On the wide mercury river, countless desperate hands struggled.
Yan Shouyi turned, his eyes fixed on Huo Ban, and questioned him word by word, "Is this all your doing?!"
Huo Ban's soul had re-formed, but his body was still like a TV screen being constantly torn.
A sinister, blurred smile played on his face.
From Huo Ban's expression, Yan Shouyi understood his thoughts.
Seeing Yan Shouyi and the others' shocked faces, Huo Ban felt no guilt, only pride!
Though he could not speak, he seemed to convey to everyone: Look, this is my masterpiece, Huo Ban's!
Huo Ban regarded this scene as his most satisfying and proud creation, and Yan Shouyi and the others were its foremost appreciators.
Huo Ban did not consider human lives as lives, only as bricks, clumps of mud, or even blades of grass for his imperial mausoleum.
Thus, he could be so righteously proud!
But this was precisely what Yan Shouyi found most intolerable!
"Those were people, living, breathing people!!!" Yan Shouyi roared, almost to a scream.
He suddenly understood why folk sects were considered unorthodox, evil arts, disdained by major sects, and destined for hardship.
It was because the people of their lineage had never done anything good!
In the common folk, they did not cultivate their hearts, nor understand worldly affairs; all their learning was for their own benefit.
In contrast, although major sects might have had their hypocrisies, they also had strict rules and regulations, preventing their disciples from running amok.
It was only later, as times changed, that the philosophies of folk sects gradually shifted to protect the common people.
Who would have known that the past of folk sects was so dark?
Thinking back, the extreme selfishness of the New Xuan Mountain Sect, led by Li Gengmiao, was perhaps the true orthodoxy of the folk sects.
Yan Shouyi's heart was in turmoil, as if a core belief had collapsed.
He had always been proud to be a descendant of a folk sect, a successor of Lu Ban.
Yet now, he discovered that among the ancestors of Lu Ban's successors was someone as despicable as Huo Ban.
"Yan Shouyi!"
At this moment, General Qing Jiang spoke again to remind him, "Now is not the time for self-doubt!"
The Dragon Tiger Secret Script also flickered, clearing Yan Shouyi's mind.
He suddenly awoke, reproaching himself: Right, the past cannot be changed. The most important thing now is to eliminate Huo Ban!
A scoundrel like Huo Ban, if he reappeared in the world, would surely harm the people.
His existence was far more terrifying than Li Gengmiao, Yu Jinbo, or Tong Jingcheng!
"My remaining strength is insufficient to use the 'One Sword to Heaven' again; I can only..."
Yan Shouyi raised his hand and unleashed the Five Thundereous Justice. This move had been very effective against Huo Ban earlier.
Lightning struck from the sky, hitting Huo Ban's head!
Huo Ban seemed severely wounded by the previous 'One Sword to Heaven,' his strength greatly diminished. A mere Five Thundereous Justice was enough to incapacitate him!
Seeing this, Yan Shouyi's heart rejoiced, and he prepared to press his advantage.
But he then noticed that Huo Ban showed no panic, but instead wore a chilling smile!
"There's something wrong with Huo Ban!"
Yan Shouyi frowned, then his attention fell upon the arms in the mercury river.
Huo Ban never did anything without purpose; these vengeful souls soaked in the mercury river must serve some function.
But what exactly was Huo Ban trying to achieve?
Suddenly, Huo Ban raised his head and opened his mouth. The already boiling mercury river erupted into a tempestuous surge!
The great waves crashed heavily against the coffin, causing it to tilt and sway. Yan Shouyi had to grab onto the bronze coffin to avoid being thrown off.
"You big idiot!"
Lin Zitong was filled with worry and wanted to help, but with San Yuan injured, she couldn't even cross the mercury river, let alone reach Yan Shouyi!
"Miss, please calm down!" Lian He restrained Lin Zitong.
Taohua Ying gritted her teeth and said to Lian He, "You stay here to protect Miss. I'll go help Young Master!"
Without waiting for Lin Zitong's consent, Taohua Ying leaped towards Yan Shouyi.
After all, Yan Shouyi had avenged her earlier, and it was time for Taohua Ying to repay the favor.
Taohua Ying flew to Yan Shouyi's side, grabbed his hand, and said, "Young Master, I'll take you to the shore!"
But before she could lift Yan Shouyi very high, she felt a powerful suction force from below.
The suction force was like countless hands, tightly gripping Taohua Ying, preventing her from flying up, and dragging her down!
Sensing the abnormality, Yan Shouyi quickly looked back: "It's Huo Ban!"
Huo Ban's soul now had countless tentacles behind him, like a terrifying octopus.
And all those tentacles reached into the mercury river, madly scooping up souls from it and flinging them into the sky.
The souls thrown into the air struggled, their faces filled with terror.
Huo Ban himself opened his mouth wide, constantly inhaling the souls to strengthen himself!
Taohua Ying was being affected by the suction from Huo Ban's mouth, unable to even fly out of the mercury river!
"Even the Ghost King is so pathetic before Huo Ban's soul?" Yan Shouyi gritted his teeth.
Two thousand years ago, before Huo Ban died, he had foreseen that he would be weak upon awakening.
So, he had thrown living people into the mercury river long ago to be buried with him, and their souls were sealed beneath the river.
Only when Huo Ban awakened and needed them would these souls become sustenance for his recovery!
No wonder Huo Ban's soul had remained so confident even when split in two; he had prepared for this long ago!
"Damn it, Huo Ban has calculated everything, all for my body!"
Yan Shouyi made up his mind. As a man of integrity from the 21st century, if he ultimately couldn't defeat Huo Ban, he would stick to his principles and not let Huo Ban "get his body"!
"Young Master..."
Taohua Ying was struggling, "I can't hold on much longer..."
"Let go!" Yan Shouyi said without hesitation. "Huo Ban's strength hasn't fully recovered yet. You let me go back. If I don't kill him now, there won't be another chance!"
"But..."
"I have only one request of you!"
Yan Shouyi said with a determined gaze, "You and Lian He, take that brat out of here first!"
Huo Ban was too dangerous. Lin Zitong's current strength was limited, and she couldn't help. She could even become his weakness.
Yan Shouyi wasn't trying to be a hero, nor was he simply trying to protect her; he was rationally considering that Lin Zitong's departure was the best option now.
Taohua Ying gritted her teeth, and finally obeyed Yan Shouyi's command, letting go.
She gave Yan Shouyi a deep look, then mustered all her strength and rushed towards Lin Zitong...