A smile touched the corners of his mouth. He formed a Seal Technique with his hand, and the shadows on his body grew denser, shrouding him completely. Then, with a flicker, he swiftly pursued the direction in which Zhao Xuanqi had disappeared.
Meanwhile, inside the main hall of a residence, Zhuang Li and her group were hiding, awaiting Zhao Xuanqi’s return.
Before long, Zhao Xuanqi’s figure appeared in the courtyard. In a flash, he entered the main hall.
"The situation has changed," He Xijun immediately stood up and said to Zhao Xuanqi upon his return. "The rules of the Ghost City have changed. It won’t be long before the Night Parade of Hundred Demons begins again. We don’t have much time left."
"That’s right," Zhuang Li said with a grave expression. "Based on the current situation, if the Night Parade of Hundred Demons occurs once every hour, then there are at least three more waiting for us. We also don’t know if there will be other changes. An hour is nowhere near enough time to recover the Primordial Qi we’ve consumed. If this happens a few more times, most of us will be drained to death."
"What are your plans?" Zhao Xuanqi asked, looking at He Xijun and the others. "You had intelligence ahead of time. The Five Sects must have formulated strategies to deal with this, right?"
"Indeed. If this Ghost City is truly related to the previous Evil Cultivation incident, then we can’t just sneak into the Huang Mansion and try to destroy the source Evil Cult Statue directly."
"That’s because all the Evil Spirits in this Ghost City are manifestations of the source of the Evil Cultivation. Within the range of its Realm, it possesses a spatial ability that allows it to open a ’Ghost Gate’. Once the Ghost Gate is opened, it can transport the Evil Spirits from within the city to the side of the Evil Cult Statue."
"Back when we dealt with that Evil Cultivation incident, this very ability caught the masters of my sect and the reinforcements from the other sects completely off guard. We suffered heavy losses. Furthermore, the flesh, blood, and Primordial Qi of the masters became nourishment for the Evil Cultivation, allowing it to grow even stronger and causing a major disaster."
"In the end, it was only after clearing out some of the powerful Evil Spirits in the city that a group of masters went to deal with the source of the Evil Cultivation, finally resolving the entire incident. Therefore, if we want to break out of this Ghost City, we must first weaken the power of the Evil Spirits within it. At the very least, the guardian Evil Spirits in each district must be eliminated first."
"According to the original plan, after entering the Ghost City, personnel from the Five Sects were to head to predetermined meeting points, regroup, and then work together to clear out the powerful Evil Spirits. The final step was to attack the Huang Mansion on Anyuan Street. But now, the rules of the Ghost City have changed, and the plan is in disarray," He Xijun said in a low voice.
"Is that so?" Zhao Xuanqi frowned slightly. ’The abilities of this Evil Cultivation’s source are beyond imagination. It’s a good thing I didn’t manage to locate the source and act rashly back then, or I probably would have died in this Ghost City.’
At the same time, as the group was discussing, a dense shadow merged into the night and slipped silently into the residence. Unbeknownst to them, it spied on the situation inside the main hall.
’Huh? So many people are still alive? Impressive... but it seems no one from the Celestial Net Department is here. Wasn’t that golden light from Xu Jingtian just now?’
A hint of surprise appeared in Pu Xiangrong’s eyes, and his gaze quickly fell upon two people.
One was nearly 1.8 meters tall, and even her loose, simple robes couldn’t hide her exceptionally well-proportioned figure. Her heroic face gave her an ineffable charm.
The other, dressed in a white skirt with her black hair unbound, had a cool and beautiful face. She possessed an ethereal, fairy-like aura that could make one forget the mortal world at a single glance.
’He Xijun of the Red Heart Sect, and Zhuang Li of Miaoyin Hall? To think that two of the most famous beauties of the Heqing Five Sects would be in the same place at the same time.’
His eyes lit up, and a flash of eagerness crossed his face.
Pu Xiangrong, as the son of the Big Master of the Five Elements Gang, was practically born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was also exceptionally talented; at a young age, he could already cultivate multiple Five Elements Techniques simultaneously, a true favored son of heaven.
But this also nurtured his unrestrained and undisciplined personality. The Five Elements Gang itself had evolved from a Jianghu gang, filled with people from all walks of life. While Pu Xiangrong’s actions couldn’t be described as those of a debauched young master, he had always acted erratically and unpredictably. He considered himself different from the mundane world, with a fondness for fine wine, beautiful women, and strange magic.
Seeing his "prey" now filled him with excitement, and the desire to show off in front of the beauties stirred within him.
’Watch my wondrous Escape Technique!’
A smile appeared on his lips as he cut his finger, instantly inscribed a Technique, and formed a seal with his hands.
