656: Chapter 656 Can't Pretend

What seemed like a casual palm strike descended as if carrying the weight of a thousand jun of Chaos power.

Before the palm wind even arrived, the lingering lightning around Immortal King Zi Ting dissipated, crushed into fine powder by that invisible pressure.

He watched helplessly as that palm grew larger before his eyes, yet he didn't even have the strength to close them; he could only feel the shadow of death completely enveloping his body.

“Bang!”

A dull, extreme boom rang out, like two primordial stars colliding.

The madness and fear in Immortal King Zi Ting's eyes instantly froze as his body flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

He smashed through countless layers of void barriers along the way, the immortal blood spraying from his mouth drawing a tragic red line in the air.

His Middle Stage Immortal King dao foundation, which he was so proud of, shattered inch by inch under this single palm strike like fragile colored glass.

The majestic immortal power within his body dissipated like a flood, and even his Divine Soul was shaken to the point of instability.

Xiao Hei's figure flickered, catching up to the flying Immortal King Zi Ting as if teleporting. A wisp of pitch-black Dao Rhyme shot from his fingertip, precisely piercing into the man's glabella, instantly locking down his remaining Divine Soul and immortal power.

He wasn't even given the luxury of passing out; he was forced to remain conscious to the end, feeling the despair as his cultivation rapidly drained and his dao foundation completely crumbled.

“Throw him to the Great Ancestor to handle.”

Xiao Hei's tone was flat. With a casual flick, he tossed the dog-like Immortal King Zi Ting toward the Great Ancestor.

The Great Ancestor raised his hand to catch him. Looking at the dying Immortal King Zi Ting with his ruined dao foundation, he grinned.

At this moment, Immortal King Mo Chen had long since experienced his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering in terror. Shaking like a sieve, he no longer possessed even a fraction of an Immortal King's dignity.

He had witnessed a Middle Stage Immortal King like Zi Ting being casually crushed, unable to even self-detonate. The last shred of hope in his heart was completely extinguished, leaving only a fear that penetrated to his very marrow.

“Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!”

Immortal King Mo Chen quickly fell to his knees, kowtowing for mercy without regard for his image, his forehead hitting the void with loud thuds.

“This Junior sincerely surrenders! I am willing to offer all my treasures and Cultivation Techniques, and even serve at your beck and call, if only you will spare my dog's life!”

Seeing this, the four Great Ancestors slowly reined in their offensive and looked toward Xiao Hei, waiting for his decision.

Xiao Hei looked down at the kneeling and pleading Immortal King Mo Chen, a cold sneer curling his lips.

“The pride of an Immortal King is worth so little? I still prefer that arrogant and unyielding look you had just now. Please restore it.”

Immortal King Mo Chen trembled violently, his kowtowing motion freezing in mid-air as his face turned from pale to ashen.

These words were more bone-chilling than any killing intent. They tore away his last shred of dignity, exposing all his cowardice and baseness to the light of day.

He wanted to squeeze out that 'unyielding' expression, but his muscles were already frozen by fear, only managing to contort into a tragic smile that looked worse than crying.

“I... I cannot fake it... Lord... mercy...”

His voice was hoarse and broken, like a leaking bellows.

“Boring.” The last trace of 'interest' in Xiao Hei's eyes faded, but he didn't make things difficult for him further.

A refined strand of pitch-black Dao Rhyme shot from his fingertip, wrapping around Immortal King Mo Chen's entire body like a chain.

“Buzz!”

The moment the Dao Rhyme entered his body, Immortal King Mo Chen felt his immortal power become like a dried-up riverbed, instantly dissipating into silence.

Even his dao foundation was firmly locked by an invisible force, leaving him unable to mobilize a single bit of his cultivation.

Xiao Hei then grabbed him by the collar like a chick and tossed him together with Immortal King Zi Ting for the Great Ancestor to deal with.

Having done all this, Xiao Hei's gaze swept across the deathly silent battlefield below.

The remaining Cultivators of the Hundred Immortals Alliance had long since ceased their resistance. Like puppets with their Souls removed, they stared blankly at the sky—fear gripped their throats, and they had even forgotten how to cry or plead for mercy.

The Disciples of the Azure Profound Sect also stopped their movements. Although they had long known Xiao Hei was powerful, witnessing an Immortal King being subdued so effortlessly still sent a massive shock through their minds.

Especially the Disciples who had entered the Cangyun World later; their understanding of Xiao Hei was completely rewritten.

Xuan Yangzi took a deep breath, suppressing the tremors in his heart, and nodded slightly toward Xiao Hei.

As Xiao Hei's figure merged into the Void Realm and disappeared, the supreme pressure that filled heaven and earth and froze Souls also receded like a tide.

Sunlight finally fell without obstruction, illuminating the broken mountains and rivers, and the countless faces of those who had survived the disaster with tear stains still wet.

It also illuminated the fire ignited in every eye—a mixture of shock, longing, and determination.

The wind began to flow again, carrying the scent of gunpowder and faint blood, but also a hint of the smell of new earth.

Only then did the battlefield below seem to be released from a freezing spell.

“Those who surrender shall not be killed! Drop your weapons and kneel!”

Xuan Yangzi's steady voice echoed through heaven and earth, carrying an unquestionable authority.

“Stop fighting! I surrender!”

A True Immortal was the first to throw down his immortal weapon, kneeling on both knees and trembling as he begged for mercy.

Once there was a first, there was a second.

“I surrender too! Please, Lord, spare my life!”

“We are willing to submit! We will never dare to be enemies with the Xuanhuang World again!”

One after another, pleas for mercy spread across the battlefield. Countless Hundred Immortals Alliance Cultivators threw down their weapons and knelt, their faces full of terror and despair, their previous arrogance completely gone.

They knew very well that continuing to resist meant only death, while surrendering might allow them to keep their lives.

The Azure Profound Sect Disciples moved quickly, efficiently controlling the despondent Hundred Immortals Alliance Cultivators, confiscating weapons and categorizing them for supervision, all in an orderly fashion.

This was a sharp contrast to the previous violent slaughter, showing the discipline expected of a powerful army.

Once the periphery of the battlefield was handled, everyone's gaze turned unanimously toward the area Gu Changge had isolated.

There, the Xuanhuang Great Emperors were still fighting intensely, in groups of five or six, working together to kill a True Immortal.

Though they were still struggling and covered in wounds, they fought with increasing bravery. The fierce collision between Imperial Dao Laws and immortal power served as the sharpest whetstone, giving them deeper insights into their own paths.

Wang Zhan was particularly fearless, his body burning with immortal light. Even if he was knocked away by a True Immortal's attack, he would immediately grit his teeth and struggle to his feet, the Battle Intent in his eyes burning like fire.

It wasn't until the cheers and shouts from outside faintly penetrated the isolation barrier set by Gu Changge and entered this small battlefield that Wang Zhan and the others suddenly snapped back to their senses.

They instinctively stopped and turned toward the outside of the barrier, seeing that the Hundred Immortals Alliance army had already collapsed and the Azure Profound Sect Disciples were orderly escorting prisoners.

The cheers of the Xuanhuang sentient beings filled the air, and the haze of despair that once shrouded the world had long been dispersed by the ecstasy of survival.

Seeing this, the True Immortal being besieged by Wang Zhan and the others instantly lost the courage to resist, collapsing to the ground and trembling as he begged for mercy.