Chapter 1401: Nine Nether Emperor Comes Again

The provocation was unmistakable. What's more, the man in black armor took a step sideways, blocking Xue Zongwu's path directly, clearly intending to stop him.

Xue Zongwu paused, then threw his head back and laughed three times. "No way, again? Don't you have anyone else to impersonate?"

The two guys who caused the explosion were impersonating Emperor Jiuyou. Now, the third one to appear wants to play this game too? Is Jiuyou really that popular lately?

The Weng brothers had fled behind the man in black armor, and Xue Zongwu naturally assumed they were all working together. He was no longer in such a hurry. Time was on his side; the longer they waited, the more reinforcements would arrive.

"Xue Zongwu, you have poisoned the populace, massacred the innocent, and extorted exorbitant taxes. Today, your retribution has arrived," the man in black armor declared, his judgment delivered word by word, resonant and powerful. "I have specifically come to see you off."

Xue Zongwu was not alone, which wasn't ideal for He Lingchuan's plan, but it was acceptable. The best opportunity might never arise. Though the black-armored man's words were no different from what the two earlier men had said, the moment he spoke, Xue Zongwu found it no longer funny. Every word this person spoke resonated deeply – not metaphorically, but with a low, resonant voice that vibrated unpleasantly in one's chest, like a lion's low growl.

The Weng brothers exchanged bewildered glances. They had no idea where this guy had come from, but he looked more convincing and exuded a stronger aura than they did, actually appearing quite legitimate.

Xue Zongwu sneered, "What are you, to criticize me?"

The man in black armor ignored him and turned to Weng Xing, beckoning. "Come here."

Weng Xing looked confused.

"Do you still want your arm?"

Weng Xing moved closer without much thought. In any case, this person had just saved his life. The white flames on his arm continued to burn. He had tried everything to extinguish them, but with little success. Fortunately, he still had a magic artifact on him that was diligently protecting its master; otherwise, anyone else would have had half their body burned away and lost their life.

Weng Su gave his brother a look. They were about to be surrounded; how much worse could the situation get? Besides, this man in black armor was shielding them from Xue Zongwu; at this moment, he was an ally, not an enemy, so how could they possibly shrink back? So the Weng brothers both returned and stood by the black-armored man's side.

As Weng Xing approached, the black-armored man raised his hand and made a gentle gesture. With a whoosh, the stubborn white flames on Weng Xing's arm were sucked away, not a trace remaining! The two brothers were stunned. What kind of supernatural ability was this?

Those who witnessed this naturally didn't know it was just a trick; the true absorber of the flames wasn't the man in black armor himself, but the divine bone necklace hidden within his collar. This item was fire-repellent.

With the white flames gone, wisps of smoke rose. Weng Xing's arm was a bloody mess, and a strong charred smell wafted up. The man in black armor casually tossed him a pill. "Take it; it can remove fire poison."

As the pill landed in Weng Xing's hand, the man in black armor began to walk step by step toward Xue Zongwu, saying leisurely, "North is a dead end. You really shouldn't have come."

Xue Zongwu was pursuing the Weng brothers, while He Lingchuan was plotting against Xue Zongwu. It was a classic 'mantis stalks cicada' scenario. He had used the Weng brothers to lure Xue Zongwu north, preventing him from meeting his main forces in the south. Once Xue Zongwu headed north, he would fall into He Lingchuan's trap.

The Weng brothers were quite effective. Now, only seven people remained with Xue Zongwu, and his father-in-law, Qi Yunsheng, was also not present. Weng Su and Weng Xing's earlier intense battle with him had forced Xue Zongwu to use many combat techniques and several life-saving supernatural abilities, which He Lingchuan observed it all.

After a comprehensive assessment, it was time to act.

When Xue Zongwu heard this, his heart lurched. He recalled the danger he had sensed earlier and the inexplicable irritation he had felt throughout his journey back home. But he immediately sneered and waved his hand, commanding his personal guards: "Kill! Leave no one alive." The enemy was close at hand; overthinking was useless; combat was the only solution!

The seven men behind him charged forward. The black-armored leader's voice then resounded in the Weng brothers' ears: "Xue Zongwu is mine; the others are yours."

The Weng brothers felt a wave of relief and instinctively agreed, "Good." There were indeed many enemies, but for the Weng brothers, the truly troublesome one was Xue Zongwu. Just now, the brothers fighting two against one couldn't even subdue him. With the black-armored leader taking on Xue Zongwu himself, dealing with the remaining enemies, while still not easy, immediately lifted a huge weight from their minds. If this was the true "Emperor Jiuyou," fighting Xue Zongwu one-on-one shouldn't be an issue... right?

He Lingchuan strode toward Xue Zongwu. In the dim light, his figure was obscured by layers of smoky, ghostly shadows. The two personal guards rushing at the forefront actually became disoriented, seeing double, and their blades swung at He Lingchuan missed their mark. Instead of striking his shoulder or neck, their blows ended up merely grazing his hair.

Xue Zongwu, watching from behind, frowned. His subordinates were also protected by the elemental power of the Yao Kingdom; illusions and trickery shouldn't affect them. How could these two elites have lost their precision? Unless the opponent's combat techniques were unique.

Seizing the opportunity of their miss, He Lingchuan subtly raised his blade. It was as if the guard had stretched out his own neck, offering it for a clean, swift strike! In the final second of his life, he saw only the blood-stained blade and felt a penetrating chill. The wound was three inches deep—neither long nor short, but perfectly fatal.

Xue Zongwu's pupils constricted. What a blade, what swordsmanship! Simple, efficient, without any sloppiness or wasted effort. If this person wasn't the most skilled assassin, then he must be a formidable warrior forged from the blood-soaked battlefields!

He Lingchuan left the other guard to the Weng brothers and, without looking back, crashed into Xue Zongwu. His willingness to trust them with his back still invigorated them. As the two of them blocked a returning blow from the guard, the black-armored leader was already engaging Xue Zongwu head-on. Within a mere two breaths, the clashing of weapons was incessant. Their attacks were so fast that onlookers couldn't keep up, only seeing sparks fly in the night.

The moment He Lingchuan engaged, he knew Xue Zongwu's reputation was well-deserved. His hammer techniques were fierce, his movements agile, and his strength immense. He charged downwards at high speed, already embodying the momentum of a tiger descending a mountain, charging forward relentlessly. His opening move was a 'Raging Wave Slash'. His opponent would immediately feel the fierce winds and surging waves hitting them, and even the stirred-up blade-wind was suffocating.

Time was precious; He Lingchuan needed to end the fight quickly. There were many ways to fight, but tonight, he had to fight fast with speed. This intense wave of attacks would have overwhelmed even Meng Shan. However, Xue Zongwu, despite being at a disadvantage, firmly withstood the first wave of attacks. Upon realizing he had no advantage in the initial exchange, he immediately switched to a defensive stance, waiting for an opportunity. Such judgment of the situation and grasp of combat opportunities could only be honed through countless battles.

After just a few moves, He Lingchuan understood why it was natural that the Weng brothers, even with a surprise attack at the start, couldn't defeat this man.