Shen Han's entire body trembled in fear as despair washed over him, he could sense the strength in his body gradually dissipated.
He couldn't believe it. He had gone from reaching the utmost limit of strength a person could attain in the Tiny World to losing all of it in a single day.
"No! This can't be happening. This must be an illusion, that's it! I'm trapped in an illusion technique. I just need to break out of it, and everything will return to normal," Shen Han muttered incredulously.
Desperately clinging to the notion that everything was just an elaborate trick to mess with his mind.
He tried to circulate his spiritual energy through his body once again.
Cough, cough!
Splat!
Blood splattered in front of him as he coughed up a mouthful of blood after trying to burn his blood essence, which would normally increase his soul force severalfold.
But his actions only succeeded in injuring himself further. His current condition couldn't withstand the sudden explosion of power, causing his organs to rupture from the strain.
"W-what did you do to me? Undo this at once! I'm the personal disciple of the Demon Beast Clan's Grand Elder. If I die here, my master and the entire Demon Beast Clan will take revenge on you. They will destroy this city and kill everyone!" Shen Han roared hoarsely, threatening Xue Hui in a desperate attempt to preserve his life.
Unfortunately for him, Shen Han could scare anyone with his threats except the man standing before him.
Xue Hui only raised a brow, his eyes boring into Shen Han's emaciated form, his expression one of utter incredulity at Shen Han's stupidity.
Even at the very end, Shen Han failed to realize that his so-called master had no intention of getting involved in their fight.
Xue Hui didn't even bother responding to the threats. Instead, he lifted his arm, raising two fingers into the air as spiritual energy condensed around them, fully intending to end Shen Han once and for all.
Shen Han saw this and immediately panicked. Forming a hand seal, he tried calling the Black Roc Flame back to his side.
But to his despair, the Black Roc Flame never came, as though someone were preventing it from returning to him.
"W-what's going on? W-where's my Black Roc Flame? Why can't I summon it?" Shen Han stammered in panic. He then turned toward its direction, only to see a tanned-skinned girl casually holding the Black Roc Flame as though it were nothing more than a blanket.
His scalp went numb at the sight. He knew better than anyone how terrifying the Black Roc Flame was. The fact that someone could casually hold it without turning to charcoal was incomprehensible to him.
What shocked Shen Han even more was that the girl was seemingly eating his Black Roc Flame. She opened her mouth as wide as she could before biting into the flame, taking a huge chunk out of it.
"W-what! Who is that? Why isn't she being burned to death by my Black Roc Flame? That Black Roc Flame is a treasure above the Legend Rank. How can a mere little girl touch it?" Shen Han yelled in utter disbelief.
"Shut your mouth! Your flame tastes horrible!" Moi Ca yelled back irritably, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.
If she didn't have to, she would never let the Black Roc Flame anywhere near her mouth. The thing tasted and smelled like dried Demon Beast dung. She knew this because her tribe often used it as fuel for cooking.
Moi Ca then shifted her gaze to Xue Hui. Looking utterly pitiful, she spoke to him.
"M-Master, do I really have to shove everything into my mouth? This flame tastes like doo-doo," she complained tearfully.
Xue Hui had told her to consume it because it was a high-grade spirit flame, extremely rare and valuable for strengthening her God Phoenix Flame.
Xue Hui rolled his eyes, completely unmoved by her glistening gaze.
"Of course you don't have to eat it. You could just use your alchemy flame to absorb it directly," he explained.
Moi Ca's shoulders slumped as she sobbed.
"I-I can't conjure my alchemy flame yet!"
Now, Moi Ca was convinced that her master had only told her to eat the Black Roc Flame as punishment.
"Then remember that taste every time you skip training to play around with Julin," he reprimanded.
Moi Ca sobbed as she continued eating the Black Roc Flame, looking utterly dejected.
"And you."
Shen Han jolted as Xue Hui turned his attention back to him.
"I want you to hear this before I kill you, because I'm going to make sure that even your soul ceases to exist after this."
Overwhelming fear washed over Shen Han. He clawed desperately at his prison, but his frantic attempts only succeeded in making his fingers bleed.
"The reason you're going to die is not because you betrayed Glory City, your family, or all of humanity."
Xue Hui's cold, deep voice was like the voice of death itself, dragging Shen Han toward the depths of hell. His words made Shen Han break down in terror.
