Chapter 1787: Revealing the Cards

Zhao Hao thought to himself, "I'm barely holding on; how can I possibly save you?"

However, a thought suddenly struck him. He swept his hand towards them, and an invisible force hit their bodies, causing them to lose their balance and tumble towards the giant ghost face in mid-air.

"Zhao Hao, may you die a terrible death!"

At this point, neither of them cared about their usual fear; they cursed him angrily.

However, as seasoned Grandmasters, they weren't willing to simply wait for death. Perhaps due to the force of Zhao Hao's recent strike, they had regained some slight control over their bodies.

With no other choice, they unleashed their most powerful killer moves towards the giant ghost face. They knew this was Zhao Hao's open scheme, but unfortunately, they couldn't refuse. After all, they couldn't just stand there and watch themselves be devoured, could they?

The Longevity Sword and the Eight Swords United simultaneously blasted towards the enormous ghost face. Their power was even greater than usual, as their very lives depended on this one attack, and they held nothing back.

Simultaneously, they employed all the life-saving techniques from their respective sects, launching them towards the ghost face.

The Longevity Sword conjured the magnificent illusion of a heavenly palace, while the Eight Swords United formed a formidable giant sword. The full power of these two peak Grandmasters' attacks was truly terrifying.

Unfortunately, the giant ghost face suddenly opened its mouth wide and swallowed the illusionary heavenly palace and the formidable giant sword in one gulp.

Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing were utterly stunned.

Before either of them could react further, the Ghost King opened its mouth and inhaled. Their souls, no longer able to resist, twisted and struggled as they were drawn from their bodies and swallowed.

Thus, two of the Taoist sect's top Grandmasters met their demise on the spot.

However, the two men's attacks bought Zhao Hao a moment of respite. He summoned the Human Emperor Seal, which floated above his head. Wisps of mysterious aura descended from the seal, enveloping his primordial spirit and physical body. Instantly, the pressure on him eased, and his primordial spirit returned directly to his body.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the Human Emperor Seal, and his entire being vanished into thin air.

The giant ghost face in the air faltered, clearly not expecting him to escape.

It could no longer sense his aura, realizing that further pursuit would be pointless.

"This person has mastered the mysteries of space. Next time I encounter him, I cannot be so careless."

The ghost face once again transformed into boundless black mist and skulls, flying deeper into the tomb. Wherever it passed, all living beings were reduced to skeletons.

Meanwhile, Zu An and his companions entered a narrow secret passage. After an unknown amount of time, the path finally widened before them. There were no other figures nearby, indicating they had clearly entered the deeper parts of the tomb.

The wall behind them closed. Qiu Honglei asked with some concern, "They won't chase us through this passage, will they?"

Those two terrifying presences had truly left them feeling powerless.

Jing Teng shook her head slightly. "Don't worry, the mechanisms in this tomb constantly shift. Once a passage is used, its location changes, so there's no longer a passage here."

Zu An and Qiu Honglei clicked their tongues in amazement. They never imagined such ingenious mechanisms existed within the tomb.

Qiu Honglei looked at Jing Teng suspiciously. "You said you haven't recovered your memory, yet you remember even these mechanisms in the tomb."

Jing Teng clutched her head, seemingly trying to recall something. "I didn't lie to you. My mind truly is a blank slate. It was just in that moment of crisis, seeing the nearby wall, that I suddenly remembered a little bit."

Zu An and Qiu Honglei exchanged glances. Her expression didn't seem feigned, but it felt a bit too coincidental that she always recovered a piece of her memory at critical moments.

"I can't believe the esteemed Xuan Bajing and Li Changsheng died like that," Qiu Honglei said with a touch of sadness in her voice. As they fled, she had witnessed the scene of the Ghost King devouring them, and it had left her deeply shaken.

Zu An, being a transmigrator, might not have felt it as strongly, but she had grown up in the Demonic Sect. From a young age, she had been taught how detestable and powerful the various grand figures of the orthodox sects were, viewing them as mortal enemies of the Demonic Sect.

Xuan Bajing and Li Changsheng were among the foremost of these grand figures, peers of her own master.

To see two such top masters so easily annihilated by the Ghost King, as if slaughtering chickens, was an unprecedented psychological shock.

"I wonder if Zhao Hao was eaten by the Ghost King," Zu An said gravely. They had left in a hurry and hadn't seen the final scene. He had originally intended to wait on the sidelines and reap the benefits, but then the situation had suddenly become completely one-sided.

Thinking of this, his expression darkened. "That Zhao Hao, who usually acts like he can conquer the world, turned out to be so useless, getting bullied by the Ghost King as if he were a grandson."

