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The moment he was discovered, the Shadow Department's spy knew things were bad and immediately prepared to use his escape skill to flee.
However, the glaring white light made the area as bright as day. Just as he transformed into a mirage ready to escape, he was forcibly dragged back, reverting to human form.
The Shadow Department was called this name for good reason.
As a member of the Shadow Department, regardless of what cultivation technique was practiced, all were required to learn the Shadow Great Escape. This escape skill progressed slowly, akin to a cultivation technique. One could start learning it from the Second Tier of Qi Refinement.
Initially, it only allowed one to hide in shadows, making it difficult to be found, deceiving the eyes of people, moving stealthily like a prowling night cat, without much strength.
However, this Shadow Great Escape followed an advancement path similar to a cultivation technique. When cultivated deeply, one could transform into a tunneling shadow with a single thought, navigating the void. Even for seventh and eighth-tier geniuses, this escape skill only became stronger and more practical.
Such an escape skill was extremely rare globally and was an untransmittable secret of the Shadow Department. Even those who mastered this skill within the Shadow Department were very few who had the ability to teach others.
Anyone using this escape skill was undoubtedly a member of the Shadow Department.
This spy had cultivated the Shadow Great Escape to a level where he could move underground, showcasing significant aptitude in escape skills.
Yet, even with his skill at such a level, he was barely able to begin escaping at the moment.
The spy looked at the opponent's demeanor, his mind rushing through all known methods that could prevent his escape. This was a core requirement of all Shadow Department spies. They had to memorize all secret techniques, magical treasures, environments, etc., that could counteract the Shadow Great Escape, recognizing these characteristics instantly.
Furthermore, they had to know how to reverse these countermeasures and escape alive.
Shadow Department spies were primarily skilled at fleeing. Their secondary expertise was in intelligence gathering. Besides being mandatory to learn the Shadow Great Escape, another reason for this development was that, over time, those who survived in the Shadow Department excelled in escaping...
With these primary courses demanding most of their focus, fighting skills naturally lagged. Moreover, among cultivators of the same tier, they were considered less powerful.
Of course, there were a few versatile individuals, but their numbers were so negligible they became legendary figures.
The spy, having been diligent in acquiring professional skills, internally processed all available information in a critical moment and quickly pinpointed one solution.
"Day Festival Lamp!"
In an instant, more surfaced in his mind.
White Sun Evil Cult.
Joy Lamp Priest.
In a flash, the spy felt a chill down his spine. How could he encounter these malicious entities here?
Damn it, this ghostly place barely had any living humans left, so why were all the demons and ghosts here?
With little time to think, the teams closing in from both sides floated over.
The spy let out a whistle, causing the large cloak draped over him to suddenly flutter. A myriad of hiltless flying swords darted outward like swimming fish, targeting the encroaching white-robed people.
The flying swords pierced and passed through, spraying plumes of fresh blood, transforming the drops into crystallized ice. Yet, those white-robed people seemed unfazed, continuing their assault.
The spy chose a direction, his body seemingly weightless, gliding along the ground. In a crossing moment, his wrist flicked, sending a thin line as sharp as a blade across the neck of one white-robed individual, severing their head.
The scorching blood sprayed skyward. The spy, not even glancing back, continued his dash.
However, suddenly stumbling and nearly falling, he turned to see that the decapitated headless white-robed individual had reached out, grabbing his left battle skirt.
Blood continued to gush from the white-robed individual's neck, and though headless, it seemed not dead yet. It reached out with another hand, firmly clutching his battle skirt.
This brief delay allowed the surrounding white-robed individuals to close in completely. The white-robed person holding the Day Festival Lamp floated over three inches above the ground.
The spy's heart sank, and resentment surged within him.
In normal missions, there was no need for such heavy equipment...
Yet now, there was no more time to dawdle. Faced with the Joy Lamp Priest, who naturally countered him with a higher realm and superior magical treasures, even knowing how to reverse the opponent's secret technique was useless.
Because within three breaths, he would be dead.
Gnashing his teeth, he recalled the scattered flying swords.
Those silver-glinting flying swords converged, dashing toward the Joy Lamp Priest while one flew toward his own left arm.
With a flash of silver light, his left arm was severed at the shoulder. His right hand formed a seal, letting out a low shout.
