231-240

Chapter 231 The Truth

Huh?

Both Ming and Xuefeng stared at her confused.

'I'm sorry, I let her out because she didn't stop bugging me to tell her what's going on outside. She said she can help you,' Ling informed in his mind.

"Didn't I tell you already?" Sena poked Xuefeng's chest with her finger. "I know when people are honest to me, but it's not because of my intuition."

"Look, let me show you," Sena suggested as she placed her palm on Xuefeng's cheek. "Answer my question: Do you love my mom?"

Her whole hand lit up with gold and Xuefeng's expression changed. He suddenly felt an immense urge to reply honestly and he couldn't resist it.

"Yes, I do," Xuefeng replied and his eyes widened right after. "Whoa, just like that?"

What was confusing is that he was fully conscious so it wasn't hypnosis. He just felt the need to tell her the truth.

"See?! I can help!" Sena called out excitedly and walked past him before diving into Ming's arms. "Mom!"

"You didn't tell me you have such powers," Ming commented, causing Sena to giggle.

"It's because you didn't ask," Sena replied proudly while glancing at the City Leader. "Let me help."

She didn't ask for permission as she pulled Ming's arm away and placed her finger on the City Leader's forehead. Her finger lit up but then she turned around embarrassed.

"What was I supposed to ask?"

"Ask him about the location of the Dark Fate Sect," Ming reminded with a smile, glancing at the City Leader's face. "I wonder how you will resist that."

"No! Get off me!" the City Leader cried out but Sena didn't hesitate to activate her ability.

"Tell me where is the Dark Fate Sect," Sena ordered and just as in Xuefeng's case, the man didn't hesitate.

"It's hidden in this mountain range, around five minutes west from here."

"Be more specific," Sena quickly followed up.

"It's hidden inside one of the three red mountains. It will be the one in the middle," the City Leader replied before glancing at Sena as if she was a monster.

"How do you kill Fate Spirits inside the Fate Holders? What method do you use to break their connection?" Ming asked seriously.

It was the question that bothered her for a while since from her point of view, it was impossible to do. No human should have the power to sever this bond. When Sena heard the question, she blinked confused but still repeated it.

None of them expected City Leader's next words.

"I don't know any method. It is our Leader that is fully responsible for it. One has to be unconscious during the procedure so no one knows about it aside from the Leader. All I know is that the Leader received a go signal from Heaven together with a special Artefact that he uses to this day."

Ming opened her mouth but no words came out. Her body trembled as she looked at Xuefeng, her face colder than ice. "Baby, can you take Sena away?"

He could tell she was about to explode with anger so he pulled Sena with him and hugged her to block the nasty view.

"What did he mean?" Sena asked innocently as she blinked at Xuefeng. "Did he say that dad helped those bad men?"

"Shhh…" Xuefeng shushed her with his finger. "I think it's best if you don't refer to that man like your dad ever agai—"

"BASTARD!!!"

Ming's voice cut him off before it replaced with constant punches.

"This!"

"Fucker!"

"Is!"

"Going!"

"To!"

"Die!"

"Aaaa!!!"

Ming punched the City Leader in the face with each word before speeding up, no longer caring about anything. Sena shuddered each time Ming punched but Xuefeng squeezed her tight while rubbing her cheek.

"Fuuuuuuuck!" She cursed while screaming full of anger. Xuefeng finally cut them off from an ugly scene.

"Don't worry, your mom is just venting," Xuefeng assured while creating a soundproof barrier around the two of them. "The King of Heaven did something horrible and your mom is really mad."

"So he was helping the bad guys…? Did they really kill our Race?" Sena questioned in disbelief.

Even though she was innocent, she quickly connected the facts. Xuefeng had no reason not to share it with her.

"Yes. They were killing the Fate Spirits inside the Fate Holders and the King of Heaven allowed that to happen," Xuefeng explained.

"But why would he do it…?" Sena asked softly, looking as if she was about to cry.

"Because he wanted to kill me."

Ling came out to reply on her own. "He wanted to get rid of his own daughter because of fear that one day I might kill him. I'm pretty sure he secretly created this Dark Fate Sect to slowly eradicate the Fate Spirits from the Heaven Realm in hopes that one day I would fall victim to it."

Sniff.

Sena's eyes teared up at her story and immediately dove into Ling's arms. "I'm so sorryyyyyy!"

"It's not your fault dummy…" Ling muttered as she rubbed her head. "I'm all safe and in good hands now. Xuefeng has been taking care of me."

"Big sis, now that I'm here, I won't let anyone hurt you!" Sena promised, drowning in Ling's chest. "I will protect you!"

"I will protect you too then," Ling promised as well, creating a cute scene for a change.

Xuefeng looked around to check on Ming and it seemed like she was done with her venting. He couldn't blame her for her actions. Anyone would react the same way if they found out that their ex-husband has been killing their children.

The City Leader was already gone but the bloodstains were all over the floor. The moment he canceled the barrier, Xuefeng waved with his hand and swiped all the blood away.

"I knew it… I fucking knew it…" Ming muttered, still fuming but Xuefeng could see some clarity in her eyes. "There was no way any human would do it on their own. To think it was all this bastard's fault."

Xuefeng walked up to her and pulled her over by her waist. He grabbed her face and looked her straight in the eyes.

"I'm not sure when, but know that we will kill him and it won't be an easy death," Xuefeng vowed, caressing her face. "You have me. Let me lend you my strength."

Ming's lips trembled and she closed the distance between them, kissing him the strongest she could. Her tears finally spilled as she caressed him back.

"I have you…"

Chapter 232 Joker

'What is the situation outside?'

Since Xuefeng and the girls were done with their interrogation, they flew up to oversee the city invasion. He thought the city would be in ruins but it turned out the girls were much gentler than he was.

He could see Cultivators escaping from the city in all directions but his wives didn't chase them. It was a fruitless effort as they couldn't catch them all.

'Really well so far! We killed all the Fate Holders and some criminals that wanted to teach us a lesson. Do you remember that Old man from the Hidden Realm? Those Fate Holders were the same. All of them didn't have Fate Spirits in them,' Wuying reported, giving him the overall look at the situation.

'How many?' Xuefeng wondered as he gave Ming a glance. She seemed much calmer now but who knew if she would explode again at the news.

'Around three hundred. We didn't manage to recover any abilities from them as they got destroyed much faster than normal. Thankfully, we got a lot of Fate Stones from them which made it worth it. One thing I must tell, we were poor compared to all of them,' Wuying commented, causing Xuefeng to raise his eyebrows.

Naturally, they didn't have Ming with them who could extract the abilities much more efficiently. What interested Xuefeng was Wuying last sentence as his eyes lit up.

'It seems like exploring the Hellhole is really profitable,' Xuefeng replied excitedly, recalling the massive boulders of Qi inside the deepest zone of the Hellhole. Each of them must have had highly concentrated Fate Qi which could be worth millions of Fate Stones.

'Yeah, all of those fragments are much bigger. One even had a human-sized boulder hidden in his Storage Ring. It seems like he was ripping small fragments of it to either absorb or use them as payment.'

"Nice!" Xuefeng exclaimed out loud. Although the amount of Fate Qi needed for multi-realm teleportation was astronomical, they were on a good path.

'Anyway, the reinforcements are coming our way, so let's gather. I hope you still have some energy left for another bloodbath,' Xuefeng informed. 'This time your husband will be joining you.'

He immediately heard cheers from the girls, causing him to laugh. Their deficiency of combat was showing. Now that they tasted the adrenaline from the battles, even he wouldn't dare to stop them.

"Are there more bad guys coming?" Sena asked suddenly as she squeezed his hand.

"Yes. They are coming to get us but we will get them instead," Xuefeng nodded as he ruffled her hair. "It would be best if you guys went back inside to be completely safe."

"But… I want to watch it," Sena pleaded cutely. "I don't mind to see blood and battles seem so interesting. I was finally able to leave the Fate Kingdom so I want to see the world how it is."

Her puppy eyes were so hard to resist.

"But how can I protect you when I would be fighting? What will your mother do if something happens to you?" Xuefeng tried the logical approach. "How about you go back with your sister Ling and she will show you the outside from inside? You can watch while being safe."

