Invincibility starts when I see the BOSS health bar.

Chapter 983 Accept the move
Pi instinctively and desperately turned back, looking at the center of the battlefield behind him, at the one he had sworn to protect with his life.

However, the esteemed Seventh Prince remained standing as still as an abyss, not even glancing at his soon-to-be-fallen guard out of the corner of his eye.

To be a protector and to die for one’s Lord is a duty and honor etched into one’s very bones.

From the day he was selected to serve by the Seventh Prince's side, Pai Digui understood this principle deeply and had already made preparations.

He looked back, not to beg for help, but simply to confirm that honor one last time, to strengthen his resolve to die, and to make his death more meaningful.

He whirled around, the last trace of hesitation and fear in his eyes replaced by a frenzied resolve. All the energy within him erupted without reservation, roaring as he pushed his demonic transformation to an even deeper and more dangerous level, until fine beads of blood even began to seep from his skin!
He transformed into a resolute streak of light, bought with the burning of his life, and charged toward the invincible monster ahead!

however--

hum!
A slight hum reverberated through the air.

Pai Digui couldn't even see any obvious movement from the other party; all he could see was a cold, tragic, and incredibly fast blood-red streak flashing by.

The next instant, his forward-leaning figure suddenly froze, frozen in place.

Then—whoosh!
His body was as if it had been cut by countless invisible blades at the same time, instantly shattering into pieces!

The remains of flesh, bones, and internal organs were scattered and mixed together on the ground, and a strong smell of blood instantly filled the air.

The tall, demonized horse-faced man had already appeared like a ghost behind the pile of corpses, his back to the mess on the ground. His blood-red halberd was casually pointed at the ground, and dark red energy flowed slowly on its body.

He didn't even glance back at the horrific scene, as if he were merely brushing away a tiny speck of dust.

As everyone knows, the strength of a demon warrior before and after demon transformation is like heaven and earth!
Only when the twelve generals are transformed into demons can they be called the organization's true, fearsome, top-tier killing force!
Pfft!
On the other side, one of the twelve generals, whose entire body was covered in bone armor, ripped out his opponent's heart along with his spine, and the corpse fell heavily to the ground.

Pfft!
From another direction, the twelve generals used sonic attacks. After a sharp shriek, the opponent's head exploded like a ripe watermelon.

……

Almost at the same time that the horse-faced man dealt with the demonic figure, the other members of the Twelve Generals, who had completed their demonic transformation, also swiftly and cruelly ended the lives of their respective opponents with an absolute crushing force.

The battle unfolded in a mere few breaths, resulting in a one-sided reckoning.

When this group of demons, each with its own unique form, exuding a murderous aura and shrouded in a thick stench of blood and raging demonic energy, regrouped behind the Shadow Monkey, they all bore varying degrees of wounds and bloodstains, yet without exception, they became the final survivors of this part of the battlefield, like messengers from the abyss.

This scene was visually striking and psychologically intimidating, deeply affecting the surviving prince guards who were still bound by the chains of lordship and servitude.

Boundless fear and despair, like an icy tide, completely overwhelmed their hearts.

Those who were so easily slaughtered were their captains, their commanders, and the best of the best!

They are the kind of people they look up to on ordinary days!

If even they were so easily defeated and killed instantly, then what about us ordinary guards whose cultivation is far inferior? Wouldn't we be even more helpless against these monsters...?

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh——!
Just as despair spread like a plague, another change occurred!

The shadows beneath the feet of all those bound seemed to be suddenly infused with an evil life force, abruptly detaching from the ground, twisting and standing upright, transforming into eerie, pitch-black humanoid figures with sharp, knife-like edges!
These shadowy blades moved silently and with lightning speed, slicing across their owners' necks with unparalleled precision!

Chichi, chichi, chichi——!
The faint sound of a sharp blade slicing through the throat and cervical vertebrae rang out almost simultaneously.

Dozens of heads, their faces frozen in horror, shot into the air. Warm blood gushed out like fountains from the severed necks of the headless corpses. The headless bodies stood stiffly for a moment before collapsing to the ground with a series of dull thuds.

The slaves who had been bound by the power of restraint were also freed, and the chains of restraint quietly disappeared.

