Walk away?

I know that the best course of action right now is to retreat.

However, if I leave, Zhang Fang will immediately accelerate his plans. Yun Shang and Lao Liu will be in danger. By the time I return, the art of magic may already be under Zhang Fang's control. At that time, I will still have to oppose the art of magic.

I won't leave!

Without any evidence, I can't convince these masters of the art of magic who are already on the verge of madness.

A great battle is inevitable, and the result is exactly what Shang Xingyan desires.

An unprecedented rage suddenly erupted in my heart, and my hands, which were hanging on my knees, clenched into fists.

Shang Xingyan's voice, however, seemed to pour oil on the fire as it reached my ears: "Do you feel angry? Or do you feel despair?"

"I've seen this kind of angry expression too many times. Sometimes, I also feel despair for my prey. But, so what?"

"Rules are originally a game for those in power. We set the rules, and we also have the ability to manipulate them. You can only live cautiously within the rules."

"You thought you could challenge the rules just because you had your ancestral master as your backing? I'm telling you, that's called courting death."

"This official is here to take you back to the underworld and send you to the Ghost-Slaying Platform. I will use your head as a lesson to those who dare to challenge the rules."

Shang Xingyan said in a gloomy voice, "The beheading punishment in the underworld is different from that in the human world. After your head is cut off, it will still retain its consciousness."

"You will watch countless ghosts pass before your eyes, mocking and ridiculing you mercilessly."

"I can tell you clearly that your head will never be taken down, it can only be hung on the wall. As long as your head is there, it will be like a loud slap in the face, constantly slapping your ancestral master's face."

I looked at Shang Xingyan with a gloomy gaze, my lips trembling slightly as I said, "Do you think you've got me cornered?"

"Impudence!" Shang Xingyan was furious, "Who are you calling 'I'?"

"I'll make you call me 'Father' right now!" I sneered, and suddenly drew my saber and cut off the fingernail of my left index finger.

The fingernail, along with the flesh, fell to the ground with a spurt of blood, wriggling like a poisonous snake and raising its head.

From a distance, it looked like a small snake with a fingernail as its head and blood as its body, raising its head and spitting its tongue, ready to bite at any moment.

I released the curved saber, and my right hand had already formed a magic seal.

"Don't be impulsive!" Feng Ruoxing didn't even bother with telepathy, and shouted out of urgency.

"Poisonous Snake Soul-Eating Curse! Kill—" In my rage, I no longer bothered to conceal my form, and with my hands forming seals, I pointed directly at Shang Xingyan.

The fingernail transformed into a poisonous snake, shooting towards the other party like a sharp arrow.

Shang Xingyan sneered, raising his hand to slap the blood snake: "Such a petty trick, how dare you show off in front of this official?"

Before his sneer had faded, his palms had already merged together, and the blood snake that he had slapped in his palm splattered with blood. As the bright red blood flowed down the edge of his palm, Shang Xingyan sneered again, "He is Li Po!"

"Li Po is here!" I stood up with my saber, "Whoever wants to make a move, step forward and speak!"

As I stood with my saber, the twin sabers howled like ghosts without end, and the intent to fight surged like a tide, sweeping across all directions.

Under the force of my preemptive strike, dozens of masters of the art of magic were actually too shocked to step forward half a step.

Sorcerers are ultimately not soldiers; without someone to lead them, even if a strong enemy is in front of them, no one would rashly charge forward.

Seeing that I had suppressed half the province's magic arts community with my strength alone, Shang Xingyan couldn't help but feel slightly angry, "This official belongs to the Underworld's Ducal Investigation Bureau. Li Po has violated the Underworld's criminal law. He is just bluffing, he doesn't dare to kill you. Take him down. This official will definitely report your merits to the Underworld."

I sneered, "You say you belong to the Underworld's Ducal Investigation Bureau, so you are a ghost official of the Underworld? I even say that I am King Yama! Why don't you kneel down and kowtow when you see me?"

"Bastard!" Shang Xingyan was furious, and among the masters of the art of magic, someone shouted, "They might be in cahoots!"

"Foolish!" Shang Xingyan roared, "This official will reveal his identity right now. This official will definitely not spare those who questioned me just now."

As Shang Xingyan spoke, he struck his palm towards his own heavenly spirit. The body carrying his soul fell to the ground with a thud, and a ghost official dressed in ancient official attire appeared in the hall.

Shang Xingyan stood with his hands behind his back, waiting for the people of the art of magic to kneel down and kowtow, but the sorcerers standing opposite him took several steps back in horror, "Snake… snake…"

Startled, Shang Xingyan lowered his head to look at himself, only to see a blood-red poisonous snake loosely wrapped around his neck like a scarf, its triangular head gently swaying on his shoulder.

"Li Po…" Shang Xingyan shouted coldly, reaching out to grab the snake, but unexpectedly, the originally motionless poisonous snake revealed a cold light in its eyes and bit him hard on the shoulder.

Shang Xingyan screamed and knelt on the ground, shouting my name with a hoarse voice, "Li Po!"

The first time he called me, it was with disdain mixed with shock and anger; the second time he called me, there was only terror left.