’Wood, Water, and Earth! Primordial Qi!!’
The next moment, his body and even his shadow seemed to vanish without a trace.
This was a profound Stealth Technique within the school of Escape Techniques, created by combining multiple elemental Tunneling arts. He had once used this very technique to briefly evade the life-force-stimulating power of the Blood Moon and escape the pursuit of Evil Spirits.
After concealing his aura, he flickered forward, preparing to enter the main hall from a clever angle. He would appear silently among the group, then deactivate his Escape Technique and reveal himself. ’When they see this,’ he thought, ’they will surely marvel at the profound and powerful Escape Technique of Pu Xiangrong.’
However, just as he drew near, the fine hairs on Zhao Xuanqi’s body, who was inside the main hall, stood on end, as if he had sensed something.
Ever since being silently approached by that Three-Headed Child on Anyuan Street, Zhao Xuanqi had been on guard and no longer let his caution slip. As long as he was inside the Ghost City, he kept his spirit constantly focused, sensing his surroundings.
Pu Xiangrong’s Escape Technique was strong, but with Zhao Xuanqi’s spirit focused, it still couldn’t evade his perception.
’A silent approach? No aura of a living person?’
’An Evil Spirit?! An ability similar to the Three-Headed Child from last time?!’
Zhao Xuanqi was instantly on high alert. According to normal logic, if it were a living person, they would just appear openly. There was no need to approach them in such a manner.
PFFT!
CLAP!
Under the astonished gazes of the others, Zhao Xuanqi spat blood and clapped his hands together, the Technique forming almost instantaneously.
The next moment.
BOOM!!
He violently twisted his waist and stomped his foot. In an instant, his legs swelled with blood as he shot out like a raging arrow toward the direction of Pu Xiangrong’s approach.
BOOM!!
In mid-air, his body surged with Blood Qi. His form expanded, his organs rumbled, and his powerful Blood Qi, converted by the Technique, suddenly erupted around him in a burst of blinding Golden Fire.
His gaze was incredibly sharp, like a sword that could pierce through anything. Illuminated by the Golden Fire, he resembled a Divine General descending upon the world, as if he could intimidate any and all Evil Spirits.
’This is...?!!’
As he rapidly closed the distance, Pu Xiangrong’s pupils contracted violently. Zhao Xuanqi’s instantaneous reaction, along with the sudden eruption of Golden Fire and terrifying aura, instantly overwhelmed his senses and jolted his Spirit.
’In such a short time, what kind of Technique inscription method was that?!’
’What is that shrouding his body? Golden Fire?!’
’How did he discover my whereabouts? This is the One Qi Primordial Method, formed from the fusion of three great Escape Techniques!!’
’And this aura... why do I feel for a moment like I’m facing a powerhouse from my father’s generation?!’
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. In that moment of shock and hesitation, Zhao Xuanqi’s terrifying figure was already before him. A hand, held upright like a blade, grew rapidly in his vision like a cattail fan.
As the palm struck out, the muscles in its center were still vibrating minutely, giving the illusion of being as soft as cotton yet as firm as iron.
The surrounding airflow was stirred by this Power of Strength and Softness. The Golden Fire spread with the current, flaring up again and vaguely forming the two-meter-wide shape of a beast’s head. The Golden Fire formed its whiskers and hair, making it seem terrifyingly real as it rushed toward him.
The Overbearing Fury of its aura and fluctuations instantly made his scalp tingle. His earlier ease and leisurely mood had vanished without a trace.
The seal in his palms changed abruptly. The shadows around him instantly spread out, splitting into three and darting in different directions. His body was hidden within one of the shadows, attempting to dodge Zhao Xuanqi’s attack.
’Escape Technique, Fractal Shadow Transformation!!’
Seeing this, Zhao Xuanqi’s expression flickered.
’Three clones... is it really the Three-Headed Child?’
"Explode!!"
He abruptly switched his Force. With a tremor of his palm, the Golden Fire beast head, which had yet to strike Pu Xiangrong, suddenly exploded, its Primordial Qi might spreading out instantly.
PFFT!!
Two of the shadows created by the Escape Technique burst apart in the blast of Golden Fire. Pu Xiangrong himself was also affected; his body froze, and he was staggered by the Vibration.
Shock filled his eyes. ’The switch between Force and Primordial Qi was so fast. How is that possible?’
Then, before he could think any further, he saw Zhao Xuanqi take a sharp breath and step forward again. His aura surged even higher, the Golden Fire flared, and he lunged toward him with even more Overbearing Fury.
’Fuck!!’
’Does he not need to neutralize or build up power before attacking?!’
’What kind of monster is this?!’