"I wonder who activated the formation." Zhang Lie looked far away and only saw that, within the green sea of fire, there was a huge amount of white floc. The white floc was not razed by the fire. Instead, it infused with the True Torch of Ksitigarbha and caused the True Torch of Ksitigarbha to look more peculiar.
Kang Nanhua looked at where the formation was and an ominous feeling rose in his heart, "Wang Lin told us that a familiar elder in black robes murdered you, but it didn't seem real. He said that you may be hiding somewhere else."
"Even if it's not real, you must be gravely hurt too. Now it seems like he was right."
Zhang Lie smiled, "So all of you split up to find me? Wang Lin is indeed vicious. I didn't think he would see through me."
As Kang Nanhua's mind wavered, he suddenly received Yang Qing's message. His expression changed. Besides him and Yue Hongyan, Yang Qing and the rest were all trapped in the formation!
Zhang Lie smiled, "That is my Crimson God-Exterminating Formation. The True Torch of Ksitigarbha was cultivated using countless poisons and converted into a boundless ocean of poison. Once the formation is exhibited, no one can escape. If I helm it, no one, including normal Immortal Soul Stage cultivators, can escape. They can only feel tortured as they are burned."
"Although I am unable to helm it, the formation has already been activated. Aurous Core Stage and Nascent Soul Stage cultivators won't be able to stand it.
Zhang Lie looked at Kang Nanhua, "I planned to capture all of you in one shot, but who knew that all of you split up?"
He lowered his head suddenly and laughed deeply, "However, this is good too. This is better than I expected."
"In my formation, you will be tormented by the poisonous fire. Even if you work with others, it's also difficult to escape. But this formation does not guard against outside elements. If someone on the outside is working with someone on the inside, it can be overcome. However…"
Zhang Lie lifted his head up and laughed at Kang Nanhua, "Nanhua, as you see, because I was exhibiting a secret spell just now, I am now in a weak state. Although the Extermination Pole-Ax is here to protect me, you can still threaten my life."
"However, I have the Extermination Pole-Ax in my hands. You will still require some time to kill me. The people in the formation may not have the time to wait for you to rescue them after killing me."
"Furthermore, if you really want to kill me, you will have to pay some sort of price. Whether you have any remaining energy to rescue the rest, it's hard to say."
He laughed while looking at the light ball far away, "Wang Lin can go and save them, but it's a pity that he is trapped by Sikong You's Nightly Ghost Grand Formation. Even if he can escape, he can't sense the activation of my formation as he's pulled to void space by the Nightly Ghost Grand Formation."
"You don't have to try contacting him instead. If you are not in the Immortal Soul Stage, your powers can't transcend the Nightly Ghost Grand Formation. He can contact all of you, but there's no way that it can be two-sided."
Zhang Lie paused for a moment and seemed to have been contacted by someone else, "Oh, Hongyan is also acting on her own and is not trapped in the formation. So, the ones in the formation are Yang Qing and the rest?"
"Nanhua, you don't have to count on Hongyan. Her hands are full at the moment. Even if she does receive news, she will not be able to act quickly."
Zhang Lie clapped his palms and looked at Kang Nanhua, "So, Nanhua, only you have the energy to save them."
"However, don't say that I did not remind you. Although my powers take some time to recover, I won't take too long. After you save them, I will be at roughly 80% of my peak strength. When I leave this place, killing me will not be as easy anymore."
Kang Nanhua's pupils shrank, "Zhang Lie, why are you doing this?"
Zhang Lie laughed lightly, "Nanhua, if I did not recall wrongly, to you, the most important belief is to hold true to your promise. If you make a promise, you will not break it for your entire life."
"You don't make promises easily. But whatever you promised others, you will fulfil it even if it costs your life."
"Before Hongfeng passed away, you promised him that you will help me to protect the Liefeng Covenant. I was there too." Zhang Lie said, "After that, you did fulfil your promise. You helped us to resist the Great Zhou Empire even though we are not related to you, even though you knew that what we were doing was futile. You still kept your promise."
"You never joined the sect, but now you are the sect guardian of the Celestial Sect of Wonders. To you, joining the Celestial Sect of Wonders is also a promise. I believe you will do your best for the sect, am I right?"
Zhang Lie laughed, "That's good. Now, the question is simple. Will you kill me to avenge the Liefeng Covenant, or will you save the disciples of the Celestial Sect of Wonders?"
He looked at Kang Nanhua and turned his head slightly, "Don't think of killing me now. You will have plenty of opportunities in the future. If I can escape this time, as long as Lin Feng is still around, I won't reveal myself. I don't want to incur his wrath."
