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Chapter 416 Corpse Dragon Descends, Nether Serpent God Appears (Double Update Today)
Swords clashed again in the fierce battle, their gazes meeting for a fleeting moment. Wang Quan sneered, "I advise you to hold back your strength. After all, your girl is still suffering outside. If you use it all up now, you won't even have the strength to collect her body later before you die."

"That trick won't work on me." Chu Hengkong laughed as well. "You haven't changed your bad habits. The more guilty you are, the more you talk! Your boss is not easy to deal with, is she?"

"The difference between dying first and dying later is irrelevant. After you die, I will bury you separately in the Black Moon and at the bottom of the sea. Even if your souls are scattered, you won't be able to go to the Western Paradise together!"

Wang Quan sheathed his sword and leaped away, the divine slash narrowly grazing her neck. She pulled back, sword in hand, like drawing an invisible bow. Chu Hengkong suddenly felt a sharp pain between his brows; the impending attack would be an unprecedented killing blow. He raised his murderous blade, and at the same time, Wang Quan drew her sword. Her sword light filled his vision; the pure white world trembled wildly with the sword's movement, as if a cold comet had fallen from the sky!

Pseudo-Secret Technique: Lone Star!
The orthodox Chaotic Star technique is a secret art that unleashes a burst of power after being channeled into the opponent's energy, while the Lone Star is an extremely ferocious sword that merges hundreds of strikes into a single, devastating attack. A single thrust is like ten thousand swords returning to their source; the attack is simple yet incredibly fast, yet overwhelming. Even before the attack began, Chu Hengkong's intuition foresaw the outcome: this strike surpassed his current limits; it was an unstoppable, deadly sword strike!

"Deathwing of the Sky!"

So he unfurled his death wings and resolutely flew into the sky. Claw marks were densely packed within the dark wing membranes, wiping out any possibility of observation except for one strike. The final blow pierced the Divine Slash, the condensed white flames instantly piercing through his chest, gnawing at his muscles and severing Chu Hengkong's arm.

However, he did not fall from the sky. He used the momentum to leap up and slash out with his sword as graceful as a flying bird!

Steel Edge Flow - Returning Strike.

The slash descended diagonally, carrying the lone star's sword intent of Wang Quan, a strike with no return. Just as the blade was about to cleave her head, Wang Quan crossed her arms and stood still. The white flames on the sword's edge flowed and blurred, draping her in an illusory armor.

Pseudo-Secret Technique: Fiendish Armor. A phantom defensive barrier that devours killing intent and assimilates battle spirit. This secret technique will engulf the assassin's morale, turning any counterattack into his own resounding death knell!
The blade was about to fall, the outcome already decided, but Chu Hengkong forced out his strength and struck the hilt heavily. In that instant, he instinctively withdrew his power, leaving only the deadly blade sliding down, bringing a chilling thrust. The Divine Slash pierced through the illusory armor and stabbed into Wang Quan's shoulder, blood spurting out like flowers, pinning her to the ground.

Steel Edge Style: Heart-Piercing Strike. A pure thrust that pierces through defenses, specifically designed to counter unorthodox and elaborate techniques!

Wang Quan threw her longsword, the burning blade piercing Chu Hengkong's right chest and interrupting his attack. She endured the pain, slowly pulling out the Divine Slash, while at the same time Chu Hengkong used his inner energy to break free from Bai Yan's restraints.

Wang Quan, being the divine child of the Dark Moon, possessed a far greater regenerative ability than her opponent. She pounced first, throwing aside the murderous blade, and together with Bai Yan, pinned Chu Hengkong to the ground. His blood, now contaminated with spiritual energy, solidified, and for a moment, Chu Hengkong felt as if he had reverted to a human from Earth. Wang Quan gripped his throat tightly, almost suffocating him. He struggled fiercely, striking Wang Quan's back in an attempt to roll away and break free. But Wang Quan's hold was unyielding and relentless.

He had always been inferior to this agile assassin in the field of joint locks, but now that both were seriously injured, the usually overlooked techniques had become the key to victory.

"It's a wonder you were able to see through my secret technique," Wang Quan said coldly. "But in the end, I still won. You came too late; you can't defeat me now!"

"That's not necessarily true!"

