Chapter 1737: Playing Something Exciting

"Your Majesty, what a coincidence," Xuan Bajing said, forcing a smile uglier than a cry. Li Changsheng, too, had lost his usual carefree elegance, his face as black as coal.

"Indeed, what a coincidence," Zhao Hao said, smiling at them.

"I didn't expect to run into you two here. And speaking of which, your previous scheme was quite impressive, wasn't it?" Sweat poured down Xuan Bajing's face. He immediately pleaded for mercy. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. Everything that happened before was entirely due to King Qi forcing my hand. I was completely beyond my control, which is why I ended up offending you. I beg Your Majesty, in your great magnanimity, to pardon me!" Li Changsheng secretly sneered, finding the man's groveling truly repulsive.

He straightened his attire before addressing Zhao Hao. "Your Majesty, in this unknown world, you will likely need some subordinates to help you with various tasks. Please grant us an opportunity to atone for our sins." Xuan Bajing was dumbfounded. *This guy acts so aloof and arrogant; I thought he'd be unyielding and mighty. Is this all he's got?*

Zhao Hao frowned. "You just plotted against me, and now you're groveling. How can I possibly trust your loyalty?" Li Changsheng replied, "If Your Majesty doesn't believe us, we can swear a Heaven and Earth Oath!" Although the consequences of such an oath were severe, he thought, *as long as the green mountains remain, there's no fear of lacking firewood*. Compared to immediate death, this offered many more possibilities.

Xuan Bajing thought, *This guy is really going all out?* Without time to ponder, he quickly nodded. "Precisely. I, too, am willing to swear a Heaven and Earth Oath and pledge loyalty to Your Majesty." Zhao Hao fell into contemplation. Heaven and Earth Oaths were indeed incredibly difficult to violate, and for Daoist practitioners like them, such oaths held an even stronger binding power.

However, he was not swayed. He said indifferently, "You are gravely injured now, barely better than cripples. What use would I have for you?" His tone grew sinister as he continued. Everything that had transpired today had fueled a burning rage within him. In all these years, he had never been in such a pathetic state, and it was all due to these 'ants.'

His eyes filled with murderous intent. The two felt as if they were being stared at by a primeval beast. Xuan Bajing understood that his life was likely counting down its last few breaths. At this critical moment, inspiration struck him. He quickly said, "Your Majesty, while your divine power is unparalleled, you are also completely ignorant of this world. We can help you explore it. We can even serve as human shields to test various mechanisms." Li Changsheng was dumbfounded. *This guy is truly shameless! A dignified Grandmaster stooping to such a level?*

However, with their lives at stake, he had no choice but to agree, all the while silently cursing Xuan Bajing. Zhao Hao's mind stirred. What they said held some truth. He had risen to his current level partly due to countless battles in secret realms, and he knew that some special mechanisms within them required the cooperation of several people to overcome. If he were to encounter such a situation again, being alone would indeed be problematic.

His expression softened slightly. "Very well. Considering your 'sincerity,' I shall forgive you this time. Swear the Heaven and Earth Oath." Of course, he wouldn't easily believe their words; he naturally needed a way to keep them both in check.

Xuan Bajing and Li Changsheng exchanged glances, both recognizing the helplessness in the other's eyes. However, with things having come to this, they had no alternative.

So they each swore their oaths. Soon, a faint resonance seemed to ripple through the heavens and earth, and invisible, intangible, profound laws intertwined around their bodies. Zhao Hao listened carefully to their vows and, seeing no tricks, nodded in satisfaction.

Seeing this, Xuan Bajing and Li Changsheng breathed a sigh of relief. Then, they cautiously spoke, "Your Majesty, since you awoke first, have you made any discoveries about this world?"

"None," Zhao Hao slowly replied. "The only discovery is that this world is exceptionally sinister and evil, likely related to undead creatures." He had, in fact, made another discovery: after arriving here, he had initially attempted to explore the world with his primordial spirit to gain an overview. However, shortly after his spirit left his body, he felt a sense of crisis, as if something in this world could threaten his primordial spirit.

