Chapter 731 676: A Non-Negotiable "Deal

Feng Xihai's eyes darted around. "So... so you want my Bone Blood Seal! Are you afraid that letting that Zombie attack my Bone Blood Seal will damage it? Is that why you want to make a deal, so I'll just hand it over? What a clever scheme!"

Feng Xihai didn't understand why Shen Lang had shown little reaction to the Blood Wing Evil God Hook, which was also an Imperial Artifact, but had his sights set on his Bone Blood Seal instead.

But since Shen Lang wanted it, Feng Xihai had a glimmer of hope for survival.

However, since it was a transaction, it was only natural to bargain...

Feng Xihai sneered and said, "This is a Second Grade Emperor Artifact. It's not much weaker than your Immortal Celestial Saber."

"If you want me to hand over the Bone Blood Seal, fine. But you have to release all my fellow sect members as well, not just me!"

Previously, Feng Xihai had abandoned the group from the White Bone Hall to flee.

Now, he was acting all righteous, demanding that Shen Lang release the others... but in the end, it was all for his own sake.

If he handed over the Imperial Artifact and all his sect members were killed, he'd basically be a dead man if he returned to the White Bone Hall.

But if he gave up the Bone Blood Seal to save his fellow sect members... and actually succeeded in saving them, preserving the White Bone Hall's strength, he could at least offset his demerits with this merit and save his own skin.

In any case, even within a Spirit Copper Level Sect, Emperor Martial Realm experts of the Fifth and Sixth Heaven were few and far between.

Relatively speaking, the value of these seven or eight experts was definitely far greater than a single Second Grade Emperor Artifact.

Feng Xihai stared intently at Shen Lang, waiting for his answer.

"Impossible." Shen Lang shook his head and refused flatly. "Those who make an enemy of me never meet a good end. To think you can trade a mere Imperial Artifact for all your lives... you're being far too naive."

"A mere Imperial Artifact"... only someone like Shen Lang would dare say such a thing.

The moment he finished speaking, a surging, boundless Spirit Light erupted from the five fingers of Shen Lang's right hand. A madly spiraling Powerful Qi instantly formed in his palm!

With a casual palm strike, Shen Lang slapped the humanoid skeleton in front of him!

"WHUMMM!"

The humanoid white bones emitted a tremendous sound, like a great bell being struck!

The crowd watching saw the spiraling Powerful Qi in Shen Lang's hand instantly penetrate the Bone Blood Seal and land with a crash on Feng Xihai's chest inside!

"BANG!"

Feng Xihai let out a pained grunt. His body tilted backward, and he slammed hard against the other side of the humanoid skeleton!

A trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, making the already wretched Feng Xihai look even more dejected.

"Heavens! The Bone Blood Seal is an Imperial Artifact! How could such a powerful defense fail to block a single palm strike from Shen Lang? How is that possible?"

Someone in the crowd watching from the edge of the crater cried out in alarm.

"His Palm Force must have penetrated the Bone Blood Seal's protection... What a powerful and bizarre Fist Technique! No wonder even the Rock Demon Lord's tyrannical body was beaten until it shrieked incessantly!"

"Why has no one ever heard of a Sect or expert with such a strange and unpredictable Fist Technique? It can even penetrate the defense of an Imperial Artifact. Doesn't that mean the Inner Armor or Battle Armor we wear would be completely useless against him?"

Everyone gasped.

Who would dare to receive a Fist Force so powerful it could ignore the defense of an Imperial Artifact?

As the crowd was still gasping in shock, Shen Lang spoke. "When I said I'd make a deal with you, I was just telling you that I want this item. I wasn't giving you an opportunity to bargain."

"Right now, among the group from the White Bone Hall, you're the only one still kicking. If you insist on forcing my hand, I can just expend a little effort to kill you directly and then take this Bone Blood Seal."

"If you think I'm helpless just because you're hiding inside this Bone Blood Seal, you are sorely mistaken."

As he spoke, Shen Lang casually slapped the humanoid skeleton with his palm again.

This time, Feng Xihai finally reacted, crossing his hands in front of him to form a barrier.

"BOOM!"

The spiraling Fist Gang of the Five Emperors Dragon Fist slammed heavily into the barrier Feng Xihai had created, once again sending him crashing hard against the back of the humanoid skeleton.

Even a body as formidable as the Rock Demon Lord's had been powerless to fight back against the Five Emperors Dragon Fist.

Feng Xihai was merely at the King Martial Realm Sixth Heaven. The strength of his physical body was a world of difference compared to the Rock Demon Lord, so how could he possibly resist?

Although Shen Lang was still in the exploratory stage with this Five Emperors Dragon Fist, it was definitely a monstrous Cultivation Technique capable of surpassing the Five Directions Emperor Level!

After taking those two punches, Feng Xihai collapsed dejectedly to the ground.

He gasped for breath, his gaze fixed on Shen Lang as if he were looking at a Fierce Beast that had torn through space from primordial times.

The tiny bit of hope and reliance he had in his heart had been utterly obliterated by Shen Lang's two palm strikes!

Before Shen Lang, he didn't even have the right to bargain!

Just then, right before his eyes, Shen Lang raised his hand again...

