Chapter 790: A Joke Without Substance

In the distant sky, two figures carried a large water vat, hurrying toward the desolate land near the boundary. They were Huang Zhen and Chen Xian, who had just returned from the Tianlan Mountain Range.

Given their strength, the two shouldn't have been so slow, but they were being extremely careful with the water vat, not daring to spill a single drop.

"Elder Zhen, we're back!"

Before they even landed, Huang Zhen shouted toward the group by the boundary wall.

"Hmm?"

Elder Zhen and the others turned their heads to look at the sky, their brows furrowing.

What was going on?

Weren't they supposed to be mediating the conflict between the Huang Realm and the Zhen Realm?

Why were they carrying a large water vat?

"What's this?" Elder Zhen asked as soon as the two landed. "How did things go?"

"Elder Zhen, by the time we returned to the Huang and Zhen Realms, the conflict had already been resolved!" Huang Zhen said.

"Resolved? Really?" Elder Zhen asked in surprise.

"Not only resolved, but the relationship between the two realms is now incredibly strong. Even your only descendant in the Zhen Realm has married into our Huang Realm as part of an alliance," Huang Zhen added.

"What? My descendant too?"

Even with Elder Zhen's calm demeanor, he couldn't help but feel disbelief.

The conflict between the Huang and Zhen Realms had been deep-rooted and not easily resolved. When he sent Huang Zhen and Chen Xian back, he hadn't held much hope for a complete resolution, only hoping to mediate and prevent internal strife.

But now, he was being told that the two realms were on excellent terms, and even his only descendant had married into the Huang Realm?

"How did this happen?" Elder Zhen asked urgently.

"Elder Zhen, it was all thanks to a powerful expert living in the Tianlan Mountain Range who mediated the conflict," Chen Xian explained, detailing everything they had learned.

"Oh? There's such an expert in the Tianlan Mountain Range? It seems there are still many powerful figures in the Immortal Realm and the Eight Great Realms that we don't know about!" Elder Zhen exclaimed, his face filled with admiration. "And this person's methods are truly remarkable. To resolve the conflict between the Huang and Zhen Realms so effortlessly is truly surprising!"

"From your description, his strength must be extraordinary. Did you two not go to pay him a visit?" Elder Zhen asked again.

"Elder Zhen, we went to the Tianlan Mountain Range as soon as we could, but by the time we arrived, he had already left," Chen Xian explained. "We waited there for several days, but he never returned."

"Ah!"

Elder Zhen's expression filled with regret.

"Now that the rift is growing larger, the pressure on us is increasing. The mysterious expert surnamed Lou who appeared briefly at the Heavenly Immortal Palace has also disappeared. If we could have gotten the expert from the Tianlan Mountain Range to help, it would have greatly reduced our burden!"

"Elder Zhen, don't lose hope. Although we didn't meet that expert, we brought back something even more important," Huang Zhen said excitedly.

"Something even more important?"

Elder Zhen raised an eyebrow.

The others also turned their attention to Huang Zhen.

At this point, what could be more important than bringing back a powerful expert to aid them?

"Is it this water vat?" Elder Zhen asked, looking at the large, conspicuous vat.

"Yes, this water vat. It can definitely solve our urgent problem," Huang Zhen said with great excitement.

Hearing this, everyone's curiosity was piqued.

Could there really be something valuable inside?

Everyone gathered around the water vat.

As everyone watched with bated breath, Huang Zhen waved his hand and lifted the lid off the vat.

A pungent stench immediately assaulted their noses, causing everyone who had leaned in to recoil in disgust.

Elder Zhen, who was at the front, felt his stomach churn violently. His expression changed dozens of times, and he nearly fainted on the spot.

"Huang Zhen, Chen Xian, you..."

"How dare you play such a cruel joke on us!"

Everyone reflexively backed away, holding their breath, and glared at Huang Zhen and Chen Xian.

"No, no, we're not joking! It may look like waste, but this is a treasure!" Huang Zhen quickly explained. "It has an incredibly powerful effect—it can cleanse the dark energy from our bodies. If you take a deep breath, you'll feel refreshed!"

Huang Zhen's explanation only made things worse.

Calling a vat of waste a treasure and claiming it could refresh them? Everyone wanted to slap Huang Zhen and Chen Xian.

This was just too much...

"Enough. Don't make such tasteless jokes in the future," Elder Zhen scolded, his face darkening despite his usually calm demeanor.

With that, he led the group back to the boundary wall, leaving Huang Zhen and Chen Xian standing alone.

"But... it really is a treasure!" Chen Xian shouted.

Why didn't anyone believe them?

No matter how much they shouted, no one paid them any attention.

"Ah!"

At that moment, a man covered in dark energy suddenly rose from the group meditating by the boundary wall, letting out a roar.

"Xiong Tian!"

Elder Zhen's expression changed drastically, his eyes turning red.

Everyone else was also panicked, unsure of what to do.

No one had expected that even Xiong Tian would succumb to demonization.

He was one of the strongest among the boundary defenders, with strength close to the 30th level of the True Immortal Realm. He had once been the master of the Heavenly Immortal Palace, and his life story was the stuff of legends. He was truly a prodigy.

If even someone like him was being demonized, the situation was dire.

"Ah!"

"Ugh!"

In the sky, Xiong Tian continued to roar.

As the dark energy surged, his hair stood on end, and his clothes burst open, revealing his muscular physique.

At the same time, his eyes flickered between red, filled with malice, and their normal color, maintaining clarity.

"Kill me! Kill me now!"

"I can't control it anymore... If you don't kill me, once I'm fully demonized, the losses will be too great..."

Xiong Tian's roars filled the air.

The moments of clarity in his eyes were becoming fewer and fewer.

"Elder Zhen, think of something, quick!"

"Yes, we must save Brother Xiong Tian! If he falls too..."

"Please, you have to save him!"

The other experts were in a panic, losing their composure.

Elder Zhen, leaning on his cane, trembled as a tear rolled down his cheek. His cloudy eyes were fixed on Xiong Tian.

Time was running out.

After a moment of hesitation, he finally made a decision.

"Do it!"

"Suppress him!"

With those words, Elder Zhen closed his eyes, his cane falling to the ground. He seemed to age several years in an instant.

"Ah!"

"Ugh..."

Sobs filled the air as everyone, their eyes red, began gathering their energy for an attack.

They knew they had no choice.

If Xiong Tian fully demonized, his original strength combined with the power of demonization would make him nearly unstoppable.

The result would be a catastrophe.