Chapter 2701 - 2700: Dragged into the Nine Nether

"How is it? Are you surprised, outsider?" Chao Yue said with a sly grin.

"Didn’t expect it, did you? Ku Zhen is me, Chao Yue is also me. I’ve been right by your side all along!" The black face smirked mysteriously.

At this moment, its face looked exceptionally eerie and terrifying.

Ling Feng struggled to calm his startled emotions, his mind rapidly processing everything, and finally, a faint smile appeared on his face.

Ling Feng shook his head and laughed, "Stop pretending, you’re not Chao Yue!"

The smile on the black face froze momentarily, and Song Ruozhao turned to look at Ling Feng on the bug beast’s back.

"Of course, you’re not Ku Zhen either. You’re no one!" Ling Feng threw out another shocking statement.

"You could be Ku Zhen, you could be Chao Yue, but you definitely can’t be both Chao Yue and Ku Zhen!" Ling Feng smiled confidently.

The black face stared coldly at Ling Feng.

"From the moment I arrived in this world, I’ve been wondering why a spatial storm suddenly appeared, and why I suddenly came to this world, only to be attacked by a devil beast as soon as I arrived,"

"At the time, I wasn’t suspicious, but the appearance of the black feather overturned my previous guesses. I first realized someone was manipulating everything from behind,"

"That was probably the first time. Our second meeting was on Dongzheng Mountain when we went demon-hunting; I activated my divine sense and probed the mountaintop, detecting the black aura,"

"But strangely, the mountain only had the purple aura of the raiders. So where did that black aura come from?"

"You might have possessed Chao Yue at that time, right?" Ling Feng looked at the black face.

"As for the third time, it was naturally when we left the ruins of Ku Zhen’s house. You thought you could sneak out to spy on our movements once we left, but you didn’t realize my divine sense was still active then,"

"Although I only saw a black mass, I was already cautious and completely aware of your existence,"

"As for why I could discover you this time, of course, the black patterns on your face were one clue, and another was your thorough understanding of Song Ruozhao’s past, and you even claimed to be Chao Yue,"

"Trying to mock us, were you? Well, unfortunately, you’ll have no chance. Reveal your true self, you ugly thing. Also, bring out the bodies of Ku Zhen and Chao Yue."

Ling Feng watched the black face becoming increasingly displeased, a wide grin spreading across his own face.

"Hahaha!" Suddenly, the black face burst into maniacal laughter, "Worthy of someone who dares challenge the Lord of the Three Realms! Ling Feng, you’re really something. I thought I had been very cautious, yet still slipped up!"

The black face began to swell, its visage contorting, until it spewed out two corpses.

One, naturally, was Chao Yue, old and dressed in a Daoist robe.

And the other, naturally, was Ku Zhen, clothed in brown garments.

"If I hadn’t planned to take them out to mock you, I would have devoured them long ago. But since Ling Feng asked me to show them, I obviously wouldn’t dare defy."

The black face displayed a grin, though it looked incredibly ugly.

Ling Feng fearlessly met the black face’s gaze: "What exactly are you, making me come to this world? What’s your scheme? You even know about my dealings with the Lord of the Three Realms, and quite a lot too."

"Though I don’t yet have the confidence to challenge such a magnificent being, my intention is merely to visit the Three Realms." Ling Feng smiled.

The black face’s form kept expanding, completely losing touch with the tree roots and hovering independently in the air.

Without the black face clinging to it, the tree roots quickly withered, causing the tree spirit to die instantly.

The black face transformed into a shadow, sprouting numerous black feathers — resembling a bird beast yet without wings, resembling a human yet devoid of limbs, not even any visible appendages.

The shadow manifested before the crowd in such a bizarre posture.

It sneered: "I am Zhou Ming from Nine Nether!"

Ling Feng watched Zhou Ming pause, seemingly anticipating applause for his name and origin, and couldn’t help but be slightly puzzled: "Go on, what are you really trying to do?"

"Why not allow me to visit the Three Realms?"

Zhou Ming’s body shrouded in swirling black mist: "I initially found it merely amusing, wishing to cause you some trouble, since if you died, I’d face difficulties dealing with it in Nine Nether,"

"Unexpectedly, you’re determined to risk going to the Three Realms. To block you, I led you to explore the world of Nine Provinces instead."

Ling Feng chuckled: "You think you’re protecting me, then?"

Zhou Ming’s red eyes gleamed: "If that’s your interpretation, so be it, because my superiors wouldn’t spare me if you perished."

Zhou Ming feigned a pitiful demeanor, attempting to justify his actions and solicit Ling Feng’s sympathy.

Ling Feng shook his head: "Stop pretending. You persecuted Song Ruozhao then, now you’re targeting me. What’s your agenda? Speak up, or neither of us will let you off!"

Zhou Ming momentarily faltered, then laughed maniacally: "Who are you two to threaten me? A human race sealed for three thousand years, once prominent, and a foreigner,"

"What gives you authority over me? Your swords? Your pets? Or Song Ruozhao’s Long Qin?"

"Originally, I wanted to play along, but if you seek death, I’ll grant your wish!"

Song Ruozhao’s sword aura pierced through Zhou Ming’s body from the back, yet the endless golden sword light and sword qi were all absorbed by Zhou Ming.

Song Ruozhao quickly dodged Zhou Ming’s counterattack, then wielded Long Qin to thrust with Forty-Nine Swords, but Zhou Ming, despite lacking a human form, moved with exceptional agility.

As if a master adeptly disassembling Song Ruozhao’s signature technique — Forty-Nine Dragon Chants — and counterattacking each move.

Though Song Ruozhao wasn’t hit, he was indeed astonished by Zhou Ming’s methods.

"How do you know my sword techniques so well? What exactly are you?" Usually composed, Song Ruozhao involuntarily shouted.

Zhou Ming’s shadow outlined a mocking smile, continuously attacking Song Ruozhao: "Guess. Guess how I broke them. I not only know how to dismantle Forty-Nine Dragon Chants,"

"I even know your inner weaknesses!"

"Hehehe!" Zhou Ming chuckled sinisterly.

Zhou Ming pulled out from Song Ruozhao’s attack range, then suddenly submerged into the ground, silently vanishing.

Next instant, a massive black vortex appeared on the ground, sucking everything nearby in, even the broken tree spirit’s gigantic fragments couldn’t escape.

Swept up by the powerful suction force, Ling Yao and Jin Gang closest to the vortex struggled to control their bodies. Ling Feng’s expression shifted as he hurried to the ground, grabbing Ling Yao’s hand.

But the vortex’s pull was immensely strong, steadily eroding Ling Feng’s fighting spirit. He and Ling Yao were immediately drawn in.

The vortex’s pull intensified again, engulfing Song Ruozhao mid-air.

Seeing Ling Feng enter, Song Ruozhao decided not to resist, sheathed himself in sword light, and plunged into the vortex.

Zhou Ming’s laughter echoed through the heavens and earth:

"Hehehe, enjoy tasting the deepest fears within your hearts in Nine Nether!"