Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 700: As if I don't exist?
Inside the narrow, dimly lit restaurant, the damp air seemed to have frozen into ice, making it hard to breathe.

Feng Wu was also smiling.

But that laughter was completely different from the venomous, sharp, maniacal laughter of the witch spirit outside the window.

Her laughter was low and hoarse, filled with endless bitterness and despair, as if she were laughing so hard that her internal organs would bleed.

"Haha...hahahaha..."

She laughed until tears streamed down her face, mingling with the rain and tears, streaming down her cheeks.

"I thought... I thought Queen Yaoshui was the last backbone of Nanzhou, the only light in the darkness, a hero who could avenge the thousands of wronged souls in Wuli!!"

Her voice suddenly rose, filled with a tearful accusation:

"But who could have predicted...who could have foreseen this?!"

"Our Queen, on whom we placed such high hopes! The one we revered as a god! She didn't even muster the slightest fighting spirit, and just like that... just like that, so easily, like a dog wagging its tail and begging for mercy, she knelt before the Demon Lord of Wuxu! She knelt at the feet of the enemy who destroyed our homeland and slaughtered our people!!"

"Nanzhou... is completely finished! Utterly and completely fallen into the clutches of evil, forever plunged into darkness!"

"And my blood feud with Wu Li... will never... will never be avenged! Hahaha..."

She turned her head sharply, her beautiful face, streaked with tears but filled with despair, staring straight at Liang Jin, who had remained silent beside her.

Tears blurred her vision, but in her phoenix eyes, a chilling, deathly light was rapidly gathering and burning.

The next moment, the light transformed into a resolute will to die!
"Great Master..."

Her voice suddenly became calm, eerily calm:
"I can never avenge myself."

"Now that the Demon Lord has subdued Queen Yaoshui without shedding a drop of blood, his strength is even greater than before. You... even if you have extraordinary abilities, you can never be their match again."

She took a deep breath, as if saying a final goodbye:

“I promised to give you my... virginity in exchange for your help. But now, the entire Yaoshui Kingdom has surrendered on its knees. It seems... even this little bit of time is not enough for us... I'm sorry, I'm useless, I broke my promise.”

"While we have this opportunity...while that demon hasn't noticed our corner yet, with your abilities, you alone surely have a chance to break through and escape this deadly place. As for me..."

Her gaze suddenly sharpened and hardened. The feather-shaped golden bronze longsword in her hand hummed softly as she raised it without hesitation, its cold blade pointing directly at her fair and slender neck!

"I, Feng Wu, would rather die a clean death than live and fall into the hands of the Demon Lord, suffering endless humiliation and torment! I will never die at the hands of the Demon Lord!"

She knew very well that the Demon Lord of Wuxu had always coveted the wisp of Xuanfeng essence blood within her body, and if she were captured alive, a fate a thousand times worse than death awaited her.

Suicide was the only outcome she could control at that moment, one that would allow her to maintain her dignity.

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly tightened her wrist, and the sharp blade, gleaming with a resolute cold light, slashed fiercely towards the carotid artery in her neck!

The movements were lightning fast, without the slightest hesitation!
however--

Just as the cold blade was about to touch her warm skin, and she could even feel the metallic chill piercing her pores at the critical moment!
A large hand, arriving suddenly as if defying the limitations of time, stretched out abruptly!
The hand did not grab her wrist, but instead accurately and firmly grasped the extremely sharp bronze sword!

"Zheng——!"

A soft, metallic scraping sound rang out.

What's astonishing is that even the sharpest blade, capable of cutting through a hair, was as if it had struck the toughest metal when it cut into the skin of this hand. It didn't even leave a white mark, let alone break the skin or draw blood!

Feng Wu's forward momentum was easily neutralized by this unshakeable palm. She looked up in astonishment at the owner of the large hand—Liang Jin.

Immediately, her phoenix eyes, still brimming with tears, were filled with an anger at being prevented from dying and a deeper despair:

"Great Teacher! What are you trying to do?!"

Her voice was sharp with excitement:
"Could it be... could it be that you're also afraid? Do you also want to imitate the Queen of Yaoshui, capturing me as a pledge of allegiance to the Demon Lord of Wuxu, in exchange for your life?!"

"You...you're going to kneel and surrender to that demon too?! If that's the case, you truly...truly despise me!!"

Even the supreme queen has surrendered, so if this mysterious and powerful man before us also chooses to bow down for survival, it seems... not so hard to understand.

But this final "understanding" became the last straw that broke her spirit, leaving her with only boundless despair for the world.

If Liang Jin were to subdue her at this moment, she would be powerless to resist given his strength.

