The taut chain suddenly exploded in a flash of sparks, violently forcing the two combatants apart.
“Demon-Slaying Hamr!” Ghost Monarch Green-Celestial shouted coldly.
The chain and hamr reconnected, whirling with fierce montum, slicing through the air as he swung it toward Ghost Monarch Nether-Pri.
The latter’s staff pulsed rapidly, forming a golden shield of tal energy in front of him.
The Demon-Slaying Hamr smashed against the shield, the shockwave powerful enough to fracture the very air around them.
“Nether Grip!” Ghost Monarch Nether-Pri extended his other hand.
A swirl of dark power roiled within his palm, manifesting the boundless might of the Underworld itself. That energy condensed into a spectral claw that lunged at Ghost Monarch Green-Celestial.
Ghost Monarch Green-Celestial wasn’t about to back down. His hamr spun faster and faster, forming a tornado of iron and fury, as though countless hamrs were battering the heavens.
The two devastating forces collided, kicking up a storm that sent waves of yellow sand billowing across the desert, blotting out the sky.
Both Ghost Monarchs were blasted backward by the impact.
Then, suddenly, a divine light erupted all around them.
“Not good, it’s the gods!” soone shouted, faces turning pale.
Before anyone could react, Xu Zimo felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder.
A surge of overwhelming power gripped him and pulled him through the fabric of space itself.
“The gods are taking him, stop them!” both Ghost Monarchs roared when they saw what was happening.
They struck at Xu Zimo simultaneously. The Demon-Slaying Hamr hurtled forward, its intent to kill rather than capture, better to destroy him than let the gods take him.
But from the void ca a cold, disdainful hum. A jade-like hand, shining with divine radiance, appeared out of thin air.
A golden explosion erupted before the hamr, blasting it away.
In the next instant, the air cald, and Xu Zimo vanished without a trace.
“Damn it. The gods must have planned this all along,” Ghost Monarch Nether-Pri growled, his face grim.
“This is too big for just the two of us,” said Ghost Monarch Green-Celestial evenly. “We should contact the other Ghost Monarchs.”
“You just want them to take a share of the spoils,” Nether Capital said bitterly.
“Don’t be greedy,” Ghost Monarch Green-Celestial warned. “This isn’t just about spoils anymore, it’s about whether our ghost race or the gods will claim the Flowers of Death.”
Hearing that, Nether Capital fell silent for a long mont before finally nodding.
Indeed, their strength alone was limited. If the gods sent many of their elite, not only would they fail to obtain the Flowers of Death, they might lose their lives as well.
“What about him?” they both turned to look at the only one left, Xie Changliu.
“Take him with us. He might still be useful,” said Ghost Monarch Nether-Pri. “Until we find the Flowers of Death, don’t kill him.”
A burst of divine light tore through the air, and after drifting through the void for so ti, Xu Zimo’s body was pulled into a secluded valley.
When he opened his eyes, he saw five or six people standing around him.
Each radiated divine power, their eyes sharp and luminous, clad in resplendent golden armor.
Xu Zimo remained silent, observing them calmly. Four n, one woman, the one who had pulled him out was the woman.
“You’re much calr than I expected,” the woman said.
Xu Zimo still didn’t speak, only gazing at them with a faint, knowing smile.
“You dare act arrogant when you’re a prisoner?” one of the n snapped, irritated by Xu Zimo’s expression.
“Boy, if we hadn’t saved you, you think those ghosts would’ve let you live?”
“Can you guarantee I’ll live now?” Xu Zimo countered flatly.
“As long as you cooperate,” said another man, apparently their leader. He wore a golden armor with a white cloak draped over his shoulders, his features sharp and commanding. “Once our task is done, we’ll let you go.”
“Cooperate in what?” Xu Zimo asked.
“Tell us everything you know,” the leader said.
“They’re looking for Sunflower City,” Xu Zimo said calmly. “They believe it holds the secret of the Flowers of Death.”
Telling the gods wasn’t a problem, his only goal was to reach Sunflower City. Who escorted him there didn’t matter.
“And then?” the leader pressed.
“There is no ‘then,’” Xu Zimo said with a shrug. “We were on our way to Sunflower City when you intercepted us.”
“That matches what we’ve found,” one of the gods murmured, exchanging glances with the others.
“How’s God General Sun-Moon’s progress?” the leader asked.
“He’s already contacting the others. Soon all sixteen Divine Cities will be assembled,” another replied.
“Good. But don’t get complacent,” the leader warned. “At Sunflower City, there’s bound to be a major battle between us and the ghosts.”
Everyone nodded in agreent.
“We’ll go ahead as scouts,” the leader continued, glancing at the lone woman among them. “Thousand River, you’ll stay behind.”
“Why can’t I go?” Thousand River protested imdiately.
“We’re just scouting,” he explained patiently. “Too many people will draw attention.”
“Then don’t take them either! I don’t care, if you won’t let co, I’ll sneak along on my own,” she said stubbornly.
“You...!” The leader sighed deeply.
Finally, he relented. “Fine. You can co, but you’ll follow orders and act only when commanded.”
“Thank you, big brother!” Thousand River bead, her face lighting up.
“What about this ghost race man?” soone asked, looking toward Xu Zimo.
“He’s useless now. Let’s just kill him, no point dragging him along,” another suggested.
“Didn’t you say you’d let go if I cooperated?” Xu Zimo asked evenly, unruffled.
“Brother, let’s not kill him,” Thousand River interjected quickly. “Otherwise, people will say our Primal God Race doesn’t keep its word.”
“Take him to Sunflower City first,” the leader decided after a mont’s thought. “We’ll decide his fate there.”
He took a golden rope from his storage ring, a shimring cord that floated in the air before wrapping itself tightly around Xu Zimo, ensuring he couldn’t escape.
“You’d best not try anything,” the leader warned him.
Two of the divine warriors grabbed Xu Zimo and led him out of the valley, heading toward Sunflower City.
“Brother,” Thousand River asked curiously along the way, “what kind of place is this Sunflower City anyway? How co I’ve never heard of it?”
“Of course you haven’t,” the leader said with a chuckle. “It’s a ruined city, long forgotten for tens of millions of years. If not for a few scattered records in our race’s archives, even we wouldn’t know it existed.”
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