Douluo Continent: Reborn as Yuhao, they all have ulterior motives.

Chapter 408 It was all a conspiracy by the God of Destruction! (Two chapters combined)

It's unclear whether it was the psychological trauma inflicted by Huo Yuhao's smile or the chilling sensation of falling into an ice cave that emanated from that scythe.

A flicker of fear crossed Ma Hongjun's originally resolute face.

However, this fear was not only directed at Huo Yuhao, but also included the God of Destruction in the God Realm.

As members of the God Realm Committee, the conflict between the God of Destruction and Tang San was no secret in the God Realm.

In order to overthrow Tang San and gain control of the central authority of the God Realm, this enforcer had tried to win over other gods in hopes of their support, but to little avail.

It now seems that in addition to trying to win over the gods to their faction, they have also made a second-hand preparation!

It's likely that from the very beginning, Huo Yuhao was secretly cultivated by the God of Destruction as a trap to target Tang San's companions!

After all, the fact that they all came from the Douluo plane is not a secret in the God Realm either. The God of Destruction may have taken advantage of this and secretly cultivated Huo Yuhao, intending to make a move when the time was right.

Thinking of this, Ma Hongjun's expression darkened.

Clearly, everyone, including Tang San, was deceived by the God of Destruction!

That guy pretended to know nothing about the Qiankun Wenqing Valley, but in fact, it was all part of his plan.

On the surface, Ning Rongrong died because she accompanied Tang San to the mortal realm and accidentally encountered Huo Yuhao. But if you think about it carefully, what kind of coincidence is that?

The Douluo Continent is so vast, and this guy just happened to be heading to Qiankun Wenqing Valley around that time, where he bumped into Ning Rongrong.

Ghost letter!

Thinking about it more deeply, how could a being from the lower realm possess combat power comparable to a first-level god when it hadn't even reached the level of a Title Douluo?

Even Tang San, who was trained by the Sea God, couldn't do this!

Besides this veteran God-King of the God Realm, who else could be standing behind Huo Yuhao?

With these thoughts leading to this point, the answer is already obvious.

Without a doubt, the incident at Qiankun Wenqing Valley was orchestrated by the God of Destruction, who instructed Huo Yuhao to do it!

Even their decision to descend to the mortal realm to investigate the murderer could very well be a trap set by the God of Destruction against the Shrek Seven Devils!

It was precisely because the God of Destruction had given prior notice that Huo Yuhao left contact information at Shrek Academy, a place where he and his companions might appear, so that he could capture them all in one fell swoop.

Otherwise, how could he explain that Huo Yuhao appeared so timely when he had only just arrived at Shrek Academy?

The clues that connect to him are not limited to these; all the things that had puzzled him before now make sense.

No wonder Xiao Qi's memory seal had problems. This was probably another trick that the God of Destruction instructed Huo Yuhao to use as a threat at a critical moment!

No wonder the God Realm seemed to have no reaction to the fact that so much time had passed since he and Dai Mubai revealed their cultivation levels. It was as if they were deliberately waiting for them to die in the lower realm.

No wonder the God of Destruction didn't object at all when Tang San suggested that the God of Emotions go down to the mortal realm to investigate. It's likely that Huo Yuhao had already fabricated evidence to point the finger at Tang San, and wasn't afraid of failing to frame him!

What a vicious plan this is!

The thought that the God of Destruction had orchestrated all of this himself, yet had previously pretended to be something he wasn't in the Sea God's palace, deceiving them all, filled him with a burning hatred.

It's just about controlling the central hub of the divine realm. Third Brother clearly stated that he didn't covet power, but only had to refuse his request to expand the divine realm because of the impending calamity. I never expected this guy to be so ruthless. Not only did he hold a grudge, but he even wanted to kill all of them, the opponents!

Without the slightest hesitation, he subconsciously transmitted his deduction to Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, who still retained some consciousness, and urgently instructed them.

"Boss Dai, Zhu Qing, we've all been fooled! If I'm not mistaken, Rongrong's death was likely bait used by the God of Destruction to lure us down to the mortal realm, and his plan for this incident wasn't just to frame Third Brother!"

"After all, if we all die in the Douluo Continent, Third Brother will be left to fend for himself in the God Realm. At that time, he can use the excuse of violating the rules of the God Realm to imprison Third Brother and launch a coup without any scruples."

"Given the ruthlessness with which he has treated us, I fear the God of Destruction might feign an accident while punishing Third Brother, using this opportunity to truly and completely eliminate him!"

Although he was severely injured and lying on the ground, his head was spinning, an unprecedented anger still burst forth in Dai Mubai's dim eyes after hearing Ma Hongjun's explanation.

