan, who had reacted and was preparing to bring Li Hao out of the arena, also stopped, a trace of horror appearing in his eyes.

Aside from him, others also saw the dazzling light blooming on the young man's forehead, constantly blazing, unparalleled in the world, as if illuminating the heavens and earth of the entire Gusu City.

Countless gazes fell into stagnation and astonishment.