Inside the Black Fan Grotto-World.
Tens of thousands of Hundred Foot Heavenly Lords hung in the sky, gazing down at Chu Du below.
The expressions and attitudes of the Hundred Foot Heavenly Lords were completely different from before. Every single one wore a grim face, their aura heavy with solemnity.
"Chu Du! Hand over the one who killed my Hundred Foot family members and surrender the Black Fan Grotto-World, and this Heavenly Lord may spare your life."
Tens of thousands of voices spoke in unison, their magnificent sound reverberating throughout the Black Fan Grotto-World.
Chu Du stood on the ground, looking up.
Compared to the tens of thousands of Hundred Foot Heavenly Lords in the sky above, he appeared solitary and outmatched.
Yet his body remained straight as a spear, dominating intent swirling around him as he withstood the oppressive aura of the Hundred Foot Heavenly Lords without the slightest wavering.
"Hmph! You attacked my grotto-world on your own initiative, and now you want me to surrender? Those Hundred Foot family members of yours are dead, and that is the punishment and price for your assault."
Chu Du's tone was calm, his voice carrying throughout the grotto-world.
The Hundred Foot Heavenly Lords wanted to respond, but in the next moment Chu Du activated his Immortal-level killing move.
Inner Force Self-Detonation!
The range of the Immortal-level killing move had long since enveloped the entire Black Fan Grotto-World.
Inside each of the Hundred Foot Heavenly Lords, an invisible surge of inner force suddenly appeared, rapidly expanding until it reached its limit in an instant.
And so, tens of thousands of Hundred Foot Heavenly Lords all detonated simultaneously—a spectacular sight indeed.
In one strike, the overwhelming army that had blotted out the sky was wiped clean by Tyrant Immortal Chu Du.
"Tyrant Immortal!" Outside the grotto-world, the true body of the Hundred Foot Heavenly Lord furrowed his brows, gritting his teeth, fury boiling within him.
Not long ago, the Hundred Foot Heavenly Lord had received a transmission from his clan. He was informed of the death of Hundred Foot Wei.
Naturally, the Hundred Foot Heavenly Lord felt both grief and rage.
Hundred Foot Wei had been cultivated by his own hand. A child he had practically watched grow up.
Who would have thought that after establishing a family and gaining a firm foothold in the Northern Plains' Immortal Gu Master world, he would fall and perish—truly a bitter regret.
The Hundred Foot Heavenly Lord quickly realized that if this matter was not handled correctly, it could very well lead to a massive crisis!
"If I do not conquer the Black Fan Grotto-World and kill the murderer, my prestige will plummet to rock bottom, people will see me as weak, and the Hundred Foot family may be driven back once again."
The Hundred Foot Heavenly Lord would never allow such a thing to happen.
But the recent attempt at persuasion had been completely ineffective.
"Tyrant Immortal Chu Du! This man is as unyielding as the reef by the sea—the pressure of waves alone is not enough to make him submit. Then let me create a tsunami." The Hundred Foot Heavenly Lord's expression hardened like iron.
Inside the Black Fan Grotto-World.
"My Lord Tyrant Immortal, to have known you is the greatest honor of my, Hao Zhen's, life!"
"My Lord Tyrant Immortal, I, Old Five Chou, have never admired anyone in my life. Now there is only one person I admire—yourself."
At some unknown point, and by some unknown means, Hao Zhen and Chou Laowu had entered the Black Fan Grotto-World.
They had been hidden underground. Only after Chu Du destroyed all of the Hundred Foot Heavenly Lords' clone phantoms did they reveal themselves.
They had originally been anxious and fearful, but when Chu Du firmly and openly rejected the Hundred Foot Heavenly Lord's offer of surrender, all their doubts vanished. In their place rose a deep sense of admiration.
"You two." Chu Du turned to face them, his gaze sincere and moving. "You being caught up in this trouble—it all started because of me, Chu Du. If I, Chu Du, were to bow before the might of an Eighth Transformation Immortal Gu Master and abandon you at this moment, then my title of 'Tyrant Immortal' would be empty. Doing so would go against my very nature and character!"
"My Lord Tyrant Immortal, then what should we do next?" Chou Laowu asked.
Chu Du smiled faintly. "Rest assured, both of you. This Black Fan Grotto-World is no ordinary place. Before, by myself alone, I could hold it as solidly as an iron fortress. Now with both of your assistance, there is nothing to worry about."
Hao Zhen and Chou Laowu nodded repeatedly, but the worry between their brows had not fully dissipated.
Chu Du continued, "Of course, a defense held too long will inevitably break. Right now we are in a completely passive position. I have already written letters to others, broadly inviting people to join forces and give the Hundred Foot Heavenly Lord a proper fight!"
Only then did Hao Zhen and Chou Laowu brighten up.
The former said, "To see that My Lord Tyrant Immortal can perceive the situation so clearly puts my troubled heart at ease."
The latter added, "Fame and fortune—these are the two things all men chase. With the Black Fan Grotto-World as our foundation, repelling an Eighth Transformation powerhouse would earn us an unparalleled reputation. If we offer generous rewards, there will certainly be Immortal Gu Masters who come to our aid."
After speaking, Hao Zhen and Chou Laowu exchanged a glance and said to Chu Du in unison, "The cost of inviting helpers—we two are willing to bear it entirely."
The Tyrant Immortal laughed heartily. "There's no need for that. This is my trouble in the first place—how could I stand by and not pay the price?"
As he spoke, he took Hao Zhen and Chou Laowu by the hand, speaking with deep emotion: "Fortune and misfortune go hand in hand. Whether this turns out to be good or bad depends on our own efforts. If we can hold the grotto-world this time, I am willing to transfer sixty percent of its space to you two. This is a bond bestowed by heaven itself, bringing us together. From now on, I wish for the three of us Immortals to stand together—sharing hardships through danger, sharing riches in prosperity!"
What a grand gesture!
Chu Du had promised that upon success, he would hand over sixty percent of the Black Fan Grotto-World directly to Hao Zhen and Chou Laowu.
In an instant, sharp light blazed in both Hao Zhen's and Chou Laowu's eyes, their hearts surging with excitement.
This was the Black Fan Grotto-World—a grotto-world free from disasters and tribulations.
If they successfully defended it, Chu Du would hand over sixty percent, with each receiving thirty percent!
This was simply a massive pie falling right out of the sky.
Hao Zhen's powerful frame trembled slightly, his face alight with emotion. "Sharing hardships through danger, sharing riches in prosperity!"