Boundless darkness swallowed all light. The entire world dimmed, as if day had suddenly fallen into night.
Not only did the radiance of Southern Chu's old king, Cheng Jiongting, disappear, but even the true sun was covered by boundless darkness.
The terrifying aura caused most of the onlookers to pale.
Those who had witnessed the battle between Chen Luoyang and "King of Fuyao" Han Shang were fine, but those who had not seen Chen Luoyang in action were especially shocked.
The momentum of his attack was truly no different from a Martial Venerable.
Those present were all of extraordinary backgrounds and understood the gap between Martial Saints and Martial Venerables. They had seen the terror of Martial Venerables, which was precisely why they were all the more shocked.
Although they had heard it for a long time, there were many things that could not compare to experiencing it for themselves.
Just as everyone was in shock, the darkness in the sky suddenly began to recede, as if an eclipse had ended and the sun had returned.
The blue sky unique to the Red Dust Realm reappeared, the sun still hanging high in the sky.
But the radiance of Southern Chu's Qiantang King, Cheng Jiongting, was nowhere to be seen. The sea of golden light and fire that had covered the sky had vanished without a trace.
Only Chen Luoyang's figure remained in midair, and his position did not change at all.
He calmly floated in the air, an old man's corpse lying flat before him.
It was Southern Chu's old king, Cheng Jiongting.
Cheng Jiongting's expression was relatively serene. No wounds could be seen on his body, but he no longer had any signs of life.
His corpse seemed to be supported by an invisible force as it steadily descended back into Anyuan City.
Chen Luoyang's expression was calm and unperturbed, as if nothing had just happened.
But in the eyes of the Southern Chu crowd, those flickering dark golden eyes were like those of a world-destroying demon god.
There was no sound, but the invisible pressure caused countless people to collapse.
All of Anyuan City was in an uproar.
On top of the city wall, Southern Chu's King of Cloud Capital, Cheng Jinjun, had a sorrowful expression as he reached out to catch the falling old man's corpse.
Cheng Longyuan and the others around him were silent. The top of the city wall was deathly silent.
Some of the Southern Chu royal experts subconsciously looked at the White Cavalry General Zhang Tong and the other Southern Chu martial practitioners. Some of their gazes were already filled with uncontrollable wariness and wariness.
"Your Highnesses, if His Majesty still doesn't show himself, I'm afraid it will be very difficult for us to defend Anyuan City."
Zhang Tong turned a blind eye to those wary gazes and bowed to Cheng Jinjun, Cheng Longyuan, and the others. "We were unable to control the formation's core in the first place. Now that the formation is weakening and the Old King is dead, even if the Demon Monarch himself doesn't intervene, we won't be able to defend this place for long."
"Great General, are we going to surrender?" Slowly, the other Old Wang asked.
Zhang Tong sighed and said, "Their final struggle might be able to inflict some damage on the enemy's forces, but I'm afraid that the Imperial Family's bloodline won't be able to survive in the end. It'll be a waste of the Old Prince's painstaking effort to step forward."
When the Southern Chu crowd heard this, they all fell silent. Apart from the chill they felt, there was even more sorrow in their hearts.
It wasn't just the fate of the Senior Prince, Cheng Jiongting, but the fate of the entire Southern Chu Dynasty.
Since Emperor Chu Cheng Hui still hadn't shown himself, it seemed like it was impossible for him to show himself.
Perhaps the Southern Chu Country's fortune had run out today.
Regardless of whether Cheng Hui didn't dare to fight or whether he planned to attack the headquarters of the Ancient God Church and other places to exchange places with Chen Luoyang, the fall of Anyuan City was already a foregone conclusion.
Moreover, seeing how calm the Three Holy Lands of the Devil Path were outside, it was clear that the Three Holy Lands hadn't made any moves for the time being.
Emperor Chu Cheng Hui had indeed hidden himself …
This realization crushed most people's morale. The Southern Chu high-level experts in Anyuan City were all dejected.
The Cloud Capital Prince, Cheng Jinjun, also sighed softly and handed the Senior Prince, Cheng Jiongting's remains to the people beside him.
"In that case, this Prince will also have to make a trip." Cheng Jinjun looked at Zhang Tong and said, "Great General, please consider our past friendship and help me."
"I'll do my best. There won't be any Great General in the future." Zhang Tong cupped his hands and bowed to Cheng Jinjun.
Cheng Jinjun waved his hand and said, "Let's rest the formation."
Then, he rose up and came before Chen Luoyang. He bowed and said, "Demon Monarch, please enlighten me."
Chen Luoyang looked at him approvingly and nodded slightly. "The Cheng Clan still has a few talents. I'm not a bloodthirsty person. Those who obey me will prosper."
"I've always admired the Demon Monarch's magnanimity. However, His Majesty is still alive, and the Cheng Clan has me and Old Granduncle. Even if the Demon Monarch is magnanimous, we won't be able to eat or sleep in peace. Why don't we ask the Demon Monarch to fulfill our wish?" Cheng Jinjun sighed. "Ending one's own life is not what we seek. To die in the hands of an expert is to live up to half a lifetime of bitter cultivation. Demon Monarch, please enlighten me!"
Then, just like the Senior Prince, Cheng Jinjun's body shone with boundless brilliance.
However, the sea of golden light and flames disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Only the two of them were left standing in the air, facing each other.
Cheng Jinjun looked stunned. Slowly, his body went limp and fell to the ground. A line of blood slowly appeared on his neck.
The people below were similarly stunned and shaken to the core.
They had not seen Chen Luoyang move, but a peak eighteenth level Martial Saint had already lost his life.
