Joyful Looting

"Chu Liang!" Song Qingyi cried out mournfully.

She ran to Chu Liang's side in a few quick steps. Just as she was about to burst into tears, she suddenly sensed that something was off.

Eh?

She could move again?

As she was wondering about it, Chu Liang's clear yet dim eyes suddenly moved again, regaining their former sparkle.

"Ah..." Chu Liang let out a long breath and collapsed onto the ground.

That lightning-fast instant just now had been the most perilous moment of his life so far.

From the moment the man in black brought them into the thatched hut and he saw the soul-siphoning formation, a bold thought had arisen in Chu Liang's heart.

Faced with a Golden Core Realm demonic cultivator against whom he had no means of resistance, it had practically been a dead end. If the man had simply killed Song Qingyi and Chu Liang, there would have been nothing they could do. Yet, in order to preserve the integrity of their soul power, he had chosen to directly extract their souls.

Normally, there would have been no difference.

But at that moment, Chu Liang suddenly recalled a reward that had once disappointed him.

The Soul-Shifting Curse!

If there was even the slightest chance to turn the tables, then perhaps... it would have to rely on that.

That was why he had been struggling with all his might. It had not been a futile deathbed struggle; he had been trying to turn his body and hide one hand behind his back, so that he could retrieve the spell jade talisman from the White Tower without being noticed.

It was also because of this that, when the man in black intended to act on Song Qingyi first, Chu Liang had spewed a string of profanities to enrage him and force him to extract Chu Liang's soul first.

The instant the man in black truly took the bait and used his soul-siphoning technique on Chu Liang, Chu Liang activated the white jade talisman as well.

The jade talisman shattered at once, and the Soul-Shifting Curse instantly took effect.

Chu Liang's soul and the black-robed man's soul briefly exchanged places.

After entering the black-robed man's body, Chu Liang felt his five senses being deprived for an instant. Then his senses returned, but he still could not move his body.

It felt like sleeping on an arm until it went numb, leaving that limb feeling like a stranger's when touched. Now, that sensation had spread throughout his entire body, leaving him unable to move.

Fortunately, the stiffness only lasted three breaths.

At the same time, the man in black discovered in horror that he had somehow appeared inside Chu Liang's body, but the black light emitted by the Netherworld Heavenly Book had already fallen upon "him."

His soul had not even remained there for three breaths before it was taken away by the Netherworld Heavenly Book.

In other words, he was dead.

Once the man in black died, the Soul-Piercing Nails formed from his divine ability naturally dissipated. Only then was Song Qingyi able to move again and rush to Chu Liang's side.

Then, after three breaths had passed, Chu Liang's soul flashed back into his original body.

Thus ended that thrilling and dangerous soul-shifting journey.

Plop.

With the black-robed man's death, the black jade book fell to the ground, and the black candles within the formation went out one after another.

Chu Liang simply stepped forward and picked up the black jade book. It felt icy and sinister in his hand, stirring an inexplicable palpitation in his heart. A magical artifact of the Nether King Sect was indeed wicked.

He then felt around the black-robed man's body and found a dark golden token engraved with the words "Soul Seizure," along with several small porcelain bottles that presumably sealed all kinds of ghosts...

Song Qingyi, whose tear stains had yet to dry, stared at what he was doing in shock. "You... what are you doing?"

"Looting the corpse," Chu Liang replied calmly.

"I know..." Of course Song Qingyi knew he was looting the corpse, and she also knew that this was the usual procedure after killing an enemy.

But... how did he know it was a corpse?

Although all signs indicated that the man in black was indeed dead, was this not far too sudden? Her tears were still swirling in her eyes, and she had no idea what had happened. Yet the moment Chu Liang came to, he had already gone to loot the body with such composure...

In any case, it just felt strange.

"How did he die?" After thinking for a long while, Song Qingyi finally asked.

"Probably suffered cultivation deviation? Or perhaps something went wrong when he used his divine ability," Chu Liang answered without hesitation.

As for the fact that he had used the Soul-Shifting Curse... there was absolutely no need to mention it. Otherwise, it would only arouse suspicion.

Of course, cultivation deviation was merely something he said casually. Song Qingyi was no fool and naturally would not believe it. However, hearing that explanation would let her know that he had things he did not wish to reveal.

Sure enough, Song Qingyi did not press the matter further.

Yet Chu Liang's evasiveness instead made her all the more certain that Chu Liang had killed the black-robed man.

A Divine Intent Realm cultivator had silently killed a Golden Core Realm demonic cultivator...