"No! Master, save me! Master, I don't want to die!" Shen Han wailed, his aged face twisted into an expression of utter horror.
Xue Hui ignored his pleas as he uttered his final words.
"You'll die for laying your hands on Ziyun."
"NO.."
SHINK!
Shen Han's shriek was cut short as Xue Hui swung his arm downward, cleanly severing Shen Han's head from his body.
The condensed spiritual energy annihilated Shen Han's soul, completely destroying his Fate Soul and erasing his very existence.
Xue Hui then flicked his sleeve, retracting all of his Origin Spheres to his side before throwing Shen Han's headless body into the swirling black mist.
Relief filled the hearts of all the experts in the ruined banquet hall. Shen Han had finally been eliminated for good.
Chen Zhenlong and Ye Zong were about to approach Xue Hui but halted in their tracks when a powerful soul force burst forth from the swirling black mist.
Compared to Shen Han's Demigod-rank spiritual energy, this one was far denser. Its might was like an endless ocean threatening to drown everyone.
"What is this spiritual pressure?" Chen Zhenlong asked in a trembling voice.
Whoever was behind that black mist possessed the strength to kill them without even lifting a finger.
The thought terrified him and every expert in the City Lord's Mansion.
Xue Hui remained composed. He had already expected the person behind the black mist to reveal themselves. After all, there would have been no point in keeping the spatial rift open if that person hadn't been there to save Shen Han.
"Boy, you're really daring. Despite knowing I'm watching you, you still went and killed my disciple. Are you losing your mind? Or are you simply tired of living? If that's the case, then let this Senior grant you a quick death."
The entire City Lord's Mansion shook. The ancient voice was loud and imposing, making everyone's heart skip a beat.
Nie Li, who was standing beside Ye Ziyun, couldn't help but curse inwardly. Of all the people who could have appeared, it had to be someone whose strength surpassed the Demigod Rank.
If he had felt powerless before Shen Han, he now felt as though a sword were hanging over his neck. If that unknown expert released even the slightest wisp of soul pressure, their bodies would explode into bloody chunks.
Xue Hui, on the other hand, showed no sign of weakness. With his hands clasped behind his back, he floated in the air, looking regal.
"What's the point of trying to scare us, Senior? Since I'm still alive, it means you don't have the heart to kill me," Xue Hui replied, causing the expert within the black mist to look at him in astonishment.
Not only had Xue Hui withstood his imposing presence, but the boy also had the audacity to call his threat a bluff. Who would dare do such a thing in front of him? Even within the Demon Beast Clan, his mere presence was enough to make all the Legend-rank Demon Beasts cower in fear.
He was beginning to think he might have been right about Xue Hui being crazy.
"And as for your disciple, I'm actually doing you a favor, Senior. With Shen Han's intelligence, it wouldn't take long before he made a complete fool of himself in front of your fellow Demon Beast Clan experts. If that happened, you'd be the one everyone laughed at for choosing him as your disciple," Xue Hui explained sincerely.
"You!"
The expert behind the black mist almost choked upon hearing Xue Hui's words.
He knew the boy had a merciless tongue. He had watched the usually composed and calculating Shen Han turn into an irrational fool every time Xue Hui opened his mouth.
What the expert hadn't expected was that he himself would also receive a verbal lashing from Xue Hui.
Xue Hui was simply too much. He was making it incredibly difficult for the expert behind the swirling black mist not to kill him.
"Boy, be careful with that tongue of yours. Although I came here with no intention of killing anyone, it doesn't mean I won't do so if the thought ever crosses my mind," the expert said threateningly.
"Hahaha, Senior is too serious. I was just making a casual joke to break the ice. I'm actually glad you came, Senior. There's something I'd like to inquire about. I wonder if Senior would be willing to indulge my curiosity. I'll pay Senior handsomely for the information."
The expert behind the black mist raised an eyebrow, a look of interest washing over his face.
"Ask. I'll decide whether to answer or not. As for your reward, I have no need for it. Just consider it a senior imparting some guidance to the younger generation."
Xue Hui chuckled. The more he spoke with this senior from the Demon Beast Clan, the more favorable his impression of him became.
"Then, if you don't mind me asking, Senior, why did the Demon Beast Clan suddenly decide to destroy Glory City?" Xue Hui asked, the glow in his eyes intensifying.
End of Chapter 117
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