“Fuyao, you may personally end Duan Hunsheng now,” Lu Xuan instructed casually. “His strength is barely that of a One-star Great Emperor.”
Ji Fuyao froze, her body trembling slightly. Divine Radiance flickered in her starry eyes as she stared at the scene in disbelief.
Three thousand years ago, the Fuyao Dynasty was annihilated by just three One-star Great Emperor experts from the Heavenly Net Hall. Now, the Hall Master of the Heavenly Net Hall General Hall, Duan Hunsheng, was reduced to this pathetic state! She knew this was all thanks to her Master.
Without him, after executing the Reincarnation Secret Art, she would have perished in Liucheng long ago, let alone reached her current Saint Realm.
With this thought, Ji Fuyao bowed respectfully to Lu Xuan. “Thank you, Master.”
“Hahahahahaha!” Duan Hunsheng roared with laughter, utterly devoid of fear.
The Ye Family members watched with complicated expressions; how could he still laugh at such a moment? Duan Hunsheng looked at Lu Xuan.
“For me, death is nothing less than a release! White Robe Great Emperor, grant me one final favor.”
Lu Xuan remained silent.
Duan Hunsheng’s laughter turned manic and desperate.
“When you meet the Silent Destruction Old Man, tell him I never wanted to be a puppet of the Silent Destruction Sect again! Never! White Robe Great Emperor, the Southern Wilds holds many secrets. Both you and I are nothing more than Chess Pieces. The true Architects of Destiny are plotting in the shadows, using all living beings as their game pieces. They can bury the masses, bury everything!”
Using all living beings as game pieces! The Ye Family members were utterly bewildered, gripped by profound terror. Even a powerhouse like a Nine-star Great Emperor was just a pawn in the hands of a true magnate! Did that mean cultivators below the Emperor Realm Expert tier didn't even qualify to be pawns?
Duan Hunsheng continued, “In the end, White Robe Great Emperor, you are the same as me, and the same as Gu Lang Great Emperor—just pathetic figures. I used Gu Lang Great Emperor as a Chess Piece, I used the many Great Emperors of the Heavenly Net Hall as Chess Pieces, and the Silent Destruction Old Man used me as his Chess Piece! You are no different—”
Before he could finish, Lu Xuan waved his sleeve and snapped, “You have too many wasted words!”
Shing! A stream of Divine Radiance surged, sealing Duan Hunsheng’s mouth shut. Unable to speak, he flushed crimson, struggling painfully.
His physical body, ravaged by the combined forces of Lu Xuan's power and the residual Silent Destruction Power, began to wither rapidly. His meridians failed, his blood filled with the corrosive power of silence. His skin wrinkled like ancient tree bark, and the eerie black mist surrounding him dissipated, leaving only a desiccated husk. His flowing black hair instantly turned white, making him look terrifying, like a Black Mountain Old Ghost.
Ji Fuyao, clad in a flowing crimson dress, descended gracefully. Her expression was icy cold. She immediately summoned the Six-star Emperor Weapon, Heaven-Rending. “It ends now!”
Sizzle! The Heaven-Rending spear manifested like a crimson fire dragon, its aura overwhelming. A scorching river of spiritual fire surged across the void. The Emperor Weapon pulsed with faint traces of Dao and Stance, its tip gleaming with a cold light that seemed capable of refining the heavens themselves. Lu Xuan had recently demonstrated the Heaven-Burning Art for her again, granting her fresh insights, and her momentum was now even greater.
The Ye Family watched Duan Hunsheng intently. Finally, the Hall Master was about to perish!
“Heaven-Burning Art!” Ji Fuyao's aura exploded, as if an endless abyss of fire had opened between heaven and earth. The blazing power erupted like a tidal wave crashing against the shore. She swept the spear out in a decisive arc.
Pffft! A spray of blood erupted as Duan Hunsheng's head slid from his shoulders and rolled onto the ground, tumbling with a dull sound.
In an instant, Duan Hunsheng's headless body was annihilated by the residual Silent Destruction Power, turning to dust. But his head remained perfectly intact, his pupils glowing with an eerie light, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.
