“So it seems only my mark remains in that brat now.” The white-haired beauty’s face darkened slightly.
If this trip to the Netherworld River not only failed to obtain the Divine Milk but also lost the chance to acquire the demonic artifact, then all the risks taken would truly be in vain.
Strangely, Six-Legs remained exceptionally calm, and after the initial shock and fury, the blood-robed man quickly regained his composure.
Only his eyes flickered with an unreadable light, as if he were contemplating something.
The white-haired beauty, however, had no time to waste on words. She immediately levitated mid-air, sitting cross-legged, while the eight Ghost Kings behind her transformed into dense yin energy, enveloping her completely to amplify her power and forcibly break through Han Li’s suppression of the mark.
Black mist churned violently, from which eerie wails occasionally emerged, sending chills down one’s spine.
Clearly, the white-haired beauty was exerting her full strength!
Time passed slowly, and before long, over half an hour had elapsed.
Yet, no news of success came from within the ghostly mist.
Six-Legs and the blood-robed man remained patient, silently waiting in the air without urging her.
A short while later, the white-haired beauty’s furious voice finally rang out: “My mark has been destroyed as well! That brat couldn’t have done this alone. Could it be Mu Qing’s doing?”
The black mist dispersed, revealing the enraged beauty.
“Fellow Daoist Mu, that’s indeed possible. She seemed to value the treasures in the Demon Tomb even more than the Divine Milk,” the blood-robed man mused, stroking his chin.
Despite their cunning, none of them had anticipated that Yuan Yao and the other woman knew a secret technique to gather yin energy, using it to remove the marks from Han Li’s body.
Of course, this was also due to the unique nature of the ghostly cultivation techniques the two women practiced.
“Whoever did this, I will not let them off easily once I find out. But Brother Dihue, that demonic artifact seems far more important to you. How can you remain so composed? Do you have another trick up your sleeve?” The beauty suddenly calmed down, eyeing the blood-robed man suspiciously.
Six-Legs also turned to the blood-robed man, wearing a faintly mocking smile.
The blood-robed man chuckled dryly, pondering for a moment before replying leisurely, “I did plant a little something on that Han brat. But pinpointing his exact location will still be troublesome. It’s not as effective as the original marks, though estimating his general whereabouts shouldn’t be a problem. That kid is quite sharp—after accepting a set of my spirit puppets, he never once attempted to summon them. Otherwise, he would’ve already fallen into my trap, sparing us all this trouble.”
Hearing this, the white-haired beauty’s expression turned peculiar, and she frowned. “Are you joking, Fellow Daoist? That brat’s spiritual sense is strong. If you tampered with the puppets, how could he not notice?”
“Haha, Fellow Daoist Lan, you don’t know this. My puppets themselves are flawless. The key lies in the Dream-Inducing Blood Pact I infused into them. Once someone uses their own divine sense to activate them, they’ll be irresistibly drawn to use them again and again, eventually falling under my control without realizing it. Unfortunately, up until our departure, he never used them even once. Otherwise, I would’ve sensed it and manipulated him effortlessly.” The blood-robed man, seeing no point in hiding it now that they were nearing the Demon Tomb, revealed his scheme.
The white-haired beauty’s face paled slightly, rendered speechless.
Six-Legs’ compound eyes flickered, also showing surprise.
“If Han Li didn’t fall into your trap, how can you track him now?” the white-haired beauty pressed.
“That’s simple. I mixed Midnight Stones into the puppets I gave him,” the blood-robed man replied with a sinister grin.
“Midnight Stones! Those odd rocks that turn yang-attuned during the hours of midnight and noon, resonating with each other? You must have the other half. Only in a place as yin-rich as the Netherworld River can their connection work. In normal environments, even we wouldn’t detect their resonance. I’m impressed you found such a niche item. As far as I know, these stones aren’t native to our Tian Yuan Continent and are exceedingly rare even in the other two continents. They’re nearly useless to cultivators.” This time, even Six-Legs couldn’t help but praise.
“I didn’t seek them out. I obtained a small piece from a foreign cultivator I killed years ago. I mixed all of it into those puppets, and now it’s finally serving its purpose. The resonance is instantaneous—even if Han Li seals the puppets with restrictions, he can’t sever the link. Without a Midnight Stone himself, he’d never detect the trick.” The blood-robed man smirked cunningly.
