Ye Xian arrived at the Yellow Spring Marsh to command a large number of ghost soldiers and generals, launching a massive attack that slaughtered every demon and monster lingering at the Yellow Spring Sect.
Old Cai and Old Qin, along with other ghost messengers, had already reached outside the Yellow Spring Inn, waiting for Shui Miao to emerge.
“Old Cai, what do we do now? Are we just going to wait here?” Old Qin asked impatiently. He had been caught up in the heat of battle when Old Cai suddenly pulled him out, and he was still regretful about missing the chance to obtain the Nine Tripod Cauldron.
“We’ve seriously underestimated the strength of the Yellow Spring Sect,” Old Cai said coldly, waving his hand. “Forget about the Nine Tripod Cauldron. We’re lucky to have escaped this time. There are over a million ghost soldiers and generals hiding in the Yellow Spring Marsh. Besides us and Shui Miao, no one else will make it out alive.”
“Eh…?”
Old Qin was stunned. A million ghost soldiers hiding in ambush? The idea was terrifying!
This time, countless demons and monsters had come to seize the Nine Tripod Cauldron because some ghost kings had leaked the information, causing many opportunistic creatures to swarm in. If not for this, the ghost kings summoned by Old Cai probably wouldn’t have even passed the Yellow Spring Sect’s Chaos Ghost Camp.
They had gravely underestimated the Yellow Spring Sect’s power.
The ghost kings Old Qin had enlisted, unwilling to abandon the Nine Tripod Cauldron, failed to retreat in time and were wiped out by the swarms of ghost soldiers and generals.
As expected, the Nine Tripod Cauldron returned to the Yellow Spring Sect.
Ye Xian returned to the back hall with the Nine Tripod Cauldron and saw Shui Miao meditating in lotus position. A thought crossed his mind—he decided to first sneak into the Yellow Spring Treasure Vault and secretly eliminate Bai Feng so she wouldn’t cause any future trouble.
However, when he arrived at the underground treasure vault beneath the Yellow Spring Marsh, Ye Xian realized he was too late.
Thus, Ye Xian hurried back to the back hall of the Yellow Spring Sect.
At that moment, Shui Miao had already stopped meditating and was wandering around the back hall.
The Yellow Spring Patriarch had already perfected his Thunder Soul Body. However, since he wasn’t entirely confident in instantly killing Ye Xian with one strike, he had instructed Shui Miao to provoke Ye Xian into anger. Once Ye Xian approached, the Yellow Spring Patriarch would suddenly emerge from the Holy Yuan Ring and kill Ye Xian in one blow.
“Brother, I’m back!”
Ye Xian shut the stone door and smiled slightly at Shui Miao.
He didn’t suspect for a moment that Shui Miao had rescued Bai Feng, because he believed Shui Miao’s strength was far from sufficient to defeat the white ape guarding the Yellow Spring Marsh, let alone Ghost Messenger Old Cai.
Shui Miao turned around and asked directly, “Brother, did you manage to get the Nine Tripod Cauldron back?”
Ye Xian commanded a massive army of ghost soldiers and generals to charge out from the Yellow Spring Swamp, slaughtering all the demons and monsters that had remained within the Yellow Spring Sect.
Lao Cai and Lao Qin, along with other ghost guards, had already arrived outside the Yellow Spring Inn, waiting for Shui Miao to emerge.
“Lao Cai, what do we do now? Just wait here?”
Lao Qin felt restless. He had been in the middle of an intense fight when Lao Cai called him out, and he was still sore about not obtaining the Nine Cauldrons Pill Furnace.
“We severely underestimated the strength of the Yellow Spring Sect,” Lao Cai waved his hand dismissively and said coldly, “Forget about the Nine Cauldrons Pill Furnace. We were lucky to escape with our lives this time. The Yellow Spring Sect has over a million ghost soldiers and generals lying in ambush within the Yellow Spring Swamp. Aside from us and Shui Miao, no one else will make it out alive.”
“Ah…”
Lao Qin was stunned. The idea of a million ghost soldiers lying in ambush was utterly terrifying!
