176: Chapter 176 The Hell of Seven Emotions, Wind and Thunder Shatter Illusions!

Zhou Heng's long roar, imbued with Invincible Intent, sounded like a war drum, declaring his unyielding spirit to the voyeur in the deep sea.

However, what responded to him was not an earth-shattering roar, but a more treacherous, heart-palpitating silence.

The defeated sea beast tide receded, leaving behind a battlefield in shambles and mountains of sea beast corpses.

On the city walls, the defenders erupted in cheers after surviving the catastrophe, their gazes toward Zhou Heng's group of five filled with awe and gratitude.

The veteran captain rushed down the wall excitedly and tightly gripped Zhou Heng's hand:

“Heroes! You are the heroes of Zhenhai City! On behalf of all the defenders of the seventh section of the Great Wall, I thank you!”

Zhou Heng grinned and patted the captain's shoulder: “Senior, you're too kind. It was just our duty. Hurry and clean up the battlefield, treat the wounded, and repair the defensive fortifications—that's what matters most.”

He appeared relaxed on the surface, but the perception of his Omniscient Eye was pushed to the limit, vigilantly scanning the seemingly calm sea surface.

Although that cold will from the deep sea had receded, it left behind an oppressive feeling, like the calm before a storm.

Ji Cang, Lu Chenxin, Chen Ye, and Bai Qianer also gathered around. The breathing of the four fluctuated slightly, but their eyes remained sharp.

The battle with the Tier 4 sea beasts just now had taken quite a toll on them, but they had gained even more from it.

“Old Zhou, that will just now...” Lu Chenxin's brow furrowed slightly; he also vaguely felt that something was wrong.

“Yeah, a big guy is watching us.” Zhou Heng nodded, his gaze profound.

“It might be that woman named 'Ghost Ripple' from the Shadow Heart Clan. She's testing us.”

“Shadow Heart Clan—Ghost Ripple?” Bai Qianer's small face turned pale.

“Soldiers will block the general, and earth will cover the water.” Ji Cang gripped his long saber, his fighting intent undiminished.

Chen Ye didn't speak, merely silently adjusting his breathing. His icy aura was restrained, like a volcano of ice ready to erupt.

Just as the group took a short break and prepared to return to the city walls, a sudden change occurred!

Without any warning, centered on Zhou Heng, the light within a radius of several hundred meters suddenly dimmed!

It wasn't dark clouds blocking the sun, but a deeper darkness that seemed capable of devouring light itself!

A sweet yet decaying strange fragrance filled the air!

“Watch out!” Zhou Heng's pupils constricted as he shouted a warning!

The Wind and Thunder Twin Wings instantly unfolded, pushing the four people beside him backward!

Almost at the same time, a blurry silhouette that nearly blended into the darkness appeared before Zhou Heng like a specter!

Her speed was at the absolute limit! A dagger coated in an eerie blue cold light silently stabbed toward Zhou Heng's throat!

The angle was tricky, and the timing was ruthless!

Flash Step!

The power contained in this strike wasn't world-shaking;

It was roughly at the peak of Tier 4 (equivalent to the peak of Transcendent Nine-Star), but its stealth and explosive power far exceeded the previous Tier 4 sea beasts!

“I've been waiting for you!” Zhou Heng remained calm in the face of danger, his Omniscient Eye having already captured that faint spatial fluctuation and killing intent!

The godfall spear parried upward in the nick of time!

Clang—!

The dagger and the spear shaft collided, producing a crisp yet ear-piercing metallic screech!

A cold and malicious power traveled down the spear shaft, attempting to corrode Zhou Heng's meridians!

Zhou Heng let out a muffled groan as his Wind and Thunder Sacred Origin Essence erupted. Purple-gold lightning and azure wind vortices intertwined,

instantly dispersing that cold energy!

However, he was also shaken back half a step by the impact!

Having failed the strike, the silhouette merged back into the darkness and vanished, as if she had never appeared.