The world she wanted to see was brutal and Xuefeng couldn't hide it forever. As long as she stayed with them, she was bound to witness the dark side of this world.

"Mhmm, okay," Sena nodded after some thought but she didn't return to Ling. She looked at Xuefeng curiously and muttered, "I have a question."

Xuefeng glanced in the west and seeing no enemies on the horizon, he nodded.

"If Mom is your wife, does that mean you are my Dad now?" Sena asked while tilting her head in interest. "Can I call you daddy?"

"Pfft!" Ling immediately burst with laughter while Xuefeng was left speechless.

"Ehem, no. I'm not your Dad…" Xuefeng denied as he scratched his head. "But I can be your Uncle if you want."

Sena squinted her eyes. "No. I want a Daddy. Since my other Dad is a bad person, I want a new one. I decided you will be my Daddy because you love my mom."

She left Xuefeng speechless once again. He didn't know how to feel about that but he definitely wasn't ready to have a kid. Just as he thought about an answer, his wives flew up to them one by one.

"Sena, how about we talk about it later?" Xuefeng suggested as he looked at Ling for help. "For now just follow Ling."

"Come with me Sena," Ling called out as she hugged Sena from behind, causing Sena to surrender.

"Ah, okay." She waved at the girls with a bright smile before sending Xuefeng a flying kiss, "Good luck, Daddy!"

Ling and Sena disappeared right after as Ling took her back to her world while the girls gazed at Xuefeng dumbfounded.

"Daddy?" Nuwa asked with a teasing smile. "If you wanted a kid, you could have just asked."

Xuefeng rubbed his forehead, already expecting such a reaction. "Don't mind her. She just started calling me that on her own."

He turned to Ming who was still outside and changed the subject, "Ming, are you coming inside me?"

Tianshi held back her laughter as she commented, "Cough, that's what she said."

Xuefeng pursed his lips, being the only one who got the reference, while the rest took it seriously.

"Talking about coming inside made me miss the last six months," Xiao Wen muttered as she sent Xuefeng a wink. "I started to love cultivation."

"That's right. I think we should repeat it after we are over with this Hellhole," Princess Shan proposed, causing everyone to nod.

"I think we all agree to this," Nuwa confirmed. "I think we should send an official request to the management."

"Girls, girls, this is not the time to be horny," Xuefeng stopped them right there before they escalate further. "Ming?"

"I will stay," Ming decided without hesitation as she turned to the girls. "Can anyone lend me a sword?"

"Here, you can have mine," Yi came forward with her own as she tossed one of her new toys. "I love swords so I took a few too much in the Dragon Tower."

Ming caught it mid-air and swung it around to test it. "Perfect. It just happens I'm in the mood to kill some people so I will join you all."

"Are you sure?" Xuefeng asked to be sure, knowing he never saw Ming wield a sword but she only shrugged confidently.

Swoosh!

In a blink of an eye, she appeared next to Xuefeng with her new sword up to his throat. He wasn't even able to react to her movements.

"I know at least a thousand of Sword Arts from all Realms. I think I will be fine," Ming replied with a smirk as she pulled away.

"Whoa, Ming, you gotta teach me that move later," Yi called out amazed when Tianshi shushed them all while pointing at the horizon.

"Shhh, look. We have a company."

Everyone followed her direction and but they quickly got disappointed at the enemy numbers. There were barely a hundred of them

"Is that a joke? That should be like five to ten each, right?" Xiao Wen complained.

"I wanted to say three. Don't forget that Nuwa will take most of them for herself," Xinyu corrected with a pout. "I won't forget that kill steal from earlier, humph."

"Can me and Lisa have one?" Yiren suggested, not being greedy like the rest.

They waited at the sky above the city as they watched the incoming group getting bigger and more clear. That was when Tianshi frowned.

"Let's not underestimate them… For some reason, I can't see the future involving that man at the front. Something is blocking my visions," Tianshi reported in confusion.

"This has to be that bastard's doing as well," Ming guessed as she squeezed the hilt of her sword. "He must have given him some of the Heavenly Artefacts."

The group was soon close enough to discern the man's features as well as the team behind him. All one hundred people wore black cloaks while holding wide longswords. They looked identical to each other and flew in a tight array.

And when it came to their leader...

"That man looks scary…" Yiren summed it with a few words.

His smile was as wide as it can be, almost unnatural. He grinned maniacally with his cheeks puffed and eyes wide open. Xuefeng couldn't help but imagine the Joker from one of his favorite movies back on Earth.

"Hehehe, I'm sorry you had to wait!" the Joker called out with a crazed giggle. "Liu Xuefeng, I'm so glad we met so soon. You spared me the time to search for you, hehe."

Joker wiggled with his long tongue before licking his lips all around.

"Hehe, I heard a lot about you from our mutual friend. Now that we finally met, how about we play a little game?"

Author thoughts: Talking about games, you all should check out "Avatar Online"! It's a VR Novel with Avatar and Elements! I'm writing more for you guys so give me the favor of trying to read it <3

Chapter 233 Soul Splitter

'What Heavenly Artefacts were you talking about earlier?' Xuefeng asked in his mind as he didn't respond to Joker's question. If the King of Heaven was helping him, he was obviously not an easy opponent.

'As every Race, we have our own share of treasures and powerful Artefacts. The only difference is that ours are much stronger since they depend solely on Fate Qi. There are countless Heavenly Treasures in the Fate Kingdom treasury. He could literally pass any of them onto this guy and there is no way I can guess which one until he uses it,' Ming explained, getting angry once again. 'What makes me confused is why my Uncle didn't do anything. It should be against the Heavenly Rules.'

'Maybe the same reason why he didn't stop you from helping me,' Xuefeng guessed but Ming quickly denied it.

'No, that's different. I'm technically your Fate Spirit so I can do whatever I want. That Bastard definitely didn't connect with this monster.'

Ming looked at Joker in disgust, causing him to finally react to their silence.

"Hehe, it seems like you don't like playing games. Too bad, you don't have a choice. You will be the first who plays this game with me so you should be honored," Joker called out as he pulled out a similar sword to the rest of his gang. "But first, I have to thank you. If you didn't piss off the King of Heaven, I wouldn't become so powerful. All these years I have been a pawn but with the newest blessings, I have advanced to a knight."

He lifted his sword sideways up to his mouth before licking its edge. To their surprise, his army copied him without missing a beat. It seemed like they were all one person moving at the same time.

'Either they trained this for years or they are his puppets,' Wuying pointed out, knowing how much synergy such a move required. 'I would be betting on the latter.'

'They do look like his clones…' Ming muttered while thinking deeply.

"The game is called, Find Me! Hahaha!" Joker cried out as he burst out laughing and his group joined him, creating a creepy choir of laughter.

'Get ready! He is going to attack soon!' Xuefeng called out in warning, causing everyone to pull out their weapons. Tianshi created a Spirit Qi Shield on everyone while Yiren took out her Beast Token, releasing a swarm of Bats behind them.

Xuefeng himself spawned two Dragon Claws while Elemental Bracelet wrapped around him in the form of armor. Their instant transformation and display of power wasn't something to underestimate. Even the Joker stopped laughing as he glared at Xuefeng.

"Kill them!"

The whole group launched an attack at the same time without fear. Joker flew at the head of his group like a general of the legion.

'Wait! I think I figured it out!' Ming suddenly exclaimed. 'Nuwa! Soul Attack now!'

Nuwa didn't hesitate and came forward, facing Joker directly. When their eyes met, Joker shuddered and his eyes rolled backward. The whole group stopped advancing as if they suffered a blow. His soul was so weak she didn't even need a second to destroy it.

"He is dead," Nuwa announced only to hear the familiar laugh coming from one of the clones.

"Haha! You thought you could kill me this easily?!" the Joker called out as he uncovered his hood and displayed his unsightly face. "I'm Immortal! The King of Heavens has granted me an endless life! Haha! No matter how much you try to kill me, I will always—"

His words were cut as his eyes rolled back and his body dropped from the sky. He was dead once again.

'It's Soul Splitter! I finally recalled its name!' Ming announced while Joker's curses spilled.

