69: The Thousand Slaughter Shadow Formation

Just as Lin Chen contentedly 'freeloaded' the Human Emperor's last legacy, along with the tragic hero Wangu's obsession, completely into his hands.

On the other side.

In the core forbidden zone of the Dragon Bone Wasteland, within the Death Gate, known as the 'Forbidden Zone for the Living,' a long-premeditated 'feast of death' finally unveiled its bloody, sinister, and utterly shameless and treacherous curtain.

The Dragon Bone Wasteland, as its name suggests, is the burial ground of ancient dragon clans. And the Death Gate is the area in this wasteland with the densest resentment, malevolence, and death qi. The sky is always leaden grey, with no sun, moon, or stars, only a ghastly pale, blood-soaked blood moon emitting a chilling, dead light.

Gales rage ceaselessly here, howling through the hollows of massive dragon bone fossils, emitting wails that are sometimes like ghosts crying, sometimes like dragons roaring, enough to make any cultivator with an unstable Dao Heart lose control and descend into madness. The earth is black-brown, hard as iron, barren of grass, and the air is filled with a thick, rusty smell mixed with decay and blood.

Luo Bingli and Xiao Qingxue were leading the main force of Purple Cloud Holy Land, nearly three hundred female disciples, through this perilous region. They strictly followed the 'script' Lin Chen had laid out before entering the secret realm, 'struggling' and 'fighting hard' all the way, deliberately making sure everyone bore injuries and had largely depleted their spiritual power, slowly approaching the Ghost City of Death, situated in the deepest part of the Death Gate, filled with ominous and eerie auras.

It was an ancient city in extreme disrepair. More than half of its city walls had already collapsed, and the remaining parts were covered in spiderweb-like cracks. Only half of the massive city gate hung precariously. The entire city was shrouded in a visible, thick, viscous black-purple demonic qi, like an ancient beast poised to devour, quietly crouching on the horizon, waiting for its prey to walk into the trap.

"Luo... Senior Sister Luo," a young disciple, still with a hint of childishness on her face, tightly gripped her longsword, her palms slick with cold sweat. She gazed at the ruined ancient city shrouded in demonic qi in the distance, her pretty face etched with an instinctive fear originating from the depths of her soul. "We... do we really have to go in? It feels... so terrifying in there... like, like a mouth, about to swallow us all whole..."

Her voice trembled, expressing the feelings of most of the disciples present. Even knowing it was part of the Holy Son's plan, facing such a terrifying sight, fear was still hard to suppress.

"Execute the Holy Son's command."

Luo Bingli's voice was as cold as ten-thousand-year-old profound ice, devoid of any emotion, instantly suppressing the restless atmosphere around them. Her gaze was sharp as a blade, sweeping over the face of every disciple.

Although deep down, she also felt pangs of trepidation from the ominous aura emanating from the ghost city, her almost blind absolute trust in her master forced her to suppress all distracting thoughts, fear, and unease.

Her master's plan never failed. All they needed to do was perfectly play their roles—a group of exhausted 'prey' about to step into a trap.

Xiao Qingxue, at the opportune moment, played the role of the 'kind cop.' She gently patted the junior sister's shoulder and softly comforted her, "Don't be afraid. Remember what the Holy Son said: no matter what happens, we are not fighting alone. Trust the Holy Son; he will be our strongest backing."

Under the guidance of the two core figures, the main force of Purple Cloud Holy Land finally calmed their minds. They supported each other, dragging their 'weary' steps, one by one, into the dilapidated city gate of the Ghost City of Death.

And just as the last disciple's figure completely vanished into the city gate, a sudden change occurred!

"Buzz—!!!"

Without any warning!

The entire desolate ghost city seemed to awaken from slumber in an instant!

Streaks of thick, blood-red sword light, like mad dragons, filled with endless slaughter, malice, and madness, suddenly shot up into the sky from the crumbling ruins on all sides, from beneath the dry streets, and from the roofs of dilapidated pavilions!

