Lightning twisted around him like snakes. It donned him with an armor that flickered purple.
Zhuo Fan’s eyes were bloodshot as he roared at the heavens. His veins popped one by one out of his skin, threatening to burst. With the sharp Lightning Wings stretching a meter in every direction increasing the lightning output, a hundred meters around him was pulverized.
Zhuo Fan was now the avatar of a demon god, bent on spreading chaos and slaughter. And that horrifying face was twisted to such a degree, even the audience watching beyond the veil felt weak in their knees.
Even the seven houses’ Profound Heaven experts were shaking at the mighty display.
Chu Qingcheng struck the National Elemental Stone calling out his name as tears fell from her eyes, evidence of the pain in her heart. They were wrong about him. He was the one hurting the most from Xue Ningxiang’s passing.
He chose to suppress his grief, to take them all to safety before going to slaughter Huangpu Qingtian.
Luo Yunchang was choking with emotion seeing Zhuo Fan go mad from the pain of loss. Luo Yunhai was startled, “I have never seen big brother Zhuo lose control like that!”
Captain Pang nodded, his knuckles white.
Zhuo Fan had always been wise and collected, an indomitable mountain, just like a true leader. Only now he realized their tough and resolved Steward Zhuo had a weaker side.
Zhuo Fan’s howls and twisted features evoked silent cries from the Luo clan. [What pain, what torment must his heart be enduring for him to show such grief?]
The entire Luo clan turned to Regent Estate.
For the first time ever, this meager barely ascended second rate clan was looking at the head of the seven houses with a thirst for battle.
Luo Yunhai’s eyes flashed as they took in Huangpu Tianyuan and Leng Wuchang. They burned with endless rage, wishing nothing more than to purge the two from this world.
Uncaring of the looks the ants gave him, Leng Wuchang smiled, “Prime Minister, you were saying?”
“A hero always falls for the princess. I never expected for such a cautious kid to get wrapped up in such a cliche. A shame really.” Zhuge Changfeng sighed.
Leng Wuchang laughed, “It’s because of his paranoid nature, of his dead heart, that a man who by all intents and purposes shouldn’t have weaknesses would lose his mind in the simplest fashion. Emotional people have normal reactions when they are excited. While those dead inside, the tiniest spark could set them off and collapse them from within!”
Zhuge Changfeng nodded helplessly.
[Monkey, you cannot fight an old fox after all…]
“Huangpu Qingtian, your life is mine!”
Zhuo Fan’s roar broke everyone out of their reverie and even Chu Qingcheng’s shouts stopped. They saw him shoot for the skies and he was gone the next second.
“Zhuo Fan, don’t go! You know it’s a trap…” Chu Qingcheng smashed at the National Elemental Stone, crying herself hoarse. But her voice was unable to pierce the veil.
Zhuo Fan wouldn’t have stopped even if he did hear her.
He had long passed the point of no return. His emotions were scarring his heart and the madness was the only sign showing what he was going through. He was driven by one thought alone, fueled by his inner turmoil. Nothing mattered more than ripping Huangpu Qingtian’s head from his shoulder in offering to Ning’er…
Chu Qingcheng was crying and shouting long after he was gone.
Grandmother held her, “Child, he’s doing it for another woman, not you. So why are you…”
“Grandmother…” Chu Qingcheng looked at her through tears, “Didn’t you say he was cold and ruthless? How did he change?”
Ugh!
Grandmother was lost for words.
[How should I know? I am not his shadow!]
She had to admit however that not even she, who had raised three generations of Drifting Flowers Edifices’ elders, noticed Zhuo Fan having such strong affection for someone.
Sighing, Grandmother shook her head.
Chu Qingcheng closed her eyes and said, “I knew I had made the right choice back then.”
Startled, Grandmother nodded helplessly, “Perhaps…”
“Do you want to save her?” An aged voice pierced Chu Qingcheng’s ears.
Chu Qingcheng turned in the voice’s direction, “You don’t have to speak. If you are intent on saving her, come see me in the forest thirty miles from here. But you better hurry, lest the window closes. She only has two hours left.”
Shuddering, Chu Qingcheng pulled out of Grandmother’s embrace and flew away.
Grandmother was stunned, but Chu Qingcheng’s impatient voice came next, “Grandmother, I have something to do. I’ll be back soon.”
Grandmother frowned.
She used to know everything when it came to Drifting Flowers Edifice. [Just what is Chu Qingcheng going to do?]