"Bitch! I wasn't done with my—"

He wasn't able to finish yet again as another body dropped dead. All Nuwa needed was eye contact to bring someone's Soul for a deadly duel.

'Is that a Heavenly Artefact he uses?' Xuefeng questioned.

'Yes, I almost forgot about it. We considered it useless because it didn't work on the Fate Spirits but if used on Human Soul, this Artefact was defying Heavenly Rules. As long as one has enough Fate Qi, they can endlessly replicate their Soul. One could basically live forever with an endless amount of lives,' Ming explained. 'Once he dies, he can simply switch to another clone he created for himself.'

'This… There is no way it would be this easy. There needs to be a catch,' Xuefeng pointed out.

'Yes, there is. The body he creates has to be made with Fate Qi and the Souls also constantly drain Fate Qi. It takes a lot of effort to make a strong Fate Qi body and Drakos is an example. Only someone with an immense amount of Fate Stones can use it which technically makes it useless,' Ming replied as she gave Joker group a glance. 'This guy doesn't seem to lack Fate Qi. I'm sure he is hiding another body in secret. This way even if we kill him today, he will come back like a fly.'

'Won't he eventually run out of Fate QI?'

Ming only shrugged, 'Before he does, I'm sure that Bastard will find another way to mess with us.'

As they spoke, Nuwa killed Joker for the third time and he finally figured out what's going on. He no longer took off his hood to look at them as he cried out, "You think you are strong if you know Soul Attacks? Let me show you real strength!"

As he spoke, Joker switched to another body at the back of the group and took out a golden ball. He squeezed it and it popped open, covering them all with a golden light.

'Fuck, it's the Heavenly Shield!' Ming cursed. 'They will be invincible for the next minute!'

"Kill!!!" Joker yelled right after Ming warned, charging at them at lightning speed.

Xuefeng finally saw someone moving faster than he could but when it came to battling skills, the Joker didn't stand a chance against his team.

Swoosh!

All kinds of ranged attacks flew past Xuefeng's head as his wives bombarded the enemy with skills. Drakos, Bella turned into their Beast forms and joined as well, sending a wave of continuous flames. It was enough to destroy an entire City but all they heard was laughter from the other side.

"Hahaha, all of you are going to die!"

Joker's swordsmen broke through completely unharmed and entered their close-combat zone.

Clank!

Swords clashed as the girls defended in the group while Xuefeng launched his own offense.

Fate Qi Shield? It just happened they found its nemesis!

Bang!

Two Dragon Claws pierced through the Heavenly Shield as if it didn't exist, killing two clones in one second.

'I can kill them! Hold on!' Xuefeng cried out while striking another two clones that she countered with her two bloody daggers. 'Just stall for time!'

Even if he didn't say anything, his wives were more disciplined than him. They stuck together with their backs against each other while parrying the swings and cuts.

"Quick! Cover their eyes!" Yiren ordered with her eyes golden and her bats acted immediately. They flew in between them and blocked the Joker's strikes with their own bodies.

Screee!

Blood spilled everywhere but they just kept coming to defend their Queen. Joker's sword was surprisingly sharp and the golden glow gave it an additional boost.

"Fuck off!" Xuefeng cursed loudly as he killed another clone, the count entering double digits. He was the only one outside the defensive ring as he killed one after another to save his wives.

Too bad, the situation quickly turned for the worse. There were too many bats blocking the access to the ladies so Joker attacked the only person that wasn't defending.

"I came for you anyway!" Joker shouted as all the clones turned at Xuefeng, their swords piercing at Xuefeng's body.

The number of swords he had to deal with quickly multiplied.

Arrrgh!

Despite having Elemental Bracelet armor, the first sword pierced through his back, all the way to the other side. Xuefeng felt a sharp pain but his adrenaline took over as he swiftly swung behind him, ripping another clone's head.

"Xuefeng!" The girls cried out in worry, rushing to help him but a burst of wind blasted them far away.

"Stay back! I will handle thi— Ugh!"

Another sword broke through his chest only for the clone to die a second later.

"Hahahaha! Die! Die!" Joker laughed as he suicided with the rest of the clones.

There were less than half left. Even though they had no skills, there were too many to dodge them all.

Another sword found Xuefeng's body, piercing right in the middle of his stomach but this time he didn't even flinch. It seemed like Ling disabled his pain receptors, giving him more freedom as she focused on keeping him alive.

What made it worse, Xuefeng couldn't even teleport away as the swords blocked the channel of his Qi.

"It's over! I won!" Twenty Jokers called out at the same time with all their swords cutting forward when their glow suddenly lost its shine.

Their golden shield flickered before it disappeared completely, putting Joker off guard.

"Yeah, it's over," Xuefeng confirmed as he spat blood from his mouth.

Snap!

Chapter 234 Stupidly in Love

All Joker's clones immediately turned into ice before cracking open into thousands of small pieces. As long as the Heavenly Shield lost its effect, the battle was over. There wasn't anyone in the Heaven Realm who could win a one-on-one fight with Xuefeng.

"Ugh… That hurt…" Xuefeng groaned as he turned his body to look at his wives.

Each time he moved, the three swords cut deeper into his insides. Ling couldn't suppress his pain forever.

"Xuefeng!" His wives cried out his name, causing Xuefeng to smile.

So what if it hurts? As long as his wives were safe and he was alive, it was all worth it.

Xuefeng grabbed the hilt of the sword pierced through his chest and pulled. Too bad, it only moved an inch when Nuwa immobilized his body.

"Don't you dare pull it out on your own!" Nuwa scolded angrily as they teleported to his side. "You are such a dummy! Ugh!"

The anger was present in all his wives' faces but the worry was even more evident.

"Are you in pain?! Don't move!" Katherine cried out as she held onto his arm to stabilize him.

"Don't worry, I'm fine…" Xuefeng assured as he breathed shallowly. "It's not like I can move with Nuwa Soul Power all on me..."

His eyes traveled to Yiren who already knew what he meant to ask. "I'm good. Lisa passed me a healing pill right away."

Xuefeng could clearly see a sword scar above her chest but thankfully, it was healing rapidly. He cursed their connection in his heart but there was nothing he could do. Even if they could cancel it in some way, Yiren wouldn't let that happen.

"Aaargh!" Xuefeng suddenly groaned through his teeth as Nuwa pulled out the first sword in one swift movement. "Fuck, it hurts more when you pull it out."

"Who asked you to fight them all alone?!" Nuwa scolded while pinching his cheek. "Do you think we are so weak as to die to that unskilled creep?! Why are you trying to be a hero when you have all of us supporting you?!"

Her words were sharp like blades, cutting him deeper than Joker's swords. She seemed to represent everyone as no girls corrected her. Thankfully, Xuefeng wasn't the only guy in their group.

"Eh, you girls make it bigger than it actually is," Drakos commented while turning back into his human form. "It was just three sword wounds and you act as if he is dying. Isn't he fine? Also, he pushed you all away because of our male ego. How do you expect him to live in peace if anything happened to any of you? He is so stupidly in love that he would die for you all."

He then stretched his arms with a relaxing moan. "If I was in his position, I would do the same but I'm glad I'm not. Being single is such a blessing. No responsibilities and—"

Swoosh!

A fireball splashing on his face forced Drakos to cut his speech short.

"Shut up already. You are not helping," Xiao Wen called out sternly, causing Drakos to giggle.

"He is right," Xuefeng approved. "I would do anything for you. I did what I had to keep you safe. I was the only one who could kill—"

"You shut up too," Nuwa cut him off but squishing both his cheeks. "Stop treating us like damsels in distress who always needs help. We are strong enough to protect ourselves. We are a team so treat us like a team. We would be fine either way and you wouldn't suffer any injuries but you decided to take everything on yourself again."

Ahh!

Nuwa glared at him as she used her power and pulled two swords at the same time. Blood spilled on his back but Ling quickly stopped the bleeding and closed the wounds with his regeneration.

No matter what Xuefeng said, he wouldn't win this battle. His wives were like him. They would also die for him and wanted to protect him.

Since he was alright, Xuefeng didn't hesitate and teleported to Yiren's side. He placed his palm over her wounds and removed the scars. His Regeneration Ability was faster than any pill she took.