The angles from which these sword lights appeared were incredibly tricky, blocking all possible escape routes and evasion spaces. In an instant, they intertwined and crisscrossed in mid-air, immediately forming a net of sword qi that covered the entire city entrance area, filled with death and despair, completely engulfing all the Purple Cloud Holy Land disciples!

Sword Array—Myriad Slaughter Absolute Shadow Array! One of Myriad Sword Pavilion's most notorious killing arrays!

"Hehehehehe... Hahahahahahaha!"

Bursts of sinister laughter, filled with malevolence, madness, and boundless schadenfreude, echoed from all directions like the cries of night owls, piercing people's eardrums!

At the end of the main street ahead, a stooped old woman with a wrinkled face and eyes as venomous as a viper slowly emerged from the shadows, leaning on a blood-red greatsword taller than herself. It was none other than the Grand Elder of Myriad Sword Pavilion, Extinction Sword Crone!

Beside her, Li Hanyue's normally beautiful face was now twisted and deformed by jealousy and hatred, appearing exceptionally hideous. Behind them were hundreds of disciples, dressed in Myriad Sword Pavilion's blood-red uniforms, who had been ambushing for a long time. Each held a sharp sword, their eyes cold, like a legion of evil spirits crawled out of hell.

They looked at the Purple Cloud Holy Land group, instantly trapped by the sword array like 'turtles in a jar,' and on each of their faces, there was the undisguised cruel smile of hunters seeing their prey perfectly and foolishly walk into a trap!

"You... sluts of Purple Cloud Holy Land!"

Extinction Sword Crone's voice was hoarse and sharp, like two rusted iron plates rubbing together. Every word contained monstrous killing intent and undisguised hatred. "Today, this Death Gate forbidden zone of the Dragon Bone Wasteland, will be your burial ground!"

Her words were filled with a certain 'righteous' tone of judgment, as if she were not carrying out a despicable ambush, but executing some sacred verdict.

"You, Purple Cloud Holy Land, relying on an evildoer like Lin Chen, have become increasingly arrogant and tyrannical! Within the secret realm, you have plundered resources, occupied them, and suppressed fellow cultivators! Moreover, you used despicable and shameless means to kill countless talented disciples of my pavilion! The crimes are too numerous to recount! Today, my Myriad Sword Pavilion shall act on behalf of heaven to eradicate all of you demonesses who aid and abet evil, to set things right in Xuanhuang!"

These words, twisting black and white and shifting blame, instantly made the Purple Cloud Holy Land disciples' faces turn pale with anger!

It was clearly Myriad Sword Pavilion who had provoked them repeatedly, and being inferior in skill, they were beaten. Now, in the mouth of this old hag, it had become Purple Cloud Holy Land bullying others with their power?

This was Myriad Sword Pavilion! A shameless sect that had the words 'shameless' carved into its sectarian DNA! They never believed they were wrong; all failures were because the enemy was too despicable; all blame could be packaged by them as 'righteous counterattacks' under 'duress'!

"No! It's a trap! Quick! Form an array and break through!"

Luo Bingli's face instantly turned extremely cold. She didn't waste words arguing with such a mad dog. The terrifying pressure of her Early Nascent Soul Stage cultivation erupted like a volcano. Her spiritual sword unsheathed, bringing forth a brilliant ice-blue sword rainbow, and she was about to lead everyone to forcibly tear open a corner of the sword array to break through!

However!

Just then!

A voice, even more despairing, chilling, and full of 'betrayal' and 'malice,' suddenly echoed faintly from behind them, from the direction of the city gate, which should have been their escape route!

"Giggle giggle..."

The laughter was like silver bells, yet it carried an indescribable eeriness and chill.

"My dear sisters, only now do you wish to leave?"

"Isn't it... a little too late?"

The Purple Cloud Holy Land disciples turned back in shock!

They saw Hua Jieyu, who was supposed to be their 'captive,' and her ten 'prisoner' junior sisters, had somehow broken free from their special chains! Where was the dishevelment and fear of prisoners on their faces? Replaced by the same malicious pleasure of a successful conspiracy as the Myriad Sword Pavilion members!