"Don't... don't hit me again! I'll retrieve it, I'll retrieve it!" Inside the humanoid skeleton, Feng Xihai's face was aghast as he waved his hands frantically. "I hope that after I hand over the Imperial Artifact, you will honor your promise and spare my life!"

As Feng Xihai spoke, he formed a Hand Seal with his left hand, chanted a Spell, and gently swept his right hand in front of him.

The humanoid skeleton made a sound like grinding teeth as it slowly gathered together, once again forming the small, crimson seal.

Shen Lang casually took the small, blood-red seal and immediately felt a vast and peerless power emanating from within the Bone Blood Seal!

'Behave!'

His Divine Thought blasted into the Bone Blood Seal, and a red flame suddenly erupted from the palm holding it, enveloping the artifact completely!

The Vermilion Bird Divine Fire, the epitome of Supreme Yang and Firmness, could incinerate all things, and there was nothing it could not burn!

The Bone Blood Seal was an object of yin and evil. The moment it was enveloped by the Vermilion Bird Divine Fire, even though the fire's power wasn't yet at its peak, the Artifact Spirit within still shrieked miserably and shot back into the depths of the Bone Blood Seal, not daring to make another move!

After suppressing the Artifact Spirit in the Bone Blood Seal with a burst of Vermilion Bird Divine Fire, Shen Lang slowly turned around.

Just as a look of joy appeared on Feng Xihai's face, Shen Lang spun around, his leg whipping out like a lash and crashing into Feng Xihai's face!

This kick, imbued with Middle Stage Blade Intent, instantly shattered Feng Xihai's Protective Gang Qi, sending him flying with a wretched howl!

"Shen Lang! Are you going back on your word?"

Feng Xihai struggled to his feet, crying out in panic.

Going back on one's word was something Demon Martial Artists did often, but Feng Xihai clearly hadn't expected Shen Lang to do such a thing in front of so many people...

Shen Lang snorted coldly. "I only promised to spare your life. I never said I would let you go, nor did I say I wouldn't make you suffer a little."

"Your actions have severely threatened the safety of my people, and I've wasted so much time because of you lot. Do you think I'd just let you leave?"

"Behave yourselves. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to use you as a sacrifice for my saber."

The moment Shen Lang finished speaking, Duanmu Xie spat out a cloud of black qi, which immediately wrapped tightly around Feng Xihai.

Just then, the Labrador trotted back from the other side, proudly carrying the Blood Wing Evil God Hook in its mouth.

"Even with Duanmu Xie helping, it still took you this long to deal with a Three-Eyed Wood Demon... Lord Labrador, you're getting a little weak lately." Shen Lang shot a glare at the Labrador.

The Labrador lowered its head, a little embarrassed.

In truth, if Duanmu Xie hadn't been landing a slap on it every now and then, the Labrador might not have been able to handle the Three-Eyed Wood Demon at all.

Even with Duanmu Xie's intervention, taking so long just to knock the Three-Eyed Wood Demon unconscious was indeed quite embarrassing.

"Go knock these people out. I don't have time to deal with them now. We'll handle them after we leave the Yumu Cave Blessed Land." Shen Lang tilted his head towards Duanmu Xie.

Duanmu Xie placed a hand on his chest in a very gentlemanly manner and said respectfully, "As you wish, esteemed boss."

"..." Shen Lang scratched his head, feeling like something was off. 'This guy used to be a total brute. Since when does he talk like this?'

A cold wind swept by. Duanmu Xie moved around the area, knocking out everyone from the White Bone Hall and the Blood Wing Demon Sect before sealing them.

Once Duanmu Xie had sealed the group, Shen Lang activated the Heaven-Sealing Cauldron and collected them all inside.

Only then did Shen Lang turn, wave towards where Feng Buping and the others were standing, and say, "The Third Floor is fraught with danger, and multiple factions are locked in constant battle. All of you should try to retreat. Don't go any deeper, lest you get caught in the crossfire."

"What?" Zu Wei and the others were stunned.

What did he mean? Multiple factions were locked in constant battle? Weren't most of the major powers already gathered here?

The Imperial Dragon Sect, the Flower Sect, the Li Hen Sect, and the now-captured White Bone Hall and Blood Wing Demon Sect.

Including the experts from the various Profound Iron Level Influences, these people represented almost every Sect Influence that had entered this place.

How could there still be others engaged in a massive battle?

They were still over a thousand li from the Dragon Scale Divine Hall. If they had to worry about being caught in the crossfire even here, just how strong were the factions fighting that battle?

"Alright, we understand!" Zu Wei responded loudly.

These King Martial Realm experts were all old and shrewd. Although Shen Lang had been vague, they all understood his meaning.

The group hastily thanked Shen Lang, got their bearings, and immediately headed back south.

Shen Lang watched them leave, glanced at the active volcano, and walked straight towards the northwest.

Just as Shen Lang was leaving the Stone Forest, in a massive cavern beneath the underground magma of the active volcano, a man with long, fiery red hair looked up.

A man whose aura was as majestic and vast as Duanmu Xie's knelt on one knee before the red-haired man and said, "My King, he... has left."

The man with fiery red hair kept his eyes closed and grunted softly. "He will return. And when he does, it will be the time for us to see the light of day again."