Fang Yuan slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself in a strange space.
He stood on a silver-white ground that resembled frost, looking around, but all he could see was boundless, pitch-black chaos, thick as ink.
"Where is this place...?"
Fang Yuan's thoughts were tangled like a messy knot. He tried to recall his memories and vaguely remembered that the mysterious [Fate Seal Formation] had activated unexpectedly, wrapping him up tightly...
"Does this mean I've been sealed?"
This was certainly not good news. If he had been directly killed, he could use [Rebirth] to escape, but being sealed...
"Can I escape by suicide...?"
Fang Yuan pondered silently. He would first kill himself, activate [Rebirth], and then break free from the seal. That was probably the process.
Thinking this, Fang Yuan raised his hand and placed his fingertips on his heart. However, the next second, something bizarre happened—his hand passed through his chest without any obstruction, as if a game bug had occurred.
No physical form. Could it be that this place isn't the real world?
Fang Yuan tried using his various powers, but unsurprisingly, they all failed.
Just as expected. So, where is this place? Is it an alternate space where only consciousness exists?
If that's the case, then where is my physical body?
Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes, feeling for the first time that things had become tricky.
He now suspected that Yan Taizu had been manipulated, a complete fool. Everything he had done was probably someone else's tool.
And that hidden figure, the one who reaped the benefits... The suspicion fell on Huang Long.
It was highly likely that Huang Long had secretly guided Yan Taizu, leading him to discover his buried body. Even the seemingly exquisite [Fate Seal Formation] might have been intentionally revealed to Yan Taizu by Huang Long.
On the surface, Yan Taizu had been carefully plotting and scheming against Huang Long, but the truth behind the scenes might be that Huang Long had been controlling the entire game from the start, leading Yan Taizu by the nose.
Once the so-called "soul-seizing" was completed, the real outcome was probably not Yan Taizu taking over Huang Long's body, but Huang Long using this opportunity to fully revive and return to the world.
Of course, these were just Fang Yuan's speculations. But now was not the time to think about this. The immediate priority was to figure out a way to escape from here.
At this moment, Fang Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted—at the horizon, a black tide was approaching.
At first, it seemed like nightfall, spreading across the entire space, until the rolling shadows grew more fierce and twisted. Only then did Fang Yuan see clearly: it was thousands of flood dragons!
The coiled dragon bodies twisted and tangled, their scales scraping against each other, sparking bright sparks. Countless dragon heads emerged from the tide, letting out snarling, eerie cries!
At this moment, Fang Yuan felt like he had stepped into a snake pit. All he could see were the twisted shadows of flood dragons, as if they were going to tear him apart!
Fang Yuan didn't know the specifics of Yan Taizu's soul-seizing process, so he couldn't understand how so many flood dragons suddenly appeared.
But right now, all doubts were cast aside. One thought rang in his mind like a booming bell: no matter what kind of monsters or evil creatures these are, kill! Only by killing!
Wherever his fists went, he would slice through all the evil spirits!
...
The [Fate Seal Formation] was an incredibly powerful array, capable of sealing the target's body and soul into two completely different places.
Fang Yuan's consciousness was trapped in this ethereal world of awareness, while his body was ruthlessly suppressed deep inside Huang Long's body.
This place was pitch black, not a single finger could be seen. There was nothing around except for the tough, steel-like flesh of Huang Long's body, and it was deathly silent and oppressive.
It's worth noting that even though the battle between Yan Wen Di and Fang Yuan had shaken the heavens and earth, they hadn't caused any damage to Huang Long. Even the [Final Lotus of Destruction] that Fang Yuan released only caused a little surface injury to him.
Now that Fang Yuan was trapped inside Huang Long's body, it was like being trapped in an infernal hell, where it seemed impossible to escape forever.
But as the saying goes, "misfortune often contains good fortune." Although Fang Yuan had lost his consciousness, he still tightly grasped the Earth Sword, as if holding on to his last hope.
