301: You might have some misunderstanding about what "sturdy" means.

Looking at the human who walked in with such calm and composure, the hearts of all the Demonic Evils nearly leapt out of their chests.

However, the expected panic did not last long.

The Curse Devouring Demon Marshal stared fixedly at Chen Nian.

On its hideous face, far from showing fear...

...a twisted smile suddenly erupted, a mixture of ecstasy, malice, and relief!

“Haha... Hahaha... Hahahaha!!!”

The Curse Devouring Demon Marshal let out a hoarse, triumphant laugh.

The laughter echoed through the empty altar, filled with the madness of a successful scheme!

“You’ve finally come! This Marshal has been waiting for you for a long time!”

Chen Nian raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by the other's attitude. “Oh? You were waiting specifically for me?”

“What else?!” The Curse Devouring Demon Marshal abruptly stopped laughing, its compound eyes flashing with the sharp light of a successful plot.

“Did you think you found our stronghold? Did you think you were the hunter?”

“Utterly wrong! From start to finish, you have been within our calculations!”

“This is not some ritual site at all; this is merely a meticulously forged bait!”

“All to lure you here!”

As these words were spoken, the core Demonic Evils who had been terrified out of their wits were all stunned.

Their faces were written over with disbelief!

“Wha... What?”

“Lord Demon Marshal... what are you saying? Isn't this... isn't this the ritual core of the ‘Myriad Curses Corrosion Realm’?”

“Aren't we... aren't we here to execute our Master's most important plan? How could it be...”

“Bait? We... we are all bait?!”

The Demonic Evils were in an uproar; they had always thought they were carrying out a glorious and great mission.

For this, they had even sacrificed their kin on the periphery and were prepared to fight to the death.

In the end, they were now being told that they, along with this stronghold they had operated for so long...

...were merely bait used to hook this god of slaughter?!

This truth instantly plunged them into a state of immense confusion and terror!

However, the Curse Devouring Demon Marshal didn't bother to pay attention to its subordinates' shock.

All its attention was focused on Chen Nian, its tone filled with the mockery of one who held victory in hand.

“Unexpected, isn't it?”

“Although I don't know what backing you have that allows you to always find our strongholds with such precision...”

“...the Lord of Curses possesses divine foresight! He long ago anticipated your vengeful nature and knew you would never pass up an opportunity to sweep us away!”

“To this end, His Majesty did not hesitate to sacrifice this important stronghold and thousands of elites, deliberately leaking an imperceptible flaw to guide your detection!”

“Sure enough, you really came. Even though it's just a trap, we also set up multiple layers of shielding; ordinary means could never have found it.”

“From the looks of it, you indeed have some kind of detection method we are unaware of.”

“But it no longer matters. This place shall be your burial ground!”

Hearing this, a hint of surprise did indeed appear on Chen Nian's face as he mused thoughtfully.

“So that's how it is. These coordinates were deliberately leaked to lure the tiger from the mountain?”

“Staking a stronghold and the lives of thousands of Demonic Evils just to set this trap?”

“Your Abyss is more willing to pay a high price than I imagined.”

Seeing that Chen Nian was still so calm, the Curse Devouring Demon Marshal couldn't help but burn with rage, feeling as though it had been greatly insulted.

But it suppressed its anger and gave a cruel smile. “Death is at your doorstep, yet you still dare to be stubborn!”

“This formation was personally set by the Lord of Curses. It contains the supreme Laws of the Abyss. Once the runes take shape, it can imprison time and space, Seal all methods, and refine the Divine Soul!”

“Even if you have heaven-defying cultivation, once in this formation, don't even think about breaking free. To force His Majesty to use such a trump card, you can be proud of yourself!”

The Curse Devouring Demon Marshal stopped pretending and shouted harshly, “Activate the grand formation! Refine him for me!”

Though the surrounding Demonic Evils were still in shock, they frantically channeled the Magic Formation!

“Rumble—!!!!”

In the center of the altar, that incredibly complex three-dimensional rune suddenly stopped rotating and instantly solidified!

In the next moment!

“Clang clang clang clang—!!!!”

Countless shadow chains, condensed from the purest Laws of Curses and Binding...

...shot out from the runes and the Void Realm like living venomous snakes!

These chains were thick, their surfaces covered in twisted runes, emitting a terrifying aura that froze the Soul and annihilated life.

From all directions, they ruthlessly coiled toward Chen Nian in the center of the formation!

Their speed surpassed thought!

In an instant, they firmly bound Chen Nian's limbs and body!

At the same time, an unimaginably vast power of spatial imprisonment crashed down!

It was as if this area had been cut off from the main world, forming an independent cage where the Laws were twisted!

The Spiritual Qi in the air was instantly drained dry.

In its place was a thick, inescapable energy of malicious curses targeting all life!

“It worked! He can't move!” a Demonic Evil commander screamed in ecstasy!

“Kill him! Quick! Drive the refining power of the grand formation!” The Curse Devouring Demon Marshal was so excited its scorpion tail danced wildly as it gave the order!

All the Demonic Evils were like they'd been injected with adrenaline; their previous fear and sense of betrayal were instantly replaced by the pleasure of revenge!

They roared one after another, pouring their remaining Evil Energy into the grand formation without reservation.

They forced the countless chains to tighten and triggered the curse field, intending to completely strangle and refine Chen Nian within the formation!

The chains tightened frantically, the runes on them lighting up as they madly eroded all of the target's defenses!

The curse field crushed down like a millstone, as if to grind Chen Nian into the most basic energy particles!

However, facing this seemingly hopeless siege, Chen Nian, at the very heart of the storm, merely shook his head helplessly.

“Is that it?”

He didn't even bother to use any skills.

He simply released a slight amount of the Prison Suppressing Divine Body's power.

“Crack... crack crack...”

A faint but crystal-clear sound, like glass shattering, rang out.

The expressions of the Demonic Evils present shifted instantly, each one shocked and filled with disbelief.

Then—

“BOOM—!!!!”

A deafening, terrifying explosion suddenly erupted from those dark purple chains!

Those God-Binding Chains containing the Laws of the Abyss wrapped around Chen Nian... were like balloons inflated to their limit, or like they were being violently burst from the inside by an invisible, gargantuan force!

They snapped inch by inch! They crumbled piece by piece!

They exploded into a sky full of dull, lusterless Law fragments!

The dense curse field was directly dispersed and purified by an even more overbearing, even more supreme power!

Chen Nian easily broke free from the restraints, standing in place with a calm expression, not even a corner of his clothes ruffled.

He lightly rotated his wrists, as if he had just finished a simple stretch.

Then, he looked at the surrounding Demonic Evils, whose smiles were frozen on their faces as if they had been hit by a Petrification Spell.

He wore a smile that seemed gentle but froze the very Souls of all the Demonic Evils.

“This cage of yours... the quality isn't quite up to par.”

“It seems your master might have a bit of a misunderstanding regarding the word ‘sturdy’.”

“Now, is it my turn?”