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Chapter 97 - Giant Demon-Slaying Array

After transporting , Zhang Yong emerged on the other side and heard a system notification:

(You have entered the Trial Zone of the Tomb of the Thief King)

(Quest Activated)

(

Difficulty: S-

Description: The legacy of the Thief King

Objective:

Complete the trial of the Thief King by any means necessary

Duration: None

Reward:

Will be granted by the Thief King himself

100,000 EXP

50,000 Emotion Points

Random Skill

Failure: Death

)

A desolate wasteland, all dirt and dust—no signs of life anywhere.

In the center of this barren land, ten people suddenly fell from above.

All ten, including Zhang Yong, stood up and looked around.

"What's going on? What is this place?" asked one of the men, visibly nervous.

"This is probably the final competition for the tomb," answered a beautiful woman standing nearby.

"That's correct, young lady," boomed a sudden, unexpected voice. Everyone instinctively turned toward the source.

A massive translucent image of a man in a white robe appeared.

No—his clothes had color, but his entire figure glowed white, only his facial features were visible.

The spirit spoke loudly, his voice echoing through the area:

"I am the Thief King. I've stolen from countless clans and families, earning the wrath of the world. I built this tomb with the time I had left. Now, I wonder—which one of you is the lucky one who will inherit my legacy and treasures?"

Everyone looked up.

The legacy of a King!

The rank of King couldn't be compared to Emperor , reaching the Heavenly Emperor was a dream no one had achieved.

But to these young ones, many with shallow ambitions, becoming a King was already a distant dream. If they obtained a King's inheritance... who could stop them?

The ghost raised his arms as if to embrace the sky.

"Therefore, the competition will be... a bloodbath to the death."

At that, everyone's faces turned grim.

"What are you talking about?" someone shouted.

"Kill each other? You're insane!"

"This must be a demonic inheritance!"

Voices of protest echoed from every direction. But deep down, they were uncertain... and terrified.

Uncertain if they could survive against the others.

Had it been a single enemy, they might have united to defeat them. But each other?

No one dared trust anyone.

And because no one could be trusted, they were alone. They would have to face this alone.

The Thief King's ghost laughed maniacally:

"You think I care who lives or dies? I, the lingering will and soul shard of the Thief King, hereby declare the start of the blood trial!"

Everyone looked around anxiously—no trust, only fear.

Slice!

The sharp sound of a blade cutting through flesh.

Only Zhang Yong could've done it.

He raised his sword and severed the head of the person closest to him—without hesitation.

Screams erupted.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"How dare you kill like that?"

"Is he of the demonic path?"

"He's a lunatic! A murderer!"

His action stirred chaos like striking a hornet's nest. Yet in the end, no one dared attack.

Some yelled, others prepared to fight, but they were all bark, no bite.

Zhang Yong lifted his head, ran a hand through his hair, and said:

"So what? The law here is kill or be killed. I'm not noble enough to wait for you to chop off my head... but I'll be noble enough to personally open the gates of hell for you."

He raised his sword and charged at the others, plunging his blade into the second man's neck.

The man's face still bore disbelief as his life ended.

Suddenly, a golden light surrounded the beautiful woman from before.

A crane soared into the sky, and she leapt onto its back like a fairy.

"Fellow cultivators, let us take this demon down together!"

Everyone nodded. The enemy was clear.

"Let's go—either he dies, or we do!"

"Attack him! Kill him!"

The crane rider shouted confidently:

"There's no escape! You're trapped in here with us!"

But Zhang Yong wagged a finger.

"No, no... you're the ones trapped in here with me!"

Two men rushed at him with swords raised.

He lifted his sword horizontally and blocked both blows effortlessly.

There was no comparison in physical strength—he pushed them back and spun like a whirlwind, slicing them both in half.

The crane girl's golden aura glowed again. The crane's wings flapped, and thousands of golden feathers shot toward Zhang Yong at high speed.

Without hesitation, he ran forward, a wild grin on his face.

"Murasama... it's showtime."

Dark energy wrapped around Zhang Yong, boosting his speed.

Another girl appeared with a bow and began firing arrows—uselessly.

Facing the group, Zhang Yong launched a black blade toward them.

The crane flapped its wings, creating two windstorms that deflected the flying blade.

Ten arrows came at Zhang Yong in rapid succession.

He leapt into the air, dodging them all.

The aura gave him crushing power—unlike before, he could now sustain it as long as his body could endure.

He sped toward the group of five.

Hundreds of golden feathers rained down on him again.

He zigzagged to evade them—but black chains whipped toward him with inescapable speed.

"You won't escape, demon! Demon-Binding Chains!" shouted one man, casting the chains.

They coiled like serpents around Zhang Yong's limbs, locking him in place.

"Hah... good, good. This would've been boring without resistance."he thought to himself, his eyes widen as he see the chains

The caster sneered:

"No point in struggling. These chains drain your spiritual energy. You won't die, demon—you'll pay for killing the others."

