Chapter Six: The Imperial Villa Guards

Another group? Zhang Xiao curled his lips in a smirk. It was undoubtedly those old fogies from Kama; they were quite resourceful to have arrived so quickly. "I don't know them. Is there a problem?"

Hearing Zhang Xiao's words, Hei Zi chuckled, "Haha, those fools actually went to argue with that watchdog, and it looks like they've started fighting."

Upon hearing this, a strange smile tugged at the corner of Zhang Xiao's mouth. "Let’s go take a look."

"Hellhound, we are the disciples of the God of Death. Since the God of Death has yet to descend, this place should be under the jurisdiction of our temple." Kama held a pitch-black staff topped with a human skull, summoning mummy after mummy to charge at the Hellhound, while the others, wielding scimitars, formed a formation to launch constant harassment.

Zhang Xiao's figure appeared quietly in a dark corner nearby, observing silently. None of these people were weak. The mummies summoned by Kama were far more formidable than the skeletons raised by necromancers in the Americas. They were like sticky taffy; no matter how the three-headed Hellhound bit or swatted at them, even if it crushed them into balls, it couldn't destroy them.

Bandages shot out from the mummies, binding the three-headed Hellhound, and at that moment, the warriors with scimitars charged forward, hacking at the beast and carving deep, bloody wounds. One should not underestimate these warriors. Though their methods were simple, Zhang Xiao observed closely and saw that each of them was branded with peculiar runes. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth flowed endlessly into their bodies, making them as hard and powerful as magical artifacts.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiao’s eyes lit up. "Forging the body into an artifact!" This was the first time he had seen such a technique. To be honest, this battle was far more spectacular than any American blockbuster before the world changed. Just as Zhang Xiao was engrossed in the spectacle, the three-headed Hellhound suddenly erupted.

Its three gaping maws spewed flames in red, blue, and gray. In an instant, the bandages and the mummies in front were reduced to ash. The scimitar-wielding warriors were caught off guard and engulfed by the flames; while their robes were instantly incinerated, the warriors themselves remained completely unharmed. Dense, cyan runes were branded across their skin, and in the heat of the fire, these runes suddenly burst into intense light.

"Armor of the Death God!" A roar echoed. A fierce cyan light erupted from the warriors, and the runes on their bodies instantly transformed into bronze-colored armor. With the armor manifested, the tide of the battle shifted immediately. Though the Hellhound was strong, it was now being overwhelmed by several masters whose strength was equivalent to the late Nascent Soul stage.

"You wretches! When the Era of Gods descends, wait to suffer the wrath of the God of Death!" With an angry roar, the Hellhound exploded with tri-colored flames. Kama’s expression shifted, and he shouted, "Run! Get away! That is the Fire of the Death God!"

Despite Kama’s warning, two warriors were too slow. In that split second, the blended flames engulfed them. This time, they were not as lucky as before. Without any struggle or resistance, in the blink of an eye, the two warriors in bronze armor turned into plumes of smoke and vanished from the world.

"Beast!" Seeing his comrades die, Kama roared in fury. He swung the skull-topped staff, and countless shrieking black smokes shot out from it.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiao’s brow arched in surprise. "Cursing arts!" Maoshan was famous for its eerie curses. While Zhang Xiao wouldn't claim to be a grandmaster, he was certainly an expert. The grudge-filled energy within the curse Kama unleashed was astonishing. Zhang Xiao questioned whether he could have resisted it himself without the help of his avatar. Indeed, the three-headed Hellhound burst with tri-colored flames again, spraying them at the black smoke, but the smoke was like intangible air, ignoring the flames entirely and rapidly drilling into the Hellhound’s mouth, nose, eyes, and ears.

"Roar!" The excruciating pain forced the Hellhound to its knees, its three heads desperately slamming into each other and biting. Seeing this, the remaining seven warriors brandished their scimitars, unleashing black blade-qi that exploded against the beast, leaving it a bloody mess.

"Damned humans! When the gods descend, you will be punished!" The Hellhound roared, its eyes flashing with madness. It lunged forward, grabbing two of the warriors in its embrace. Before anyone could react, a blinding light erupted from the beast’s body.

"Boom!" The violent explosion and the massive shockwave sent everyone flying. Zhang Xiao’s expression changed. He hadn't expected the Hellhound to choose self-destruction rather than escape. This ending made Zhang Xiao feel a sense of respect for the beast's loyalty.

