PD -Chapter 160 The Shackles of the Flesh

Completely destroying this guy and all of his clones was actually quite simple. Just as I had suspected earlier, all I needed to do was destroy his physical body.

I let out a cold laugh and hurled my dagger along with several talismans. They struck several of Yang Yingzhe’s clones, forcing them back. In that instant, I charged straight toward the machine.

At that moment, one of Yang Yingzhe’s figures stood atop the equipment. His eyes widened slightly—he had clearly seen through my intentions. Naturally, that was Yang Yingzhe’s true soul.

But even so, he no longer had time to stop me.

I stomped down on the machine, and the Demon-Burning Flame around my foot erupted violently.

The rust-covered casing exploded apart, revealing a massive hole. Inside, Yang Yingzhe’s body lay suspended within a transparent tank.

With a sneer, I shattered the tank with another kick and grabbed his body, yanking it out.

All around me, Yang Yingzhe’s clones immediately charged forward without regard for their own safety, desperately trying to stop me and reclaim their body.

I snorted coldly. The Golden Light Incantation burst forth from my body. Ignoring their attacks entirely, I tore away the tubes connecting Yang Yingzhe’s body to the machine.

The Demon-Burning Flame ignited in my hand at once.

With a roar, Yang Yingzhe’s body was engulfed in fire.

“AAAAAHHHH!”

A scream echoed beside my ears—the combined cry of every clone at once.

I remained completely unmoved.

The flames quickly consumed Yang Yingzhe’s entire body. All the clones around me froze in place. Their forms began to crack apart before turning into ashes, fading inch by inch into the darkness.

Staring at the shattered scene before me, I took several deep breaths. After standing there in a daze for quite some time, I finally stepped over the broken glass and left the secret chamber.

I walked over to Li Zi and helped him up from the floor.

Patting his face a few times, I gradually brought him back to consciousness. The bruise from the punch I had given him earlier was painfully obvious. Looking at his swollen cheek, I couldn’t help shaking my head.

“W-What happened to me?” Li Zi slowly climbed to his feet, rubbing his temples as though he couldn’t remember a thing.

I sighed.

“Let’s get out of here first.”

Supporting him, I led him out of the basement.

As I glanced back at the pitch-black iron door behind us, Yang Yingzhe’s madness still sent a chill down my spine.

If his experiment had truly succeeded, what kind of world would this become?

No one could predict it.

Perhaps, just as Yang Yingzhe claimed, everyone could achieve immortality.

But if that happened, what would become of the gods, the underworld, the Ten Kings of Hell, and all those supreme yet terrifying beings that had existed since ancient times?

How would they react?

Everything remained unknown.

The truth was that, for a brief moment in that secret chamber, I had genuinely been tempted by Yang Yingzhe’s proposal.

Because I had thought of Tang Shanshan again.

Perhaps Yang Yingzhe’s method could have given me a little more hope.

Fortunately, I managed to suppress that insane idea. The moment I came back to my senses, I was startled by my own thoughts and broke out in a cold sweat.

I helped Li Zi out through the wire fence.

Several security guards had already arrived nearby, evidently conducting their patrols. Seeing me staggering out while supporting Li Zi, they immediately came over to help.

They had obviously heard some of the commotion from inside the abandoned building and kept asking what had happened.

I simply told them that a support pillar in the ruins had collapsed, causing part of the wall to cave in, and that Li Zi had been struck by falling debris.

After brushing them off with a few excuses, I drove Li Zi to a nearby hospital.

Fortunately, after a thorough examination, it turned out he had suffered only superficial injuries, and Yang Yingzhe hadn’t fried his brain with electricity.

Only then did I finally relax.

On the drive back to the hotel, Li Zi kept pressing me for answers, so I told him everything from beginning to end.

“Remember this. When the time comes, every single thing left in that hospital must be moved out and burned. Nothing from the original place can remain—not a single item. Especially anything that once belonged to the patients or medical staff.”

Li Zi nodded silently.

“I’ve already destroyed that formation, so it can no longer gather souls or spiritual energy. For now, focus on clearing out the ruins. Tear down whatever needs to be demolished. Once I’m done with my own business, I’ll handle all the design and construction plans for you. So don’t rush me, and don’t keep calling to push me during this period.”

“Bro, aren’t you staying the night and leaving tomorrow?” Li Zi asked after hearing the urgency in my voice.

I shook my head.

“There are things that can’t be delayed any longer. They need to be dealt with as soon as possible.”

“Then… be careful.”

Li Zi knew a little about what I was planning next. His words carried far more meaning than concern for a simple trip.

I gave a bitter smile.

“Got it. At most, one month. If I make it back alive in a month, then your haunted-house exploration business owes me a share of the profits.”

“That’s only fair. You earned it!”

Li Zi rubbed his temples and agreed without hesitation.

After dropping him off at the hotel, I collected my luggage and headed alone to the airport, booking the first overnight flight home.

Along the way, I had already called Liu Xiaopeng and Shen Tu, telling them to return immediately and inform Old Que that he could begin forging the weapon.

Sitting on the plane, my emotions were complicated.

At long last, things were moving forward.

A confrontation between us and the alliance of Lucifer and the Five Ghost Emperors was inevitable.

And that battle would probably come much sooner than we imagined.

Thinking about all of this, I gradually drifted off to sleep.

In my dream, I accepted Yang Yingzhe’s proposal.

I cloned Tang Shanshan’s soul countless times.

Standing in that secret chamber, I saw row upon row of glass tanks, each containing another Tang Shanshan.

“Sir! Sir!”

A voice suddenly dragged me out of the nightmare.

I jolted upright.

A flight attendant looked startled by my reaction, though she quickly regained her professional smile.

“Sir, we’re preparing to land. Please put away your tray table.”

Coming back to my senses, I nodded absentmindedly and folded up the tray.

Instinctively, I touched the Soul-Collecting Talisman against my chest.

When I felt it still there, I finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Fifteen minutes later, after getting off the plane, I was surprised to find Liu Xiaopeng and Shen Tu already waiting for me outside the airport.

“Let’s go. We’re finding Old Que.”

As soon as I got into the car, I spoke to Liu Xiaopeng, who was behind the wheel.

The vehicle sped all the way to the dilapidated steel mill.

We knocked on the gate.

As usual, Old Que took forever to answer.

Only when I mentioned Shen Fang’s name did I hear a loud series of metallic clanks from the other side.

A narrow crack opened in the massive iron gate.

Holding a flashlight, Old Que shone the beam directly into my face without blinking.

The look in his eyes said everything:

If I had been lying to him, then I could forget about him forging that weapon forever.