Mu Qing murmured, "How could this happen? How could there be so many...???"

I've never heard of anyone using magic power to burst the curse shackles?!

Hua Cheng pulled Xie Lian, who had fallen to the ground, up and said, "Brother, try fighting again!"

Just then, Jun Wu swung his sword towards him, and Xie Lian instinctively raised his hand to deflect it. With a clang, Zhu Xin was nearly deflected away!

This attack is completely different from the previous one!

Xie Lian looked at his hands, feeling slightly dazed. He hadn't felt this way in centuries, had almost forgotten it. This was who he was.

His power was so strong that he couldn't control it. Every step he took shook the earth. One step could take him a thousand miles, one step could take him to heaven!

He clenched his five fingers and punched Jun Wu in the face!

After the battle, Jun Wu's face remained spotless. This successful strike finally caused a little blood to trickle from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it off with his thumb and looked at the blood.

The next moment, he flicked his hand and threw Zhuxin aside.

It looked like he was going to have a fistfight with Xie Lian!

Xie Lian threw another punch, but Jun Wu caught it and twisted it back. With a sharp pain, Xie Lian's arm snapped instantly. But he quickly caught it with two snaps. Then, another palm strike was intercepted by Jun Wu. Seeing the situation was not going well, Xie Lian tried to win back the heart that Jun Wu had just abandoned. Jun Wu, having naturally anticipated this move, blocked his path.

But he forgot Feng Xin and Mu Qing were behind him. Though both were half-crippled, they were both furtively trying to pull out the Fang Xin Sword. Their movements were incredibly subtle, but Jun Wu seemed to have eyes behind him. With a backhand strike, the bridge beneath their feet shattered, sending them plummeting into the lava river!

At the critical moment, a hand grabbed Feng Xin's boot. Feng Xin grabbed Mu Qing's boot. He looked up again and said, "Fuck! It's really fucked! Imperial Master, please don't let go!"

It was the Imperial Master who pulled them back. Veins bulged on his forehead. "You know I'm an old man! So hurry up and climb up!"

Although Jun Wu had knocked down that section of the bridge, Xie Lian lifted it up again, holding it aloft in mid-air. He wanted to rise further, but Jun Wu wouldn't give him the time. The three of them were less than two or three feet away from the roiling lava. The gurgling sound of bubbles could be heard with the naked ear. Mu Qing was hanging at the bottom, head down and feet up, in a terrifying position. If he wasn't careful, he would be washed by the lava. His face was burned red as charcoal, and he cried, "Hurry, pull me up!"

Unexpectedly, after pulling twice, he shouted again: "Wait! Don't pull me up!"

The Imperial Master said angrily, "What exactly do you want?"

Feng Xin said, "Are you serious? Okay, then I'll let go!"

Mu Qing cursed, "Fuck you, if you really let go, try it. Look down there! Look at the sword!"

Several people looked in the direction of his finger. They saw a black jade sword directly below them, stuck in the center of the long river of magma, slowly sinking. It was the heart they had just tried to steal, but had been shaken down by Jun Wu!

Mu Qing stretched his arms wildly towards the hilt, as if he wanted to turn into a gibbon, but he couldn't reach it. He said, "Put me down a little more, I'm almost there!!"

The veins on the Imperial Master's forehead bulged even more: "You two young men, I'm an old man, don't go too far!"

As he spoke, he lowered his boot, and Mu Qing's face moved closer to the lava river. His hair slipped down, and the ends of his hair caught fire. Feng Xin said, "Oh my god, your hair is on fire! It's going to burn up!"

Fortunately, Mu Qing finally drew his sword. He slapped the flames from his hair with one hand and swung his other hand, hurling it at Xie Lian with splattering lava. "Xie Lian, take it!"

Xie Lian raised his hand and grasped the hilt of Fang Xin's sword!

The Imperial Master had reached his limit: "I can't take it anymore, all of you come up quickly!"

