If they were ordinary humans, assembling a great army to attack would be utterly useless. Modern weapons, from guns to explosives, were far less effective against these strange, undead creatures; their power was greatly diminished.
Yet now, a large group of people had arrived in a grand procession at this well-defended and terrifying place. They were not enemies, but "guests."
Hua Tianxiong and his son, Hua Fengchen of the Hua Family, who had once dominated the business world in the capital of Central Earth, were among them. Many companies that had attended Gan Leixin's beauty industry gatherings were also present, as were various groups and societies similar to the Sandalwood Association. Additionally, several unaffiliated factions had sent representatives with generous gifts, all of them trembling with a mixture of fear and reverence.
Since there were no roads leading up the mountain, the representatives from these various forces could only select their most precious gifts to carry on foot. The rest of their offerings were packed into nurous shipping containers and left in a square at the base of Skull Holy Mountain.
So of these containers held young n and won. Many were barely clothed and fettered with iron chains and shackles, their faces either terrified or numb as they shivered, awaiting their cruel fate.
What did the mbers of Skull Holy Mountain desire most? Not gold or silver, but copious amounts of flesh and blood. This was their source of life, the foundation of their power. It was the very sustenance that maintained their undead bodies. Thus, upon discovering so many humans packed inside the containers, the mbers of Skull Holy Mountain all wore looks of satisfaction.
The Holy Envoys responsible for receiving the various factions were all smiles.
"Rest assured, once our great Skull King returns, he will personally preside over your initiation ceremony. You will be reborn, and the very essence of your life will change!
"No matter what incurable diseases you suffer from, you will be healed. Whether you are sick or healthy, you will gain miraculous powers. You will no longer fear fatal injuries; neither blades nor firearms will be able to kill you. The old will beco young again, and the impotent will regain their vigor. You will beco healthy and strong, transitioning from frail humans into supre beings like us...
"As you may already know, the people of the Underworld will soon return to the surface and wage war. Ordinary humans cannot possibly contend with them and will be nothing more than sacrifices in this great calamity! Only Skull Holy Mountain can protect you and grant you the power to fight back against the Underworld...
"You will not regret joining us today. You will take pride in Skull Holy Mountain! Worship! Cheer! YAHOO!"
"YAHOO! YAHOO! YAHOO!"
By the ti Hua Tianxiong and the others finally reached the upper levels of the Holy Mountain, panting for breath, they found themselves inside the eye socket of a giant skull. The Holy Envoys took turns speaking, their words weaving a bewitching spell, while so mbers demonstrated their powerful and sinister abilities.
Finally, everyone knelt before a statue of the Skull God, letting out bizarre cries and ghostly wails. Swept up in the atmosphere, Hua Tianxiong and the others forgot their fatigue. They grew frenzied, kneeling and kowtowing with the rest. They awkwardly imitated the guttural cries, persisting in screaming even when their throats grew hoarse.
Of course, a few remained apprehensive, their minds filled with secret doubts.
Can we really beco as strong and robust as the mbers of Skull Holy Mountain just by continuously providing them with people? Will our diseases really be cured? Will we truly no longer have to fear knives, guns, or clubs? These people are all crazy! They won't go so insane that they end up eating us too, right?
So muttered to themselves, regretting their decision to co here and "broaden their horizons."
Among the crowd, there were even reporters in disguise. While pretending to worship, they secretly operated miniature caras, recording everything from various angles.
This is terrifying, so terrifying! To think that such a bloody and bizarre faction is lurking in the shadows of our democratic and peaceful country... Once this is revealed, it will surely shock the entire world! This is a huge story, a super scoop... assuming we can make it back alive...
The journalists were a mixture of excitent and terror.
Hua Tianxiong and his son, Hua Fengchen, had the most fervent expressions of all, yet inwardly, they were among the calst. In truth, they had no desire to fully join Skull Holy Mountain. They suspected that while these inhuman monsters looked impressive, they likely had nurous hidden flaws. If given a choice, they would much rather remain ordinary humans.
