Chapter 100 - Soul Sand Composed Entirely of Condensed Souls

"There's no other way! We have to use the Nether Portal! Jing Yuan!"

Fu Zhu's sudden shout immediately caught the attention of everyone present, including Phantylia.

Jing Yuan, who was directing the Divine Lord in pursuit of Phantylia, heard Fu Zhu's call and turned his head in confusion towards Fu Zhu, who was now running towards the Nether Portal.

He didn't understand why Fu Zhu would suddenly shout like that. Phantylia couldn't possibly fail to hear him unless... Fu Zhu was trying to lure Phantylia over!

Jing Yuan understood instantly. He brandished his Formation Blade with a flourish, positioning himself between Fu Zhu's group and Phantylia.

"Understood! Fu Zhu, you all retreat first! Leave Phantylia to me to hold back! The people of the Luofu, I entrust them to you to evacuate through the portal!"

Truly worthy of being the Divine Foresight General!

Fu Zhu mentally praised as he ran towards the Nether Portal. Thankfully, he had communicated his intentions to Jing Yuan beforehand, allowing him to grasp the plan immediately.

Moreover, Jing Yuan was remarkably decisive, not hesitating due to the potential sacrifices Fu Zhu might have to make. If it were little March and the others, they would likely hesitate, worried for his safety, and be unable to make a decision.

Of course, Fu Zhu didn't think Jing Yuan was being "cold and unfeeling." As a general, he knew how to make the right call on the battlefield.

Phantylia, seeing Fu Zhu beckon March 7th and the others towards the Nether Portal, merely sneered. Since she intended to overturn the Luofu, how could she possibly allow Fu Zhu to safely evacuate everyone?

She immediately waved her hand towards Jing Yuan. Countless [Dark Lotuses] surged like a tide, completely enveloping the Divine Lord. Even Jing Yuan himself was harassed by numerous [Dark Lotuses], momentarily unable to intercept Phantylia.

Phantylia seized this opportunity, accelerating towards the Nether Portal. At the same time, she didn't forget to launch attacks at Fu Zhu's group to slow their advance.

Jing Yuan, seeing himself entangled by the [Dark Lotuses] Phantylia had summoned, deliberately shouted loudly, "Damn it! Fu Zhu, be careful!"

Fu Zhu, hearing this, very cooperatively slowed his pace slightly and glanced back. Seeing Phantylia taking the opportunity to attack him with [Dark Lotuses], he immediately stopped and defended alongside March 7th and the others.

"Hehe, can't even manage to escape? You truly are less than ants..."

Phantylia, having successfully stalled Fu Zhu's group, flickered several times and arrived before the Nether Portal. The sight of this unfamiliar portal piqued her curiosity somewhat, but now was not the time for research.

Just as Phantylia raised her hand, preparing to condense flaming lotuses to destroy the Nether Portal before her, a clap of thunder resounded from behind.

"Radiant spirit, heed my decree!"

A terrifying aura emanated from behind Phantylia. She spun around in astonishment, only to find that Jing Yuan and his Divine Lord had somehow already broken free from the entanglement of the [Dark Lotuses]. Gripping his Formation Blade, poised for a strike, he lunged directly at her.

Fu Zhu, at this very moment, turned back and grinned at Phantylia.

"Escape route? No, no, no, this is your express ticket to Hell, Phantylia!"

"Annihilation without pardon!"

The Divine Lord, wielding its golden Formation Blade crackling with lightning, thrust towards Phantylia. Its speed was on a completely different level compared to when it was previously chasing her!

Phantylia's heart pounded in terror. This Jing Yuan fellow had actually been holding back even when he was supposedly so enraged earlier!

There was no escape. Phantylia could only muster all her strength to condense a massive lotus to shield herself. However, Jing Yuan's intention wasn't to kill her, but merely to push her into the Nether Portal, less than a meter behind her!

Phantylia gritted her teeth, bracing against the Divine Lord's strike. Even though the Divine Lord's attack couldn't break through her defense for the moment, she knew with chilling certainty that Jing Yuan intended to shove her into the portal behind her. And she was powerless to resist.

With a hoarse, unwilling roar, the moment Phantylia's back touched the portal, her entire being vanished from everyone's sight.

March 7th and Xing, witnessing this scene, were stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but raise their hands high and cheer. Welt, too, let out a sigh of relief, a faint smile unconsciously gracing his lips. He turned, about to say a few words to Jing Yuan, but noticed that the expression on Jing Yuan's face remained grim, showing no signs of relief from Phantylia's banishment.

This caused Welt's heart to lurch. It was at that precise moment that Fu Zhu moved. With extreme speed, he tossed an Ender Pearl into the Nether Portal, then turned and shouted at Jing Yuan.

"Jing Yuan, don't forget our agreement! I'll leave the outside to you!"

With that, Fu Zhu followed the Ender Pearl, phasing through the Nether Portal. His figure, like Phantylia's, vanished before everyone's eyes.

"Fu... Fu Zhu?"

