Chapter 1792: Showdown

Zhao Hao thought, "I'm barely holding on myself, how can I save you two?" But suddenly, an idea struck him. He swept his hand over them, and an invisible force knocked them off balance, sending them tumbling towards the massive ghostly face suspended in mid-air.

"Zhao Hao, may you die a terrible death!" At this moment, they cast aside their usual fear and cursed him furiously. However, as seasoned Grandmasters, they weren't willing to simply wait for death. Perhaps due to the force of Zhao Hao's last blow, they had regained a slight degree of control over their bodies. With no other option, they unleashed their most powerful attacks towards the giant ghostly face. They knew this was Zhao Hao's open scheme, but they couldn't refuse; after all, they couldn't just stand by and be eaten, could they?

The Everlasting Sword and Eight Swords Soaring simultaneously blasted towards the giant ghostly face, their power even greater than usual. With life and death hanging on this single strike, neither held anything back. At the same time, they used all the life-saving techniques of their respective sects, launching them towards their opponent. The Everlasting Sword conjured a magnificent ethereal image of a heavenly palace, while Eight Swords Soaring combined into a majestic greatsword. The full power of these two top Grandmasters' strikes was truly terrifying. Unfortunately, the giant ghostly face suddenly opened its mouth wide and swallowed both the ethereal heavenly palace and the majestic greatsword in a single gulp.

Li Changsheng: (Stunned)Xuan Bajing: (Stunned)Before either could react further, the Ghost King inhaled, and their souls, unable to resist, twisted and struggled as they were pulled from their bodies and swallowed. Thus, two of the Daoist sect's top Grandmasters perished then and there.

However, their attacks bought Zhao Hao a crucial opening. He conjured the Human Emperor Seal, which floated above his head, and wisps of profound aura descended from it, enveloping his spirit and physical body. Instantly, the pressure on him eased, and his spirit immediately returned to his body. Without a moment's hesitation, he grabbed the Human Emperor Seal, and his entire being vanished into thin air.

The giant ghostly face in the air stiffened, clearly not expecting him to escape. It could no longer sense the opponent's aura and knew that further pursuit would be futile. "This person actually commands the mysteries of space," it muttered. "Next time I encounter him, I cannot be so careless." The ghostly face once again transformed into boundless black mist and skulls, flying deeper into the tomb. Wherever it passed, all living beings were reduced to bone.

Meanwhile, Zu An and his companions entered a narrow secret passage. After an unknown period of travel, the path finally widened before them. There were no other figures nearby, indicating they had clearly entered the deeper parts of the tomb. The wall behind them closed, and Qiu Honglei asked worriedly, "They won't chase us through this passage, will they?" Those two terrifying beings truly left one feeling helpless. Jing Teng shook her head slightly. "Don't worry. The mechanisms in this tomb constantly shift. Once a passage is used, its location changes. There's no longer a path here."

Zu An and Qiu Honglei marveled, never imagining such intricate designs within the tomb. Qiu Honglei looked at Jing Teng with suspicion. "You still say you haven't recovered your memory, yet you remember all these mechanisms in the tomb." Jing Teng clutched her head, seemingly trying to recall something. "I didn't lie to you. My mind is truly a blank slate. It's just that in that moment of crisis, seeing the nearby wall suddenly made me recall a small detail." Zu An and Qiu Honglei exchanged glances. Her demeanor didn't seem feigned, but for her to recover a segment of memory specifically during crucial moments seemed a bit too coincidental.

"I can't believe Grandmaster Xuan Bajing and Li Changsheng died just like that," Qiu Honglei said with a hint of sadness. While escaping, she had witnessed the Ghost King devouring their souls, and the sight was still profoundly shocking to her. Zu An, being a transmigrator, might not have felt it as strongly, but she had grown up in the Demonic Cult, taught from a young age how detestable and powerful the various great figures of the righteous sects were, how they were sworn enemies of the Demonic Cult. Xuan Bajing and Li Changsheng were among the foremost of these great figures, even on par with her master. To see two such supreme experts casually eliminated by the Ghost King as if slaughtering chickens was a psychological impact of unprecedented magnitude.

"I wonder if Zhao Hao was eaten by the Ghost King," Zu An said gravely. They had left in a hurry and hadn't seen the final outcome. He had originally intended to reap the benefits from the sidelines, but who knew the situation would suddenly become so one-sided? Thinking of this, his expression turned grim. "That Zhao Hao usually acts like he can conquer anything, but who knew he'd be so useless, getting bullied by the Ghost King as if he were a grandson."

