Chapter 1880 - 2072: The Ultimate Battle (4)

Ling Chen turned his head to look behind him, only to see that He Zhishen had somehow appeared at his back.

"Sorry, I’m a little late." As he spoke, He Zhishen suddenly charged forward, using his own body to slam into Zhu Hong. Hit by the impact, Zhu Hong staggered back several steps. Seizing the opportunity, He Zhishen grabbed Ling Chen and quickly retreated.

Seeing He Zhishen appear, a sliver of hope rose in Ling Chen’s heart. He’d thought the man had gone back on his word; he hadn’t expected him to show up at this critical moment and save his life.

"Mr. He, I thought you weren’t coming."

He Zhishen replied blandly, "You forgot to tell me how to find your companions, so it took me a bit of time."

Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn’t help smacking his own forehead. If the other man hadn’t brought it up, he really would have forgotten. Looked like this couldn’t be blamed on He Zhishen; it was his own fault for not explaining things clearly.

At this moment, He Zhishen took a pill out of his pocket and shoved it directly into Ling Chen’s mouth, saying, "Rest for a while first, I’ll deal with this guy for you." With that, he got up, ready to head toward Zhu Hong.

Seeing this, Ling Chen hurriedly grabbed his arm, shaking his head. "Don’t go, you’re not his match! Mr. He, I just want to beg you for one thing—get my companions out of here. I’ll handle the rest myself."

He Zhishen hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "This is what I owe you. Whatever you ask me to do, I’ll do." Finished, he stood up and walked straight toward the injured Qiu Yong and Zhang Zhongfeng.

Seeing what He Zhishen was doing, Zhu Hong let out a cold snort and strode over.

"Stop!"

Ling Chen slowly stood up, blocking Zhu Hong’s path.

"You can still fight?" Zhu Hong let out a cold laugh, looking at Ling Chen with utter disdain. "Oh, I almost forgot to remind you—the ten minutes are almost up. The poison in Wanqing’s body should be kicking in right about now."

Hearing this, Ling Chen hastily turned his gaze toward Nanrong Wanqing not far away. At this moment, she was lying on the ground, both hands clutching her abdomen, cold sweat pouring from her forehead, her face twisted with pain.

"Wanqing..."

Ling Chen clenched his teeth and rushed toward Zhu Hong. However, he hadn’t gone far when there was a sudden "bang"—a bolt of violet lightning descended from the sky, crashing down right in front of him. Instantly, shards of stone exploded from the ground, and the fierce impact blasted his body backward.

Pff!

A mouthful of fresh blood spurted out. Ling Chen felt his chest tighten, his body trembling slightly, his breath coming short. Seeing his wretched state, Zhu Hong couldn’t help splitting into wild laughter. "Ling Chen, look at you. Even the heavens refuse to spare you. Seems you’re doomed to die tonight."

Drawing in a deep breath, Ling Chen waited until sensation slowly returned to his body, then pushed himself back to his feet. Looking at the charred patch on his chest, a strange light flickered in his eyes.

Bang! Bang!

Above, the clouds were thick and heavy, like dark mountain peaks piled atop one another, oppressive and suffocating. Lightning flashed within them; bolts kept striking down, slamming into the rocks at the mountaintop, making the earth tremble. Seeing this, everyone’s expression turned ugly. This lightning was the might of heaven and earth itself—if one wasn’t careful and got hit, there would be no chance of survival.

"Ling Chen, the ten minutes are up. You still refuse to die?"

Hearing Zhu Hong’s voice, Ling Chen once again looked toward Nanrong Wanqing in the distance. She had already passed out from the pain, her little face pale to the extreme, pitiable beyond words, enough to make one’s heart ache.

"Fine." Ling Chen pondered for a moment, then said in a low voice, "You said it yourself—as long as I die, you’ll definitely save Wanqing."

"Relax." Zhu Hong sneered. "I still plan to marry her. How could I bear to let her die? But if you continue to live, even if I want to save her, it’ll be too late."

Ling Chen nodded, saying nothing more. On his own, he reached into his pocket and pulled out two electric shock balls. Seeing this, everyone’s face changed drastically, and they cried out anxiously, "Ling Chen, don’t—"

However, before they could finish, Ling Chen had already crushed the electric shock balls in his hands. In an instant, violet sparks flashed out, enveloping his body in a single stroke. At the same time, bolts of lightning fell madly from the sky, crazily slamming into his body, as if intent on devouring him entirely.

Watching Ling Chen being swallowed by lightning, everyone’s face went deathly pale, their eyes filled with lifeless despair.

Dead... He actually died...

The old Daoist shook his head with a long sigh. "Silly boy, why go this far..."

The blinding lightning lasted for several whole minutes before slowly dissipating. By then, Ling Chen, who had been shrouded within the lightning, had already turned into a charred corpse, standing stiffly in place like a statue.

"Hahahahaha! Ling Chen, you really are a lovesick fool, willing to give up your life for a woman." Zhu Hong laughed heartily, his face full of delight. "Too bad you’re not smart enough—you fell for it so easily. Rest assured, what I fed Wanqing wasn’t poison at all. She won’t die. She still has to serve me properly for the rest of her life—how could I possibly kill her?"

With that, he turned his head and glanced at the others present.

"Since Ling Chen is dead, there’s no need for you lot to keep living. Will you end it yourselves, or shall I do it for you?"

"You go first, I’ll hold him off."

At this moment, He Zhishen strode out, his face expressionless as he looked at Zhu Hong.

"Fine, then I’ll see just how capable you are." As soon as the words fell, Zhu Hong leaned forward slightly, like a charging rhinoceros, his aura ferocious and unstoppable as he barreled straight toward He Zhishen.

As Zhu Hong rapidly closed in, He Zhishen frowned slightly, his footsteps sliding sideways as he tried to evade the impact. But just as Zhu Hong was about to reach him, He Zhishen suddenly felt a powerful pressure surge in from all directions, like an invisible wall trapping him in the middle, leaving him unable to move.

Seeing this, a trace of horror appeared in his eyes.

While he was stunned, Zhu Hong had already rushed up to him, slamming heavily into his body. Before He Zhishen’s body could even be flung away, Zhu Hong suddenly shot out a hand, clamping around his throat and hoisting him high above his head. As Zhu Hong’s fingers tightened, He Zhishen’s face gradually flushed red. He struggled desperately, but Zhu Hong’s strength was too monstrous; there was simply no breaking free.

"You think you’re worthy to fight me?" Zhu Hong sneered. "Courting death!" As he spoke, he thrust out his right hand like a sharp blade, stabbing into He Zhishen’s body. A moment later, a dark green Soul Stone appeared in his blood-soaked right hand.

Pff!

He Zhishen spat out a mouthful of blood. It was as if all the strength in his body had been drained away; he hung limply in Zhu Hong’s grasp, utterly unable to struggle.

Zhu Hong snorted coldly and casually tossed the dark green Soul Stone onto the ground. Then he flicked his left arm, and He Zhishen’s body flew toward the edge of the mountaintop, dropping straight down and vanishing from everyone’s sight.

Without his Soul Stone, and falling from such a height, He Zhishen basically had no chance of surviving.