Undying Life

Chapter 592: Cycle of the Deadlock

"No!"

Xu Fu's refusal made the situation extremely awkward. What had seemed like a clear plan became increasingly murky, as if shrouded in a dense fog, leaving Lu Guitian and his allies very displeased. After Zhong Shan raised this difficult issue, it ironically seemed as though he had removed himself from the situation.

With Zhong Shan unwilling to leave, Di Xuanha naturally stayed as well, and the atmosphere grew even more stifling.

The tension was so thick that it felt suffocating to the countless alchemists present. The prolonged stalemate wasn't a viable solution, and the longer it dragged on, the higher the chance that Wu Jiutian would arrive. Perhaps at any moment, Wu Jiutian could suddenly appear, turning this ambush into a complete failure.

Of course, Nie Fancheng couldn't escape now either. If he tried to flee, Xu Fu would stop supporting him, leaving him to face three Heavenly Realm experts. Even if they couldn't defeat him outright, one could monitor Di Xuanha's movements while the other two focused on Nie Fancheng.

Thus, Nie Fancheng was stuck, unable to leave. Shen Ya Daojun and his allies couldn't act due to Di Xuanha's presence. Di Xuanha stayed because of Zhong Shan, who stayed because of Xu Fu's attitude, who in turn stayed due to concern for Nie Fancheng's safety. Nie Fancheng was constrained by Shen Ya Daojun and the others, as well as Xu Fu. And Shen Ya Daojun and his allies were wary of Di Xuanha.

This created a cyclical deadlock, where everyone was stuck, unable to move. It felt like being trapped in quicksand—having the strength but unable to use it, causing immense frustration.

After a period of silence, Lu Guitian's face turned green with anger. What had seemed like a perfect plan, flawless and seamless, had now become convoluted with one unexpected variable after another. The looming pressure of Wu Jiutian's potential arrival only added to the tension.

Lu Guitian and Shen Ya Daojun exchanged a glance, both sensing the escalating complexity of the situation. The delicate balance they were in could be shattered by any external intervention, leading to chaos.

Who could break this deadlock?

Suddenly, Shen Ya Daojun's lips curled into a smile.

"Prince Lietian, hasn't the Ten Suns Sky Formation dealt with the old eunuch yet?" Shen Ya Daojun called out towards the west.

In the west, within the vast fire domain, the Ten Suns Sky Formation raged intensely, indicating an unprecedented battle within. This formation was exceedingly powerful, capable of trapping even a Heavenly Realm expert.

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Inside the fiery domain, Prince Lietian was squinting at the external situation while dealing with the old eunuch. He had been monitoring everything outside, missing nothing.

Shen Ya Daojun's shout made Prince Lietian tense up. While any prince's name might seem the same to outsiders, Prince Lietian found it strange that Shen Ya Daojun specifically called for him. He and Shen Ya Daojun were not well-acquainted, rarely meeting even among the ten princes.

Why him? Did Shen Ya Daojun discover something?

Taking a deep breath, Prince Lietian's eyes turned cold. With a wave of his sleeve, the fire domain's flames doubled in size. The raging solar fire expanded explosively, incinerating countless powerful spectators on the western outskirts before they could escape, turning them to ash in an instant.

The power of the Ten Suns Sky Formation suddenly amplified exponentially. Prince Lietian, now fully committed to the battle, held nothing back.

The formation's increased power exerted unprecedented pressure on the old eunuch trapped inside. For the first time, the old eunuch felt the real threat of death, as if the next moment could be his last.

"How could this be? How could a Heavenly Realm expert like me die at the hands of a group of Imperial Realm cultivators?"

"Roar!"

With a tremendous roar, the old eunuch activated a secret technique, temporarily boosting his strength. The power of a Heavenly Realm expert using a secret technique was truly terrifying.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The earth-shaking explosions rattled everyone to their core. The old eunuch's formidable power transformed from launching individual fireballs to creating massive curtains of flame, like waterfalls of fire cascading in all directions.

Beyond this, everything became unclear as the western sky trembled and blurred. All that was visible was the overwhelming fire.

"Essence of Fire, perish!"

From within the flames, Prince Lietian's voice rang out.

"Ah!"

The old eunuch's roar of despair echoed with bitterness, rage, and hopelessness, his cry reverberating across the entire Blue Flame City.