As if sensing his master's plight, the Earth Sword began to stir restlessly. It started moving through this dark space.
The ancient black iron body of Huang Long was no obstacle for the Earth Sword, which moved freely as if a fish had been returned to the sea. It was able to navigate through Huang Long's body on its own.
Along with it, Fang Yuan also moved with the sword.
At first, the Earth Sword wandered aimlessly around the surroundings. After what seemed like an eternity, it seemed to have found the correct direction. The sword slightly trembled and began to move Fang Yuan towards the surface.
...
In the Southern Town General's Office, all the generals gathered together. Even though Emperor Yan Wen had died, there was no chaos in the court. After all, with the current situation of the Yan Kingdom, it didn't matter whether he was there or not.
However, what concerned everyone now was another issue: why had Lord Fang not appeared yet?
Currently, the situation in the Yan Kingdom was extremely critical, and the northern ice plains could invade at any moment. Lord Fang was the kingdom's last hope; he could not afford to have any accidents.
"Could it be that after Lord Fang finished this battle, he suddenly became interested and went off to meditate?" General Jiang Tao speculated first.
Having known Lord Fang's temperament, Jiang Tao knew very well that for him, cultivation was as natural as eating and drinking, and he could do it at any time.
"Not certain, but in any case, we must go check on him," said Zhong Chunhua seriously. The other generals all nodded in agreement.
Actually, there was a more terrifying thought in their hearts: Lord Fang might... have perished along with Emperor Yan Wen.
This would be the worst outcome for the Yan Kingdom, because without Lord Fang, how would they stand against the masters from the Ice Plains?
Therefore, everyone kept this thought to themselves and didn't dare to speak it aloud. Now was not the time to demoralize the troops.
"In that case, let's go into the Imperial City to check on the situation," said Ji Tianqi. "The country cannot be without its ruler for a day. We must have Lord Fang lead us to stabilize the situation."
The group quickly reached a consensus and decided to enter the Imperial City to search for Lord Fang's whereabouts.
As soon as they stepped into the Imperial City, the generals were deeply shocked by the scene before them. What was once a magnificent and imposing palace had now been reduced to rubble. Only a circle of buildings on the edge still had some remnants of broken walls.
As for the palace maids, eunuchs, and guards living inside the Imperial City... there was no chance of any of them surviving.
"Tsk, this is a power only gods could possess..."
"Yes, the entire imperial city has been wiped out just like that... It's even bigger than the state capital I govern."
"A city-destroying power... only a Grandmaster could achieve such a feat."
The generals' throats were dry, and their eyes were full of shock.
Jiang Tao spoke again, "Now is not the time for lamenting. We must move forward. Master Fang should be at the center of the imperial city."
The group hurriedly flew deeper into the imperial city, and after a while, they stopped above a huge cave, remaining silent for a long time...
The cave had a diameter of at least a kilometer, and it was pitch black, stretching across the ground like a giant beast waiting to devour anything in its path.
How did such a huge hole appear here?
Even if the generals racked their brains, they couldn't figure out the cause.
"We haven't found Master Fang's trace on the ground. The only possibility is that he is inside this cave. We must go down and investigate," suggested Zhong Chunhua.
The others had no choice but to agree. They slowly descended toward the deep, dark cave. However, before they could get close, they noticed a chilling crimson glow emanating from the cave.
It seemed the cave had been transformed by some unknown force. The ground and walls had turned into a red swamp, surging with waves. Countless blood vessel-like vines spread across it, resembling a spider's web.
The above-ground and underground worlds seemed to be entirely different from one another.
This strange sight made the generals uneasy, and they halted their steps.
"Let me explore the path ahead," said an old man as he stepped forward. "My divine powers are perfect for this task."
"Then we'll rely on you, General Liu," Jiang Tao nodded and signaled.
General Liu, named Liu Yuan, was the general of Chongwen Province, which bordered Yongnan Province, and was one of the first to receive help from Fang Yuan.
