A Choice Between Life and Death

"Wang Ming, what good does this do you?!"

Li Mu stared intently at Wang Ming, unable to understand what he could possibly gain from killing them all.

"Hahaha! There's no harm in telling you! As long as I kill you all, the Lord of the Abyss will grant me limitless power!"

Wang Ming's expression was somewhat manic as he spread his arms wide and laughed wildly, as if he could already see the glory awaiting him after obtaining such power.

"Lord of the Abyss?"

The others frowned, having never heard this name before. It sounded far from righteous.

"I might as well tell you, this ancient city is suppressing four ancient beings who jointly govern it!"

Seemingly confident in his victory, Wang Ming revealed some of the secrets he knew. His eyes gleamed with smugness, as if relishing the feeling of being in control.

These four ancient beings were the Radiant Sage, the Sage of the Giant Eye, the Sage of Bloodslayer, and the Lord of the Abyss.

In ancient times, these four powerful figures had been sealed within the city after a great battle. Ten thousand years had passed, and the power of the seal had weakened, which explained why the ancient city had been discovered by the world.

Wang Ming, during a previous visit to the city, had inadvertently approached the area where the Lord of the Abyss was sealed and, through a series of unfortunate events, had been taken over by the Lord of the Abyss. Being afraid of death, he had naturally become a puppet of the Lord of the Abyss.

Through the Lord of the Abyss, Wang Ming learned that even though the seal had loosened, these four figures were still unable to break free.

The only way to accelerate their escape was through the blood of cultivators. Only in this way could the power of the seal be weakened to its lowest point, allowing the four figures to break through and see the light of day once more.

On the night of the full moon, the seal was at its weakest. The four powerful figures joined forces to tear a crack in it, revealing the ancient city to the world.

To lure cultivators into the city, they even scattered their treasured possessions as bait.

As expected, things unfolded as the four powerful figures had anticipated, with cultivators constantly being drawn into the city. However, the blood energy generated from the battles between these cultivators was merely a drop in the bucket for the massive seal.

Therefore, the four figures didn't hesitate to expend their own essence and blood to create Shadow Demons!

While this resulted in heavy casualties among the cultivators who entered the city, it was still far from enough to break the seal.

Thus, the four figures began to search for someone who would obey their commands. Wang Ming accidentally stumbled into the Lord of the Abyss's territory and became one of his puppets.

Wang Ming's task was simple: bring people to a predetermined location, where the Shadow Demons would naturally kill them. If the Shadow Demons failed, Wang Ming would then launch a sneak attack, greatly increasing the chances of success.

Only this time, he had encountered some trouble, but Wang Ming considered it a minor problem that he was confident he could resolve.

"You... You're aiding evildoers! You've killed so many people!"

Li Mu was filled with righteous indignation, staring intently at Wang Ming, but hesitant to act rashly due to the Shadow Demons surrounding him. He was filled with anger and confusion, unable to comprehend why Wang Ming would commit such heinous acts.

"Hmph, what do you know? Once Lord of the Abyss is free, the entire Western Region will be ours!"

Wang Ming laughed maniacally, as if he could already see the scene of him throwing his weight around after the four powerful figures escaped. His eyes were filled with greed and madness, completely blinded by power.

"An interesting fantasy," a cold voice echoed as Su Mu Chen slowly stepped forward.

Wang Ming's laughter ceased abruptly, turning to stare intently at Su Mu Chen. He sensed a dangerous aura emanating from Su Mu Chen, making him uneasy.

"Hmph, trying to be a hero? Don't overestimate yourself! Go, tear him to shreds!"

Although Su Mu Chen's cultivation level was higher than his own, Wang Ming wasn't worried. After all, he had the Shadow Demons to assist him. Dealing with a mere Yuan Transformation Realm cultivator was a piece of cake.

The five Shadow Demons let out piercing screams, rushing towards Su Mu Chen, their speed leaving afterimages in the air.

"Hmph hmph, the consequence of offending me is death!"

Wang Ming sneered, thinking that even if Su Mu Chen was at the peak of the Yuan Transformation Realm, so what? He had already killed one before, so this time would be no exception. He was eager to see Su Mu Chen torn to pieces by the Shadow Demons.

Su Mu Chen let out a loud shout and threw a punch.

Instantly, boundless spirit energy surged forth, roaring out with his fist, like a ferocious dragon baring its fangs and claws, carrying a world-destroying aura.

Boom boom boom!

The boundless spirit energy instantly engulfed the five Shadow Demons, leaving Wang Ming dumbfounded and a chill running down his spine. He had never seen such a powerful Yuan Transformation Realm cultivator. The power of this punch far exceeded his comprehension.

