Where Is Daoist Zhou?

"Heaven... Heavenly Stone..."

Someone squeezed out the words with a trembling voice, filled with unbelievable terror.

The red dot swelled and descended at a speed visible to the naked eye. In the blink of an eye, it had grown as large as a fist; another instant later, it was as clear as a millstone.

Even more horrifying, it was still expanding madly, its falling trajectory tearing through the sky.

The blazing flames sparked by its friction with the atmosphere dyed half the heavens a dark red, like a furnace.

"Why are you still standing there?! Run!!!"

Wang Lang was the first to roar. He turned and charged out of the city.

The others jolted awake and fled for their lives.

The Demon Subduing Division personnel pulled out every Swift Travel Talisman they had and slapped them onto themselves, only wishing their parents had given them two more legs.

After rushing several dozen zhang, Wang Lang suddenly remembered something and wheeled around.

"Young Master Wang, you—" Xiong Yue was struggling to rise when Wang Lang had already rushed to his side.

"Cut the nonsense!" Wang Lang hoisted Xiong Yue onto his back and took off running again.

Xiong Yue was completely stunned.

He had known Wang Lang for only one day. Though they had fought side by side before, albeit without being much help, they were still merely strangers who had met by chance.

Yet at this life-or-death moment, Wang Lang had actually turned back to save him?

Lying across Wang Lang's shoulder and watching the scenery fly backward, Xiong Yue's eyes burned.

He remembered his master saying that the martial world was perilous and human hearts impossible to fathom. He also remembered his father's instruction to the men of the Xiong family: repay every kindness.

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

Seeing this, Wei Qing gritted her teeth and pulled an embroidered pouch from her robes.

Inside were high-grade Swift Travel Talismans issued only to her as a Vanquisher. There were very few left, and every one was worth a fortune.

"Catch!" With a wave of her hand, she shot nine golden talismans toward Wang Lang, Centurion Zhao, and everyone else.

"Lord Wei, these—"

"Saving your lives comes first!"

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

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

The air turned scorching hot. The entire Black Stone City shook as mountains and earth quaked, and buildings collapsed in swathes.

Finally, at the instant the last person rushed through the city gates, the world seemed to fall silent for a moment.

Then, BOOM!!!!!!!

An indescribable thunderous blast erupted between heaven and earth.

A scorching shockwave surged from behind them like a tsunami. Wang Lang instinctively wanted to use Xiong Yue on his back as a shield.

But the next moment, he felt that was inappropriate and hurriedly twisted around to shield him behind his body.

Xiong Yue: "..."

Young Master Wang, were you just planning to use me as a meat shield?

You absolutely were, right?

Actually... it's fine.

Scalding rubble rained down like a torrential storm, and the ground continued to tremble.

After an unknown amount of time, Wang Lang turned back to look.

Black Stone City, the city that had stood for centuries, had vanished completely.

In its place was a gigantic crater over a thousand zhang wide. Deep at its bottom, the crimson glow of flowing lava could faintly be seen.

Wei Qing struggled to her feet. Looking at the scene before her, her lips trembled.

Revered One God's Eye had not even truly attacked. He had merely summoned a meteorite.

This was the strength of a reverend from the Kunlun God Sect?

Centurion Zhao and the others also crawled out from behind their shelters one after another. All of them were wounded and disheveled, but at least they were alive.

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

Xiong Yue was helped to his feet. Staring at the giant crater, his Adam's apple bobbed, but he could not speak.

If Wang Lang had not turned back, he would have turned to ash alongside that city.

The burly man looked at Wang Lang, opened his mouth, and ultimately managed only two words. "Thank you."

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

Revered One God's Eye's words still rang in his ears: If you can survive, then this matter shall be let go.

Now that they had survived, the Kunlun God Sect should not come looking for trouble again, right?

Though even if they did come looking for him, he was not afraid.

But the Mask of Immortality fragment had been taken, and the Kunlun God Sect's so-called plan to save the world...

All this was probably only the beginning of the storm.

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

Everyone was stunned, and their expressions immediately turned strange.

Patrolman Li carefully recalled that when they had been tied up by those ghost creatures earlier, Daoist Zhou seemed... to have been tied up too, and especially tightly at that.

Later, when Young Master Wang and Lord Wei had untied everyone, it seemed... perhaps... maybe... they had forgotten him?

He swallowed and looked toward what had once been Black Stone City, which should now be called the Black Stone Crater.

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

No one answered.

Silence spread through the night wind.

Yet everyone understood in their hearts that under such a meteorite strike—

Forget flesh and blood; even refined steel would have vaporized.

At this moment, Zhou Xuantong probably did not even have a speck of ash left.

Wang Lang gazed at the scorched earth and sighed inwardly. All he could say was that Daoist Zhou was destined for this tribulation.

At the time, he truly had not noticed that Daoist Zhou was inside that mummy.

That thing had been wrapped like an old burial shroud, curled up motionlessly in the shadows. He had thought it was some piece of junk sacrifice...

Wang Lang withdrew his gaze and looked to Wei Qing.

"Vanquisher Wei, how much does the Demon Subduing Division know about the Kunlun God Sect, Yin Extremity True God, and all that?"