The tunnel descended into chaos. Even as Zhan Tianxiang meditated to regulate his breath, he remained vaguely aware of the outside world. At the very least, he could hear Jian Xiaolou's voice clashing with the demons in battle.
He was guiding spiritual energy to cleanse his spiritual veins, on the verge of completing a small circulation. Suddenly, Ying Zhizhen appeared before him via a void formation.
With intense spiritual energy rippling around him, Zhan Tianxiang stayed perfectly still. Ying Zhizhen, however, formed a blade-shaped energy weapon at his fingertips, his intent clear—strike while the opponent was vulnerable.
Of course, he didn't truly intend to kill. There was no deep grudge between them, and Ying Zhizhen wasn't the type to kill and loot without cause. All he wanted was to breach Zhan Tianxiang's protective aura and claim the Sword Tomb. As for the potential damage disrupting Zhan Tianxiang's cultivation might cause, Ying Zhizhen couldn't care less.
"Break!" His attack was swift, the green-glowing energy blade shooting toward Zhan Tianxiang. Just an inch from its target, a sharp slap rang out. Pain erupted on Ying Zhizhen's left cheek, quickly followed by his right.
Xiao Hei launched into a flurry of slaps, leaving Ying Zhizhen dazed.
Before Jian Xiaolou went to aid Shang Lu, she had specifically instructed Xiao Hei to guard Zhan Tianxiang, fearing someone might exploit the chaos to target the Sword Tomb. Hidden in a crevice above, Xiao Hei had been watching Zhan Tianxiang without blinking. Sure enough, it spotted Ying Zhizhen.
Ying Zhizhen's delicately maintained skin now burned painfully, his hand coming away smeared with blood.
Old grievances flared into rage, and Ying Zhizhen lost control, summoning his Spirit Serpent Sword to attack Xiao Hei. "I'll kill you!"
Xiao Hei flitted through the air, dodging the venomous serpents Ying Zhizhen released. It even found time to scratch Ying Zhizhen's face before darting away. Pushed to his breaking point, Ying Zhizhen abandoned his sword, forming hand seals while chanting incantations for a powerful spell.
Sensing danger, Xiao Hei folded its wings and opened its beak, spitting out a spark of flame.
The flame ballooned into a fireball, which grew larger as it hurtled toward Ying Zhizhen. Just as Ying Zhizhen prepared to unleash his Wood Qi, a familiar, excruciating pain gripped his body, gnawing through his limbs and bones.
This torment struck terror into Ying Zhizhen's heart, forcing him to halt his Qi flow. The protective shield around him vanished, and Xiao Hei's fireball struck him square in the chest, sending him flying.
With a sickening crack, a surge of energy erupted from Ying Zhizhen's dantian, shattering his meridians.
He looked at Xiao Hei in disbelief. Something wasn't right.
Ying Zhizhen's gaze shifted to Shang Lu, trembling as he pointed. "You…"
Before he could finish, his body erupted with a chain of explosions, his acupoints bursting one after another like firecrackers.
His voice was drowned out by the detonations.
The four people fighting over the Demon Gourd froze in shock, turning to look at Ying Zhizhen.
Feigning alarm, Shang Lu exclaimed, "Junior Brother Ying!"
Jian Xiaolou noticed the fire aura surrounding Ying Zhizhen and realized it was Xiao Hei's. Her heart sank. Has Xiao Hei absorbed the Roc's essence?
But the essence still lingered in Xiao Hei's spirit palace, only a minuscule fraction refined. Xiao Hei, confused, blinked its beady eyes. Its fireball wasn't supposed to be this powerful—it barely scratched Zhan Tianming, a beginner at the Golden Core stage.
Ying Zhizhen's acupoints disintegrated, leaving him a bloody mess. He collapsed in a pool of his own blood, his eyes wide and unfocused. His body then ignited, flames engulfing him in a fiery blaze.
Amidst the flames, a pair of crimson eyes appeared. "Who killed my son?!"
"Master Uncle, it was Jian Xiaolou's spirit beast from Kasyapa Monastery!"
"Very well… very well… very well."
With each word, Ying Zhizhen's physical form turned to ash, and the voice of Ying Wuwei faded.
Jian Xiaolou stood frozen, three words echoing in her mind: It's over!
She despised Ying Zhizhen and had wanted him dead since he tried to sacrifice Xiao Hei. Yet she, like Ying Zhizhen, dared not act. He was the son of the North Immortal Sect's leader, while her master was the foremost figure of the Southern Spirit Buddhist Nation. Any killing would provoke chaos.
"Fortune smiles upon us!" A short demon seized the chaos to snatch the Demon Gourd. "Let's grab Shang Lu's gourd too!"
"You overestimate yourself," Shang Lu sneered, his eyes gleaming with an eerie light. Smirking coldly, he slapped the large gourd. "Seal!"
A blinding light shot from the gourd's mouth, enveloping the short demon and dragging him, along with the Demon Gourd, inside.
The tall demon was aghast. "How can you control the gourd to capture people?!"
Shang Lu retreated, pressing against the tunnel wall. With a sidelong glance, he pointed the gourd at the tall demon. "It's true only Nascent Soul cultivators can use it, but unfortunately for you, I'm an exception."
Having accomplished his primary goal, Shang Lu relaxed slightly. Breathing in the polluted air was unbearable; he aimed to end things quickly. Both the great gourd and Jian Xiaolou had misjudged him. He harbored no ill intent toward her or the treasure.
He only had one objective—Ying Zhizhen's death.
For what grudge? None was needed. Jealousy over Ying Zhizhen's birth and looks sufficed.
A hollow fool, inferior in every way, yet his lineage and appearance overshadowed everything you achieved. His presence disgusted you, and the thought of coexisting with him for decades or centuries felt like a nightmare.
For Shang Lu, Ying Zhizhen was his inner demon, an obstacle to his path of cultivation. To progress, he had to sever that demon.