Only then did Shen Fan realize that Old Man Duan had made a move as well.
There was no question that he had acted because of the humiliation Shen Fan had suffered during the day.
"Old Man Duan!" Shen Fan felt as though a fishbone were lodged in his throat, and tears instantly welled up in his eyes.
"There's someone else?" Zhao Erhu looked to one side in surprise, his gaze meeting Shen Fan's.
In the darkness, he failed to recognize Shen Fan, but Shen Fan did not hesitate in the slightest. He opened the Universe Pouch and gave it a flick.
Two figures swelled against the wind. The instant they landed, they transformed into savage beast-like figures and lunged at Zhao Erhu with fangs bared and claws outstretched.
"There are reinforcements?" Zhao Erhu's face went pale with shock.
"Guards..."
But before he could call for anyone, Shen Fan's two corpse puppets pounced on him and pinned him to the ground.
"Dragon Grasp!"
Under Shen Fan's control, Baishitong viciously clawed at Zhao Erhu's chest with one hand.
Like a black tiger ripping out a heart, the Dragon Grasp tore through Zhao Erhu's chest cavity amid a piercing rush of wind and ripped out his heart.
Zhao Erhu was merely at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage. Though he was an Outer Sect Disciple, Baishitong, who had been refined into a corpse puppet, was also at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage.
Surrounded and slain by three corpse puppets, he was killed in an instant.
"Wind Blade Art!"
To make absolutely certain, Shen Fan again controlled Biaozi to cast the Wind Blade Art. A razor-sharp wind blade flashed past like lightning, cleanly severing Zhao Erhu's head.
Watching the severed head roll away, Shen Fan immediately stored the two corpse puppets in the Universe Pouch. The entire affair had unfolded in no more than a flash of lightning and spark of flint.
Old Man Duan, standing nearby, was utterly dumbfounded. By the time he came to his senses, Zhao Erhu's head had already fallen to the ground.
"Run!" Shen Fan grabbed Old Man Duan and immediately fled outside.
Only then did Old Man Duan react. He hurriedly controlled his corpse puppet and followed him out.
But the commotion had already roused every Miscellaneous Disciple at the Spirit Field.
Zhao Erhu was not the only overseer at the Spirit Field. There were also two Outer Sect Disciples assisting him.
The moment Shen Fan and Old Man Duan rushed out of the courtyard, they saw the other two Outer Sect Disciples from the Spirit Field charging toward them.
"You take the left, I'll take the right!" Shen Fan shouted under his breath, directly crushing the Fire Poison Demon Core he had prepared long ago.
In an instant, fire-poison spiritual power flooded through his body, causing him to radiate a scorching aura.
"Who's there?"
The two had only rushed over after hearing the disturbance, so they had no idea what had happened inside.
When they saw people rushing out, they were completely unprepared for battle.
"Crimson flames as the guide, burn away all evil!"
Shen Fan recited the incantation in a voice only he could hear and unleashed the Flame Serpent Art.
"Boom—!"
The fire serpent roared forth. In the pitch-black night, it was like a fire dragon howling through the sky, illuminating the entire Spirit Field.
At that moment, every disciple who had rushed to the Spirit Field saw it clearly.
"A fifth-tier spell, the Fire Dragon Art!!"
The two approaching Outer Sect Disciples' eyes widened, their faces filled with terror.
But before they could react, the one directly facing Shen Fan was swallowed by the fire serpent.
The Flame Serpent Art, enhanced by the Fire Poison Demon Core, exploded head-on against him. Its power was self-evident; he was instantly burned black.
On the other side, Old Man Duan's hands danced rapidly as he controlled his corpse puppet. It leaped out from behind him and landed directly atop that man's head.
Then it opened its bloodthirsty maw, tore off the crown of his skull, and sucked out his brains. The scene was gruesome beyond measure.
After easily dealing with the two, Shen Fan and Old Man Duan looked at the bewildered Miscellaneous Disciples who had rushed over, swept past them, and hurried down the mountain, vanishing into the boundless night.
"Catch!"
As he made his way down the mountain, Shen Fan had already worked out a backup plan for handling unexpected developments.
His gaze turned sharp, and without hesitation, he hurled the Universe Pouch at Old Man Duan.