“What a bizarre movement technique! What a sinister force!” Zhou Heng's gaze was solemn.

Although the exchange was brief, he had already felt how troublesome his opponent was.

This wasn't a power-type opponent, but an assassin proficient in assassination and trickery!

“Who is it?!” Ji Cang and the other three immediately formed a battle formation, vigilantly scanning their surroundings,

but with their perception, they were completely unable to lock onto the opponent's position!

“It's the Phantom Kirin Poison Mother, Ghost Core, under Ghost Ripple's command!” Through the brief glimpse captured by the Omniscient Eye, Zhou Heng instantly analyzed some information:

【Target: Ghost Core (Phantom Kirin Poison Mother)】

【Realm: Peak Tier 4 (Equivalent to Peak Transcendent Nine-Star)】

【Status: Hidden, Killing Intent Restrained, Saturated with Toxins】

【Innate Divine Ability: Thousand Illusions Poison Heart (Suspected Mutation)】

【Dangerous Characteristics: Extreme Stealth, Seven Emotions Poison, Mental Control】

“She specializes in poison and mental attacks! Everyone, guard your minds!” Zhou Heng immediately warned his teammates.

Before his voice had even faded, that sweet, strange fragrance suddenly grew thick!

In the air, invisible and intangible pink light spots as fine as dust seemed to drift out, quickly enveloping the area where Zhou Heng's group was!

【Divine Ability: Seven Emotions Poison Domain】! Activate!

The colorless and odorless Emotion Flower Poison Dust entered the five people's bodies with their breath!

“Ugh!” Bai Qianer was the first to be affected. Her personality was simple,

and her concern for Zhou Heng was the most direct. At this moment, the poison dust instantly magnified and distorted her concern into extreme worry and fear!

“Brother Zhou Heng! Be careful! She's hiding... hiding...”

Her eyes began to panic, and her illusion domain became unstable.

Lu Chenxin had Sword Heart Clarity and was not easily invaded by external evils, but his deep-seated obsession with the “purity of the sword path” was magnified,

making him somewhat anxious, constantly feeling that his sword was not fast enough, not sharp enough! His sword domain trembled slightly.

Chen Ye had a cold temperament and the smallest emotional fluctuations, but his pursuit of “Absolute Freezing” was distorted,

causing the cold air around him to leak uncontrollably, even starting to affect his teammates nearby.

Ji Cang's White Tiger battle intent was filled with baleful aura. At this moment, the baleful aura was triggered by the poison domain,

turning into a violent rage. His eyes turned slightly red,

wishing he could immediately tear the enemy hidden in the shadows to pieces! His saber intent became somewhat cluttered.

Even Zhou Heng felt an inexplicable heat and impulse in his heart!

The hot-bloodedness in his bones that drove him to “fight heaven and earth” and “act if dissatisfied” was magnified to the extreme, nearly overwhelming his reason!

At the same time, a hidden “greed” for powerful strength and supreme realms was quietly sprouting!

This Seven Emotions Poison Domain was actually so terrifying!

It didn't harm the physical body but specifically corroded the soul, magnifying emotions and distorting the mind!

“Hold onto your true hearts! This is a hallucinogenic poison!” Zhou Heng bit the tip of his tongue hard, the sharp pain instantly clearing his mind by a fraction. The Eye of Thunder Punishment at his brow bloomed with thunderous light, its judgmental will resisting the erosion of the poison domain!

He shouted loudly, trying to wake his teammates.

But Ghost Core's attack was far from over!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In the darkness, countless poison-coated blue dagger light-shadows shot from all directions at unbelievable angles!

These daggers were not physical entities but were condensed from poison essence and illusions. It was hard to distinguish the real from the fake, and they specifically targeted mental flaws!

Zhou Heng's Wind and Thunder Twin Wings vibrated, and he swung the godfall spear so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass, shattering the poison daggers aimed at himself and his teammates one after another!

But under the influence of the poison domain, his movements were ultimately a fraction slower.