"This... This is really the peak of the Yuan Transformation Realm?"

Li Mu and the others were also dumbfounded by the scene. The power of this punch defied their understanding. They had never imagined that a Yuan Transformation Realm cultivator could unleash such immense power.

The five Shadow Demons didn't even have time to scream before being blasted into fragments. A bloody stench filled the air, sending shivers down their spines.

"The Mystic Heaven Fist is truly extraordinary!"

Su Mu Chen looked at his fist, very satisfied. The Mystic Heaven Fist was divided into four forms, and he had just used the first one.

If the first form already possessed such terrifying power, how strong would the remaining three be? Su Mu Chen was filled with anticipation. As his understanding of the Mystic Heaven Fist deepened, his strength would undoubtedly reach new heights.

"I... I... You... You killed Lord of the Abyss's Shadow Demons. Lord of the Abyss will not let you get away with this!"

Wang Ming looked at Su Mu Chen in terror, his trembling hands exposing the fear in his heart. He hadn't expected Su Mu Chen to be so powerful, able to kill five Shadow Demons with a single punch.

"Lord of the Abyss?" Su Mu Chen sneered, his tone filled with disdain. "Whether he lets me get away with it is his problem. As for you... you should worry about yourself first."

Su Mu Chen stared coldly at Wang Ming, his eyes devoid of any emotion. He walked towards Wang Ming step by step, each step seeming to land on Wang Ming's heart, suffocating him.

Wang Ming was shocked. Now that his only reliance, the five Shadow Demons, was dead, what did he have to fight Su Mu Chen with? If he had known Su Mu Chen was this strong, he wouldn't have jumped out so early.

"Don't kill me! I was forced into this!"

Instantly, Wang Ming panicked, his body retreating backward. He didn't want to die; he hadn't obtained limitless power yet.

"Hmph, if only you had known this earlier. Today, I will avenge my sister!"

Shen Yue had been suppressing her anger for a long time. She immediately struck out at Wang Ming with a palm strike. She hated Wang Ming; if it weren't for his betrayal, her sister wouldn't have been injured.

Although Shen Yue was injured, Wang Ming had been terrified by Su Mu Chen's power and didn't dare to resist, subconsciously dodging to the side.

Shen Yue's palm struck Wang Ming's shoulder, sending him flying, crashing pathetically into a pile of rubble.

"You can't kill me; Lord of the Abyss won't let you get away with this!"

At this moment, Wang Ming looked miserable, covered in a mixture of blood and dirt.

"Then I'll send you to see him!"

Shen Yue snorted coldly and was about to strike again, but a hand stopped her.

"What are you doing?"

Shen Yue turned to see Su Mu Chen grabbing her arm. She was puzzled, wondering why Su Mu Chen was stopping her.

Su Mu Chen ignored her and went directly to Wang Ming, pulling him out of the ruins.

"I know you're not dead; stop pretending!"

Wang Ming looked at Su Mu Chen with a mournful face, truly afraid at this moment. He didn't know how Su Mu Chen would deal with him next, but he knew he wouldn't have a good end.

"What... What are you going to do?"

"Didn't the four powerful figures attract us in with treasures? You must know where those treasures are, right?"

Hearing Su Mu Chen's words, Wang Ming's eyes widened instantly. He hadn't expected Su Mu Chen to have his eyes on those treasures.

"You... You actually..." Wang Ming looked at Su Mu Chen in horror. How could this guy be so bold? The things of those powerful figures were not so easy to take!

"Enough nonsense, either lead the way or die!"

Su Mu Chen interrupted Wang Ming directly, speaking coldly without any room for negotiation.

"Hmph, just wait until Lord of the Abyss discovers you; you'll all be dead!"

Wang Ming thought to himself hatefully, but on the surface, he wore a respectful expression. He knew he had no choice now and could only do as Su Mu Chen said.

Su Mu Chen could naturally guess that Wang Ming was planning to take revenge, but he wasn't worried. In the face of absolute strength, any conspiracies were futile.

"You can choose to leave or follow me. If you follow me, I don't guarantee your safety. Also, I don't like anyone getting in my way."

Su Mu Chen turned around, speaking coldly and directly to the others behind him. The others looked at each other, clearly understanding the meaning behind Su Mu Chen's words—he didn't want anyone to follow him.

"My sister and I will withdraw!" The Shen sisters were the first to speak, already harboring concerns about the dangers deep within the ancient city, taking this opportunity to leave.

"We'll look around." The others also expressed their positions, clearly unwilling to risk following Su Mu Chen into danger.

Su Mu Chen nodded, not saying anything more, signaling Wang Ming to lead the way. Wang Ming had no choice but to carefully lead the way, and after a moment, they disappeared from sight.