“Does Marquis Nanlong have ties to the Heavenly Extremes Sect? Fellow Daoist Yun, you never mentioned this before!” The old woman’s expression darkened as she asked, while the dark-faced man also revealed a mix of shock and anger.
“Did I not mention it? Perhaps I overlooked it in my haste. However, my old friend never truly joined the Heavenly Extremes Sect. If the two of you are still concerned, you may join our sect. Once you become elders of the Ghost Spirit Sect, the Heavenly Extremes Sect won’t dare trouble you!” The old man surnamed Yun chuckled lightly, speaking unhurriedly.
“Hmph! At my age, I have no interest in being bound by constraints,” the old woman retorted coldly, outright rejecting the offer.
“I’ve grown accustomed to a carefree life and likewise have no interest in joining your sect,” the dark-faced man said with a frown, his tone indifferent.
“What a pity! If the two of you were willing to join us, our sect’s prestige would soar. But I won’t force the matter. As long as we eliminate Marquis Nanlong here, the Heavenly Extremes Sect won’t truly avenge a dead man. It’s unfortunate, though—despite my century-long friendship with Marquis Nanlong, he remained tight-lipped about the Fallen Demon Valley. All I know is that a secret cave here holds a map left by the late Venerable Cangkun, detailing his route in and out of the valley. Following this map would greatly ensure our safety. So when we catch up later, don’t destroy his Nascent Soul immediately. I’ll use soul-searching techniques to see if we can extract any useful information.” The old man showed no anger at their refusal, instead shifting the topic.
“But what if the map happens to be in the jade box that Han kid took? That would complicate things,” Wang Tiangu said with a worried expression.
“That’s simple. At worst, we can make the matter public, letting all sects in the South know. Then not only the righteous and demonic factions but even the Heavenly Dao Alliance would demand the map from him. We can fish in troubled waters then. Does a mere Falling Cloud Sect think it can monopolize the treasures of the Fallen Demon Valley? Let’s see if they can stomach such a feast! Compared to the map, I’m more interested in the knowledge about the valley in Marquis Nanlong’s mind. If we learn those secrets, even if everyone knows the entrance method, we’ll still hold the advantage.” The old man surnamed Yun spoke slowly.
“If it truly comes to that, we’ll have no choice. But before then, we could also try negotiating with him to exchange the map for something else. After all, everything in this world can be traded, even if he holds a grudge against us.” Wang Tiangu offered his thoughts after some consideration.
“Heh! Your suggestion is more prudent than mine, Junior Brother Wang. That said, that kid’s abilities are truly bizarre. Is he really around the same age as my nephew? Yet his combat experience seems even more cunning than ours—even Fellow Daoist You fell for his tricks. In a one-on-one fight, I’m not sure I could handle him.” The old man surnamed Yun sighed deeply, murmuring to himself.
“I asked Chan’er about him. Originally, he was just an ordinary disciple of the Yellow Maple Valley with only Foundation Establishment cultivation. Why his power has skyrocketed so much remains unclear. But if not for his unexpected interference, the few of us working together wouldn’t have let Marquis Nanlong escape so easily.” Wang Tiangu’s eyes flickered with frustration, clearly recalling Han Li’s black mountain attack and the final barrier of the Supreme Mystic Divine Restriction.
The old woman and others could only smile wryly at this.
“Speaking of which, let’s return first to free Fellow Daoist You. With his Nascent Soul cultivation, he should still be salvageable. I’m also concerned about my nephew. That black-red light Han Li released before leaving resembled my own Demonic Blood Slash. I wonder if it’s serious.” Wang Tiangu suggested further.
“Very well. Since we can’t track them now, let’s go back and check. Once Marquis Nanlong’s secret technique wears off, we can resume pursuit.” The old man surnamed Yun agreed.
With that, the group reactivated their flight techniques and returned through the passage.
In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the ruins of the Jade Pavilion. There, Yan Ruyan knelt halfway, looking helpless, while Wang Chan lay motionless nearby.
“What happened? Was Chan’er struck in a vital spot?” Wang Tiangu’s voice turned icy, though he remained eerily calm.
