Chapter 485
According to Han Ziyang's idea, his initiative would allow Shui Zhou to obtain more information about the Strange Fire, thus preventing more people from sacrificing themselves because of it.
No matter what deep-seated hatred Mingyueqing carried, nearly a million people in the entire Zhou Kingdom were utterly innocent.
Whether Ming Yueqing intentionally released the strange fire or was unable to control it, the tragedy has already occurred. Regardless of any hidden circumstances, the fact remains that so many people died.
But Han Ziyang couldn't accept it.
He was even more afraid that one day in the future, he would suffer the same fate because he was unable to control the strange fire.
If the strange fire should be destroyed, then he's had enough.
Standing on either side of the palace wall in front were members of water boats from various places, dressed in light blue robes with the same wave patterns near the hem.
The people on the boat watched Han Ziyang's every move with vigilance and hatred, but no one dared to make the first move.
Han Ziyang's gaze swept over the people in the front row and looked at Wei Xizhen who had come from the back. He extinguished the Listening Wind Ruler in his hand, raised his hands and said loudly, "I want to talk to the people from Shuizhou."
Wei Xizhen used her wind manipulation technique to reach the forefront.
He originally intended to chase after the fragments of the Floating Pagoda, but by chance, he ended up on this path and encountered Han Ziyang, whose identity had been exposed.
Wei Xizhen frowned slightly, using her wind manipulation technique to hover in the air and survey the man below.
Even though he had finally learned the identities of all the world destroyers, why didn't he think the problem was solved? Instead, he felt that the situation was escalating and the problems that had been troubling them were becoming even more difficult.
“I also want to figure out what exactly happened, whether the strange fire can be resolved, and if the information about the Eye of the Ruins that Shui Zhou discovered is true, then I am willing to go with you to find the Eye of the Ruins and destroy the strange fire.”
Han Ziyang shouted to Wei Xizhen.
Everyone else found it unbelievable. To the people of Shuizhou, Han Ziyang's words could be summarized as: "I'm going to my death."
No one would believe that Han Ziyang was willing to die voluntarily.
"Dean Wei, his words cannot be trusted!" someone advised Wei Xizhen.
Just as Wei Xizhen was about to take a step forward, another figure stepped forward before him and rebuked, "You're as treacherous as a demon, as cunning as a fox or a rat! I think you want to use us to find the Eye of the Ruins and then burn it all down!"
"You say you want to cooperate with Shui Zhou? You want to destroy all our hopes!"
Dan Chen roared and flung out two golden spirit characters that emitted a piercing sonic boom as they hurtled toward Han Ziyang’s left and right.
Han Ziyang had no intention of fighting him. He only used his protective aura to block the attack, bending his arm to shield himself. He was forced back a step by the clash of the five elements' energies, and the two spirit words were deflected and dispersed by Wei Xizhen's breaking force.
Dan Chen turned around in shock, unable to believe that Wei Xizhen's intervention just now was actually to help the Destroyer neutralize the attack.
"Wei Xizhen! Have you been deceived by these sweet words?!"
"What good will it do you to force him to make a move here?" Wei Xizhen stepped forward and asked, "Aren't you afraid he'll use his strange fire to burn everyone here to death?"
Wei Xizhen lowered her voice and leaned closer to Shan Chen, saying, "Look into those people's eyes. They don't want to be burned to death by the strange fire."
Dan Chen shuddered, his gaze trembling as he swept over the people standing behind Wei Xizhen.
They were almost all young people, their muscles tense. When Shan Chen attacked Han Ziyang, many of them retreated a great distance.
But none of them glanced at Shan Chen; their eyes were fixed on Han Ziyang. Their sweat-drenched faces reflected utter despair and the overwhelming fear of facing an impending cataclysmic event.
The young people's eyes were filled with struggle and pleading, hoping that someone would come to save them.
Otherwise, they would soon be routed and flee in disarray.
This must never be allowed to happen! No one shall be allowed to cower and beg for mercy before the Destroyer!
Dan Chen took a deep breath, pushed Wei Xizhen aside, and roared at the young people, "You have the sacred stones given to you by Shui Zhou, so don't be afraid! The sacred stones can withstand the strange fire, that's a fact!"
"Every corner of the Nanjing Prince's Palace has long been replaced with sacred stones!"
"You only need to remember Shui Zhou's teachings! If you encounter a strange fire, immediately use your qi to move upwards. Strange fires will attack the ground first, so as long as you use your qi to retreat upwards, you can buy time!"
"The strange fire is no longer flawless and unstoppable!"
"We are the ones who will end the strange flames!"