"Boom!"

The Ten Suns Sky Formation exploded, scattering flames everywhere, causing another wave of destruction. This day would be remembered as a day of disaster for Blue Flame City and a day of humiliation for the Blue Flame Empire.

As the flames dissipated, they revealed the powerful figures within.

Ten proud, golden-robed men showed faint expressions of excitement. The ten princes of Taishou were naturally thrilled. Killing a Heavenly Realm expert with Imperial Realm power was a feat worthy of pride.

High above, ten massive suns hovered, each containing a three-legged golden crow. These crows, with their enormous wings, flew towards the palace.

In the claws of one golden crow was the charred corpse of the old eunuch.

Dead?

The alchemists in the plaza swallowed hard. A Heavenly Realm expert, dead?

Nie Fancheng's eyes reddened as he glared at the golden crow's claws, seething with fury. An icy chill emanated from him.

As the ten golden crows approached, Nie Fancheng launched an attack, only to be intercepted by Shen Ya Daojun and Lu Guitian.

"Boom!"

The combined efforts of the two Heavenly Realm experts neutralized most of the energy. The golden crow remained unharmed, but the corpse of the old eunuch was dropped.

Nie Fancheng caught the body, his eyes filled with boundless hatred.

"Now it's your turn," Lu Guitian said coldly, staring at Nie Fancheng.

The Ten Suns Sky Formation had proven capable of killing a Heavenly Realm expert. Even if it couldn't handle Di Xuanha, it could certainly keep him at bay, preventing him from launching any sneak attacks.

"All of you, guard against him with all your might. Lu Guitian and I will kill Nie Fancheng!" Shen Ya Daojun shouted with excitement.

Shen Ya Daojun's intention was clear: he wanted the ten Golden Crow Princes to keep an eye on Di Xuanha while he and Lu Guitian focused on killing Nie Fancheng. Although the princes hadn't seen Di Xuanha before, Prince Lietian surely had, otherwise, Shen Ya Daojun wouldn't have mentioned him specifically.

"Yes!" the ten princes responded in unison.

"Yes!" echoed the ten Golden Crows.

"Hahaha, Zhong Shan, today you are dead for sure!" Prince Chongtian exclaimed, his eyes sweeping over everyone until they landed on Zhong Shan, standing next to the Blue Flame Emperor.

At this moment, Prince Chongtian couldn't contain his excitement. Last time, he had nearly lost his life to Zhong Shan; this time, he was determined to make sure Zhong Shan couldn't escape. Emperor Realm? Just an Emperor Realm? With his ten brothers and ten Golden Crows, Zhong Shan was doomed.

Prince Chongtian's arrogant threat caused Shen Ya Daojun and Lu Guitian to stagger in mid-air, nearly falling. The determination to kill Nie Fancheng was abruptly interrupted.

Why? Because of Di Xuanha. Since Di Xuanha remained neutral, the Golden Crow Princes only needed to guard against him without engaging in combat. Once Nie Fancheng was killed, they could then deal with Di Xuanha.

But now, with Prince Chongtian's antagonism towards Zhong Shan, things changed.

Di Xuanha was clearly aligned with Zhong Shan. By provoking Zhong Shan, Prince Chongtian was effectively provoking Di Xuanha, pushing him into a decidedly hostile stance. Neutral Di Xuanha was already a significant deterrent; if he turned hostile, the situation would worsen dramatically.

"Chongtian, what grudge do you have with Zhong Shan?" Lu Guitian asked, exasperated.

Today was truly frustrating. What had started as a perfect ambush had devolved into a series of complications.

"A blood feud! A grudge that can never be reconciled!" Prince Chongtian said coldly.

Even now, Prince Chongtian hadn't noticed the strange reactions of those around him. His focus remained fixed on Zhong Shan.

A blood feud? An irreconcilable grudge?

This perfect ambush had become a farce. With Di Xuanha involved, even if they still had the upper hand, it would take a long time to resolve. By then, if Wu Jiutian arrived, they would have no chance of victory.

"Hahahahaha!"

Nie Fancheng laughed heartily, his laughter filled with excitement, mockery, and sorrow. Excitement because he was now certain he wouldn't die, mockery at the Taishou Heavenly Court's efforts turning into nothing, and sorrow for the old eunuch in his arms, a companion of thousands of years, who died because of his own greed.