Under the watchful eyes of the group, Liu Yuan took the lead and descended into the cave. But as soon as he reached the entrance, something unexpected happened.
His flesh and blood withered rapidly, and countless crimson, mushroom-like flowers instantly grew all over his body. In the end, his body shattered into pieces!
In the next moment, Liu Yuan's broken body disappeared, and a new Liu Yuan appeared elsewhere.
"This is bad. The cave is filled with some kind of eerie power... If we step inside, we'll probably be instantly corrupted by this power and turn into a puddle of pus..." The newly appeared Liu Yuan's face turned pale, and his tone was filled with concern.
"Who could have done this..." Jiang Tao's expression darkened, as if he'd swallowed a fly. "Is it Emperor Yanwen?"
"Who else could it be?" Zhong Chunhua gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with anger. "Have any of you ever seen Master Fang use such sinister methods?"
The others shook their heads. In their impression, Master Fang indeed possessed many divine powers such as cutting strikes, thunder, and gravity, but they had never seen such a bizarre technique.
It must have been their cursed emperor. Truly a powerful figure... to have transformed an entire world into a crimson hell. Even these seven-level warriors couldn't get close.
But... if Master Fang is truly down there in this strange world, can he possibly survive?
"Master Fang, are you down there?" Seeing that they couldn't enter, they resorted to the most primal method, shouting loudly at the ground.
However, after shouting dozens of times, the only response was an eerie silence.
The generals grew more uneasy, and the result they least wanted to accept seemed closer than ever.
Master Fang... perhaps he truly perished with Emperor Yanwen.
Boom!
Suddenly, the sky darkened, and heavy rain poured down.
But the group showed no intention of leaving. They stood like statues, fixated on the dark hole, hoping for a miracle to occur.
The rain fell for an entire day and night, yet they remained like statues in the imperial city for the entire time.
But mere devotion wouldn't bring a miracle.
"Why, why hasn't Master Fang shown up..." Jiang Tao muttered to himself, looking dazed and lost.
The person who could single-handedly defeat all the great demons in the Yan Kingdom... has he really left us?
"From now on, we must prepare for the worst..." Zhong Chunhua wiped the rain off her face, her voice colder than ever:
"Standing here waiting is meaningless. We need to think about how the Yan Kingdom will respond to the impending invasion from the Ice Plains if Master Fang is truly gone."
The other generals all looked grim, and Jiang Tao suddenly let out a bitter laugh. Was there really anything to consider at this point?
The Yan Kingdom's Grandmasters were either dead or severely wounded. Meanwhile, the Ice Plains had at least three Grandmasters stationed there, not to mention the traitor Duke Zhuo Yang... The disparity in strength was simply enormous.
The Ice Plains wanted Yan Kingdom's territory and wanted slaves to kneel and beg. There were only two options left:
Either die or surrender.
The rain continued to fall, and a growing sense of fear spread among the generals.
"Oh, it seems the great person you've been waiting for hasn't shown up..."
In this gloomy atmosphere, a voice suddenly echoed.
The nine generals all felt a jolt of alarm, as the voice did not belong to any of them!
They quickly looked up toward the source of the sound and saw a man floating above them, his arms crossed.
The man had long, deep blue hair, and a thin body. He appeared semi-transparent, blending quietly into the rain.
Had he not spoken, the generals would have never noticed his presence.
Who was this man? When did he sneak up on them?
The generals' hearts immediately went on high alert, and Zhong Chunhua, drenched in cold sweat, recognized the man!
She had heard her brother mention his name, and a name surfaced in her mind.
"Nammo..."
"It's Nammo!"
A great Grandmaster from the Ice Plains, known as the [Water God]!
Boom!
Another lightning strike split the sky. The moment those words were spoken, the fear in the generals' hearts grew even stronger. The situation had grown even more dire!
A Grandmaster from the enemy nation had quietly infiltrated the capital, right under their noses!