Chapter 2241: Revealing All Cards

Zhao Hao thought to himself, "I'm barely holding on; how can I possibly save you?"

But then, an idea struck him. He swept his hand towards them, and the two figures were hit by an invisible force. They instantly lost their balance and plummeted towards the giant ghostly face in mid-air.

"Zhao Hao, may you die a horrible death!"

At that moment, they cast aside their usual fear and unleashed a torrent of angry curses.

However, as seasoned Grandmasters, they were unwilling to simply await their demise. Perhaps due to the lingering force of Zhao Hao's recent strike, they had regained a slight degree of control over their bodies.

In desperation, they unleashed their most powerful killer moves towards the giant ghostly face. They understood this was Zhao Hao's overt ploy, but they had no means to refuse; after all, they couldn't just stand by and be eaten, could they?

The Evergreen Sword and Eight Swords in Unison simultaneously blasted towards the giant ghostly face. Their power was even greater than their usual attacks, for their very lives depended on this single strike, and neither held anything back.

Simultaneously, they unleashed all the life-preserving techniques from their respective sects, directing them towards their foe.

The Evergreen Sword condensed into a magnificent illusory heavenly palace, while the Eight Swords in Unison combined to form a majestic giant sword. The full power strike of these two top Grandmasters created a truly astonishing display.

Unfortunately, the giant ghostly face suddenly opened its massive mouth and swallowed the illusory heavenly palace and the majestic giant sword in a single gulp.

Li Changsheng was utterly aghast.

Xuan Bajing was equally stunned.

Before the two could react further, the Ghost King opened its mouth and inhaled. Their souls could no longer resist; they twisted and struggled as they were sucked from their bodies and swallowed.

In this manner, two top Grandmasters of the Daoist sect met their tragic end.

However, the two men's attack bought Zhao Hao a momentary opening. He summoned the Human Emperor Seal, which floated above his head. Wisps of profound aura descended from the Seal, enveloping his primordial spirit and physical body. Instantly, the pressure on him eased, and his primordial spirit returned directly to his body.

Without the slightest hesitation, he seized the Human Emperor Seal and vanished into thin air.

The giant ghostly face in the air froze, evidently not expecting him to have escaped.

It could no longer sense the opponent's aura and knew that further pursuit would be pointless.

"This person actually controls the mysteries of space," it mused. "Next time I encounter him, I must not be so careless."

The ghostly face transformed back into boundless black mist and skulls, flying deeper into the grand 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 space before them finally opened up. There were no other figures nearby, indicating they had clearly entered the deeper parts of the grand tomb.

The walls behind them closed, and Qiu Honglei asked with some concern, "They won't chase us through this passage, will they?"

Those two terrifying presences had truly left her feeling powerless.

Jing Teng shook her head slightly. "Don't worry," she said, "the mechanisms in this grand tomb are constantly changing. Once used, their positions shift, and there's no longer a passage here."

Zu An and Qiu Honglei clicked their tongues in amazement, never having imagined such ingenious mechanisms within the grand tomb.

Qiu Honglei looked at Jing Teng with some suspicion. "You still claim you haven't recovered your memory," she said, "yet you remember even these mechanisms within the grand tomb."

Jing Teng clutched her head, seemingly trying to recall something. "I didn't lie to you," she insisted. "My mind truly is a blank. It's just that in that moment of crisis, when I saw the nearby wall, it suddenly came to me."

Zu An and Qiu Honglei exchanged glances. She didn't seem to be faking it, but it felt a little too coincidental that she only recovered memories at crucial moments.

"I can't believe grand figures like Xuan Bajing and Li Changsheng just died like that," Qiu Honglei said with a touch of sadness. As they were escaping, she had witnessed the two being devoured by the Ghost King, and the sight had left her profoundly shaken.

Zu An, being a transmigrator, might not have felt the impact as strongly, but she had grown up in the Demonic Sect. From a young age, she had been indoctrinated about how detestable and powerful the various great figures of the righteous sects were, and that those people were the sworn enemies of the Demonic Sect.

Xuan Bajing and Li Changsheng were among the foremost of these powerful figures, even on par with her own master in renown.

For two such top masters to be so effortlessly annihilated by the Ghost King, as if slaughtering chickens, the psychological impact was truly unprecedentedly immense.

"I wonder if Zhao Hao was devoured by the Ghost King," Zu An said in a deep voice. They had left in a hurry and hadn't seen the final moments. He had originally intended to sit back and reap the benefits of the conflict, but who knew the situation would suddenly become so one-sided?

His expression darkened at the thought. "That Zhao Hao usually acts so mighty," he muttered, "but it turns out he's useless, getting pushed around by the Ghost King like a child."

