Chen Ping carried Wu Hao on his back, fleeing desperately through the mountain forest.
But Wu Hao’s injuries were too severe, blood continuously seeping from his wounds, soaking Chen Ping’s collar, and his speed gradually slowed as a result.
The demon soul army behind them drew ever closer, the chilling demonic energy almost swallowing them whole.
“Chen Ping, this won’t work…”
Wu Hao lay on Chen Ping’s back, his voice so weak it was barely audible, “There are too many demon souls, we can’t escape…”
Chen Ping gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead: “Don’t give up, we can make it!”
“It’s no use…”
Wu Hao shook his head gently, a flicker of resolve in his eyes, “Chen Ping, listen to me, the sacrificial canon must not fall into the hands of the demon cultivators, but right now… we have no choice.”
He struggled to pull a golden treasure box from his bosom and handed it to Chen Ping, “In a moment, when I shout run, you charge towards the valley to the east, I will throw the canon out to draw their attention.”
“No!”
Chen Ping refused immediately, “If the sacrificial canon falls to that Soul Devouring Venerable, the Sixfold Heaven is done for.”
“There’s no time!”
Wu Hao cut him off, his voice firm and unyielding, “This is the only way we have a chance to survive! Only by surviving do we have a chance to reclaim the canon and save the Sixfold Heaven!”
At that moment, the Soul Devouring Venerable had caught up, black demonic energy condensing into a giant hand that reached out towards the two once more.
A ruthless glint flashed in Wu Hao’s eyes, and he suddenly shouted: “Chen Ping, run!”
Before the words had even faded, he hurled the golden treasure box in the opposite direction with all his might.
The treasure box traced a golden arc through the air, landing on the open ground not far away with a soft “pa” sound.
“The sacrificial canon!”
The Soul Devouring Venerable spotted the treasure box, greed exploding in his eyes, he no longer cared about pursuing Chen Ping and Wu Hao, leaping off his mighty lion and striding quickly towards the box.
The Unrivalled Duo Elders and the demon soul army were also drawn to the treasure box, crowding around it, leaving a gap in the encirclement.
“Now!”
Chen Ping’s heart tightened, seizing the moment while the demon souls’ attention was divided, he carried Wu Hao and charged with all his strength towards the valley to the east.
The wind whistled past his ears, and from behind came the Soul Devouring Venerable’s laughter as he opened the treasure box, a harsh and arrogant cackle that made Chen Ping clench his fists even tighter.
The two fled all the way until they could no longer hear the pursuers behind them, before daring to stop.
Chen Ping placed Wu Hao under a large tree, then collapsed to the ground himself, gasping for breath.
Meanwhile, the Soul Devouring Venerable rode his mighty lion, cradling the sacrificial canon in his arms with both hands, the golden glow of the treasure box seeping through his fingers, yet tightly wrapped by the surging demonic energy around him, as if even this sacred light was to be stained pitch black.
He had no time for Chen Ping and Wu Hao now, with the sacrificial canon in hand, he needed to release the demon souls suppressed beneath the divine capital as quickly as possible.
Behind the Soul Devouring Venerable, the demon soul army followed like a black flood, wherever they passed, the remaining divine kingdom runes on the streets of the divine capital dimmed and shattered one by one, the once majestic palace walls crawled with eerie purple demonic patterns, and the air grew thick with the stench of blood and decay.
“Venerable Lord, ahead is the entrance to the Nine Nether Abyss!”
The elder on the left of the Unrivalled Duo stepped forward quickly, pointing to a deep valley sealed by a massive boulder ahead, his voice brimming with uncontainable fanaticism.
The boulder was inscribed with the demon-suppressing runes left by the divine kingdom’s ancestors, the golden light faint yet still stubbornly resisting the corrosion of the demonic energy.
The Soul Devouring Venerable reined in his lion’s reins, his hollow eye sockets sweeping over the boulder, a sinister smile curling at his lips: “Back then, the divine kingdom’s ancestors went to great lengths to seal it with this boulder and conceal it with runes, how laughable! Today, this seat shall let the hundred thousand demon souls beneath the Nine Nether Abyss see the light of day once more!”
He dismounted the lion, holding the sacrificial canon and walking to the boulder.