Chu Hengkong suddenly tilted her head back and delivered a headbutt to Wang Quan's forehead. Wang Quan leaned back slightly, only to find his hand empty. The assassin, who should have been powerless to turn the tide, slipped from her grasp, and a dark hole appeared out of thin air behind him. He used the opening created by the attack to fall into the hole.

Wang Quan saw the source of the anomaly. It was the Void Wings. Those withered, bony wings transformed into a pitch-black spiral, actually breaking through her blockade and connecting to the outside battlefield!

"You probably don't know this, but this thing can also be used as a drill." Chu Hengkong's arrogant laughter rang out. "The power that can even carve through the borders of Heavenly Prison will easily shatter your hypocritical world!"

"You think you can win like this?" Wang Quan clenched his fist. "It's just changing the style of the tombstones! A living sacrifice to the corpse dragon!!"

The boundary between above and below was reversed during the breakthrough, and Chu Hengkong, who should have leaped out from the seabed, fell from the sky instead. He felt a heavy gale howling behind him, and the giant dragon made of piled-up corpses was taking off, opening its blood-red maw at him.

This is a problem that martial arts and willpower cannot solve. The core of the false totem is the blessing of the Supreme Being, and no matter how skilled he is, he has no chance against it. The Corpse Dragon will display its divine power and, as foretold in the apocalypse, devour his life.

But Chu Hengkong wasn't worried at all. With his back to the Corpse Dragon, he raised his hand and shouted, "Velbert!"

Then the heavy wind ceased, and the false god totem remained still on the sea. A dazzling silver light shone in the black and white world, like a god descending to earth and transforming into lightning that tore the heavens and earth apart. The light gradually faded, revealing its magnificent true form. It was a colossal life form forged by humankind, a crowned steel serpent!

It was a creation that could only be described as magnificent, its scale so vast it resembled a floating temple, reminiscent of the Midgard Serpent from mythology that devoured the world. Its scales were long and sharp, their silvery edges gleaming coldly. Millions of razor-sharp scales converged to form a winding serpentine body, like a thousand swords dancing in the air. Countless scepter-like thorns extended from its back, pointing straight to the heavens, their surfaces shimmering with deep blue light, bathing its colossal form in a majestic glow.

Upon seeing the appearance of the thorns, Wang Quan immediately realized the truth of the weapon. Each thorn was a divine staff, a weapon like the Sword of Damocles that required a platform to be projected from the sky, and this steel serpent was the tool used to deliver divine judgment.

Such a powerful weapon could not be assembled on-site, nor could it be contained within a spatial relic. It had been slumbering outside the Senluo Secret Realm, awaiting Violet's summons. This was the source of her confidence to venture alone into the Senluo Secret Realm; she had been prepared for a decisive battle from the very beginning, waiting only for her command, at which point the steel serpent would tear through the sky and descend!

The giant serpent swooped down, repelling the corpse dragon, and Chu Heng landed on the steel serpent's back. The wind fluttered the hem of his black coat, brushing against his blood-stained face. Violet stood beside him, cane in hand, her body bearing several wounds, yet her eyes remained as calm as steel.

"Sorry for the waitting."

"It's alright." Chu Hengkong slowly stood up. "I've always believed in you!"

Wang Quan stepped out of the shattered, pure white world and landed on the head of the corpse dragon. She could hardly believe what she was seeing; it was even more bizarre than the indestructible Chu Hengkong.

The Corpse Dragon was a blessing from the old man; aside from Godslayer and Deathwing, there was no means on the battlefield to contend with it. She deliberately locked Chu Hengkong in the Pure White World to eliminate any possibility of victory on the outside battlefield. Violet should have been dissolved into the totem by the Corpse Dragon, but now, despite her severe injuries, she still stands tall, and the creations she wields can even rival the totem of the Supreme Being!

"What have you done this time, Verus?" the king whispered, his voice like a curse. "What have you done...!"

Her crimson pupils suddenly widened, and through the enhancement of her divine power, she was able to glimpse the structure of the steel serpent. It was originally a standard, rationally-driven magical array, powerless against the corruption of the First Abyss, let alone the divine power of the Dark Moon. However, at the center of the magical array lay an oddity, its illogical design providing the giant serpent with inexplicable power, even enabling it to contend with the Corpse Dragon. It was a cigarette.

