Chapter 1026: Traitor
Yang Haoran, in truth, harbored some lingering doubts. Specifically, how had these Spiritualists managed to find him?
He had only just arrived in Gu Mo City, and he had been acting with extreme caution. Logically, the Spiritualists shouldn’t have discovered him so quickly, yet the reality was precisely the opposite of what he had imagined.
In his view, the problem most likely arose during Huang Sha’s process of bringing Shui Ling and the two others. However, Huang Sha was far from weak, and if someone had been secretly observing, Huang Sha shouldn't have failed to sense them. Moreover, Lu Wu had stated that he chose the route, and this particular route was extremely covert—the very same one he regularly used himself, and it had never caused any issues before.
It was precisely because of this that doubt lingered in his heart, making it difficult for him to ascertain exactly where the problem had originated.
Beyond that, there was another matter that equally perplexed him.
Just now, Zhuang Mingzhe had torn space to allow the injured to escape. From this, it was clear that Zhuang Mingzhe possessed the ability to tear space. So why hadn't he directly torn space to manifest here? Why had he instead made such a grand show of flying over?
Was it because Zhuang Mingzhe deliberately wanted to inflate his reputation, letting other factions know they were making a significant move? Or was it because Zhuang Mingzhe didn't know their exact location, only a general vicinity, thus choosing to fly all the way instead of tearing space?
Regarding these two questions, he currently had no definitive answer, hence his confusion. Yet, this was of no consequence to him. As long as he killed Zhuang Mingzhe and extracted his soul, the doubts in his heart would naturally dissipate.
The moment Huang Sha transformed into sand and merged with the ground, Zhuang Mingzhe sensed trouble. He knew Huang Sha was about to make his move. His face darkened, and his body shot into the air!
Boom! ! !
The instant Zhuang Mingzhe’s body ascended, a muffled explosion erupted from the spot where he had just stood. The ground beneath seemed to have been abruptly hollowed out, collapsing with a crash and forming a sizable vortex of mud and sand.
The other Spiritualists were greatly startled, for this suddenly formed mud and sand vortex enveloped them too. They weren't foolish; even without a reminder from others, they knew what to do in such a situation. They swiftly emulated Zhuang Mingzhe’s method, soaring into the air to avoid contact with the ground. Only by doing so could they prevent their bodies from being sucked into the vortex.
However, a few Spiritualists were too slow to react. Their bodies hadn't yet risen before they were dragged into the mud and sand vortex. Although they struggled with all their might, it did little good. The immense disparity in strength was not something they could overcome by merely struggling a few times to escape the crisis.
Screams rang out as several individuals were swallowed by the mud and sand vortex. Zhuang Mingzhe wanted to intervene and save them, but time simply wouldn't allow it. Before he could even act, the Spiritualists were consumed by the vortex.
Zhuang Mingzhe was a decisive individual. He knew that rescuing these few from the muddy sand vortex was no longer realistic. If he insisted on doing so, it might even bring him considerable trouble, so he resolutely abandoned those Spiritualists and immediately issued orders to the others.
"I'll deal with this sand demon myself! You lot, go slaughter those Yin curs!"
The moment Zhuang Mingzhe’s voice rang out, streams of mud and sand condensed into arrows suddenly shot forth from within the vortex below.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Most of the arrows flew rapidly towards Zhuang Mingzhe, while a portion of them targeted the other Spiritualists.
Zhuang Mingzhe let out a cold snort. With a fierce wave of both hands, a mass of ink-black Yin Qi suddenly permeated the air above the mud and sand vortex. The arrows, condensed from mud and sand, shattered upon contact with this Yin Qi, dissolving back into mud and raining down.
"Your opponent is me!"
Zhuang Mingzhe declared coldly. As his voice echoed, the Yin Qi that had dispersed the arrows, under his control, transformed into a grotesque ghostly face and smashed down towards the rapidly swirling mud and sand vortex below.