Just then, a familiar voice echoed softly, "What are you talking about?"

Zu An and the others jumped in surprise. Looking towards the source of the voice, their hair stood on end.

A figure dressed in yellow stood not far away, gazing at them coldly. Who else could it be but Zhao Hao?

"You... you... how..." Qiu Honglei was also extremely tense, almost unable to speak.

Although Zhao Hao had been bullied by the Ghost King, killing the few of them would still be no problem for him.

"How could I be here?" Zhao Hao gave a self-deprecating smile, seemingly having seen through their thoughts. "I'm proficient in the mysteries of space. Since I saw the direction you fled, a mere secret passage could hardly stop me."

Everyone was speechless.

There was no fighting him; they couldn't even escape.

Zu An was the first to calm down. "Your Majesty is truly formidable, escaping from the Ghost King without a scratch."

Now, he secretly cursed the Ghost King for being useless. Even if it couldn't capture Zhao Hao, it should have at least severely wounded him. In his current state, Zhao Hao was practically at full power; what chance did Zu An have?

"Who was just calling me a grandson?" Zhao Hao cast a sidelong glance at him, his sneer growing more pronounced.

"The Ghost King's demonic sound clearly targets and restrains souls, yet it still couldn't even touch a corner of Your Majesty's clothes. Naturally, he's the grandson," Zu An replied, his face unblushing and his heart unwavering.

Jing Teng gave him a strange look, surprised at how naturally this fellow could pivot.

Qiu Honglei's lips curved slightly upward. When she first met Ah Zu, he was just like this... shameless and cunning.

However, as she instantly thought of their impending fate, her smile faded.

"So that move was called the Ghost King's Demonic Sound," Zhao Hao mused, recalling the recent situation. He still felt a lingering dread, having almost been completely consumed by the opponent.

He looked at Zu An curiously. "You seem to know a lot about his abilities. Did this Miss Jing next to you tell you?"

Jing Teng shook her head slightly. Zu An had extracted this information himself from the two ghost generals, Wolong and Fengchu, back then. Of course, it wasn't convenient to explain this to Zhao Hao.

"You're quite a talent, young man," Zhao Hao sighed, then paused before adding, "How about we temporarily put aside our differences and join forces?"

Qiu Honglei was utterly bewildered.

In the eyes of the world, Zhao Hao was an invincible existence. Who would have thought he would ever seek an alliance?

Even if he were to seek an alliance, it should be with figures like King Qi or the Grand Libationer. What did he mean by asking a young junior like Ah Zu?

Although she knew her beloved was strong, this scene before her still seemed incredible.

Zu An was also surprised. "We join forces? Your Majesty, are you perhaps desperate? What qualifications do I have to fight alongside you? That Ghost King far surpasses me; I'd just be throwing my life away."

Zhao Hao snorted. "There's no need to feign humility in front of me. You absolutely have the qualifications to confront the Ghost King with me."

Zu An secretly remained wary. "Your Majesty truly overestimates me. If you don't mind, I could perhaps cheer you on from the side. You know, even top Grandmasters like Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing had their souls swallowed in a single gulp. What use could I possibly be?"

Zhao Hao grew a little impatient. "I'm tired of playing these guessing games with you. Others may not know your abilities, but I certainly do. Otherwise, how do you think my spirit clone within the Crown Prince died?"

Hearing this, Zu An's hair stood on end. Instinctively, he prepared to fight him to the death.

"Don't be nervous," Zhao Hao said calmly. "Since I've brought it up, it means it's in the past. As long as you help me deal with the Ghost King and find the immortal destiny, our past grievances will be wiped clean. If the demon race can make you a regent, why can't I?"

"Furthermore, after I ascend, the Crown Prince is weak and inept; he may not be able to hold his position firmly. He'll need your help to protect and guide him."

Qiu Honglei listened, utterly shocked. This short conversation contained an enormous amount of information.

Jing Teng, however, was filled with doubt. What were they talking about? She couldn't understand a single thing.

Could they even be from this world?

Zu An also dropped the frivolous expression from his face and said gravely, "So Your Majesty knew all along."

No wonder he always felt Zhao Hao harbored killing intent towards him.

Zhao Hao snorted. "My spirit clone on the Crown Prince simply vanished without a clear explanation. While you and the Crown Princess offered a plausible reason for it, I never believed it."

"I watched the Crown Princess grow up from childhood; I know she doesn't have that capability. The only one left, naturally, is you."

"So you've always believed it was my doing, just based on suspicion?" Zu An asked, somewhat puzzled.

"For an emperor, suspicion is enough. I'd rather kill a thousand innocents than let one guilty person go," Zhao Hao said chillingly.