An unlit cigarette.

"What do you think is the key to being a leader?"

Wilbert's voice drifted on the wind, still calm, just as it had been on Earth.

"In my view, the significance of a leader lies in 'trust'."

"Being able to be trusted by others unconditionally is the key to being elected as a leader. Being able to trust others without reservation is the key to uniting the strength of the people."

The so-called Holy Grail is proof of leadership. It is the most direct manifestation of a leader's will, perseverance, and beliefs.

For Wilbert, as the head of the family, trust was the essence of leadership. Therefore, her Cup of Honor was a machine of "trust."

As long as she continues to fight for those who believe in her, the Steel Serpent will not cease its actions.

As long as there are still people who believe in her, the Steel Serpent will not be defeated.

This is the magical machine that embodies the lifelong aspirations of Velbert Velus, a crystallization of trust, bringing together the resources and cutting-edge technology of the Dustless Land.

The ultimate weapon: the Serpent of the Underworld!
Wang Quan covered his forehead, almost bursting out laughing.

"Is that so, Velus? You mean entirely based on your belief?"

"You think you can contend with the gifts of the Most High with just faith, steely resolve, and a little ingenuity?!"

Velbert stood there, holding her staff, looking majestic and imposing.

"Relics of high quality can only be defeated by the power of high quality, and the power of the supreme can only be resisted by the supreme. Who exactly established such a rule?"

"If the Supreme Being you firmly believe in is truly so powerful, then the world should have been destroyed long before the Candlelight Era. Back then, the Realm of Shock had no true gods, only the abyss, and the world was a thousand times more difficult than it is now."

"However, the Realm of Submerged Movement has survived to this day. Although heretics are rampant, allied forces have held firm. Because strength is never the only meaning, because miracles of the weak defeating the strong happen every single moment in this world!"

She slammed her cane down, berating the Dark Kingdom: "Don't get it wrong, Dark Kingdom! The accumulation of resources, time, and willpower is enough to cross the chasm called the Abyss. It is precisely because hope can be sustained by even the smallest strength that so-called technology has meaning!"

Wang Quan laughed loudly upon hearing this, clapping like a cheering audience member. Suddenly, she forcefully swung her arm, urging the corpse dragon to charge forward. She launched a brutal and irrational attack, her crimson eyes consumed by rage.

“Well said. A masterpiece! You always have the audacity to spout those grand theories. You don’t need to consider feasibility, you don’t need to worry about the future. All you have to do is give the order for revenge, and your most loyal serpent will always do it for you!”

"That doesn't matter! That was your life on Earth, that was the life you were meant to have. If there is such a thing as destiny in this world, then you have already lived your life to the fullest, you should disappear!"

"But why are you still alive? Why are you still stopping me? Why are you always haunting me like this, relentlessly pursuing me?!"

The Serpent of the Underworld unleashed a star-like staff, using its spiritual power to deflect the Corpse Dragon. Violet stood atop the serpent's head and roared, "The same words I return to you. You should have died on Earth long ago, Dark Reign!"

Wang Quan leaped up, sword in hand, instantly appearing as the snake's head lunged towards Vilbert's brow. Chu Hengkong flashed out with his blade, silently intercepting the attack. She wielded her sword, fiercely battling Chu Hengkong, her eyes fixed intently on the scholar not far away.

Her words were filled with hatred: "It's the same every single time. If you hadn't investigated so deeply, we would have been safe and sound. If you hadn't come to the city-state, my plan would have succeeded long ago."

“I could have met him first; I wouldn’t have had to fight him to the death. But your existence, your foolishness, your obsession destroyed all future possibilities. I hate you, Violet Vellus!”

Wilbert stared at her coldly, her eyes filled with the same emotion.

“I hate you just as much, Dark Kingdom. You killed my father. You destroyed my family. You destroyed everything I once cherished. You may proclaim your suffering to anyone in the world, but you are not worthy to utter a single word before me. For my revenge against you is the most just act in the world, and my killing you is the justice of this world!”

Chu Hengkong lowered his sword, forcing Wang Quan to look at him.

"Should we still dwell on the past now?" he said to both of them at the same time. "It's time to put an end to this karmic entanglement!"

(End of this chapter)