Chapter 2331: Sweat Hairs Standing on End

Everyone stared in astonishment at the scene unfolding before them. A charred figure stood behind Sun En and, while his attention was entirely focused on Zu An, delivered a fatal blow to his back.

The charred figure was none other than Zang Ao, who had previously been killed 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 exclaimed. "I just examined you; you were clearly dead. No feigned death technique could have deceived my eyes!"

Zu An nodded subtly. Everyone had believed Zang Ao was dead precisely because Sun En had personally examined him. Given Sun En's cultivation, it seemed impossible for him to mistake a feigned death for a real one, especially after a close, deliberate examination.

Even a technique like Wei Suo's Turtle Breath would be unable to deceive such a thorough examination by someone of Sun En's power.

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

He clearly had no intention of revealing the reason.

Sun En's face betrayed a hint of unwillingness. His fingers moved slowly, as if forming a spell.

Zang Ao noticed this but was unconcerned. "Sun En, Sun En," he scoffed, "you fancy yourself a hero for a lifetime, but you fell into my hands back then, and you'll fall into them again now. You are destined to never outwit me."

As soon as he finished speaking, his hand clenched tightly, and with a pop, the beating heart was instantly crushed.

Sun En coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body convulsing and twisting a few times before his head finally drooped, and he breathed his last.

Everyone in the tomb chamber was stunned, never imagining that a prominent figure of his generation would meet such a bitter end on the spot.

Yun Jianyue and Xie Daoyun couldn't help but feel a touch of sadness. Although they had been his hostages along the way, he had not troubled them. On the contrary, they had found themselves quite compatible during their daily conversations. Had they not been on opposing sides, they might even have become friends given more time.

Zang Ao then put the crushed heart into his mouth. Soon, a sickening gulping sound followed, and he sighed contentedly. "The heart of a strong man is truly delicious," he murmured.

Everyone's expressions changed. Zu An watched him warily, and at the same time, couldn't help but glance at Jing Teng. Among those present, Jing Teng was the most familiar with Zang Ao, and Zu An wondered what was truly going on.

Jing Teng's eyes were also filled with bewilderment. 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 consuming Sun En's heart and essence blood, but as he spoke, the charred flesh on his body gradually peeled away, and new flesh grew back at a visible speed.

Soon after, all the charring on his body completely disappeared, and he reverted to his previous appearance as Zang Ao. No, he even looked somewhat 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, a head-on confrontation would have had an uncertain outcome.

A torrent of thoughts raced through Zu An's mind. He had always intended to be the fisherman who profited from their struggle, but it seemed he had become one of the 'clam and snipe' himself.

However, he didn't show his true feelings. Instead, he smiled and said, "In that case, aren't we comrades who fought side by side? Now that the great enemy is gone, why don't we all go our separate ways, back to our homes? Let's disperse."

As he spoke, he moved closer to the women. This guy was truly too bizarre.

Zang Ao chuckled a few times. "No, no, no," he said. "Sun En, that great enemy, is indeed gone, 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 it comes down to a real fight between us, the outcome is still uncertain. Why fight to the death?"

"Your last sword strike was indeed stunning; no wonder Zhao Hao and the Ghost King were so wary of you," Zang Ao said, standing with his hands behind his back. He wasn't in a hurry to attack, as if everything was under his control. "However, if I'm not mistaken, you can't unleash another sword strike like that, can you?"

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

"Speaking of which, I don't know how you managed it, but that last sword strike seemed to utilize the power of this great tomb," Zang Ao muttered to himself.

Seeing that Zu An didn't respond, Zang Ao said somewhat mockingly, "Are you just going to hide among women again and let them protect you?"

Zu An smiled faintly. "Being able to rely on women is also a skill," he said. "If you've got what it takes, you try it."

Zang Ao didn't get angry this time. 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'll spare your lives. Otherwise, it wouldn't be pretty if I had to torture someone to threaten you."

Everyone's expressions were strange; the conversation felt strangely familiar.

Jing Teng's brows furrowed. Before she could say anything, Zu An had already interjected, "Are you talking about me?"

"Who else would I be talking about?" Zang Ao sneered. "Originally, I was quite angry when Jing Teng fell for someone else, but now that I think about it, it's actually 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 I'm different from you. I would never force her, nor would I use despicable means to compel her."

