In the battle of Tianming City, the strength of the two sides had been unequal. So for the Nonahall Ghost Sect, it was a war they were destined to win. Thus, the elders present were almost grinning from ear to ear. Even if they noticed the necrofiend flare dragonâs hostility, they continued discussing their ideas in a harmonious and joyful manner.
âSilence, everyone.â
The gigantic dragon landed in front of the hall, its green phantom fire burning. The surrounding atmosphere suddenly became gloomy and cold.
âWere there any losses?â Zi Xiao asked calmly.
âThatâs impossible. We have the Archaionfiend and the four ghost kings serving as commanders. Even without the corpse puppets, we still have six million warriors.â
âLogically speaking, even with Jian Wuyi supporting them, we can easily take down the city without any losses.â
Up until that point, most elders werenât concerned.
The necrofiend flare dragon looked up to the sky and let out a heartrending roar. That desolate sound made their scalp tingle. The entire hall fell completely silent.
âAll the warriors and ghoul kings are dead. Thatâs it, you may continue!â
Looking at their self-righteous attitude made the dragon even more irate. After it finished speaking, it turned and flew away before anyone could catch up to it, leaving behind a confused crowd.
âHas the flare dragon gone mad?â
âWhatâs wrong with it, spouting nonsense and losing its temper at a time like this!â
âGod knows.â
However, the strange situation made it hard for Zi Xiao to sit still. Just as he rose to his feet, the other ghoul kingsâ lifebound beasts, as well as a few third-origin tribulation elders who had escaped from death, returned from the north. As soon as they returned, they collapsed to the ground, their faces pale.
âWhat on earth is going on? Is anyone still sane? Explain what happened!â Zi Xiao shouted.
âIâll speak.â
An old man walked out from the crowd. Voice hoarse, he described everything that transpired in Tianming City with grief and shame.
âThis is all very much like Ghoul King Xue Yi and Qing Mingâs deathsâtheyâre all facts! Even if itâs hard to believe, you have to accept it. What a humiliating defeat! The fact is that, as predators, weâve been played with by our cunning prey.â
With that, All Saint Hall descended into dead silence. Every peak powerhouse was crimson-eyed, their fists clenched. There was no doubt how gloomy, heartbroken, and tormented everyone was. This was perhaps the most humiliated they had ever been or would ever be. Many elders began venting their anger. They want to curse at someone, but who could they blame?
âFirst the Kilostar Domain, and now Tianming City! Enough is enough!â
âThis canât happen again!â
âThe Archaion Sect must pay a hundred times the price!â
âWith just Yi Xingyin!â
As the news spread, the Specter Mountains were shrouded in a bleak stillness.
âDo you realize that weâve been losing miserably ever since the Number One Summit. Weâve now lost three times in a row. Weâre a total mess.â
âAll of this has something to do with one man, Li Tianming!â
âWhat on earth are Ghoul Kings Di Zang and Po Suo doing?â
âWeâve already been so miserably defeated. Why havenât they done anything?â
âAre we going to continue being a laughingstock?â
Many remained doubtful. At the end of this day, the entire Specter Mountain range was enraged. They had been preparing for a long time and were merely waiting for an order to rush to Archaion in their most frightening form.
âGhoul King Zi Xiao, please tell us what to do,â they begged.
However, Zi Xiao remained silent for a long time. Out of nine ghoul kings, only three remained? He could never have imagined such a reality. No one was more heartbroken than him.
At this moment of agony, he stood up and was about to speak when a huge movement on the north side of the All Saints Hall suddenly interrupted him. If the Specter Mountain was a giant, this movement happened in the position of the giantâs eyes.
âJiang Wuxin!â
Zi Xiaoâs eyes lit up and he told the others to stay there while he rushed in the direction of the Blood Cauldron. A bloody ray of light shot from somewhere in the abyss into the clouds, dyeing the clouds crimson.
âItâs a success!â
Zi Xiao looked happy as he arrived before the bloody light, standing on the nose of the âgiantâ, staring at the bloody mist in the position of the âeyes.â From within the mist, out walked a young man covered in black patterns. When he opened his eyes, two pupils were visible in each eye, lending a strange air to his ordinary appearance.
However, his gaze was rather vacant. It wasnât a look one would expect from a person capable of rational thought. And beneath the blankness was a deep hostility. His body twisted as he walked unnaturally, then finally landed with his hands on the ground like a beast, crawling toward Zi Xiao. Then, he blinked, raised his head, and looked at Zi Xiao in a daze.
âWho are you?â
Crouching down, Zi Xiao wiped the blood from the young manâs face and smiled.
âJiangâŚ. Jiang WuxinâŚâ he said, rocking his head.
âWhy were you born?â asked Zi Xiao.
âT-to destroy?â Jiang Wuxin replied.
âYouâre right. Not bad, you passed the test.â Patting him on the shoulder, Zi Xiao stood up and added, âCome with me, Jiang Wuxin.â
âYes, Master.â
With vacant eyes, Jiang Wuxin followed Zi Xiao.
âIâm your third master. You have two others. Listen to them. They made you. Theyâre like your parents, understand?â asked Zi Xiao.
âU-understood.â
Zi Xiao took him across the sky until he reached the giantâs abdomen.
âOpen the Myriad Beast Hell,â Zi Xiao ordered the tribulation elders who were stationed there.
âYes!â
It took several tribulation elders to open the formation.
A dark abyss with a huge entrance appeared in front of them. As soon as the formation was opened, a deafening beastial roar sounded from below. Upon hearing this roar, Jiang Wuxin sniffed the smells. Bloody mist filled his eyes and his entire being became restless.
âWhatâs wrong?â asked Zi Xiao.
âIâm hungryâŚ.â
âHunger is the most beautiful sign.â
Zi Xiaoâs smile grew wider. It almost seemed as if he had forgotten the news of the four ghoul kingsâ deaths. With that, he pulled Jiang Wuxin and jumped into the abyss. After they descended, the tribulation elders quickly closed the formation once more.
âWhatâs the use of cultivating this Jiang Wuxin?â
âI heard that he can be turned into a killing machine. It seems like itâs succeeded, but Jiang Wuxin appears to be at the fifth- or sixth-level samsara at most.â
âYes, there isnât anything special about him.â
âWeâll wait and see. Perhaps Jiang Wuxin is the key to reversing our situation. Weâve suffered humiliation for underestimating them!â
âI wonder what the other two ghoul kings are doing.â
âWhat could be more important than breaking the Ninefold Formation?â
âThatâs enough. How can we understand what theyâre thinking? Itâs better not to speak too much.â