Next, it will be Xie Wujiu's turn to have a headache.

Just as everyone was engaged in a bitter struggle, another sudden mutation occurred beneath the altar.

The remnant body of the Night Fiend suddenly shrank. Immediately after, the ancient patterns surrounding the fissure, which originally belonged to the ancient seal, began to light up one by one.

But the light that illuminated was not golden or white, but an eerie dark red.

Like blood seeping into the cracks of the stone.

"This isn't right!" Yun Meng's expression changed drastically. "It's using the residual power of the seal to counterattack! The part of the array that someone altered has connected the outer suppression with the inner restriction. Once it triggers it in reverse, we will all be dragged down by the entire altar to be buried with it!"

Hearing this, everyone's scalp went numb.

Buried with it?

No one expected that the blame Heavenly Secret Pavilion had just taken would so quickly turn into a real consequence on the battlefield. "Can we cut it off?" Shen Xue asked.

"It's too late!" Sweat was already visible on Yun Meng's forehead. "This isn't a matter of one or two array lines. The entire alteration is locked into the main vein of the seal. Unless there is a power that can directly overwhelm the will of the entire altar, we can only—"

Before she could finish her sentence, everyone already understood.

They could only face it head-on.

And right now, the only person most likely to achieve this was Wang Hao.

Everyone's gaze fell upon him almost simultaneously.

Wang Hao: "..."

He actually really wanted to say, don't look at me like that, I am not a turtle in a wishing well.

But at this moment, he obviously couldn't back down.

Thus, his expression grew even colder. The battle seal between his eyebrows suddenly lit up to the extreme. His vital energy and blood surged into the sky like a tornado, and the originally blurry phantom of the Martial God aspect behind him also solidified by another three points.

"Trying to turn the tables using the array?"

Wang Hao raised his hand and clenched his five fingers.

"Have you asked for my permission?"

Boom—!

The blood-gold radiance of the battle seal cascaded down like a waterfall, viciously pressing onto the center of the altar.

At this moment, the countless ancient carvings surrounding the altar seemed to resonate with a higher level of power, vibrating in unison. The fissures that had previously glowed with dark red were actually forced back inch by inch.

The remnant body of the Night Fiend let out a piercingly sharp hiss, sounding like reluctance, but also like furious rage.

It knew that if it dragged on any longer, its revival this time would truly fail.

Therefore, it made the most dangerous choice.

In the next instant, all the black mist, bone limbs, and evil shadows deep within the fissure retracted. Even that most conspicuous remnant body seemed to be collapsing.

Yet, not a single person breathed a sigh of relief because of this.

Because everyone sensed it—

Something even more terrifying was brewing inside.

"It's going to risk its life." Ye Guyun gripped his sword tighter.

"Nonsense, anyone can see that." Bai Zhantang uncharacteristically did not continue to run his mouth.

Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes, the strange fire in his palm compressed to the extreme. The flame gradually shifted from crimson-gold to an almost incandescent hue.

Gu Han held his saber horizontally in front of him, the blood and black aura on the blade dripping down drop by drop.

Rong Xiaotian wiped the blood off his face, grinning ferociously: "Then let's see if it can overpower us."

Shen Xue and Yun Meng exchanged a glance, both seeing solemnity in each other's eyes.

The next moment.

The altar's fissure exploded with a loud bang.

It didn't explode outward, but rather, like a giant abyssal maw, it suddenly collapsed inward. Then, a nearly tangible pillar of black-red light shot out from the very center. Within the pillar of light, a massive vertical pupil vaguely emerged.

That vertical pupil had no flesh and blood; it was solely composed of countless twisted resentments pieced together. The moment it appeared, the entire underground space seemed to stand still for a second.

A thunderous boom echoed simultaneously in everyone's minds.

Many cultivators directly fell to their knees, bleeding from their seven orifices.

Even the Decemvirate paled in unison.

"This is its... core resentment." Yun Meng's voice grew tight.

"It's not the remnant body itself," Shen Xue stared at the vertical pupil, her tone heavy. "It's the vicious intent it has accumulated over the years after being suppressed, now forced out."

This thing was even more troublesome than the tentacle shadows and bone limbs from earlier.

Because it had almost no physical form, ordinary attacks would find it very difficult to truly harm it.

And once it was allowed to pounce into the crowd...

The consequences would be unimaginable.

The black-red vertical pupil slowly rotated and ultimately locked dead onto Wang Hao.

The next second, it moved.

So fast that only an afterimage remained.

"Protect His Majesty!"

Yu Huatian shrieked sharply, his entire being turning into a blurred line as he rushed forward.

But he was still too slow.

The first to block in front of that vertical pupil was actually Xiao Chen.

Even he himself didn't know why his body would rush out a step ahead of his brain.

Perhaps it was because along the way, even though he and Wang Hao were always at odds and found each other an eyesore at every turn, at this moment, he was also very clear—Wang Hao absolutely could not fall.

At least, he couldn't fall here.

"Stop right there!"