A poison dagger grazed his arm, leaving a shallow bloody scratch. A sense of numbness and dizziness immediately set in!

“Hmph! Mere parlor tricks!” Zhou Heng snorted coldly as the source power of the Evil-Slaying Divine Thunder circulated.

Silver-white lightning flowed through the wound, instantly purifying the toxin! The life force of the Life-Death Purple Lightning simultaneously repaired the damage.

However, the situation of his teammates was not optimistic.

Under the dual attack of the poison domain and the hallucinogenic poison daggers, the four were gradually becoming unable to hold on.

Their formation began to scatter, and there were even signs of them misjudging each other's actions!

“This can't go on!” Zhou Heng's mind raced, his Omniscient Eye frantically analyzing the composition and operating principles of the Seven Emotions Poison Domain.

“The essence of the poison domain is to trigger and magnify emotions... emotions stem from soul fluctuations... and wind... is omnipresent! Thunder... breaks evil and suppresses the soul!”

A thought flashed through his mind like a lightning bolt!

“Qianer! Chen Xin! Old Ji! Ye Zi! Trust me! Give up resisting and temporarily hand over your triggered emotions to me!” Zhou Heng roared!

Hearing this, although the four didn't understand why, their trust in Zhou Heng made them subconsciously comply!

In the next moment, the Wind and Thunder Twin Wings on Zhou Heng's back suddenly expanded to their limit!

He no longer defended passively but actively combined the Annihilation Thunder Domain with his own comprehension of wind's extreme speed, forming a small-scale Wind and Thunder Pure Domain!

“Wind Burial Universe Variation—Heart Wind Thunder Guide!”

Using himself as a conduit, he took his teammates' emotional energy—which had been magnified and made violent and unstable by the poison domain—

and forcibly absorbed it through the invisible conduction of wind and the evil-breaking characteristics of thunder!

Instantly, Ji Cang's violent rage, Lu Chenxin's anxious sword intent, Chen Ye's extreme icy obsession, Bai Qianer's worry and fear...

All sorts of distorted emotional energies surged into Zhou Heng's body like a hundred rivers returning to the sea!

Boom—!

Zhou Heng's body seemed to have become an emotional furnace!

Various extreme emotions clashed and exploded frantically within his Sea of Consciousness!

If it were anyone else, their spirit would have collapsed long ago!

But he had the embryonic form of Invincible Intent guarding his Sea of Consciousness, and more importantly, he had the Omniscient Eye as his control center!

“Refine... all of it for me!”

Lightning and wind vortices intertwined in his eyes. Using his Invincible Intent as a foundation

and Wind and Thunder Sacred Origin Essence as fuel, he forcibly suppressed, organized, and refined these external emotions!

This process was extremely dangerous, but it also brought unexpected benefits!

He gained a deeper understanding of the essence of various emotional powers, and his Invincible Intent became even more resilient and inclusive through the confrontation!

After a few breaths, Zhou Heng suddenly opened his eyes. His gaze was clear, even carrying a hint of profound insight into the human heart!

He had successfully suppressed the negative emotions temporarily and, with the help of this power,

reversely sensed the core fluctuations of the poison domain as well as... Ghost Core's hidden position!

“Found you!”

A cold arc hooked at the corner of Zhou Heng's mouth as his godfall spear pointed toward a seemingly empty corner in the darkness!

“Stop playing tricks! Get out here!”

“Nine Heavens Thunder Prison Spear First Form—Thunder Fury Nine Heavens!”

Boom-crack—!

A thick purple-gold thunder dragon, entwined with silver Evil-Slaying Divine Thunder and purple Life-Death Purple Lightning,

violently blasted toward that position with an aura that tore through the darkness and judged all things!

Everywhere the thunder light passed, the Seven Emotions Poison Domain shook violently, and the pink poison dust was annihilated one after another!

Hidden in the shadows, Ghost Core finally let out an uncertain light snort, forced to reveal her seductive yet shocked figure!