"Follow me to capture the world destroyer before us, avenge the Zhou Kingdom, and save the living!"
The slender frame of the renowned saint appeared powerful under the intense emotions he was experiencing. Dan Chen's eyes were bloodshot, and his voice became hoarse in his final roar, overlapping with the sharp whistle of the spirit words that cut through the wind.
The young people who were hesitant and fearful just moments before gradually became excited with Shan Chen's encouragement.
"Dean Shan is right! Different Flames are not invincible!"
"We can use the Sacred Stone to resist the strange fire! Only by creating an opportunity for Dean Shan to kill the World Destroyer can we prevent more people from sacrificing themselves!"
"We are the heroes who saved the Xuan Gu Continent!"
"Everyone, form shields!"
The young people roared and stomped heavily on the ground. The sacred stone necklaces hidden under their collars flew out, and the black rhomboid stones emitted a dazzling light, forming a huge sacred stone barrier in a short time.
"Raise your shields!"
"Don't be afraid! Keep moving forward!"
"With the sacred stone, we have a chance of winning! Don't be afraid!"
As Shan Chen watched the young men advancing step by step with their shields raised, his body trembled. He was also inspired by the scene before him, so excited that he forgot his fear of many years.
That's right, now is their most hopeful moment!
"Stop!" Wei Xizhen shouted to the people on the water boat.
"Wei Xizhen! Why did you stop them? They are not afraid of the strange fire!" Shan Chen turned to Han Ziyang and said sternly, "Today is your death day!"
The opposing side was brimming with morale, but Han Ziyang frowned deeply, clenching his fists to gather strength. The color of his protective aura grew increasingly dazzling, like a ball of golden light, obscuring the view within it to the naked eye.
Looking at those faces that, despite their fear, still compelled them to fight, Han Ziyang saw in them the hatred they harbored for the strange fire and their determination to protect this world.
He didn't want to be their opponent, nor did he want to engage in a life-or-death battle with them.
Han Ziyang was unwilling to hand over the choice to others.
Whether to fight or flee, he had to make his own decision.
"Charge forward! Don't give the Destroyer a chance to escape!"
Dan Chen shouted his command, leading the members of the water boat to form a circle near the palace wall, encircling Han Ziyang within it.
Dust rose and danced wildly between heaven and earth. Shan Chen used the Wind Control Technique to reach the sky, and with his hands he drew with his qi, and one after another, famous characters flew out from his fingertips with sharp whistles.
"Ground dust!"
"Transform into a blade!"
The countless specks of dust, now materialized as sharp swords, were aimed at Han Ziyang. The oppressive aura emanating from the palace walls, belonging to a ninth-rate saint, was enough to instantly kill anyone below the thirteenth-realm master.
Han Ziyang had no choice but to intercept the attack.
"Heaven punishes all laws!"
"The Thunder Domain descends!"
Han Ziyang has studied the Heavenly Punishment Bloodline extensively over the past few years, and now he can use it skillfully to about 80% of its extent.
His breath, each exhale and contraction, was imbued with lightning and thunder, expanding the lightning domain far beyond the scale of the Water Boat's Sacred Stone Shield. Within this domain, the amount of the five elements that others could utilize would be reduced by one.
Dan Chen had never fought against a sorcerer of the ninth rank of the Legalist school who possessed the Heavenly Punishment bloodline. Although he knew all the records about the Heavenly Punishment bloodline, he was still caught off guard in actual use.
Amidst the lightning and thunder, countless tiny blades of dust instantly turned to ashes. Han Ziyang's gaze fell upon Shan Chen, and he had already made up his mind. His figure flashed and disappeared.
Dan Chen's heart skipped a beat. The moment his fear turned into anger, a crimson flame tinged with black suddenly erupted. The black and red sea of fire surged in all directions in the blink of an eye, burning the hem of Dan Chen's clothes, causing him to scream in terror: "Strange Fire!"
The young people holding up the Holy Stone Shield Wall also shouted.
The strange fire was too fast; they watched helplessly as the flames hurtled towards them. Many were too frightened to look directly at it and instinctively turned their heads to avoid it.
Amidst the scorched earth, Mingyue Qing spread out his palms; half of his hand was charred black by the strange fire.
Through the flames leaping from his charred hand bones, he saw Han Ziyang fighting with Shan Chen and the others, heard his declaration to Shui Zhou, and smiled sarcastically.
Gongsun Qi, standing by the river, turned around. The warriors of the six states were retreating, watching him in shock and fear as he stood amidst the mysterious and dangerous flames.
