Chapter 1381: No Hope, Just Wait for Death

Soon, human-like, dog-like, yet lizard-like monsters emerged from all directions, baring their teeth as they closed in on the group of people.

These creatures seemed to appear out of nowhere; just moments ago, the surroundings had been empty. Now, these dense hordes of monsters truly made one's skin crawl.

Yun Jianyue swallowed hard. "You brat," she muttered, "if these monsters eat me, I won't let you off even as a ghost!"

Yan Xuehen's face also turned pale. She instinctively leaned closer to Zu An, as if doing so would provide a little comfort.

Yu Yanluo, on the other hand, was the most composed. Only she was least affected by the malevolent aura. She thought to herself, 'I must protect them later.'

At that moment, the black monsters noticed them. They roared and lunged forward.

Zu An summoned his Yin-Yang Twin Swords, slicing the charging black monsters into three pieces. He didn't use the Tai'e Sword primarily because it had been damaged by the Sun-Shooting Bow earlier, and he feared further damage if he brought it out. Additionally, he worried the Demon Emperor might take an interest in it, as it was capable of clashing with divine artifacts. If it were seized, it would be troublesome, especially since Mi Li resided within it.

The Demon Emperor was indeed attracted by the weapon in his hand. "The Yin-Yang Twin Swords of the Merfolk?" he mused. "It seems this boy has quite a close relationship with the Merfolk."

However, as a dignified Demon Emperor, a pair of Heaven-tier weapons couldn't truly impress him. He was more interested in the weapons of the other women.

Sect Master Yun's Crescent Wheel was indeed domineering and formidable, and its movements were unpredictable, making it impossible to guard against.

Overseer Yan's Flying Snow Sword was icy cold in texture, perfectly matching her Snowflake Divine Sword.

Queen Medusa's Thousand-Mile Landscape Map was said to have been forged by the Libationer of the Human Imperial Academy. Although its power was not as great as the other two women's weapons, its mysterious aspects were even more profound. Legend had it that the Libationer was unfathomable, with cultivation even approaching that of Zhao Hao. He had scoffed at this before, but now it seemed quite possible.

If the human race had two Earth Immortals, it would truly not be a blessing for his demon race.

However, he no longer had time to ponder these things, because there were too many black monsters. Many of them, noticing the three standing there, also charged towards them.

"Seeking death!" the Demon Emperor sneered. Without any visible movement, a golden flame spread out, instantly incinerating the approaching black monsters into ash.

However, the black monsters seemed to feel no fear. Soon, many more emerged, rushing at him one after another, their expressions growing even more grotesque.

Perhaps sensing the immense power on his side, many of the black monsters that had been besieging Zu An and his companions were also drawn towards them.

Zu An, seizing the opportunity, grabbed the women's hands. "Quick, let's go!" he urged.

He led them in a desperate dash up the mountain. Although there were fewer black monsters ahead, they were still endless.

So he took out the Nine Cauldrons, and directly released the White Lotus True Flame from within.

The White Lotus True Flame was a spoils of war he had obtained from Banhka earlier. He hadn't expected it to be useful so soon.

Inside the Nine Cauldrons, it originally resembled a delicate, adorable lotus bud. However, once released, it immediately transformed into a devastating force. Countless white lotus flowers rose and bloomed, instantly incinerating the surrounding black monsters.

"This boy actually possesses such a treasure." The Demon Emperor, watching from afar, was also somewhat surprised by this sight. He also recalled the unresolved case that had erupted in the capital some time ago, when the Blacktooth Clan had been searching everywhere for the culprit. So, this boy was the instigator.

"Fortunately, he had placed the Puppet Curse on him. In the end, all these treasures would serve him."

Although many black monsters were attacking him, it had no effect on him at all. He dealt with them quite easily. His only concern was the strange malevolent aura ahead. As he didn't have many days left to live, he didn't want to lose even a tiny bit of his life force.

The Demon Emperor's attention was drawn by the dazzling White Lotus True Flame, but Zu An noticed something unusual about the Nine Cauldrons after they were summoned.

The entire cauldron was vibrating abnormally. He seemed to perceive an ancient and profound Dao rhythm, but it was too abstruse for him to comprehend at his current level.