This time, a great number of demons and monsters had come to seize the Nine Cauldrons Pill Furnace. The reason was that some ghost kings had leaked the news, causing many who sought to profit from the chaos to swarm in. If not for this, the ghost kings gathered by Lao Cai and the others would likely not have even made it past the Yellow Spring Sect’s chaotic ghost camp.
They had gravely underestimated the Yellow Spring Sect’s power.
As for the ghost kings Lao Qin had recruited, they were unwilling to give up the Nine Cauldrons Pill Furnace and failed to retreat in time. They were annihilated by the hordes of ghost soldiers and generals that surged forth.
The Nine Cauldrons Pill Furnace naturally returned to the hands of the Yellow Spring Sect.
Ye Xian brought the Nine Cauldrons Pill Furnace back to the rear hall and saw Shui Miao seated in meditation, cultivating. An idea struck him, and he decided to first return to the Yellow Spring Treasure Vault to secretly eliminate Bai Feng, preventing any future trouble should Bai Feng reappear.
However, upon arriving at the underground treasure vault in the Yellow Spring Swamp, Ye Xian realized he was a step too late.
So, Ye Xian hurried back to the rear hall of the Yellow Spring Sect.
By then, Shui Miao had already ended his meditation and was strolling around the rear hall.
The Yellow Spring Patriarch had successfully cultivated a Thunder Soul Body. However, lacking full confidence in delivering a one-hit kill to Ye Xian, he instructed Shui Miao to provoke Ye Xian into anger. When Ye Xian drew near, the Yellow Spring Patriarch would suddenly emerge from the Saint Origin Ring and strike him down in one move.
“Brother, I’m back!”
Ye Xian closed the stone door and smiled at Shui Miao.
He didn’t believe for a moment that Shui Miao had rescued Bai Feng, as he felt Shui Miao’s strength was far from sufficient to defeat the White Ape of the Yellow Spring Swamp, let alone the ghost guard Lao Cai.
Shui Miao turned around and got straight to the point: “Big brother, did you retrieve the Nine Cauldrons Pill Furnace?”
“Haha, need you even ask?” Ye Xian chuckled lightly and immediately took out the pill furnace, placing it beside him. “Brother Shui Miao, release the Yellow Spring Patriarch and Zhuge Abacus as well. Since the Yellow Spring Patriarch intentionally lost to the Netherworld God of the Underworld, his pills being stolen must have been deliberate too. Let’s think of a way to force out the location where the pills are hidden. Those pills would be immensely beneficial for our future cultivation.”
As Shui Miao listened to Ye Xian, he reached out and touched the Nine Cauldrons Pill Furnace.
Suddenly, Shui Miao willed it, and the Nine Cauldrons Pill Furnace vanished into the Saint Origin Ring.
“…”
Seeing Shui Miao take the pill furnace without a word, Ye Xian felt immediately displeased.
Shui Miao licked his lips, turned to Ye Xian, and said, “Didn’t you say you didn’t need any pills or anything? Why do you need them now? You’ve gotten your wish and taken control of the Yellow Spring Sect. Isn’t that enough?”
“Could it be that he’s afraid I’ll seize the pills?” Ye Xian thought to himself, then shook his head gently. “Brother, you’ve misunderstood. I don’t need the pills; I’m only thinking of you…”
“Tch!”
Seeing that Ye Xian wasn’t coming closer and that a sudden attack might fail, Shui Miao decided to intensify his provocation to ensure success. “Brother, stop feeding me sweet talk. You’re a cultivator—how could you not need pills? Who are you trying to fool? If you want the pills, just say it outright. Why beat around the bush asking me for the Yellow Spring Patriarch? This is your territory now. You might as well kill me and take all the benefits for yourself.”
“…”
Ye Xian grew increasingly irritated. He felt that something was off. “Shui Miao, what exactly do you mean by this?”
“You’re asking me what I mean?” Shui Miao pointed at his own nose, stared at Ye Xian, and suddenly glared and roared, “What the hell do you mean? Kidnapping Elder Bai Feng behind my back and still pretending to treat me like a brother? Do you even have any humanity left?”
“…”
Ye Xian was taken aback, unable to make sense of the situation.
He narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “Impossible. With your strength, you couldn’t have rescued Bai Feng… What exactly is going on here?”
