Chapter 1816: Hair Standing on End

Fantasy Novel

Everyone watched the scene before them in astonishment. A charred figure stood behind Sun En, and while Sun En's attention was fully on Zu An, the figure delivered a fatal blow to his back.

The charred figure was none other than Zang Ao, who had previously been struck dead by the lightning storm.

How was this possible?

Not only Zu An and the others, but even Sun En couldn't comprehend it. "Impossible," he said. "I just examined you. You were clearly and completely dead. No feigned death technique could deceive my eyes!"

Zu An secretly nodded. It was precisely because Sun En had personally examined Zang Ao that everyone believed he was dead. Given Sun En's cultivation, how could he not tell whether someone was truly dead or merely feigning it, especially with a close, deliberate examination?

Even Weso's Turtle Breath Technique wouldn't be able to fool such an entity's careful scrutiny.

Zang Ao grinned, his teeth appearing strikingly white against his charred face. "Everyone has secrets, don't they?"

Clearly, he had no intention of revealing the reason.

Sun En's face showed unwillingness, his fingers slowly moving as if forming a hand seal.

Zang Ao noticed this but paid it no mind. "Sun En, oh, Sun En, you consider yourself a hero of your generation, yet you fell into my hands back then, and you will fall into my hands again now. You are destined to never outmaneuver me."

As soon as he finished speaking, his hand tightened, and with a pop, the beating heart was directly crushed.

Sun En spat out a mouthful of blood, his body convulsed and twisted a few times, before his head finally slumped, and he breathed his last.

Everyone in the tomb chamber was stunned. They never imagined that a prominent figure of his generation would meet such a bitter end right there.

Yun Jianyue and Xie Daoyun couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. Although they were essentially hostages along the way, Sun En hadn't made things difficult for them. On the contrary, their conversations had been quite congenial, and had their factions not been adversaries, they might even have become friends given more time.

Zang Ao then stuffed the shattered heart into his mouth. A gulping sound quickly followed, and he sighed contentedly. "A strong person's heart is truly delicious," he declared.

Everyone's expressions changed. Zu An watched him warily, while also glancing at Jing Teng. Among them, Jing Teng was the most familiar with Zang Ao, and he wondered what exactly was going on.

Jing Teng's eyes were also filled with bewilderment as she looked at Zang Ao with revulsion. "What exactly are you?" she demanded.

Zang Ao smiled. "I am Zang Ao," he said. "Teng Teng, have you forgotten me so quickly?"

Perhaps it was due to devouring Sun En's heart and essence blood, but as he spoke, the charred flesh on his body gradually peeled away. New flesh grew at a visible rate.

Before long, all the charring on him disappeared, and he returned to his former appearance as Zang Ao. No, in fact, he looked even younger.

He looked at Zu An. "Speaking of which, I should thank you," he said. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have had the chance to kill him so easily."

Given Sun En's strength, if they had fought head-on, it would have been hard to say who would emerge victorious.

A herd of alpacas galloped through Zu An's mind. He had always planned to reap the benefits of their conflict, but instead, he had become one of the 'snipe and clam'?

However, he didn't show it. Instead, he chuckled, "In that case, we were comrades fighting side-by-side, weren't we? Now that the great enemy is eliminated, how about we each go our own way, back to our homes, and disperse?"

As he spoke, he moved closer to the women, finding this guy far too strange.

Zang Ao chuckled a few times. "No, no, no," he said. "Sun En, that great enemy, has indeed been eliminated, but there's still you, another great enemy."

The women's expressions shifted slightly, but Zu An remained calm, as if he had expected this. "As you just saw," he said, "even Sun En was severely wounded by me, which gave you the chance to kill him. If you truly fight me, it's hard to say who would prevail, so why bother fighting to the death?"

"That sword strike of yours just now was indeed astonishing," Zang Ao said, standing with his hands behind his back, not rushing to attack, as if everything was under his control. "No wonder Zhao Hao and the Ghost King were so wary of you. But if I'm not mistaken, you can't unleash another sword strike like that, can you?"

Zu An's expression darkened. As expected of a top-tier existence in this world, few could match his insight.

"Speaking of which, I still don't know how you did it," Zang Ao murmured to himself. "That sword strike just now seemed to have utilized the power of this great tomb."

Seeing that the other party did not reply, he said sarcastically, "Are you only capable of hiding among women and letting them protect you?"

Zu An smiled slightly. "Being able to live off women's success is also a skill," he retorted. "If you're capable, you can do it too."

This time, Zang Ao didn't get angry. He looked at Jing Teng and said, "I'll give you one last chance. Tell me the whereabouts of the 'Inner Scroll', and perhaps I can spare your lives. Otherwise, it might become unpleasant if I have to torture someone to threaten you."

Everyone's expressions were odd; why did this conversation feel so familiar?

Jing Teng's brows furrowed, and before she could say anything, Zu An had already interjected, "Are you referring to me as 'someone'?"