This is one of the terrifying abilities that the Shadow Monkey gained after its demonic transformation: Shadow Kill - Absolute Thought!

The remaining slaves paused in perfect unison, then silently and swiftly re-formed their ranks, like the most precise machines, awaiting the next command.

This absolute, unwavering coordination and obedience is something no normal living person could possess. They are puppets without self-awareness, emotional fluctuations, or even a soul's echo; they are war tools forged by the organization using living people as the base material and through forbidden means, knowing only absolute obedience.

When Shadow Monkey unleashed Shadow Kill, he did consider targeting the shadow of the Seventh Prince, Hei Tianxia.

To catch the thief, first catch the king. If you can severely injure or even control the opponent through shadows, it is undoubtedly the best option.

But the thought had barely crossed his mind when a chilling, bone-chilling premonition of death, as if it could freeze his soul, suddenly descended upon him!

He seemed to "see" his own shadow move slightly, and the seventh prince calmly lowered his gaze, glanced at it casually, and then pointed his fingers like a sword, gently pointing at the shadow that had separated from its body.

The next moment, an indescribable and irresistible terrifying force was instantly fed back to his body through the connection of the shadow, creating a horrifying scene of his complete annihilation along with his soul!
That wasn't a real premonition; it was more like an intuitive warning stemming from a vast difference in the level of life, a projection of fear of absolute danger.

But the feeling was so real and so intense that he dared not make the slightest move!
They're definitely not in the same league!

The Seventh Prince, Hei Tianxia, ​​is not on the same level as his guards at all!
That's a fundamental difference!

In a sense, only now, after all the guards have been cleared, has the real mission of the twelve generals tonight truly begun!
But this mission was unlike any previous assassination attempt.

Before the operation, His Majesty had personally promised that he would take action at the crucial moment!

This supreme promise undoubtedly injected a powerful boost into all twelve generals, including Shadow Monkey.

Forcibly suppressing the lingering unease and chill within him, Shadow Monkey took a deep breath of the air thick with the stench of blood and shouted sharply, "Coordination mode activated! Slave One, activate shield!"

Creak, creak—!
A tooth-grinding sound, like bones dislocating and then reforming, rang out.

Upon hearing the command, all the servants immediately adopted the same strange and bizarre gesture in perfect synchronization and an inhuman posture.

The purplish-blue chain rings connecting them suddenly burst forth with a blinding light, and the energy within all the Venerable Slaves surged like a flood through the star ring channels into the body of "Venerable Slav No. 1" located at the core of the array.

hum! ! !
A deep, penetrating roar reverberated throughout the entire battlefield, even causing the ground to tremble slightly.

A massive, semi-transparent shield, its surface constantly flowing with energy patterns like water ripples, rapidly expanded from the center of the First Venerable Slave, like an inverted giant bowl, firmly enveloping a large area.

As soon as Shadow Monkey and the others were inside the protective shield, they felt a warmth spread around them, and a strange energy filled the air.

The tiny wounds on their bodies were tingling and itching, and they were healing very slowly, at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The first ability, amplified by the combined power of all the Venerables and their slaves, finally began to have a noticeable effect on the healing of powerhouses of their caliber. However, this negligible healing effect was merely a byproduct of the protective shield.

Its true function is absolute isolation and powerful blockade!
If the assassination of the prince is not carried out with complete isolation from the outside world, to prevent the leakage of information and sound, and to prevent any possible external interference or escape, the consequences will be unimaginable.

As the protective shield was fully formed and stabilized, the Seventh Prince, Hei Tianxia, ​​who had been observing indifferently as if he were detached from the matter, finally frowned slightly for the first time.

His deep gaze swept over the protective shield that rippled with energy, a hint of genuine surprise and profound contemplation flashing across his expression.

"This...this shouldn't be happening," he muttered to himself, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible to himself. "How...how did you acquire this technology? Was it a coincidence that you obtained the fragment...or...is there someone else behind it all?"

His whispers seemed to be asking questions, or perhaps thinking at high speed, revealing an unusual concern and a hint of doubt about the technological origins of the shield.

However, before he could think further, the twelve generals in front of him, who had just finished their slaughter and whose demonic energy was boiling like a tangible substance, silently dispersed, carrying an intense and almost impenetrable killing intent, forming an extremely tight and impenetrable encirclement, completely isolating him in the center of the battlefield.

