Chapter 878: Life Worse Than Death

Yun Che had just landed with Su Hengshan when they were instantly surrounded by a large crowd of people. Without a doubt, those surrounding them were disciples of the Tai Su Sect. Upon seeing Su Hengshan, covered in blood and disheveled, some faces occasionally showed complex emotions or twitched, but their advancing steps held no hesitation. Rows of gleaming weapons were aimed directly at them.

"Still trying to run... nowhere left to go!"

A fierce voice came from the direction of the collapsed dungeon. Hearing it, the name "Su Haoran" flashed through Yun Che's mind.

Su Hengshan's only son, Su Ling'er's half-brother... someone Yun Che had detested intensely six years ago in the "Illusion Realm."

The crowd parted, and the twenty-six individuals Yun Che had sensed earlier walked leisurely towards them.

Leading the way was a middle-aged man dressed entirely in black. His face was gaunt and slightly pale, but what stood out most were the seven deep green stars emblazoned on his chest, indicating his considerably high status within the Seven Star Divine Palace. As he walked, he exuded an arrogant aura of a superior, as if on this land, he was a king looking down on all others, who were mere ants.

His profound energy aura was as strong as an eighth-level Tyrant Profound Realm practitioner.

Behind him were two other middle-aged men, also in black, with light green stars on their chests. These were the other two Tyrant Emperors Yun Che had sensed... though only at the initial stage.

Further back, some familiar faces appeared.

Su Haoran, who had just roared!

Su Hengyue, who had allied with Blackwood Fortress years ago, trying to force Su Hengshan to hand over the treasured key!

Su Wangji—the Tai Su Sect's highest-ranking Grand Elder!

Even Hei Mu Qingya, the fortress master of Blackwood Fortress, who had been terrified by Xia Qingyue back then, was surprisingly among them!

Moreover, judging by their positions, Su Haoran seemed to be leading them.

Yet, these individuals walked behind the three Tyrant Emperors from the Seven Star Divine Palace like a pack of poodles, slightly hunched and extremely deferential, as if merely walking alongside them was a matter of utmost dread.

When they saw Yun Che, they all paused for a moment. Then, Su Haoran was the first to recognize him, exclaiming in shock, "It's... it's you!!"

The black-clad man at the front had been coldly sizing up Yun Che. Hearing Su Haoran's exclamation, he said indifferently, "It seems you know this person?"

"Ah... yes," Su Haoran replied, immediately bending his waist even lower when addressed by the black-clad man. "I met him a few years ago, but he's just an insignificant nobody, not worth mentioning, certainly not worth bothering your ears, Sir Divine Envoy."

"An insignificant nobody?" the black-clad man, referred to as "Sir Divine Envoy," scoffed. "A sixth-level Tyrant Emperor at such a young age, an insignificant nobody?"

At these words, everyone present, whether from the Tai Su Sect or the Seven Star Divine Palace, froze in shock. Those who had met Yun Che six years prior were utterly stunned, and even Su Hengshan, shielded by Yun Che, was jolted.

Su Haoran's eyes widened, and he stammered, "Six... sixth-level Tyrant... Tyrant Emperor!? Th-th-this... this is impossible! Six years ago... he was only in the Spirit Profound Realm... How could he..."

"What? Are you implying my perception is inferior to yours?" the black-clad Divine Envoy's voice suddenly turned cold.

Su Haoran immediately trembled and said in terror, "No, no, no, I misspoke. Even if I had ten thousand guts, I wouldn't dare to question you, Sir Divine Envoy. Please forgive my transgression."

Watching his son grovel like a poodle, Su Hengshan's expression was indifferent, showing almost no sorrow... because his heart had long been numbed by grief and pain.

"Young man, you appear to be no older than thirty, yet you possess such cultivation," the black-clad Divine Envoy said calmly. "Such talent would be considered top-tier even within my Seven Star Divine Palace. You shouldn't be an unknown individual, but judging by your appearance, you can't be from the Heaven-Sundering Sect or the Flying Immortal Sword Sect. What is your name? Which sect are you from? Who is your master?" His face suddenly darkened. "And who gave you the audacity to provoke my Seven Star Divine Palace!"

Although not fearful of a sixth-level Tyrant Emperor under thirty, the black-clad Divine Envoy couldn't help but be astonished. Therefore, he didn't immediately attack but instead sought to uncover Yun Che's background. However, no matter what his background, they wouldn't be afraid... because they were the Seven Star Divine Palace!

Even if this person truly hailed from the Heaven-Sundering Sect or the Flying Immortal Sword Sect, he would, at most, be their equal.

Under the Heaven and Earth aura from Yun Che, Su Hengshan had already recovered a significant amount of his vitality. He struggled forward, pushing Yun Che away forcefully, and roared, "Old villain, this young man merely mistook me for someone else; I don't know him at all! If you have the guts, kill him now!"

He abruptly turned to Yun Che and shouted even louder, "Look closely, my name is Su Hengshan, not Ling Datong! This is the Tai Su Sect, not the Erxuan Gate you're looking for! The affairs of my Tai Su Sect, whether I, Su Hengshan, live or die, are none of your business, you meddling outsider! Now get out! Get out!!"