"I'm sorry baby," Xuefeng apologized to her with a kiss before turning to all of his wives. I'm sorry, okay? I won't push you away like this again. I was just being selfish because I can't imagine losing any of you. Forgive me?"

How could they be mad at him when he looked at them with such a gentle gaze?

"Dummy… Don't scare us like this again," Yiren muttered as she hugged him first, followed by everyone else.

"Tsk, how many times are we going to repeat the same scene?" Drakos commented with a snicker only to move to the side rapidly, dodging multiple fireballs thrown at him.

He was immune to fire attacks so it wasn't like they tried to hurt him.

"Hah, alright, leave him alone," Xuefeng defended him with a chuckle and glanced at Ming. "Do you think that man has more of those Heavenly Shields?"

Although they killed all of his clones, he still wasn't dead.

"From what I remember, there were around twenty of them left in the Treasury when I left the Fate Kingdom. I don't know how many were produced till now or how many left that Bastard gave him," Ming replied. "There is also a chance he has other Heavenly Artefacts but I doubt it. That Bastard wouldn't bet so much on one person and stack so many treasures on him."

"Makes sense. Let's go," Xuefeng commanded, not wasting any more time. "This is the best time to get him before he recovers."

His wives nodded firmly as they flew to the west. Mona jumped onto his shoulder mid-flight and started licking the blood off his face. She was there with the girls when the battle started.

"Heh, what's up cutie," Xuefeng rubbed her neck as he played with her. He couldn't wait till she reached her nine tails so he could see her human form.

It took them less than ten minutes to reach the three red mountains but to their surprise, the middle one was almost gone. The whole place was destroyed full of small and bigger boulders as if someone exploded the whole mountain.

"Fuck, they destroyed their Headquarters and ran away," Xuefeng cursed disappointed.

"I'm pretty sure they escaped with Flying Ships so we have no way of catching up to them," Xinyu reported as she pointed at the sky, "You can see the distortion of the clouds by the wind they created."

"Let's go back then," Xuefeng made a quick decision, knowing Joker wouldn't leave any Fate Stones under the debris. "He will come after us sooner or later."

They were only gone for twenty minutes, but when they arrived at the Hellhole, they found another company.

"Oh, damn! What a coincidence! To think we would meet each other in such a place!"

Chapter 235 Power of Friendship

"Huh? Ryan? What are you doing here?" Xinyu asked in confusion.

A young man with a single blue horn hovered above the Hellhole City as if he was waiting for them. He was full of smiles as he waved at them while the wind ruffled his fire-like hair.

Too bad, the rest wasn't as friendly as Xinyu. They all pulled out their weapons and aimed them at Ryan's head while circling around Xuefeng.

"Whoa, whoa, chill! I'm friendly!" Ryan cried out as he raised his arms to surrender. "Peace, peace!"

The girls didn't mess around when it came to their husband's protection, especially after the earlier events. They were even more on alert than before. Not to mention the King of Heaven's announcement that made any cultivator a potential enemy.

"She asked you a question," Wuying repeated, ready to launch an attack if she didn't like his answer.

"I swear, I didn't come here to fight you! I promise! It is a pure coincidence we met here," Ryan called out in defense but Wuying only squinted her eyes.

"If you don't tell us the truth, you will die," Nuwa said as she raised her hand lazily, wrapping Ryan with her Soul Power. "I will count to three."

Since Nuwa took action, everyone relaxed but then Ryan surprised them by moving around casually. Nuwa frowned and used more power but Ryan's muscles only tensed a little as he stretched to display his superiority.

"I'm sorry but I only play like this with my girl in the bedroom. For some reason, she really likes tying me up with ropes and doing whatever she pleases," Ryan explained with a sigh. "If you really insist though, you should first find some single ladies cause I'm not hitting on taken. Too much trouble for a single night."

"It's not you, it's him. Soul Attacks won't work on him easily because of his race," Xinyu dispelled Nuwa's doubts. "He is an Earth Demon in his Beast form. Because of their natural predators, they are extremely resistant to Soul Attacks and other outside pressure. That was the reason how he managed to get top one on the Dragon Steps."

"I see," Nuwa nodded while retreating her powers. "I'm still confident I can kill him. Get lost before I decide to test it."

"Oof, is there really a need to be so aggressive? I already said that I want to be friends," Ryan explained with a sigh. "It was really a coincidence that we met but the reason I'm here is actually to meet you all. After I heard the King of Heaven's announcement, I tried to think of a place you can hide and cultivate without people bothering you. I figured the best place would be the Hellhole so here I am."

"Oh, that's cool but I'm not really sure what you expect." Xuefeng finally replied, flying in front of his wives. "If you plan to join us then the answer is no. We don't accept outsiders into our team. I can't trust you fully enough to let you follow us."

"That's reasonable. I also wouldn't trust some random stranger if I was in your situation. It is always best to be careful in this world. Well done," Ryan approved eagerly before simply changing the subject as he pointed at the ruins of the City. "Is that your doing? Cool! I heard this place was a breading of criminals but now they are all gone. Well done."

Ryan put his hands in his pockets and just looked around while whistling.

"Ryan! You heard Xuefeng. We are not searching for any team members right now," Xinyu called out speechlessly.

"Oh, I heard already. Don't worry, I understand," Ryan assured. "Treat it as if I'm not here. I'm just admiring the scenery."

"Aren't you going to leave then?" Xuefeng asked while squinting his eyes.

"Why should I? This place is nice. I like it here," Ryan replied as he nodded eagerly while looking around. "Don't mind me and leave whenever you want. You should be going down the Hellhole, right? Maybe I will go there too later, who knows."

Xuefeng found it hard to resist his smile. It was the first time he actually met someone who rivaled him in shamelessness.

"You…" Xinyu was lost for words. "I honestly don't know how does your wife handles you."

"Oh, we are really good with each other. My Rose is so understanding," Ryan replied dreamily. "She is an Angel. When I told her I'm leaving for the Hellhole she disagreed firmly but she eventually allowed me to go. I remember she stomped and said, 'Fine, do whatever you want!' Isn't she amazing? I kissed her goodbye and did exactly that."

"Pffft," Xuefeng laughed, realizing that man probably wasn't lying. "Who is going to tell him?"

Xuefeng at least had some common sense while Ryan seemed like he was clueless about what his wife meant.

"Tell me what?" Ryan questioned curiously.

"That your wife didn't want you to go. Idiot. She was waiting for you to say you will stay for her," Xinyu translated while rolling her eyes.

"Oh! It's fine. She will understand. I asked her to come and she didn't want to so it's not my fault," Ryan shrugged. "How could I miss so much fun? I have always wanted to venture into the Hellhole and I finally found an excuse to go."

He raised his fist in the air and called out happily, "We will defeat all the beasts with the power of friendship!"

Ryan glanced at them excitedly as if waiting for someone to join him.

"Anyone? Okay. I guess we need some coordination. We will work on our war cry later," Ryan muttered before simply staring at them while waiting.

"I think we are blessed with Xuefeng. At least he listens from time to time," Princess Shan pointed out. "He always listens to your arguments and we compromise."

"True." His wives nodded at the same time.

"So what are we going to do with him?" Xinyu questioned. "Are we going to ignore him and proceed? He will just follow us."

"We can kill him to solve the problem," Nuwa proposed casually.

Just as they debated, Sena appeared out of nowhere once again.

"Daddy! I can help!"

They all looked at Sena before exchanging glances as if they figured out the same idea.

Chapter 236 Dire Circumstances

Ryan was surprised by the sudden emergence of Sena but he quickly brightened, giving Xuefeng a thumbs up.

"Nice! You already have a daughter. Congratulations!"

Xuefeng ignored that comment, not having the will to explain anything.

"Are you willing to answer some questions?" Xuefeng asked directly. "If you lie to any of them, you can't follow us and I will consider you a threat if you do."

"Oh, sure, no problem," Ryan agreed right away. "I'm always honest. Lying is a sin."

"Alright then," Xuefeng nodded before glancing at Nuwa and Yiren. They didn't need a command to know what he wanted from them.

