Pachu gently shook her head. Her serpent-like braids swayed softly with the movement, each sway seemingly conveying an indescribable emotion in silence. Her voice was low and hoarse, revealing a deep sorrow.
"You escaped back, Shendu."
Tso Lan stood to one side. His face, covered in stone-like wrinkles, was expressionless, save for the anger burning within his deep eyes. He clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hands as if he were struggling to restrain his emotions.
Hsi Wu's voice carried a trace of imperceptible tremor, as if he were recalling those long, waiting times. He said:
"We have spent countless ages waiting right here."
Zorzal extended his left hand, palm facing upward, with a mass of Dark Chi swirling between his palms. That mass of Dark Chi grew larger and gradually formed a black sphere, continuously swelling like the anger and disappointment in his heart. The Dark Chi looked ready to shoot toward Shendu at any moment, making him pay the price for his failure.
This terrified Shendu.
His voice was low and suppressed, filled with dissatisfaction toward Shendu:
"We looked forward to your return, hoping you could save us and free us from this wretched place."
Zhongsu seized the opportunity to interject, his voice mixed with obvious ridicule and disdain.
"Yet you abandoned us to rule the earthly kingdom all by yourself."
A cunning glight flashed in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, as if he were mocking Shendu's incompetence.
"You lived in carefree ease while we suffered endlessly here."
Hsi Wu spread his massive black wings. His roaring filled the entire space, deafening, his anger uncontainable like a volcanic eruption.
"Damn it!"
Shendu was panic-stricken in his heart. His physical body had been destroyed by Jackie Chan, and all the Talismans were lost, leaving only a wisp of a soul to escape back to the Netherworld. Now, facing these Seven Demons, he was utterly defenseless.
Shendu thought to himself: "How could I have fallen to this state? I was once so powerful. But now I can only be carved up by others. Jackie Chan, this is all because of you, causing me to lose everything. I must have my revenge! I must take back everything that belongs to me!"
Jackie Chan!!
At the mere thought of Jackie Chan, Shendu's eyes grew even redder.
"No, no, no, my dear brothers and sisters, I have never forgotten our vow."
Pachu shook her head again. Her serpent hair also seemed to express her resentment, and her voice carried a trace of anger.
"You are the most cunning among us; your promises cannot be trusted."
Zhongsu sneered, seizing the moment. His words were filled with distrust and mockery.
"Unless we can leave this Netherworld, Shendu, you will simply share our suffering!"
Just as Zhongsu finished speaking, Tso Lan hurled a rock straight at Shendu, a sneer plastered across his face.
"Endless torment until the end of the world!"
The words exploded like a thunderclap, shaking the entire Netherworld. The atmosphere grew tense to the breaking point, as if it could snap at any second. This was the critical moment that ignited the demons' fury, the flames of revenge burning in their eyes as they wished they could tear Shendu into a thousand pieces.
Zhongsu's gaze turned as sharp as a blade. His words were like a sword pointing straight at Shendu's heart, laden with boundless fury and hatred. Every word was like a sharp dagger fiercely piercing the depths of Shendu's soul.
Faced with the demons' wrath, Shendu was terrified and hastily said:
"I know I was wrong! I will find a way to get us all out of this Netherworld!"
His voice was filled with fear and helplessness, attempting to appease the demons' anger, but it sounded so pale and feeble.
"Hmph! What way could you possibly have?"
Tso Lan glared fiercely at Shendu, his eyes flashing with a ruthless light. He was skeptical of Shendu's words, refusing to believe he could truly find a way to leave the Netherworld.
"I... I need time to think."
Shendu stammered in reply, his face filled with panic. He understood that if he failed to give the demons a satisfactory answer, endless pain and torture awaited him.
"Time? We have waited far too long!"
Hsi Wu roared, his deafening voice echoing throughout the Netherworld. He was immensely furious at Shendu's stalling, believing he was merely toying with their patience.
"Shendu, you had better not play any tricks, or we will not let you off."
Pachu warned, her tone cold and severe. She had lost all trust in Shendu and only wished to escape this terrifying place as soon as possible.
"I know, I know..."
Shendu lowered his head, not daring to meet the demons' gaze. In his heart, he secretly plotted how to handle the immediate crisis while pondering whether he should reveal some truth to them.
"And your former earthly kingdom no longer belongs to you!"
This sentence was like a final judgment, proclaiming Shendu's failure and despair. The earthly kingdom he once ruled had become a thing of the past; he could never return to that glorious era.
The demons' rage swept through the Netherworld like a storm, plunging everything into chaos.