Chapter 1784: Saving with Life

Zhao Hao’s eyes narrowed. Ever since he arrived in this world, legends of the Ghost King were everywhere, making him seem like the most powerful being—no, the most powerful ghost.

Many of these legends were so outlandish that he found them impossible to believe.

He figured they were mostly exaggerated tales, but there was a small chance some of them were true.

This made him quite wary of the Ghost King.

However, having always looked down upon the world, he wasn't about to back down in such a situation. "Hmph, a mere Ghost King? What do I have to fear? Don't even think about using him to scare me."

He clearly had no intention of continuing his banter with Zu An and turned his gaze to Jing Teng. "Since you are connected to Immortal Lord Baopu, come here."

As he spoke, he reached out to her directly, and a giant golden hand-shaped illusion shot towards her, as if transcending time and space, appearing almost instantly before her.

Sensing the terrifying pressure, Qiu Honglei instinctively activated her light-element defensive skill, "Wall of Sighs." However, the "Wall of Sighs," renowned for its defense, was pierced effortlessly by the golden hand as if it were made of paper.

"May the Nine-Character Incantation guide the formation forward, the formation is in the north, Xuanwu heed my command!" Jing Teng's clear cry rang out.

A phantom image of the Black Tortoise (Xuanwu) appeared around her, managing to just barely block the golden hand.

"Oh?" Zhao Hao looked at the Xuanwu phantom with some surprise, evidently not expecting Jing Teng, with her level of cultivation, to be able to summon something so remarkable.

Yet, in his eyes, they were all mere ants.

With a surge of power, the golden hand clenched tighter.

Cracking sounds echoed, and soon the tortoise shell phantom was completely crushed by the golden hand.

Jing Teng was also caught by the golden hand and pulled directly towards Zhao Hao.

Her eyes were filled with despair, but even more painful than despair was the chilling realization that the man hadn't helped her at all.

She gave a self-mocking smile, thinking he would probably use this opportunity to escape.

Betrayed once before, and now again. "Jing Teng, oh Jing Teng, why don't you ever learn?"

But for some reason, she instinctively looked towards him. Just then, she saw a dazzling sword light.

It was even more brilliant and spectacular than any sword energy she had seen so far, like witnessing a galaxy descending nearby.

That galaxy-like sword light struck the golden hand, severing it directly at the wrist.

The hand holding Jing Teng also dissipated into fragments, and she plummeted from the air.

Qiu Honglei moved first, wrapping her arm around Jing Teng's waist and catching her. Seeing Jing Teng's bewildered expression, she retorted, "What are you looking at? Did you expect *him* to twirl you around?"

Jing Teng blushed and pushed her away. She had already regained her mobility and certainly didn't need to be held. Two women embracing like that, feeling each other's substantial presence, felt strange.

Qiu Honglei wasn't in the mood to argue either. She moved to Zu An's side, ready to support him at any moment.

At this moment, Zu An had no such romantic notions; he was staring solemnly at Zhao Hao, guarding against a sudden attack.

Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing, the two old Daoists, widened their eyes in astonishment, utterly stunned by what they had just witnessed.

What the hell? The emperor's grasp was something neither of them could resist, yet Zu An had shattered it with a single sword stroke?

They had seen him in action on Purple Mountain before; while impressive then, it wasn't as shocking. It seemed he had deliberately held back.

Both were swordsmen, so they naturally recognized the power of that sword strike. The invincible intent within the sword art was truly astonishing.

How old was this guy to have cultivated his sword intent to such a level?

"We've lived our whole lives for nothing," they thought.

Zhao Hao also looked at Zu An with some surprise. "To think, you've grown to this extent! No wonder you became the Regent King of the demon race."

Before, he had been somewhat skeptical: no matter how desperate the demon race was, they were still an old adversary who had fought against humanity for years. How could this young rascal seize the position of Regent King?

At the time, he even suspected that the newly widowed little demon empress might have been attracted to his looks, given his knack for handling women.

Only after seeing that sword strike did he realize Zu An truly deserved the title.

Zu An said gravely, "We are all trapped in this secret realm, with the legendary unfathomable Ghost King lurking. Why should we fight among ourselves and let others reap the benefits?"

He quickly added, "To my knowledge, besides the Ghost King, there's also Sun En, the leader of the Shenxiao Sect, and Zang Ao, the president of the Adventurers' Guild. They both seem to possess cultivation not inferior to Your Majesty's, and they're undoubtedly interested in this great tomb. Most likely, they've also arrived."

Zhao Hao fell into thought, then after a moment, shook his head. "If it were before, I might truly have been persuaded by you. But you've grown too quickly—so fast that it gives me pause. If I let you continue to grow, you might truly threaten me. It's more fitting to deal with you before you fully mature."

Zu An was speechless.

Receiving Zhao Hao's affirmation, he wasn't sure whether to be happy or sad for a moment.

At this moment, Qiu Honglei hastily spoke, "You are the invincible Emperor, an existence revered by countless cultivators. Shouldn't you admire a junior with extraordinary talent? Moreover, I've heard that truly powerful experts feel that invincibility is a form of loneliness and spend their lives seeking a true opponent. Why would you think of killing him prematurely? That's far too... undignified."