Zhao Hao found this somewhat unbelievable. In the past, he would most likely have ignored such feelings and investigated thoroughly, as he had been invincible for many years and didn't believe anything could truly harm him.

However, after today's events, where King Qi and the Wine Master's schemes had nearly pushed him to desperation, he had no choice but to exercise greater caution.

"Undead creatures?" Xuan Bajing and Li Changsheng were startled, then secretly delighted. As high-ranking Daoist masters, they naturally possessed knowledge of methods to restrain undead beings.

Undead creatures often lacked true consciousness, and even if powerful, they were relatively easier to deal with. Xuan Bajing and Li Changsheng each took out a pill and swallowed it. A hint of redness flushed their faces, clearly indicating their injuries had somewhat improved.

The two then remembered something, their faces paling. "Your subordinates are greatly at fault; we should have offered our healing pills to Your Majesty first." After speaking, both found it a bit strange how perfectly synchronized they were. Normally, they were the ones being flattered by their subordinates in their sects, yet now they had switched to flattering others with such surprising naturalness.

*Sigh,* it was all because Zhao Hao exerted too much pressure. Zhao Hao said indifferently, "Why would I need your pills? Eat them yourselves and recover quickly. I do not keep useless people under my command." Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing felt both fear and admiration. Zhao Hao had just endured major battles against King Qi and the Wine Master, yet now he seemed completely unharmed, showing no visible injuries at all. It was truly astonishing.

The two quickly composed themselves and began to recuperate. As prominent figures in their respective sects, the pills they carried were of extraordinary quality. As the medicinal power spread, they gradually recovered a portion of their strength.

Just as they were about to speak, they suddenly noticed two more people lying not far away and were startled. "Who are they?" They now seemed to be in an abandoned ancestral hall. Earlier, due to Zhao Hao's intimidating presence, they hadn't dared to be distracted in the slightest, only now noticing the two figures in the corner.

Zhao Hao said indifferently, "How would I know?" When he awoke, these two were already there. They appeared to be cultivators.

Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing exchanged glances. Each selected one of the unconscious individuals, checked their condition, and then roused them.

"You... who are you?" The two slowly awoke, startled by the scene before them. They were, in fact, well-known masters themselves, but the three individuals before them had increasingly powerful auras, especially the one in yellow robes... *Yellow robes?*

"Your Majesty?" The two were profoundly surprised. Zhao Hao remained noncommittal. Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing inquired about their identities, quickly learning that they were also cultivators from the Great Zhou Dynasty. Each had been exploring a secret realm, and just as they were on the verge of success, they were inexplicably drawn into this location.

Their cultivation levels were not low, both around the eighth rank. However, in the presence of these three, they could only tremble like quails.

Zhao Hao was pensive. Logically, given the Wine Master and Yan Xianggu's profound attainments in array formations, the grand exile array they had meticulously set up over many years should not have malfunctioned. Yet, it did, not only teleporting them here but also seemingly drawing in people from other secret realms.

What could be the reason? Just then, a sinister, chilling laugh echoed. "Hehe, everyone's here. We can begin now." Zhao Hao's expression changed. He stared intently at a certain spot. With his cultivation, it was impossible that he hadn't detected anyone approaching until the sound. How could this be?

At that moment, a monster with a lion's body and a woman's face suddenly appeared at the doorway. It surveyed the entire hall, then nodded. "Good, time for some excitement." Zhao Hao let out a cold snort, remaining silent. He directly extended a large golden hand, almost instantaneously seizing the monster.

With a "bang," the monster transformed into black mist and dissipated. The very next second, a mass of black mist rose elsewhere, re-forming into the monster's shape.

Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing's eyes widened instantly. *Zhao Hao, the invincible one, failed to seize the opponent with that move?*

*What kind of monster is this?* Zhao Hao also frowned slightly. He had already mastered spatial techniques. Even if the opponent could teleport, they should not have been able to escape his grasp, yet they did.

This could only prove that the opponent was not in this world! His spatial abilities only worked within the same world; he could not yet travel between worlds.