"Who else could it be but you?" Zang Ao sneered. "Originally, I was quite angry that Jing Teng had fallen for someone else, but now that I think about it, it's a good thing. With someone you care about, many secrets will probably be revealed."

Zu An replied, "Actually, I'm also curious about her secrets, but unlike you, I would never force her, nor would I use despicable methods to coerce her."

"Is there any point in saying such pretty words in front of her now?" Zang Ao sighed. "It seems I'll have to beat you into submission first, to stop you from being so stubborn."

As he finished speaking, he took a step and was already in front of Zu An, his massive, bowl-sized fist closing in on his face.

Just then, a crescent blade slashed towards his wrist. Yun Jianyue, the most highly cultivated among the women, reacted first, directly wielding her New Moon Wheel to attack a vital point, forcing him to defend.

After the last Demon Race Secret Realm, her cultivation had greatly improved. With her full power unleashed, even Zang Ao dared not meet it head-on with his wrist without dodging.

He thrust out a punch with his other hand, striking the side of the New Moon Wheel. The New Moon Wheel immediately changed its trajectory and flew off to the side.

This was the discerning eye of a top-tier expert in the world. He didn't need to meet force with force; he simply used the minimum power to find the opponent's weakest point and neutralize her attack.

Of course, this was only possible for him. Someone with slightly lower cultivation wouldn't be able to pinpoint that fleeting weakness, and secondly, if their hand touched the New Moon Wheel from the side, it would likely be ground into mincemeat on the spot.

However, even though Yun Jianyue's move was neutralized, the other women also reacted and launched their attacks.

A snow lotus and a Red Spider Lily simultaneously materialized before them.

Zang Ao faintly sensed their power and quickly changed his punch into a finger strike, aiming for the center of the two flowers, intending to disperse them before they fully bloomed.

Just then, a lantern suddenly appeared, its orange-yellow light shining on him. He clearly felt his speed being affected.

At that moment, he suddenly noticed something amiss beneath his feet. A runic array emerged on the ground below him, and he instantly felt as if he had sunk into quicksand.

The two flowers finally bloomed. Even with Zang Ao's cultivation, he dared not take them head-on. Two wisps of mist appeared in his palms, enveloping the two flowers before he flung them into the distance, where the corpses of several Ghost Generals lay. Under the flowers' engulfment, the corpses were instantly annihilated without a trace, and only then did the petals gradually wither and disappear.

Zang Ao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. These two women couldn't yet unleash the true power of those abilities; otherwise, he would truly be in trouble today.

He intended to continue his attack, but Xie Daoyun once again cast an array. Blue runes flashed beneath everyone's feet, instantly reappearing dozens of yards away, transporting them there and putting a safe distance between them and him.

Zang Ao couldn't help but let out a cold snort. "Zu-surname fellow," he sneered, "are you only capable of hiding behind women?"

After a period of recovery, Zu An had gradually regained his strength from the earlier exhaustion. Hearing this, he chuckled, "The joy of fighting alongside friends is something a lonely person like you will never understand."

Zang Ao was somewhat speechless. Friends? Their relationship was clearly much more than just friends.

Each of these individuals had cultivation levels that couldn't be underestimated. If he were to fight them seriously and try to subdue them without harming their lives, it would indeed be quite troublesome.

"I don't have time to waste with you here," Zang Ao said, his face grim as he stared at everyone. "Last chance: hand over the 'Inner Scroll', or you will soon wish you were dead but be unable to die."

The group felt some doubt. Zang Ao was clearly weaker than Sun En had been a moment ago, and with their combined strength, they weren't without a fighting chance. Where did he get the confidence to make such a threat?

Yet, their spiritual senses continuously warned them of danger. Clearly, the other party wasn't just spouting nonsense, but where exactly was this danger coming from?

Just then, a slender white figure rapidly approached from a distance, running towards them while shouting a warning: "Zu An, be careful! Zang Ao is the Ghost King!"

Upon hearing this news, everyone in the field felt their hair stand on end instantly.

Zang Ao is the Ghost King?

How could this be!

At this moment, Yun Jianyue, sharp-eyed, had already recognized the figure as Yan Xuehen. She felt puzzled, "Huh, why did she just directly call him Ah Zu?"

Chu Chuyan also had the same doubt; it seemed a bit too intimate for her master to call him Ah Zu.

However, she then thought, this was similar to how an elder would address a junior, so it was acceptable.

Yan Xuehen also hadn't expected so many women to be present; she had only anticipated Qiu Honglei and Jing Teng. Coupled with her anxiousness, she hadn't noticed that she had blurted it out, and now she felt instantly embarrassed.

She immediately halted, her face flushed, wishing there was a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Fortunately, the women's attention was now drawn to Zang Ao, and they had no time to look at her.

"I had intended to get along well with you all as a human," Zang Ao's voice suddenly became harsh and unpleasant, "but who knew you would not cherish it in the slightest. Since that's the case, this King will stop pretending." Dense black mist rose from his entire body.