Oof…

Ryan gasped as three combined forces of the three Royal Elves wrapped around him to immobilize his body. This time he was completely stuck, unable to move.

"Hehe, I knew that's not all you have got," Ryan commented with a giggle. "So what are the questions?"

He couldn't escape the truth in front of Sena.

"What are your intentions for following us?"

"I wanted to be friends."

"Have you ever thought of hurting Xuefeng or anyone close to him?"

"No, I wouldn't hurt my friends."

"Were you tempted by the King of Heaven's announcement and thought of killing Xuefeng?"

"I wasn't tempted, no. I respect Xuefeng and consider him as a rival instead of an enemy. I wish to beat him in a duel but I never thought of killing him."

Ryan was completely relaxed as he answered all the questions. Xuefeng left the interrogation entirely to the girls and they were naturally concerned about Xuefeng's safety.

"Before you ask the next question, I already know what it will be about," Ryan interrupted as he glanced at Xuefeng. "Anyone would be concerned about allowing any other man in front of their wives but I can assure you, I have no interest in your wives. They are naturally beautiful but my entire focus is on my own wife. I am the type of guy who completely loses interest in other women when I'm taken. Just wanted to put it out there."

Xuefeng squinted his eyes as he glanced at Sena.

"He is honest," Sena reported right after. "I can sense he is not a bad person."

"Seeeeeeee, I told you all~" Ryan called out happily. "Soo, am I in the team?! Yes, yes?"

"You can follow us then, but if I see you are lacking and slowing us down, we are not going to babysit you," Xuefeng decided after a short contemplation.

Although he wasn't a saint, he didn't plan on killing people who didn't disturb him in any way. Ryan was stubborn but he didn't bother them too much just yet.

"Great! Let's go!" Ryan called out as he raised his palm in celebration. "Let's defeat those Beasts with the power of friendship!"

"Uhm, no," Nuwa denied without hesitation as she flew down towards the Black tower's base.

"Oh, come on!" Ryan complained. "You are not going to leave me hanging again? Aren't you excited about the adventure?"

"We are not going down there to have fun," Wuying shrugged as she followed after Nuwa. The rest seemed to have the same stance, causing Xuefeng to smile wrily.

He knew that they had a different definition of fun. For them, fighting and adventure were like a job while the games in the bedroom were their fun.

Pa!

"Power of friendship!" Sena called out excitedly as she high-fived Ryan, being the only one who shared his energy.

"You, I like you already!" Ryan nodded in approval. "We need to convince them to not be so stiff. Life is all about having fun."

"Sena, we are going." Xuefeng pulled her away before Ryan could corrupt her any further and followed after his wives.

"Hey, wait for me!"

Ryan chased closely behind till they arrived in front of the giant hole in the ground. The smell coming from the inside was hard to resist handle while the sharp earth spikes on the walls were bloodied as if many people died from not being careful.

Sena hugged into Xuefeng's chest as her enthusiasm for adventure faltered.

"Daddy… Is this where were are going…?" Senna asked quietly, not peaking anymore.

"Yes, that's where we need to go. There is something down there that I need to find," Xuefeng explained as he rubbed her back. "Do you want to enter inside to your sister Ling?"

"Mhmm… I didn't know it would be this scary," Sena nodded shyly. "I will still help if you need me."

"Good girl," Xuefeng praised before the beauty in his arms disappeared.

Even though she was hungry for adventure, Sena was still too innocent for this brutal world. The battle with Joker she just witnessed was nothing in comparison to what they were about to go through. The Beasts in the Hellhole definitely were not fluffy and nice to play with.

"You seem to have accepted Sena as your daughter already. Are you sure you don't like kids?" Ming teased in a whisper as she replaced Sena in his arms. "I'm also going back inside."

Since when did being friendly equal adoption? Xuefeng wasn't fast enough to tease her back before she vanished as well. Thinking back to Sena, she was nowhere close to being a kid and Xuefeng was sure he was younger than her. Pretending he was her father just didn't make sense.

"Aaahhh, can you smell it?" Ryan questioned as he took a deep breath at the edge of the Hellhole. "This is the smell of adventure."

He grinned at the group and jumped down into the darkness while making multiple backflips. "The last one down loses!"

Xuefeng had to admit the man was truly fearless.

"Are you ready?"

———

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!! Is this how I'm going to die?!"

While Xuefeng and his team were entering the Hellhole, Jiao was already deep underground while going through some dire circumstances. Her hair was all a mess and her skin was getting worse with each minute as the corrosive fumes and stomach fluids burned through her Spirit Qi Barrier.

"Damn it…" Jiao cursed again, this time more depressed and melancholic than before. She already tried everything to get out but she couldn't break through the thick stomach walls.

Most of the time the worm was moving crazily, causing Jiao to bounce around its intestines but now it finally calmed down as if waiting to ambush its prey. The mix of dead beast carcasses, rocks, and the intestine fluids finally came to a stop, looking like a stinky pool full of floating objects.

"Think, what would Xuefeng do…" Jiao muttered while absorbing Spirit Qi from her leftover Spirit Stones.

Where were all the Spirit Stones when she needed them? Jiao was happy with how convenient the ID Cards were since she didn't need to pay using endless amounts of Spirit Stones but now she hated that idea. She couldn't save her own life with stupid credits.

"He would probably be strong enough to kill this worm with a single punch…" Jiao muttered as she looked around, hoping to find a way for her survival.

She only had two options. Either wait for a miracle while keeping herself alive or try her last effort at breaking through the two openings and find an exit. Thinking about her two options, only one gave her a slim chance of survival.

"Exit…" Jiao gazed at the pulsing muscle at the end of the intestine tunnel.

It was closed shut but she remembered how it opened before, letting through a smaller boulder. Maybe if she was able to swim up to the exit, she would be able to force her way out before the worm digests her.

"Okay, let's try—"

Just as she decided, she saw the walls tensing and moving again, signaling another ride. Jiao didn't hesitate and grasped onto her homemade handles while hugging the wall. If the toxic liquid was able to melt the rocks, she would be completely done for the moment she touched it so she thickened her Spirit Qi barrier right before the storm approached.

Waves of toxic liquid splashed against her boulder but then she noticed something weird. Instead of moving towards the exit, the water gathered in the opposite direction.

"Is the worm backing up?" Jiao questioned only to witness a sudden reverse as the worm pushed forward.

Bang!

The worm slammed against something hard and came to an immediate stop. The toxic liquid splashed all over her but Jiao quickly removed it to preserve her barrier.

"Is it trying to break inside something?"

As if to answer her question, the worm repeated the sequence, backing up only to slam again.

Bang! Bang!

It repeated over and over again, making Jiao think that the worm lost its mind. The Worm took almost ten tries before it finally broke through. The walls began contracting as if it was swallowing something and the entrance to the intestines opened.

A gigantic boulder, almost fifty meters in diameter squeezed through the entrance before swimming towards her. It spun around until Jiao saw the other side. Her eyes slowly widened, not believing what she just saw.

"This can't be real…"

Chapter 237.1 Blessing in Disguise - Part 1

Looking back at Jiao's past, luck wasn't entirely on her side. Her life wasn't as smooth sailing, having many ups and downs.

"Is this a blessing in disguise?" Jiao asked in wonder while looking ahead with her eyes blinking in disbelief. For a second she thought the toxic fumes were messing with her eyesight.

When the boulder turned, Jiao saw a massive door made out of a single piece of golden crystal. It looked exactly like the Fate Stones she saw in Hellhole City but the sheer size of it was uncomparable.

The door was beautifully engraved with multiple designs as if someone didn't care they are carving in one of the most sought crystals in the Heaven Realm. Jiao didn't hesitate and launched herself onto the platform in front of the door only to be surprised once again.

I was a crypt!

She peeked through the translucent door as saw a Fate Stone coffin with a human inside. Jiao couldn't discern the person's features but it was most definitely a woman with how long her hair was.

"Did I actually find burial grounds?" Jiao questioned excitedly. Only a powerful Cultivator would be able to afford such an expensive burial.

She recalled Dandan's words on how many experts used the Hellhole as their final resting place and she finally believed it. The only question was, how would that help her in saving her life? Could she get some inheritance from this woman?