Unfortunately...
We have no way out!
Zhu Yingning, that venomous woman, was not one to be taken lightly. Being the type to never forget a grudge, she had now grown Tianxiang Doukou Company into a corporate behemoth. Naturally, she would not spare her forr rivals. Assassinating them? Taking matters into her own hands? That was petty, beneath her. It was far more interesting to retaliate through business, driving her enemies into bankruptcy and debt until they were at their wit's end.
Under Zhu Yingning's directed assault, the foreign beauty companies could still barely cling to life. The ones in Central Earth, however, bore the brunt of it, and their situation was truly disastrous. Hua Tianxiong's company was among them, and it had already reached a dead end. Their beauty injections had been flawed from the start, plagued by significant side effects. With Zhu Yingning's attacks, they were completely done for.
All their dostic assets collapsed. Unwilling as they were, their only option was to flee the country. But Zhu Yingning continued to hunt them down, and they were forced to retreat step by step.
Lin Tang... Shen Youling...
Hua Fengchen trembled, filled with a mixture of fear and regret. If only he hadn't made enemies of Lin Tang and Shen Youling back then. Would things have ever reached this point? Alas, what's done cannot be undone.
Given the circumstances, I can only look forward! This Skull Holy Mountain looks terrifying, and its mbers are all freaks. But what if they're telling the truth? What if they can grant us supre power without any side effects? If that's the case, I'll finally have the ans for revenge. When that ti cos, I'll devour Lin Tang's flesh right in front of Shen Youling! And as for Zhu Yingning, that bitch who's in cahoots with them, I'd love to slice her massive breasts off and eat them as sashimi...
Hua Fengchen ground his teeth. His usually clear and composed eyes, influenced by the eerie atmosphere, began to grow turbid and crazed. His gaze shifted, and he suddenly noticed several people nearby with guilty, panicked expressions. Upon closer inspection, he saw they had hidden caras and were secretly recording. One of them even had the lens pointed at him.
Damn it, are these motherfuckers reporters? They've got so nerve, trying to expose this powerful faction?
Hua Fengchen sneered. He was about to raise his hand and expose them, but soone else spoke first, their voice ringing out.
"May I ask the esteed Holy Envoy, when exactly will our glorious Skull King return? I can hardly wait!"
"Hehe, to be honest, our Skull King went to Central Earth to personally eliminate an enemy. By now, he should have succeeded and be on his way back!" a Holy Envoy replied.
"Oh? And who is this enemy that required the mighty Skull King to act personally?" another person asked, clearly impressed.
"Perhaps you've heard his na: Long Tianji! The new State Preceptor of Central Earth. He's just a minor Heavenly King in the martial arts world, a small fry not worth our concern."
"So it's him!"
"A Heavenly King? And you describe him as 'minor'?"
"This Long Tianji is a legendary figure who has never known defeat since he rose to fa. Surely, he's not to be underestimated..."
"I heard he was the one who wiped out the Sandalwood Association."
"There's more! When the Sandalwood Association fell, one of Skull Holy Mountain's own Holy Envoys was there, and Long Tianji annihilated him on the spot..."
"Is that true?"
"This..."
A stir of doubt and suspicion ran through the crowd.
"Hmph!"
The mbers of Skull Holy Mountain all scowled, displeased to be questioned by these ants. Their leader imdiately roared, "All of you, shut up! How could a re Long Tianji possibly be a match for our mystical thods? Not to ntion our great Skull King, who could crush him with a single finger! If any of you short-sighted fools don't believe, you can get the hell out right now!"
Instantly, the crowd fell deathly silent. None of them were idiots. Anyone who dared to stand up and leave now would surely be killed to make an example of them.
Seeing them all cower, the leader's expression softened slightly. "In one hour at most, the Skull King will return with Long Tianji's head. I guarantee it!"
"Is that so?"
A mocking voice suddenly echoed from above the Skull God statue they were all worshiping.
The next mont, the Skull God statue exploded!
BOOM!
User Comments
0 comments from readers