The King of Hell and the Transformed Black Empress clashed palms, and the outcome was immediately apparent.
The King of Hell remained as steady as a mountain.
The Transformed Black Empress was instantly knocked back, spitting blood from her mouth. She suffered internal injuries, which ignited her fury.
"I didn't know you possessed such strength. It seems I underestimated you."
"Of course, how could you possibly know my full strength? I ask you again, will you kneel?"
The Transformed Black Empress responded by unleashing all her vital energy, her body bursting forth.
"King of Hell, it will never happen in this life. Die!"
Seeing this, the King of Hell revealed the power of his Ancient King Body, retaliating with a palm strike that shattered the Transformed Black Empress's body and extinguished her vital energy.
Her life dwindled away like a flickering candle in the wind.
The King of Hell didn't strike again, as it was no longer necessary. He knew her fate was sealed. She was doomed.
The Transformed Black Empress's followers were terrified. They retreated quickly, unwilling to die for her.
"You will be buried with her."
Seeing them flee, the King of Hell unleashed a palm strike that shook the heavens. It was a devastating blow that overturned the very fabric of reality.
All who attempted to escape were obliterated.
At this moment, the King of Hell's nineteenth son arrived.
The King of Hell paid him no heed, nor did he stop him from approaching the Transformed Black Empress.
"Mother."
"Tian Luo Zi, you are Tian Luo Zi! It's good, you're alive. Live well…"
The Transformed Black Empress was overjoyed to see him. She was no longer concerned with her own life. Her life was complete.
With a final blessing, the Transformed Black Empress finally breathed her last.
The King of Hell remained emotionless, uncaring about the death of the woman he had married. All who defied him would die.
Xuan Tong witnessed this, his heart filled with indescribable emotions, but he remained silent.
"Ha! Good, King of Hell! This is the King of Hell we know, haha…"
"A single thought ignites war, and the apocalypse is reborn."
"With a single hand, I stir the tides, writing a saga of domination."
Tian Di Bi Wang, Wang Hu, and Hou Kui descended from the heavens, their faces beaming with joy, as if greeting an old friend.
The King of Hell saw them and gave a faint smile, "Congratulations on recovering your vital energies."
Wang Hu laughed, "We owe you our lives for this. Otherwise, we would have perished before our mission even began. Thank you, King of Hell."
Hou Kui chuckled, "Indeed, we owe you this time."
The King of Hell smiled, "Very well, then, what do you say we do next?"
The three of them laughed in unison, "Of course, we shall confront our old friend, Tian Jiang Mu Shen."
Their words were followed by laughter. Only Mu Shen could make them cautious, they disregarded all others.
"We plotted against him back then, but now he's as unyielding as a mountain. It's infuriating. Instead of seeking revenge on us, he's gone into hiding, lacking the dignity of a true hegemon. Let's see if he's still the same Mu Shen."
"Indeed, it's been so long, and he still acts so foolishly. He thinks he's benevolent, but he doesn't know the catastrophe he's bringing upon himself, haha…"
The three of them were filled with an unshakable aura. They wouldn't let anyone belittle them. It was inevitable, a reflection of their existence. They didn't need any catastrophe. They only needed to know the elements that constituted existence, and that was enough.
Xuan Tong and the others overheard their words, their hearts sinking.
Xuan Tong turned and left without a word, completely unfazed by the killing intent in the King of Hell's eyes.
As a son, he had done his best. Besides, the King of Hell had always wanted to kill him, ever since he was a child.
Wang Hu saw this and remarked, "This young man doesn't seem to fear the King of Hell at all."
The King of Hell waved his hand dismissively, "Don't bother with him. Let's attend to our own matters. This is what we should be doing."
"Hahaha, you're right. This is what we should be doing."
Tian Di Bi laughed heartily, a sound filled with joy.
Although Xuan Tong had left, his voice still echoed through the air, defiant. Was he wrong?
Each step he took was heavy, questioning him, why, why…
"Let's go, don't waste words on these trash. We're going to Tian Jiang, to meet our old friend. It's going to be a warm reunion."
"Haha, you're right, let's go."
The three of them vanished in a flash of light. They would inevitably bring bloodshed to Tian Jiang.
Tian Luo Zi looked at the Transformed Black Empress in his arms and wept. He dug a grave nearby and carefully buried her.
"Mother."
He knelt at her grave, weeping silently, his heart filled with bitterness.
This helplessness, this grief, from where did it come, and where would it go?
"Mother."
There were no words, only silence. The only sounds were the chirping of insects and the cries of animals.
What did this all mean? Who could understand, who could explain?
Xuan Bin arrived and was stunned to see the scene. The Transformed Black Empress was dead, and it was all thanks to this twist of fate.
The ravaged landscape spoke for itself. The outcome was clear.
The King of Hell had recovered his vital energy, an inevitable result.
He looked at Tian Luo Zi but said nothing. There was no need for words. It was a situation beyond words.
These different outcomes were all preordained endings.
After a moment of silence, Xuan Bin left. He still needed to control more power.
With the Transformed Black Empress dead, he needed to seize this opportunity. If he didn't act quickly, the consequences would be unknown, a danger he could not ignore.
If someone else took over, it would be a major problem.
Family ties were gone. Now, power was the only thing that could make him stronger.
This was a truth he could not deny, something that no one could disrupt. It was his conviction.
The path of a king was a difficult one. If he failed, someone else would take his place, and he would suffer. It was a simple fact.
He lacked the skills, so he needed to rely on outside forces.
Xuan Tong walked on aimlessly, without a destination, with no sense of direction.
"Xuan Tong, is that you? Where are you going? Where is the King of Hell?"
Su Huan Zhen was searching for the King of Hell, to determine his next plan.
Xuan Tong heard Su Huan Zhen's words and fell silent for a moment before replying, "The King of Hell has fully recovered his vital energy. He has killed the Transformed Black Empress, and Tian Di Bi has found him. They've all gone to Tian Jiang."
Su Huan Zhen heard this and knew it was bad. This was trouble.
"糟糕! This is bad."
After all, Gu Yao was released at his request, which led to this situation. If Tian Di Bi and the King of Hell allied and attacked Tian Jiang, it would inevitably impact the Bitter Realm. This was unavoidable, an inescapable truth.
This war would be a continuation of the ancient Three Realms War.
Innocent lives would be lost, the crisis would escalate, and things would become far worse. It was a monumental problem. The trouble was vast, immense.