233: Chapter 233 Self-Destruction

After the Giant Turtle finished those final words, its consciousness returned from the blood mist space to its physical body.

Its yellowish-brown pupils refocused, looking at the silvery-white light screen still suppressing it before its eyes, feeling the Demon Power constantly draining from its body and the increasingly heavy weight upon its turtle shell.

It did not struggle, nor did it roar; it merely raised its head slowly, its gaze sweeping over those five Golden Core Cultivators and Han Zheng standing on the rocky slope, as if looking at a pile of offerings already laid out.

A moment later.

The corners of its mouth curled up slightly.

"I want you all to be buried with me!!!"

Standing on the rocky slope, Han Zheng frowned when he heard these words.

Just as he was about to speak, the Demon Power within the Giant Turtle's body had already reversed direction.

It was no longer flowing outward, but contracting inward, like a river forced to flow backward, all currents surging toward a single point.

"Boom, hum, hum, hum~"

In the mere span of a breath.

The berserk Demon Power exploded. The cracks on the surface of the turtle shell were forced open several times wider in that instant. Dark light surged from the fissures, like something suppressed for too long having finally found an exit, gushing out layer after layer.

Han Zheng's expression changed.

"Everyone retreat! It's going to self-detonate!"

Three hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators turned and retreated simultaneously.

The five Golden Core Cultivators also withdrew their spiritual power at the same time, scattering in different directions.

Han Zheng himself was also retreating, pushing off the ground with both feet, his figure darting backward. The Azure Dragon Crescent Blade in his hand had already been withdrawn into his body, and he was like a kite with a broken string, being pulled backward by an invisible force.

But it was already too late.

"Boom!!!"

The Giant Turtle's body rapidly expanded within that dark light. Its thick shell, like deadwood being forced open from within, spewed dark red light from its cracks, illuminating the entire Evil Pool.

The light was like a tide spreading in all directions; wherever it passed, the ground was overturned, the muddy water was scorched dry, and stones were crushed into powder.

A dull, thunderous roar exploded from the center of the Evil Pool. There was no fire, only a layer of dark light waves spreading outward from the Giant Turtle as the center, like a giant boulder thrown into water, instantly swallowing the entire Evil Pool along with the surrounding swamp.

Wherever the light waves passed, a layer of the ground was shaved off, and silt and debris were pushed further away.

The batch of the three hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators at the back were swept over directly by the light waves; before they could even scream, their bodies turned into grayish-white powder, scattering into the churning mud.

The others were still running, but the speed of the light waves was far faster than them, like a tide catching up with footprints running on a beach, engulfing them layer by layer.

One of the five Golden Core Cultivators was struck by the edge of the light waves and met the same fate.

Han Zheng had the highest cultivation and retreated the fastest, but the light waves still caught up to him. Fortunately, at the critical moment, Han Zheng spared no expense to use various life-saving measures.

He even used an extremely precious Teleportation Talisman, which was the only reason he managed to save his life.

A few breaths later.

Han Zheng stood in the distance, slowly raising his head to look at the dark light still churning in the center of the Evil Pool, his pupils reflecting the completely destroyed shallows.

The light there was dissipating bit by bit, like the tidal flats revealed after the tide recedes, washed clean as if the entire Evil Pool had just been smoothed over by a giant hand, even the water vapor having been steamed away.

The aftershocks were still echoing in the swamp, air currents carrying dust and debris spreading outward, weakening little by little, and finally dissipating into the night wind.

The swamp was silent, with only residual spiritual light flickering slightly in the air.

"How could it… be like this…"

Han Zheng stood on the spot, watching the completely leveled Evil Pool, not moving at all.

Although he had saved his life during the aftershocks, his profound black robe was mostly shredded, the cuffs scorched and curled, the hem torn open to reveal a section of his scratched lower leg, blood dripping down along his ankle.

But his gaze did not fall on the wound, but rather on that empty shallow area.

Three hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators, five Golden Core colleagues, along with the Haoyue Great Array, had all disappeared in that wave of light just now.

Han Zheng's gaze went blank for a moment, and he raised his hand to press on his shoulder.

There was a burn mark there from being grazed by the edge of the light wave, the skin rolled back, oozing blood beads, but he pressed it once and then let go, as if he didn't feel the pain, or perhaps that bit of pain was no longer worth noting in the face of a heavier burden.

A stick of incense later.

From the distance came a burst of rapid sounds of something breaking through the air.

Three figures swept in from the night, landing on the gravel slope at the edge of the swamp.

Leading them was Commander Su Qin, his deep blue brocade robe embroidered with gold thread stained with some dew, the silver token at his waist still gleaming coldly in the night.

Behind him followed two people, also wearing profound-colored robes, with copper tokens hanging at their waists, their auras steady; both were Golden Core Early Stage Cultivators.

Commander Su Qin's gaze swept over the leveled Evil Pool, then over the scorched marks remaining on the ground and the scattered humanoid ashes, finally landing on Han Zheng.

His footsteps paused.

"What happened?"

"Here… where are the others?"

Commander Su Qin's voice carried an irrepressible urgency.

Commander Su Qin was not anxious because he was worried about the lives of the others, but because Han Zheng was a member of his faction; if something happened to all of them, that would be a significant loss for him.

Han Zheng did not answer.

He stood on that scorched muddy ground, his gaze still fixed on the direction of that empty shallow area.

The wind blew over the swamp, carrying a faint charred smell, like the scent of something that had been burned through and then cooled down, seeping in from all directions.

Commander Su Qin's gaze lingered on him for a moment, then swept over the completely leveled clearing, and he did not ask further.

The two Golden Core Cultivators behind him exchanged a look, each lowering their gaze, as if they had seen nothing.

Commander Su Qin walked up quickly, reached out to grab Han Zheng's arm, and lowered his voice a few degrees, carrying a tone that brooked no refusal: "Let's leave this place first. We'll talk about everything when we get back."

Han Zheng was yanked forward, stumbling a step, as if this pull was what finally dragged him out of some frozen state.

He looked down at his arm that was being held, then looked up at Commander Su Qin, slowly nodding, as if squeezing out a response from the depths of his throat: "Mm."

Commander Su Qin did not say anything more, released his hand, and turned to fly in the direction they had come from.

Han Zheng followed behind him, his footsteps somewhat unsteady, as if the wound on his body was slowly revealing its severity.

The two Golden Core Cultivators followed at the end. The four of them did not speak much, their figures walking along the gravel slope at the edge of the swamp toward the distant night, and soon disappeared into the mist.

On a distant treetop, Wu Li remained unaffected beneath the Colorless Profound Light.

A moment later.

When those four figures completely disappeared into the night, the swamp became completely silent, with only residual heat waves slowly dissipating in the air, like a breath held for too long finally being released.