247: Chapter 246 Let the human race kill each other

"Damn it!" Luo Yue cursed inwardly, his face full of anxiety and panic. His demonic power circulated frantically in an attempt to break free from the Pressure of the giant sword, but that Pressure was too formidable, like invisible shackles firmly trapping him and rendering him unable to move.

Watching the giant sword in the sky get closer and closer while emitting a lethal aura, fear welled up in his heart for the first time.

Behind the rocks, Qin Changsheng slowly stood up, staring coldly at Luo Yue with eyes that showed no trace of emotion.

"Go!"

Qin Changsheng pointed at Luo Yue. The giant Dragon Abyss Sword in the sky let out a deafening dragon roar, its Sword Qi surging as it charged toward Luo Yue with a world-destroying momentum, like a meteor crashing to the earth.

Wherever it passed, the air was torn apart, producing a piercing whistle. The terrifying aura caused the entire Qingfeng River bank to tremble.

Luo Yue's expression changed slightly as he hurriedly summoned his defensive Magical Artifact.

As soon as the defensive Magical Artifact appeared, it formed a massive defensive barrier in front of Luo Yue.

At that same moment, Hu Nan, who had been entangled with the water-elemental lobster Yao Beast, suddenly abandoned the beast in front of him. His hands moved like lightning as intricate Seals rapidly condensed in his palms without the slightest hesitation.

In the next instant, a bolt of lightning as thick as a bucket and shimmering with a dazzling purple light tore through the clouds with a deafening roar. Like the wrath of a Heavenly God, it crashed straight toward Luo Yue.

Wherever the lightning passed, the air was scorched and distorted, even bending the light itself. Its terrifying thunderous power was not at all inferior to Qin Changsheng's giant Dragon Abyss Sword.

Luo Yue, already trapped by the giant sword's Pressure and exhausting all his strength to maintain the demonic power barrier, saw the sudden bolt of lightning. His pupils dilated abruptly, his eyes filled with utter incomprehension and shock.

He could not understand at all. His Lifebound Treasure, the Shattering Bone Blade, was still racing toward Hu Nan, and that Foundation Establishment Great Perfection water lobster was still watching greedily from the side. Hu Nan was clearly in a dilemma; why would he ignore these two major threats and instead pour all his power into attacking him?

Was he not afraid of being hit by the Shattering Bone Blade? Was he not afraid of death?

But Luo Yue no longer had the time to ponder these questions.

The terrifying lightning streaked across the sky and arrived above his head in an instant, while Qin Changsheng's giant Dragon Abyss Sword had already reached his front. One bolt of lightning and one sword, one from above and one from the front, both locked onto him with world-destroying power. He was trapped with nowhere to hide and no way to escape.

"No—!" Luo Yue let out a desperate roar, exhausting his last bit of demonic power to push the black barrier in front of him to its limit, attempting to withstand this lethal double strike.

But he knew in his heart that it was futile. Whether it was Qin Changsheng's giant Dragon Abyss Sword or the lightning Hu Nan had summoned, a single strike from either was enough to heavily wound him, let alone both together.

Boom—! A deafening explosion erupted, echoing through heaven and earth. The entire Qingfeng River shook violently; the water surged with towering waves, and the bluestones on the bank were shattered and sent flying.

The giant Dragon Abyss Sword slammed into the demonic power barrier while the lightning struck simultaneously. The two terrifying forces instantly merged and exploded, forming a devastating shockwave that swept through the surroundings.

Wherever the shockwave passed, everything was destroyed.

The towering ancient trees on the bank were instantly snapped in half and then turned into sawdust filling the air;

The clear river water was kicked up into waves several meters high, then turned into a mist under the impact, and even the bluestones at the bottom of the river were ground into powder;

The low mountain peaks not far away collapsed with a roar under this terrifying force, with rocks tumbling and dust filling the air, obscuring half the sky.

