Chapter 1323: Secret Cooperation
The Tong Continent Great Emperor's voice carried a clear murderous intent, and three pieces of information could be gleaned from his words.
One piece of information was his intimate knowledge of the previous conversation between Bai Xue and the Black-robed Man. It was unclear what methods he had employed to achieve this, especially with a restriction barrier in place.
Of course, accomplishing such a feat was not particularly difficult. With proper prior preparation, many unorthodox techniques and special items could achieve this. For truly powerful experts, it was not unusual for them to master such arts or possess such artifacts.
Another piece of information was that he and the Black-robed Man were allies. Both his timely appearance to save the Black-robed Man and his current statement proved this point.
The last piece of information was that he harbored a killing intent towards Bai Xue, having decided to eliminate her due to her lack of cooperation.
As the Tong Continent Great Emperor's words fell, the massive black foot pressing down on Bai Xue's head suddenly exerted immense force!
Bang! ! !
Half of Bai Xue's head was already above ground, half below, but now, with the black foot's added force, mud and rocks splattered as her head sank even deeper into the earth, with only a tiny fraction remaining visible.
Before the Tong Continent Great Emperor appeared, Bai Xue had been largely uninjured. But after his appearance, in just a short while, she had been critically wounded and couldn't even retaliate. This was the immense disparity in power brought about by different realms. If Bai Xue had broken through to the Demon Saint realm instead of being at the peak of the late Demon King stage, it would naturally have been a different story.
In Bai Xue's current state, the black foot on her head would only need to strike her once more, and she would be all but dead, even if she didn't perish outright.
The Tong Continent Great Emperor could, of course, discern this from Bai Xue's current aura. Having already decided to kill Bai Xue, he felt not the slightest pity for her. Under his mental command, the black foot slowly lifted. He wasn't retracting it, but rather gathering strength for a fatal blow to Bai Xue.
The higher the foot lifted, the harder it would strike. He intended to end Bai Xue's life with that single stomp!
"Great Emperor, please wait!"
Just as the black foot ceased its ascent, poised to deliver the final blow to the heavily injured Bai Xue below, a hoarse and weak voice of protest suddenly emerged from the dissipating dust and smoke beneath him.
This pervasive dust and smoke was precisely what had been kicked up when the Black-robed Man crashed to the ground earlier. Because only a short while had passed since his impact, the dust and smoke had not completely dispersed, though it had thinned. The one who suddenly spoke to stop the Tong Continent Great Emperor was none other than the Black-robed Man, who had almost died at Bai Xue's hands.
Tragically, however, Bai Xue, who had nearly taken the Black-robed Man's life a moment ago, was now not only reverted to her true form but also lay on the ground, gravely injured and with a weak aura, her head almost entirely buried in the earth. Even though the black foot had lifted from her head, she merely swayed her snake body weakly, not immediately pulling her head from the ground, clearly dazed from the impact.
The Tong Continent Great Emperor furrowed his brow slightly, then cast his gaze upon the swirling dust below. Although he didn't dispel the black foot, he also didn't immediately stomp down on Bai Xue. As for whether Bai Xue would seize this opportunity to escape, he wasn't worried in the slightest, as he didn't believe Bai Xue possessed that ability. If Bai Xue truly had such an ability, she wouldn't be lying on the ground, struggling powerlessly.
Under the Tong Continent Great Emperor's gaze, a figure stumbled out of the dust. This person was none other than the Black-robed Man who had spoken to stop him.
The Black-robed Man appeared thoroughly disheveled, his aura weak, his black robe tattered and stained with obvious bloodstains. He was a stark contrast to the air of an expert he had possessed when he first appeared.
This miserable sight of the Black-robed Man deepened the Tong Continent Great Emperor's frown!
"Now I deeply doubt whether cooperating with you was a correct decision. Your performance today has left me somewhat disappointed. If I hadn't intervened in time, you would already be a corpse."
The Tong Continent Great Emperor spoke in a low voice. Both his tone and facial expression at this moment revealed his displeasure and dissatisfaction with the Black-robed Man.
"Great Emperor, please forgive me. The fault lies entirely with your subordinate; no one else is to blame. It is because your subordinate's intelligence gathering was flawed, and I underestimated the target's strength, which led to such a great loss. Fortunately, with the Great Emperor's timely intervention, not only would your subordinate be a corpse by now, but my soul would likely have been forcibly extracted. Thank you, Great Emperor, for saving me."
The Black-robed Man steadied his swaying body. He first proactively admitted his mistake, showing no intention of shifting blame, then sincerely thanked the Tong Continent Great Emperor.
Upon hearing this, the Tong Continent Great Emperor's expression did not soften; instead, he snorted coldly and remained silent, seemingly unsatisfied with the Black-robed Man's reply.
Seeing this, the Black-robed Man dared not delay and quickly continued speaking.
