Under Bai Yaoyi’s astonished gaze, the golden arc exploded upon the desiccated corpse. The body, which had lain there for untold years, instantly disintegrated into a pile of white ashes amidst the golden light.
“Let’s go. It seems I was overthinking things,” Han Li said with a faint frown after a moment of silence. Then he strode out of the place.
Bai Yaoyi chuckled lightly, shaking her head as she followed without concern. Soon after, the two reappeared in the passageway and continued flying forward.
As their figures faded into the distance and the last traces of purple light were swallowed by the black yin wind, a humanoid shadow suddenly rose from beneath the stone pillar in the cavern. The shadow was pitch-black, its features indistinct, as if it were pure darkness—only its eyes glowed with eerie green light.
It first glanced at the frozen remains of the sin ape at the entrance, then lowered its head to look at the ashes before the pillar. Suddenly, it pounced onto the ground.
A bizarre scene unfolded! After a single roll, the ashes flew toward the shadow, clinging to its body without falling off. Then, the shadow emitted a low hum, releasing waves of black mist that enveloped its entire form.
Moments later, the black mist churned, and from within emerged a desiccated corpse identical to the original.
This time, however, the corpse was no longer lifeless. It turned its head and suddenly spat a gust of black yin wind toward the entrance, sweeping up the frozen remnants of the sin ape.
Within the black wind, the ice melted at a visible rate. With a *whoosh*, a fully intact sin ape leaped out from the wind.
It bared its fangs at the sky, then swiftly bounded to the corpse’s feet, crouching there like a pet. The corpse extended a black claw, casually patting the ape’s head twice, while its glowing green eyes remained fixed on the exit.
This corpse seemed to be contemplating something like an ordinary person, displaying clear signs of awakened intelligence.
—
While Han Li and the others were pursuing their separate tasks, a deafening clamor of battle erupted from a manor atop a massive peak in the southern border. Nearly a hundred black-robed cultivators were attacking a faint yellow barrier with various magical treasures and artifacts. The barrier covered most of the estate, but inside, only a dozen or so yellow-robed cultivators desperately waved multi-colored formation flags, struggling to reinforce the weakening shield. Outnumbered, they wore expressions of panic as the barrier teetered on the verge of collapse.
Hundreds of feet above the manor, a dignified middle-aged man in yellow robes hovered, his face deathly pale.
Surrounding him at a distance were five gray-white figures, each as faint as wisps of smoke. They stood in a circle, trapping the middle-aged man in the center.
“Brother Zong, can you truly not spare the He family? I’ve met the Ghost Sect’s leader several times. If you show mercy, I’m willing to lead my clan into seclusion, never to re-enter the cultivation world. And this is the southern border—aren’t you afraid of provoking trouble with such recklessness?” The middle-aged man, though knowing his plea was futile, still voiced his last hope to the sky.
“The He family agreed to submit to our Yin Luo Sect, yet at the last moment, you sought to renege. Did you think fleeing to the southern border would save you? For the sake of our sect’s reputation, the He family must be erased. And I’d like to borrow your head to serve as a warning to others. Will you end yourself, or shall I do it? If the Five Ghosts act, not even your bones will remain.” Though no one was visibly present, a voice drifted through the air, its tone indifferent and impossible to assign to either gender.
Hearing this, the yellow-robed man’s heart sank.
Just then, an earth-shaking explosion erupted below. The man’s expression twisted as he glanced downward—the protective barrier had shattered into fragments, dissolving into motes of light.
The man’s face drained of all color.
Outside the manor, the Yin Luo Sect cultivators cheered, then unleashed a torrent of attacks, instantly overwhelming the dozen defenders inside.
“How dare you—!” The yellow-robed man could no longer restrain himself. He slapped the spirit beast pouch at his waist, and a streak of yellow light shot out, transforming into a massive yellow python that streaked downward.