But she trusted her enough not to question her motives.
When the clamor died down and Zhuo Fan left the water exit, everyone turned to the earth National Elemental Stone. Huangpu Qingtian had long been waiting there gathering his men, waiting for his quarry.
“Eldest young master, are you certain the punk will fall for such a painfully obvious trap? Just now I saw the water exit activating. Wouldn’t it make more sense for them to leave for Dragon Cloud City with the four Brimming Sacred Pills?”
Turning to the ten thousand men’s ambush, You Yushan sighed, “With neither the pills nor winning the Esoteric Debate, we would truly lose this time.”
The other two nodded.
Huangpu Qingtian mocked them, “Humph, ignorant fools. I’ve already stressed what our main objective is. As long as Zhuo Fan lives, nothing else matters. And above all else, Sir Leng is never wrong. The others may return, but Zhuo Fan won’t. Wait and see.”
The three bowed.
They had no clue what was happening on Zhuo Fan’s side, but the audience was clear on one thing. Zhuo Fan was on his way over to the earth exit. They were cast reverent gazes onto Leng Wuchang standing among Regent Estate’s clansmen.
[As expected of Unwonted Contriver’s ploys. Even Demon Archon Zhuo Fan fell for it. He truly is the empire’s sage!]
Leng Wuchang was basking in the gazes of everyone, straightening his beard in pride.
He felt like his glory had surpassed even Zhuge Changfeng’s. But the latter didn’t bother, eyes fixed on the National Elemental Stone, contemplating…
A day passed and Huangpu Qingtian was still sitting peacefully before the earth exit.
The sudden thunderclap scared off the birds in its path. The frantic and erratic power threatened to crush everything.
Huangpu Qingtian opened his eyes and grinned looking in the distance, “Ha-ha-ha, finally. Yan Bangui, You Yushan, Lin Xuanfeng, get ready. We can’t let him escape!”
“Understood!” The three cupped their hands, vanishing among the trees.
With the fall of lighting, it revealed a gruesome face. Zhuo Fan’s eyes knew nothing but bloodlust at this point.
Huangpu Qingtian was thrilled. His presence here proved that the plan had worked, “Ha-ha-ha, Zhuo Fan, I used to think you had the same royal air as myself. How come you’re riddled with emotion, how could you stoop so low? Now I see that I am the only one worthy to be king here!”
“Huangpu Qingtian, your life is mine!”
Zhuo Fan roared, throwing himself at Huangpu Qingtian.
Huangpu Qingtian sneered, “Only kings are worthy of my attention.”
Three shouts followed his words and a flood of people came from all directions, more than ten thousand.
There were even hundreds of Profound Heaven experts leading the charge, wielding 4th grade spiritual weapons with the sole purpose of piercing that Diamond Body of his.
Zhuo Fan roared, “Get lost, ants!”
His voice powered by his intent spread all around, only to meet another intent along the way.
With a bang, the two intents canceled each other.
Huangpu Qingtian’s eyes widened. He didn’t take Zhuo Fan to be capable of outdoing him in the strength of soul. But he made sure to cover it up with mockery, “Humph, you’ll never get to use intent as long as I’m around!”
Squinting, Zhuo Fan was still unfazed. If the easy way failed, he’d just have to kill them the hard way.
Zhuo Fan sped up and made contact with the ten thousand men’s army.
Tens of spiritual weapons fell upon Zhuo Fan, akin to being hit by a cannonball each time.
Even You Yushan and his two allies looked startled at the onslaught.
Not even a Radiant Stage expert could escape the blows of tens of Profound Heaven experts all coming at once. They’d be picked apart.
[Zhuo Fan has truly lost it to charge head on!]
The audience beyond the veil was of the same opinion. They finally realized the horrifying difference between a calculative beast and a mad one.
Zhuo Fan had now lost all reason, all inhibitions, but regardless of how strong he was even he would fall against an army.
Luo Yunchang and others were watching in worry.
What happened next was beyond anything they had ever dreamed of, even Regent Estate was floored.
“I thought I told you. Get out of my sight, you insects!”
Following his roar, the purple lighting enveloped his body and under the stunned audience’s watch, he moved like a tornado with his wings spread.
Whoosh~
The attack hacked through metal and flesh alike. Tens of Profound Heaven experts and their spiritual weapons were bisected before they could make contact.
The Lightning Wings wrapped in purple lightning were the ultimate killing weapon…