"..."

The Seventh Prince, Hei Tianxia, ​​remained standing in place, his wide black robes swaying gently in the breeze created by the flow of energy from the protective shield. He calmly surveyed the group of terrifying, menacing demons, his gaze as deep and unfathomable as a frozen pool, undisturbed by any ripples.

From beginning to end, he never truly regarded these people as adversaries who posed a threat to him.

The battle before him was nothing more than a fight between ants. It was only because his own ants were slightly weaker that these more ferocious ants managed to get to him.

Since they were determined to die, he could only crush them as easily as brushing away dust.

The night was as dark as ink, and the air was filled with dust and a faint, almost imperceptible, smell of blood.

On the other hand, Shadow Monkey also felt immense pressure.

Despite their overwhelming numerical advantage and the clear advantage in the situation, an invisible, suffocating pressure was pressing down on the twelve generals.

Their breathing was shallow and their muscles were tense. Powerful demonic energy and true essence flowed between their weapons and fists, but none of them dared to make the first move.

It was as if the person standing in the center was not a person, but a bottomless, icy pool, where the slightest touch would bring about utter destruction.

Even the twelve generals couldn't help but feel intimidated when facing the direct descendants of the Great Xia Dynasty's princes.

His gaze was too calm, not a feigned composure, but an indifference that looked down upon ants and regarded all living beings as nothing.

This indifference is more unsettling than any arrogance or haughtiness.

Just as this suffocating silence was about to solidify—

"Ho... ho ho..."

A low, slightly strange laugh broke the silence.

The giant boar standing on the flank twisted its thick neck, making a creaking sound as its bones rubbed together.

He took a step, and the ground trembled slightly.

This step instantly drew everyone's attention to him, a mixture of surprise, doubt, and scrutiny.

Pang Zhu was completely unaware, or rather, utterly indifferent. He grinned, revealing two thick, long fangs, and spoke in a loud voice, yet with a deliberately suppressed excitement: "I have long admired the Seventh Prince's name, it is as famous as thunder in my ears! Today is a rare opportunity, so let me be the first to learn from your skills!"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone had different expressions.

Pang Zhu is generally perceived as carefree and reckless, relying on his thick skin and brute demonic power to charge around recklessly.

But having worked together for so long, everyone knows the situation perfectly well.

Beneath this rugged exterior lies a caution, even cunning, that is completely disproportionate to his physique.

When he clashed with the Seventh Prince's forces, the others were still testing and holding back, but he alone did not hesitate to activate his demonic transformation as soon as they met, quickly overwhelming his opponent in his strongest form. It seemed reckless, but in fact, it was to eliminate the uncertain threat as quickly as possible, while preserving his strength to deal with variables.

That is why his "first action" at this moment seems all the more abrupt and abnormal.

Did he see through something? Or did he have other plans?

Before anyone could think it through, Pang Zhu had already launched his attack!

Boom! !

Pang Zhu unleashed his full power, his energy exploding and creating a small whirlwind around him, whipping up sand and gravel that made it almost impossible for onlookers to open their eyes.

"Moo-!"

A deafening, inhuman roar erupted.

The enormous body of the demonized boar suddenly lowered, and then, like a spring compressed to its limit, began to spin wildly!

The stiff fur and the condensed demonic energy rubbed against the air, producing a shrill screech that made one's teeth ache.

With a terrifying speed completely disproportionate to his size, he crushed the ground, plowed deep furrows, and charged straight at the seventh prince in the center!

The air was violently torn apart and compressed, producing a popping sound.

This strike was devoid of any fancy moves; it was purely an ultimate display of power and speed, containing all of Pang Zhu's blood and qi, and even a portion of his life essence!

Wherever he went, the ground cracked inch by inch, and dust billowed into the sky, his aura was terrifying to the extreme.

"Take this!!"

Pang Zhu screamed wildly in his heart, his crimson pupils reflecting only that still-standing figure.

He was confident that with this one impact, even an iron mountain would be shattered to pieces!
The surging potential energy piled up layer upon layer, like a surging wave, one wave higher than the next, blocking all possible space to dodge in all directions, forcing the opponent to take the hit head-on!

(End of this chapter)