"The Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment was in hand, but we were ambushed. We can't get away now."
Rakshasa sent out a strand of spiritual sense directly to the writhing thing near his heart.
He had made an extra preparation!
Ever since Blood Corpse True Person had died, Rakshasa had felt deeply unsettled.
After weighing matters back and forth for a long while, Rakshasa could no longer worry about anything else and contacted the leader of the underworld forces in Zhenjiang Prefecture—Asura.
After being told the specifics, Asura arranged a contingency plan for Rakshasa.
It had originally only been meant as a precaution against the unforeseen.
Now, it seemed to have become a lifeline.
The instant the message was sent.
In the unseen void above the City Lord's Mansion, a single eye suddenly snapped open.
Its eyelids were deep purple, and its pupil was filled with icy coldness.
As though a heavenly demon were gazing down upon every living thing in the mortal world.
Qi Yuan inwardly thought that things were bad.
Ignoring the still-struggling War Beast, his right hand formed another hand seal.
The black palm dispersed, and the mist gathered anew, transforming into a sharp spear that flew toward Cry Soul True Person.
But it was too late.
At the instant the black mist spear reached him.
A layer of purple flowing light enveloped Cry Soul True Person and Rakshasa.
Then, Cry Soul True Person and Rakshasa vanished into thin air along with the purple flowing light.
Only the War Beast within the formation and several underworld cultivators, each with other duties, remained on the scene.
Only Rakshasa and Cry Soul True Person had escaped. Everyone else had been abandoned.
Tantai Qingrun descended before Qi Yuan.
"Void Demon Child!" Tantai Qingrun's expression was grave.
Qi Yuan nodded. "I never expected that, to seize my Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment, the underworld would risk awakening the Void Demon Child and have him act."
The Devil Race revered bloodlines above all else.
And Void was one of the Devil Race's eight most exalted Sacred Demon bloodlines.
Those with the Void bloodline needed neither cultivation nor comprehension. They were born with a certain grasp of the true meaning of space, and as their strength grew, their mastery of the true meaning of space would grow ever stronger.
An utterly heaven-defying bloodline ability!
The purple flowing light that had just covered Rakshasa and Cry Soul True Person was Void's unique spatial-transference ability.
The Azure Province underworld was led by the Void Demon Child.
To avoid having Heavenly Mystery Temple track down his whereabouts.
The Void Demon Child had remained dormant all this time, concealing his aura.
But with the Void Demon Child acting rashly this time, no matter how thoroughly the loose ends were handled afterward, the traces of his intervention could never be completely erased.
Through those traces, perhaps the human race would have a way to find the Void Demon Child.
Though the Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment had been lost, they had forced the Void Demon Child to act once.
Which side had gained the upper hand was still hard to say.
In a secluded corner of Yuanshan City.
A cluster of purple flowing light suddenly emerged.
Then the purple flowing light gradually faded, revealing the figure within.
It was Cry Soul True Person, who had escaped through the Void Demon Child's ability.
Pfft—
Cry Soul True Person felt sweetness rise in his throat, and a mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth.
Although he had successfully escaped through spatial transference at the last moment.
Qi Yuan's final strike had still caught him with a fraction of its power.
Even a slight aftershock from a Nascent Soul Cultivator's attack was not something a Foundation Establishment cultivator like him could withstand.
He was severely injured.
But that was unimportant. What mattered was that only he and Rakshasa had escaped from this operation.
At that thought, Cry Soul True Person revealed a smug smile.
The moment he realized they had fallen into an ambush, he understood one thing.
If Rakshasa had no contingency prepared, they would surely be wiped out to the last man in the formation.
If Rakshasa did have a contingency prepared, it would certainly be impossible for everyone to escape safely.
Therefore, the instant he saw the Golden Core Nether Cultivator fall, Cry Soul True Person acted decisively and seized the Storage Ring containing the Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment.
The ultimate objective of this operation was in his hands.
No matter what happened, that made him the person among all the underworld cultivators on the field most worth saving.
Sure enough.
Even the War Beast had been abandoned, yet he had not.
Cry Soul True Person glanced at his current location.
He was still within Yuanshan City.
The Void Demon Child had acted from an unknown distance away, so the power of his divine ability had naturally weakened considerably.
This spatial transference had not only covered an extremely short distance, but also could not precisely control the destination.
Thus, although he and Rakshasa had been teleported away at the same time, they had landed in different places.
But that was nothing to fear. As long as he had escaped the encirclement, it was enough.
The underworld had long arranged a teleportation formation in the city.
At that thought, Cry Soul True Person did not dare delay and hurried toward the stronghold where the teleportation formation was located.
After Lu Qingshan and Great King West Rat had thoroughly looted Ku Mansion, they left with hearts full and spirits satisfied.
The moment they stepped out of Ku Mansion, a black spiritual radiance shot into the heavens, catching Lu Qingshan's attention.
That was the City Lord's Mansion.
Lu Qingshan murmured to himself.
Lu Qingshan understood that the underworld had likely begun its operation.
After pondering for a moment, Lu Qingshan shook his head.
With his Qi Refining cultivation, there was no place for him to intervene in such a battle.
Better not concern himself with it. He would simply wait quietly for the outcome.
That was what Lu Qingshan thought to himself.
