"This doesn't match the promise you made to me," Zaratul said, not rushing to help him, but showing some displeasure.
"Cough, cough, I made a mistake," Pompeii gritted his teeth, his face contorted in pain from the torment of the Seven Deadly Sins.
His eyes reddened as he spoke, "Help me, Zaratul. You should know, only I can complete the ritual. If I die, you won't succeed either!"
"This is the last time, Pompeii."
Zaratul's voice was cold and stern. His yellow robe fluttered without wind, and slimy tendrils extended from the hem, etched with eerie symbols that exuded a disturbing aura of distortion and madness.
A slippery tentacle brushed across Pompeii's face, and he instantly felt like he had fallen into an ice pit. His pupils filled with deep fear, and he quickly spoke, "Yes, I promise, it's the last time!"
"Hmph. I hope so."
Seeing the right moment, Zaratul used his tendrils to pull out all seven swords from Pompeii's body.
"Ah!"
The Seven Deadly Sins, fully unleashed, were forcibly extracted from his body, which felt no less than flesh being torn from bone!
Even Pompeii couldn't help but let out a chilling scream of agony.
"Lu Mingfei! Lu Mingfei! Lu Mingfei!"
In his pain, Pompeii's hateful gaze fixed on Lu Mingfei. His voice, coming from deep within his throat, sounded inhuman.
His hatred was not only for the punishment of the Seven Deadly Sins but also for missing the 'ritual time'!
The pointer on the clock was exactly at 12:01. The position of the black stars in the sky shifted, signaling that the summoning ritual had completely failed!
"Damn it!!!"
Pompeii vented his anger, pounding the ground with his fists, his eyes bloodshot and ferocious.
He had planned for so long, only to end up with nothing. And the one who stopped him was... "Lu Mingfei"!
Watching Pompeii, whose fury was on the brink of losing control, Zaratul remained calm and said lightly, "Since the ritual has failed, there's no point in staying. Let's go."
"Lu Mingfei, remember this!"
Pompeii, true to his nature as a schemer, quickly regained his composure. His eyes darkened with malice as he looked at Lu Mingfei.
"Next time we meet, it will be when I have completely replaced you!"
Lu Mingfei, struggling out from the rubble, seemed to have exhausted all his strength, gradually returning to his human form.
Staring at Pompeii, who was leaving with Zaratul, he gritted his teeth, using the last of his strength to grab the nearby 'Lust.' His dim, almost fading golden eyes locked onto Pompeii's figure, holding it firmly in his sight.
Taking a deep breath, his lungs expanded to their limit, and his heart pumped blood to his limbs.
He squeezed out the last of his energy, shakily standing up from the ruins, tightening his grip on 'Lust,' then swung his arm and hurled it with all his might.
"This is my last strike... please, it must succeed!"
Boom—!!!
It was like thunder striking down, with the air ripping apart in an instant!
The thrown 'Lust' shot like a meteor, carrying a deadly intent, wrapped in intense, pure white holy light. In a flash, it crossed both time and space.
Word Soul— Sacred Judge!
Once the target was locked, it was certain to hit!
A strong sense of danger pierced his heart. Pompeii, in his shock, barely had time to react before the activated Lust pierced his chest, blood pouring out in torrents.
At the same time, the 'Tear' domain attached to Lust immediately shredded his heart into pieces.
"Ah——!"
Pompeii never expected that, after leaving behind a harsh word, he'd almost end up losing his life.
Zaratul furrowed his brows, glancing at Lu Mingfei, thinking to himself: This kid really knows how to stir up trouble.
However, Pompeii couldn't die yet. Zaratul raised his hand, enveloping Pompeii in a faint glow. Then, the two of them vanished into thin air like bubbles.
"Damn it!"
Lu Mingfei's face twisted in frustration, but the power was fading, and he was completely powerless to pursue them.
So close, just one more step!
Then, his vision went dark, and the accumulated pain surged through him, knocking him unconscious.
"Lu Mingfei!"
"Lu Mingfei!"
"Brother!"
Before falling into complete darkness, he thought he heard familiar voices.
But, he was so tired... let him rest for a while.
Darkness fully consumed his consciousness, plunging him into an endless void, losing all sensation.
Zaratul looked at Pompeii and casually asked, "So, what are you planning to do next?"
Pompeii forcefully pulled out the 'Desire' lodged in his heart. Blood immediately gushed out like a spring. His face twisted in pain as he snarled fiercely, "When will the next summoning be?"
"Hmm?"
Zaratul gave him a surprised look and feigned shock. "In your current condition, I don't think you can succeed."
"Heh, this level of injury can't kill me!"
Pompeii sneered, staring at the 'Desire' in his hand. His expression grew darker. "I never expected Lu Mingfei to be the Black King."
"So what?"
Zaratul lowered his eyelids, a faint ripple flashing in his gaze.
Unnoticed by Pompeii, a thought suddenly began to grow deep in his mind, taking over his brain.
However, to Pompeii, it seemed more like a sudden flash of insight.
"It's fine, he's still incomplete!"
Pompeii weighed the desire in his hands and grinned, saying, "I need your help, Zaratul."
"You should understand well enough, although we're closer to the 'King in Yellow,' we're still limited in certain ways." Zaratul spoke calmly, stating the reason he'd already thought of.
"If you're asking me to take action, then you might be disappointed."
"Is it that 'Twilight Hermit Society' again?"
Pompeii furrowed his brows. He'd heard from Zaratul that this organization had always been in opposition to them.
Zaratul and the others couldn't move freely because of the "Twilight Hermit Society."
There was said to be a mysterious being secretly blocking the ritual that the Secret Order was trying to perform to summon the King in Yellow!
However, those people seemed to be restricted by something too, unable to act freely in the human world. This forced Zaratul to find him as a proxy to complete the summoning ritual.
"Yes."
Zaratul nodded lightly, saying, "Last time, we already attracted their attention. I have to be careful now."
"It's fine, I don't need you to act."
Pompeii's eyes gleamed with intense desire and greed, speaking in a low voice, "I need you to help me find the traces of the 'King of Oceans and Water!'"
He had come up with a way to defeat the now incomplete Black King!
That way... was to devour the dragon bones of his kind, to usurp the power that rightfully belonged to them!
"How about it?"
Pompeii looked at Zaratul.
After a brief silence, Zaratul slowly spoke, "Sure, it's easy."
Looking at Pompeii, who was gradually descending into madness, Zaratul's bearded face beneath the hood curled into a strange, mysterious smile.
"Good, the plan is going smoothly."
Pompeii has taken the bait, now we just wait for the right opportunity!
"By the way, I almost forgot something important."
Zaratul pulled a potion out of his sleeve and handed it over. "This is a Sequence 4 potion, Cataclysmic Interrer!"
"Now?"
Pompeii was a bit surprised, but the temptation instinctively made him take the potion without thinking.
"Not now. Wait until you devour the 'King of the Oceans and Waters' before drinking it."
Zaratul smiled faintly and said, "At that moment, you will truly leave behind your mortal form, with one foot stepping into the [Realm of the Gods]!"
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