"That damned God of Destruction! He's so vicious and ruthless in his pursuit of control over the central authority of the divine realm! He's utterly unworthy of being a law enforcer!"

At the same time, in the destroyed castle of the gods, a man shrouded in purple robes involuntarily sneezed.

".?"

He raised his hand and rubbed his nose, looking suspicious. "Could it be that that bastard Tang San is secretly cursing me behind my back?"

"Yes, that's why we absolutely cannot let him have his way!"

Upon hearing Dai Mubai's voice, Ma Hongjun's tone suddenly became resolute, as well as impassioned and selfless.

"Ten thousand years ago, Third Brother led us all the way to this height that the world looks up to. Without Third Brother, we wouldn't even have the qualifications to become gods. So no matter what, we must send this message back!"

"Even if this doesn't allow Third Brother to turn the tide, it will at least make him wary of the God of Destruction, preventing him from being ambushed by such a malicious person!"

Upon hearing this, a bitter expression flashed across Dai Mubai's face.

He looked at his broken body and sighed softly.

"Given our current state, there's no way we can escape from Huo Yuhao, let alone bring the news back to the God Realm."

"There is a chance."

Ma Hongjun said without hesitation, "I will activate the Flame of Life with all my might and attempt to self-destruct to try and open an escape route for you. With Zhu Qing's speed, we might be able to succeed."

Dai Mubai's body trembled, and two streams of tears immediately flowed from his eyes: "Fatty."

As for Zhu Zhuqing, who was standing to the side, she inexplicably recalled her deal with Huo Yuhao just now.

If Ma Hongjun hadn't suddenly ignited the flame of life and caused trouble, they might have already returned to the God Realm by now.

If Huo Yuhao was truly trained by the God of Destruction, then why did he agree to make a deal with her and let them go in the beginning?

Is it because they don't know the true purpose of the God of Destruction?

Or perhaps he was actually dissatisfied with the God of Destruction and wanted to break free from his control, so he took the opportunity to cause trouble?

Unable to figure it out for the time being, she could only put it aside for the time being and focus on the things at hand.

The flames on Ma Hongjun's body rose again, as if he were turning his body into firewood and burning it all away.

"Boss Dai, enough said. We already made the wrong choice once, this time we must fight with all our might, it's all or nothing. Let's go!"

As the last word fell with unwavering resolve, he actually abandoned his advantage of being at a distance and charged towards Huo Yuhao.

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao first raised his eyebrows in surprise, then glanced indifferently at Zhu Zhuqing, who was trying to escape with Dai Mubai.

As if he understood something, he opened and closed his lips, coldly instructing the sea princess beside him.

"Leave her here for ten seconds."

Ten seconds to take care of Ma Hongjun!

"it is good."

The Sea Princess nodded slightly, and her first, fourth, fifth, and sixth spirit rings lit up one after another.

Soul shock, nightmare, song of the ocean.

Almost the instant the skill was activated, Zhu Zhuqing's body stiffened, and she uncontrollably fell into a dream.

Just like the curse of Ocean Heart, although one Dream of the Awakening cannot control Zhu Zhuqing for too long, with the repeated release of Ocean Song, its control time is exaggerated to a level that no other skill can match.

If there's anything regrettable, it's that Jingmeng couldn't achieve group control when facing deities like Zhu Zhuqing and Ma Hongjun.

After all, there are intervals between repeated releases of soul skills. With Huo Yuhao's current mental strength, it is already very difficult to control one second-level god continuously. If he releases it on two at the same time, it will inevitably cause a gap in the duration of the Dream-Startling Technique.

This is also why Huo Yuhao didn't use this move when facing both the Netherworld White Tiger and Ma Hongjun at the same time. If it's this difficult for a second-level god, then it's even more impossible to control a first-level god.

"Zhu Qing!?"

Seeing the other person standing there with a blank look in their eyes, Dai Mubai couldn't help but be taken aback for a moment. After realizing that this was Huo Yuhao's doing, his expression darkened even more.

Who exactly is this guy? How come he has so many skills, each one more bizarre than the last?!

With his experience, he could naturally tell that this skill could only control one person at a time. If he still had the strength left, he could have turned the tables and run away with Zhu Zhuqing. But the problem is that he is seriously injured now!

The erosion from the light of time and space, coupled with the phoenix flames contained in the meteor shower, meant that his body had no chance of recovering in the short term. Let alone running away, he wouldn't even be able to stand up if Zhu Zhuqing hadn't helped him.

Now that Zhu Zhuqing is under charges, the two of them are practically facing certain death.

Now, all he can do is pray that Ma Hongjun can make a breakthrough.

However, just as he subconsciously turned his head to check the situation on the other side of the battlefield, what he saw made his pupils shrink.