Yu Sui, inside the Nanjing Communications Institute, looked up at He Xinsi. The man's eyes were fixed on the flame in her hand with a mixture of fascination and astonishment.
“Your Majesty, I can now answer your previous question.”
"The strange fire has become uncontrollable recently."
Han Ziyang grabbed the trembling Shan Chen and retreated using the Wind Control Technique, urgently explaining to the people around him, "That's not a strange fire... I didn't release it on my own!"
"don't want!"
Upon seeing Han Ziyang raise his hand, Shan Chen, overwhelmed by the immense fear of being controlled by the strange fire, suddenly knelt down.
Han Ziyang raised his hand to extinguish the flames, feeling incredulous at the sight of Shan Chen kneeling on the ground, trembling and shouting.
He once again felt people's fear and dread of the strange fire.
Even a powerful ninth-rate saint would tremble and kneel before the strange fire, begging for mercy.
"The sacred stone was not burned; it withstood the strange fire!"
A young man's joyful shout rang out from the crowd. People began to notice that the Holy Stone Shield Wall was completely undamaged after what had just happened.
It withstood the attack of the strange fire. Just as Shui Zhou said, the sacred stone could absorb the strange fire, protecting them from being burned by it.
Shui Zhou had previously used sea fire, which was similar to the Strange Fire, for his experiments, but had never directly confronted the Strange Fire. As for the Holy Stone, many people still remained skeptical.
The strange fire that Han Ziyang unintentionally released just now actually enabled Shui Zhou to conduct his experiment on the sacred stone, confirming the sacred stone's function.
The people of Shuizhou cheered at this unexpected joy.
Dan Chen, kneeling on the ground, was in a daze and couldn't believe it.
So the Sacred Stone really works. Then why did he keep urging young people to believe in the Sacred Stone, but deep down he never believed that the Sacred Stone could withstand the strange fire?
Han Ziyang was also stunned. He looked at the Holy Stone Shield Wall, which was still shining and incredibly solid, and then at his palm, which was scalded by the heat.
It felt somewhat unreal.
It turns out that there really are things in this world that can counteract different kinds of fire.
Han Ziyang was soon pleased with this.
"The sacred stone is useful. It's not afraid of strange fire. You guys are doomed!"
In his extreme excitement, Shan Chen regained his confidence and turned to get up from the ground to continue attacking Han Ziyang, but was kicked down by Han Ziyang who reacted very quickly.
"You brat, how dare you!"
Before Shan Chen could finish speaking, Han Ziyang sealed his Five Elements Qi, grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him up.
"Dean Shan!"
The people on the boat were alarmed when they saw this.
Han Ziyang didn't intend to give Shan Chen a chance to speak; this person would only cause trouble if he didn't use his brain to think.
He looked at Wei Xizhen in the distance and shouted, "That was an accident! It's something that's only started recently. The strange fire is becoming uncontrollable. If we wait until it's no longer under the control or suppression of the Destroyer and erupts, it will be too late!"
"We have sacred stones! Sacred stones can devour strange fire!" the people from the water boat retorted to Han Ziyang. "Don't try to deceive us!"
"I'm not deceiving you, but reminding you that if you continue to fight the Destroyer, the day the Strange Fire goes completely out of control will still bring annihilation!"
"Not all places are covered by sacred stones. How long would it take to cover the entire Xuan Gu Continent with sacred stones?"
"Is your entire hometown currently under the protection of the sacred stone?"
“Even in Nanjing, only the capital palace has sacred stones! How many places are protected by sacred stones? And how many people are not protected by sacred stones?! You Shuizhou people know this better than I do!”
Han Ziyang pressed on sharply, "The Sacred Stone can withstand it once, but can it withstand it a second time? A third time? Can it withstand all the Destroyers' strange flames going out of control at once?!"
The Water Boat members, who were just excited, lost their confidence after Han Ziyang's question and fell silent for a moment.
Dan Chen glared at Han Ziyang with his bloodshot eyes, wishing he could tear Han Ziyang's mouth apart.
He gave Wei Xizhen a look, signaling her to hurry up and save him. He had a hundred ways to refute what that cunning bastard was saying!
We can't let the destroyers shake the hearts of those young people at this time!
However, Wei Xizhen did not seem to intend to save him.
Dan Chen shouted in his heart, "Traitor! Water Boat, bewitched by the Destroyer, is a traitor!"
Even though Han Ziyang was choking him and he couldn't make a complete sound, Shan Chen still desperately tried to pass on the message to the others: Don't believe a single word this liar says!