Suddenly, an ancient voice echoed from the severed head. “Excellent! Truly excellent! White Robe, to think you could push Duan Hunsheng to this extent! His defeat is understandable, then.”
Ji Fuyao gripped the Heaven-Rending Emperor Weapon, facing the threat as if confronting a formidable enemy. She demanded coldly, “Who are you?”
The ancient voice let out a chilling, cackling laugh. “Who am I? I am the Old Ancestor of the Silent Destruction Sect, the Silent Destruction Old Man! Duan Hunsheng may be dead, but you all must remain here! Today brings unexpected gains! Ji Fuyao, the supreme Ancient Reincarnation Secret Art on your person is one prize, and White Robe Great Emperor, I am equally interested in the secret art you possess that can shield you from the Heavenly Dao Killing Intent!”
Ji Fuyao spun her spear, aiming directly for the severed head. “You court death!”
Lu Xuan stopped her. “Step back.”
Ji Fuyao instantly halted, retreating slowly to stand behind Lu Xuan.
Hidden nearby, Chen Changsheng shook his head faintly. The Silent Destruction Old Man hasn't even sent his true body; this is just a wisp of Nine-star Great Emperor Divine Sense. How could he possibly be Master's opponent? It’s a futile effort.
Suddenly, Duan Hunsheng's head began to transform, shooting up toward the void and expanding rapidly. Within this small world, endless black rivers of power were drawn out and surged toward the head. The very rules of this pocket dimension seemed to collapse and burn, all being absorbed by the skull. Incredibly eerie Dao patterns condensed on the surface of the head, and the Silent Destruction Power gathered relentlessly.
In an instant, terrifying Emperor's might poured into the space like an abyssal ocean. Duan Hunsheng's head swelled to an immense size, rising like a colossal sun. The Ye Family members turned pale, unable to bear the horrific pressure, collapsing and bleeding from their seven orifices.
Lu Xuan simply waved his sleeve, and a stream of Divine Radiance enveloped the Ye Family. They immediately sighed in relief, feeling as though they had been pulled back from the brink of hell.
At that moment, the Silent Destruction Old Man’s power burst out of the underground world and spread outward. In the void above, the many observing Great Emperors had no idea what was happening inside, only sensing a heart-stopping power permeating the air. This was a force capable of making even a Nine-star Great Emperor feel their scalp prickle: the annihilation of all things!
The Great Emperors cried out in alarm, their figures rapidly retreating. Countless streams of Divine Arc shot across the sky, all fleeing the vicinity of the Heavenly Net Hall.
"Who won between the White Robe Great Emperor and Duan Hunsheng? This aura... it seems to be the power of the Silent Destruction Sect!"
"It's terrifying! Could Duan Hunsheng communicate with the Silent Destruction Sect in the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone?"
"If that's the case, the White Robe Great Emperor is likely doomed!"
Inside the Heavenly Net Hall, the elders suddenly discovered that Duan Hunsheng's Life Tablet had shattered and his Soul Lamp had extinguished! They exchanged stunned glances, their hearts erupting in massive waves of shock. How is this possible? Their Hall Master is dead! With Duan Hunsheng gone, the Heavenly Net Hall was certain to face annihilation by the Grand Dao Sect and other major powers!
"Run!" The elders panicked. Who could have imagined that a powerhouse like their Hall Master would fall? But quickly, they realized they couldn't move. Their bodies were restrained. The invisible, formless Silent Destruction Power had already enveloped them.
Simultaneously, many lower-star Great Emperors Traversing the Void found their speed drastically slowing down! A strange power was invading their bodies! Everyone was utterly horrified. This was simply too terrifying!
Back in the underground world, Duan Hunsheng's head had finished its transformation, taking on the appearance of the Silent Destruction Old Man. His face was withered and ugly, like ancient tree bark. This grotesque, tens-of-thousands-of-feet-tall head stood in the void, boundless and enormous, like a colossal mountain spanning the sky, or a falling star. The Silent Destruction Old Man’s two blood-red eyes were as eerie as black holes, and his white hair, thousands of feet long, hung down. He spoke chillingly: “Nine Dragons Devouring Heaven Array, activate!”