Huangpu Qingtian was startled at his words and saw Zhuo Fan spit his ear horrified.
How come he didn't see Zhuo Fan coming up with such a gruesome death penalty for him?
[What dignified? I will even lose my rights as a human being!] What made it worse was being stripped of his kingly aura.
Far more gruesome than Lin Xuanfeng and You Yushan's deaths, that was for sure…
"Zhuo Fan, y-you're a demon. You dare eat me?" Huangpu Qingtian squinted, appalled.
Grinning, with Huangpu Qingtian's blood marring his lips, Zhuo Fan's eyes had a manic glint, "Yes, that's exactly right. I was thinking about the best way to torture you, for you to feel the most pain. I've decided this is the perfect end for you.
"It won't be the most painful – You Yushan had it a hundred times worse- nor the most humiliating – Lin Xuanfeng has you beat at that – but for the one sentencing Ning'er to death, I chose this for you. And do you know why? Ha-ha-ha, it's the one that brings me the most joy. Devouring you is the only way to ease this raging maelstrom of hatred inside of me."
Zhuo Fan bit down again, took off a large chunk from Huangpu Qingtian's scruff, making his victim howl to the sky and tears flow down his cheeks.
Yan Fu shuddered and took two discreet steps back. The viewers couldn't look anymore, feeling bile coming into their throats. Their hearts hammered in their chest, threatening to jump out any second.
Zhuo Fan was right. Eating him alive wasn't the most painful, nor the most shameful, but it was the most horrible.
Everyone had fear in their eyes.
Zhuo Fan's earlier punishments made him look like a demon, but now he was a demon archon.
Only Chu Qingcheng was without worry, fear or anxiety, just sadness.
For Zhuo Fan to have such hatred towards Huangpu Qingtian, it showed the pain he was enduring. A pain so great that only through this savage act could he somewhat appease it…
Ah!
Zhuo Fan grinned. Huangpu Qingtian's eyes bulged, his veins popped, his regal face twisted horribly.
"Zhuo Fan, I am the rightful king appointed by providence itself. You will receive heavenly punishment for eating me!" Huangpu Qingtian roared.
Zhuo Fan shook his head, "He-he-he, heavenly punishment? I've been going against heaven all this time so what's there to fear going a bit further? Your so-called providence is a grand delusion you found yourself in. Even if you had heaven's protection, it wouldn't change a thing. I'd still come after you even if I had to pierce the nine heavens!"
Zhuo Fan bit down again, his teeth bloody.
Roar!
Incited by Huangpu Qingtian's words, a dragon roar sounded and his bloody body let out a golden light.
Zhuo Fan was startled. He had the Bloodworm seal Huangpu Qingtian's cultivation. [So why is he releasing such a strong power?]
The answer came soon.
The golden dragon soul shot from Huangpu Qingtian into the sky before coming back down towards Zhuo Fan.
Dragon soul's protection!
Zhuo Fan frowned and sighed. He had totally forgotten about Huangpu Qingtian's Dragon Vein Soul coming to save him in dire moments.
Leng Wuchang and Huangpu Tianyuan snickered at this point. Zhuo Fan was so weak that the Dragon Vein Soul would attack his soul and end him.
Hu~
A dragon image flashed by and the dragon soul passed through Zhuo Fan. A searing pain struck his head and he spat blood from how damaged his soul was.
"Ha-ha-ha, Zhuo Fan, you got what was coming for you! If you'd just killed me, none of this would've happened. But you, a lesser man, had to dare eat this king. Now you will die being devoured by the dragon soul!"
Huangpu Qingtian cackled. Despite being riddled with bite wounds, he still had the time to laugh, "I am the true rightful king of heaven. I am untouchable, ha-ha-ha…"
Fang Qiubai was startled.
In the most intense moment, the Dragon Vein Soul actually came out to defend him. [Is Huangpu Qingtian truly a son of heaven for the dragon soul to protect him so much?]