Zhang Yong collapsed to the ground—but refused to kneel.

"You bastards... I don't know what came over me. Please, someone save me—I've lost my mind!" he cried weakly.

The man stepped closer, sword in hand.

"Don't worry. We'll sever your head. You can atone in the afterlife."

"Ah, thank you, kind young hero..."

Zhang Yong smiled faintly. Less than a meter remained between them.

"I'm ready to repent."Zhang yong sneered coldly

Just as the man raised his sword, the beautiful crane girl shouted:

"Watch out! He's up to something!"

The man turned too late.

Zhang Yong struck—severing his head instantly. Blood sprayed like a fountain.

Four remained.

One man held a glowing black square:

"S-soul sea—"

Before he could finish, Zhang Yong appeared in front of him.

"That seems valuable. I'll take it."

With an upward slash, he severed the man's arm.

As the man screamed in shock, another lunged from above, sword aimed at Zhang Yong's head.

The blade shattered against Zhang Yong's skull—his head shimmered with metallic energy.

He had infused it with the metal element and reinforced it with his body-tempering technique.

Five arrows flew at Zhang Yong.

He grabbed both injured men and used them as shields—the arrows pierced their bodies.

Then he snapped their necks without hesitation.

Only two left.

The girls froze in fear.

The crane girl mounted her beast; the archer turned and ran.

Both ran for their lives, feet pounding in desperation.

Zhang Yong laughed maniacally, his face twisted with excitement.

"Yes... yes! This is worth it—time for a hunt!"

He raised his hands and sprinted after them.

The Thief King's ghost chuckled proudly:

"This boy is good. Seems like the girls are done for. If he really kills them... he'll deserve to be my successor. If not—hmph, he can curse his luck."

Zhang Yong gave no quarter, his speed increasing as he ran.

His smile turned devilish, lips curling.

"Ladies... come out now. Big brother won't make this hard. I'll just kill you both. No pain, no grudges."

Behind a rock, the archer girl hid, covering her mouth to silence her breath.

'Please don't find me... I'm sorry, Master. If I survive this, I'll listen to everything. I won't complain again. I just want to live!'

But it was a foolish hope. If she wanted to escape, she'd have to kill both Zhang Yong and the crane girl—one was impossible, the other terrifying. There was only one fate ahead.

Suddenly, she felt a presence above her. Her heart froze as she looked up—

It wasn't Zhang Yong.

It was the crane girl.

She nearly screamed, but the crane girl quickly covered her mouth.

"Shh! Quiet. If he hears us, we're dead. Let's work together. I have a plan."

Despite her trembling and pale face, she nodded.

"O-okay. What do I do?"

Meanwhile, Zhang Yong strolled around like a reaper.

He scratched the side of his head with the handle of the sword

"So boring... I wanna go back."

He yawned and called out:

"Come out already! I won't make it hard. Just one clean slash and it'll be over. No pain. Sound fair? If you agree, come out!"

Surprisingly, both girls emerged from hiding.

But their eyes held determination—they still had fight left.

"Good. Looks like you've accepted you can't escape. Don't worry—I'll make it painless, as promised."

He beckoned them forward with a finger.

"Today is your end, demon! We won't bow to you!" shouted the crane girl.

"What? Speak up, I can't hear you! You're too far!" Zhang Yong shouted back honestly—he really couldn't hear them.

The crane rose high as the two girls made hand signs.

Suddenly, small flags of different colors appeared around them in a circle.

Energy began to rise from the formation.

Zhang Yong's expression changed

Without hesitation, he activated Murasama and sprinted toward them—but it was too late.

A giant figure rose from the flag-formation.

"Fifth-Grade Formation: Giant Demon-Slaying Array!" the crane girl roared.

A towering demonic figure emerged—part human, part beast.

Zhang Yong immediately felt danger.

"A formation? What kind of power is this?"

But excitement gleamed in his eyes.

The creature was enormous—over 100 meters tall—with six massive arms, each wielding a gigantic sword. Its physique was absurdly muscular.

It was a true Asura.

Zhang Yong dashed sideways, seeking an opening.

He knew his limits—and this thing was far beyond them.

He fired a black slash—it had only a small effect

The Asura swung all six blades in a wide arc.

Zhang Yong slid on one knee, arching his back to slip under the blades and kept running.

The six swords came again, sweeping horizontally.

Zhang Yong turned, charging toward the giant directly.

He couldn't face it head-on, and had no cover. He could use his axe—but the timing had to be perfect, or it would end disastrously.

The six swords crashed down with terrifying speed.

Zhang Yong jumped high, using his foot to spring off one blade, then another, ascending rapidly until he was right in front of the giant's face.

He gathered all his black aura into his sword and unleashed a powerful slash—cutting through the creature's shoulder.

That was all he could manage.

The giant swung one of its swords like a hammer, smashing Zhang Yong with overwhelming force.

With a thunderous crash, he was sent flying—his body slamming violently into the rocky mountain he had been aiming for earlier.

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