Within Void Death City
Just after midnight, following Zhang Chen and the others' departure for the Sunken Ghost Realm.
Yuan Zhi sat beneath the Great Locust Tree in the courtyard, smoking an old pipe. After pouring the ashes from the bowl into his mouth and swallowing them, he slowly supported his hunched body and pressed his palm against the Ancient Yin Locust Tree beside him.
"This operation won't be simple. I'll have to bring you with me, my dear ancient locust."
At Yuan Zhi's touch, threads grew from the tree trunk and connected to his flesh. The enormous locust tree soon merged into Yuan Zhi's body for storage, yet he did not absorb the life force within it. His appearance remained that of an old man.
When he arrived at the northern gate of the city with his cane, Stone Mother had already been waiting atop the several-thousand-meter-high wall for quite some time. However, Xing Can, whom Yuan Zhi had requested, had yet to arrive.
Just then, a deep, chaotic gate opened before Yuan Zhi. A burly man bound all over by gray iron chains dropped to the ground and knelt on both knees. Amid his bewildered gaze remained a tiny glimmer of light. His face was savage as he glared hatefully at Yuan Zhi beside him.
Azathoth then stepped out of the Void Port. This was not an avatar, but his true body.
Azathoth had specifically halted construction on Void Death City at this moment and manifested his true body here to complete Xing Can's final corruption. In Azathoth's eyes, Xing Can was worthy of his precious time.
"What a resolute man. Three months have passed, and he still retained a trace of his true heart."
Azathoth drove his thumb directly through Xing Can's skull, forcibly erasing the final