“Admitting it, are you?” Shui Miao said furiously. “What I hate most are people who stab their own in the back. How dare you stand here like nothing happened? It shows you’re nothing but a heartless beast!”
Ye Xian had never been insulted like this before.
Faced with Shui Miao’s outburst, Ye Xian fell silent. He narrowed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly questioned Shui Miao, “What gives you the right to speak to me like this?”
“Get lost. The Yellow Spring Sect belongs to me now. From now on, we owe each other nothing.” Shui Miao waved his hand dismissively.
Ye Xian frowned, his lips curling as he stared at Shui Miao for a long while. Suddenly, he yelled in frustration, “Are you out of your mind? What the hell are you babbling about? You tell me to get lost? On what grounds? Who do you think you are? Do you really think you’re my big brother?”
“Aren’t I? You were the one who said it,” Shui Miao shot back immediately.
“Damn it, I overestimated you. So you’re this stupid! Playing the big brother in front of me even when you’re about to die? I’ll beat you to death, you bastard!” Ye Xian finally lost his patience and moved to strike Shui Miao.
But Shui Miao pointed at Ye Xian and said, “How dare you hit your big brother, you scoundrel!”
“Damn it, I’ll hit you…”
Ye Xian leaped up to attack Shui Miao, who also swung his fist to fight back…
Seeing Shui Miao’s reaction, Ye Xian had only one thought: This was a huge surprise! He actually thought they would brawl like mortals! Did he really believe I couldn’t handle him in a fight?
It had to be admitted that Shui Miao’s act of playing dumb severely underestimated Ye Xian’s intelligence.
Ye Xian really did swing his arms wide to tussle with Shui Miao!
He suddenly found the idea of humiliating someone in this way rather satisfying.
But just as they were about to grapple, a purple light burst from Shui Miao’s fist!
“Ah! No, he’s tricked me! I’ve been fooled…”
At the sight of the purple light, Ye Xian’s heart jolted, but it was already too late.
The distance was too close for Ye Xian to react. The Yellow Spring Patriarch suddenly emerged from the Saint Origin Ring, seizing Ye Xian’s soul body. Powerful bolts of lightning instantly enveloped him, preventing him from focusing his spirit or using any spells to escape.
In the blink of an eye, the Yellow Spring Patriarch carried Ye Xian’s soul outside.
Having just slaughtered hordes of ghosts, countless soul essences remained. The Yellow Spring Patriarch rapidly absorbed the essence energy, swiftly enhancing the power of his Thunder Soul Body. The lightning enveloping Ye Xian grew increasingly intense…
For cultivators, lightning tribulation is a life-or-death ordeal!
If a soul is wrapped in lightning, the indescribable agony is something only those with a Thunder Soul Body or supremely powerful cultivators can endure. For others, it signifies death and the end of fate.
However, Ye Xian’s soul was evidently quite resilient!
The Yellow Spring Patriarch exerted his full power, electrocuting him for what felt like an entire pot of tea, yet still failed to completely disperse his soul.
“Damn it, he must have endured severe lightning tribulation in his previous life. Otherwise, I would have scattered his soul long ago,” the Yellow Spring Patriarch muttered, releasing Ye Xian’s weakened soul. He looked around, and countless ghost generals recognized him, bowing to the ground in loyalty.
“Let me try…”
Shui Miao stepped forward, approaching Ye Xian, and summoned a massive amount of soul-devouring energy to instantly envelop him…
As Ye Xian spoke, Shui Miao listened while reaching out to touch the Nine Tripod Cauldron.
Suddenly, Shui Miao had an idea and immediately sealed the Nine Tripod Cauldron into the Holy Yuan Ring.
“…”
Seeing Shui Miao take the cauldron without even a word of explanation, Ye Xian felt a surge of displeasure.
Shui Miao licked his lips and turned to Ye Xian, saying, “You said you didn’t need pills or anything, so why are you asking for them now? You’ve already gotten what you wanted—control of the Yellow Spring Sect. Isn’t that enough?”
