"Run!" Chi Sha made a split-second decision. She abandoned her pursuit of Yang Zhilu, instead grabbing Luo Xiu's hand and fleeing toward the exit of the tomb chamber. The moment the four statues came to life, she had sensed a terrifyingly dreadful aura.

On the other side, Dou Dou, who had been tangled up with Fei Xiao, turned pale with fright and flashed after Luo Xiu, crying out, "Chen Shuisheng, wait for Dou Dou!" Simultaneously, Xia Chan, sensing the danger, called Yang Zhilu and Fei Xiao back to her side.

But just as they were about to leap out through the thieves' tunnel in the ceiling of the main chamber, a sudden tremor ran through The Void, and it felt as if space itself had frozen solid. In an instant, everyone felt their bodies turn leaden. Powerless, they all sank to a half-kneeling position on the ground, an immense mountain seeming to press down on their backs, rendering them immobile!

"Still trying to run?"

"A bunch of treacherous wretches. Today, I'll make you pay the price!"

Master Zheng's face twisted with menace as he approached unhurriedly, his gaze sweeping over Xia Chan and the others.

At that moment, Xia Chan was on one knee, her delicate body trembling uncontrollably as if she would collapse at any moment. She barely managed to stay kneeling by propping herself up with her hands on the ground.

She looked up with difficulty, her gaze falling on Master Zheng's face. "What… what have you done?"

Master Zheng smiled faintly. "This Secret Realm is called the Land of Lawlessness. But do you know why?"

He continued, "Because the natural laws here aren't bound by the laws of the outside world; they are all determined by the master of this realm. Just now, when I gained control over the Land of Lawlessness, I altered its gravity to fifteen times that of the outside world!"

Saying this, he lowered his head to look at his palms, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

"I know I'm just a Martial Artist of the Vajra Realm. None of you would take me seriously. If it weren't for my knowledge, you probably wouldn't even have spared me a glance. Indeed, in this world, power is everything! Only with sufficient strength does one have the right to speak of morality. Luckily, I've spent my life studying the Land of Lawlessness. I know everything about it like the back of my hand, including one last trump card."

"Now, none of you have the right to speak of morality with me!"

Muttering a stream of curses, Fei Xiao suddenly stood up. He trudged toward Master Zheng with heavy steps and raised his blade to strike! "You son of a bitch, I'll chop you to pieces!"

A faint black aura swirled around Master Zheng as he watched Fei Xiao with a mocking gaze. Even Chi Sha and Dou Dou wouldn't dare to face Fei Xiao's blade head-on, yet Master Zheng faced the attack unflinching and utterly composed.

With a casual grab, he seized Fei Xiao's descending blade. Then, with a kick, he sent Fei Xiao's large, sturdy body flying, making it crash heavily against the chamber wall.

"The Land of Lawlessness has been activated, and now, I am the master of this Secret Realm!" he declared. "Here, I am an omnipotent god!"

His face a mask of madness, Master Zheng suddenly strode forward, grabbing Xia Chan by the collar and lifting her as if she weighed nothing. "Miss Chu, I actually preferred you when you were haughty, arrogant, and refused to spare me a glance."

Powerless to struggle, Xia Chan glared at him with icy eyes. "Touch me," she said in a cold voice, "and you'd better be clear about the consequences you'll face after you leave this place."

Hearing this, Master Zheng sneered. "At a time like this, do you really think such threats are of any use? I know your background is impressive, but here, I am the ruler!"

With that, he reached out his other hand and violently tore at her clothes. With a series of loud RIPS, Xia Chan's garments were shredded, leaving her in nothing but her underwear.

He threw her to the ground and turned to Xu Wei's mercenaries nearby. Waving his hand, he instantly lifted the gravitational restriction from them. "You lot, go 'take good care' of our esteemed Miss Chu. Do it right, and I might let you live."

The mercenaries exchanged glances, then looked to Xu Wei.

Xu Wei sighed softly. "Your lives are at stake. Decide for yourselves."

With that, the mercenaries made their choice and slowly approached Xia Chan. "Miss Chu, I'm sorry… I have a family waiting for me back home."

Xia Chan sat powerlessly on the ground, her expression chillingly calm as she watched the men approach, saying nothing.