“No, but his legs…” Yan Ruyan hesitated, her face etched with worry.
Wang Tiangu stepped forward and examined the scene, his brow furrowing. Wang Chan’s legs were severed at the knees, the detached limbs placed beside him—yet bizarrely, not a drop of blood was spilled.
“We had already activated the Blood Spirit Art’s protective mist, but whatever technique he used was impossibly fast. The mist couldn’t block it at all. My husband barely managed to leap halfway, avoiding a waist-level slash, but his legs…” Yan Ruyan explained helplessly.
“Then why haven’t you reattached his limbs? You know the spells for that,” Wang Tiangu pressed, his tone still dark.
“I’ve tried several limb-reconnection spells, but none worked. The wounds aren’t bleeding, but a black energy lingers there, refusing to disperse. That’s likely why the spells failed, and why my husband remains unconscious.” Yan Ruyan frowned uncertainly.
“Ordinary attacks shouldn’t harm you. Let me see!” Wang Tiangu’s expression softened as he focused on the wounds.
Sure enough, a faint black mist hovered around the severed legs. Wang Tiangu raised his hand, fingers glowing with dark light, and gently grasped at the sinister energy. A pea-sized black orb materialized at his fingertips.
He initially intended to incinerate it with spiritual flames but hesitated. Instead, he retrieved a small vial from his waist and sealed the dark energy inside, storing it carefully. It seemed he planned to study it later to understand Han Li’s techniques. Unnoticed by him, Yan Ruyan’s expression flickered with complexity before returning to normal.
Once Wang Tiangu removed the dark energy from the other leg, Yan Ruyan silently realigned the limbs and began the reattachment spell. Satisfied, Wang Tiangu turned and walked toward the others.
There, the old man surnamed Yun and the rest stood frozen around the ice-encased figure of Fellow Daoist You.
“Why haven’t you freed him yet?” Wang Tiangu asked, puzzled.
“Free him? How? This ice is far more sinister than we imagined!” The old woman murmured, fear flashing in her eyes.
The old man surnamed Yun stood grimly silent.
“What do you mean?” Wang Tiangu’s gaze shifted to the ice sculpture, a thoughtful expression dawning as he guessed the truth.
“Watch this, Brother Wang.” The dark-faced man casually summoned a fist-sized piece of rubble and hurled it at the ice.
With a crisp *ping*, blue light flashed. The moment the rubble touched the ice, it instantly transformed into identical blue ice before shattering into glittering fragments, vanishing without a trace.
The dark-faced man wasn’t done. From a distance of several feet, he extended a finger and released a strand of blazing white true flame toward the blue ice. Yet again, upon contact, the flame disappeared without a trace, as if absorbed.
Wang Tiangu inhaled sharply.
“This blue ice is vicious. Fellow Daoist You’s physical body is already lost. We can only help his Nascent Soul escape now and find him a new host later. Has he ever used a body-snatching opportunity before?” The old man surnamed Yun sighed.
“No, this was his original body,” the dark-faced man replied solemnly, seemingly familiar with Fellow Daoist You’s history.
“Good. Then let his Nascent Soul emerge on its own.” The old man nodded.
As if hearing their words, the ice-encased body suddenly emitted a brilliant white light before exploding into dust, leaving only a one-inch-tall Nascent Soul clutching a thumb-sized jade pendant, its tiny face twisted with fury and resentment.
The Nascent Soul spat a ball of scorching infant flame onto the pendant, raising it overhead. Instantly, red-and-white flames erupted around it, and without hesitation, it charged toward the ice, attempting to break free.
“Wait—” The old man surnamed Yun shouted, but it was too late. The Nascent Soul collided with the ice.
A chilling scene unfolded. The moment the flames touched the ice, the entire structure ignited, transforming into blue fire that engulfed the Nascent Soul and its protective flames. The red-white flames turned blue in an instant, and the Nascent Soul let out a piercing shriek, writhing madly as it flew a dozen feet before collapsing in agony.
Moments later, the screams ceased. The Nascent Soul was refined into a ball of white light, which then dissipated—erasing Fellow Daoist You from existence, body and soul.
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