"Lu Qingshan, doesn't that person ahead look a little familiar?!" Great King West Rat's voice came from beside his ear.
Lu Qingshan looked into the distance and saw a man dressed in a dark-purple brocade robe hurrying along, seemingly anxious over some unknown matter.
Lu Qingshan had never seen this man before.
"This is your first time in Yuanshan City. How could you have an acquaintance here?" Lu Qingshan said with a laugh.
Suddenly, Lu Qingshan and Great King West Rat both realized at the same time.
"Could it be?"
Great King West Rat nodded his rat head furiously. "It's him—the lecherous male cultivator from Ku Mansion, Cry Soul True Person."
Indeed, it seemed that Great King West Rat had no other acquaintance in Yuanshan City besides Cry Soul True Person.
Lu Qingshan's heart stirred.
Why would this man be here at a time like this?
Without concerning himself with anything else, Lu Qingshan first cast a Heavenly Eye Technique on him.
Cry Soul True Person (Human) Class: Sword Cultivator Cultivation Method: Qi Guiding Technique Lv10 (max!)/Soul Leaving Scripture Lv16 (2000/4600) Realm: Foundation Establishment Attributes: Strength 22, ???, ??? Health: ? (Severely Injured) Spirit Power: ?? Skills: ????, ???, ??? Talent: ???
This was a Sword Cultivator with a total level of 26 whose cultivation had reached Foundation Establishment Late Stage.
The instant Lu Qingshan saw Cry Soul True Person's panel, he made his decision.
He would kill Cry Soul True Person.
First, for the vast amount of experience a Foundation Establishment cultivator would provide.
Second, because Cry Soul True Person appearing here at this very moment made Lu Qingshan feel that leaving him alive would surely mean missing out on an extraordinary gain.
Third, and most importantly.
He wanted to kill him!
Ever since seeing the many female Cauldrons Cry Soul True Person kept in that small building within Ku Mansion, Lu Qingshan had developed killing intent toward him.
Lu Qingshan gave Great King West Rat a few instructions.
At the same time, he disguised himself as an ordinary passerby and carelessly approached Cry Soul True Person.
He was within attack range.
Lu Qingshan took the Peachwood Sword from his Storage Bag.
He poured all the lightning power stored within the Peachwood Sword into action.
A thick purple-blue sword beam shot toward Cry Soul True Person.
Cry Soul True Person had hurriedly changed clothes and disguised himself as an ordinary cultivator. He was just about to quietly head for a secret underworld stronghold within Yuanshan City.
Who would have thought that, while walking peacefully down the street, he would suddenly suffer an inexplicable attack?
Cry Soul True Person's heart turned cold, and he thought he had been discovered.
Yet instinctively, he still commanded his natal sword out from his dantian and slashed it toward the incoming sword beam.
Without the slightest effort, the purple-blue sword beam instantly collapsed beneath Cry Soul True Person's flying sword.
Only then did Cry Soul True Person notice that his attacker was merely an exceptionally young boy.
An eighth-layer Qi Refining cultivator?
Cry Soul True Person was baffled.
But seeing Lu Qingshan holding the Peachwood Sword, looking as though he intended to charge straight into his face.
Though he found it absurdly laughable—who gave you the courage?
He had no time to think further. With a thought, after shattering the Lightning Sword Beam, his flying sword continued toward Lu Qingshan.
Against a Qi Refining cultivator, he needed only the most ordinary flying-sword attack to kill him with ease.
Light flickered over Lu Qingshan's body.
The Golden Light Shield of the Golden Essence Ring Spirit Artifact activated!
"Now!" Lu Qingshan shouted.
Great King West Rat understood at once.
Soul Loss Technique!
Though it was only a level-one Soul Loss Technique, and Cry Soul True Person had not been on guard, its effect was still not strong.
Under the Soul Loss Technique's effect, Cry Soul True Person merely froze for less than a breath.
But for Lu Qingshan, that was enough time.
He released the Peachwood Sword in his hand, gathered spirit power into his palm, then seized the Cry Soul Sword just as it was about to smash into his face!
Cry Soul True Person came back to his senses. Seeing this, he found it somewhat absurd.
The Cry Soul Sword was his natal sword. If Lu Qingshan thought he could disarm him so easily, then what the hell would Sword Cultivators cultivate swords for!
Had he not seen that for the underworld to seize Qi Yuan's Heavenly Mystery Mirror Fragment, they had needed to deploy a War Beast to sever Qi Yuan's connection to the fragment before they could take the mirror?
And Sword Cultivators cultivated natal swords; their connection to their own swords was countless times tighter still.
Cry Soul True Person's thoughts moved, and he prepared to command the Cry Soul Sword to slash directly at Lu Qingshan.
But!
Cry Soul True Person could not help stiffening.
The Cry Soul Sword, which had always moved as easily as an arm or finger, now seemed trapped in a swamp. Controlling it had become incomparably sluggish!
Cry Soul True Person was about to increase his force.
But he was too late.
The sword edge bore down with chilling force.
A dazzling cold gleam flashed before Cry Soul True Person's eyes.
Holding the Cry Soul Sword, Lu Qingshan had already brought it down in a slash at Cry Soul True Person's face.
Falling Bright Sword Art!
Before you continue