Undying Life

Chapter 88: Yin Moon Dynasty

"So powerful!" Thunder exclaimed in shock.

The Corpse Master quickly flew to the back of the group, given that his strength was the weakest. Four of the Emperor's guards swiftly formed a protective formation around him. Although the Emperor's cultivation was not inferior to the Thunder Scorpion, this was a moment for his loyal subjects to show their devotion. Unless absolutely necessary, Emperor Huang Yanjing would not act personally—otherwise, what kind of emperor would he be?

Zhong Shan, his hair standing on end, twisted his body in the rubble, positioning himself to be as inconspicuous as possible. He couldn't help but feel a bit grateful for this group's arrival; if they hadn't come, he and Tian Ling'er would have been the ones provoking the Thunder Scorpion. Given their current strength, they would surely be no match for it.

With a thunderous crack, the massive scorpion tail swung like a giant whip towards General Thunder, who was closest. The tail's movement seemed to drag a string of lightning through the air, forming a brilliant electric curtain, full of explosive power.

Before the tail even reached him, the electricity did. General Thunder squinted his eyes, and with a swift motion, he swung out a large sword. The sword, though blunt, carried the force of thunder, clashing against the scorpion tail with a deafening roar. The sword's qi was incredibly solid, expanding a hundredfold, even a thousandfold, in an instant.

"Boom!"

With a tremendous crash, both the scorpion tail and the great sword recoiled. The clash was evenly matched. The scorpion's tail, incredibly tough, had not been damaged in the slightest. Instead, it discharged even more lightning, its menace undiminished.

"Watch out for the stinger," the Corpse Master calmly warned.

As his words fell, the scorpion's tail twisted in a bizarre arc, and the purple stinger shot towards General Thunder once more.

"Haha, it's just a beast," General Thunder laughed. He swung his great sword again, this time with all his might. Though the sword didn't grow larger, it became even more solid. From a distance, Zhong Shan could feel the immense pressure, a force that seemed to crush the soul. The aura of heaven's thunder, ready to obliterate all, radiated from the great sword.

The Corpse Master sighed softly, shaking his head. He clearly regretted that General Thunder had disregarded his warning.

General Thunder couldn't hear the sigh, but the Emperor did. The Emperor, startled by the Corpse Master's words, knew their significance. While others might disregard the Corpse Master's warnings due to his low cultivation level, the Emperor understood his origins and knew he never exaggerated. If the Corpse Master said it was dangerous, it meant the situation was extremely perilous.

With a swift motion, a large black blade appeared in the Emperor's hand. Ignoring the reactions of his ministers, he swung the blade towards the Thunder Scorpion from a distance.

The blade grew to a hundred zhang (about 330 feet) in mid-air, its immense force seemed to sever the very fabric of the heavens and earth. The powerful gusts from the blade blew away the surrounding lightning, scattering rocks and sending Zhong Shan, who was holding Tian Ling'er, crashing into a distant cliffside.

The Thunder Scorpion's tail moved too quickly. Despite sensing the threat from the Emperor's blade, it continued its assault on General Thunder's great sword.

With a sharp "ding," the purple stinger effortlessly pierced through General Thunder's sword, making a crisp sound.

Incredible! How could this be possible? The poisonous stinger had actually pierced through his treasured sword. After breaking the blade, the purple stinger continued its deadly thrust towards General Thunder, as if it could pierce right through his body and bring him to the brink of death.

The robust protective barrier in front of General Thunder seemed as fragile as paper at this moment, offering no resistance to the stinger's attack. Seeing the stinger about to reach him, General Thunder found himself utterly powerless to evade.

"Boom!"

With a deafening roar, the Thunder Scorpion was cleaved in two by a massive blade that swept through the air. Everything under the blade was severed, even leaving a deep chasm in the ground, a testament to the blade's overwhelming power.

Yin Moon Dynasty—this was the strength of the Emperor of the Yin Moon Dynasty.

Holding Tian Ling'er, Zhong Shan lay among the distant ruins, his eyes wide with shock, yet maintaining a calm composure. This was a moment where he needed to stay cool-headed.

The purple lightning stinger stopped just before General Thunder's eyes, mere inches from his pupils. General Thunder's mouth was agape, cold sweat dripping down his face as he slowly stepped back.

