The Eye Demon is indeed very powerful. With its 9,999 eyes converging in one place, it could even shake an Eleventh Tier expert. But is Zhang Chen, with the Blood Sea Array, an ordinary expert?
If the Yellow Heaven Dao operates the Blood Sea Array, then it’s just the Blood Sea Array, at most able to trap a Twelfth Tier expert. But in Zhang Chen’s hands, it immediately became the vessel of the Blood Dao, and the Blood Sea Dao descended, attaching itself to the Blood Sea Array.
As the Blood Sea Array operated, the Eye Demon was immediately overturned by the terrifying blood waves. Then, Zhang Chen made a casual swipe, and along with the Celestial Measuring Ruler twisting space, the Eye Demon fell into his own Ice Hell and was instantly sealed by it, imprisoned.
The opponent had no power to resist in front of Zhang Chen’s Blood Sea Array.
"With the Blood Sea Array at my disposal, powered by the Power of Blood Dao, even a Twelfth Tier expert would have no means to resist against me." Zhang Chen stood in the Blood Sea Array, feeling the power of Blood Dao descending using the Blood Sea Array as a conduit, a curious look in his eyes.
Within his own Crystal Core, there was a golden-yellow thread, hanging down from the portal of the Blood Sea. It was unclear which space it traversed, but it descended into the Blood Sea Array, strengthening it.
The golden-yellow thread was visible to the naked eye within the Crystal Core, yet once outside the portal, it transformed into a vast, invisible force.
That is the power of the Dao!
At this moment, Zhang Chen could feel that he had become incredibly powerful with the enhancement of the Blood Sea Array.
But Zhang Chen remained cautious, for that was a clone of the Great Freedom Celestial Demon. He couldn’t be too careful with his approach.
With a casual toss, Zhang Chen silently shrouded the entire void with the Nine Bends Yellow River Array.
Zhang Chen admitted that the Blood Sea Array was formidable, but compared to his own Nine Bends Yellow River Array, it was still a level lower.
One could say that the power of the Nine Bends Yellow River Array had perhaps surpassed the level of the ’Fruit Position,’ and this was Zhang Chen’s greatest fallback; otherwise, how would he dare to face those tens of thousands of anomalies?
The blood sea swirled continuously, and Zhang Chen’s eyes fell on the twisted void, revealing that the twisted void connected one alternate dimension after another. Within those alternate dimensions, powerful qi mechanisms continued to awaken, accompanied by ghostly wails and howling wolves, powerful forces erupted, and they were breaking through the alternate dimension, descending into the Material Realm.
"Those in the Yellow Heaven Dao are such good people, helping me a great deal this time!"
Zhang Chen manipulated the Blood Sea Array, swiftly operating it to actively twist the void and draw in those evil spirits sealed in the alternate dimensions.
"Ha ha ha~"
With a burst of peculiar laughter, a crow flew out of the twisting void: "I, the Ancestor, have finally seen the light of day again! I, the Ancestor, am Immortal, you bastards can’t imprison me. Great Victory Dynasty, I want your blood debt... What..."
The crow’s boastful words were not finished when a wave of blood surged, directly drowning it in the blood sea. The crow attempted to struggle in the blood, but the sea was as viscous as glue, enfolding it tightly.
The next moment, a ruler swiped across, the evil spirit had no time to react before it was swatted away, falling into Zhang Chen’s Ice Hell.
As more and more awakened evil spirits appeared, the terrible phenomena in the void grew stronger and more intense, and Zhang Chen’s Ice Hell became ever more populated with captured anomalies.
In no time at all, dozens, even hundreds of evil spirits burst from the alternate space, like dumplings, plunged into the blood sea, only to be caught by the viscous waves, relentlessly struck by Zhang Chen wielding the Celestial Measuring Ruler, and one after another was tossed into his own Ice Hell.
As the number of imprisoned evil spirits in the Ice Hell increased, Zhang Chen’s Ice Domain began to undergo some indescribable change, quietly transforming toward some unknown state.
Zhang Chen’s Ice Domain was expanding, its form extending from its original one meter to two meters, three meters, four meters...
"Every evil spirit trapped in the Ice Hell loses part of its power to strengthen itself, making itself stronger. And as the Ice Hell grows stronger, so does my Power of Extreme Cold." Zhang Chen continued to seal the evil spirits in the blood sea while constantly observing the reaction in the Ice Domain.
Beside him, Zhou Qiucheng, seeing Zhang Chen’s actions, was dumbfounded, staring blankly at Zhang Chen, who harvested the evil spirits in the Blood Sea Array as if picking mushrooms, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Was this still the Zhang Chen he knew?
The scholar so weak he needed Zhou’s protection?
"Sir, what are you daydreaming about? Quickly find a place to hide. Soon, more evil spirits will pour out, you might get caught up in it." Zhang Chen noticed Zhou Qiucheng dawdling and kindly reminded him.