"Sigh! He’s too short-tempered." Hei Zi, now shrunk to the size of a palm, was hiding in a pile of hay, watching the scene unfold. Seeing the self-destruction, he sighed. Although he and the Hellhound weren't exactly friends, they had been neighbors for several years, and he felt a tinge of sadness.

Zhang Xiao asked, puzzled, "Why didn't you save him? I believe if you two joined forces, those guys would be no match for you."

Hearing this, Hei Zi chuckled, "I wouldn't save him. If he dies, he dies. Besides, when the gods descend, he’ll just be resurrected by his master, Anubis. I don't have that kind of luck. Anyway, even if I helped him, he wouldn't let the Young Master into the palace, and then I’d be stuck in the middle, caught between a rock and a hard place."

"The descent of the gods? Resurrection!" Zhang Xiao’s expression changed. He quickly asked, "What do you mean? What is this 'descent of the gods,' and what is this about resurrection?" If Anubis could resurrect the Hellhound, could he also resurrect Lan Fang? For a long time, Zhang Xiao had avoided thinking about it, but every time the thought crossed his mind, his heart ached as if stabbed by a knife. Hearing about resurrection ignited a spark of hope.

"I don't know the specifics. I only know that in the near future, the ancient gods will descend upon this land again. I don't know the exact time; the watchdog told me all this. As for resurrection, the watchdog told me that his life core is held by his master, Anubis. So even if he dies, once his master descends, he will be brought back to life."

Zhang Xiao fell silent. Clearly, Anubis wasn't omnipotent; the Hellhound could be resurrected because his life core existed. But Lan Fang’s soul had been scattered. Even if there were powerful deities in this world, could they really bring back someone whose soul was shattered? At this thought, Zhang Xiao’s heart sank again.

"Young Master, look, they've gone in. Should we follow?" Hei Zi pointed toward the figures of Kama and the others. Zhang Xiao looked up and saw that the gate had been opened, and they had already entered the palace.

Very well! Saving Ziyan was the priority now. As for Lan Fang’s vengeance, one day he would settle the score with the Nine Great Sects. Zhang Xiao’s expression shifted; he tucked Hei Zi into his pocket and turned into a phantom, following them into the grand palace. As the palace of Anubis, one of the ancient Egyptian gods, the décor was magnificent. Zhang Xiao was unfazed, but Hei Zi, peeking from his pocket, was dazzled.

"Damn that wretched watchdog! It’s so beautiful in here, and he lied to me, saying there was nothing inside. Good thing I didn't save him."

Zhang Xiao couldn't help but chuckle at Hei Zi’s words, feeling a bit of sympathy for the Hellhound. Having a "friend" like Hei Zi was likely the greatest misfortune of the beast's life.

Zhang Xiao moved through the shadows. The palace was vast. He passed through the front hall and entered a corridor, where the thick spiritual energy made him feel invigorated. "You idiots, you can't even read a map correctly!" His ears twitched, and he immediately heard Kama’s roar not far away. Zhang Xiao unleashed his Heavenly Demon Shadow, instantly merging into a stone sculpture and concealing his presence while waiting silently.

Since Kama had a map, he must know where the Water of Rebirth was. Moments later, Kama and his group appeared in Zhang Xiao’s line of sight. After the battle with the Hellhound, their numbers had dwindled; including Kama, only four remained.

Zhang Xiao’s eyes flashed with a cold light! Just as he considered launching a surprise attack, the stone sculpture beneath his feet let out a sharp, cracking sound. The noise was piercing in the silence, and the group turned their gazes toward his position.

Zhang Xiao cursed his luck, preparing to reveal himself, when—*snap, snap*—a series of cracking sounds echoed continuously. Now, not only Kama but even Zhang Xiao felt something was strange.

"Young Master, hide quickly! It's the palace guards. They aren't strong, but there are a staggering number of them!" Hei Zi poked his head out and transmitted his voice. Zhang Xiao immediately ducked into a dark corner and replied, "What’s going on? If you knew there were guards, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Hei Zi replied in a very innocent tone, "I thought the watchdog was lying to me!" Zhang Xiao felt a sudden urge to throw Hei Zi on the ground and stomp on him twice.

*Snap, snap, snap! Boom!* With a series of rumbles, the stone sculptures lining the corridor came to life, revealing hideous faces as they charged toward Kama and his group.