Settling Wages, the Emperor Never Works for Free

Within its pitch-black pupils, a trace of remnant will surfaced.

Rage.

Humiliation.

Killing intent.

It wanted to tear Ji Wushang apart.

But the black core had already pierced into its forehead.

Rule chains unleashed by countless sinister artifacts bound it layer upon layer.

Ji Wushang's body began to change as well.

His mouth split open.

From the corners of his lips all the way to his ears.

Then further down to his neck.

That mouth grew larger and larger, becoming less and less human.

Inside were not teeth.

But rings of black serrated blades.

Every single blade was carved with bizarre runes.

Ji Wushang lunged at the Emperor Corpse.

He opened that terrifying maw and bit down hard on the corpse's shoulder.

Crack!

A chunk of the Emperor Corpse's shoulder was forcibly torn away.

Greyish-white death essence erupted, only to be swallowed into Ji Wushang's belly.

Ji Wushang let out a roar of sheer pleasure.

"Hahahaha!"

"Just like that!"

"Wang Hao!"

"Thank you!"

"If you hadn't gravely wounded the Emperor Corpse, I truly wouldn't have been able to devour it!"

"Your nine palms that crushed the Emperor Corpse were just helping me shatter its bones!"

"Your nine sky-splitting sword strikes were just helping me rip open its shell!"

"That wretched sword of yours, devouring its essence, was just helping me weaken its resistance!"

"Hahahahaha!"

"No matter how clever you are, so what?"

"In the end, you still worked for me!"

Wang Hao's expression turned grim.

The New Emperor Sword was trembling with fury, its blade shuddering.

"Bullshit!"

"I was the one who bit it open!"

"You're stealing the meal and still mocking the cook?"

"You dog Ji!"

"If you've got the guts, come out and fight one-on-one!"

Ji Wushang kept devouring the Emperor Corpse while cackling madly.

"One-on-one?"

"Once I evolve into a Grade-Ten Aberration, I'll take my sweet time tormenting you both."

"Especially you, Wang Hao."

"I'll refine you into an Imperial Puppet."

"Have you kneel before me for all eternity."

Murderous intent blazed in Wang Hao's eyes.

"You? Worthy?"

He struck again.

This time, Wang Hao did not scatter his attacks.

He focused all the power of the Thunder Abyss Demon-Suppressing Tower, the Imperial Dragon Qi, and the New Emperor Sword into a single point.

Thunderlight condensed into a blade.

Dragon qi sharpened into an edge.

The Prison-Suppressing Palm compressed into a single palm seal.

The devouring power of the New Emperor Sword wrapped around it all.

Wang Hao thrust his sword forward.

The target: the weakest point of the vortex.

Boom!

The sinister-qi vortex shuddered violently.

Several low-grade sinister artifacts on the outer rim exploded on the spot.

But more artifacts filled the gap.

Black mist churned, grinding Wang Hao's sword momentum into nothing.

Wang Hao was knocked back three steps by the backlash.

The old wound in his chest suddenly flared with agony.

Blood surged to his throat, and he forced it back down.

He couldn't spit it out.

At least not in front of Ji Wushang.

If he did, that old schemer would only get even more arrogant.

Wang Hao looked up, his gaze uncertain.

The remaining time on the Transcendence Examination Card truly was running low.

He could feel that sense of omnipotence within him beginning to loosen, bit by bit.

His meridians were feeling the strain again.

His physical injuries were also surging back.

If he kept fighting head-on, he might not even be able to break the fusion formation.

And once the Examination Card expired, he really would be a turtle in a jar.

A very pragmatic thought crossed Wang Hao's mind.

Run.

Run first.

As long as the green hills remain, there's no shortage of firewood.

He'd go back, clock in for rewards, stockpile trump cards, bring the entire Xia Dynasty up in power, then come back and raze Ji Wushang's ancestral graves.

Of course, whether something like Ji Wushang even had ancestral graves was debatable.

If he didn't, they could just dig one on the spot.

Wang Hao never lacked execution.

But the problem was, how to escape now?

The Abyss of Ten Thousand Tombs was sealed by the remnants of the Nine-Coffin Altar Formation.

While Ji Wushang couldn't actively pursue during his fusion, the sinister-qi vortex was expanding.

Once it covered the entire abyss, everyone would be dragged in.

The people of Xia looked at the horrifying sight of the Emperor Corpse being devoured, their faces uglier than the next.

Han Shanyue gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, what do we do?"

Yin Jiuyou lowered his voice. "Maybe... retreat?"

Xue Wuhen gave a bitter smile.

"You think we can get out?"

The Demon Lord looked at Wang Hao.

He didn't urge him.

Because he knew that the only one who could decide everyone's life and death right now was Wang Hao.

Ghost Granny suddenly spoke.

"Your Majesty."

"If he truly evolves into a Grade-Ten Aberration, the Abyss of Ten Thousand Tombs will become the core of an aberration domain."

"At that point, it won't just be us. The entire border of Xia will be eroded by the domain."

Wang Hao's gaze darkened.

That was the most troublesome part.

Running was an option.

But he couldn't just run blindly.