After listening to Han Ziyang's words, the members of the Water Boat had no choice but to follow his lead and consider whether the Sacred Stones should first cover the entire Xuan Gu Continent, or whether the Strange Fire should first go out of control and erupt.
If the Destroyer were willing to cooperate with the Water Boat to search for the Eye of the Ruins, would it resolve everything more quickly?
Who knows when the strange fire will erupt and destroy the world?
Was it a single thought by the destroyer of the world, or a moment unknown to anyone?
Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, two figures suddenly flew in from behind.
Tu Miaoyi, who was at the forefront, landed without hesitation at the location of the Destroyer, and then looked at the young man who had been chasing closely: "Aren't you afraid of the strange fire?"
Jiang Fengyu stopped outside the Holy Stone Shield Wall.
"That's strange. The saints of the Water Boat were chasing me to steal the fragments, but why are you, a disciple of the He clan, relentlessly pursuing me?"
In front of so many people, Tu Miaoyi asked directly, "Does the He clan also intend to compete with the six kingdoms for the Floating Pagoda?"
Jiang Fengyu's position was somewhat awkward, especially in front of so many people.
The mysterious message from the Listening Wind Ruler some time ago revealed the existence of the three He clans and garnered a lot of attention, but it was not a good thing for Jiang Fengyu.
Han Ziyang glanced at Tu Miaoyi; she was injured and didn't look well. Although he had just argued with Xue Mushi, he hadn't forgotten his promise to take Tu Miaoyi out.
Gu Gan, Zhuge Ling, and the others who had been chasing Tu Miaoyi arrived as well. Upon seeing Tu Miaoyi standing next to Han Ziyang, they all stopped their pursuit and kept their distance.
Wei Xizhen and Shan Chen were originally going to chase after Tu Miaoyi to steal the fragments of the Floating Pagoda, but they encountered Han Ziyang on the way.
"The Sacred Stone?" Zhuge Ling looked up, her expression one of shock. "Could it be that he just now..."
The members of the Water Boat replied, "Dean Zhuge! The Destroyer just used a strange fire, but it was all absorbed by the Sacred Stone!"
"The sacred stone can withstand the strange fire!"
Like Shan Chen, Zhuge Ling didn't have much confidence in the Sacred Stone. When she heard the news that the Sacred Stone had absorbed the strange fire, she felt somewhat at a loss.
Is this true?
Zhuge Ling dared not ask aloud.
Gu Gan glanced at Jiang Fengyu, and the two stepped back a little. Once they were close, Gu Gan whispered, "Do you know about this?"
Can the sacred stone absorb strange fire?
Isn't this how Shuizhou has always advertised itself to the outside world?
Jiang Fengyu gently shook his head.
Han Ziyang asked Tu Miaoyi, "How are you feeling?"
Tu Miaoyi didn't answer, but instead asked him, "What do you plan to do?"
"More and more saints are arriving," Han Ziyang said, glancing at Zhuge Ling, Guo Zhengqi who had just arrived, and two members of the He family whose strength was unknown.
He was able to capture Shan Chen because Shan Chen was not thinking clearly, which affected his performance.
"I can fight one or two Saints on my own, but not too many." Han Ziyang told Tu Miaoyi the truth. "If we use a different kind of fire... that would be mutual destruction, and I don't think anyone wants that."
Tu Miaoyi took a deep breath and said, "Xiao Shi is not far away. Let's try moving towards the direction closer to the palace wall."
Han Ziyang remained silent for a few moments, then said, "I plan to cooperate with Shui Zhou."
"What?" Tu Miaoyi turned to look at him in disbelief.
"Wait until their attention is all on me, then you can leave when the time is right." Han Ziyang said this in a low voice, then picked up Shan Chen and walked towards the water boat.
The people on the boat were on high alert, shouting intimidatingly, "Stop! Don't go any further!"
"Stop!"
Tu Miaoyi found this absurd. She looked up at Jiang Fengyu, who was staring at her. Even though the other saints' attention was on Han Ziyang, it wouldn't be easy for her to leave.
Han Ziyang was unaware of Tu Miaoyi's danger. He continued forward and shouted to Zhuge Ling and the others, "Why did you stop? Didn't you just confirm that the Sacred Stone can absorb the Strange Fire? I'm willing to continue testing for you to see how long the Sacred Stone can withstand the Strange Fire."
"I will release the strange fire again when I count to five. I hope you will be ready by then."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone present changed drastically.
"five"
As soon as Han Ziyang spoke, lightning flashed across the area.
Thunder and fire descended with a deafening roar, startling everyone into taking a step back.
The towering flames obscured people's vision, and Tu Miao seized the opportunity to disappear into the flames.
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