Yun Che: "..."

He understood Su Hengshan's intent: he was telling Yun Che that the people before them were beyond his ability to handle and that he should escape immediately to find Ling'er.

Given the current situation—the groveling Su Haoran and others, and the corpses dressed in Tai Su Sect robes in the bamboo forest—Yun Che had a clear understanding of what had happened to the Tai Su Sect. Suppressing the urge to slaughter everyone, he took a step forward and spoke in an incredibly calm voice, "Have any of you found traces of Su Ling'er? If so, tell me, and I can grant you a swift death."

Su Hengshan instantly froze, his outstretched hand falling weakly. The black-clad Divine Envoy's eyes narrowed sharply, and a chorus of laughter erupted around them, especially from the Seven Star Divine Palace disciples, who practically doubled over with amusement. Their gazes at Yun Che shifted from cautious to utterly mocking... even pitying.

"Heh," the black-clad Divine Envoy sneered faintly, speaking slowly. "It seems your talent is decent, but your mind isn't very sharp... Oh no, it's sheer stupidity."

Su Haoran, his face full of schadenfreude, arrogantly roared, "Yun Che, I can't believe that after six years, you've come here just to court death! Do you know who the great person standing before you is?! He is the esteemed Divine Envoy of the Seven Star Divine Palace! You still have time to kneel down now and beg for forgiveness. Sir Divine Envoy is magnanimous; perhaps he'll grant you a complete corpse."

Yun Che didn't even glance at Su Haoran. His eyes slowly narrowed. "I'll say it again: tell me what you know about Su Ling'er, and I can grant you a swift death!"

"Heh," the black-clad Divine Envoy chuckled lowly. "It seems you are deliberately seeking death!"

Yun Che's entire body remained still. Only his finger lightly pointed at the Divine Palace disciple to the black-clad Divine Envoy's right.

Bang!!

"Argh!!!"

A faint popping sound instantly gave way to an utterly horrific scream. The Divine Palace disciple collapsed, his chest exploded, and violent Golden Crow flames ignited from within his chest cavity, spreading to consume his entire body.

"Waaahhhh...!!!"

The burning of Golden Crow flames was unbearable even for an Emperor, let alone an initial-stage Tyrant Emperor... especially since these Golden Crow flames ignited from *within* his body! He screamed desperately, rolling wildly, frantically trying to resist with his profound energy, but how could Yun Che's Golden Crow flames be affected by his power!

This sudden, terrifying scene caused everyone to blanch. The black-clad Divine Envoy's face also changed abruptly. The Divine Palace disciple to his left immediately rushed forward, attempting to extinguish the "profound fire" on the first man. But the moment his hand touched the flames, he screamed, and his two hands instantly turned into skeletal bones... Then, even the bones were incinerated, and the demonic flames slowly burned up his arms, causing him to collapse in extreme pain and terror, rolling and howling desperately just like the first disciple.

The Golden Crow flames burned exceptionally slowly, steadily consuming their bodies, a process accompanied by torment far more brutal than any purgatory they could imagine. The two Divine Palace disciples' screams were as horrifying as the wails of demons from hell. Their bodies convulsed and rolled wildly, their eyes bulging almost out of their sockets from agony, and the veins on their foreheads protruded clearly like earthworms!

"Kill me... kill me... please... kill me... Arghhh!!!"

Their desperate pleas, uttered with all their might... were a fervent wish for death.

Bang!!

As Yun Che's gaze shifted, the most ferocious flames in the world suddenly exploded. In an instant, the bodies of the two Divine Palace disciples burst apart like shredded rags, scattering into countless fiery fragments. These fragments were incinerated into nothingness before they even hit the ground... not even charred remains, or a wisp of smoke, were left. The embers that splattered onto the ground instantly burned thousands of holes in it, like corrosive foam.

Everyone was completely speechless, their eyes wide with terror, faces ashen. The sudden surge of shock and dread made their eyes feel as if they might burst.

Su Haoran was ghastly pale. He stumbled back, stammering, "Demonic... demonic art... it's demonic art!!"

The black-clad Divine Envoy's face was utterly contorted, devoid of any composure or arrogance. The pallor on his face revealed the rapidly escalating fear within him. He stepped back, then suddenly roared, "Everyone, attack... Kill him!!"

At his command, the startled Divine Palace disciples jolted and, by reflex, charged at Yun Che together.

Yun Che's face was cold. Without even glancing around, the fiery glow on his hand transformed into a blue light and flashed abruptly.

Immediately, a dozen Ice Eradication trees shot up, engulfing all the charging Divine Palace disciples. Countless bone-chilling ice branches mercilessly pierced and impaled their bodies as they extended... But under the intense cold, their blood froze before it could even flow out, and even the loss of their lives became exceptionally slow.

In a mere instant, all the Divine Palace disciples were entombed within the Ice Eradication trees. Each of them was impaled by at least dozens of ice branches, like grasshoppers skewered by thorns. Yet, they did not bleed, did not struggle, and could not even die immediately. Only terrified, agonizing screams emanated from their mouths.

These desperate screams overlapped, sounding like a death dirge from Avici Hell!