Where is Daoist Zhou?

"Sky... Sky Stone..."

Someone stammered out the words, their voice filled with disbelief and terror.

They watched as the red dot rapidly expanded, falling, growing to the size of a fist in the blink of an eye, and then, in another instant, becoming as clear as a millstone.

Even more horrifying was that it continued to grow at an insane pace. Its trajectory tore through the sky, and the intense flames generated by its friction with the atmosphere dyed half the sky a molten, dark red.

"What are you waiting for! Run!!!"

Wang Lang was the first to roar, turning and charging out of the city.

The others snapped awake and fled for their lives.

The Demon Subduing Division personnel slapped all their Swift Travel Talismans onto themselves, wishing they had more than two legs.

Wang Lang sprinted dozens of yards before suddenly remembering something and sharply turning back.

"Young Master Wang, you!" Xiong Yue was struggling to stand when he saw Wang Lang rush to his side.

"No more nonsense!" Wang Lang slung Xiong Yue over his shoulder and sprinted again with renewed vigor.

Xiong Yue was completely stunned.

He and Wang Lang had only known each other for a day. Although they had fought side-by-side (though he hadn't been much help), they were, after all, just chance acquaintances.

Yet, at this moment of life and death, the other man had turned back to save him?

Lying on Wang Lang's shoulder, watching the scenery blur past, Xiong Yue's eyes grew warm.

He remembered his master saying the martial world was dangerous and people's hearts unpredictable. He also recalled his father's admonition that a Xiong family man always repays a debt of gratitude.

He vowed that if he survived today, his life would belong to Young Master Wang.

Seeing this, Wei Qing gritted her teeth and pulled a brocade pouch from her bosom.

Inside were the high-grade Swift Travel Talismans issued to her as a Vanquisher, few in number, each one priceless.

"Take these!" She flung nine golden talismans towards Wang Lang, Centurion Zhao, and everyone else.

"Lord Wei, this!"

"Saving your lives is what's important!"

Wei Qing shouted, then activated her last golden talisman, increasing her speed by another eighty percent.

Everyone ran desperately, the howling behind them like the end of the world.

The air grew scorching hot, the entire Black Stone City shook, and houses collapsed in swaths.

Finally, the moment the last person rushed out of the city gate, the world seemed to fall silent for an instant.

Then, BOOM!!!!!!!

A sound beyond description erupted between heaven and earth.

A scorching wave of heat surged from behind like a tsunami. Wang Lang instinctively wanted to shield Xiong Yue with his body, but the next moment he felt it was wrong and quickly twisted, shielding him behind him.

Xiong Yue: "..."

Young Master Wang, you were going to use me as a meat shield just now, weren't you?

Absolutely, right?

Actually... it's okay.

Scorching hot debris rained down like hail, and the ground continued to tremble.

After an unknown amount of time, Wang Lang looked back.

He saw that Black Stone City, the city that had stood for hundreds of years, was completely gone.

In its place was a giant crater over a thousand feet in diameter. Deep at the bottom, the red glow of flowing lava was faintly visible.

Wei Qing struggled to her feet and looked at the scene before her, her lips trembling.

The Divine Eye Revered One hadn't even truly attacked, merely summoned a meteor.

This, was the power of a Kunlun God Sect Revered One?

Centurion Zhao and the others also crawled out from behind cover, all injured and disheveled, but at least they were alive.

"We... we survived..." Patrolman Li collapsed on the ground, trembling all over.

Xiong Yue was helped to his feet. He stared at the giant crater, his throat bobbing, but he couldn't speak.

If Wang Lang hadn't turned back, he would have turned to dust along with the city.

The burly man looked at Wang Lang, opened his mouth, and finally uttered only two words: "Thank you."

Wang Lang waved his hand, his gaze still fixed on the deep pit.

The Divine Eye Revered One's words still echoed in his ears: If you can survive this, this matter will be dropped.

Now that they had survived, the Kunlun God Sect wouldn't come looking for trouble, right?

He wasn't afraid if they actually came for him, though.

But with the Mask of Immortality fragments stolen, and the Kunlun God Sect's so-called plan to save the world...

All of this was likely just the beginning of the storm.

Centurion Zhao looked around and suddenly froze. "Right, where's Daoist Zhou?"

Everyone was taken aback, and their expressions turned strange.

Patrolman Li recalled carefully. When they were tied up by those ghosts earlier, Daoist Zhou... seemed to have been tied up too, and very securely at that.

Later, when Young Master Wang and Lord Wei were untying everyone, they seemed... probably... maybe... to have forgotten him?

He swallowed and looked in the direction where Black Stone City used to be, which should now be called Black Stone Crater.

"Daoist Zhou... he couldn't have..."

No one answered.

Silence spread in the night wind.

But everyone understood in their hearts that under that kind of meteor bombardment, let alone flesh and blood, even refined steel would have vaporized.

Zhou Xuantong at this moment was likely not even a speck of dust left.

Wang Lang looked at the scorched earth and sighed inwardly. He could only say that it was Zhou Xuantong's fate to suffer this tribulation.

At the time, he truly hadn't noticed that the mummy inside was Daoist Zhou Xuantong.

That thing was wrapped like an old shroud, motionless in the shadows, and he'd mistaken it for some broken sacrificial offering...

Wang Lang withdrew his gaze and looked at Wei Qing, asking:

"Vanquisher Wei, regarding the Kunlun God Sect, the True God of Yin Extremity, and these matters, how much does the Demon Subduing Division know?"