“Well, since I’m going to die anyway, can’t you at least tell me the truth?” Xu Zimo said with a bitter smile.
“You want to die knowing the truth?” Huangfu Xianyue laughed.
“Yes,” Xu Zimo nodded slightly.
“Fine, I’ll tell you, since you saved me back on Goddess Mountain,” Huangfu Xianyue said.
“There are countless races in this world, all living within the laws of the Dao. Among them, the most recognized and feared are the Demon Race and the God Race. During the era ruled by those two races, even humans had to step aside.”
“I know that much,” Xu Zimo nodded.
“Then have you heard of a race called the Heaven-Devourer Race?” Huangfu Xianyue asked with a smile.
“What’s that?” Xu Zimo shook his head.
“They’re a minor race. It’s normal that you’ve never heard of them,” Huangfu Xianyue said.
“There aren’t many of them, but their ability is terrifying. They can devour other races and make their powers their own. The only drawback is that they can only devour once in their lifetime. If they devour something powerful, that’s great. But if they devour something weaker than themselves, their entire future is ruined. So for them, choosing their target is extremely important.”
“I think I understand,” Xu Zimo narrowed his eyes. “The God Race and Demon Race are the strongest races in the world. So the Heaven-Devourer Race chooses to devour one of those two for their first and only devouring.”
He looked at Huangfu Xianyue and said, “You’re one of them.”
“Smart. During the God-Demon Era, there were plenty of targets. But in this era, not to mention purebloods, even remnants of those races are rare,” Huangfu Xianyue said.
“Do you know how lucky I was to find you? It’s a pity, you’re someone I would’ve liked to keep by my side if you weren’t of those two races.”
“You sensed my demonic energy at the First Eternal Shop, didn’t you?” Xu Zimo said.
“Yes. When I brought you into the World Sovereign Empyrean Sect, my plan was nearly complete.
After absorbing your power, even the marriage agreement with the Eternal God Sect wouldn’t be able to hold me back.”Huangfu Xianyue sneered. “But those two dragons interrupted me. I can’t afford to wait any longer, so I have to deal with you now.”
“If you kill me, what will you tell Liu Rufeng and the others?” Xu Zimo asked.
“There’s nothing to tell. You and I are the only ones who know what happened,” Huangfu Xianyue said with a light laugh.
“I still have to help you find the Blood Lizard. Without me, the World Sovereign Empyrean Sect is doomed,” Xu Zimo said, unwilling to give up.
“I don’t care if the World Sovereign Empyrean Sect is doomed. All I know is that once I absorb your demonic power, my martial prowess will skyrocket,” Huangfu Xianyue said as she stepped closer to Xu Zimo. “Alright, I’ve said all I wanted. Die with some dignity.”
She grabbed Xu Zimo’s right hand, and a strange energy began to flow from her body.
A purple line extended from her heart, traveling down her arm and entering Xu Zimo’s body through his hand.
“Goodbye,” Huangfu Xianyue said with a cold smile, activating her power.
But the next moment, her smile froze.
As the purple thread entered Xu Zimo’s body, she felt as though she had fallen into a bottomless swamp.
She couldn’t absorb anything. Worse yet, she couldn’t pull away.
She jerked her head up, staring at Xu Zimo in shock. At some point, cold sweat had begun to bead on her forehead.
“Having fun?” Xu Zimo said calmly, smiling.
“You...” Huangfu Xianyue stared at him, speechless.
“Where do you think those two dragons came from? Why do you think I agreed to help you look for the Blood Lizard?” Xu Zimo said, still smiling. “Don’t be stupid. We were all just playing along.”
As he finished speaking, a violent force surged from Xu Zimo’s body into hers.
It tore apart her meridians and destroyed her internal organs completely.
Huangfu Xianyue collapsed to the floor like a pile of dead meat.
Xu Zimo clapped his hands and looked down at the corpse.
“Heaven-Devourer Race, huh? Interesting.”
The night passed silently, and as dawn broke, the disciples of the World Sovereign Empyrean Sect emerged from their rooms and gathered on the first floor of the inn for breakfast.
As everyone arrived, Fang Xiang was the first to speak. “Everyone, I thought about it last night. If we really can’t handle this, we should return to the sect and bring some elders. The House of Fury should still give our World Sovereign Empyrean Sect some face.”
“Why isn’t Senior Sister Huangfu down yet?” Yin Rong asked, frowning.
“I’ll go call her,” Liu Yiyi said, nodding.
She had just gone upstairs when a sudden scream rang out.
“What happened?” Liu Rufeng’s expression changed. He moved like the wind, instantly appearing on the second floor.
The others rushed up after him. As they entered the room, a faint stench hit their noses.
Near the table, Liu Yiyi had collapsed, and across from her, a corpse lay flat on the floor.
“It’s Senior Sister Huangfu,” Yin Rong cried out.
“She’s dead,” Fang Xiang said, face pale and voice trembling.
Huangfu Xianyue lay on the ground, her face completely drained of color.
She was unmistakably, thoroughly dead.
“What happened?” Fang Xiang closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“We didn’t hear any fighting last night. To kill Senior Sister Huangfu silently like this, what kind of monster could do that?”
“I don’t want to stay here anymore. Let’s go back to the sect,” Liu Yiyi said anxiously.
“How are we supposed to explain this to the Sect Master?” Liu Rufeng asked.
“Alright, stop scaring yourselves. First, take care of Senior Sister Huangfu’s body,” Xu Zimo said calmly. “I’ll go to the arena today. I’m up.”
“Are you sure?” Fang Xiang asked.
“Or would you like to go?” Xu Zimo replied.
“On second thought, you go,” Fang Xiang quickly said.
He knew he wasn’t much stronger than Mu Zhoubai, whose gruesome death still haunted him.
The others didn’t object, though the mood was gloomy.
They took Huangfu Xianyue’s corpse outside the city and buried her beside Mu Zhoubai.
Then, led by Xu Zimo, they returned to the arena.
The autumn wind blew bleakly, lifting fallen leaves into the sky.
Inside the arena, the atmosphere was just as intense as the day before. The group made their way down to the waiting area.
“Hundred-tier match: Lin Qiu versus Madman,” the referee announced loudly at the edge of the ring.
As the waiting area gate opened, Xu Zimo stepped onto the arena.
“Be careful,” Liu Yiyi called after him.
“Let’s set a small goal,” Xu Zimo said with a smile. “Maybe win a hundred straight.”