“Could he be afraid that I’ll take the pills?” Ye Xian’s mind raced, and he shook his head lightly. “Brother, you’ve misunderstood. I don’t need the pills. I was just thinking about your benefit…”
“Please!”
Noticing that Ye Xian wasn’t approaching him, Shui Miao decided to provoke him further to ensure success. “Brother, don’t bother with the nice words. You’re a cultivator too—you don’t expect me to believe you don’t need pills, do you? Who are you trying to fool? If you want the pills, just say so directly. Why go around asking for the Yellow Spring Patriarch? This is your territory now. You can just kill me and take all the benefits for yourself.”
“…”
Ye Xian grew increasingly displeased. He felt something was off. “Shui Miao, what exactly do you mean?”
“You’re asking me what I mean?” Shui Miao pointed at himself, suddenly glaring furiously at Ye Xian. “You’re the one who secretly kidnapped Senior Bai Feng, yet you pretend to be my brother. Do you even have a conscience?!”
“…”
Ye Xian was momentarily stunned, unable to make sense of the situation.
He narrowed his eyes, shook his head, and suspiciously asked Shui Miao, “You dare speak to me like this? On what grounds?”
“Just leave. The Yellow Spring Sect now belongs to me. From now on, we’re even,” Shui Miao suddenly waved his hand.
Ye Xian frowned and stared at Shui Miao for a long time before angrily shouting, “Are you out of your mind? I don’t even understand what nonsense you’re spouting! You tell me to leave—on what basis? Who do you think you are? Do you actually believe you’re my big brother?”
“Isn’t that exactly what you said yourself?” Shui Miao immediately shot back.
“Damn it, I really overestimated you. You’re even more stupid than I thought! Daring to act like my senior when you’re already at death’s door. I’ll beat the hell out of you, you bastard!” Ye Xian finally lost his temper and rushed to attack Shui Miao.
But Shui Miao pointed at Ye Xian and shouted, “Dare you strike your senior? You bastard!”
“Damn it, I’ll hit you anyway…”
Ye Xian jumped up to punch Shui Miao, who also swung his fists back…
Seeing Shui Miao’s reaction, Ye Xian could only think this was a pleasant surprise! He actually thought he could fight Ye Xian like an ordinary human! Did he really believe that would work against Ye Xian?
It had to be admitted that Shui Miao’s feigned foolishness significantly lowered Ye Xian’s guard.
Ye Xian actually started swinging his fists at Shui Miao in earnest!
He even felt a strange sense of satisfaction in humiliating Shui Miao this way.
However, just as they were about to grapple together, Shui Miao’s fist suddenly emitted a purple light!
“Ahh! No good—he’s cheating! I’ve been tricked…”
Seeing the purple light, Ye Xian’s heart jolted, but it was already too late.
At such close range, Ye Xian had no time to react before the Yellow Spring Patriarch suddenly emerged from the Holy Yuan Ring, grabbing Ye Xian’s soul body. Powerful bolts of lightning instantly engulfed him, disrupting his focus and preventing him from casting any spells to escape.
In the blink of an eye, the Yellow Spring Patriarch carried Ye Xian’s soul body and vanished outside.
Just moments ago, countless souls had been slaughtered, leaving behind numerous spiritual essences. The Yellow Spring Patriarch quickly absorbed their power, rapidly enhancing the strength of his Thunder Soul Body. The lightning surrounding Ye Xian grew even more intense…
For cultivators, thunder tribulations were deadly affairs!
Being wrapped in lightning was an indescribable torment, something only cultivators with Thunder Soul Bodies or supreme experts could endure. For others, it meant certain death and the end of their fate.
However, Ye Xian’s soul was clearly quite formidable!
The Yellow Spring Patriarch exerted his full strength, shocking Ye Xian continuously for the duration of a tea break, yet still failed to completely disintegrate his soul.
“Cursed! He must have endured a severe thunder tribulation in a past life. Otherwise, I would’ve shattered his soul by now,” the Yellow Spring Patriarch released Ye Xian’s weakened soul and looked around. Countless ghost generals recognized him and immediately knelt in loyalty.
“Let me try…”
Shui Miao stepped forward, approached Ye Xian, and unleashed a massive surge of soul-devouring energy, instantly enveloping him…
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