Clearing his throat, Ghoul King Di Zang said, "After everything Li Tianming has shared, I personally think the specter race exists. And they want to take advantage of our battle to fish in troubled waters. Since Li Tianming suspects I’m one of them, I’ll prove myself to you! First of all, I don’t have stars in my eyes." 

He swept his eyes across the crowd. They were sure of this.

"Secondly, please take a look at my old brother. Since I was born, it’s been with me till this day. It’s ridiculous to call me a remnant of the specter race!" 

As Di Zang spoke, his lifebound beast appeared. Endless black mist spread out, soaring into the sky and rolling in the clouds. It was a terrifying beast whose appearance couldn't be seen clearly. 

Furious, it shouted, "Look carefully. I have lived in symbiosis with Di Zang for so many years. Although I’m old now, I fought my way up back then. How can I have nine hundred and ninety-nine stars from a blood pact?!” 

Its thunderous voice proved Di Zang’s innocence.

“Come back, Brother." 

Di Zang said with a smile, his tone flat as if he had calmed down. 

Tianming was about to explode.

"What an old fox!" 

The evidence was conclusive and the truth had been revealed. At that point, everyone was aware the remnants of the specter race were planning for the race’s return. However, Di Zang had cleared himself of any involvement with the specter race. Although it seemed trifling, his lifebound beast did indeed prove everything. Even if Tianming told them there might be a different kind of blood pact, no one would believe him. After all, the blood pact between Lin Xiaoxiao and the Archaionfiend was certainly different. 

Di Zang didn’t give him a chance to continue. His eyes burst with cold light as he stared at Tianming. 

“The two keys are in the hands of the Archaion Sect, but with the sect’s current vulnerability, it’s impossible to protect them. There’s a risk of the specter race’s return. So I suggest that we continue to take down Archaion Sect and let the stronger side hold the keys! In order to avoid suspicion, Nonahall won’t be in possession of the key. We’ll give one key to Dugu Jin and the other to Feng Qingyu. What do you think of that idea?” 

Dugu Jin was one of them, while Feng Qingyu was still an ally. Although it would be rather troublesome to take the key from him, it was still better than leaving the keys in the hands of the enemy. He looked around. 

"That's right, Xuanyuan Lake is all that’s left of the Archaion Sect. Even the Ninefold Formation has been broken. How will you protect the key? With Xuanyuan Dao and one ordinary third-origin tribulation elder? If we leave the keys in your hands and the remnants of the specter race show up, we’d be playing with the safety of the human race! Separating the keys and giving them to the top powerhouses of the human race is a much better idea!" said Changsun Shenqiong. 

"Don't forget Archaion still has a Xuanyuan Xi. We’ve broken the sect’s protective formation. Once she regains her godhood, we’ll all perish! It's better to kill Xuanyuan Xi and hold the keys in your hand." 

"This way, the specter race has no chance of returning. We’ll be more at ease, won’t we?" 

"But if we fight, won’t the specters take advantage and find an opportunity to get the keys?" 

"No, they can’t be that strong. Otherwise, they’d have seized the keys a long time ago." 

"We’ll be assured to know the keys are in the hands of Dugu Jin and Feng Qingyu!" 

The situation had completely changed.

The old fox had used his lifebound beast as proof of his identity and inspired their faith in him. He was clearheaded enough to think of proving his innocence, since the matter of the specter race was already a given. 

He had guessed right. Tianming didn't know how he managed to transform into a human. It was the secret behind that allowed them to stay hidden for two hundred thousand years. 

"Ghoul King Di Zang, how will you explain away the fact that you and Ghoul King Po Suo created a black and white formation outside the five-colored star to speak to your emperor?” Tianming gritted his teeth. 

"What a joke! Did anyone see us do that? Do you think you can incriminate me just by making things up?" Di Zang said angrily. 

With that, he gave his orders. "There’s no point continuing this nonsense with them. Follow me to get the keys for Dugu Jin and Feng Qingyu. Our sect has been infiltrated by the specter race. In order to prove our innocence, we won’t go anywhere near those keys!"

"Yes!" 

After all, Di Zang still wielded great authority within the sect. Many people respected him as they would a god, while Tianming was the enemy they were eager to kill. 

Even though Tianming had presented them with the truth, it was difficult for them to make a truly rational judgment when their rage and passion had gone to their heads, especially since Di Zang had proven his innocence and made a reasonable decision. However, only half of the Nonahall powerhouses and the clown-like Changsun Shenqiong, with a small number of people from Heptastar, were actually prepared to fight. It was rather awkward. 

More importantly, neither Dugu Jin nor Feng Qingyu made a move. The Hexapath powerhouses believed that a battle at this time would easily give the specter race a chance to act. 

Even if only a few of them attacked, Tianming would still be forced to face a murderous Di Zang. He had to return to the Nine Dragon Formation. As long as Di Zang continued attacking, more would eventually rush into Xuanyuan Lake and fight to the death. They were still facing a crisis. 

But at that moment, something incredible happened. Sword light flickered in the sky and a disheveled drunk covered in blood fell from above. Like a meteor, he came smashing down right before Tianming. 