“Why trouble yourself with these juniors, fellow Daoist? Let me test the might of your Heaven-Sundering Brick instead.” The hidden voice spoke lightly, and one of the gray-white figures suddenly moved, appearing beneath the python with near-teleportation speed.
The python bared its fangs and lunged at the figure, but the latter merely shuddered, morphing into a giant white skull the size of a small house.
The python recoiled, but it was too late.
The skull let out a ghastly laugh and spat a web of white threads, ensnaring the python’s head in an instant. The python thrashed violently, its tail lashing against the skull like a steel whip, but the skull remained unmoved. Instead, a gray light pulsed from its maw, traveling along the threads and seeping into the python.
An unbelievable sight followed—wherever the gray light touched, the python’s once-glossy body withered and shriveled. In moments, its flesh vanished, leaving only skin and bones. The python was dead.
The skull wasn’t finished. With a flick of its threads, it swallowed the entire corpse whole, chewing with a sickening *crunch*.
Watching his long-time companion meet such a fate, the yellow-robed man’s fury mingled with hatred. Glancing at the approaching figures, he suddenly slapped the back of his head and spat out a small yellow brick.
With a spell-seal, he pointed at the brick.
The treasure spiraled into the air, swelling rapidly until it loomed overhead—a colossal slab over a hundred feet wide, its surface blazing with yellow light and swirling runes, radiating immense power.
“So this is the Heaven-Sundering Brick? Disappointing. It seems I need not reveal myself. Let the Five Ghosts send you off.” The hidden voice sighed, as if deeply let down.
The remaining gray-white figures drifted forward languidly.
Ignoring the taunt, the yellow-robed man roared, and the massive brick above him spun violently, generating a hurricane that enveloped him.
The figures paid no heed. As they neared the storm, they elongated and shot straight into it.
“Seeking death!” Countless yellow bricks, each a foot long, erupted from the tempest, engulfing the figures in a deafening explosion.
Seizing the moment, a yellow streak shot from the hurricane, vanishing into the horizon in a flash.
A bone-chilling *hmph* echoed. Then, with a series of soft *pops*, four figures emerged unscathed from the yellow light and vanished.
An instant later, spatial fluctuations rippled ahead of the fleeing streak. Four figures materialized, lunging at the yellow-robed man without a word.
Panicked, the man halted and hurled a massive brick at them. The figures phased through it effortlessly, closing in.
Desperate, the man brandished an ancient treasure—a blue command token. A wave of blue mist erupted, slowing the figures to a crawl.
Before relief could cross his face, the figures cackled and dissolved into the mist. Realizing his peril, the man tried to flee, but white vapor swirled before him. Several faint figures lunged out, piercing his protective aura as if it were nothing and vanishing into his body.
The man’s last sensation was his Nascent Soul constricting, his blood boiling. Then, darkness.
To an observer, his face would have withered into a skeletal husk in seconds. His Nascent Soul was devoured by the figures within, which then emerged as four skulls, tearing apart the remains.
The fifth figure arrived leisurely, and the five stood together.
Below, the battle had ended. A black-robed elder flew up and bowed.
“Elder, the He family’s seventy-two cultivators have been eradicated. Three hundred mortal descendants remain. Your orders?”
“Kill them all,” the hidden voice said coldly.
The elder acknowledged and turned to leave.
“Wait. Elder Ge’s earlier report mentioned that the cultivator who killed our Fourth Elder and stole a Yin Luo Banner might be in the southern border. Once this matter is settled, deploy all forces to track him. I’ll remain here for a year. If he’s found, I’ll eliminate him personally. Our sect’s treasure cannot remain in outsider hands.”
The elder bowed solemnly. “Understood.” He transformed into a black streak and descended.
“To kill a Yin Luo Banner wielder and escape the Heavenly Blue Sacred Hall’s pursuit… This one must be far more interesting than the He family trash.” The hidden voice murmured, as if intrigued by Han Li.
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