It had happened silently and without any warning. Most people did not know what had happened and felt even more horrified.
Chen Luoyang acted as if nothing had happened. He said indifferently, "Including the members of the Cheng Clan, we will let bygones be bygones for those who are loyal."
Soundless and traceless, the "Shadow Moon" killed without warning, bringing with it an unknown terror. A Martial Saint of the eighteenth realm had died so easily, causing the Southern Chu crowd to feel that this was unreal. However, they also felt a chill run through their bodies, a chill seeping into their bones.
Everyone froze where they were for a moment. Then, people started to bow to Chen Luoyang in the air.
First came the Southern Chu officials. Then, the members of the Cheng Clan also bowed in silence.
Everyone had complicated expressions.
Following the destruction of the Northern Wei Dynasty, their Southern Chu had come to an end today.
Cheng Longyuan and the other members of the Cheng Clan were especially conflicted.
In the past two hundred years, the three dynasties had stood side by side.
Last year, the Western Qin Dynasty's Zhengyang City was in turmoil. Southern Chu sent troops to Western Qin to expand its territory. They occupied a large part of Western Qin's territory and slowly digested it to strengthen their own national power.
At home, the Xian Tian Palace was weak due to internal strife and was no longer a hidden danger in Southern Chu.
For Cheng Longyuan, this year, even the Marquis of Fengxiang, Cheng Yingtian, had died.
Southern Chu was peaceful both inside and outside. It was a great opportunity for them to improve. However, in a short month, they had fallen to the fate of being destroyed.
Now, they had to submit to Chen Luoyang, whom they had a grudge against. The gap in their hearts was too big.
Zhang Tong and the others were fine. They had only changed their allegiance to a different faction.
The original members of the Cheng Clan were uncomfortable.
From now on, there would be no more Southern Chu Royal Clan in the mortal world. There would only be the Cheng Clan.
The change was so big that they had to grasp it again. If they couldn't change their mentality, the result would be unimaginable.
Although Cheng Hui was still alive, Cheng Longyuan and the others were not optimistic at all. Instead, they were under great pressure. They had become the bait for Cheng Hui. If there was a slight mistake, Cheng Hui's fate would be uncertain, and they would be the first to be doomed.
Chen Luoyang and the experts under his command entered Anyuan City together.
The splendid Southern Chu Imperial Palace was now owned by the Demon Emperor.
Chen Luoyang sat high on the throne and looked down at the people below.
Compared to the warriors of the Ancient God's Realm, the people of the Black Water Extreme Palace and Yan Ranshan looked somewhat serious.
Unlike the two holy lands, although the people of Southern Chu had also submitted to the Demon Emperor, the Southern Chu Dynasty itself had been destroyed and no longer existed.
If one day, Cheng Hui had the ability to make a comeback and defeat Chen Luoyang, Southern Chu might still have a chance to restore itself. Otherwise, it would be history from now on.
However, as one of the three great dynasties, Southern Chu's vast territory had created a power vacuum that needed to be filled. Although Zhang Tong and the others, as well as the Cheng family, had submitted, Southern Chu could not be left to them.
It was inevitable that the other experts under Chen Luoyang's command would be stationed there.
The one who benefited the most was naturally the Ancient God Church, which bordered Southern Chu. The pavilion closest to the water enjoyed the moonlight first. Since Yanran Mountain and the Blackwater Extreme Palace were both in the north, it would be much more difficult for them to get a share. The final outcome would depend on Chen Luoyang's arrangements.
However, with Cheng Hui still around, it would not be so safe to occupy Southern Chu's territory …
Just as everyone was guessing, Chen Luoyang said, "Cheng Hui has become half-human and half-demon, obstructing Swordmaster Darknorth. He is suspected to be related to the God of the Underworld. From now on, announce his whereabouts to the world, and report back immediately if there is any news."
Hearing this, everyone hurriedly answered in unison, "Your subordinates will obey the edict."
News came from the headquarters of the Ancient God, the Black Water Extreme Palace, and Yan Ranshan, but there was no trace of Cheng Hui.
At least for now, he was powerless to retaliate against Chen Luoyang.
Chen Luoyang sat on his former throne, his fingers lightly tapping on the table in front of the throne, his mind racing.
It seemed that Cheng Hui's Seclusion had really gone wrong, leaving behind some sequelae.
He must have snatched Han Mei's Witherheart Stone to remedy the situation.
Unfortunately, he was so unlucky that he had run into Swordmaster Darknorth, Zhu Qun.
Cheng Hui had come out of Seclusion successfully, and it was hard to say whether he could resist Zhu Qun, not to mention that his Seclusion had gone wrong.
As a great swordsman on par with the Old Sword Immortal and Ancestor Blood River, Zhu Qun's attacks were swift and decisive. No one could fight him, and most of the time, blood would be shed. The Island Lord of Fusang, Abbot Hui of the Western Paradise, and Ancestor Blood River all had a deep understanding of this. Now it was Cheng Hui's turn.
Although Zhu Qun was busy taking care of Han Zheng and Han Mei and did not pursue him, that battle was still enough to make things worse for Cheng Hui, who had already gone wrong in Seclusion.
Or it should be said that in this state, Cheng Hui could not exchange blows with a heavyweight opponent at all, and it was even difficult for him to continue fighting in a short period of time.
Therefore, when Chen Luoyang's troops arrived at the city, Cheng Hui did not return to Anyuan to fight, nor did he attack the headquarters of the Ancient God as revenge. Instead, he hid alone and licked his wounds.
If a dignified giant wanted to hide, it would be very difficult to find him.
However, Cheng Hui's current demonic appearance made Chen Luoyang think of a place he could go.
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