In the blink of an eye, the entire situation flipped in the enemy's favor. Fear enveloped Ye Zong and the rest as they looked on in horror at the sight of Shen Han taking Ye Ziyun hostage.
Nie Li's breath hitched as dread washed over him, his lips turning dry while a numbing sensation spread throughout his body.
His stomach churned as he watched Shen Han's arm snake around Ye Ziyun's waist, keeping her firmly restrained.
Memories of the past came flooding into his mind, reminding him of the time when Ye Ziyun died in the claws of a demon beast.
Nie Li had been powerless back then, and all he could do was watch in despair.
And now, that same feeling returned to him,
as the Black Roc Flame hovered around Ye Ziyun, threatening to consume her at any moment.
'No... please, not again,' Nie Li muttered under his breath, fear creeping into every fiber of his being as he immediately integrated into his Shadow Devil form.
"Let go of my daughter, you damn monster! Harm even a single strand of her hair, and I'll hunt you down to the deepest depths of hell just to make you suffer!" Ye Zong roared at the top of his lungs, his face twisted with fury as a sliver of panic crept into his heart.
But his words only succeeded in making Shen Han laugh.
"Hurt her? Please, I wouldn't even think of doing that. It's just that you lot gave me no choice but to resort to this method," Shen Han replied coldly.
A confident smile spread across his face as he looked at everyone with a smug expression.
Before lowering his head until he was level with Ye Ziyun's face. Her eyes widened in fear as panic surged through her heart. A soft whimper escaped her quivering lips as she struggled against his grasp.
"Ziyun, what's with that face? I'm not here to harm you. In fact, everything I've done up until now was all for our future together."
His words made her pause. She turned to look at him, her eyes filled with confusion and fear.
Not only her, but everyone around them looked at Shen Han with bewilderment.
"W-What do you mean... us? Together? What!?" Ye Ziyun asked unsurely. If she had been afraid earlier, she was now outright horrified.
Shen Han was acting far too intimately toward her, making her stomach churn.
"That's right, Ziyun. All along, everything I've done was so that you would love me."
He spoke softly, each word laced with affection as he gazed at Ye Ziyun with undisguised fondness, completely oblivious to the terror etched across her face.
"Ever since we met, I fell in love with you. Ziyun, from that day on, I decided that you would be my woman. But with my status, I knew that would remain nothing more than an impossible dream.
So I devoted myself to cultivation, becoming the number one genius of the younger generation in the hope of catching the attention of the City Lord or Lord Ye Mo.
But neither of them showed any interest in my talent. Still, I didn't give up.
I trained more, and eventually, I decided to venture into the outside world to search for opportunities. That's when I met my master. Thanks to his guidance, my cultivation strength increased significantly. Not only that, he also imparted to me the truth of this world - how everything was under the control of the Demon Beast Clan all along."
As Shen Han continued speaking, the experts around them exchanged worried glances.
Although they appeared to be listening to his monologue, they were actually devising a plan to rescue Ye Ziyun.
However, Shen Han's final remark made a chill run down their spines. Their hearts pounded violently as they heard him mention the Demon Beast Clan.
This was not the first time they had heard of the mysterious Force in the shadow. Xue Hui had revealed their existence not long ago before handing each of them a Wood-Type Crimson Soul Breaker Elixir.
To summarize what they had learned, the Demon Beast Clan was a powerful force responsible for humanity's near extinction in ancient times.
The realization that such a clan was setting its sights on Glory City scared them.
"Y-You joined the Demon Beast Clan? Why?" Ye Ziyun asked, her voice trembling with disbelief.
She had just received Chen Yinying's soul communication, instructing her to keep Shen Han occupied, so they can find an opening to sneak on him. so she reluctantly began asking him questions.
"Because Glory City is doomed. As we speak, a demon beast horde numbering in the tens of millions is marching toward the city. The Demon Beast Clan wants Glory City destroyed, along with everyone who lives here. So I joined them, ensuring that you and I would still have a place to live once everything is reduced to ruins.
"Too bad I had to kill the entire Sacred Family to become a demon beast, but at least their deaths were not in vain, as they helped me achieve my goals," Shen Han stated in a mournful manner.
"WHAT?! THE DEMON BEAST HORDE IS HEADING HERE?!" Ye Ziyun cried out in alarm. She felt all the strength leave her body.
Likewise, Ye Zong, Chen Zhenlong, and the other experts all turned ashen-faced upon hearing his words.
A demon beast horde numbering in the tens of millions was terrifying, but it wasn't something they couldn't survive, especially with so many Legend-rank experts on their side. However, the fact that the Demon Beast Clan was actively trying to destroy Glory City filled them with a sense of dread.
