Gong Liang, closest to Gou Butong, was instantly stunned as he was doused in the latter's hot blood.
"How is this possible..."
"Why can you wield elemental energy!"
His eyes bulged with disbelief, unable to comprehend what he was witnessing.
They were on the verge of victory, only to encounter such an unforeseen circumstance at the crucial moment.
This was practically a death sentence for them!
One could imagine the scene: a group of martial artists with no cultivation, only relatively strong physiques, facing someone who, in his prime, could fell a fifth-level Heavenly King expert with a single saber.
For a moment, Gong Liang's sword-wielding hand began to tremble.
A wave of fear surged through his heart.
He lost all his previous arrogance and composure.
He wanted to beg for mercy but didn't know how to start.
"You cannot; you are all useless!"
"And I am different from you!"
Xu Chuan uttered these words calmly.
It was a blow that struck at the heart.
"I gave you a chance, but you yourselves did not cherish it."
"Therefore, you will all die here today!"
With that said, Xu Chuan launched his attack ferociously, showing no mercy!
The Zhenyu Demon Saber madly reaped their lives.
"Ah, no!"
"Spare me!"
"We were wrong; Tianyan Sect instigated all of this!"
"Xu Chuan, may you die a horrible death!"
"Even as a ghost, I will not forgive you!"
As the initial onslaught commenced, this not-so-spacious area instantly transformed into a battlefield of Asuras.
Cries for mercy, backstabbing shouts, and curses intermingled, their echoes lingering.
Before long, blood flowed like a river.
Under the array's coverage, the blood was not absorbed by the earth.
It was a true river of blood.
Limbs and severed parts were scattered everywhere; an ordinary person would have been terrified into soiling themselves with a single glance.
Yet, Xu Chuan remained unmoved by the sounds and scenes, his face as calm as still water.
He had always adhered to one principle: he would not offend unless offended.
Since they dared to participate in the ambush against him, he felt no guilt in killing them.
It was their own doing!
Soon, the sounds ceased, and the place fell silent once more.
All the martial artists from various factions brought by Gong Liang were now dead, their souls even grinded and absorbed by the Zhenyu Demon Saber.
They were effectively condemned to eternal damnation.
However, Xu Chuan deliberately spared Gong Liang to witness this scene.
He wanted to utterly crush Gong Liang's spirit.
It had to be said that Xu Chuan's method was very successful.
Gong Liang's eyes were vacant, his gaze unfocused, as he stared blankly at the corpses on the ground, lost in thought.
He mumbled, "Dead, all dead!"
"Hahaha!"
"Xu Chuan is a demon!"
As a prodigy within his sect, he had been too well-protected.
He had never experienced true life-and-death combat, nor had he ever witnessed a scene as hellish as this.
Unable to cope, he had completely broken down.
"Now, tell me, who killed whom?"
Xu Chuan walked slowly towards Gong Liang, holding the still-dripping Zhenyu Demon Saber.
The tip of the saber pressed against Gong Liang's brow. The still-warm blood dripped onto his nose, jolting him awake.
His expression was a mixture of terror and venom as he glared at Xu Chuan, wishing he could devour him.
He had initially believed this was a sure victory, and he would simply return to his sect to collect his reward.
He had even anticipated obtaining Xu Chuan's treasures.
But the sudden turn of events had caught him completely off guard.
"Xu Chuan, you are finished!"
"The sects and sacred lands behind us will not let you go!"
Gong Liang said to Xu Chuan fiercely.
He wanted to threaten Xu Chuan with the power of his backing.
Even in death, he wanted to make Xu Chuan live in fear.
However, upon hearing this, Xu Chuan smiled.
"Kill me?"
"Then we'll see if they have the strength!"
"But don't worry, after you die, I will seek them out one by one to settle the score!"
"Enough of this drivel; it's time to send you on your way!"
Xu Chuan directly extinguished his hopes, and the demon saber moved again.
When the demon saber moved, someone was destined to die.
Seeing this, Gong Liang knew he could not escape death today and became ferocious.
"If I die, you won't have an easy time either!"
"Explode for me!"
With a furious roar, Gong Liang's body rapidly expanded.
He intended to self-destruct to injure Xu Chuan.
His elemental energy was merely suppressed, not gone.
Therefore, he was still capable of such a suicidal act as self-detonation.
"Xu Chuan, I'll be waiting for you below!"
Gong Liang displayed a triumphant smile. Once self-detonation began, it could not be stopped.
Even in death, he would drag Xu Chuan down with him!
However.
Seeing this situation, Xu Chuan's expression did not change in the slightest.
He extended his hand, and the Golden Ancient Hall appeared above his head, enveloped in a golden light.
Instantly, Xu Chuan became impervious to all attacks.
"Is this your contingency?"
"Truly uninteresting!"
Xu Chuan sighed and watched Gong Liang self-destruct.
It was as if he were watching a natural fireworks display.
Gong Liang, witnessing Xu Chuan's actions, saw everything.
His previously frenzied smile abruptly ceased.
But the self-detonation could no longer be stopped.
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted.
Terrifying energy swept in all directions, instantly destroying everything in its path.
Xu Chuan, at the center of the explosion, was protected by the Golden Ancient Hall and remained unharmed.
He watched this free fireworks show with a calm demeanor.
Only after the explosion caused the entire space to collapse and the Blood Refining Soul Devouring Array turned to dust in the terrifying energy did Xu Chuan walk out with satisfaction.
Meanwhile, Han Feng, within the jade pendant, suddenly opened his eyes, a chilling glint flashing within them.
"The array is broken, and the puppets have lost contact."
"Ten thousand years of accumulated effort destroyed in an instant, and the Spiritual Sea Stones have likely fallen into someone else's hands."
"Who could it be?"
His expression was grim and displeased.
He had not expected his contingency plan to be destroyed by someone.
This was a significant loss.
He had originally intended to use these puppets to invade the Eastern Region and help him quickly regain his peak strength.
But now, it was all ruined!
"Damn it!"
"Don't let me find out who you are!"
Han Feng uttered these words with sinister intent.
"Master, I'm almost there. What should I do next?"
At this moment, Lin Tian's voice echoed from outside the jade pendant. Han Feng instantly reverted to his ethereal and dignified appearance.
"Just do as I told you!"
His voice was as benevolent as ever.
Yet, beneath this benevolent voice, lurked a demon!
At the same time, Qu Wushang, located within the Imperial Palace, also sensed the explosion.
He turned his head and saw a mushroom cloud slowly rising.
Seeing this mushroom cloud, he felt a vague sense of unease.
It was as if something of his had been snatched away.
He shook his head vigorously, attributing it to his unstable soul after just transmigrating.
However, he did have some thoughts forming in his mind.
"Based on my years of reading novels, there must be something valuable within that passage!"
"Otherwise, they wouldn't have set up such a grand array!"
He affirmed in his heart.
Although he possessed memories of Lin Tian's past from novels, he had no way of knowing what Lin Tian had yet to experience.