She pondered deeply while grazing the surface of the door with her palm. She tried pushing it but the door was locked shut. The thought of cracking it open came to her mind and Jiao didn't think twice before she drew her sword.

"I'm sorry Miss for ruining your crypt but I'm desperate…" Jiao apologized in advance, raising her sword to strike at the door. "I can't die here! I have to meet him once again!"

Her ice sword covered in Qi slammed against the golden door but it only bounced with a dull sound.

Nothing. Jiao didn't even create a small scratch.

"How is this possible…? Aren't Fate Stones fragile? How come it is so hard?" Jiao wondered as she cut multiple times, even using her most powerful Sword Art yet her efforts were fruitless.

"Nooo!" Jiao shouted desperately as the platform covered with Ice. She bombarded the door with countless Ice Spears but the crypt was too tough.

Thud.

Jiao collapsed on the ground, her face blank as if she lost all hope. Just when she thought that fate smiled at her and she would be able to escape, it all collapsed just as quickly.

"I guess we are going down together…" Jiao muttered as she watched the lake of toxic liquids surrounding them. Sooner or later the corrosion will dissolve the rock surrounding the crypt and they would both follow right after.

Even if she tried her previous option, Jiao exhausted too much of her Qi already to succeed.

"It was nice meeting you Miss…" Jiao said as she gazed inside the crypt. "To think we will die together in such a place. Well, you are already dead so it probably doesn't matter for you."

For some reason, Jiao felt much better knowing she wasn't alone.

"It was a good run…" Jiao commented as she looked back at her whole life. Although she wasn't proud of her many decisions, it made her who she was today.

Jiao closed her eyes as she leaned against the crypt and watched the favorite scenes of her life. Strangely, they all included Xuefeng.

Their first meeting in the Aurora Country. Their travel across the Earth Realm. All of his advice and care. His lovely touch and handsome face.

All of those sweet moments put a smile on Jiao's face until she finally reached the dark side. Tears fell on her cheeks when she imagined their last meeting.

"What was I thinking…?" Jiao asked herself as regret filled her heart. "Why didn't I stay with him? Why was I so stubborn?"

She could still remember Xuefeng's desperate try to stop her from leaving to the Heaven Realm. She already regretted it at that moment but now it was eating her from inside.

Jiao opened her eyes and released her Qi. Xuefeng's face formed in front of her, causing her to smile again. She hugged her legs and supported her chin in between, simply watching the man she loved.

Her Qi was running out, but she wanted to see him for the last time. Who didn't dream to die with the person they loved. She stared at him like in trance when the sound of bubbles snapped her back to reality.

The boulder was slowly sinking as toxic liquid came ashore, getting closer and closer to her. Even though Jiao would die any time soon, her survival instinct activated. If she climbed on top of the crypt, she could at least buy some more time for herself.

She kissed Xuefeng's hologram in the lips and peeked inside the crypt once again as if to say her goodbyes to the unknown lady as well.

"I'm sorry we have to end like this. If I was strong enough I would get us out of here and find you a better place for your rest. Too bad I'm a failure..." Jiao lamented as she stood up.

"How much do you love him?"

Jiao shook her head in surprise at the sudden female voice. For a second she thought she was hallucinating when she heard it again, much clearer than before.

"How much are you willing to sacrifice to meet him again?"

"Is that you talking?" Jiao asked as she gazed at the coffin. The lady didn't move an inch from her previous position.

There was no way that expert was still alive, right?

"Answer." The female voice called out again. "You don't have much time."

Jiao saw the toxic liquid creeping up to her from behind and replied without hesitation, "Everything! I would give up everything to be with him again."

"What if I told you that I can make it happen?"

Chapter 238.2 Blessing in Disguise - Part 2

That sentence struck Jiao like a lightning. "Please, I will do anything!"

Jiao already lost all her hope. How could she not accept that offer?

"Good… I hope you won't regret your choice later on. Come inside."

The door creaked at the female expert invite and opened just enough for Jiao to enter. Her body was hit with stale air, but compared to the toxic fumes, it was like fresh mountain air. Jiao didn't hesitate and slipped inside just before the toxic liquids touched her feet.

Bang!

The golden door shut down immediately after and the whole crypt slowly sank.

"Come over," the female expert commanded, the voice coming directly from the coffin. "I can save both of us."

"Miss was alive this whole time?" Jiao questioned as she walked closer with no fear. That woman was her only chance of survival as she herself had no way of getting out.

Jiao was finally able to peek at the woman's features and her eyebrows raised in surprise. She thought the woman would be old while her body decomposed but it was the complete opposite.

The woman was young and beautiful with no signs of aging. It seemed too good to be true.

"I'm alive, yet I'm not. Even though my body is dead, my Soul is still alive," the lady replied casually before ordering again. "Place your hand on the coffin and don't resist."

"How did it happen? Your body seems fine. It is young and healthy," Jiao pointed out, realizing something didn't add up.

Once someone reached a high level of Cultivation, the body was just a vessel for the Soul. As long as her Soul was alive, the lady could find a new body for herself.

"It doesn't matter what happened. What matters now is getting out of here and I'm the only one who can help you. Didn't you say you will do anything?" the lady changed the subject. "Don't waste time and place your palm on top of the coffin. We need to hurry as the toxic liquid is burning through the crypt."

Jiao hesitated, finding the lady suspicious. If they were in such a hurry, why didn't she talked to her much earlier? They would have more time to discuss the issue.

"What are you planning to do?" Jiao questioned, taking a step back. Even though she was desperate, one should put full trust in another Cultivator, especially when it came to life and death situations.

Just as she thought, the lady snapped.

"Stop asking questions and listen to my orders! I'm your only chance of survival! Don't you want to meet your lover once again? If you don't follow what I say, you will never see his face again!"

Her explosion confirmed Jiao's theory. That lady was hiding something and it wasn't something good. If she genuinely wanted to help, she would tell her everything.

"I'm not going to listen unless you tell me the whole truth," Jiao replied calmly. "Your defending makes me even more suspicious. It is obvious you are hiding something from me."

"Are you out of your mind?! We are going to die in here if you stay this stubborn!" the lady cried out angrily but Jiao only shrugged.

"I guess we will. I was already prepared to die even before you let me inside."

Jiao wasn't dumb. If what the lady said is true and her body is dead, her only choice to survive was to find another body. Jiao's body was the only one in the surrounding area. In other words, the lady could only steal her own body to survive.

"Ugh! Fine! I want to possess your body so I can escape from this damn prison. I'm strong enough to kill that worm with one finger," the lady explained before suggesting, "How about this, we will share your body in peace for now. Once we get out of here and I get my revenge, I will find myself a new body. You will be then free to go wherever you want. You can find your lover and live happily ever after."

"And what do I get from this? It seems like you get more benefits from this deal," Jiao pointed out, causing another explosion.

"Are you for real?! You survive! Isn't that enough? It won't even take me a year to find the bastards who locked me in here. You will be free right after."

"I want something in return," Jiao demanded right away. "After all, it is my body we are talking about. Without me, you will never get your revenge."

It was a complete gamble but Jiao had nothing to lose. It was her only chance to become worthy of being Xuefeng's wife.

"You... Are you blackmailing me?" the lady questioned in disbelief. "I'm your only chance of survival and you dare to blackmail me?"

"I'm not, I'm simply proposing you a deal. You are free to reject it but then we will both die in here. It's your choice," Jiao explained, flipping the whole situation. Now she was the one placing demands.

To Jiao's surprise, the lady went quiet, no longer raging at her.

"You got balls," the lady finally commented, agreeing, "Fine, what do you want?"

"I want you to teach me," Jiao wished, already prepared with her answer.

"Huh, that what you made the whole fuss about? You just want me to teach you?" the lady questioned speechlessly.

"Yes, I want you to teach me everything you know and lead me to become a powerful expert," Jiao explained. "The person I love is currently the strongest expert in this realm. What's the point of lending you my body if you will later leave me as weak as I was before? I will waste one year for nothing and never catch up to him."

"No problem. I already planned to improve your body anyway. There is no way I can defeat my enemies with this weak body," the lady mocked. "Alright, since we came to an agreement, let me enter your body. Place your hand on the coffin."

