Wu Chou had already ceased his entanglement with Xuan Gu the moment the Heaven Mending Pill was taken by Wan Tianming’s Spirit Infant. He was no fool; he could clearly sense that Xuan Gu was far more powerful than him, not just by a small margin. Moreover, Xuan Gu seemed to have an extensive understanding of the Profound Yin Art. Every technique Wu Chou unleashed was effortlessly neutralized, as if it cost Xuan Gu no effort at all.
This left Wu Chou utterly shocked. However, with the sudden appearance of two Sky Capital Corpse Demons by his side, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of delight. Each Corpse Demon was at least as powerful as a mid-Core Formation cultivator, if not stronger. With two of them now at his disposal, even if Xuan Gu were exceptionally powerful, he stood no chance against such a force. Seizing the opportunity, Wu Chou was determined to teach Xuan Gu a lesson. Thus, as the other old monsters departed from the platform one after another, he immediately let out a sinister chuckle and cast a mocking gaze toward Xuan Gu.
Xuan Gu glanced toward the exit at the stone steps, then turned back to meet Wu Chou’s malicious stare and the two Corpse Demons. His calm face suddenly broke into a smile. “Han Li, this person is Ji Yin’s only descendant, isn’t he? If I eliminate him, I suppose Ji Yin would be quite distressed for a while, wouldn’t he?” He turned to Han Li and spoke these words unexpectedly.
Han Li was taken aback for a moment but quickly regained his composure. He merely looked at Xuan Gu indifferently and did not respond. However, Wu Chou, who had overheard the conversation, immediately grew wary and cast a suspicious glance at Han Li. At the same time, the two Corpse Demons beside him, having received some command, vanished from his side in a flash.
“Han Li, have you been colluding with him all along? No wonder the ancient treasure, the Jade Ruyi, was knocked toward you! Hand it over now, and let my ancestor decide its ownership upon his return!” Wu Chou’s eyes narrowed as he spoke to Han Li in a sinister tone.
Hearing these false accusations and blatant attempts to seize the treasure, Han Li felt a wave of speechlessness. It was clear that this scoundrel no longer saw any value in him and had cast aside all previous restraints. Perhaps these actions had even been secretly ordered by Ji Yin before his departure.
At this thought, the corner of Han Li’s mouth twitched slightly, and the flying swords within his body stirred restlessly, eager to act.
But just then, Xuan Gu preempted him. With a raise of his hand, a strange green snake shot out from his sleeve, lunging toward an empty space. A dull thud echoed, followed by a green figure stumbling into view—one of the Sky Capital Corpse Demons.
“Sky Capital Corpse Demons? I’m surprised Ji Yin managed to refine so many!” Xuan Gu curled his lips in disdain. Without pause, his hands formed a seal, and the green snake swiftly coiled around the Corpse Demon several times. Xuan Gu then pointed lightly at it, and a blooming green lotus emerged on the Corpse Demon’s body. The petals expanded wildly, enveloping the entire Corpse Demon in massive leaves.
Wu Chou was horrified and urgently tried to command the Corpse Demon to break free. However, for some reason, the Corpse Demon trapped within the lotus had completely severed its mental connection with him, rendering it impossible to control. Cold sweat drenched Wu Chou’s body. As he attempted to command the other Corpse Demon, Xuan Gu flashed forward and appeared right in front of him. Panic flashed across Wu Chou’s face as he frantically summoned a surge of Profound Yin Demonic Qi to shield himself. Simultaneously, a fierce glint appeared in his eyes, and he spat out a small black sword that shot toward Xuan Gu’s face with lightning speed.
A hint of mockery flickered across Xuan Gu’s face. His fingers suddenly sharpened, growing several inches long with emerald-green nails, making him look terrifyingly ferocious. Without hesitation, he reached out with a single hand, and the small black sword flew directly into his ghostly claw, offering no resistance.
Wu Chou could hardly believe his eyes. His face pale, he desperately tried to recall his flying sword. But Xuan Gu, now fully revealing his menacing nature, rubbed his two ghostly claws together. The previously restless small sword immediately dispersed its black Qi, as if having lost much of its spirit. At the same time, Wu Chou, whose life-bound treasure was damaged, turned pale and spat out a mouthful of black blood. “Impossible! You—” he stammered in shock, but before he could finish, Xuan Gu pressed forward, and a ghostly hand wreathed in green Qi shot out like lightning.
Terrified, Wu Chou had no time to speak. He summoned all his Profound Yin Demonic Qi to meet the attack while reaching into his robe to retrieve some treasure.