At that time, even the desire to die will become a luxury for her. What awaits her is the endless humiliation of the Wuxu Demon Lord, a fate worse than death!
however.

Faced with Feng Wu's questioning filled with anger and despair, Liang Jin's expression remained unchanged, still calm and undisturbed.

He didn't even look at Feng Wu's agitated and pale face, but spoke calmly, his voice clearly reaching her ears, carrying an undeniable certainty:

"As I've said before, I don't have the habit of receiving goods in advance."

"I'm going to take your virginity."

"but……"

He paused, his gaze seemingly piercing through the restaurant walls, looking towards the distant summit of the divine tree:
"I'll have to wait until I've fulfilled my promise before I can come and collect it."

Having said that, he didn't give Feng Wu any time to react before gently loosening his grip on the sword.

The next moment, he moved slightly, as if he had transformed into an invisible breeze, or perhaps blended into the continuous rain outside the window.

In a mere blink of an eye, it vanished without a trace from Feng Wu's sight, heading straight towards the majestic divine tree!

Feng Wu stood frozen in place, gripping the sword, still in the posture of committing suicide.

Her gaze was fixed blankly on the empty rain curtain where Liang Jin had disappeared, her mind a complete blank, almost unable to process the words she had just heard and the sight she had seen.

Judging from Liang Jin's words... he still... still intends to keep his promise and help her?!
But the current situation has clearly deteriorated to the point of no return!

Queen Yaoshui has submitted, the Demon Lord is at the height of his power, and he has countless demon armies and beasts under his command, as well as the mysterious and unpredictable Imperial Advisor Wuling.

No matter how powerful he is, how could he possibly face the combined attacks of the Demon Lord of Wuxu, Queen Yaoshui, and the entire Demon Kingdom at the same time?!
He's not going to fight at all...

He's clearly going to his death!

He was willing to die for Feng Wu's almost impossible promise!

The thought of this possibility instantly overwhelmed Feng Wu with an indescribable feeling, a mixture of immense shock, disbelief, and a heart-wrenching emotion!

In all her years living in this land of Nanzhou, which reveres power and profit, she had never seen, nor ever imagined, that a man would be willing to step forward without hesitation in a hopeless situation, knowing certain death, for a promise made to a destitute orphan like her!
Then, recalling how she had used such vicious and hurtful words to speculate about and question him in her haste... a strong sense of regret and shame burned in her heart like a raging fire.

“Great teacher… I… I’m sorry… I misunderstood you again… I judged you with my own petty mind…”

She murmured to herself, her voice choked with emotion.

But the next moment, this regret turned into an even deeper resolve!

She gripped the longsword tightly, but this time, the blade wasn't pointed at her neck; instead, it was slightly lowered.

She raised her other hand and forcefully wiped away the tears and raindrops from her face. A light rekindled in her phoenix eyes, a resolute determination to follow and go together.
"Don't worry! I, Feng Wu, am by no means a coward who fears death or is ungrateful!"

"If you... if you unfortunately die in battle this time... then I will never live alone in this filthy world!"

"The road to the underworld is long, but I am willing to follow you! I cannot repay your kindness in this life, but in the next life... in the next life I will be your servant, and repay you with my life!"

With her mind made up, she held the longsword horizontally in front of her, the sharp blade gently brushing against the skin of her neck, the cold touch keeping her alert.

She had made up her mind that if Liang Jin died in battle, she would immediately commit suicide to follow him and leave this despairing world!
There was nothing left for her in this world; the only warmth and light she had left were rushing towards the inevitable darkness of death.

…………

At the summit of the divine tree.

On the wide platform.

The Demon Lord of Wuxu sat proudly on the back of the giant owl, like a victorious king surveying his new territory.

Queen Yaoshui, like a conquered princess, stood quietly and obediently behind him, her eyelids lowered, making it impossible to see the expression in her eyes.

Both of them looked down at the mad, laughing maniacally below with cold, indifferent eyes.

The blood at the corner of Wu Ling's mouth had not yet dried, and new blood seeped out due to her intense emotional fluctuations, leaving winding marks on her pale chin.

Her eyes, hidden beneath her mask, stared intently at the two people above through the gaps, filled with boundless resentment and venom, as if she wanted to tear them to pieces with her gaze!

"The Demon Lord of Wuxu! The Queen of Yaoshui!"

She cursed at the top of her lungs, her voice distorted with hatred:
"I, Wuling, swear by my spirit, that even in death I will become the most ferocious ghost of the Southern Continent! For all eternity, I will haunt you! I will devour your flesh and blood, torment your souls! I will ensure you never find peace!!"