Boom! ! !
With an explosive sound, the ghostly face dissipated back into Yin Qi, but the mud and sand vortex was likewise scattered. As the sky became permeated with Yin Qi, vast amounts of mud and sand floated upwards. The few Spiritualists who had been sucked into the vortex now reappeared amidst the swirling dust, then plummeted straight down towards the ground. Their eyes bulged, their breath gone, their bodies shriveled as if all moisture had been drained from them. They were undeniably dead.
The Yin Qi quickly dissipated, and the sky-filling mud and sand quivered as if alive, then visibly converged and re-formed into a human shape.
Huang Sha had reverted to human form, but the form he assumed was his demonic transformation, looking like a humanoid monster, identical to how he appeared when he fought Yang Haoran in the desert previously.
At the same time, Zhuang Mingzhe also summoned his Guardian Spirit. Dense Yin Qi emanated from the Guardian Spirit, its eyes blood-red—clearly an Evil Spirit-level Guardian Spirit.
The instant Huang Sha's demonic form solidified, Zhuang Mingzhe’s Guardian Spirit unleashed an illusion art upon him. Huang Sha’s body trembled, and he immediately fell into the illusion cast by the Guardian Spirit. Zhuang Mingzhe, seizing this opportunity, launched a fierce assault on Huang Sha.
The Spiritualists present reacted swiftly. Upon receiving Zhuang Mingzhe's command, they immediately summoned their respective Guardian Spirits. As Zhuang Mingzhe and Huang Sha began their fierce battle, they too launched an attack on Yang Haoran and his companions!
"Ghost Eye! Activate!"
Lu Wu and Shui Ling immediately activated their Ghost Eyes. Facing Spiritualists, activating the Ghost Eye at once was the most logical approach, as only by doing so could they better resist the Guardian Spirits’ illusion arts.
With their Ghost Eyes activated, both also instantly unleashed their Spirit Power. Lu Wu hadn't lied; he was indeed the strongest among them, for the Spirit Power Shui Ling now erupted with truly showed a discernible gap compared to his.
Yang Haoran did not activate his Ghost Eye. The strongest of these Spiritualists' Guardian Spirits were only at the Evil Spirit realm. With his current strength, even without activating his Ghost Eye, these Guardian Spirits' illusion arts would not significantly affect him.
Lu Wu roared, and his entire being shot forth like an arrow from a bowstring. Mid-flight, he fiercely waved his hands, and vast amounts of Spirit Power gushed from his body, transforming into arm-thick chains that attacked the incoming Spiritualists. Though he was but one man and faced over a dozen Spiritualists, his momentum did not diminish because of this.
"You two, stay here and protect Lord Emissary! Lu Wu and I will deal with these Spiritualists!"
Shui Ling sternly commanded the two Night Watchers behind her, then prepared to support Lu Wu. She knew full well that with Lu Wu's strength, it was impossible for him to defeat so many Spiritualists. If she didn't quickly go to his aid, Lu Wu would surely die at the Spiritualists' hands within a few exchanges. This much was certain.
Of course, even if she went to support Lu Wu, their combined abilities would still be insufficient to handle so many Spiritualists, but at least they could alleviate some of the pressure on him.
What Yang Haoran was thinking at the moment, she didn't know. But as a Night Watcher, she naturally couldn't allow Yang Haoran to be harmed. Even though Yang Haoran, as an Emissary of Death, didn't actually need her protection, she still ordered her two subordinate Night Watchers to stay and protect him. In her eyes, this was a matter of attitude, the proper attitude a subordinate should have towards a superior.
As her words fell, Shui Ling's body also charged forward. However, at that very moment, one of the two remaining Night Watchers suddenly drew a gleaming dagger, flashed, and vanished from his spot. When he reappeared, he was directly above Yang Haoran's head, and the dagger in his hand plunged fiercely towards the crown of Yang Haoran's head!
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