"Who... who are you? Are you really Zhang Chen? The Zhang Chen I know could never do this." Zhou Qiucheng questioned aloud.
If Zhang Chen had such abilities, would he have been rejected by the Shen family? Would Shen Ling have looked down upon him?
If he had these abilities, would he have needed Zhou’s protection against the Yellow Heaven Dao earlier?
"Hehe, if I’m not Zhang Chen, who could I be?" Zhang Chen replied with a beaming smile.
"Could Zhang Chen truly possess such abilities? Why did he come to Chongzheng Academy seeking shelter?" Zhou Qiucheng’s voice was full of disbelief.
"I didn’t seek shelter from sir; it was always sir who took the initiative to protect me. Sir never gave me the opportunity to show my true skills, did he?" Zhang Chen replied with a smile.
Zhou Qiucheng’s mind buzzed upon hearing this, and he fell into a silent stupor. Suddenly, he recalled when Po Jun Star Zhao Lie summoned a celestial body to crush Chongzheng Academy, and asked, "Last time, the academy was almost pulverized by a falling star—was that your doing?"
"It was me! And it made sir worry needlessly. Clearly, Yellow Heaven Dao came to cause trouble for me, yet it also implicated sir." Zhang Chen’s voice was full of apology.
Zhou Qiucheng fell silent, feeling his face burning with shame. Remembering how he had repeatedly taken the initiative to protect Zhang Chen—how could someone with such capabilities need his shelter?
Furthermore, if Zhang Chen had indeed refined that meteor, everything would be clearly explained.
Were there hidden experts within Chongzheng Academy? Would he not know?
Now that Zhang Chen admitted it, many matters became well explained.
"I was being overly sentimental all those days." Zhou Qiucheng let out a bitter laugh, his voice filled with helplessness.
"Sir’s past protection is something I deeply appreciate, and I’m grateful beyond words for it. How could it be said that sir was being overly sentimental?" Zhang Chen countered Zhou Qiucheng’s words.
Zhou Qiucheng remained silent, gazing dazedly at Zhang Chen’s every move as he effortlessly dealt with each evil spirit. It was beyond miraculous!
The spirits imprisoned in the Exquisite Tower could be termed as Immortal beings that the Great Victory Court could not obliterate, which is why they were confined here.
Yet these spirits faced Zhang Chen like mere stranded shells on a beach, easily swept away with a silver-white ruler, disappearing from sight.
"If the Shen Family knew about your abilities today, they would regret deeply treating you the way they did! Both Shen Ling and Jiang Nan would surely regret it." Zhou Qiucheng remarked, watching Zhang Chen.
"Those are matters of the past." Zhang Chen replied.
Zhou Qiucheng was silent for a moment before he sighed softly, "Yes, those are matters of the past. From today on, there will be no more Exquisite Tower, no Chongzheng Academy, not even Jinling City..."
Here, Zhou Qiucheng paused abruptly, his eyes fixed on Zhang Chen, a peculiar glint appearing: "Zhang Chen, with your abilities, you cannot merely watch as the Demon Race ravages Jiangnan. The millions of citizens of Jinling City are entrusted to you."
Zhang Chen paused in his action, turned to look at Zhou Qiucheng’s pleading face, and shook his head: "It’s not that I won’t save them, but that I can’t. The might of the Demon Race is unstoppable. I hear there are twelve Eleventh Tier Demon Gods along with a Twelfth Tier Great Demon like Hu Li the Immortal lurking; how can I thwart them?"
Asking Hu Li the Immortal to protect Jinling City? He likely wouldn’t dare!
Why are they following his orders to conquer Jinling City?
Isn’t it for the human blood feast? If Hu Li the Immortal dared to halt the Demon Race from razing the city, he’d likely be overthrown by his underlings.
It’s akin to ancient warfare, where armies pillaged as they moved; a chief wouldn’t dare restrain his troops from looting once a city fell.
Why?
Because of fear of rebellion!
Don’t be deceived by historical records; back then, the court couldn’t fully provide rations, thus allowing looting post-siege as incentive for soldiers.
If a general tried to stop it, he might be beheaded by his own men.
As for military law?
They marched through the sea of blood and blades; if you don’t provide rations, why would they risk their lives for you?
Expecting veteran soldiers, those who risk life and limb, to fear military law? That’s ridiculous!
Cut off their financial path, and they’ll revolt—you won’t be able to command them. Enforce military law? Expect a mutiny!
The Demon Race is the same; even Hu Li the Immortal can’t stop each clan from profiting, or his seat will be unstable.
"You have the means; if you’re willing to intervene, the populace might have a chance. At the very least, the nobles in Jinling City could survive; leading them out wouldn’t be hard!" Zhou Qiucheng pleaded.
But he was pleading for the nobles!