If Ji Wushang truly ascended to Grade-Ten Aberration here, the consequences would be catastrophic.

But if he didn't run and stayed to fight, they might all be wiped out.

Wang Hao hated choices like this.

Because no matter which one he picked, he lost.

He liked giving others choices.

He didn't like having choices slapped in his face.

The New Emperor Sword was still gnashing its teeth nearby.

"Master!"

"We can't let him finish eating!"

"The Emperor Corpse is mine!"

Wang Hao said coldly, "Shut up."

The New Emperor Sword felt wronged.

"Master, little sword is just thinking about the bigger picture."

Wang Hao glanced at it.

"Your 'bigger picture' just means your meal?"

The New Emperor Sword said with utter justification.

"If little sword is strong, then Master is strong!"

"If Master is strong, then Xia is strong!"

"If Xia is strong, that's the bigger picture of the world!"

Wang Hao paused for a moment.

That almost made sense.

But this wasn't the time for twisted logic.

Ji Wushang had already swallowed one arm of the Emperor Corpse.

His body was becoming more and more distorted.

Black bone spikes grew from his back.

Between the crystal core in his chest and the black core in his forehead, a bizarre vertical eye formed.

That eye slowly opened.

The moment it cracked open even a sliver, everyone in the abyss felt a chill pierce their souls.

As if some unspeakable existence had fixed its gaze upon them.

The Thunder Abyss Demon-Suppressing Tower trembled violently.

Even the New Emperor Sword, for once, stopped its cheeky talk.

It whispered, "Master."

"This thing... it's really about to succeed."

Wang Hao gripped the sword hilt.

His knuckles went white.

The remaining time on the Examination Card was running shorter.

Enough for maybe one more full-powered burst.

Just one.

If that couldn't break through, then he had to retreat.

A fierce glint flashed in Wang Hao's eyes.

He had never been a saint.

But he was the Emperor of Xia.

The people of Xia were still behind him.

If he truly had to retreat, he had to tear open a path first.

Wang Hao raised his head, looking at Ji Wushang, who was madly devouring the Emperor Corpse.

Ji Wushang looked back at him, his mouth split open to the back of his ears, grinning like something inhuman.

"Wang Hao."

"You're thinking about running now, aren't you?"

Wang Hao's face was expressionless.

"Guess."

Ji Wushang burst into wild laughter.

"Run!"

"I'll allow it!"

"Once I finish my transformation, I'll come find you in Xia myself."

"When that time comes, I'll make your subjects watch with their own eyes as the emperor they revere is eaten by me, piece by piece!"

Wang Hao suddenly smiled.

A very faint smile.

But it made everyone who knew him feel a jolt.

The Demon Lord's expression shifted slightly.

When His Majesty smiles like that...

Usually, either someone is about to be in deep trouble, or His Majesty is about to do something particularly underhanded and grand.

Wang Hao raised the New Emperor Sword.

The Thunder Abyss Demon-Suppressing Tower slowly descended behind him.

The nine Imperial Dragon Qi began to burn.

Not ordinary activation.

But a squeeze that burned from the very essence.

The New Emperor Sword cried out in shock, "Master, what are you doing?"

Wang Hao said calmly, "If you can't win, you run. That's called wisdom."

"But before I run, not leaving a little souvenir for the enemy would make my heart uneasy."

The New Emperor Sword froze.

Then it grew excited.

"Master, you're going to screw him over?"

Wang Hao sneered.

"Who said anything about screwing him over?"

"I'm just returning the favor."

"HE'S HAVING ME WORK FOR HIM."

"IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR A LITTLE PAY?"

The New Emperor Sword instantly perked up.

"Not too much at all!"

"Absolutely not too much!"

Wang Hao stared at the vortex of eerie energy, a dark gleam flickering deep within his eyes.

He still had his Check-in Intelligence System.

Although he had already checked in at this location, the intelligence updated at every check-in point.

And right now, the special node had changed—the core of the Abyss of Ten Thousand Graves, the ruined Nine-Coffin Altar, the Emperor Corpse being devoured, and Ji Wushang transforming into something monstrous.

Wang Hao silently uttered in his mind.

"System."

"Check in."

The next instant.

A mechanical voice that only Wang Hao could hear rang out in his mind.

[Special location detected: Abyss of Ten Thousand Graves · Core of the Collapsed Nine-Coffin Altar · Level-Ten Abomination Transformation Site.]

[Proceed with check-in?]

Wang Hao's gaze sharpened.

It worked after all!

"Check in."

[Check-in successful.]

[Item obtained: One Death-Substitution Abomination Talisman.]

[Intelligence obtained: Ji Wushang's transformation is not yet complete. The core fusion point is the abomination eye between the black core on his forehead and the crystal core in his chest. Before the eye fully opens, if struck by the residual imperial will of the Emperor Corpse, the fusion process can be temporarily halted.]

[Note: The Emperor Corpse is very angry, but right now it doesn't have a mouth to curse anyone out.]

Wang Hao: "..."

This system's notes were still as cheeky as ever.

But the intelligence was useful.

The residual imperial will of the Emperor Corpse.

Striking the abomination eye.