"You...don't expect to get away with this! Not a single one of you!!"

The witch roared and, with all her might, slowly struggled to her feet from the cold, slippery stone slab.

Her body was still petite, but at this moment, it seemed to embody all her despair and resentment.

With a flick of her wrist, an ancient bronze mirror with strange runes engraved on its edges appeared in her palm.

At the same time, the feathered robe she wore, woven from countless black bird feathers, suddenly flipped over, revealing tiny, ominous lenses hanging from the base of the feathers!
Hundreds of small mirrors, along with the main mirror in her hand, simultaneously emitted an eerie glow, as if countless cold eyes had suddenly opened and locked onto the two people on the platform.

Upon witnessing this bizarre scene, even the Demon Lord of Wuxu and Queen Yaoshui couldn't help but furrow their brows slightly.

They naturally knew that Wu Ling was truly going to fight to the death, disregarding everything else!

The last shred of patience in the eyes of the Demon Lord of Wuxu was exhausted, replaced by pure and icy killing intent:
"How dare a lowly slave plot to kill his master?"

"It seems that I have been too lenient in the past, which has given you the illusion that you can be provoked!"

"Today, I cannot let you live!"

Queen Yaoshui, standing to the side, shook her head slightly, a hint of pity and mockery appearing on her exquisite face.

She knows witch spirits too well.

The arts of witchcraft are indeed unpredictable and difficult to guard against. They are skilled in cursing, poisoning, and manipulating people's minds, and their actions in the shadows are truly ruthless.

However, when it comes to direct combat, Wu Ling's methods seem rather weak.

Back then, she was able to defeat the Witch Spirit in her prime head-on, let alone now that the Witch Spirit is seriously injured, and her side still has the Demon Lord of Wuxu, a demon god that is simply invincible.

To Wu Ling, her current struggle was nothing more than a pointless, desperate fight of a trapped beast, only fit to be laughed at.

A chilling laugh rang out from the witch spirit, its sound like the wailing of an owl:
"Demon Lord Wuxu! You've forgotten?! You've forgotten everything?!"

"Have you forgotten who reached out to you when you were wandering the Southern Continent like a stray dog?!" "Have you forgotten who, when you were forcibly cultivating that forbidden demonic art and went mad with evil, didn't hesitate to use the forbidden witchcraft of my Spirit Mountain to pull you back from the brink of death?!"

"I've forgotten who it was who risked being devoured by countless Gu poisons to lead you into the forbidden land of the Southern Continent, the Burial Abyss of Gods, to find that wisp of supreme divine power for you, laying the foundation for your present state?!"

"Have you forgotten who it was who painstakingly raised the 'Thousand-Refined Iron Wire Gu' for you, traversed the remote mountains and treacherous waters of the Southern Continent, searched for exotic metals, and poured their heart and soul into refining this living demonic armor for you?!"

"I only hate that I was blind and deceitful back then! That I chose to assist such a heartless, ungrateful, and beastly wretch as you!!"

"You regard me as a lowly slave whom you can kill at will and bestow upon your enemies?! Hahaha! How laughable!"

"Don't forget! Back then, you were nothing more than a runaway slave, even lower than me, scurrying around like a rat in a sewer!!"

Wu Ling screamed her accusations with all her might, her body trembling violently with each word, as if her internal organs were about to be shaken out.

As she became more agitated, an even more chilling scene unfolded!

One by one, tiny, pitch-black, strange Gu worms, like sweat, seeped out continuously from the gaps in her feathered robe and fell to the ground with a "pitter-patter" sound!

These Gu worms were initially only the size of a grain of rice, but once they came into contact with air, they expanded wildly as if they were being inflated, growing to the thickness of a finger in the blink of an eye!

They come in various shapes and sizes; some have multiple legs, some have wings, and some have ferocious mouthparts, emitting a nauseating, fishy stench.

Moreover, these Gu worms seemed to possess intelligence. As soon as they landed, they quickly burrowed into the shadows around the platform, into the cracks in the stone slabs, and even into the charred remains of burned wood, moving with lightning speed.

In just a few breaths, tens of thousands of Gu worms vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed!

But they didn't leave; instead, they went into hiding!
These Gu worms, specially refined by the Witch Spirit, not only possess far more acute senses than ordinary insects, enabling them to clearly relay the subtle movements, air currents, and even the location of each person on the entire platform to the Witch Spirit, but also, under the Witch Spirit's will, can suddenly launch a deadly attack from any unexpected corner at any time!
The Demon Lord of Wuxu was filled with murderous intent.

Now, at the peak of his glorious life, Wu Ling has publicly exposed his most unwanted and humble past.