The eleven of them simultaneously cut their fingertips, allowing the dark, blood-sweet, toxic blood to drip onto the ground. Immediately, their hands danced rapidly with an extremely bizarre rhythm, instantly sketching a complex, evil, blood-colored array totem full of corrosive and cursed aura on the ground with their poisonous blood!

"Hundred Flowers Life Reversal Array - Activate!"

Accompanied by Hua Jieyu's sharp shriek!

The entire land of the Ghost City of Death seemed to have completely "come alive" at this moment!

"Rumble—!"

The ground trembled violently, and countless black-purple poisonous vines, formed by the fusion of ancient dragon bone resentment and the secret poisons of Hundred Flowers Valley, burst forth from the earth like death tentacles from the Nine Nether Hells! The surfaces of these poisonous vines were covered with barbs and strange flower buds that constantly dripped venom. They possessed extremely strong binding and corrosive power, and with lightning speed, they ensnared, bound, and locked the Purple Cloud Holy Land disciples, who were already trapped by the Myriad Slaughter Absolute Shadow Array, in place!

Double kill!

The "prey's" backlash!

The "ally's" backstab!

At this moment, the Purple Cloud Holy Land disciples had no path to the heavens and no door to the earth, completely falling into an unprecedented desperate situation. The sharp killing intent of the sword array hung over their heads, while the deadly restraints of the poisonous vines beneath their feet continuously corroded their protective spiritual light.

"Hahaha! Well done, Junior Niece Hua! You truly did not disappoint this Seat!"

Extinction Sword Crone, seeing this scene, laughed wildly with even greater glee, the wrinkles on her old face creasing into a chrysanthemum. She looked at Hua Jieyu, nodding approvingly: "Don't worry! After these wastes are dealt with, all the benefits this Seat promised you will be yours! That Infant Transformation Pill will definitely be yours!"

"Then many thanks, Sword Crone." Hua Jieyu bowed gracefully to Extinction Sword Crone, her posture humble, then turned around, casting her gaze, filled with endless malice and vengeful pleasure, towards Luo Bingli, Xiao Qingxue, and the others, who were trapped in the center of the array with pale faces.

"My dear sisters... are you feeling desperate now? Are you in a lot of pain?" Her voice was filled with morbid pleasure, "When you bullied our Hundred Flowers Valley sisters by relying on your numbers, did you ever think this day would come? Our Hundred Flowers Valley's motto is to repay every grudge! And we never believe in fair one-on-one duels! If we can gang up, we'll never fight alone! If we can use traps, we'll never confront head-on! This is the smart way! Only fools like you would believe in righteousness!"

She looked at their angry and incredulous eyes, the sneer on her face growing deeper: "Are you longing for your all-powerful 'Saint Son', that bastard Lin Chen, to descend like a god from the heavens to save you?"

She deliberately paused, savoring the fleeting glimmer of hope in their eyes, then cruelly extinguished it.

"—He won't be coming." A cruel, cat-playing-with-mouse sneer appeared on her face, "Because we have already prepared another, even more 'grand' and 'magnificent'… death feast for him!"

After speaking, she exchanged glances with Extinction Sword Crone, and a cruel, bloodthirsty grin, ready to harvest lives, appeared in both their eyes!

Extinction Sword Crone even took a step forward, and a terrifying pressure far exceeding the Golden Core Stage Great Perfection descended with a boom!

Nascent Soul! This old hag was indeed a Nascent Soul Old Monster in the Early Nascent Soul Stage!

"Do you feel it? This is the power of the Nascent Soul Stage!" Extinction Sword Crone laughed wildly, "You must be very curious why I was able to enter this secret realm which only allows Golden Core Stage cultivators!"

She did not hide her cheating, but rather took pride in it, announcing loudly as if showing off her "wisdom":

"That's right! This Seat bribed the guards! This Seat cheated my way in! But what of it?!" Her voice suddenly rose, filled with shameless "righteousness", "To deal with a peerless demon like Lin Chen, any means are permissible! All are righteous! This isn't cheating, this is 'setting things right'! It's you demonic cultists and that Lin Chen who forced this Seat to act this way! You are the culprits!"