Xiao Chen pushed out with both palms, the incandescent flame transforming into a fire wheel lying horizontally in front of him.

The moment the vertical pupil crashed into the fire wheel, the fire wheel vibrated violently. Xiao Chen's whole body shuddered, his feet dragging across the ground as he slid backwards, wildly spewing blood from his mouth.

But this block ultimately slowed the vertical pupil down by half a breath.

Half a breath was enough time for many people to strike.

Ye Guyun thrust out a sword, the sword like a shooting star, hitting right on the side edge of the vertical pupil.

Shen Xue's sword light arrived right after, the frost sealing off the fluctuations on its other side.

Gu Han, Rong Xiaotian, Bai Zhantang, and Yun Meng attacked almost simultaneously. Saber light, fist astral energy, fan shadows, and mirror light all blasted onto that vertical pupil.

Rumble!

The entire space shook violently.

That vertical pupil was beaten until it twisted violently, yet it still did not collapse. Instead, it stretched madly in the air, as if trying to break free from everyone's suppression and continue pouncing toward Wang Hao.

Its obsession with the true blood of the Martial God had almost been carved into its instincts.

And right at this moment, Wang Hao finally moved.

He raised his head, a chilling coldness in his eyes, as the battle seal between his eyebrows let out a low hum.

"Enough."

As his words fell, he actually advanced instead of retreating. Taking a step forward, he took the initiative to meet that vertical pupil.

Everyone's expression changed.

"Your Majesty!" Yu Huatian was nearly scared out of his wits.

However, in the next instant, they saw Wang Hao reach out his hand.

It wasn't a palm strike, nor was it forming a hand seal. Instead, it was extremely simple and extremely brutal—he grabbed right at that black-red vertical pupil.

"I said."

"Get back down for me."

Sizzle—!

The moment his palm made contact with the vertical pupil, a large swath of black smoke erupted.

Ferocious black lines immediately surfaced on Wang Hao's arm, as if corroded by a highly toxic poison. But at the same time, the battle seal between his eyebrows and the true blood of the Martial God within his body were completely detonated. An ancient battle intent, domineering to the point of being tyrannical, poured down his arm into the vertical pupil.

That vertical pupil, for the first time, revealed a true sense of "fear."

It was trembling.

It wanted to retreat.

But Wang Hao's five fingers were like iron hooks, tightly locking onto it, giving it no chance at all.

"Everyone," Wang Hao gritted his teeth, but his voice remained clear, "what are you still standing around for?"

"Give it the final blow!"

With this, everyone was completely ignited.

"Kill!"

Rong Xiaotian was the first to roar and charge forward, smashing a fist right into the center of the vertical pupil.

Ye Guyun's sword light pierced straight down.

Shen Xue's frost sword tore through the air.

Xiao Chen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and clapped his hands together. The incandescent flame transformed into a long spear, fiercely penetrating the black-red mass of light.

Gu Han's saber followed closely behind.

Bai Zhantang unleashed all the bones of his fan.

Yun Meng's mirror light suppressed the soul.

The rest of the experts, the imperial guards, and the sect elders also fully unleashed their bombardments.

BOOM—!!!

Accompanied by an ear-splitting explosion, that black and red vertical pupil finally could not withstand the pressure. Under the combined strike of Wang Hao's palm and the attacks of the crowd, it shattered with a loud bang.

Countless black and red fragments of light scattered in all directions, like an ominous rain of blood.

From beneath the rift in the altar came the final, incredibly shrill shriek of the Night Fiend's remnant body.

It had truly been beaten back.

But just before everyone could catch their breath, a broken yet incredibly clear thought echoed in everyone's minds once again:

"The seal... is ending..."

"The Scarlet Moon... returns..."

"The main... body..."

These words were like a clap of thunder.

The crowd, who had just survived a life-and-death struggle and were still immersed in the relief of surviving, completely froze.

The main body seal of the Scarlet Moon Demonic Cult—

Main body?

That intermittent thought sounded again, but this time only in Wang Hao's mind, full of malice and hunger.

"Blood food... what you destroyed... is only one of my vessels..."

"Over at... the Scarlet Moon... the main body's seal... has at most a year..."

"When I return... I will eat you first—"

Before it could finish speaking, the final wisp of its remnant soul was crushed by the residual power of the battle seal.

But these few words were enough to make Wang Hao's heart sink.

Scarlet Moon Demonic Cult.

Main body seal.

At most a year.

None of these were good words.

The system also provided confirmation at this time.

[Highly credible residual mental message detected.]

[Deduction: The main body seal of the Night Fiend is located in an area related to the Scarlet Moon Demonic Cult, and its stability has severely declined.]

[Estimated time of complete loss of control: 6-14 months.]

Wang Hao fell silent for a breath.

Very well.

He had just finished one battle, and a new massive task had already been booked in advance.

This world really didn't let anyone rest.

However, he quickly restrained his expression and suppressed this information for now.

Now was not the time to reveal everything.

