Two updates today, I'm taking a half-day off to rest. Three updates a day is too much — I'm about to keel over, so please bear with me.
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Upon hearing that Yang Kai and the martial artists from his estate had stayed behind, Yang Wei's expression shifted slightly. He said thoughtfully, "Old Ninth won't die so easily. If he chose to stay, he must have some plan... I actually think we should move together with him instead of rushing back to Zhongdu like this."
Ye Xinrou let out a disdainful smile. She didn't say anything, but it was clear she thought Yang Wei was far too indecisive and cowardly.
Kang Zhan also grinned. "Eldest Young Master, the seven top experts from our Eight Great Families are already intercepting those people, buying us time to retreat. We really ought to seize the chance and get back to Zhongdu."
Yang Wei shook his head. "If they manage to defeat those people, then even if we stayed behind there'd be no danger. But if they lose... then even if we leave, I'm afraid..."
Hearing this, the expressions of Ye Xinrou, Kang Zhan, and Gao Rangfeng all changed drastically.
Yang Wei had just voiced the very thing they dared not consider — or rather, they had been deliberately avoiding that line of thought. But now that he had laid it bare, an undeniable wave of dread surged through their hearts.
"That can't be..." Kang Zhan forced a laugh. "We've got seven people on our side."
"Exactly," Gao Rangfeng nodded. "Seven top experts — how could they possibly be helpless against just three opponents? Even if... even if they're truly outmatched, they should be able to stall long enough for us to reach Zhongdu..."
Just then, several Blood Servants belonging to Yang Wei and Yang Zhao suddenly barked in unison: "Young Masters, look out!"
In the same instant, they darted to the two men's sides, forming a protective stance.
The entire procession ground to a halt. Every Shenyou Realm expert present wore a look of deep wariness, their gazes locked on what lay ahead.
Ahead of them, two figures hovered silently in midair, looking down upon the crowd from on high.
Neither figure's features were visible. One was shrouded in an aura of sickly green, the other in pitch-black qi. Only their eyes glowed through the haze — a piercing, soul-stealing light that no one dared meet head-on.
"Heh heh heh heh..." The green-veiled figure let out several eerie cackles. He seemed to be studying Yang Wei, and said with a note of approval: "Among you lot, it's rare that someone can read the situation clearly. Seems not all of you are complete fools. Quite right — those seven from your Eight Great Families won't be able to stop the three experts from my Holy Land. Give it a little while and they'll all be dead."
"And you'll die too!" The black-shrouded figure spoke. His hoarse voice sounded like a summons from the depths of hell, raising every hair on the listener's spine.
"Blasphemy!" Ye Xinrou snapped. "Who are you?"
A peal of laughter rang out. The green-veiled figure turned to his companion. "Ghost King, can you believe there are still people who don't recognize us? And these are supposedly the rising stars of the Eight Great Families? They can't even tell who we are. Looks like the Eight Great Families have really gone downhill."
"Hmph, the Eight Great Families? That's just a title they gave themselves — what do they amount to?" The one called Ghost King snorted coldly, then added at a leisurely pace: "Poison King, when it comes to killing techniques, each of us has his own strengths. How about we have a little contest right here?"
"What kind of contest?"
"There are plenty of people around. Let's see who can kill more."
"Now that appeals to me."
Seven or eight hundred people froze on the spot, staring blankly at the two figures before them.
After a long moment, Ye Xinrou finally shrieked: "Nether Ghost King! Annihilation Poison King!"
Their exchange had practically given themselves away. If Ye Xinrou still couldn't figure out who they were, she really would be an idiot.
Two of the six great Evil Kings of Cangyun Evil Ground — the very names that made countless people tremble with fear.
Legend had it that all six Evil Kings were bloodthirsty and cruel, but among them, the Nether Ghost King and the Annihilation Poison King were the worst.
Because the arts they cultivated were perfectly suited for large-scale slaughter.
Now, having such two nightmarish figures appear right in front of them, everyone — no matter who they were — felt the blood freeze in their veins.
"Scatter!" One of the four Blood Servants suddenly roared. Against other enemies, staying together would have let them fight as a cohesive unit, even use their numbers to gain an edge. But against the Ghost King and the Poison King, numbers meant nothing. Clustering together would only make it easier for them to unleash their respective arts.
The roar went out, but no one reacted in time. Even the experts of the seven-family alliance had gone momentarily blank.
Just last night, when they had faced Yang Kai's estate, they had fought with fearless bravery. Now, confronted by two Evil Kings, they were paralyzed. That brief delay cost them the best window for defense.
"Scatter where?" Ghost King cackled. Inside his body, one hideous, twisted face after another surfaced — writhing and struggling like wraiths trying to break free from the chains of the underworld. Their wailing rose into the air, filling everyone with horror and fraying their sanity.
The ghastly faces shrieked and surged outward, their bodies somewhere between solid and ethereal, plunging into the crowd and running rampant.
Countless spectral faces filled the crowd's vision, dancing like demons gone berserk.
Wherever the wraith faces passed, waves of bone-chilling yin wind swept through, growing colder with every gust, turning hands and feet to ice.
The Ghost King seemed to grow excited, a guttural "heh heh" rumbling from his throat with increasing fervor, making everyone panic all the more.