Huang Chao wanted to act, and naturally Zhang Chen had no reason not to cooperate.
Sure enough, when Gu Mingyue saw Huang Chao being suppressed by Zhang Chen with a ruler, she couldn’t sit still. She was afraid that Zhang Chen would kill Huang Chao, so she quickly spoke up and used the title of Great Virtuous Master to intimidate Zhang Chen.
Unfortunately, in the face of Gu Mingyue’s threat, Zhang Chen merely smiled indifferently and said, "Although I respect Great Virtuous Master, if it is said that Great Virtuous Master has the ability to kill me, I don’t believe Great Virtuous Master has that strength. Besides, the world is vast; after killing you, I can casually find a place to hide, and Great Virtuous Master might not be able to find me."
"Zhang Chen, if you wish to kill my master, you’ll have to step over my body first!" Huang Chao climbed up from the ground and stood protectively in front of Gu Mingyue.
Seeing this scene, Gu Mingyue was indeed quite moved, her eyes filled with excitement, "Huang Chao, I really didn’t misjudge you, but you should not beg him! I’d rather die than beg!"
"Beg or not, you’ll die anyway!" Zhang Chen sneered, with the divine light inside the Celestial Measuring Ruler in his hand flickering repeatedly, his Qi mechanism gradually boiling, as if ready to strike at any moment.
At this moment, suddenly a nobleman on the side shouted at Zhang Chen, "That boy, if you don’t make a move quickly to suppress the Yellow Heaven Dao rebel faction, all these rebels will escape!"
The man appeared to be in his fifties, dressed in a brocade robe, with an arrogant demeanor, shouting at Zhang Chen.
"Are you talking to me? Ordering me?" Zhang Chen turned his head to look at the nobleman, with a trace of inexplicable emotion in his eyes.
"I am Prince Pingyang, from which family are you descended? Quickly follow my orders and take action immediately!" The man in a brocade robe issued instructions to Zhang Chen.
"Idiot! It seems you can’t see the situation clearly!" Zhang Chen looked at the nobleman before him, with inexplicable emotions in his eyes. As his Qi mechanism turned, he activated the Blood Control Technique, causing the blood around Prince Pingyang to flow backward, and he let out a painful howl, with a large amount of fresh blood spraying from his body.
"You dare disrespect Prince Pingyang!" A voice of anger came, with a nobleman glaring at Zhang Chen.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen turned his head and glanced at the nobleman, with a fierce glint in his eyes, "It seems you have forgotten that I am someone who even disregards the Yellow Heaven Dao, aren’t you afraid of me?"
Zhang Chen’s voice was cold and ruthless, causing all the noblemen to become silent as cicadas in winter. Remembering Zhang Chen’s abilities, that he can suppress even the Yellow Heaven Dao rebel faction with a flick of his finger, they closed their mouths one after another.
All the disciples of Yellow Heaven Dao jumped into the Blood Sea Array, then abandoned it and fled, yet Zhang Chen didn’t pay any mind, only casting his eyes towards the distant void. Soon, the void emitted slight ripples, and suddenly tore open, revealing an eye flickering with golden light suddenly falling out of it.
"That is the evil spirit sealed in the Exquisite Tower, and now it has broken free!" Zhou Qiucheng noticed the eye flickering with golden light, and quickly reminded Zhang Chen:
"This entity is called: Eye Demon. There are a total of 9,999 of them. Inside their pupils, they can emit golden light with the power to shatter mountains and crack stones."
Before Zhou Qiucheng could finish the introduction, a large pile of eyes fell out of the void one after another, and then the pile of eyes suddenly emitted ten thousand golden lights, rampaging within the Chongzheng Academy.
A ray of golden light brushed past, and a trace of astonishment appeared in Zhang Chen’s eyes. He could feel that the golden light was extraordinary, having extremely powerful scorching heat, seemingly capable of burning the void.
The temperature was extremely terrifying, at least akin to the power of the Ninth Tier.
Moreover, this was merely a ray from the Eye Demon, not the Eye Demon’s limit. Each ray could stack, could combine in one place. If all ten thousand rays were to combine into one, who knows what kind of terrifying power it would possess.
The golden light rampaged, many noblemen unable to dodge, directly dying tragically under the golden light of the Eye Demon.
The golden light from the Eye Demon rushed towards the Blood Sea, sensing the threat of the Blood Sea Array, intending to tear open it to escape. The next moment, thousands of rays combined into one, burning a hole through the Blood Sea Array.
"Heh-heh-heh~" Seeing this, the Eye Demon let out a strange laugh, and then its countless eyes instantly overlapped, transforming into a single eye, soaring into the sky, attempting to fly out from the burnt hole of the Blood Sea Array.
"This entity is a good thing, it can’t be allowed to escape!" Upon witnessing the Eye Demon’s power, a trace of delight appeared in Zhang Chen’s eyes. The next moment, the Blood Sea Dao was activated, directly taking over the authority of the Blood Sea Array, and then the divine power circulated, instantly filling the hole in the Blood Sea Array, blocking the escaping Eye Demon.
"Vermin, shouldn’t you quickly surrender!" Zhang Chen stepped forward, pursuing the Eye Demon.
The Eye Demon sensed the movement, the next moment a terrifying golden light shot towards Zhang Chen. The Celestial Measuring Ruler’s scales lit up, and the surrounding void twisted, revealing that the light pierced through the three-foot barrier of twisted void, only to be refracted away as it was about to pierce through.