With a responding thud, his left arm exploded into a mist of blood. The blood mist enveloped him, transforming into multiple streaks of blood light, scattering away.
At the same time, the Joy Lamp Priest holding the Day Festival Lamp waved a sleeve, sweeping up the charging flying swords. As his arm dropped, the swords tumbled out twisted and ruined from his sleeve.
The Joy Lamp Priest, catching a glance at the scatter of blood lights, chose to cease pursuit and smiled instead of anger.
"That a mere spy could cultivate the Shadow Great Escape to such a level, and even use the Devil Dao's Blood Sacrifice Escape Technique, shows the Shadow Department's dominance in evasion techniques."
The Joy Lamp Priest lifted the Day Festival Lamp, causing the lantern to spin and erase the lettering on it, while its light extinguished. The white-robed people regrouped behind him.
Those pierced by flying swords had their blood dissipate, the tears in their robes autonomously mending.
Only the headless white-robed individual rose, picking up his head, attempting to reattach it multiple times, each attempt seeing the head fall again.
On closer inspection, the wound where the spy severed the head with the fine line had started to rot. In this frozen weather, within a short time, the neck had eroded a whole inch.
The Joy Lamp Priest shook his head, waving a hand. The white robe of the headless one flew off and entered the priest's sleeve.
The remaining headless corpse collapsed, its flesh quickly withering before disintegrating into dust caught in the wind.
Turning to the two lines of followers behind him, the Joy Lamp Priest saw only thirty-five remained, unevenly distributed between left and right. The sight displeased him.
After a brief observation, he swung his sleeve with a force hitting anyone on the left, and as the sleeve fell, the white robe flew into it. The person within withered, collapsing, turning to dust.
"Much better..."
He raised the Day Festival Lamp, its lantern spinning to reveal the word "Joy," casting a pale glow toward Jinlan Mine.
"So close to find suitable candidates?"
Instantly, he rejoiced, having doubted he'd find suitable materials in the Wilderness, only to discover them nearby. Floating ghost-like with the white lamp, he drifted toward Jinlan Mine.
Upon reaching the village entrance, he eyed the eerie locust forest on the right and the barren slope on the left. The lantern began to rotate slowly, its "Joy" character aligning left toward Despair Abyss.
His Day Festival Lamp guided him, signaling a realm on the left with low danger and lethality, while the right remained an unexplored, highly perilous unknown his lamp never touched upon.
The lamp's white glow barely illuminated the locust forest, seemingly devoured by its shadows.
Without hesitation, he chose the central path.
Instantly, the world shifted, entering Cece's Despair Abyss.
Looking back, the white-robed people vanished behind him.
On the left slope, he saw the startled Cece and approaching Cannibals.
At the domain's edge, he noticed a goat standing upright, its qi-blood and demon qi surging.
A trace of confusion crossed the Joy Lamp Priest's eyes.
Despite his wide experiences, this bizarre realm was unlike any he'd seen...
Before he could act, the goat with a mere glance gathered its qi-blood and demon qi, kicking its hooves before vanishing into the domain's fog.
The Joy Lamp Priest shook his head with his lantern, discerning the strange domain contained merely illusions without true danger.
Watching a new cycle begin, he saw Cece hurl her child into the abyss to escape the Cannibals, followed by her demise. His eyes held curiosity during the initial cycle but turned quietly indifferent afterward.
Merely the despair of a soul in death, forming an Earth-bound Spirit cycle domain, no wonder its lethality was low.
The Joy Lamp Priest walked forward, disregarding the happenings, reaching the mist at the end. Stepping inside, he found himself back where he started, unaware of when it happened, nor did his lamp forewarn.
Now concerned, his brows furrowed.
Not lethal, but complicated and troublesome...
...
Sneaking back to the village after secret training in the Despair Abyss, Old Yang returned.
"Er Han, Yu Ziqing, prepare to meet the enemy."
"They've entered? How many? What's their strength? Can we win?" Yu Ziqing fired questions consecutively.
Looking up, Old Yang saw not only Yu Ziqing but also a composed Er Han standing nearby, along with dozens of robust men and matriarchs with fiery qi-blood, all approaching with grim faces.
Such a group would be nearly impossible to defeat even for strong cultivators facing them head-on.
Old Yang quickly calmed the agitated crowd.
"Don't worry so much. That guy underestimated us, daring to step into Cece's territory. He won't escape anytime soon."
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