Halting the fusion.

Wang Hao's eyes lit up.

He looked at the Emperor Corpse, which was still being devoured.

A wisp of residual imperial will flickered in the corpse's pitch-black eyes, struggling desperately.

It hated Ji Wushang.

Hated him deeply.

But it was suppressed by the rules of the abomination relics, unable to truly erupt.

So what if...

Someone gave it a hand?

A slow smile crept across Wang Hao's lips.

Seeing this, the New Emperor Sword immediately perked up.

"Master!"

"Did you come up with another wicked scheme?"

Wang Hao said flatly, "Watch your mouth."

The New Emperor Sword quickly corrected itself.

"Master is brilliant and mighty, and has come up with another heavenly-earth-shaking, ghost-weeping-god-wailing masterstroke?"

Wang Hao nodded in satisfaction.

"Something like that."

He looked at Ji Wushang, his smile icy cold.

"Ji Wushang."

"You wanted the Emperor Corpse to work for you, didn't you?"

"Well, I'm going to make it pay you—right now."

The moment Wang Hao finished speaking, the eerie energy in the Abyss of Ten Thousand Graves churned even more violently.

The assembled crowd from Great Xia was stunned.

Pay him? What time was this, and the emperor was still doing the math?

But those familiar with Wang Hao knew—once the emperor started calculating, it meant someone was about to have a very bad day.

And the way they suffered was usually rather... underhanded.

Ji Wushang stood at the center of the abomination vortex, devouring the Emperor Corpse while letting out a ghastly cold laugh.

He no longer looked human.

The corners of his mouth had split all the way to his ears, with rings of black serrated teeth spinning endlessly.

Bone spikes pierced through his flesh from behind, like a black divine tree growing out of the deepest pits of hell.

Between the crystal core on his chest and the black core on his forehead, the abomination eye was slowly taking shape.

With every sliver it opened, the abyss gained another layer of unspeakable dead silence.

He clamped his jaw around the Emperor Corpse's broken shoulder bone, drawing the grayish-white death essence into his body through that monstrous maw.

The Emperor Corpse struggled violently.

But dozens of abomination relics forming the fusion array pinned its broken body in place.

The corpse of the emperor who had once touched the realm of transcendence now lay like meat on a butcher's block.

Bitten off piece by piece.

Desecrated inch by inch.

Ji Wushang grinned wide and laughed.

"Wang Hao, you still think you can turn this around?"

"I admit it—you really are cunning, ruthless, and good at scheming."

"But this time, I'm the one who wins."

"You shattered the Emperor Corpse's bones."

"You tore open the Emperor Corpse's shell."

"You did the hardest part for me!"

"Hahahaha!"

His laughter sounded like billions of pests crawling through the cracks of a person's bones.

The crowd from Great Xia wore grim expressions.

Han Shanyue's fists clenched so hard his knuckles cracked.

Yin Jiuyou's mouth twitched, and he muttered, "This old bastard laughs so smugly, I want to go up and slap him myself."

Xue Wuhen glanced at him.

"You? Go up?"

Yin Jiuyou paused for half a breath.

"I'll handle the thinking."

Everyone: "..."

The Demon Lord said nothing.

He kept his eyes fixed on Wang Hao.

Others saw a hopeless dead end.

But what he saw were the dangerously cold glints hidden in the depths of Wang Hao's eyes.

That wasn't despair.

Nor was it panic.

It was the look of a veteran schemer who had just been schemed against by another veteran schemer—and had already started scheming back.

The Demon Lord's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

He had a feeling.

Ji Wushang was about to have a very unpleasant time.

Wang Hao kept his expression as calm as still water.

But in his palm, a strange talisman had quietly appeared.

The Death-Substitution Abomination Talisman.

This was what he had just obtained from the check-in.

The talisman wasn't large—only about two fingers wide.

It was a dull grayish-black all over, like the remnants of burnt funeral paper, or like skin peeled off a dead man's coffin lid.

There were no words on it.

Only a blurry human silhouette.

The silhouette kept twisting—sometimes like a person, sometimes like a corpse, sometimes like a shadow being devoured by some incomprehensible rule.

Wang Hao could sense that this thing was profoundly sinister.

It wasn't a simple life-saving charm.

It substituted death.

It could take the place of one fatal calamity.

Used well, it could forcibly drag a target that was being devoured by the rule of death out from the death sentence that had already been passed upon it.

Of course, it needed an anchor.

Blood was the anchor.

The blood of the Emperor Corpse.

Even though the Emperor Corpse had long since died, the grayish-white death essence remaining in its body was still the most direct imprint of this imperial corpse's rules.

As long as he got the Emperor Corpse's blood, and then waited for the most critical moment of Ji Wushang's devouring, Wang Hao could use the Death-Substitution Abomination Talisman to snatch out the part of the Emperor Corpse that hadn't been fully consumed.

He couldn't snatch it all back.

But he could snatch a portion.

That was enough.

Ji Wushang wanted to feast.

Wang Hao was determined not to let him eat his fill.

If you can't beat him, disgust him.

That was one of Wang Hao's life principles.

And the first principle was—if you can beat him, beat him to death.