Chapter 539: Four Enemies Gather

Hearing the zombie giant shout, “I’m finally free!” Su Che couldn’t help but think, “Even if one breaks free from the imprisonment of a stone coffin, living within the private domain of a mysterious old man—can that truly be considered freedom?”

But then he thought again: The creatures in the Immortal Prison also lived within a world under his control, in a situation similar to that of this zombie giant. As long as they didn’t commit those catastrophic evils, he wasn’t bothered to interfere. Similarly, the outer universe was also a world governed by the Heavenly Dao; as long as one’s actions didn’t truly defy heaven, the Heavenly Dao wouldn’t care either.

So, the so-called freedom of any creature was relative, right?

At that moment, Su Che suddenly understood many things…

The zombie giant, carrying a large iron rod and stepping heavily, approached Su Che and said, “I was trapped in that stone coffin for countless years, mostly in a state of deathlike slumber. Even if some creature managed to wake me, I couldn’t leave this dense forest…”

“Now, with the chaotic power I acquired just now, I destroyed the stone coffin and finally gained my freedom. Even though what we agreed upon earlier was a deal, it can be seen as you saving me. In the days to come, or even for a longer period, I can protect you as a form of gratitude.”

Now that he had returned to his normal human form, it was no longer appropriate to call him a “zombie.” His speech and behavior, though bold, were also polite. He even introduced himself, saying, “My name is Hong Ju. What’s yours?”

“A friend can call me Su Che…”

With a smile on his face, Su Che pointed behind him and said, “My enemies usually call me Tian Yu.”

While introducing himself, he also revealed the identity of Princess Xueyu to the giant Hong Ju, letting him know that she was his enemy, one of his competitors.

Hong Ju nodded and asked, “Do you want me to drive her away?”

“Not yet.”

Su Che already had two Survival Orders, and his mind was completely calm. He now approached things with a true gaming mindset. If she wanted to follow, let her. If she wanted to capture me, I wanted to find an opportunity to capture her and bring her to the Immortal Prison too. Wouldn’t it be good for the two sisters to be reunited in the Immortal Prison world?

None of them were talkative, so without further ado, they set off in any direction Su Che chose.

Calculating the time, there are still over seventy hours left. We can wander around and take in the sights. If we’re lucky, we might even get more Survival Orders.
Su Che led the way, with an exotic crocodile-like beast and a strange bird following on either side, along with two giants—Hong Ju and Xiao Hei, each over eighty feet tall. All of them were massive, like the Four Great Guardians flanking him. It gave him a sense of pride and confidence.
About two hundred feet behind, Princess Xueyu followed quietly, her expression calm, but she no longer dared get too close to Su Che. She could sense that the giant named Hong Ju had an unfathomable and terrifying strength.
Having been imprisoned in a stone coffin for countless years without dying, he must belong to a highly special race, capable of such a long lifespan. His original strength was likely a hundred or even a thousand times greater than now. After years of being in a state of suspended death, his abilities must have declined.
Though she feared this giant deeply, Princess Xueyu wasn’t willing to give up easily. Since she already had one Survival Order and had nothing else to do, she would just keep following Tian Yu. As long as she stayed with him, she would surely find another chance to act!
Princess Xueyu was convinced of this.
……
What counts as good luck and what as bad luck is sometimes truly hard to tell. Su Che’s makeshift group had traveled for less than an hour when they spotted two figures from afar on the shore of a giant lake.
It was two Great Perfection-stage powerhouses: Li Jiu and Grandmaster Hong Yun.
Previously, Princess Xueyu and the other five Great Perfection-stage cultivators had sworn a psychic blood oath to capture Su Che, allowing them to communicate mentally even across trillions of miles of space.
This group of five had lost one member on the Cloud Temple’s hundred-mile cable bridge, leaving Princess Xueyu, Li Jiu, Grandmaster Hong Yun, and Heavenly Maiden Fei Ling.
Just now, realizing that she alone couldn’t handle Su Che, Princess Xueyu sent a mental message to Li Jiu and the others.
Li Jiu and Grandmaster Hong Yun had been friends for thousands of years and had already joined forces to search for Survival Orders. Coincidentally, they weren’t far when they received her message. After traveling over a thousand miles in just over an hour, they finally arrived here.
So, this wasn’t a coincidence—it was another trouble Su Che had been dealt by Princess Xueyu.
“It seems you have quite a few enemies.”

Hong Ju, wielding the large iron rod, had exceptional eyesight and almost instantly understood the hostile relationship between Su Che and them.
Su Che’s reply was half joking and half resigned as he shrugged and said, “To be honest, everyone we encounter in these few days will be my enemies, and they’re only cooperating temporarily.”
“They’re cooperating temporarily, yet all are your enemies…”
Hong Ju was by no means someone with just brute strength and a simple mind; his intelligence couldn’t be underestimated. After a brief thought, he deduced, “That means you have something they want, right? Any other explanation would be far too forced.”
“Yes, you’re right,” Su Che nodded calmly.
“Haha…”
Hong Ju laughed loudly, waving his large rod. “It doesn’t matter. This is much more fun. Having been trapped for countless years, my limbs have long rusted away. Some movement is just what I need.”
At this moment, Snow Jade Fairy and Li Jiu had already gathered together, communicating silently while also staying close behind Su Che.
“Fellow Snow Jade, the two of us only found one Survival Token; we still need one more.”
Li Jiu’s words meant that their safety wasn’t yet guaranteed, and now wasn’t the time to deal with Tian Yu. Their top priority should be to work together to find another Survival Token.
“Tian Yu has two!”
Snow Jade Fairy’s reply reassured him.
If they captured Tian Yu alive, they could get both the pagoda and the two Survival Tokens at once—killing two birds with one stone!
“Should we act now?” Ancestor Hong Yun asked eagerly.
“Wait a bit longer,” Snow Jade Fairy replied. “That giant beside him, wielding the iron rod, has unfathomable strength. I’m worried we’re not strong enough. Let’s wait for Fellow Fei Ling. She’s on her way here; I estimate she’ll arrive in about twenty minutes.”
Li Jiu and Ancestor Hong Yun nodded in agreement, saying nothing more.
Sure enough, in less than twenty minutes, the tired Fei Ling appeared before them. “Along the way, I encountered some tricky monsters and barely managed to get rid of them. I’m sorry for being late, fellow cultivators…”
With all four gathered, they exchanged silent words for a moment before deciding to take action against Su Che.