"Gu, save me, save me! I have a hidden treasure in Shuzhou. If you save me, all the treasures in it are yours! That includes two Middle-Grade Spiritual Soldiers, five Marvels with different functions, and thirteen perfectly preserved Source Fruits!"

"And... there’s... there’s..."

He couldn’t get the rest of the words out. His voice grew fainter, his breathing weaker.

And yet, his wide eyes were filled with bitter resentment.

His body trembled slightly as he tried to resist, to struggle.

However, in the end, his legs gave a final kick, the light vanished from his eyes, and his heart stopped.

He was dead!

Gu Zheng watched the entire process, remaining calm the whole time.

If he had a Regeneration Source Fruit on him, saving Jiang Hao would have been no problem.

Unfortunately, a treasure like the Regeneration Source Fruit was incredibly rare. Finding one was pure luck.

Jiang Hao had been gravely wounded by an Earth Corpse and was already on the verge of death. His luck had long since run out.

’As for what he said, it’s probably true—the Spiritual Soldiers, Marvels, and Source Fruits in the treasure cache, and the fact that he was abandoned by the Fifth Prince and the Heir of King Hanshan.’

However, it was Jiang Hao’s choice to follow them, to throw in his lot with that group.

’Being abandoned now is something he brought upon himself.’

Of the Seven Demon Slayers, two were now dead, leaving only five.

Gu Zheng shook his head and turned to leave.

As his gaze fell on Jiang Hao’s weapon lying nearby, he used Absorption to draw it to him from a distance, then stored it in his Storage Leaf. It was a Middle-Grade Spiritual Soldier, after all.

Speaking of which, Jiang Hao’s background wasn’t very impressive.

He was a low-level Prison Guard, the kind who was just a temporary worker.

His humble origins had made him opportunistic, always looking for a chance to climb higher.

In the end, he chose the wrong people and sent himself to his grave.

Luo Cheng came from a servant background.

Huang Dajin was a dockworker who hauled heavy sacks.

Zhao Danv was a butcher at the street market.

Zuo Lingfeng was with the City Defense Bureau, an Auxiliary Soldier among the County Soldiers, which basically meant he did odd jobs.

Of the Seven Demon Slayers, Xiao Xianya’s background was the best. She was from a prominent family in Hongzhou City, and her family even had members who were officials in the prefectures and counties below.

It was because she had grown up so carefree that she developed such a laid-back personality.

...

Following Zhou Wanghai’s directions, they arrived at the altar’s location.

They took care of the hidden guards on the surface—two overt Super Bodies and one peak Super Body concealed in the shadows.

With Zhou Wanghai’s prior warning, Gu Zheng didn’t let a single one escape, killing them all.

Then, he entered the underground space. With the Chaotic Heaven Shield in front and the Divine Weapon Fragment flying at his side, he annihilated the guardian Earth Corpses and gained 22 Demon Points.

Finally, under the gaze of his Eyes of Golden Flame, dozens of blades shattered the altar’s core.

The fourth altar was dealt with!

One-third of the twelve altars were now destroyed.

"With one-third of the altars destroyed, what tier will the Evil God Avatar be when it descends?" Gu Zheng asked.

"Well..."

Eternal Star pondered, "It should... still be Tier Four, right?"

"I disagree," Zhou Wanghai retorted sternly. "It will definitely still be Tier Four!"

"What makes you so sure?" Eternal Star rolled their eyes.

"Because there are twelve altars in total," Zhou Wanghai said calmly. "When the Evil God Avatar descends, as long as half of the altars are intact, the power they channel will guarantee it’s at least Tier Four."

"That’s just your speculation, with no evidence to back it up," Eternal Star retorted, unconvinced. "Destroying even one altar will have unpredictable effects. It has nothing to do with the total number."

"Hah, you’re the one who’s speculating." Zhou Wanghai shot a glance at Eternal Star and replied deliberately, "I’ve read the key points of this Blood Sacrifice for Invoking the Gods. The number of altars is crucial!"

"Oh really? Then tell us, what are these key points?" Eternal Star lifted their chin. "The Divine Invitation Array is named for the blood sacrifice, and it requires a blood sacrifice. That proves the sacrifice is the most important part!"

"Did I say the blood sacrifice wasn’t important?" Zhou Wanghai shot back. "I was just..."

"Enough."

Gu Zheng said sharply, interrupting their squabble. "This bickering is pointless. If you two have the energy for this, you should use it to think about who else knows the altar locations."

"...Zhang Cheng also knows," Eternal Star answered respectfully. "But I don’t know where he is."

"This subordinate is incompetent. I await Master’s punishment!" Zhou Wanghai bowed deeply.

"Then it seems we have to go to the Royal City."

Gu Zheng mused, "First, we’ll head to the altar location Eternal Star knows, the one outside the city’s northern wall."

Since they didn’t know any other locations, their only option was to check the altar sites inside and outside the Royal City.

"Yes!"

Eternal Star replied respectfully.

The trio returned to the surface.

Gu Zheng picked up the other two and leaped into the air, flying straight toward their destination.

While they were still in mid-air...

HUMMMMM~!

The very air began to tremble.

From every direction, in scattered areas all across the Royal City, the ground quaked, releasing invisible waves of power.

The waves came one after another, vast and unending.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM~!

With a series of dull rumbles, the earth cracked open. One after another, pillars of blood-red light erupted from the fissures, shooting straight into the sky.

WHOOSH!

RUMBLE~!

A clap of thunder exploded in the sky, echoing over the entire city.

The pillars of blood-red light converged high in the sky, forming a vast, malevolent pattern.

At the center of the pattern was a monster with four heads, eight arms, and nine thick tentacles for a lower body. It was wreathed in lightning as it roared at the heavens.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM~

The blood-red pattern hung high in the firmament, glowing with a dazzling light against the already dim sky, drawing the eyes of everyone in the city.

"Oh no, the altars have been activated!"

Gu Zheng stopped. Eternal Star stared at the blood-red curtain of light in the sky and cried out in alarm, "The Great Divine Invitation Array has been initiated! Master, they’ve discovered our actions!"

"We have been discovered."

Gu Zheng’s sharp brows rose. "With four altars destroyed, the people backing you decided not to wait any longer. They’ve decisively activated the array ahead of schedule to summon the Evil God."

As soon as he finished speaking...

RUUUUMMMMBLE~!!