Maintaining a sturdy horse stance, Tianming stretched out his hands and pulled the man into his arms to prevent him from falling to the ground.

“Damn it! The Heaven Cauldron collapsed because it doesn’t have enough power! Take me into the formation, Tianming!” 

It was Ouyang Jianwang. Everyone knew that he had a key. 

"Why’re you still fooling around outside?" Tianming was exasperated. He had assumed Ouyang Jianwang was hiding inside Xuanyuan Lake. 

Ouyang Jianwang’s appearance had stopped Di Zang once again; he was stunned. Then, something even bigger happened! A white light blasted from the sky, shooting toward Ouyang Jianwang with an angry roar. 

“Run! I’ve already cursed all eighteen generations of her ancestors. Hurry up! She’s mad with rage!” 

Tianming quickly carried Ouyang Jianwang into the Nine Dragon Formation.

A loud boom sounded as a humanoid monster more than three meters tall slammed into the ground, causing cracks in the earth. It was shaped like a white-furred ape, with more than nine hundred stars in its eyes. From its deafening roars, it was clear the monster was furious. 

Eyes bloody, she bit her lip and her claws ripped through her own chest. An explosive power swept out. She was irritable at the moment, as if her entire family had been insulted by Ouyang Jianwang. 

She was Ghoul King Po Suo. 

No one knew what Ouyang Jianwang had said along the way to make her so angry. She had lost her sanity. Perhaps this was one of the specter race’s shortcomings when they were in their original form. The moment she hit the ground, millions of astonished gazes fell upon her. 

Di Zang was forced to stop. There was complete silence once more. 

Po Suo gasped heavily. She was about to continue chasing after Ouyang Jianwang, but after a few steps, her pace began slowing down. Then her expression changed drastically as she turned around in amazement. 

She happened to meet Di Zang’s bewildered gaze. This time, he was truly stupefied. “You haven't obtained the key?” asked Po Suo.

How long had it been? With so many people on their side, they should have already destroyed Xuanyuan Lake. She never would have imagined that Tianming would stop Di Zang’s attacks by announcing the truth. If no one knew the truth, they wouldn’t suspect anything even if she rushed here looking like this, killed Ouyang Jianwang, and grabbed the key. After all, no one would associate the sudden appearance of this monster with Ghoul King Po Suo and the remnant specter race. 

As long as she got the key, she could have retired after her meritorious contribution. However, they hadn’t even started attacking Xuanyuan Lake. But not only had they failed to fight, even the truth of the specter race had been completely exposed. In that instant, she became the focus of the masses, especially since she had spoken to Di Zang as soon as she descended. 

Only then did she see the corpses of the specter race strewn all over the ground.

"What's going on here?" 

Po Suo was completely stumped.

"The specter race!” 

"A live one!" 

For a moment, everyone stared at her before they started screaming.

"What specter race! This is Ghoul King Po Suo. I killed her lifebound beast by borrowing the power of the Heaven Cauldron. Then she became like this and stars appeared in her eyes!" Ouyang Jianwang shouted angrily as he left Tianming’s embrace.

"Ghoul King Po Suo!" 

"She became like this after the death of her lifebound beast?" 

Everyone all drew a cold breath, then turned around and cast their gazes upon Di Zang.

They clearly recalled what the monster said to Di Zang—”You haven’t obtained the key?” 

What did that mean? Everyone understood at once! She thought that Ghoul King Di Zang had already retrieved the key. 

So Di Zang’s main goal turned out to be the key? Wasn’t it clear what he was? 

At that instant, chaos broke out. All four hundred thousand of Nonahall’s powerhouses were livid. 

“The first and second ghoul kings we worshiped and respected for hundreds of years are members of the specter race!!” 

"Shut up! Who can prove what Ouyang Jianwang says is true? Who can prove this specter is Ghoul King Po Suo?" 

Several people put forward differing opinions.

“My dog can prove it." 

The moment Ouyang Jianwang spoke, the crowd fell silent.

Then, the nether cloudsky dog appeared.

"As everyone knows, my lifebound beast is a yellow-haired dog. But now, it’s been dyed white by Ghoul King Po Suo’s lifebound beast. If you don't believe me, you can go to Heaven Sacred Mountain and see for yourselves. The entire mountain is covered in skycloud powder at least a meter thick. If you still don’t believe me, get Ghoul King Po Suo to show herself. She isn’t senile. It shouldn’t be difficult for her to show her face." 

Ouyang Jianwang’s words completely silenced all those who were speaking for Ghoul King Di Zang. Evidence was the most important thing right now. And now, all the evidence proved that Di Zang and Po Suo were part of the demon race. 

"By the way, I also killed Ghoul King Zi Xiao, but that guy doesn’t seem to be one of them." 

In other words, except for Di Zang and Po Suo, the rest of the ghoul kings were dead. Amidst all the tension, Tianming stood up with a white head in his hand. 

“Ghoul King Di Zang!” He yelled. 

Everyone saw the head in his hand, including Di Zang and Po Suo. 

"Look what I have!”