"Such strong power! This ray of golden light’s power is probably close to the Eleventh Tier, no wonder it can pierce through the Blood Sea Array in one strike. If I didn’t have the Celestial Measuring Ruler, which is an Innate Spiritual Treasure capable of twisting the void, today facing this Eye Demon would be a great loss." Zhang Chen thought privately with a sense of shock in his heart.
But Zhang Chen was ultimately no ordinary person. Just as the space around him twisted and turned, the Celestial Measuring Ruler flew out from his hand, pressing down on the Eye Demon.
Then Zhang Chen, holding the Celestial Measuring Ruler, engaged in a breathtaking battle with the Eye Demon.
"Acting is really tiring!" Zhang Chen, while fighting the Eye Demon with the Celestial Measuring Ruler, muttered to himself.
Indeed, he was acting!
He intended to create an opportunity for Yellow Heaven Dao to escape. Only when the cultivators of Yellow Heaven Dao realized they were trapped in Jinling City would they return to seek help from him, and in doing so, inadvertently assist Huang Chao in achieving great merit. Killing Gu Mingyue wasn’t difficult for Zhang Chen, but using Gu Mingyue to help Huang Chao ascend to a high position within Yellow Heaven Dao, thereby allowing Zhang Chen to take control of Yellow Heaven Dao, was Zhang Chen’s ultimate goal.
While Zhang Chen battled the Eye Demon, he secretly used the Law of Sound Waves to instruct Huang Chao: "Later, I will remove the Sealing Rune; you take the opportunity to escape with Gu Mingyue."
Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s transmitted message, Huang Chao was momentarily stunned and then secretly praised Zhang Chen’s meticulous work.
He certainly knew of the Sealing Rune—not only did he know of it, but even the Power of Curse of his own family relied on the Sealing Rune.
Next, Huang Chao grabbed Gu Mingyue’s body and lowered his voice towards Gu Mingyue: "Ancestor, I have a method to break Zhang Chen’s suppression technique. Later, once I’ve broken his suppression technique, we’ll escape quietly."
Upon hearing this, Gu Mingyue was overjoyed: "You can break the suppression technique?"
Gu Mingyue certainly didn’t want to be a prisoner. Huang Chao nodded, then said to Gu Mingyue: "I will use my method to help you escape."
This statement was actually directed at Zhang Chen. Upon hearing Gu Mingyue’s words, Zhang Chen immediately removed the Sealing Rune from Gu Mingyue’s body, causing Gu Mingyue to beam with joy as he grabbed Huang Chao’s arm and fled: "Good lad, once we escape, I will surely nurture you greatly. Zhang Chen is too formidable; I’m no match for him solo. We need reinforcements to fight back once prepared."
With these words, Gu Mingyue, carrying Huang Chao, rushed into the Blood Sea Array. Zhang Chen secretly manipulated the Blood Sea Array to create a back door for Gu Mingyue, ensuring his smooth escape.
Since Gu Mingyue could lead Yellow Heaven Dao disciples to set up the Blood Sea Array, he naturally knew something about it. Coupled with Zhang Chen secretly opening a back door for him, he smoothly escaped and disappeared beyond the horizon.
Meanwhile, the aftermath of Zhang Chen’s battle with the Eye Demon affected the various nobles, their screams filling the air. Some were directly vaporized by the Golden Light, while others’ limbs and heads were gasified, dying without a trace.
In a flash, the nobles were wiped out almost completely.
Expect Zhang Chen to protect the nobles?
That was impossible!
While Zhou Qiucheng had lost his power, Zhang Chen secretly maneuvered the Blood Sea Array to guard him, encountering no issues.
"Zhang Chen, if you have any strength left, please protect the nobles; you won’t be short of rewards in the future." Zhou Qiucheng called out to Zhang Chen from within the array, unable to bear seeing the nobles perish continuously.
Zhang Chen shook his head upon hearing this, subtly guiding the Eye Demon’s Golden Light to sweep over the remaining nobles. In moments, all the nobles turned to air, leaving no bodies behind.
"Sir, what are you saying?" Zhang Chen seemed to only then come to his senses, calling out to Zhou Qiucheng.
Standing in the empty Chongzheng Academy, Zhou Qiucheng felt momentarily speechless.
He wasn’t a fool; with all the nobles dead, and himself untouched, if he couldn’t deduce Zhang Chen’s unseen machinations, he’d be unworthy of ruling Jiangnan for decades.
Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s inquiry, Zhou Qiucheng responded gloomily: "It’s nothing! You better run now! The Exquisite Tower holds tens of thousands of demons sealed within. If even one Eye Demon strains you, should the other evils awaken and rush out, you’re bound to die here."
Zhou Qiucheng repeatedly urged Zhang Chen to flee, but Zhang Chen ignored his advice, fixating intensely on the Eye Demon before him. Unfortunately, his tier was higher than the Eye Demon’s, preventing the use of any skills. Yet, taking in the scattered experience points on the ground, Zhang Chen was quite pleased.
However, seeing that the venue was cleared, both Yellow Heaven Dao and the Venerable had vanished from sight. Zhang Chen had no intention of playing with the Eye Demon any longer. In the next moment, he summoned the Blood Sea Array, suppressing it over the Eye Demon.
The power displayed by the Blood Sea Array in Zhang Chen’s hands was truly terrifying.