This time Jiao didn't hesitate and listened. The Coffin immediately brightened as her fingers touched it and she felt another presence touching her.

"Don't resist. My Soul is too weak to take over if you fight back," the lady informed as she invaded inside Jiao.

Everything felt normal until Jiao suddenly felt weak and sleepy. She stumbled, slowly losing control over her body until only her mind worked properly. No matter how much she tried to move her body, it didn't react to her orders.

"It worked!" Jiao called out happily against her will. "Thank you for cooperating. Don't worry, I will keep my promise. For now, let's get out of here."

Chapter 239 Acceptance Test

"That was such a long fall that I almost fell asleep," Ryan commented with a yawn when the whole group descended to the bottom of the Hellhole. It was quite abnormal since it took them at least five minutes to reach the bottom.

The place looked just as everyone imagined. Dark, stinky, and simply ghastly. What surprised them though was the abundance of all nine Elemental Qi in the air and the fact that they weren't alone.

The massive cavern with tens of exits in all directions had many structures and buildings all around it. People were casually chatting with each other while the rest simply sat down and cultivated cross-legged on the ground.

"It seems like the Hellhole is more popular than we initially thought," Xuefeng commented. "Are there no beasts in this area?"

"Even if there are, I don't blame them for coming down here. They are criminals so they can't simply roam around the Heaven Realm and cultivate in different Lands. Even if it's more dangerous, they can find all Elemental Qi in here," Wuying explained to her understanding. "The only thing they lack here is the comfort of living but I don't think they mind."

They were not talking in their minds so they naturally got spotted by other Cultivators who quietened down their conversations. The word criminals seemed to have triggered many of them.

"Hehe, we are already the center of attention," Xiao Wen commented with a giggle while Ryan's eyes brightened.

"Are we going to kill them all as well?" Ryan asked excitedly. "I wasn't there when you wiped out the whole Hellhole City so I missed all the fun."

If their presence wasn't noticed by everyone earlier, it definitely was now. All Cultivations heard him clearly and swiftly stood up. They didn't seem that eager to attack though and rather prepared to escape instead.

"Hey! We are not looking for trouble!" Someone called out in defense while the Dark Fate Sect's staff wearing black uniforms immediately pulled out their Communication Crystals.

When they didn't receive any reply, their faces paled. "The Hellhole City is no more! Everyone scatter!"

The sudden confirmation put everyone in panic mode. Who would attack people who just potentially wiped out a city?

Too bad for them, this time Xuefeng was involved in the looting.

His Water Stone lit up as an instant Water Domain filled the whole cavern and all the exits froze with a thick layer of ice. Elemental Bracelet provided him full control over the Element. In the place where all Elements were present, Xuefeng could finally shine.

"Everyone! I'm Liu Xuefeng, the number one enemy of Heaven!" Xuefeng introduced himself while the Cultivators raised their weapons in a pointless struggle for survival. "This is a robbery! If you want to save your life, give up all the goods and treasures you own! The failure in complying would result in instant death!"

The moment he mentioned his name, the fear in their eyes only increased but none of them surrendered immediately. Instead, they looked at the Dark Fate Sect staff that seemed to be responsible for the safety in the area.

The overall morale of the Cultivators was on the verge of breaking when the staff made their decision.

"Don't listen to him! If they killed everyone on the surface, they will do the same to us! Once we give up our treasures, they will— Uhh!"

The man's voice cracked halfway through his speech and he suddenly grasped for his throat as if he lost his breath. To everyone's horror, he dropped onto his knees as all the air escaped from his lungs before his legs froze to the ground.

Swoosh!

Large flames burst out around him and burned him alive till only ashes and his Storage Ring were left. It flew towards Xuefeng and landed on top of his palm as he announced, "I think you are overestimating your abilities. I can kill you all at the same time within seconds, yet you dare to question my kindness?"

Xuefeng rolled his sleeve and displayed the Elemental Bracelet to everyone. All three Elemental Stones were shining brightly, displaying his unlimited power.

Thud!

One by one, all weapons together with the Storage Rings dropped to the ground. Xuefeng didn't need much to convince everyone about their only option of survival.

"Come on, you are taking all the fun away," Ryan complained, but Xuefeng assured him. "Don't worry, you will have your chance."

After randomly checking some collected Storage Rings, Xuefeng was satisfied with his loot. Almost all of them contained high amounts of Fate Stones inside.

"Alright, now I'm going to give five seconds to those who smuggled some of their treasures and refused to give them in. You know who you are," Xuefeng called out while giving all experts a casual glance. "I will start killing the moment the countdown drops to zero."

The experts' faces dropped as they looked at each other to find out the culprit. It wasn't hard to hide Spirit Artefacts in one's Soul so they weren't surprised that someone tried to cheat. What was even more interesting was the fact that Xuefeng knew about it. There was no way he peeked into their Souls to find out its contents.

"Five… Four... Zero," Xuefeng began counting down before snapping his fingers after speeding up his countdown. A Dark Fate Sect's staff covered in ice with only his head uncovered.

"Wait! I will give it to you!" he shouted in panic but Xuefeng was already by his side with his fingers pressing against the man's forehead.

"Too late."

Aaarrgh!!

The man screamed as Ming proceeded to rip the Soul out of him before his eyes rolled backward and he died instantly. Anyone associated with the Dark Fate Sect would die anyway so Xuefeng used him as an example. Since he was also a Fate Holder, it was like striking two birds with one stone.

Ming wasn't at all gentle as she extracted the golden Fate Qi before crushing the Soul into oblivion. Her hatred for Dark Fate Sect was now very obvious.

"Anyone else wishes to cheat?" Xuefeng questioned, giving everyone one last chance. It was all a bluff since he couldn't see through their Souls but they didn't know that.

Sure enough, one by one the experts dropped another series of Artefacts on the ground. No one seemed willing to gamble with their lives.

"See, it wasn't that hard," Xuefeng commented as he collected everything and returned back to his team. Ryan was still eagerly waiting but it was obvious he wanted to fight someone.

"Can I go now? I gave you everything I have," one of the Cultivators came forward to speak for himself. He pulled out a Disciple Token and announced, "I'm a disciple of Blackwater Sect. We have friendly relations with the House of Dragons. I only came here to train and I'm not a criminal."

"Of course, I keep my promises. Go ahead," Xuefeng nodded while pointing at a few tens of Cultivators. "You, you, you, [...], you, and you. All of you can leave. Feel free to tell everyone you meet about what happened here. Anyone who decides to challenge me will die."

"Yes, Sir!" they nodded happily as they rushed towards the only exit to the surface that Xuefeng unlocked. It was probably the only moment where a Cultivator would be happy they were robbed.

"Are you really letting all of them leave?" Ryan questioned curiously. "Won't everyone find out about our location? They didn't look like good people."

"It's fine. Many have already escaped from Hellhole City so the news will spread anyway. Also, Who am I to judge if they are good or not?" Xuefeng replied with a shrug. "Honestly, we probably killed and robbed more people than them. It's better to let them go so they can tell the world not to mess with us. As long as they can convince one person to stay away from me, it will save us trouble."

"What about us?" The rest questioned, looking eager to leave as well.

Xuefeng remained quiet as he waited for the first batch to leave first before sealing the exit once again. That act was enough as a reply.

"Ryan, the rest is yours. Treat it as your acceptance test. Show us what you are capable of," Xuefeng suggested before raising the morale of his enemies,"I originally didn't plan to let any Fate Holders survive but if you can kill him, I promise I will let you go."

Although they allowed Ryan to follow them, they didn't really know the extent of his strength yet. This small test was enough to witness his abilities.

"But you took our weapons away! How do you expect us to figh—"

One of the Cultivators complained but he was quickly shut down by Nuwa.

"Now there is now an even seventy versus one. I hope that is not too much for you," Nuwa commented, causing Ryan to laugh.

"Haha, are you kidding me? Easy! I will be back in under a minute! Time me!"

Chapter 240 Half-beast Form

Hearing Ryan's confidence, Xuefeng raised his eyebrows. With seventy opponents, Ryan had to kill more than one person per second and it was quite a feat. If one didn't have an area of damage abilities or at least multiple target ones.