There were too many people here with loose lips. Once the news that "the Scarlet Moon Demonic Cult hides the main body seal" spread, heaven knew how many monsters and demons would be drawn out.

At the very least, he had to secure the moral high ground and control public opinion first.

Furthermore...

Thinking of this, the corners of Wang Hao's mouth curled up imperceptibly.

This wasn't a bad thing.

This meant there was a lot of room for maneuvering in the future.

Beside him, Shen Xue noticed the change in his expression and frowned slightly: "Did that remnant body transmit something to you just now?"

Wang Hao glanced at her.

This woman was truly sharp.

But when he spoke, he only told half the truth:

"It said that the Tianji Pavilion and the Scarlet Moon Demonic Cult are most likely both unclean."

Hearing this, the expressions of the crowd instantly changed again.

With one sentence, he directly pointed out two massive pitfalls.

And he did it very subtly.

He didn't state it as an absolute fact, yet it was enough to make people think for themselves.

This was what Wang Hao was best at.

Many times, words did not need to be spoken fully.

By leaving a little room for imagination, others would automatically fill in the blanks with a much more terrifying version.

Sure enough, a commotion had already started in the crowd.

"The Tianji Pavilion destroyed the seal, and the Scarlet Moon Demonic Cult is related to evil entities?"

"Could these two factions have secretly colluded long ago?"

"No wonder the Eastern Wasteland has been plagued by undercurrents in recent years..."

Listening to these discussions, Wang Hao only had one word in his heart.

Satisfying.

Although this trip was dangerous, he had taken what he should take, shifted the blame he should shift, and planted the landmines he should plant.

After getting out, as long as the propaganda kept up, not only would the Great Zhou avoid becoming the scapegoat, but it would also transform into the prime positive example of "discovering conspiracies, turning the tide, and suppressing evil."

What was crisis public relations?

This was exactly it.

"Yu Huatian."

"This old servant is here."

"After we get out, edit all the visual recordings from today clearly for me," Wang Hao said in a calm tone. "Highlight three key points."

"Please instruct me, Your Majesty."

"First, the Tianji Pavilion secretly altered the array formations, causing the evil entity to break the seal."

"Second, I stepped up in a time of crisis, leading the Great Zhou and our fellow cultivators in a life-and-death struggle to suppress the evil."

"Third," Wang Hao paused, his expression solemn, "include my phrase 'public enemy of the world'. I want the people of the world to know that the Great Zhou has zero tolerance for evil entities."

Yu Huatian almost wanted to applaud.

Brilliant.

Absolutely brilliant.

The same event, phrased differently, immediately elevated its significance.

Others fought desperately just to survive.

But when it came to His Majesty, it became a battle for the common people of the world.

He truly understood how to play the game of reputation.

Meanwhile, the faces of the Ten-Man Group were more colorful than the last upon hearing these arrangements.

Especially Xiao Chen.

He was no longer just feeling sour.

He was a mix of admiration and frustration, and within that frustration, a strong desire to curse.

Just a moment ago, it was clearly them putting their lives on the line at the front.

Yet, once they got out, according to Wang Hao's propaganda methods, what everyone would mostly remember was:

The Emperor of Great Zhou made a prompt decision, suppressed the evil entity, and saw through the Tianji Pavilion's conspiracy.

What about the ten of them?

If they were lucky, they would be considered "meritorious assistants."

If they were unlucky, they might just be background extras in the footage.

"You truly are..." Bai Zhantang looked at Wang Hao and, after holding it in for a long time, squeezed out a sentence, "Born to do this."

Wang Hao waved his hand modestly: "You flatter me, practice makes perfect."

The crowd: "..."

This guy actually accepted the compliment.

The thickness of his skin was beyond what ordinary weapons could pierce.

However, right at this moment, the depths of the secret realm suddenly began to tremble again.

This time it wasn't the Night Fiend.

It was a larger-scale spatial collapse.

Rubble began to shower down from the stone walls above, and continuous rumbling echoed from the distant passages, as if the entire Yanshan Secret Realm was becoming unstable.

Yun Meng's expression changed slightly: "The core seal has been broken, the structure of the secret realm is going to collapse!"

"Stop looting whatever you can, let's get out first." Wang Hao reacted extremely quickly and directly issued an order. "The Great Zhou forces will split into three paths to clear the way, the severely wounded in the middle, and the other sects will follow on their own. Whoever falls behind can only blame their own bad luck."

These words were very blunt.

But at this point, no one cared.

Getting out alive was the most important thing.

The large group quickly evacuated.

Wang Hao walked in the middle section. He turned his head to glance at the collapsing ruins of the altar, his gaze deepening.

The Martial God's true blood, obtained.

The remnant body of the Night Fiend, partially destroyed.

The blame on the Tianji Pavilion, pinned.

As for the Scarlet Moon Demonic Cult, an even bigger landmine had been planted.

Very good.

The harvest from this trip was truly plentiful.

It was just a little bit tiring.

He rubbed the center of his brows and slowly came to a conclusion in his heart:

"Next, it's time for Xie Wujiu to have a headache."