Feng Xin saw that the Imperial Master was trembling. He knew the situation was not good, so he threw Mu Qing up and said, "I told you not to dawdle and dawdle!"

Mu Qing was thrown up by him and was about to explode in anger, but suddenly dozens of lava ghosts suddenly jumped out from the pool of fire below!

Like fish leaping from water, the vengeful spirits leaped up and clutched at Feng Xin's chest. Had it not been for the spiritual light protecting him, Feng Xin would have been burned to death. Frightened by Feng Xin's arrows, they harbored a grudge and had secretly lurked in the lava, following him there, waiting for an opportunity to pull him down. Caught off guard, the Imperial Preceptor was also pulled forward by the sudden weight on his hands, sliding downward. This time, it was Mu Qing's turn to grab the Imperial Preceptor's boots at the end.

Feng Xin was already injured, with several arrows lodged in his body that he had forgotten to remove. He fought the vengeful spirits with his bare hands, and fearing the fight would get too intense, the people above him couldn't hold him back, so they let go, leaving him in a very vulnerable position. The lava spirits below continued to gather, layer upon layer, clinging to him as if in a tug-of-war with the Imperial Master, Mu Qing. The strength of both sides was formidable; if this continued, Feng Xin might be torn in two!

Feng Xin roared, "Can you please give me a quick death?"

Mu Qing said, "Shut up!" Suddenly, he felt his hands suddenly become lighter, and those vengeful spirits seemed to have finally let go. He quickly took the opportunity to pull the two men up.

After coming up, Feng Xin gasped for breath, still in shock. From below came the screams and roars of the vengeful spirits. Looking down, Mu Qing and the Imperial Master both said, "Feng Xin, it's your son!"

“…”

Sure enough, among the red lava ghosts, a white thing was jumping around and biting them madly.

Those lava wraiths were at least two thousand years old, and they were in droves. How could they be afraid of a mere infant spirit? They clawed and bit, and the fetus's body, once white, was now scalded and bloodied, now covered in scarlet patches. It howled, but its cries were not pitiful at all, but terrifying. But Feng Xin erupted.

He flew into a rage and shouted, "Stop with your rotten looks! A group of adults bullying a child! Wrong, wrong, come here!"

The fetal spirit, unable to defeat so many vengeful spirits, was already beginning to feel timid. Hearing someone trying to stand up for it, it let out a strange cry and leaped onto Feng Xin's shoulder. Feng Xin unsheathed his longbow, yanked the arrow from his chest, and unleashed a barrage of arrows, sending the Flame River churning. The fetal spirit then jumped and screamed wildly on his shoulder, seemingly gloating in delight. Meanwhile, Xie Lian, relieved to see they were out of danger, was about to focus on dealing with Jun Wu when he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.

Jun Wu locked him from behind and said, "Didn't I tell you where you learned your skills? I know all your moves like the back of my hand!"

If Xie Lian couldn't break free from this lock, he would be trapped to death. However, all the tricks he could think of to break free, Jun Wu could definitely think of them too!

At this moment, he heard Hua Cheng say, "Brother, don't be afraid! You must have a trick he doesn't know about, a trick that only you can use, and he can't!"

Suddenly, an idea flashed in Xie Lian’s mind.

Does he have it?

He does!

Since you can't break free, then don't break free!

He turned around in Jun Wu's arms, facing the enemy, and locked Jun Wu in his arms, saying word by word: "You definitely don't know how to use this move!"

He grabbed Jun Wu and slammed both of their bodies into the extremely solid rock wall!

He used all his strength in this collision. Amid the rumbling sound of rock collapse, he also heard the sound of something shattering.

That came from Jun Wu.

His white armor was completely shattered!

At the same time, Jun Wu let him go and shouted angrily: "Get out! Get out of here!!!"

Xie Lian looked up, his hair standing on end. What caught his eye, what drove Jun Wu mad, was a face.

Those three faces appeared again!

Xie Lian raised his sword again and pierced Jun Wu’s heart, pinning him to the rock wall!

Blood flowed out of Jun Wu's mouth.

