So this time, Tu Xingsun's target wasn't Yang Wenhui, but Deng Xiu.
Clearly, Deng Xiu's words had just drawn all of Tu Xingsun's hatred toward him.
"Not good! Tu Xingsun is going to sneak up on my Xiu'er!"
Sensing Tu Xingsun's faint, rapidly approaching presence beneath the ground, Deng Jiugong furrowed his brow.
Most people really had no way to deal with Tu Xingsun's sneak attacks!
However, if one's cultivation was far above Tu Xingsun's—like Lu Yue or Kong Xuan—then one wouldn't take an attack of this level seriously.
But anyone else in camp, even Lu Yue's disciples, would pay a terrible price if Tu Xingsun managed to ambush them.
Yang Wenhui had been prepared in advance, yet he'd still been injured by a single blow. If Tu Xingsun struck him once more, he'd probably be gravely wounded, if not killed!
Thus, Tu Xingsun's underground ambushes posed an immense threat to the soldiers in camp.
Especially since Tu Xingsun had already reached the late stage of the Golden Immortal Realm. Few in camp could withstand even one of his strikes.
"Ding-dong! God-Tier Options activated!"
"Option One: Rescue and stop Tu Xingsun. No reward!"
"Option Two: Kill Tu Xingsun. Reward: ten million points of Great Dao Merit!"
Just then, the system's notification rang out.
Hearing it, Deng Jiugong froze.
This time, he could kill Tu Xingsun outright!
Last time, he had only imprisoned him because Tu Xingsun had helped heal both him and Deng Chanyu.
By not killing him, he had repaid that karmic debt.
This time, though, he could kill him without reservation.
Fortunately, Tu Xingsun had later been rescued by Yang Jian and Jiang Ziya, working from within and without.
Otherwise, Deng Jiugong would have missed out on these ten million points of Great Dao Merit!
Deng Jiugong couldn't help but give Kong Xuan's holier-than-thou behavior a thumbs-up!
And it was lucky that Kong Xuan hadn't intervened by force that day.
I choose Option Two!
Deng Jiugong thought to himself.
The next moment, his figure vanished.
That's right!
Deng Jiugong had also entered the ground.
The Five Elements Great Escape was a divine ability that worked anywhere within the five elements. Earth was no exception.
Moreover, Tu Xingsun's Earth Traveling Technique was no match for his Five Elements Great Escape.
The Earth Element Art, one of the Seventy-two Earthly Fiend Arts, was also an earth-escape technique.
But strictly speaking, Tu Xingsun's Earth Traveling Technique couldn't even be considered the minor earth-escape art among the Seventy-two Earthly Fiend Arts. It was merely a simplified version of the earth-escape technique.
The Earth Traveling Technique was likely a simplified ability Juliusun had derived from the earth-escape technique.
Any one of the Seventy-two Earthly Fiend Arts or the Thirty-six Heavenly Dipper Arts possessed immense power.
Though Tu Xingsun's Earth Traveling Technique allowed him to move underground, it wasn't particularly fast and had major limitations: it only let him travel beneath the earth.
A true earth-escape technique did more than let its user travel underground. It could also propel them through the air with earth magic. At a high enough level, it could even let them instantly escape across a distance, like teleporting with the aid of earth magic.
That was what a true earth-escape technique should be!
From this, it was clear how vast the gap was between Tu Xingsun's Earth Traveling Technique and Deng Jiugong's Five Elements Great Escape!
In moments, Deng Jiugong found Tu Xingsun underground.
"Deng Jiugong?"
At the sight of him, Tu Xingsun was shocked.
He'd never imagined that Deng Jiugong could use the Earth Traveling Technique too.
"Deng Jiugong, since you're asking for death, don't blame me!"
Recovering from his surprise, Tu Xingsun was delighted.
Down here, he was in his element.
Deng Jiugong had dared to come underground. He was practically asking to die.
The next moment, Tu Xingsun swung his iron rod at Deng Jiugong.
Whoosh!
Deng Jiugong shifted and escaped a short distance away.
Tu Xingsun hurried after him, but in moments, Deng Jiugong had vanished without a trace.
Tu Xingsun was shocked!
Something was wrong!
Deng Jiugong wasn't using the Earth Traveling Technique at all.
Not only was Deng Jiugong moving through the underground with ease, but he was also much faster than Tu Xingsun.
Tu Xingsun was utterly horrified!
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, an overwhelming sense of danger struck him.
At some point, Deng Jiugong had appeared behind him.
Boom!
Deng Jiugong clenched his fist and slammed it into Tu Xingsun.
Compared to Tu Xingsun, even the entry-level speed of Deng Jiugong's Five Elements Great Escape was much greater than that of Tu Xingsun's Earth Traveling Technique. Deng Jiugong had cultivated his Five Elements Great Escape to Minor Accomplishment, making him countless times faster than Tu Xingsun.
Tu Xingsun had thought Deng Jiugong was in front of him, never realizing that Deng Jiugong had already reached his back.
With that strike from behind, Tu Xingsun was hit by a force that seemed boundless. He nearly blacked out.
Pfft!
Unable to hold it in, Tu Xingsun spat out a mouthful of blood, his heart filled with terror.
That single blow had left him gravely wounded!
Tu Xingsun finally understood what it felt like to be ambushed by someone else.
But after that blow, he knew he was no match for Deng Jiugong. He didn't dare remain underground and prepared to flee to the surface.
He had no idea that outside, he probably wouldn't survive as long as he would underground!
Even so, Deng Jiugong had no intention of letting him escape.
Whoosh!
The next moment, the Destruction Divine Blade shot out. Driven by the Vast Void Divine Blade Art, its power was simply immense.
Sensing death looming over him, Tu Xingsun looked terrified and practically cried out,
"Marshal Deng, I helped heal you! You can't kill me!!!"
Hearing this, Deng Jiugong replied calmly,
"I spared you last time, you little bastard. That karmic debt has been settled. This time, we're settling a different score!"
"If you'd gone into seclusion and stayed out of the Shang Zhou conflict, you might have escaped this calamity. But you chose to enter the tribulation and oppose me. I, Deng Jiugong, naturally can't let you live!"
As Deng Jiugong finished speaking, the Destruction Divine Blade pierced Tu Xingsun's body.
Tu Xingsun let out a terrible scream, yet didn't die right away!
So Deng Jiugong followed up with another punch!
The punch was overwhelmingly powerful.
With a series of rumbles, an explosion like a land mine blasted a huge crater into the ground. Tu Xingsun's body shot out of the earth as if the blast had launched him into the air. By the time he hit the ground, he was already lifeless.
He was well and truly dead!
A True Spirit flew toward the Investiture of the Gods platform!
And this place was already inside Tang Camp, leaving all the soldiers stunned.
???
What had happened?
Tu Xingsun had suddenly been blasted out of the earth and died for no apparent reason?
"Ding-dong! Congratulations, Host! You killed Tu Xingsun and received ten million points of Great Dao Merit!"
By the time Deng Jiugong returned to his original position, the system's reward had already been credited.
Before you continue