She knew how terrifying Zhao Hao was. Back then, her master, after achieving great divine power, swaggered around as if no one in the world could compare. Yet, when he went to assassinate the Emperor in the palace, he was severely injured by a single palm strike without even seeing his face.

After that, her master was dejected for a long time, and she never knew how he eventually recovered.

Although Zu An was powerful now, he might not be stronger than her master was back then. Fighting the Emperor would almost certainly mean death, so she wanted to use words to provoke him, hoping the Emperor would give up.

"What a sharp-tongued demoness," Zhao Hao chuckled. "You've read too many storybooks, haven't you? Those who achieve greatness naturally nip dangers in the bud. How enjoyable is it to be invincible throughout the world? Why would I seek an opponent of equal strength? Am I a masochist?"

Speaking of which, he had been rivals with the Demon Emperor for so many years, with neither able to overcome the other, which prevented him from wiping out the demon race in one swift stroke.

The whole process hadn't been very pleasant; he couldn't count how many times he had fantasized about the Demon Emperor's sudden death.

It was a pity that although he eventually got his wish, he was also nearing the Five Decays of Heavenly Beings. Compared to dealing with the demon race, immortality was far more important.

Qiu Honglei was momentarily speechless, not expecting the Emperor to have so little "master's demeanor."

Just then, Jing Teng's voice rang out: "Your mindset is wrong. Without the motivation and competition from opponents, it's impossible to achieve immortality solely on your own. With this kind of thinking, you're destined not to advance an inch further in this life."

Zhao Hao's expression darkened. "You, with your ant-like cultivation, dare to lecture me?"

Sensing that the other party was truly angered, Zu An subtly moved to shield Jing Teng, fearing a sudden attack.

Seeing his action, Jing Teng's heart warmed. Without a hint of fear, she raised her head. "My cultivation is indeed like that of an ant, but those words were not mine. They were spoken by Immortal Lord Baopu back then. Though your cultivation is high, you are still far from what the Immortal Lord was."

Zhao Hao's expression stirred. "Are there truly immortals in this world?"

"Naturally," Jing Teng replied. "The Immortal Lord is one example."

"Hahaha, it seems heaven has taken pity on me! I've finally found a trace of immortal destiny," Zhao Hao's eyes gleamed with fanaticism. For so many years, his pursuit of immortality had been based on ethereal concepts, but now, for the first time, it felt within reach.

Even Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing beside him felt their hearts warm. As the saying goes, "When one man achieves enlightenment, even his dogs and chickens ascend to heaven." Perhaps they too...

*Pah, pah, pah*, they thought, *I'm certainly no dog or chicken!*

"In that case, I absolutely cannot let you leave. First, I'll deal with this brat Zu An." Zhao Hao sneered, then suddenly pointed at Zu An. A golden finger appeared on his forehead, so fast that there was no time to react. The tip of the finger faintly hinted at spatial collapse; clearly, a direct hit would mean certain death.

"If you kill him, I won't say another word to you!" Jing Teng shrieked.

Zhao Hao's eyes narrowed. He shifted his finger downwards, aiming instead for Zu An's chest.

Zu An had already activated "Great Wind," instantly teleporting dozens of yards away.

Zhao Hao calmly stated, "Space holds no meaning for me."

He made no visible movement, yet the golden finger remained, following Zu An like a shadow.

Zu An roared, drawing his longsword, and brilliant sword light poured forth.

However, his strike landed on empty air. The golden finger had already pressed against his chest.

*Thud!*

Zu An spat out a mouthful of blood, his entire body plummeting from the air like a broken sandbag, hitting the ground.

"A'Zu!"

"Young Master Zu!"

Qiu Honglei and Jing Teng were both greatly alarmed and rushed over to check on him.

Zhao Hao said coldly, "Before, I was simply unprepared. Having seen that sword strike, how could I fall for it a second time?"

"If I gave you a few more years, with your sword intent, you might have a chance to fight me. Unfortunately, you're still far from it now."

Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing exchanged glances, seeing despair in each other's eyes. Fortunately, they had already surrendered to him; there was no need for them to think of any other options.

Jing Teng saw that Zu An's injuries were severe but not life-threatening, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Zhao Hao approaching, she quickly spread her arms to block him. "Let him go, and I'll go with you!"

Zhao Hao hesitated. He could capture both of them, but if he truly angered this woman and she chose to self-destruct, it would be difficult to handle, especially since she was the only one who knew about Immortal Lord Baopu.

Just then, Zu An placed a hand on Jing Teng's shoulder. "Thank you, Miss Jing, but I'm not the type who needs to sacrifice women to survive."

Jing Teng grew anxious. "At a time like this, are you still trying to act tough?"

Qiu Honglei gave her a strange look. She was willing to risk her life to save him, and yet she still claimed there was nothing between them?

However, with disaster looming, she was in no mood for jealousy.

Zu An smiled. "Don't worry, I have a way to deal with him."

Zhao Hao was rather amused. "What method could you possibly have to deal with me?"