March 7th froze, a brief moment of stunned silence giving way to a surge of panic. She didn't understand why Fu Zhu would follow Phantylia into the portal. Wasn't Phantylia on the other side?

Xing, without even thinking, saw her Old Bro charge into the portal and instinctively started running towards it.

However, someone was faster than her.

Jing Yuan raised his hand with a wave. The Divine Lord behind him swung its Formation Blade directly at the frame of the Nether Portal.

The lightning crackling on the Formation Blade erupted in a violent explosion upon contact with the Nether Portal's frame. The shockwave from the blast sent Xing, who was running over, flying, and kicked up a cloud of dust.

Xing tumbled, landing in a crouch to stabilize herself. She looked up in alarm at the portal amidst the dust. The Nether Portal's frame was now missing several pieces, and the ethereal purple ripples in the center had completely vanished.

The light in Xing's eyes instantly dimmed. She turned her head in disbelief towards Jing Yuan, who had just commanded the Divine Lord to destroy the Nether Portal.

"Why?"

Jing Yuan slowly descended from the air. Xing, March 7th, and Welt immediately surrounded him, their faces etched with confusion and inquiry.

Compared to Xing and March 7th, who wore their anger openly, Welt remained relatively calm, though his brow was tightly furrowed as he stared at Jing Yuan.

"General Jing Yuan, could you give us an explanation?"

Jing Yuan lowered his head slightly, his bangs falling to obscure his eyes, making his expression unreadable.

"Apologies, everyone. This was something Fu Zhu specifically instructed me to do beforehand. He told me this portal leads to a world called the Nether, and the portal is two-way. Simply destroying one side of the portal would still allow Phantylia to return to the Luofu through the other side. Therefore, Fu Zhu intends to destroy the other side of the portal."

Hearing this, March 7th felt a wave of panic wash over her. Her hands began to tremble, and her legs felt unsteady.

Xing, her face a mask of disbelief, pressed further, "Then Old Bro... he definitely told you where he would return from, right? General Jing Yuan, tell us, so we can go meet him!"

Jing Yuan's silence was their answer, just like when he had asked Fu Zhu how he planned to return, and Fu Zhu had also remained silent.

From the very beginning, Fu Zhu had no intention of coming back alive. From a strategic perspective, sacrificing one person to permanently seal a Lord of Annihilation was an incredibly worthwhile trade.

But emotionally, neither the Astral Express crew nor Jing Yuan could accept it.

Welt pushed up his glasses, saying nothing. He merely turned and walked towards the remnants of the Nether Portal. Reaching it, he pressed his hand against the obsidian, his eyes beginning to glow with a golden light as he desperately tried to analyze the principles of the Nether Portal, muttering to himself.

"As long as I can analyze the principle, I can replicate the Nether Portal... Welt, you can do it, just like you've done before..."

Xing clenched her fists, wanting to vent her frustration, but found no outlet. Punch Jing Yuan?

Jing Yuan had only agreed to Fu Zhu's request out of helplessness. The opponent was a Lord of Annihilation. Jing Yuan was only an Emanator, not an Aeon, and he had the entire Luofu to consider.

Xing took a deep breath and turned to run elsewhere. March 7th, seeing this, quickly called out to her.

"Xing, where are you going?"

"I'm going to find Kafka! Isn't her boss Elio, who can see the future? They must know how the script develops next!"

"Foresee... the future?"

March 7th murmured, her eyes suddenly brightening. She also thought of Fu Xuan. Fu Xuan could surely divine whether Fu Zhu would return safely!

"Wait for me, I'm coming too!"

Jing Yuan silently watched the two girls depart together, offering no objection. He merely took out his phone and notified Yanqing to send someone to escort them.

He, too, wanted to know if Fu Zhu could return safely, and whether Fu Zhu's current choice was part of Elio's foreseen script.

After a familiar wave of dizziness, Fu Zhu immediately raised his shield, then warily surveyed his surroundings.

After a quick scan, Fu Zhu discovered that this Nether Portal of his had actually opened into the Soul Sand Valley. Beneath his feet was Soul Sand, and Phantylia was currently kneeling not far in front of him, looking rather weakened.

And from the Soul Sand beneath Phantylia, countless translucent ghosts were emerging, clawing at Phantylia's limbs with bared fangs and brandished claws, as if trying to drag her down into the Soul Sand with them.

Phantylia also noticed Fu Zhu, who had teleported in as well. At this moment, her face was etched with unprecedented terror. She shrieked hoarsely at Fu Zhu.

"Damn you, little brat! Where have you transported me?!"

Phantylia desperately tried to lift her legs, wanting to get away from this eerie sand. But for every hand of those ghosts that climbed onto her, she could distinctly feel her own soul rapidly weakening.

"Get lost! You filthy things!"

Phantylia desperately attacked the ghosts emerging from the Soul Sand. However, her attacks could only disperse these ghosts like mist, and moments later, they would reform.

Fu Zhu looked down at his own feet with some surprise. He didn't experience the same situation as Phantylia; he only felt his legs become slightly heavier.

So, what's going on with Phantylia?