The ultimate "shamelessness"! Perfectly rationalizing her despicable actions, even packaging them as "heroic deeds done out of necessity"!

At this moment, all the female disciples of Purple Cloud Holy Land were utterly despairing.

Facing a rule-breaking, utterly shameless Nascent Soul Old Monster, facing two deadly grand arrays, facing hundreds of enemies like wolves and tigers, and facing the fatal betrayal from their allies... they saw no glimmer of hope for survival.

Many disciples had already closed their eyes, shedding unwilling tears, awaiting the arrival of death.

Luo Bingli and Xiao Qingxue stood back-to-back, protecting their junior sisters behind them. Although their eyes held determination, a hint of sorrow was hard to conceal.

Just as Extinction Sword Crone and Hua Jieyu were about to issue the final "slaughter" command!

At this moment, when the aura of despair and death had become so thick it was almost tangible!

A calm, even seemingly "impatient" male voice, as if having just woken up, suddenly, without warning, drifted down from the blood moon's peak high above the nine heavens, as if piercing through ancient time and space.

"Oh? Is that so?"

"What 'feast'?"

"Tell me about it, is there a spot for me?"

Boom—!!!

This voice seemed to contain some supreme power where words became law!

As soon as the voice rang out, heaven and earth shook!

The Myriad Slaughter Absolute Shadow Array, which enveloped the Purple Cloud Holy Land disciples, and its countless blood-colored sword lights, actually let out a "buzzing" wail of unbearable strain, as if encountering their natural nemesis, their glow instantly dimming by three points!

And those black-purple poisonous vines, filled with resentment and curses, that had emerged from the ground, instantly withered and curled up like ice and snow scorched by the blazing sun, emitting a piercing "sizzling" sound, and actively retreated back into the earth!

The cruel, triumphant grins on the faces of Extinction Sword Crone and Hua Jieyu, about to harvest the fruits of victory, instantly froze! As if a petrification spell had been cast!

The color drained from their faces instantly, turning deathly pale! They suddenly looked up, using all their strength, to gaze at the sky from where the voice came!

Immediately, their pupils sharply contracted into the most dangerous, most fearful pinpricks!

They saw beneath that pale blood moon.

A figure was slowly descending from the sky!

He was bathed in an endless, brilliant, sacred, and warm golden divine light! That light was so pure, so overbearing, that it instantly dispelled the cold and death qi that had accumulated for tens of thousands of years within this Death Gate forbidden land!

He held an ancient, heavy, golden divine seal, as if it had condensed the entire human race's ancient destiny and unyielding fighting spirit!

Behind him, within the golden divine light, seemed to stand billions of blurry yet majestic figures! These were the heroic spirits of humanity who had died fighting to protect their homes and perpetuate civilization! Although silent, their will to protect and inherit converged into a supreme pressure capable of changing the color of heaven and earth and making gods and demons tremble!

At this moment, he did not look like a cultivator.

He was like a true... Human Emperor, stepping out from ancient mythological epics, treading upon the glory of the predecessors, step by step!

A deity who had come to judge all "baseness," "shamelessness," and "evil" in the world!

"Human... Emperor... Seal?!"

Extinction Sword Crone, this Nascent Soul Old Monster, at the moment she clearly saw that golden divine seal, all expressions vanished from her old face, replaced by an endless, uncontrollable fear and disbelief originating from the deepest part of her soul! Her sound was no longer human, but a scream filled with despair and horror!

The human emperor seal! It suppresses all ancient evil demons and is the ultimate bane of all sinister and malevolent beings! Cultivators like her, who cultivated through resentment and slaughter, were as insignificant as ants before this power!

And Lin Chen simply did not give them any more time to react, to explain, or to perform their "I am the victim" act again!

He merely looked down from above, with an indifferent gaze, as if looking at trash, at the "ants" below who were already scared silly.

Slowly, he raised the human emperor seal in his hand.

Then, with a voice full of supreme divine might, a voice of judgment, he softly uttered a single word from his mouth.

"—Suppress."

—Suppress.