"Don't be afraid, my Ziyun. I'll make sure you survive. With me by your side, you'll become the queen of what's left of humanity. I promise you that," Shen Han said gently, his hand reaching up to cup her cheek as he leaned in to kiss her.
His actions sent a shiver down Ye Ziyun's spine. Her eyes widened in panic as she turned her face away, desperately trying to avoid Shen Han's lips.
"No! Stay away! Help!"
"Shen Han, you bastard! Get your filthy hands off my daughter!" Ye Zong roared in fury, his spiritual pressure erupting with explosive force.
Shen Han ignored him as he continued to lower his lips toward Ye Ziyun. The Black Roc Flames surged outward, surrounding the two of them in a protective cocoon.
Tears welled up in the corners of Ye Ziyun's eyes. Hopelessness washed over her as she closed her eyes and accepted her fate.
"Get away from her!"
Shen Han's eyes widened as he immediately jerked his head back, narrowly dodging the black sickle aimed at his neck.
The black sickle rapidly expanded, revealing the enraged Nie Li in his Shadow Devil form. His eyes burned with hatred as he reverted to his human form before immediately transforming into his Fanged Panda form.
With a furious roar, he threw a powerful punch straight at Shen Han's head.
Shen Han let out a disdainful huff before casually raising a finger, effortlessly blocking Nie Li's attack. The air around them swelled violently before erupting into a powerful gust of wind.
"Pathetic!" Shen Han said coldly. His arm moved at blinding speed, delivering a devastating palm strike to Nie Li's chest.
"Argh!"
"NIE LI!"
Ye Ziyun cried out in horror as she watched Nie Li being sent flying by Shen Han. Nie Li descended fast, tearing through the air at breakneck speed before slamming heavily into the ground with a loud bang, denting the floor beneath him.
Boom!
Blood sprayed from Nie Li's mouth as Shen Han's palm strike ruptured several of his internal organs. He ignored the pain as he quickly took out a Nine Transformation Pill to heal himself.
He tried to get back to his feet, only to quickly realize that he was far too injured to stand.
Ye Zong and the others were too busy struggling against the Black Roc Flames and were thus unable to rescue Ye Ziyun.
Forget about saving her, they couldn't even withstand the searing heat radiating from the black flames and had to retreat to avoid being devoured by it.
"Oh! I'm being asked to return. It seems my time here is over. I guess this is where we part."
Nie Li lifted his head upon hearing Shen Han's casual remark.
His eyes widened in panic as despair washed over him.
A black fog materialized out of thin air. It swirled violently, producing an ominous hum as it tore open a spatial rift not far from where Shen Han stood.
Seeing his reaction, the corner of Shen Han's lips curved up into a mocking grin.
"Nie Li, your luck isn't so bad. Since I'm in a good mood, I'll let you live, for now. But make no mistake, the next time we meet, you'll be dead. I still need to make you pay for the insult you gave me... assuming you survive the demon beast horde attack." Shen Han laughed loudly as he floated toward the spatial rift, pulling Ye Ziyun closer to him.
"No! Cough... cough... Let go of her!" Nie Li shouted in a hoarse voice. As he and Ye Ziyun stared into each other's faces, he could clearly see the despair in her eyes.
"No... not again. I can't lose her again. Someone... cough... cough... somebody save her!."
Fwoosh!
WOOSH!
"Argh!"
The space near Shen Han rippled, causing him to pause for a moment as he looked at it in confusion. Then the spatial rift opened further, and a hand tore through it while holding a black sphere.
The sphere let out a low hum before flickering into existence.
What followed was Ye Ziyun disappearing from Shen Han's grasp. Replacing her was the same black sphere as before.
"What?!" Shen Han exclaimed in surprise.
Before Shen Han could do anything, the space rippled once more. From it, a white halberd tore through space, shooting toward Shen Han at lightning speed.
Woosh!
Shen Han's eyes widened in alarm as he instinctively raised his arm to block it.
"No!"
But it was a futile attempt, as the white halberd pierced through the left side of his torso without slowing down in the slightest.
Rip!
Boom!
"ARGHHH!"
Shen Han let out a miserable cry as his torso, along with one of his arms, was annihilated by the white halberd. Blood gushed from his wounds.
"Leaving without my permission? You think too simply, Shen Han."
Space tore open, revealing the majestic figure of Xue Hui in a green robe adorned with dragon imprints. Twelve fist-sized, colorful spheres floated around him, his eyes glowing with power. In his right hand, he held the white halberd, while his left arm supported the visibly relieved Ye Ziyun.
"Leave your head behind, and you may leave this place," Xue Hui said in an icy voice.
End of Chapter 114
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