The words "runaway slave" were like the sharpest needle, piercing his proud heart and instantly igniting his boundless rage and murderous intent!
Enraged, even his last remaining concern for their past "friendship" vanished.

The giant owl beneath him seemed to perfectly sense its master's boiling killing intent. Without being urged, it let out a low, threatening screech and moved its strong, powerful claws, slowly, step by step, approaching the isolated and helpless witch spirit.

This king of giant owls has a natural ability to restrain all kinds of poisonous insects and venomous creatures. The ferocious aura emanating from its body forms an invisible force field.

As it approached, some of the Gu worms hiding in the nearby crevices seemed to have encountered a natural enemy, instinctively feeling fear, and they all retreated restlessly to the deeper parts.

The Demon Lord of Wuxu easily pulled the reins with one hand, while firmly gripping the bone spear that had devoured countless powerful beings with the other. His voice was icy cold, filled with mockery and disdain:

"Stop pretending to be so great! You're only assisting me because you see my potential and want to use my power to avenge yourself! From the very beginning, it's been a mutual exploitation, each of us getting what we need!"

"My ambition lies in the four seas and my thoughts are on the world. How could a narrow-minded and foolish woman like you, whose mind is filled only with personal grudges, possibly understand even a fraction of what I'm capable of?!"

"By gaining the submission of the Queen of Yaoshui, the entire Southern Continent can be conquered without bloodshed, and all races will come to pay homage. Compared to you, a discarded pawn abandoned by the Southern Continent, only able to stir up trouble in the shadows, your value is a thousand times greater!"

"Especially now, you have no use to me anymore. If you know what's good for you and obediently accept your fate as a slave, I might still remember your past hard work and give you a meal to eat, so that you can eke out a living."

"But since you've chosen your own death today, daring to publicly insult me... then I'll personally take action and send you on your way!"

As the Demon Lord of Wuxu spoke, he slowly raised the white bone spear in his hand.

It seemed as if countless wronged souls were wailing and entwining around the tip of that spear.

The terrifying killing intent emanating from him was no longer concealed; it surged forth like a tangible tide, crushing down on the witch spirit!

The air seemed to become thick, cold, and suffocating at that moment.

Wu Ling felt a bone-chilling cold all over her body, as if her blood was about to freeze.

She clearly sensed that the Demon Lord of Wuxu was fully aware of all her methods, and his aura had completely locked onto her.

Today, she is doomed.

She only hates it!
I hate myself for not seeing through this wolf in human skin sooner!
But all the regret, resentment, and anger seem so pale and powerless in the face of absolute power disparity.

Everything seems destined to come to an end today, here and now.

A fierce glint flashed in the eyes of the Demon Lord of Wuxu, and the bone spear, poised to be unleashed, was about to pierce down towards Wuling's brow with the force to tear through the void!

This spear will surely end all grudges!
But in that split second, when life and death were decided—

A sudden change occurred!

The Demon Lord of Wuxu abruptly stopped his thrusting motion!
His dual, demonic eyes suddenly narrowed, and he abruptly looked up at the canopy of the divine tree higher above, as if sensing something extremely abrupt and unbelievable. He let out a fierce shout filled with shock and anger:

"who?!"

"How dare you steal the Lightning Strike Fruit right in front of me?!"

As he shouted, his bone spear, which was originally aimed at the witch spirit and contained a killing intent, actually drew a strange arc in mid-air.

The spear tip instantly turned around and, with an even faster, more ruthless, and more ferocious speed than before, fiercely thrust it into the void above!

“Buzz——!!!”

In an instant, an endless stream of pale white spear shadows erupted once again!

They were no longer targeting a single point, but rather transformed into a deadly net, instantly enveloping and covering the area where the three lightning-struck fruits were located at the top of the divine tree, along with a large area of ​​surrounding branches and leaves!
Amidst the terrifying spear shadows that intertwined in the sky, enough to tear steel to shreds, the crowd below watched in utter horror as a blurry figure, seemingly distorted by light, appeared out of thin air beside the three newly ripened lightning-struck fruits, radiating an alluring luster and exotic fragrance!

The figure moved faster than the naked eye could perceive!

With a mere flick of his wrist, the three lightning-struck fruits, imbued with the essence of heaven and earth, fell into his palm!

At the very instant the fruit was taken away, the endless, destructive shadows of spears swept in!

“Rumble——!!!”