At Master Zheng's command, the four living statues moved to subdue Chi Sha, Dou Dou, Yang Zhilu, and Fei Xiao. Of everyone present, Master Zheng perceived these four Masters of the Martial Way as the only threats, so he had to control them first to feel at ease.

Afterward, Master Zheng walked unhurriedly toward Luo Xiu, who was still kneeling on the ground, looking up at him.

Lin Tong's voice suddenly echoed in Luo Xiu's mind.

Big Brother, the only thing we can do now is buy time, Lin Tong said. The reason he has suddenly obtained such immense power is that he sacrificed his life to temporarily gain control of the Land of Lawlessness. This little bastard must have done quite a bit of research on this place; even I overlooked that detail.

Luo Xiu glanced at a struggling Xia Chan, a knot of discomfort tightening in his stomach. He asked mentally, So this power of his has a time limit?

Correct, Lin Tong affirmed. From this, I can also deduce that the so-called King of Law here must be the Soul-devouring Evil Spirit Tuof. He was once my most loyal follower.

Then what's the deal with these four statues? Luo Xiu asked.

They must be the Four Great Spirit Generals under Tuof's command. For them to awaken like this, he must have used the power of the Eye of the Reaper, Lin Tong explained. Big Brother, give me a moment. I'll try to awaken the memories of the Four Great Spirit Generals and make them recognize me. My authority as the King of the Spirit Realm should be enough to intimidate them.

As man and spirit conversed, Master Zheng had already come to stand before Luo Xiu.

Luo Xiu looked up to meet his gaze and suddenly asked, "Who do you want to resurrect with the Eye of the Reaper?"

At his words, Master Zheng froze, the memory of his tragically killed wife and child flashing through his mind. "Give me the Eye of the Reaper, and I might consider letting you live."

"First, release Miss Chu. Then I'll give you the Eye of the Reaper," Luo Xiu countered.

"Boy, do you think you're in any position to bargain with me?"

Unyielding, Luo Xiu replied, "I can destroy it. If it comes to that, we'll all go down together. Besides, I can guess you just sacrificed your life to gain this power, so it must be time-limited. During that time, your only hope is likely to use the Eye of the Reaper to resurrect the people you want to see one last time."

Upon hearing this, Master Zheng fell silent. Every word Luo Xiu spoke had struck a chord deep within him.

"Heh… it seems Dr. Chen knows quite a bit about the Land of Lawlessness as well."

Luo Xiu glanced at Xia Chan, who had been stripped bare, and urged, "I don't think you have time to waste."

Master Zheng sighed. "I hold no deep grudge against Miss Chu, so I never intended to take her life. But this woman is treacherous, and I must make her pay the price.

"So rest assured, she will only suffer physical humiliation; her life is not in danger.

"Dr. Chen, I have poured half my life's work into studying the Land of Lawlessness, traveling all over Africa in search of ancient texts… I just want to resurrect my wife and son and be reunited with them. I ask for nothing more."

Luo Xiu took out the Eye of the Reaper and clutched it tightly, staring at Master Zheng. "I'll say it again: release her now, or we all go down together!"

Master Zheng clenched his teeth. With a wave of his hand, the mercenaries who had stripped Xia Chan bare suddenly collapsed, unable to move. "Now, can you give it to me?"

Luo Xiu took a deep breath and slowly uncurled his fingers.

Master Zheng hastily snatched the artifact, then quickly retreated to one side. He decisively slit his own wrist, letting his blood flow into the Eye of the Reaper. As a few moments passed, an aura of death so potent it inspired primal fear began to permeate the entire tomb chamber.

Master Zheng held the Eye of the Reaper aloft with both hands, chanting ancient words as if performing some forgotten ritual. Suddenly, the Eye of the Reaper blazed with brilliant light!

He threw his head back and laughed. "Hahahaha… At last, it's done! Wife, son, our family will be reunited soon!"

SHUNK.

The very next moment, a soft, piercing sound was heard. Master Zheng's body jolted, and he froze in place.

Luo Xiu stared intently and saw a gray arm extending from the black mist behind him, having pierced clean through his chest. That gray arm seemed to have appeared from thin air!

Suddenly, a hoarse voice echoed from The Void. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. After so many years, some ignorant ant has finally revived this king."

"Eh… It seems there are quite a few living people here. Just in time to break my fast."

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