Xie Lian's sword, piercing through as much mana as he could muster, exploded the instant it struck Jun Wu. Even the strongest self-healing ability couldn't repair it!

The mountain collapsed.

Jun Wu was originally nailed to the rock wall, but after the rock collapsed, he ended up lying on the ground.

But he hadn't given up yet. He gripped the hilt of the Fangxin Sword with his backhand, as if trying to write on the blade. That was, of course, a curse, and it had to be stopped. But as soon as Xie Lian raised his hand, the Imperial Master rushed over, saying, "Your Highness! Forget it, forget it!"

Xie Lian stopped, not knowing who he was calling out to or who he was letting go of. Jun Wu coughed up another mouthful of blood and shouted angrily, "Get out of here!"

The Imperial Master knelt beside him and said, "Your Highness, forget it! Really forget it. There's no point in continuing the battle."

Jun Wudao: "What do you know?! Get out of here!"

The Imperial Master said, "I don't understand. Over the years, you've been both a god and a ghost king. You've killed everyone you need to kill and taken everything you want. Why are you doing this? What do you want? What do you want to prove?"

Upon hearing this, a moment of confusion flashed across Jun Wu's face.

But he didn't remain in a daze for long. He suddenly grabbed the Imperial Master's throat and shouted angrily, "Don't teach me a lesson! You are not qualified to teach me! No one is qualified to teach me!"

Jun Wu's strength was currently insufficient, so this stranglehold wasn't difficult to break. Xie Lian was about to rescue him when the Imperial Master waved him off and continued, "Your Highness."

Jun Wu looked at him coldly, still not putting his hand down.

Even if he lacked strength now, breaking the Imperial Master's neck would be easy, a dangerous feat. The Imperial Master allowed him to strangle him, saying, "I'm not teaching Your Highness the Crown Prince to teach you a way that's not wrong, and then use you to humiliate you. He is him, you are you. You are different people, and having different paths is perfectly normal. I said it before, but you didn't believe me. What about now?"

Jun Wu stared at him without saying a word.

The Imperial Preceptor said, "I simply truly miss His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the former Wuyong Kingdom, all of us, and the days before we ascended."

“…”

The Imperial Preceptor continued, "After so many years, Your Highness, I feel tired just looking at you. How about you? Aren't you really tired?"

As the foremost Martial God of the Three Realms, Jun Wu's appearance and demeanor were always perfect and spotless. Now, with all that halo gone, Xie Lian realized that even without the three human-faced demons, his complexion was still far too pale.

His features were too cold and hard, and there was a slight darkness under his eye sockets, making him look gloomy and unspeakable, and he was not as gentle as he appeared under the halo.

But now, he looked alive, even though he was also listless.

The Imperial Master said, "Your Highness, you have already been defeated. Give yourself a chance to be free."

“…”

Jun Wu asked in confusion, "Did I lose?"

The overpowering fluctuations of magical power shattered the dome of the cave, and faint sunlight poured down from above.

Raindrops seemed to drift down from the sky. Jun Wu lay on the ground, while Xie Lian stood, looking down at him from above. He could actually see a hint of relief in his expression.

He couldn't help but wonder, perhaps, being defeated by someone and ending this divisive and crazy day after day was Jun Wu's deepest wish.

After a while, Jun Wu suddenly asked, "What is that move called?"

“…”

Xie Lian raised his sleeve, wiped the blood from his face, and said, "My chest is shattered by a huge stone."

Jun Wu was stunned for a moment, as if he had thought of something, smiled, sighed, closed his eyes, and said, "Beautiful."

He didn't say another word, but everyone could see the exhaustion on his face that could no longer be concealed.

Xie Lian finally removed his hand from the hilt of the Fang Xin sword. Unable to figure out what to do next, he involuntarily glanced towards Hua Cheng. Hua Cheng was still standing there, on the only section of Tongtian Bridge that hadn't collapsed, quietly waiting for him for a long time with his hands behind his back. Seeing him turn around, he met his gaze and smiled slightly.