Xuefeng could obviously kill all Cultivators in a second if he used his Elemental Bracelet but without his Godly Artefact, even he would struggle. He would have to exhaust his Ether Qi while teleporting from one enemy to another and kill them all with just one strike.

"Everyone! Group up! We can only survive if we work together!"

The Cultivators didn't hesitate to connect their forces while Ryan simply watched from afar.

"You are running out of time," Nuwa pointed out, causing Ryan to laugh.

"Haha, don't worry Miss," Ryan assured politely. "I just realized a minute is too much so I'm going to wait a moment."

'Even I would need at least a minute if I didn't use my Blood Arts…' Wuying pointed out as she squinted her eyes with interest. 'How strong is he?'

'I only saw him fight once and he didn't even fight seriously,' Xinyu reported. 'From what I heard, he defeated all top ten rankers on Dragon Steps but no one has seen those battles. They just admitted they lost to him in public so he automatically climbed the ranking.'

While Ryan was casually stretching, his opponents were gearing up, some creating Fate Qi weapons for themselves while others preparing to launch their offensive abilities. All of them were Fate Holders, adding some difficulty to the challenge.

Too bad, the individual strength didn't matter as long as their positioning sucked balls.

Seeing how they all stuck together, Xuefeng wanted to roll his eyes. Wouldn't that make it so much easier for Ryan to kill them? It wouldn't be a challenge if Ryan could just kill them all with a few strikes.

Tianshi only confirmed his thoughts.

'This is over. I can see them all die within seconds.'

Xuefeng could already see the future before she even said anything and he didn't like it. Thankfully, Nuwa already found a quick solution.

"If he doesn't kill you in the next forty seconds, you are all free to go," Nuwa called out before giving Ryan a side glance. "Still confident?"

That message caused the Cultivators to change their tactics entirely.

"Spread out!"

They all ran in different directions while Ryan's smile twitched. He didn't seem to expect a sudden change of plans but that didn't stop him.

"Of course! That's just a minor inconvenience," Ryan replied as he finally launched his offense. "Now I have to go all out."

He chased after the nearest Cultivator while undergoing transformation. They thought he would be turning into a beast but something unique happened. A second horn grew from his head while his scales expanded and covered all of his body.

'Half-beast!' Drakos exclaimed in surprise. 'He can enter the third form!'

Everyone got interested but Ryan didn't give them a chance to question as he suddenly struck. A thin three-meter-long sword appeared in his hand and he cut the first cultivator in half before he could react.

Swoosh!

Multiple Qi bullets launched in his direction but Ryan didn't even move to dodge it. He took it all on his face as he pushed through.

Bang!

Flames and smoke covered Ryan after the explosion but he got out right after, cutting at another Cultivator. He was completely unharmed as if the Qi Bullets were too weak to break through his defenses.

'He seems strong but at this speed, I don't think he can kill them all,' Wuying pointed out. Although Ryan was fast and already killed three opponents in quick succession, there were sixty-seven left, all running away from him.

'You are wrong.' Drakos was the first to disagree as he stared at Ryan in admiration. 'You will soon see the true power of the Half-beast Form.'

Just as Drakos spoke, Ryan stopped chasing after his third victim and put his sword away. He gazed at his targets and closed his eyes while only having less than thirty seconds to spare.

'What is he doing?' Xuefeng wondered only to witness multiple spikes growing from Ryan's shoulders and back.

He hunched up before the spikes shot out in all directions. They completely missed all the targets and instead pierced into the cavern walls. Everyone was confused until Drakos gave them a clue.

'He is using his Beast Ability!' Drakos called out as he flew down towards the ground. 'We better get on the ground else we will be trapped with them.'

Tianshi acted just as fast as Drakos, pulling Xuefeng and Yiren down with her. The rest followed closely behind while watching the show. Xuefeng was already annoyed at how Drakos was still yet to explain what was going on.

"It is time to end it!" Ryan called out while straightening his back and pulled out his sword once again. "There is nowhere you can run now!"

Snap!

He clicked with his fingers and the spikes in the walls buzzed. Thin lines of Qi burst out from the spikes and connected together, creating a cube-like net that caught all the Cultivators inside. The net filled with more Qi and transformed into a thick barrier that grew smaller and smaller.

The Cultivators immediately launched attacks to break through but they couldn't even create a crack.

"Oh!" Xuefeng exclaimed out loud, quite impressed with the method. 'Is that his beast ability?'

'Yes! Being in the Half-beast Form, he can use both his Beast and Human abilities simultaneously. One can only do that if they have two Bloodlines which is extremely hard for any Beast,' Drakos explained excitedly. 'Even if one of his parents was a human, they would still only inherit the beast's bloodline because it's more dominant. This guy found a way to possess both Human and Beast Bloodline before mixing it. You don't realize how insane that is.'

As he spoke, Ryan was going rampage. The trap was tightening, giving the Cultivators no place to escape. No matter what was thrown at him, they couldn't harm him in any way. Multiple Beast Materializations attacked him but Ryan cut them all with ease, killing their owners right after.

'Damn, I need to harass him to reveal how he did it,' Drakos commented as he stared in awe. 'I was thinking of achieving an imitation of the Half-beast Form when I finally complete my body but he is the real deal.'

'Wouldn't his abilities be stronger if he was in his Beast Form?' Xuefeng questioned curiously, thinking Drakos' reaction too explosive. Katherine didn't seem as excited as Drakos was.

'Maybe a little, but if he entered his Beast Form, he wouldn't be able to kill them all with his sword. Doesn't matter if you are in a Beast or a Human Form, both have advantages and disadvantages. The Half-beast Form takes advantage from both sides and creates an ultimate predator,' Drakos replied while jumping uncontrollably.

"I'm done! What's my time?"

A moment later, the barrier broke and Ryan flew down together with countless bloodied corpses that painted the ground red. They all noticed that Ryan lost both of his horns as well as his scales, turning completely into a human.

"My friend! That was awesome!" Drakos called out full of smiles as he patted Ryan on the shoulder. "Welcome to the team!"

He behaved as if the two were best buddies, causing Xuefeng to snicker.

"You took more than a minute but since they are all dead, it doesn't matter anymore," Nuwa pointed out, causing Ryan to sigh.

"If they didn't scatter everywhere, I would end it much sooner. Technically I still killed them under one minute since I started late," Ryan defended himself before looking at Xuefeng. "Did I pass the test?"

Even though Drakos accepted him, it was obvious who was the boss of this team.

"Sure," Xuefeng nodded casually. "For now I'm convinced that you won't slow us down but I got a question. How come you are in your Human Form now?"

The whole idea of a Half-beast was quite interesting, to say the least. Right now Xuefeng only had the Elvish Bloodline since his Human Bloodline was dominated completely. Even if he wanted to recover it, there was no way he could become a human once again.

"Oh, I have to balance my Bloodlines. Whenever I use my Half-beast Form, I lose most of my Human Bloodline. If I use it for a moment it will return back to normal," Ryan explained simply.

"I see, just as I thought," Xuefeng nodded. "If I wanted to create a Half-beast Form, what do I have to do?"

Drakos' eyes brightened when he heard the question and listened intensely.

"Just so you know, I only have a Royal Elf Bloodline right now," Xuefeng added. Since he overused the Elvish Bloodline, his Human Bloodline was gone.

"It's easy. All you need to do is collect two Bloodlines, one Beast while the other Humanoid, that can coexist with each other and then activate both at the same time. For you, it will be hard since Royal Elf Bloodline is quite dominant. Unless you find an equally dominant Beast Bloodline, it will be hard to mix them."

Xuefeng already expected such an answer. His only choice is to find another Beast Bloodline that would suit him. The image of a Dragon appeared in his mind. Having a Dragon Bloodline would be perfect for him.

"Unfortunately, I can't help you find a Beast Bloodline but I tell you how to extract a Human Bloodline for yourself," Ryan mentioned as he glanced at the Beasts in their group. "All you need to do is—"

Bang!

A sudden explosion cut him off. Ice shards flew out in all directions as someone broke through one of the exits. When Xuefeng saw the face of that person, his eyes widened in shock.