Zhuo Fan only grinned. He saw the dragon soul coming for another pass and said, "Humph, a mere earth spirit dares defy this emperor? Die!"
Then an azure flame flickered from his forehead.
The azure flame expanded into a firebird. It took to the skies and shot for the petrified dragon soul.
The dragon soul downright panicked, shuddered, then hightailed it.
A bit too late for that, unfortunately. The azure bird flashed before it and clawed at its body. It held the dragon like a meager worm as it doubled back.
The dragon soul only whimpered as the bird flew back to Zhuo Fan.
Now that got a reaction out of the crowd, or more precisely a lack of reaction. People stared at Zhuo Fan blankly. Huangpu Qingtian's mind blew away as he couldn't quite find any words to speak.
[What the hell? That's a Dragon Vein Soul! How does a blue bird get to dangle it back just like that?]
"The kid has his own spirit, far stronger than even Huangpu Qingtian's Dragon Vein Soul!" Fang Qiubai shouted.
The Dragon Vein Soul was a rarity in the world, the symbol of kings. Who thought it possible then that Zhuo Fan would have something far more deadly?
[Just who is he? He is from a third rate clan so why is he covered with treasures?]
Zhuge Changfeng stroked his beard, watching Zhuo Fan with blazing eyes.
Only Regent Estate's side was in pain. The stronger Zhuo Fan was, the bigger the threat. And now that the king's symbol was crushed so easily, this feeling only grew stronger.
This signified he was the rightful king upon this world, heaven approved.
Regent Estate's resentment billowed and their hatred grew. Zhuo Fan, the little demon, no longer just had the potential to be a threat, but a veritable one at their own survival. A monster that defied the heavens.
"We need to make time and seek the High Priest for answers. Where did he come from? How did he make the Dragon Vein Soul surrender?" Huangpu Tianyuan sighed.
Leng Wuchang nodded as well, his face deep in ponder.
Man proposed and heaven disposed. Leng Wuchang had flawless plans, but that only accounted for men. Anything he tried with those decreed by heaven would be rendered null. They would be under providence's care and would come back from death's door stronger than ever.
He never wanted to mess with these freaks for the same reason.
Huangpu Qingtian qualified as one when he got the dragon soul's approval. All of the Regent Estate, including him, called Huangpu Qingtian as heaven's chosen. That his arrogance was god given and justified.
That belief only grew stronger as the third of the Four Pillars, Tianyu's High Priest gave his vague acknowledgment.
But at this very moment, this heaven's chosen was being eaten alive by Zhuo Fan. Even his guardian, dragon soul, could do nothing to stop it.
[Is this also by providence that the punk has a kingly disposition? Or is it perhaps coming from somewhere beyond heaven?]
Leng Wuchang saw Zhuo Fan as a fearful enigma.
Huangpu Qingtian saw his dragon soul coming back in the bird's claws and cried, "Zhuo Fan, who the hell are you? You just called yourself emperor, then…"
"None of your business!"
Zhuo Fan mocked, "All you need to know is this. Messing with me is the worst mistake of your miserable life!"
Zhuo Fan took a bite out of his throat this time, tearing it off.
Blood poured and Huangpu Qingtian's eyes dulled, feeling his life drained from him. With that, the golden energy left his body and entered Zhuo Fan.
The azure bird brought the dragon soul back. Just in time to see the golden energy moving into Zhuo Fan, it released its claws in shock.
The dragon soul roared in its newfound freedom.
But it didn't attack Zhuo Fan this time, and instead circled him twice. It watched the golden energy move then entered Zhuo Fan's body itself.
Roar!
As another dragon roar came, Zhuo Fan didn't seem to feel any change but then he exploded with light.
The azure bird nodded and returned into Zhuo Fan as well.
Huangpu Tianyuan, having witnessed this event, cried, "Royal transfer! The world is about to change!"