Moments later, as the lingering light dissipated, the body of Zhu Long had transformed. Its face was like iron, its blood-red eyebrows smoldered with layers of dark energy. A golden crown rested atop its head, clad in dark crimson armor, its lower body vanishing into rolling demonic energy from the knees down.
Zhu Long hovered in the air, its eyes utterly cold. On the inner palm of its right hand, which gripped a long saber, was a shallow wound from which blood dripped.
"Very well, the five of you are indeed powerful to have managed to wound me. Your human race is truly remarkable, possessing a foothold in the Immortal Realm and retaining terrifying cultivation talent even in these Three Thousand Dao Provinces. It truly fills me with some envy," Zhu Long declared.
"All generals!"
"Encircle him!"
Xiong Kuo Hai said coldly, his twin battle-axes piercing through the void. Instantly, two cold divine pillars flashed outwards, illuminating all directions.
Rumble!
Behind Zhang Ding Bian, three warships materialized from the void. His combat power surged threefold. His long spear shot out from within the vast expanse, and the three warships traversed millions of miles in the void, causing his aura to climb to its zenith.
Wu Yun Zhao and Wu Tian Xi stood beside Xiong Kuo Hai, emanating the aura of an imminent battle against Yuwen Chengdu. Far away, Zhu Long's form gradually concealed itself within the rolling demonic energy. It gazed at the terrifying scene before it, unmoved.
"Kill!"
Xiong Kuo Hai raised his battle-axe and roared. Instantly, spear intents surged through the void, halberd lights crisscrossed, and killing light rolled up wisps of demonic energy, dissipating them in the void.
The combined might of the five, battling Zhu Long, left Yang Hao, seated in the Tong Tian Palace, quite perplexed. How powerful were Zhang Ding Bian and the other four? With their combined strength, they were still unable to suppress Zhu Long!
This proved Zhu Long's unparalleled might in the Immortal Realm. Otherwise, the five would have long ago subdued and killed him within the void.
Within the void, blood light streaked for eighty thousand miles. The combined onslaught of the five was still shattered by a single saber strike from Zhu Long. Its body glowed like a divine weapon, appearing as an unassailable immortal standing tall, too powerful to resist.
"I see, you are nothing more than this. Generals, when a great battle is about to commence, one should strike with full force. Kill!" Shan Shi Tuo declared, gripping his gilded halberd.
"Battle!"
Wu Tian Xi roared, tightly grasping his Hun Tian Halberd. As he shouted, his potent aura caused the void to tremble, the very space distorting. Wu Yun Zhao and Xiong Kuo Hai unleashed successive killing moves, their power sweeping in all directions, firmly pinning Zhu Long.
Boom!
The void detonated once more. The chaotic void briefly cleared, the void energy vanishing completely.
This time, Zhu Long actually bled profusely. Its right arm, which had been resisting, now trembled faintly.
"You dare to wound me!"
Looking at the copious blood flowing from its body, feeling the physical injuries, its face contorted, its eyes filled with murderous intent. It had been wounded. This body was an immortal's body; how could it be injured by ants?
"You are merely a vile insect. What harm can't be done to you?"
Zhang Ding Bian glared at the blood-drenched Zhu Long. Zhu Long raised its head, its divine eyes blazing, its killing intent piercing through. It looked at the five of them, determined to suppress and kill them. It was simply unfathomable that it could be injured!
"Kill!"
Xiong Kuo Hai and the other four attacked again, their combined power intensely sealing Zhu Long, leaving it in a pathetic state. The killing techniques of Zhang Ding Bian and the others grew ever more potent. The five, working together, seemed to possess an inexhaustible divine power. Zhu Long, weakened by the Immortal Lord for an era, though its realm had recovered to its peak, still bore scars that were difficult to erase. Now, suffering the impact, its old wounds flared up, causing it to vomit blood profusely.
"Damn Ye Xuan, to be so ruthless even to Zhu Long's body! Damn you!" Zhu Long cursed, touching its physical wounds.
"Zhu Long, you connived with the four families of the Hong clan, constantly seeking to eradicate my Great Han Divine Dynasty. Old grudges and new, we settle them all today!!"
Wu Yun Zhao pointed at Zhu Long and declared. The five became like five divine rays, traversing millions of miles. Their divine weapons descended like immortal artifacts, suppressing everything.
Zhu Long countered with a saber strike. The immense impact pushed Zhu Long back millions of miles. Zhang Ding Bian and the other four also suffered the suppression, retreating a thousand miles. At this moment, a dark golden rune slowly appeared and circulated on Zhu Long's chest, instantly causing Zhu Long to suffer a severe blow, coughing up blood, its divine power thrown into disarray.
"Damn Ye Xuan, you actually laid a killing prohibition on Zhu Long's body! Damn Ye Xuan, I will not spare you!"
Seeing the advancing Zhang Ding Bian and the other four, Zhu Long turned and fled. It had not expected Zhang Ding Bian and the other four to be so powerful, nor had it imagined that the Immortal Lord Ye Xuan would leave behind a contingency, intending to eliminate it in the future.
"Do you see that rune?"
Watching the fleeing Zhu Long, Xiong Kuo Hai frowned and said in a deep voice. Zhu Long was incredibly powerful; they had known this from the start. But Zhu Long's defeat was too bizarre. When they saw that dark golden rune, they suspected it was likely a contingency left by the Immortal Lord.
"Strike while the iron is hot. We must not let him escape. With his combat power, if he gets out, the living beings of the Great Han will surely suffer!"
Zhang Ding Bian declared. He directly shattered space and sped towards the direction Zhu Long had fled.
"Go!"
Xiong Kuo Hai also said. The four immediately followed Zhang Ding Bian's path.
"Pfft!"
Within a certain void, Zhu Long continued to accelerate, but its face grew paler and more bloodless. The rune had penetrated its soul, torturing it like a thorn. Its lips trembled with pain.
"Damn Ye Xuan, you stole the Emperor's destiny, forcing me to be suppressed for so long. This debt between us can never be settled!"
It extended its hand, conjured a gourd, opened it, and swallowed its contents with a gulp. It was endless blood.
As the endless blood was continuously consumed, the chaotic divine power gradually calmed. The dark golden rune was suppressed and gradually disappeared.
"Great Han Divine Dynasty, once I break the prohibition of this rune, I will annihilate you all!"
With the rune on its chest temporarily suppressed, its eyes flickered as it scanned its surroundings. It had to find an excellent location to first heal its injuries and then break the prohibition left by Ye Xuan, only then would it be truly safe.
"Running! Why aren't you running anymore!"
A spatial collapse occurred, and Wu Yun Zhao and Wu Tian Ci emerged, striking towards Zhu Long.
"You??"
Zhu Long was startled by this scene. How was this possible? The void was layered with spaces; how had they found it?
Seeing the onslaught from Wu Tian Ci and the other, Zhu Long no longer possessed its former arrogance. It did not dare to meet the attack head-on and chose to dodge instead.