"Believe me, if you couldn't find me previously, you won't be able to find me again either. That is unless the Celestial Sect of Wonders rules the Grand Celestial World and no one dares to disobey them."
"But no one has done it before. Even the Demonic Emperor from the Primordial Age was a little off from doing so."
"Even if Lin Feng can do so, I wonder if you can live to see that day? Things change. Even Immortal Soul Stage cultivators die."
Zhang Lie laughed suddenly, "Yes, I just thought of something."
He laughed while looking at Kang Nanhua before asking, "Nanhua, when you were young, did you stay in a small village for some time? Let me count…it must have been over 70 years ago. 76 or 77 years ago?"
Kang Nanhua's pupils contracted suddenly and he glared at Zhang Lie, exuding an intense killing intent. "How did you know? Don't tell me, it's you?!"
Zhang Lie was unbothered about Kang Nanhua's rage. He revealed a reminiscent look, "I was quite young then too. 20 years old? I was still in the Foundation Establishment Stage. When I was cultivating, I almost went crazy. I was maniacal. After that, I stumbled upon that village accidentally and killed many people as I lost control."
"When I regained my consciousness, I was very regretful. I was even fearful and guilty. That matter became a knot in my heart ever since and almost affected my path to forming the Aurous Core as well as the Tribulations of the Yin Wind and Fire."
"But as I think about it now, I find it hilarious. However, that's the first time I showed how good I was. But I didn't know then and only drowned myself in the feelings of regret and shame."
Zhang Lie looked at Kang Nanhua and laughed, "Nanhua, that time was also the first time I heard your name. There was a lady in the village who kept on mumbling your name before she died. She had a very basic cultivation level too. Was she your disciple or what?"
Kang Nanhua retracted his fury and tried to calm down, as if he had no emotions.
But his killing intent expanded gradually.
Zhang Lie laughed, "How? Does hearing this make it easier for you to make a choice?"
The smile on his face also vanished and his expression turned calm. It was so calm that it seemed a little numb, "That's why I always say that the former unwavering principles and beliefs of a person may not be what he truly wants. At some point in time, he will realize what's important to him, and the things that he once valued were actually worthless."
"Take this opportunity to kill me and relieve your anger. Untie the knot that you have always had all these years. Revenge may not mend all your regrets, but it can comfort the spirits of those who have perished."
"Or continue to stay true to your beliefs and fulfil your promise, saving the disciples of the Celestial Sect of Wonders?"
"Nanhua, what are you going to do?"
Zhang Lie lifted his head to look at the green sea of fire in the distance. He revealed a smile on his lip, "Seeing someone destroy the old him is something very interesting. As compared to cultivating mantras, it is more interesting …"
His vision turned towards the other side. He saw through void space and could subtly see a hole in space that had opened. In the universe, countless stars shimmered but a ferocious star was particularly eye-catching. It seemed to gather the killer aura of the entire Heavens and Earth.
"Seven Merciless Stars…" Zhang Lie mumbled. The Extermination Pole-Ax in his hands jerked a little.
In that direction, a purple light was filled with killing intent, as if it wanted to exterminate all life. It transcended void space, bursting towards the Crimson God-Exterminating Formation.
But very soon, a huge drum appeared in the sky. One side of the drum was white and the other side was black.
In the next moment, the drum rang and streaks and streaks of black-white ripples expanded from it, trapping the purplish radiance.
In void space, a lady with red hair and who wore a purple armor appeared. She glared at the black-white drum furiously. She was Yue Hongyan.
This black-white drum was a magic treasure. Its name was the Yin-Yang Soul Dissipating Drum. Beneath the drum, there were three cultivators. They smiled at her creepily.
The three of them were in the Advanced Stage of the Nascent Soul Stage. One of them was an elder and his hands seemed to be holding a pagoda, as he raised the black-white drum.
As for the other two cultivators, one was them was wearing a white shirt while the other was wearing black. Each of them held a skeleton drumstick that seemed even larger than the both of them. They stood on both sides of the drum, as they struck the drum with the drumstick.
Yue Hongyan wore the Seven Merciless Star Armor. Even if they summoned the Yin-Yang Soul-Dissipating Armor, they would not be able to win her easily. But they did not hope to win her either. They just wanted to waste her time, so that she couldn't free herself up to save those in the formation.
The cultivator in black that was striking the drum smiled while saying, "I heard Yue Hongyan from the Celestial Sect of Wonders would never shy away from a battle. Why are you in such a hurry to leave today?"