"Does saying such pretty words in front of her have any meaning now?" Zang Ao sighed. "It seems I'll have to beat you into submission first, so you won't be so stubborn."

As he finished speaking, he had already taken a step and appeared before Zu An, his large, bowl-sized fist already heading for Zu An's face.

At this moment, a crescent moon-shaped blade slashed towards his wrist. Yun Jianyue, the most highly cultivated among the women, reacted first, immediately activating her Crescent Wheel to attack a vital point he would have to defend.

After her experience in the last demon realm, her cultivation had greatly improved. Now, with a full-force strike, even Zang Ao dared not attempt to block it with his wrist without dodging.

With his other hand, he unleashed a punch, striking the side of the Crescent Wheel. The Crescent Wheel immediately changed its trajectory and flew off to the side.

This was the discerning eye of a top-tier expert. He didn't need to meet force with force; he merely used the minimal amount of power to find the weakest point in her attack and neutralize it.

Of course, only he could do this. If someone with slightly lower cultivation attempted it, first, they wouldn't be able to pinpoint that fleeting weak spot, and second, if their hand made contact with the Crescent Wheel from the side, they would probably be instantly shredded.

Although Yun Jianyue's attack was neutralized, the other women also reacted, launching their own attacks in unison.

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

Zang Ao vaguely sensed their potency. He quickly changed his fist into a finger and pointed at the centers of the two flowers, intending to disperse them before they could fully bloom.

Just then, a lantern suddenly appeared. Its orange-yellow light shone on him, and he distinctly felt his speed being affected.

At the same time, he suddenly noticed something amiss beneath his feet. A runic array appeared under his soles, and he instantly felt as if he had sunk into a swamp of quicksand.

At this point, the two flowers finally bloomed. Even with Zang Ao's cultivation, he dared not meet them head-on. Two wisps of mist appeared in his palms, engulfing the two flowers and throwing them into the distance, where the corpses of several Ghost Generals lay. Under the flowers' aura, the corpses were directly annihilated without a trace, and only then did the petals gradually wither and disappear.

Zang Ao secretly sighed in relief. These two women still couldn't unleash the true power of their attacks; otherwise, he would truly be in trouble today.

He wanted to continue his attack, but Xie Daoyun cast another array. Blue runes flashed under their feet, instantly reappearing dozens of yards away, teleporting everyone there and creating a safe distance between them and Zang Ao.

Zang Ao couldn't help but let out a cold snort. "Zu," he scoffed, "do you only know how to hide behind women?"

After a moment of adjustment, Zu An gradually recovered from his earlier exhaustion. Hearing Zang Ao's words, he laughed and said, "The joy of fighting alongside friends is something a lone wolf like you will never understand."

Zang Ao was somewhat speechless. 'Friends,' he thought. 'Their relationship is far more than just friends.'

Each of these individuals had cultivation that couldn't be underestimated. If it came to a real fight, subduing them without harming their lives would indeed be troublesome.

"I don't have time to waste with you here," Zang Ao said, his face grim as he stared at everyone. "One last chance: hand over the 'Inner Scroll', or you will soon wish for death but be unable to find it."

The group felt some confusion. Zang Ao was clearly weaker than Sun En had been just moments ago, and if they joined forces, they weren't without a chance to fight. Where did he get the confidence to make such a threat?

However, their spiritual senses kept warning 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 and calling out, "Be careful, Ah Zu, Zang Ao is the Ghost King!"

Upon hearing this news, everyone's hair instantly stood on end.

Zang Ao was the Ghost King?

How was this possible?

At this moment, Yun Jianyue, with her sharp eyes, recognized the figure as Yan Xuehen. She wondered, "Hmm, why did she just call him Ah Zu?"

Chu Chuyan also had the same doubt; her master calling him Ah Zu seemed a bit too intimate.

However, she then thought that it was like an elder addressing a junior, so it was understandable.

Yan Xuehen hadn't expected so many women to be present. She had originally thought it was just Qiu Honglei and Jing Teng, and coupled with her anxiety, she hadn't noticed what she blurted out, leading to immediate embarrassment.

She instantly stopped, her face so red she wished for a crack in the ground to disappear into.

Fortunately, the women's attention was currently 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 unbearably harsh and grating. "But who knew you wouldn't cherish it at all? Since that's the case, this king will no longer pretend." A thick black mist rose from his entire body.