The stinger drooped and slowly slid off the pierced sword, leaving General Thunder with nothing but his sword, now with a gaping hole through it.

For a moment, silence reigned. General Thunder's sweat had yet to dry. He had been at the edge of life and death, feeling death's shadow looming over him in that instant.

The Emperor had already sheathed his blade by the time General Thunder snapped back to reality.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," General Thunder said, still shaken. The danger had been too great; in that crucial moment, the Emperor had saved his life.

"You should thank the Master. If not for his warning, I wouldn't have acted," the Emperor replied, crediting the Corpse Master in an attempt to win his favor.

But the Corpse Master remained unmoved.

Only then did General Thunder recall the Corpse Master's earlier warning, "Watch out for the stinger."

"Thank you, Master," General Thunder said immediately. However, his tone lacked genuine gratitude. Perhaps in General Thunder's mind, the one who truly saved him was still the Emperor, and the Corpse Master had little to do with it, given his mere Golden Core stage cultivation.

Seeing General Thunder's disdain towards the Corpse Master due to his low cultivation, the Emperor frowned but said nothing. Sometimes, an emperor must consider his ministers' feelings to maintain control over them effectively.

"That was close," the others sighed in relief. It had been a perilous moment. If the Emperor had been even a bit later, today might have marked General Thunder's death anniversary next year.

"Master, what about the other Thunder Scorpion egg? How's the scorpion inside?" the Emperor asked, looking towards the Corpse Master.

"The Thunder Scorpions are divided into male and female. The one His Majesty just killed was a female. The one in the north is a male, likely even stronger. We should take the Thunder Flower and leave immediately. Thunder Scorpions are deeply emotional creatures. If it sees its mate dead, it will undoubtedly be consumed by rage and seek to perish alongside us," the Corpse Master explained.

Everyone nodded in agreement, no longer interested in examining the Thunder Scorpions further.

"Your Majesty, I will retrieve the Thunder Flower and we'll leave at once," General Thunder said.

"Wait," the Emperor suddenly directed his gaze towards Zhong Shan and Tian Ling'er in the distance, his eyes turning cold.

Seeing the Emperor's gaze, Zhong Shan's heart tightened. Damn, the Emperor harbored killing intent. Despite being insignificant, he and Tian Ling'er were still potential threats that needed to be eliminated.

"Those two? Your Majesty, let me handle them," General Thunder suggested, seeking to vent his lingering fear as aggression.

"Uh?" The Emperor looked at General Thunder, understanding his current state of mind, and nodded in agreement.

Zhong Shan silently vowed revenge. If he survived today, he would repay this enmity a thousandfold. Though resolute, he dared not reveal his thoughts.

Tian Ling'er, frightened, curled up in Zhong Shan's arms. Once, she had been able to resist when facing Miao Xianren, but now, confronted with these vicious individuals, she couldn't muster any resistance. Why were there so many evil people outside the Kaiyang Sect?

Fortunately, she had Zhong Shan. His embrace was her sanctuary amidst the terror.

The Corpse Master watched coldly, neither helping nor adding to their plight, as if waiting for something.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, General Thunder's palm reached out across the air, pulling Zhong Shan and Tian Ling'er towards him. Under the immense power, they were helpless, clinging to each other.

Zhong Shan despised this feeling of powerlessness, vowing to establish a mighty empire one day, where all would bow to him. Today's humiliation would be repaid tenfold.

General Thunder laughed heartily, seeing the two embracing. "A pair of lovebirds, eh? Don't worry, I won't kill you. Just do one thing for me."

Zhong Shan had been ready to argue, but hearing this, he stopped. A glimmer of hope? No, it was surely a trap. But as long as they remained alive, he could endure.

Feigning a hopeful look, Zhong Shan studied General Thunder, memorizing their faces for future retribution.

"Senior, my wife and I were merely passing by. We saw nothing," Zhong Shan said, his voice trembling with fear.

"Enough talking. Come here and place your hands on this," General Thunder commanded, pointing to the Thunder Flower.

"Yes," Zhong Shan quickly pulled Tian Ling'er along.

"Pop!"

The four roots were simultaneously extracted.

"Press," General Thunder ordered.

"Slap!"

Forced by the situation, Zhong Shan and Tian Ling'er had no choice but to swiftly place their hands on the Thunder Scorpion egg.