Chapter 898: Karl's Position

"Don't think I can't see what's going on in both your minds. The reason you've hesitated to attack me is simply because you lack the confidence to defeat me, which is why you're still talking."

"But it's fine; I completely understand your current state of mind. If you're truly afraid, I don't mind both of you attacking me at once. To me, it makes no difference at all—it's just a matter of crushing one ant or two."

Such words were undeniably arrogant, causing the Storm Arch-Witch and the Necromancer Chant-Master to lose face completely. Both of them showed incredibly cold expressions. After exchanging glances and reaching a mutual understanding, they immediately attacked Xu Yang simultaneously.

On the left, before the Storm Arch-Witch, an exquisitely radiant orb of energy suddenly appeared, carrying a unique source of power within it. Xu Yang quickly realized that all the offensive techniques the Storm Arch-Witch unleashed relied on this brilliant orb on her chest to channel their power.

"Storm Assault!"

At that moment, the Storm Arch-Witch resembled a tyrannical sorceress, a formidable being capable of controlling the forces of wind and thunder across the land. Her hands continuously formed seals, using her spiritual power to draw upon the dazzling orb before her. Vast thundercloud storms materialized around Xu Yang, immediately immobilizing him and forcing him to absorb the endless lightning energy surrounding him. The enemy clearly intended to subject Xu Yang to a thorough life-cleansing through this method, making him experience the terrifying power of the storm.

However, for Xu Yang, an attack of this intensity felt no different than taking a cold shower.

"Honestly," Xu Yang said, shaking his head helplessly, a hint of pity in his eyes as he looked at his opponent, "even if you had a hundred years, an attack like that wouldn't be able to kill me."

This was because he possessed armor formed from the Father of Ancestral Dragons, a protective measure capable of resisting the supreme power of a God-King, something the Arch-Witch before him could not contend with.

As expected, after the endless storm had furiously assailed him for quite some time, the Storm Arch-Witch ceased her actions and seriously examined Xu Yang's composure. Only then did she realize that the power she had unleashed had had no effect on him whatsoever.

"Damn it, how is this possible!" the Storm Arch-Witch exclaimed, dumbfounded. "My Thunderstorm's power once instantly killed a Heavenly Martialist-level expert! Why does it have no effect on you?" She was utterly bewildered, having no idea of the profound power Xu Yang possessed, which was beyond her imagination.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Necromancer Chant-Master instinctively began to grow anxious. He had initially believed that with the Storm Arch-Witch personally assisting him, even if they couldn't kill Xu Yang, they could at least severely diminish his arrogant spirit and gain the upper hand in the confrontation. However, the reality was exceptionally harsh and completely beyond the Necromancer Chant-Master's expectations.

"Damn it, you truly are the bane of my existence, A-Yang!" the Necromancer Chant-Master gritted his teeth. "Even if I pay a heavy price today, I will make you understand my power!" He then reopened the black tome in his hands.

Unbeknownst to many, this black tome was inherently a part of his very being. In other words, each time he opened the tome, it was equivalent to forcibly extracting a portion of his life essence. Therefore, the Necromancer Chant-Master, Karl, rarely used the book unless absolutely necessary. But this time, with Xu Yang standing before him, he had no other choice.

Seeing his opponent's action, Xu Yang couldn't help but crack a playful smile.

"Do you really think I can't discern the secrets of your book?" Xu Yang scoffed. "Since you rely on it so much, I'll personally destroy it right before your eyes, making you utterly lose all value within the Five Great Restricted Zones."

As Xu Yang finished speaking, he once again opened his precious iron box. In that instant, all surrounding space and time fell into a state of stasis. Xu Yang's movement speed increased to its maximum, and taking advantage of that precious moment of temporal stillness, he forcibly snatched the black ancient tome from Karl's hand. The next second, as all the surrounding commotion returned to normal, Karl was shocked to discover that his very lifeblood, for some unknown reason, had inexplicably ended up in Xu Yang's possession.

"Damn it, how is this possible!" Karl exclaimed, utterly bewildered. He grabbed at his head, forcing back his surging frustration. "I didn't sense a thing from beginning to end! How did you do that?" Facing Xu Yang, he felt an indescribable sense of powerlessness, as if no matter how seriously or how hard he tried, he would always be like a child before this man.

Xu Yang calmly began to leaf through the black tome in his hands, completely ignoring Karl's expression and state of mind. To his surprise, as he opened the ancient book, special, arcane runes recorded within it flooded his mind, which Xu Yang swiftly processed and assimilated in a very short time.

"Hahaha, I truly didn't expect this book to contain secret methods for cultivating curses!" Xu Yang laughed. "It even includes techniques for creating various ancient inscriptions! No wonder the people of the Five Great Restricted Zones were able to invite you into their core lineup so easily!"

Xu Yang had completely uncovered all of Karl's secrets, finishing the black tome in the fastest possible time. Immediately afterward, Xu Yang activated the three energy vortices within his body, using powerful primal energy fluctuations to completely envelop the black tome in his palm, preventing Karl from using any means to reclaim the ancient book.

"Karl, you are now completely worthless to the Five Great Restricted Zones," Xu Yang declared. "My people have already taken control of Arch-Witch Yuntong's storeroom, and all her thousands of mechanical inventions have become my spoils! Now, I've also acquired the methods for creating inscriptions that are detailed in your book, which indirectly means I've gained the core means to control those battlefield machines."

"If you're smart, you'll choose to abandon the Five Great Restricted Zones now and join my ranks, serving under me. This is your only chance to redeem yourself for your crimes."

Karl, of course, understood the meaning behind Xu Yang's words. After all, the Five Great Restricted Zones' involvement in the Eastern Domain's global conflict was entirely Karl's doing; he was the mastermind behind the curse that had afflicted the entire Eastern and Western Continents. Once the situation was stabilized by the Central Domain forces led by Xu Yang, Karl would be held solely responsible, becoming a historical sinner to be judged by the entire Eastern Domain.