Just then, a familiar voice echoed faintly, "What are you saying?" Zu An and the others jumped in fright. Looking towards the source of the voice, their hair involuntarily stood on end. They saw a figure in yellow robes standing not far away, gazing coldly at him. Who else could it be but Zhao Hao?

"You... you... how..." Qiu Honglei was also extremely tense, almost unable to speak. Although Zhao Hao had been bullied by the Ghost King, killing the few of them wouldn't be a problem for him.

"How could I be here?" Zhao Hao gave a self-mocking smile, as if sensing their thoughts. "I'm proficient in the mysteries of space. Since I saw the direction you fled, how could a mere secret passage stop me?"

Everyone: "..."There was no way to fight now; they couldn't even escape. Zu An was the first to compose himself. "Your Majesty is truly formidable, escaping from the Ghost King without a scratch." Now he was secretly cursing the Ghost King for being useless. Even if it couldn't keep Zhao Hao, it should have at least heavily injured him. This was practically Zhao Hao in his full power, so how could he possibly fight?

"Who was just calling me a grandson after I got beaten?" Zhao Hao glanced at him sideways, his sneer growing more pronounced. "The Ghost King's demonic sound was clearly designed to counter and suppress spirits, yet it still couldn't keep even a corner of Your Majesty's robe. Naturally, *he* is the grandson," Zu An said, his face betraying no flush and his heart no flutter.

Jing Teng gave him a strange look, marveling at how naturally he switched his stance. Qiu Honglei's lips curved slightly upward. When she first met Ah Zu, he was just like this... shameless and cunning. But then she thought of their impending fate and found herself unable to smile.

"So that move is called the Ghost King's Demonic Sound, huh?" Zhao Hao recalled the recent events, still feeling a tremor of fear. He had almost been completely consumed by the opponent. He looked at Zu An curiously. "You seem to know a lot about his abilities. Did Miss Jing here tell you?" Jing Teng shook her head slightly. Zu An had interrogated this information himself from the two ghost generals, Wolong and Fengchu, back then. Of course, it wasn't convenient to explain this to Zhao Hao.

"You are quite a talent, young man," Zhao Hao sighed, then, after a moment of silence, added, "How about we temporarily turn enemies into allies and join forces?"Qiu Honglei: "???"

In the eyes of the world, Zhao Hao was an invincible existence. Who would have thought he would ever seek an alliance? Even if he were to seek allies, it should be figures like Prince Qi or the Grand Libationer who would qualify. What did he mean by seeking out a young junior like Ah Zu? Although she knew her beloved was powerful, this scene before her still struck her as utterly unbelievable.

Zu An was also surprised. "We join forces? Your Majesty, are you perhaps desperate? What qualifications do I have to fight alongside you? That Ghost King is far beyond me; I'd just be throwing my life away." Zhao Hao scoffed. "You don't need to put on an act in front of me. You absolutely have the qualifications to deal with the Ghost King alongside me."

Zu An secretly remained wary. "Your Majesty truly overestimates me. If you don't mind, I could perhaps cheer you on from the sidelines. You know, even top Grandmasters like Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing had their souls sucked out in a single gulp. What role could I possibly play?"

Zhao Hao grew somewhat annoyed. "I don't have time for these games with you. Others may not know your abilities, but I certainly do. Otherwise, how do you think the fragment of my soul within the Crown Prince died?"

Hearing this, Zu An's hair stood on end. Instinctively, he prepared to fight him to the death. "Don't be nervous. Since I've brought this up, it means the past is behind us," Zhao Hao said lightly. "As long as you help me deal with the Ghost King and find the immortal destiny, our previous grudges will be wiped clean. If the Demon Race can make you a regent, why can't I? When I ascend, the Crown Prince is weak and foolish, and may not be able to secure his position. You would be precisely the one needed to safeguard him."

Qiu Honglei listened, utterly stunned. The amount of information in this conversation was immense. Jing Teng, on the other hand, was utterly bewildered. What exactly were they talking about? She couldn't understand a single thing. She wondered if they even truly belonged to this world.

Zu An also dropped the frivolous expression from his face and said gravely, "So Your Majesty knew everything from the beginning." No wonder he always sensed murderous intent from him. Zhao Hao snorted. "The fragment of my soul in the Crown Prince just vanished inexplicably. Although you and the Crown Princess offered a reasonable explanation for it, I never believed it. I watched the Crown Princess grow up from a young age; I know she doesn't have that ability. That naturally leaves only you." "So just because of suspicion, you've always been certain it was me?" Zu An asked, somewhat puzzled.

"For an emperor, suspicion is enough. I'd rather kill a thousand innocents than let one culprit go," Zhao Hao said chillingly.