Luo Yue, at the center of the explosion, had his demonic power barrier torn to shreds in an instant, without even a chance to resist.

The Sword Qi of the giant Dragon Abyss Sword and the power of the lightning poured into his body simultaneously. His body was torn and crushed in an instant; he didn't even have time to scream before he turned into black ash, completely dissipating into the air without even a trace of his soul remaining.

However, before Luo Yue died, he still managed to smile.

Because at the moment of his death, he saw that his Lifebound Treasure, the Shattering Bone Blade, had already pierced through Hu Nan's body.

Furthermore, the lobster's giant claw had also struck Hu Nan.

He believed it was impossible for Hu Nan to survive.

Even though he had died, he had eliminated a major threat for the Yao Race.

He just really wanted to know who that person who launched the sneak attack was.

How could they have such a powerful Lifebound Treasure?

The water-elemental lobster Yao Beast nearby was hit by the aftermath of the shockwave. Its massive body was instantly sent flying, its shell shattered, and blood gushed out. After a few struggles, it lost its breath and lay in the pile of rocks by the river.

The dust gradually cleared, leaving the Qingfeng River bank in a mess. The once lush vegetation, upright peaks, and clear water had all been turned to fragments by that strike, leaving only a ground full of rubble and a mist of water in the air.

Qin Changsheng slowly retracted the giant Dragon Abyss Sword, and the ten Dragon Abyss Swords transformed back into golden light, flying back into his forehead.

With a gentle wave of his hand, a Spirit Stone appeared in Qin Changsheng's palm.

As Qin Changsheng chanted an incantation, the recently deceased Hu Nan also appeared not far away.

...

Flowing Fire Sect, Main Sect Hall.

Shen Guhong sat on the main throne.

Below the hall, Wang Cheng knelt on both knees, his body trembling slightly and his head bowed low. He did not dare look directly at Shen Guhong on the throne, his face filled with terror.

His spiritual energy was in disarray, and his clothes bore faint traces of blood and dust. He looked wretched, as if he had just survived a life-and-death battle.

Shen Guhong's gaze was like a cold blade, locked firmly on Wang Cheng below. "You say the mission failed? And that Luo Yue and Manager Ma Yingjie are both dead?"

Wang Cheng hurriedly replied, "Yes... yes, Revered Master. The mission... the mission failed. Uncle-Master Luo and the others... have also unfortunately fallen."

"Useless! All of you are useless!" Shen Guhong slammed the armrest of the throne with a muffled thud. The demonic baleful aura around him surged instantly, the candlelight flickered violently, and even the stone pillars in the hall trembled slightly.

"How did they die?" Shen Guhong looked at Wang Cheng below.

"Uncle-Master Luo was killed by a Golden Core expert from the Heavenly Sword Sect!" Wang Cheng replied.

A flash of surprise and fury crossed Shen Guhong's eyes, yet he did not doubt Wang Cheng's words.

He knew in his heart that Wang Cheng had already taken the Demon Spirit Pill.

That was a lethal poison used by the Yao Race to control their subordinates. If Wang Cheng had even the slightest thought of betraying the Yao Race, the Demon Spirit Pill would activate instantly, causing his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, leaving no corpse behind.

Since Wang Cheng was now safe and sound, and although his aura was disordered, there were no signs of the Demon Spirit Pill activating, he clearly had not betrayed the Yao Race. Naturally, his words were highly credible.

Shen Guhong also hadn't expected that the Heavenly Sword Sect would actually send a Golden Core expert to secretly protect Hu Nan. It seemed Hu Nan's status in the Heavenly Sword Sect was even more important than he had imagined.

"Sect Leader Xuanyangzi!" A sinister look flashed in Shen Guhong's eyes as he gritted his teeth and cold-snorted, his eyes filled with killing intent.

If Sect Leader Xuanyangzi hadn't been opposing him all these years...