The dense punctures and deafening explosions were deafening!
The ancient tree canopies in that area were torn apart and pulverized instantly under the ravages of the violent spear shadows, as if thrown into a meat grinder, turning into countless wood chips and withered leaves, which mixed with rainwater and fluttered down!

however!
The moment the spear shadow, powerful enough to tear even a third-rank martial artist into a bloody mist, touched that figure—

The figure vanished into thin air, like the moon reflected in water or a flower in a mirror!

It left no trace, no afterimage, no breath.

It was as if his appearance was solely for the purpose of taking the fruit, and then he merged into this world, disappearing without a trace!
"Insolence! Get out here right now!!"

The Demon Lord of Wuxu couldn't help but let out a deafening roar, the sound waves rolling so loudly that the platform trembled slightly!

For the first time, his double pupils revealed disbelief and astonishment, along with a hint of fury at being tricked!
He frantically activated his senses, his double pupils scanning every inch of the surrounding space, carefully sensing any energy fluctuations and spatial ripples.

but none!
Nothing at all!

That person vanished completely, as if they had never existed!
With his powerful spiritual senses, he couldn't even detect the slightest clue as to how the other party arrived, how they left, or what methods they used!
The Queen of Yaoshui, standing to the side, also had a look of shock and solemnity on her beautiful face.

There really were people in the world who, right under the noses of her and Wuxu Demon Lord, two top experts in the Southern Continent, so easily and effortlessly stole all three Thunderstrike Fruits that were under strict "guard"!
This is a blatant insult to their power and prestige!
These three lightning-struck fruits were already considered by the Demon Lord of Wuxu as a sure thing to consolidate his power.

The reason he hadn't picked them himself was simply out of absolute confidence.

He believed that in this city that had already submitted, there was absolutely no way anyone would dare or be able to take food from his mouth!
But who would have thought that this unbelievable thing not only happened, but also happened in such a bizarre and ironic way!
He couldn't even touch the hem of the other person's clothes, nor could he even see whether the other person was a human or a ghost!
"It's you!!"

"You must have done it!!"

The spear of the Demon Lord of Wuxu suddenly changed direction, pointing sharply towards another direction of the platform—that corner near the shadow of the palace!

Queen Yaoshui and Wuling were both surprised and looked in the direction the spear tip was pointing.

At the edge of the platform, amidst the rain, a figure had silently appeared without anyone noticing.

He was an extremely handsome young man with fair skin and an extraordinary, otherworldly air, as if he were untouched by worldly affairs.

He wore a slightly oversized, bright yellow robe that remained perfectly still in the wind and rain. He stood there quietly, as if he had always been there, one with the world.

Upon seeing this strange man, a hint of doubt flashed in Queen Yaoshui's beautiful eyes.

But when she sensed the unfathomable, abyss-like aura emanating from the other person, she seemed to instantly realize something, and a look of sudden understanding appeared on her beautiful face.

The witch's eyes, hidden beneath the mask, widened instantly, filled with utter astonishment and disbelief:

"Is...is it you?!"

She never imagined that, at this time, in this place, and in this way, it would be Liang Jin!

Facing the focused gazes of the crowd, Liang Jin slowly and calmly took a step forward.

He spoke calmly as he walked, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching the ears of everyone present:

"That's right, it was taken by me."

"I told you so—"

His gaze swept over the Demon Lord of Wuxu and the Witch Spirit, finally settling on the Demon Lord of Wuxu's extremely gloomy face, and he said, word by word:

"I want all three Lightning Strike Fruits!"

The Demon Lord of Wuxu frowned deeply, and a dangerous light flashed in his double pupils.

Wu Ling was even more astonished, her thoughts instantly drawn back to the moment when she confronted Liang Jin in the city.

Back then, Liang Jin did indeed say those incredibly arrogant words to her face.

At the time, Wu Ling simply thought it was the other party bluffing or declaring some unrealistic ambition.

She never expected that this man... he actually did it!
Moreover, he accomplished his declaration with ease, right under the nose of the Demon Lord of Wuxu, in such a seemingly "teasing" manner!

Under the gazes of the crowd, some in shock, some in anger, and some with mixed feelings, Liang Jin walked steadily to the side of Wu Ling, who was still tense and in a state of shock and vigilance.

He naturally took a small step forward, seemingly casually, but just enough to place Wu Ling's petite figure between himself and the Demon Lord of Wuxu.

He raised his head, his gaze calmly meeting the fiery, double pupils of the Demon Lord of Wuxu. His tone remained indifferent, but the meaning contained within it made the temperature of the entire platform seem to drop abruptly.

"I also said—"

"The Witch Spirit Grand Preceptor is my closest friend."

"You want to harm her..."

Liang Jin's eyes instantly turned icy cold:
"Do you really think I don't exist?!"

(End of this chapter)