“Excellent. Let’s head in the direction where the marks last vanished. Midnight is approaching—after a few more resonances, we should close in. But we must stay wary of that Ephemera Clan brat wielding the spirit treasure. His treasure is rumored to be the Five Dragon Guillotine, a ranked artifact on the Primordial Chaos Spirit List. It’s best not to confront it head-on. As for the two Nether Thunder Beasts, they won’t stray far from their nest, so they’re no longer a concern.” Six-Legs glanced at the gray sky and reminded them.
“Speaking of which, we never expected Fellow Daoist Six-Legs to hold his own against the Five Dragon Guillotine and even force that puppet to retreat,” the white-haired beauty remarked with a light laugh, her eyes gleaming curiously.
“You flatter me, Fellow Daoist Lan! That puppet wasn’t driven back by me. Its user simply couldn’t sustain the guillotine’s power for long and withdrew on his own. Had it lasted any longer, I’d have perished under that treasure.” Six-Legs shook his head, a trace of fear flashing in his eyes.
The beauty and the blood-robed man exchanged glances, recalling the scene in the hall after Han Li left, their faces paling slightly.
The Five Dragon Guillotine’s unleashed power had been terrifying. Had the puppet wielded it at full strength from the start, they might’ve already been slain.
“But there’s no need to worry too much. Even if that puppet unleashed the guillotine’s full power, it overdrew its divine sense. Whether it can return is uncertain. As long as we stay vigilant and avoid being picked off one by one, we’ll be fine.” Six-Legs regained his composure.
Hearing this, the beauty and the blood-robed man nodded in agreement.
Without further delay, the three swiftly departed on their respective beams of light.
—
Deep in the Netherworld River, before a cave in the white mountain range, a blood-armored puppet staggered out of thin air. It barely took a step before its light flickered wildly, and it collapsed with a thud.
A silver streak shot out from the puppet, circling once in the air before vanishing into the cave.
“How did you end up in such a state? Was my Five Dragon Guillotine not powerful enough?” A hoarse, indifferent voice echoed from the cave.
Few things in this world could still pique his interest.
“The Five Dragon Guillotine is indeed formidable. It was my incompetence—my divine sense suddenly gave out. Otherwise, I’d have wiped them all out.” The puppet’s eyes glowed green as it slowly rose, its tone still reverent.
“Divine sense exhaustion? Did you activate the guillotine twice and sustain it for too long?” The voice remained emotionless, as if discussing trivial matters.
“I was too greedy. Initially, I didn’t unleash its full power, hoping to lure all the intruders out for a single strike. But one of them, a traitor of our clan, possessed a technique that briefly countered the guillotine. My prearranged measures were also unexpectedly sabotaged. That’s why I failed.” The puppet’s voice was weak.
“I see.” The cave’s occupant merely acknowledged this before falling silent.
“Senior Jiang, I have one more request!” The puppet’s eyes suddenly blazed crimson, its voice firmer.
“A request? Our transaction is long concluded. Don’t expect me to intervene for the Ephemera Clan.” The voice turned cold.
“I wouldn’t dare presume. I only ask that you use a wisp of my remnant will as a guide to breach the boundary and summon my true body to the Netherworld River. Those intruders stole the Divine Milk. If I don’t reclaim it and eliminate them, my punishment will be severe.”
“Summon your true body here? Have you lost your mind? The Ephemera Clan can’t endure the Netherworld River’s yin energy for long—a year at most, or mere months before your cultivation deteriorates. And from what you’ve said, those individuals are formidable. Even your true form might not prevail against them. Do you plan to borrow my Five Dragon Guillotine again?” The voice finally showed a hint of surprise.
“I do intend to borrow it once more, but may not need to use it. My true body will bring a Divine Nest into this realm.” The puppet gritted its teeth.
“A Divine Nest? Heh, am I hearing correctly? You’d deploy such a thing for a few Golden Ephemera? And since when do you have the authority to use it? As I recall, those are controlled solely by your clan’s elders—a last resort in existential crises.” Now, the voice was genuinely intrigued.
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