A bizarre scene unfolded. The sinister ghostly claw opposite him rapidly alternated between black and green light, instantly transforming the green Qi into a pitch-black hue. Then, as if encountering no resistance, the claw pierced through multiple layers of Profound Yin Demonic Qi and plunged into Wu Chou’s abdomen.
Wu Chou looked down in horror at the ghostly hand embedded in his stomach, his eyes filled with disbelief. After a few trembling movements of his lips, he was enveloped in countless green flames amid Xuan Gu’s cold laughter. In the blink of an eye, a living person was reduced to ashes, leaving behind a black brocade handkerchief, a ring, and a storage pouch.
Without its master’s spiritual sense to command it, another Sky Capital Corpse Demon revealed itself a few feet behind Xuan Gu in a flash of black light. However, its eyes were vacant, and it stood motionless, as lifeless as an inanimate object.
Witnessing this, Han Li felt a chill in his heart and grew deeply fearful of the old demon.
The old demon’s claim of knowing the weaknesses of the Profound Yin Art was indeed no empty boast. Wu Chou, who had used Profound Yin Demonic Qi against him, stood no chance whatsoever. However, why had Xuan Gu chosen this moment to eliminate Wu Chou? Was he not afraid of alerting the enemy? Or did he believe that with Wu Chou dead, Han Li would be forced onto his side, compelled to help him deal with Ji Yin?
Han Li’s mind raced with vigilance. At the same time, he gripped the ancient Five-Colored Copper Ring treasure tightly. If Xuan Gu showed any intention of killing him, Han Li would have no choice but to fight the old demon then and there.
Meanwhile, Xuan Gu had already collected all of Wu Chou’s dropped items. He then turned to Han Li with a faint, ambiguous smile. “Why are you still standing there? Release your other Bloodjade Spider. Although those guys were lured away by Barbarian Beard, they might return at any moment. Don’t you want the treasures inside the Void Heaven Cauldron?”
Xuan Gu’s words sent a shock through Han Li, causing his eyelids to twitch uncontrollably. The carefully guarded secret of his second Bloodjade Spider had been exposed by Xuan Gu in an instant.
“What other Bloodjade Spider? Wasn’t my spirit beast already destroyed by the Star Palace Elder?” Han Li, unsure how the other party knew about this, naturally refused to admit it readily. He glanced at the long-dead Bloodjade Spider on the altar and flatly denied it.
“Hmph! Brat, I have no time to waste with you. Let me be frank: I once found a pair of Bloodjade Spiders and entrusted them to another traitor, Ji Xuan, to raise. I had planned to take these two demon beasts to the Void Heaven Hall to retrieve treasures once they reached a higher level, but I never expected to be betrayed and ambushed by that traitor, leading to my great misfortune. Since you obtained that jade slip, the Bloodjade Spiders you have must be descendants of that pair belonging to the traitor Ji Xuan! But you probably didn’t know that Bloodjade Spiders are very peculiar. Although a nest may produce many eggs, only two are alive—one male and one female. Bloodjade Spiders can only advance in rank when they are a mated pair. This is a conclusion I reached after observing a wild pair for a long time. After all, only by understanding their habits could I help them advance. Even Ji Xuan, who raised them back then, didn’t know this; he thought I had simply happened upon a male and female pair! Your spider is already quite high-level; you must have another one. Now, release the other Bloodjade Spider.” Xuan Gu glared at Han Li and rapidly delivered a speech that left him dumbfounded.
Han Li was truly stunned. He had known none of this. It seemed highly likely that the multicolored skeleton from back then was indeed Ji Xuan. However, how had the Yue Emperor obtained the Profound Yin Island techniques, and what was his relationship with Ji Xuan? Questions swirled in Han Li’s mind, but after licking his lips, he replied calmly:
“Even if I do have another Bloodjade Spider, why should I help you retrieve the Void Heaven Cauldron? Are you willing to split the treasures with me? Besides, retrieving the cauldron will cause such a monumental disturbance that the other Spirit Infant cultivators will sense it immediately and return. We’d be signing our own death warrants! Moreover, with the help of the Fire Python earlier, the Bloodjade Spider could barely pull the cauldron up bit by bit. Relying solely on my spider now seems highly uncertain.”
As he spoke, Han Li remained composed. Although he was extremely tempted by the treasures inside the Void Heaven Cauldron, he suppressed his fervor and excitement, retaining a sense of self-awareness. He had no intention of risking his life for greed. Escaping immediately was the best option. Having made up his mind, Han Li didn’t wait for Xuan Gu’s response. With a flash of cyan light around his body, he prepared to flee.
However, Xuan Gu seemed to have anticipated Han Li’s thoughts. Just as Han Li began to rise, Xuan Gu uttered a sentence that made him freeze mid-air, halting his escape.
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