He would have already achieved the great cause of the Yao Race and even rescued the Empress of the Yao Race.

Shen Guhong waved his hand. "Forget it, this matter is not your fault. Stand up. Your injuries are not light; go down and heal well to conserve your strength. There will be places where you are heavily relied upon in the future."

Wang Cheng hurriedly kowtowed in gratitude. "Thank you, Revered Master!"

With that, he slowly stood up, still keeping his head low as he retreated cautiously, not daring to linger until he had exited the hall.

At the same moment Wang Cheng exited the hall, a slender figure slowly emerged from the shadows on one side of the hall, dressed in a pale purple gauze dress with a beautiful face.

This person was the number one Prodigy of the Flowing Fire Sect, Shen Bing.

Shen Bing walked slowly to the base of the throne, her gaze carrying some incomprehension as she looked up at Shen Guhong. "Father, why do you value a human Cultivator so much?"

In Shen Bing's view, Wang Cheng was nothing more than a sycophantic human Cultivator with average Aptitude and strength that wasn't top-tier. Now that the mission had failed and indirectly led to the death of two skilled Yao Race members, Shen Guhong should have punished him severely rather than being so lenient, let alone entrusting him with important tasks.

Hearing this, Shen Guhong slowly revealed a meaningful smile. "Bing'er, you don't understand. Our Yao Race's current situation is even more difficult than you imagine. In terms of overall strength, our Yao Race is far inferior to the combined forces of the various human Sects!"

"To complete our hegemony, relying solely on our Yao Race's own strength is as difficult as reaching the heavens."

Shen Bing frowned slightly, walked to the side of the throne, and asked softly, "Even so, there's no need to heavily use a human Cultivator, is there? There are many experts among our Yao Race; are we not enough to contend with the humans?"

Shen Guhong shook his head gently, a look of far-sightedness flashing in his eyes as he spoke solemnly, "Contend? Currently, even self-preservation is not easy for us, let alone contending."

"Human Cultivators are numerous, and their major Sects have deep Foundations. If we fight them head-on, we will only suffer heavy losses and eventually face destruction."

"Back then, the Empress also made this mistake!"

"If she could have allied with some human Cultivators, she wouldn't have been sealed!"

He paused and continued, "Only by bribing those human Cultivators, giving them enough benefits to make them work for our Yao Race and letting them deal with their own kind, can we reap the benefits. We will weaken the Human Race's strength step by step and slowly grow our Yao Race."

At this point, a look of determination and resolve flashed in Shen Guhong's eyes. "For the hegemony of our Yao Race, and to rescue the sealed Empress, whatever price we pay, everything is worth it."

"In the future, there will not just be one Wang Cheng, but thousands of Wang Chengs for us to use!"

Hearing this, the incomprehension in Shen Bing's eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by a touch of realization and determination.

She had heard Shen Guhong speak of the Yao Race's hegemony and the sealed Empress since she was a child, and the seeds of reviving the Yao Race had long been planted in her heart. Now, hearing Shen Guhong's words, she understood her father's painstaking efforts.

"I understand, Father." Shen Bing bowed slightly, her tone respectful. "I was too shallow and failed to grasp your deep meaning. In the future, I will also fully assist you, Father, in recruiting usable human Cultivators to contribute to our Yao Race's hegemony and the rescue of the Empress."

Looking at Shen Bing, a gratified smile appeared on Shen Guhong's face as he nodded gently. "Good, good. As expected of my, Shen Guhong's, daughter. Remember, those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles. Temporary endurance and compromise are all for the final victory."

"By the way, next year, a ruin in the Heifeng Mountain Range of the Azure Cloud Sect is about to emerge!"

"Within that ruin, there is a purple-gold key!"

"The Empress is also sealed within that ruin."

"Next year, you and Wang Cheng will enter the ruin together, seize that key, and rescue the Empress!"

Shen Bing cupped her hands and said, "Your child will definitely rescue the Empress!"