The thought filled her with indescribable shock.

Chu Liang pulled away the black-robed man's robe, revealing the rather ordinary face of a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties. He truly did not look like a demonic cultivator who treated human lives like grass, nor did he look like someone with such an aged and hoarse voice.

Demonic cultivators had always used secret arts to conceal their appearances and alter their voices. Perhaps only after death would one have the chance to see their true faces.

He searched the body from top to bottom, then finally laid it flat and began removing the black-robed man's shoes. "Instructor Song, when we get back, we'll split these spoils fifty-fifty."

"No, no, there's no need..." Song Qingyi hurriedly waved her hands. "You came all this way specifically to save me. I'm already immensely grateful. You can keep whatever you find."

"Oh, that would be too embarrassing..." Chu Liang smiled faintly.

Looking at the gentle smile on the young man's face, Song Qingyi suddenly felt a little dazed.

The refined and courteous one was him, the one spewing profanities earlier was him, and the one joyfully looting a corpse now was him... She truly could not see through him.

Then she watched Chu Liang pull a stack of silver notes from the black-robed man's boots and stuff them into his pocket without the slightest hesitation. He added, "I need to hurry. I don't have much time left."

"Hm?" Song Qingyi grew tense again upon hearing that. "Will more enemies come?"

"No..." Chu Liang shook his head. "But before long, my master should arrive."

Before his words had even faded, a piercing cry suddenly rang out.

It was as if a phoenix had soared above the Nine Heavens, its cry reaching the four seas. Within a hundred li, all birds felt the suppression in their bloodlines in that instant. Those in the sky fell helplessly to the ground, while those on the ground could not help but bow toward the heavens.

Rumble—

Without warning, a massive explosion loud enough for the entire city of Yan Suburbs to hear erupted. Billowing dust and a mushroom cloud rose from the riverbank.

Heaven and earth, the wilderness in all directions—everything was shaken.

Whoosh—

Only after quite some time did the surroundings return to silence.

Yet when they looked again, what thatched hut, riverbank, or grassland remained...

There was only a desolate, enormous crater.

At the center of the crater was a small patch of open ground. On it, Song Qingyi stood with her eyes wide, her gaze full of bewilderment.

Chu Liang, meanwhile, stood with his hands folded before him, staring ahead.

Stunned.

Within the dust ahead stood a figure wreathed in flames, seemingly humanoid, yet with a pair of enormous fiery wings stretching more than a zhang behind her. With a rush, those blazing wings withdrew.

The wind blew, and the dust dispersed.

Empress Feng appeared, her gaze indifferent. She wore a black robe with red lapels, her tall figure radiating an indescribable dominance.

Like blazing fire, like an iceberg.

In her right hand, she held Lin Bei by the back of his collar as though carrying a little chick. Lin Bei's eyes had rolled back, and his face was purple. It seemed the speed of Empress Feng's flight had been too much for his body to endure.

Empress Feng's cold gaze swept around for a moment before she casually tossed Lin Bei to the ground and asked, "Where is the enemy?"

"Master..." Only then did Chu Liang say, "The enemy is already dead..."

"Oh, dead?" Upon hearing that, Empress Feng finally relaxed. She tossed her head and returned to her usual lazy demeanor. Then she raised her wine gourd and gulped down several mouthfuls. Only then did the Killing Intent around her fully dissipate.

The pressure in the surroundings plummeted.

Only then did Chu Liang relax his shoulders.

Song Qingyi, who had scarcely dared breathe at his side for quite some time, finally let out a breath as well.

That terrifying pressure and world-destroying display just now had merely been the aftershock of Empress Feng's landing. Even though Chu Liang knew that she was his master who had come to save him, he had still instinctively held his breath before such a powerful presence.

A Dao-Seeking Realm powerhouse in battle was simply too terrifying.

The pressure of a single glance was enough to make one suffocate!

Empress Feng strode over on her long legs. Her fair thighs appeared and disappeared beneath the side slits of her robe as she walked. Reaching the black-robed man, she kicked him twice.

"He's dead through and through. I thought I'd get a fight," she said, sounding somewhat disappointed. Then she looked at Chu Liang and asked, "The two of you killed a Golden Core Realm demonic cultivator?"

Until he fully understood the White Tower's secret, Chu Liang did not intend to reveal it to anyone. Even though he trusted his master relatively well, he did not think it was necessary.

Thus, he said, "This man's death was rather suspicious. I'm more inclined to think he was trying to pull a scam..."