The strangely shaped sickle, resembling a work of art, pierced through Ma Hongjun's chin from bottom to top, and due to the curve of the blade, its tip also pierced through his unconsciously open mouth.

Huo Yuhao's condition wasn't much better. Without activating his Ice Emperor Martial Soul, his resistance to the Phoenix Flame was greatly reduced. Being so close to Ma Hongjun, his upper body felt like it was on fire. His originally fair skin cracked inch by inch, and large areas of burns appeared, with even faint signs of blackening and carbonization.

It's unclear whether it was out of respect for Ma Hongjun's willingness to die, contempt for the Phoenix Flame, or simply to fulfill the promise of finishing off the opponent in ten seconds.

Huo Yuhao seemed oblivious to the pain, bathing in the flames and staring intently at the figure before him whose jaw had been pierced by a scythe.

Ma Hongjun, who was involved, was stunned by the scene.

After staring at each other for a long time, he seemed to finally see the true nature hidden behind those eyes. He coughed up a mouthful of blood that was burned to nothingness as soon as it left his mouth, and couldn't help but chuckle twice.

"Such arrogance is truly unprecedented in my life. You damned bastard, you're a complete madman."

He endured the excruciating pain in his chin and struggled to raise his hand to grab Huo Yuhao, but the ferocious expression on his face strangely began to soften.

It was as if the anger and resentment were gradually fading away from him, and a sense of indifference, free from desires and wants, gradually spread from the bottom of Ma Hongjun's heart, making his expression gradually calm.

Five seconds later, as his hand fell limply to the ground, the light in his eyes dimmed completely, and even the flame of life burning in his body disappeared.

She neither cried nor laughed, made no further sound, and would no longer respond to the outside world.

They were clearly still alive, but they gave the impression of being completely dead.

This made Dai Mubai, who was standing to the side, feel a chill run down his spine.

"Fatty."

His voice trembled as he instinctively called out the other person's name, but all he received was silence.

The next second, after devouring Ma Hongjun's desires, the Scythe of Sin seemed to have eaten some kind of super tonic, and began to tremble uncontrollably. Huo Yuhao could clearly feel that its quality had improved considerably in the process.

Before he could react, an extremely pure energy flowed into his body through the hands that were gripping the long handle.

In an instant, both the body, which was severely injured by the Phoenix Flame, and the mental energy, which was nearly exhausted due to the continuous release of skills by the Song of the Ocean, began to recover at an extremely fast speed.

Even after fully making up for the deficit, Huo Yuhao clearly felt that his mental strength cultivation had also made a significant breakthrough, reaching a point not far from the second level of divine sense.

As for soul power cultivation, since it is already capped at level 90, progress cannot be directly observed.

It truly possesses an ability that is beyond evil.

Huo Yuhao clicked his tongue inwardly in amazement.

If a second-level deity can bring such a huge boost to both him and the Scythe of Sin, one can imagine how much his strength would increase if he were to be hit by a first-level deity or a god-king.

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His initial judgment was indeed correct; it's best to use this weapon sparingly, otherwise one's mindset might change without realizing it.

When that time comes, it won't be people controlling weapons, but weapons controlling people.

He casually pulled the scythe from Ma Hongjun's chin, grabbed the man's body, and shoved him back into the undead plane.

Although the ability was somewhat sinister, it must be said that the scythe did indeed help him a great deal.

Interrupting the burning of the flame of life means that he no longer needs to go to great lengths to preserve the essence of the phoenix flame from being burned out. He can simply leave it there and wait for Sister Xiaotao to absorb it together.

In high spirits, he put away the Scythe of Sin and looked at Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing with a smile.

"It's your turn."

Tap, tap, tap...

The soles of my shoes made a slightly sticky sound as they stepped on the melting earth, like a countdown to death.

Zhu Zhuqing seemed to have finally woken up at this moment. Although there was still a lingering sense of confusion from waking up from a dream in her eyes, she quickly understood the situation when she saw Huo Yuhao walking slowly towards her and Ma Hongjun disappearing.

She didn't beg for mercy, because she knew it wouldn't do any good.

She didn't back down, because she knew that running away would be pointless.

As if accepting her fate, she silently placed Dai Mubai on the ground, took two steps forward, and stared at Huo Yuhao as if facing a formidable enemy.

Prepare for a final stand.

Huo Yuhao remained unmoved and continued straight ahead until he reached her, at which point he coldly reminded her.

"Get out of the way."

"..."

As if she had already anticipated this scene, Zhu Zhuqing remained silent for a moment before gently reminding him.

"I'm also one of the Seven Devils, aren't you going to kill me?"

"Cutting weeds and eliminating the roots is something you need to do when dealing with people who might seek revenge in the future. As for you, do you think you'll still have the ability to take revenge on me after Dai Mubai dies?"