The Imperial Master sat beside the motionless Jun Wu and said, "Your Highness, please go."

He showed no intention of getting up, so Xie Lian asked, “Master, aren’t you leaving?”

The Imperial Master shook his head and said, "I'll just accompany His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. After all, I didn't accompany him before."

The rain was getting heavier, washing Jun Wu's closed face, as well as the blood and vitality flowing from his wounds.

As Xie Lian continued to charge, he felt as if the three human faces on his face gradually faded. He wondered if it was an illusion.

After a moment of silence, Xie Lian took off the bamboo hat from his back, threw it down, and covered Jun Wu's face with it.

The cursed shackle on Mu Qing's wrist had already fallen off automatically. He kicked it into the lava with a flying kick, and only then did he regain his cool composure. However, the fetal spirit on Feng Xin's shoulder jumped down and crawled on all fours to Jun Wu's face, touching him cautiously. This attitude was completely different from the one he had used when he stepped on Jun Wu's face, and it made Feng Xin furious.

Xie Lian, however, didn't care about anything else. With his face bruised and swollen, he ran straight towards Hua Cheng, as if he had been reborn - in fact, he had indeed survived a disaster. He threw himself on him and said, "Sanlang!"

Hua Cheng extended his hand to Xie Lian, but was immediately forced back by him. He wrapped his arms around him and said with a smile, "Brother, see, I told you you would win, right?" He lifted his face, took a closer look, and sighed, "You've got yourself into this state again."

Where his fingertips brushed against the wound, tiny silver butterflies fluttered past, fading the scars. Xie Lian smiled and said, "I won't do that next time!"

Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow and said in a cold voice, "There won't be a next time."

After a pause, Xie Lian suppressed his smile and said seriously, "Sanlang, back in Tonglu Mountain, I told you I had something to tell you after we get out. Do you remember?"

Hua Cheng smiled and said, "Of course I remember. I remember every word my brother said."

Xie Lian lowered his head, and after a moment, he finally mustered up the courage to speak frankly, "The few words Jun Wu just revealed were also related to this matter. To be honest, I should have told you a long time ago, but I couldn't make up my mind. I was afraid you would know..."

Hua Chengdao: "You're afraid I'll find out, Your Highness almost became a white-robed disaster, right?"

“…”

Xie Lian was stunned: “You…?”

Hua Cheng didn't answer directly. Instead, he knelt on one knee in front of him, looked up at him, and said with a smile, "How is it? Brother, do you remember now?"

How could I not remember?

At that time, the nameless ghost often knelt on one knee in front of him like this!

That pale smile overlapped for a moment with Hua Cheng's current smile. Xie Lian's heart trembled, his legs softened, and he sat directly in front of him, muttering, "...Sanlang... It's, it's you!"

Hua Cheng laughed, maintaining his kneeling position on one knee, staring at him with his only remaining eye, and said, "Your Highness, I have been watching you."

Xie Lian could only utter one word: "You...you..."

He finally understood the meaning of many of the seemingly unintentional words Hua Cheng had said to him in the past.

So that's how it is. He never thought that Wuming was actually Huacheng!

He knows it all. He sees it all. He's always there!

Suddenly, a myriad of emotions and words flooded my heart: gratitude, shame, heartache, ecstasy, and even a deeper, hopeless love.

Xie Lian’s chest felt bulging, and he couldn’t utter a single word. He could only lunge forward and yell, “San Lang!”

It seemed like the only word he could say was this, and he called out again, "Sanlang!"

Hua Cheng was knocked down by him, and he sat on the ground with him, hugging Xie Lian and laughing. The previous fear and worry were swept away, and Xie Lian hugged his neck tightly, laughing so hard that he wanted to cry.

But before the tears fell, he suddenly discovered something very bad.

Although Huacheng is a ghost, his body has always been almost the same as that of an ordinary person.

However, the bright red dress of Huacheng, who was now being embraced by him, seemed slightly transparent.