Later, the Nine Cauldrons vibrated more and more intensely. He even worried that the White Lotus True Flame's power was too great and that the Nine Cauldrons might not be able to withstand it.

At this moment, the Demon Emperor seemed to sense something, and turned his head to look in a certain direction within the vast mountain range.

Deep within the mountains, an unknown distance from their location, an ancient coffin vibrated slightly. In the void, a pair of eyes seemed to slowly open.

"Father, what's wrong?" Crown Prince Jinwu asked, seeing his father distracted. The black monsters surged forward like a tide, forcing him and Wu Liang to cooperate to defend against them. Even a slight attack from those monsters would leave black energy swirling around the wound. Fortunately, he had the Golden Crow Sacred Flame protecting his body. Furthermore, they hadn't advanced, which was why the malevolent aura hadn't managed to enter their bodies.

No one knew what method that fat man Wu Liang used, but he was also able to defend against the black monsters' corrosion.

"Nothing," the Demon Emperor replied, retracting his gaze. At that moment, he still felt a lingering trepidation.

What was that feeling just now? Why was there such a powerful presence that even made him feel extremely dangerous, even stronger than the sense of crisis he felt when facing Zhao Hao?

How could that be!

That aura lasted for only an instant before dissipating. Even the Demon Emperor wondered if it was an illusion; after all, he was already nearing the Five Decays of Heavenly Beings, and any hallucination would be normal.

He shook his head, deciding that this unknowable land was truly too strange. He still needed to be cautious.

Just as he was considering bringing Zu An and the others back, a thunderous roar suddenly echoed from the mountaintop. Immediately afterward, a massive figure leaped down from the mountain.

It appeared before Zu An and the others almost instantly. It was unclear if this was because the Demon Emperor and Zu An had just slaughtered too many of the black monsters here, thus provoking their master.

The monster's body was dozens of zhang long. Its face was somewhat human-like, yet also somewhat ape-like, with a mouth full of grotesque teeth. Additionally, two protruding tusks extended from its lower jaw, resembling those of a wild boar.

Yet, its body was tiger-like, with yellow and black stripes. Long hair hung down from its face and body, and a particularly dense black aura enveloped its entire form.

"Such dense malevolent energy!" Yun Jianyue exclaimed, startled. Her own killing aura was already quite potent, but compared to this monster's malevolent energy, it was like a small sorcerer facing a great one.

Yu Yanluo cried out in alarm, "Are any of you feeling unusual?"

As the monster approached, even she felt a wave of weakness, as if her life force was draining away. Moreover, the black scales she had seen before began to appear on her hands.

Yan Xuehen gasped. She noticed that the black scales were spreading many times faster than before; black scales had already appeared on her neck.

Seeing Zu An look over at the sound, she instinctively raised her sleeve to cover her neck. "Don't look!" she exclaimed.

Zu An didn't have time to worry about that now, because he felt an immensely powerful oppressive aura from the giant beast before him. "This aura seems to be at the Earth Immortal realm too!" he thought.

"Judging by its appearance, this creature closely resembles Taowu, one of the Four Fiends recorded in ancient texts," Mi Li's voice came, sounding equally solemn.

"Does it have any weaknesses?" Zu An asked urgently. His strong will never allowed him to give up.

However, Mi Li immediately poured cold water on his hopes. "The power gap between you two is already enormous," she stated, "not to mention you're currently being eroded by malevolent energy, leaving you with barely half your life left..."

After a pause, she said, "There's no saving you. Just wait for death."

Zu An was speechless.

He had expected some profound insight from her pause, but he didn't expect to get this result.

At this moment, he hurriedly shouted backward, "Demon Emperor, you still need us to scout the path for you! You don't want us to die here so soon, do you?"

The Demon Emperor completely ignored his face, which screamed "Help me, help me!" and calmly said, "Indeed, it's a perfect opportunity for you to test its limits."

The suddenly appearing giant beast was too powerful, making the Demon Emperor feel somewhat threatened. So, he intended to use Zu An and the others to engage the beast first, to see what special abilities it possessed, and thus avoid many dangers when he fought it later.