Huo Yuhao coldly looked down at her: "At this moment, what you need to do is not to question me in front of me, but to be glad that you have not shown any murderous intent towards me, and be glad that you have taken care of the civilians."

If it were anyone else, even if Huo Yuhao himself wasn't worried about retaliation, he would definitely kill them to prevent them from retaliating against their companions. But Zhu Zhuqing is different.

Judging from her attitude alone, she wouldn't do such a thing.

However, Zhu Zhuqing firmly shook her head: "Since you heard what I said before, you should also know that what is prompting me to stop here at this moment is still my bottom line."

She glanced back at Dai Mubai, her voice resolute and unwavering: "Protecting my companions and my husband to the best of my ability is also something I must do."

Dai Mubai was stunned. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Huo Yuhao's voice.

"I wouldn't mind knocking you out first."

Zhu Zhuqing took a half-step back warily and couldn't help but ask.

"Is my previous suggestion still valid?"

Do you think it's possible?

Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes, his expression towards Zhu Zhuqing laced with sarcasm: "What, you were just saying you'd protect your comrades a second ago, and now you're ready to betray them to save your own husband's life?"

"No, I don't intend to use my companions as a condition."

Zhu Zhuqing shook her head and offered a new deal: "I will use myself as the bargaining chip in this transaction."

"Zhu Qing!?"

Dai Mubai's eyes widened, and he instinctively began to struggle.

As proud as he was, how could he allow his wife to exchange her life for his survival?

Unfortunately, neither of them paid any attention to him from beginning to end.

Seemingly surprised by Zhu Zhuqing's words, Huo Yuhao looked her up and down, his tone strange: "You plan to die in Dai Mubai's place?"

"No, I want both of them to live."

Looking up to meet Huo Yuhao's eyes, Zhu Zhuqing tried her best to make her voice sound calm.

"If I'm not mistaken, you and the God of Destruction aren't entirely on the same page. So, rather than directly killing him, a deity who can offer some assistance is more in your interest, isn't it?"

"Similarly, with me as a hostage, you don't need to worry about Dai Mubai retaliating afterward... What do you think of this proposal?"

"This is really interesting..."

Although he knew that Zhu Zhuqing might have misunderstood his relationship with the God of Destruction, Huo Yuhao did not explain. Instead, he seriously considered the pros and cons.

Without a doubt, no matter how you look at it, Zhu Zhuqing's proposal was one he couldn't refuse.

Moreover, the other party was right about one thing: the God of Destruction's attitude was indeed unclear, and could even be described as malicious.

With the Seven Devils descending to the mortal realm on such a large scale, it's impossible that the other side wouldn't have noticed. Yet, until now, the God Realm hasn't taken any action, instead allowing Ma Hongjun to cause such destruction. One can imagine what the God of Destruction is thinking.

In this situation, even if it's just to be prepared, he must try his best to win over those combat forces capable of participating in battles of this level.

Although Zhu Zhuqing is only a second-level god without the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, don't forget that he still has Ning Rongrong on his side.

If a major battle were to break out, the two of them working together could easily hold off a first-level god...

Seeing that Huo Yuhao was clearly somewhat tempted, Dai Mubai struggled even more violently.

He was facing a formidable enemy who had personally murdered his brother's wife and crippled another brother, yet he could do nothing about it. He even had to watch helplessly as his wife became a prisoner in exchange for his own survival.

This is worse than killing him.

And who knows if Huo Yuhao will force Zhu Zhuqing to do something to her after she becomes a hostage?

It's like those wives who, in order to prevent their husbands from being targeted by nobles, had to agree to the nobles' demands and went alone to their luxurious mansions in the dead of night.

The thought that the other party might be manipulated in one way or another after submitting to Huo Yuhao, or even completely reduced to a plaything that only knows how to babble, made Dai Mubai feel as if his heart was being torn apart.

He was spitting out mouthfuls of blood as he roared at Zhu Zhuqing.

"Zhuqing, don't worry about me, you go quickly!"

"I'm not afraid to die! As long as you deliver the message to Tang San and expose the true face of the God of Destruction, then my death and Fatty's death will have meaning!"

However, Zhu Zhuqing just stared at him in silence for a long time before speaking softly.

"Dai Mubai, after doing this, I have a clear conscience, both for you and for the Shrek Seven Devils."

"..."

Dai Mubai trembled, and tears welled up in his eyes again. He opened his mouth, but could only utter painful and meaningless hoarse sounds.

No, why do I sound like a tyrant who abducted a woman?

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao muttered to himself, but his hands moved without slowing down at all.

He raised his hand and summoned an ancient-looking parchment scroll, then spoke coldly to Zhu Zhuqing.

"Now that you've made your decision, just sign it."

(End of this chapter)