“Stop!” Sima Kun’s eyes narrowed, and he quickly intervened.
Lu Ming felt as if he had received a great amnesty, collapsing onto the deck. Cold sweat had soaked through his underclothes. For a moment, he thought he was dead.
He was no match for Su Luo at all. He hadn't even seen how she moved, and his neck had nearly been broken.
Not only did he lose, but he was also slapped more than a dozen times!
Su Luo returned to her original position, her expressionless.
“Thank you, Lord, for saving me. This brat… she’s too terrifying. But why did she slap your subordinate? It was as if she was getting revenge on me?” Lu Ming finally stood up, still trembling with fear and full of confusion.
“Those who have taken the Black Worm Pill only act on instinct. These people are all arrogant and overbearing. I imagine they are accustomed to slapping others. Lu Ming, you’ve been wronged. These people are indeed very skilled, no wonder you couldn’t resist even a single move. Well done, very good!” Sima Kun chuckled, very pleased with Su Luo’s performance, his eyes filled with excitement.
Lu Ming had no recourse but to accept it.
The spirit ship accelerated, heading towards the Dark Forest.
No one noticed that far behind them, a figure hidden among the clouds was silently following.
Two days later, they finally reached the Dark Forest.
Looking down from the spirit ship, it was a pristine jungle, untouched by human hands and ancient. The leaves of the trees were mostly a deep, ink-green due to the special soil, appearing like a deep, dark ink ocean from a distance, hence its name.
As soon as they entered the range of the Dark Forest, more spirit ships began to fly in from all directions.
Su Luo and the others appeared silent, like puppets, but were secretly observing everything.
A spirit ship with a pitch-black hull flew past, only three zhang away from them. It sped by, creating a fierce airflow that made their ship shake violently. A brazen voice echoed from the other ship: “Little Sima Snake, you’re so slow. Don’t delay your master’s important matters, or you might lose your head.”
Before Sima Kun could reply, the black spirit ship had already moved far away.
“Lord, that Sky-Reaching Golden Toad is so arrogant, daring to speak such a title about you.” Lu Ming, looking angrily at the black spirit ship, spat fiercely to show his displeasure.
Sima Kun said lightly, “It’s nothing. I have always been at odds with him. This time, I will teach him a lesson while entering the ancient ruins. Let him be arrogant for now; he will regret it soon enough.”
Lu Ming chuckled, “Yes, Lord, you can catch him off guard and kill him. Then no one will dare to oppose you anymore.”
As soon as he finished speaking, two more spirit ships flew by from a distance.
These two were even larger than the one they were on, both top-tier five-story spirit ships, with the owner’s insignia carved on their hulls. One was a golden disc, it was unclear if it was the sun or the moon, and the other was a black skull with two red flames burning in its eyes.
“That’s the people of the幽梦魔使 (You Meng Mo Shi - Dream Weaver Demon Emissary). Their style is even grander than ours, truly arrogant.”
Lu Ming again expressed his dissatisfaction, then snorted, “Let’s see how long they can be proud. I fear very few will be able to survive when entering the ancient ruins this time.”
Sima Kun’s expression darkened slightly. Lu Ming knew he had said the wrong thing and quickly added, “Of course, Lord is an exception. Lord is well-prepared and will surely achieve victory.”
After flying another half an hour, the spirit ship began to descend slowly, landing on a vast expanse of grassland.
Many of the earlier arriving forces had already gathered here.
Spirit ships and flying chariots were assembled, all sorts of them, and some even rode directly on flying demonic pets. They each occupied a space. People disembarked from their spirit ships, greeting acquaintances with smiles, but keeping their distance, wary yet polite.
A gathering of demons, fiends, and specters, all deserving of death!
Su Luo had only one thought.
May a bolt of heavenly lightning strike down and kill all these demonic cultivators, bringing great peace to the world.
Sima Kun led his group down from the spirit ship, finding an open space to wait. He greeted anyone who approached him with a polite exchange, appearing very vigilant. An hour later, more people arrived. Suddenly, strong winds swept across the ground, and a powerful pressure descended from afar. Everyone’s gaze shifted, and they grew excited.
All heads simultaneously turned towards the distant horizon, where two dark clouds were flying towards them.
As they flew closer, it became clear that they were a mutated Blazing Thunder-Light Lion with two heads and a Jade-Eyed Golden Roc with wings spanning five zhang. Majestic and imposing, each carried a dignified man on their backs.
It was the Hundred-Eyed Heavenly Lord and the Dream Weaver Demon Emissary; the two had arrived simultaneously!
For the demonic cultivators, these two were top figures, second only to the Demon Lord Fan Mo Luo.
Wherever they went, everyone showed reverence!
As the two descended from the sky and slowly landed on two prepared white platforms on the grassland, everyone immediately knelt, shouting in unison, “Greetings, Master—!”
Su Luo, Chu Tian Shu, and the others also feigned kneeling, blending into the crowd to observe.
The Hundred-Eyed Heavenly Lord stood on the white platform with his Blazing Thunder-Light Lion, clad in a flowing cloak, exuding a powerful aura. Just looking at his appearance, one couldn’t discern his cruel and malicious nature; his face was fair, with a small mustache, and he smiled amiably, like a kind and majestic elder.
Beside him on the other platform stood the Dream Weaver Demon Emissary and his demonic pet, the Jade-Eyed Golden Roc.
He looked much more sinister.
His face was as pale as a corpse, and he was cloaked in black, wrapping his entire body. His deep black eyes seemed to pierce through people’s hearts, making anyone he gazed upon shiver. What was most terrifying was that instead of hair, he had strands of small, black snakes coiled and standing upright, hissing and flicking their tongues.
The Hundred-Eyed Heavenly Lord scanned the crowd and spoke first, “Are all the people present?”
Sima Kun instantly transformed into a fawning subordinate, trotting to the side of the platform and saying, “Reporting to Master, my side’s people are all present. Including Golden Toad’s people, there are a total of one hundred and thirty-eight individuals, all of them skilled experts above the Celestial Venerable cultivation level.”
The Hundred-Eyed Heavenly Lord nodded and looked at the Dream Weaver Demon Emissary.
As his nightmarish eyes swept over certain individuals, someone immediately stammered, “Reporting to Master, my side is also mostly present, a total of one hundred and nineteen people. Only Han Ya and his group have not arrived yet…”
Just then, a streak of white light flew from the sky.
Someone shouted from afar, “Master, Master, your subordinate is late, please…” He was flustered, it was the only one late, Han Ya, followed by his eight subordinates, arriving on their swords.
Suddenly, the Dream Weaver Demon Emissary merely glanced at the sky, and with a crackle!
Splattering blood light filled the air. Han Ya and his eight subordinates all exploded, turning into falling shreds of flesh and bloody mist.
The assembled crowd collectively gasped, but a deathly silence ensued.
How terrifying!
This was the consequence of enraging their master, dying without even a complete corpse.
After a while, the blood mist dissipated, as if nothing had happened, but a shadow fell upon the hearts of everyone, making them even more cautious.
“Since everyone is here, let us begin.”
The Hundred-Eyed Heavenly Lord’s expression was calm, his smile still present. He slowly flew up and waved his hand towards the front. A massive, invisible ripple spread out, and the dense forest not far away, as if struck by waves, began to distort.
Su Luo watched the scene intently, her heart greatly shaken.
It turned out the ancient ruins had been before her eyes all along, merely concealed by a secret technique. At this moment, an entrance emanating a strong fluctuation appeared. From the outside, it looked vast and boundless, like a sea of clouds.