"Please rest assured, Great Emperor. Your subordinate formulated two perfect plans before coming here. If the first plan fails, we still have the second. And this Bai Xue is an indispensable part of both plans, so she cannot be killed for now. That is why your subordinate spoke to stop the Great Emperor just now; there was no disrespect intended."
Upon hearing these words from the Black-robed Man, the Tong Continent Great Emperor's expression improved slightly, and his tightly furrowed brow relaxed a little.
"I agreed to cooperate with you because I valued your identity and your intellect. But you have already disappointed me once; I do not wish to be disappointed a second time. If you disappoint me again, our cooperation will immediately cease. At that point, you will not only lose my assistance and the benefits you desire, but I will also take your life, because you know too much that you shouldn't, and taking your life benefits me."
The Tong Continent Great Emperor spoke in a low voice, his words brimming with undisguised threat.
"Your subordinate understands. Your subordinate will absolutely not disappoint the Great Emperor a second time. As long as we follow the plan your subordinate has devised, we will surely achieve a result that satisfies the Great Emperor!"
The Black-robed Man naturally heard the warning and hidden killing intent in the Tong Continent Great Emperor's words, so he quickly made his assurance, as if fearing the Great Emperor wouldn't believe him.
After receiving the Black-robed Man's assurance, the Tong Continent Great Emperor did not immediately speak again. Instead, he looked down at Bai Xue, who seemed to have caught her breath and was struggling to pull her head out of the ground.
However, just as she managed to pull her head out, the massive black foot, suspended like a mountain directly above her, descended once more, stomping her newly extracted head back into the earth.
Boom! ! !
Mud and rocks splattered, and the ground trembled. Bai Xue let out a pained and powerless shriek.
The Tong Continent Great Emperor controlled the force of this stomp perfectly. Although it pushed Bai Xue's head back into the ground, the damage inflicted upon her was very slight. Thus, even though Bai Xue's injuries worsened considerably, she did not lose her life.
Of course, this "slight" was only in comparison to before; it didn't mean the stomp had no power. If it had no power, the ground would not have trembled from it.
After stomping Bai Xue back down, the Tong Continent Great Emperor displayed no other techniques. A clanking sound of chains echoed, and arm-thick black chains appeared out of thin air around Bai Xue's massive body, coiling around her.
To bind Bai Xue even more securely and prevent any possibility of escape, some chains even broke through Bai Xue's fleshly defenses, piercing into her very sinews to lock her bones in place. This excruciating process caused Bai Xue to struggle violently, muffled and painful roars faintly emanating from beneath the earth.
"To be safe, I'd better restrain her personally for you, lest you disappoint me a second time immediately. As for what you plan to do next, that's your business; I won't and don't wish to inquire. I only look at the results. Of course, when you need my cooperation, I will certainly cooperate, but you must know your limits."
The Tong Continent Great Emperor watched Bai Xue's violent struggles and pained roars below, his expression unchanged. He waved his hand, dispelling the black foot, then withdrew his gaze and turned to the Black-robed Man, speaking in a deep voice.
"Your subordinate obeys. Thank you, Great Emperor, for restraining this demon for your subordinate. Otherwise, in my current state, it would indeed be impossible to safely restrain her and remove her from this place. The Great Emperor's foresight is truly comprehensive."
The Black-robed Man's attitude was respectful, his tone utterly sincere, and he even lavished a resounding compliment on the Tong Continent Great Emperor. Only then did the Tong Continent Great Emperor's expression return to normal, and his slightly furrowed brow completely relaxed.
"Don't make me wait too long. You know I have no interest in wasting too much time on a good-for-nothing. Take care of yourself."
The Tong Continent Great Emperor spoke indifferently. The Black-robed Man respectfully assented. Afterward, the Tong Continent Great Emperor said no more to the Black-robed Man, tearing space and departing the area.
Due to the severe damage to his black robe, if one were to observe closely, they could faintly discern the corners of the Black-robed Man's mouth. In response to the Tong Continent Great Emperor's parting reminder and blatant disparagement, those faintly visible corners of the Black-robed Man's mouth actually curved into a subtle arc. This faint smile was not one of happiness, but of mockery.
When the Tong Continent Great Emperor was present, he dared not show such an expression, even if his hat made his subtle facial changes difficult to detect. But now it was different, because the Tong Continent Great Emperor had already departed.
With a few flashes of his body, the Black-robed Man appeared before Bai Xue. Looking at Bai Xue, covered in wounds and blood, the Black-robed Man couldn't help but sigh softly, shaking his head.
"Alas, why must you be so stubborn? If you don't accept the toast, you'll have to drink the forfeit. Look at your miserable state now; it truly pains my heart."
After these words, the Black-robed Man spoke no more, nor did he give Bai Xue a chance to speak. He tore open space and forcefully left the place, taking the struggling Bai Xue with him, destination unknown.
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