Just then, a familiar voice softly resonated, "What are you saying?"

Zu An and the others jumped in surprise. They looked towards the source of the voice, and their hair instinctively stood on end.

Standing not far away, a figure in yellow was coldly staring at them. Who else could it be but Zhao Hao?

"You... you... how..." Qiu Honglei was so tense she could barely utter a word.

Although Zhao Hao had been bullied by the Ghost King, eliminating the few of them would still pose no challenge for him.

"How could I be here?" Zhao Hao said with a self-deprecating smile, as if seeing through their thoughts. "I am proficient in the mysteries of space. Since I saw the direction you fled, how could a mere secret passage stop me?"

Everyone was speechless.

There was no way to fight; they couldn't even escape.

Zu An was the first to regain his composure. "Your Majesty is indeed formidable," he said. "To escape from the Ghost King without a scratch."

He secretly cursed the Ghost King for being useless. Even if it couldn't capture Zhao Hao, it should have at least inflicted a severe injury. Now, Zhao Hao was practically in his full, uninjured state; what hope did they have?

"Who was just cursing me, saying I was beaten like a child?" Zhao Hao said, glancing sideways at him, his sneer growing increasingly obvious.

"The Ghost King's demonic sound clearly targeted and restrained souls," Zu An said, without batting an eyelid. "Yet it still couldn't even keep a shred of Your Majesty's clothing. Naturally, he's the one who was truly humiliated."

Jing Teng gave him a strange look, amazed at how naturally he had adapted.

Qiu Honglei's lips curved slightly upward. When she had first met Ah Zu, he had been just as... shameless and cunning.

But then she immediately thought of their impending fate and couldn't smile anymore.

"So that move is called the Ghost King's Demonic Sound," Zhao Hao mused, recalling the recent terrifying situation. He still felt a lingering fear, having almost been completely devoured.

He looked at Zu An curiously. "You seem to know a lot about his abilities," he said. "Did Miss Jing next to you tell you?"

Jing Teng shook her head slightly. These were things Zu An had originally extracted from the two ghost generals, Wolong and Fengchu. Naturally, it wasn't convenient to explain this to Zhao Hao.

"You're quite a talent, young man," Zhao Hao said with a sigh. After a moment of silence, he continued, "How about we temporarily turn enemies into friends and join forces?"

Qiu Honglei's eyes widened in bewilderment.

In the eyes of the world, Zhao Hao was an invincible figure; who would have ever imagined him seeking an alliance?

Even if he sought an alliance, it should be with figures like King Qi or the Grand Libationer who were truly qualified. What did he mean by seeking out a young junior like Ah Zu?

Although she knew her lover was strong, the scene before her still struck her as somewhat preposterous.

Zu An was also a little surprised. "We join forces?" he asked. "Your Majesty, are you perhaps desperate? What qualifications do I have to fight alongside you? That Ghost King is far beyond me; I would simply be offering myself up for slaughter."

Zhao Hao scoffed. "You don't need to feign such humility in front of me," he said. "You absolutely have the qualifications to deal with the Ghost King alongside me."

Zu An secretly became wary. "Your Majesty, you truly overestimate me," he said. "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 one gulp; what role could I possibly play?"

Zhao Hao grew somewhat irritated. "I'm tired of playing these games with you," he said. "Others may not know your abilities, but I certainly understand them best. Otherwise, how do you think my fragmented soul in the Crown Prince's body died?"

Hearing this, Zu An's hair stood on end, and he instinctively prepared to fight Zhao Hao to the death.

"Don't be nervous," Zhao Hao said indifferently. "Since I've brought this up, it means this matter is in the past. As long as you help me deal with the Ghost King and find the immortal destiny, our past grievances will be wiped clean. If the demon race can make you a regent, why can't I?"

"When I ascend later, the Crown Prince is weak and foolish; he might not be able to hold his position securely. He'll need your help to protect him."

Qiu Honglei listened, utterly shocked; this exchange contained an enormous amount of information.

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 were even from this world.

Zu An also shed his frivolous demeanor, saying in a deep voice, "So Your Majesty knew everything from the very beginning."

No wonder he had always sensed killing intent from Zhao Hao.

Zhao Hao scoffed. "My fragmented soul in the Crown Prince's body just vanished inexplicably," he said. "Although you and the Crown Princess offered a plausible explanation, I don't believe it at all."

"I watched the Crown Princess grow up from childhood; I know she doesn't have that capability. So naturally, only you remain."

"You've always believed I did it, just based on suspicion?" Zu An asked, somewhat confused.

"For an emperor, suspicion is enough," Zhao Hao said chillingly. "Better to kill a thousand by mistake than to let one escape."