Originally, his plan had been to quietly return the way he came after killing Zhao Erhu.
At that point, he only needed to hide the Universe Pouch somewhere secret. Even if someone grew suspicious, with his current strength, no one would be able to trace it back to him.
Yet the ways of the world were unpredictable, and the situation no longer allowed him to act according to his original plan.
During the day, the conflict between him and Zhao Erhu had caused an enormous uproar.
Now, three Outer Sect Disciples lay dead, one of them even an overseer of Servant Peak.
This matter would certainly stir up a tremendous storm within the Heavenly Xuan Sect.
Once the Law Enforcement Hall intervened, the traces left by the corpse puppets would surely have nowhere to hide.
When news of the Nether Corpse Sect's infiltration spread, the inner sect would certainly be shaken.
And the conflict between him and Zhao Erhu would undoubtedly make him everyone's foremost suspect.
Once the investigation began, even if he hid the Universe Pouch in the storeroom, there was no guarantee it would not be discovered.
Thinking of this, Shen Fan steeled his heart. The only option now was to dump everything in the Universe Pouch onto Old Man Duan in one go.
As a disciple of the Spirit Field, Old Man Duan would certainly be investigated along with every other Miscellaneous Disciple after this incident.
Moreover, Old Man Duan cultivated the Nine Nether Corpse Refinement Art and had hidden a corpse puppet beneath his bed. Once this was exposed, he would definitely be unable to escape involvement.
"Kid, the Spirit Field is no longer a place you can stay. Leave with me!"
Old Man Duan accepted the Universe Pouch with a puzzled expression and earnestly urged him.
"Old Man Duan, I can't leave yet."
Shen Fan took a deep breath and slowly said, "This is Baishitong's Universe Pouch. Inside are Baishitong's corpse and another person's corpse. I have already refined them into puppets. Besides that, there are several hundred spirit stones, spirit rice, demon cores, and the cultivation methods and spells Baishitong left behind."
The fierce wind howled past their ears. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the fork at the foot of the mountain.
"Old Man Duan, take these things and leave quickly. I've wronged you—I deceived you before, yet I never expected you to stand up for me. Old man, go far away. With these things, you should be able to escape this calamity!"
As he spoke, Shen Fan pointed two fingers at the Universe Pouch and instantly erased the spiritual imprint on it.
Then he gave Old Man Duan a deep bow.
"My great vengeance remains unavenged. How can I simply leave like this!"
"If fate allows, we'll meet again in the martial world!"
At that moment, a gratified smile appeared on Old Man Duan's face.
In the darkness of night, Shen Fan did not see the tears glistening in his eyes.
"Kid, once we part here, I fear it will be difficult for us to meet again. I cultivate the Corpse Refining Art and intend to seek refuge with the Nether Corpse Sect. The next time we meet, I'm afraid we'll be standing on opposing sides," Old Man Duan said wistfully.
Hearing this, Shen Fan smiled. "Don't worry. Even then, I won't make a move against you. Besides, you're no match for me at all!"
"Indeed!"
Old Man Duan let out a long sigh. "You brat hid it from even me for so long. That flame spell of yours is truly incredibly powerful!"
As he spoke, he gave Shen Fan a thumbs-up.
"This is no place to linger! Old Man Duan, take care!"
After saying that, Shen Fan turned and left without the slightest hesitation.
He had to return to the Waste Elixir Chamber as quickly as possible. He was the primary suspect in this incident; if he did not return in time, the consequences would be unthinkable.
"Wait!" Old Man Duan suddenly called out to Shen Fan.
"Kid, can you call me Grandpa?"
"Get lost, you old bastard. Trying to take advantage of me?" Shen Fan cursed with a laugh.
"Hehe!" Old Man Duan chuckled and said nothing more.
Shen Fan turned to leave, but after taking only a few steps, he suddenly turned back.
Then he dropped to both knees before Old Man Duan and solemnly said, "Grandpa Duan! If we both make it safely through this calamity, I'll take care of you in your old age!"
As he spoke, Shen Fan heavily kowtowed three times to Old Man Duan.
Then he immediately rose to his feet and vanished into the boundless night.
"Haha... Haha..."
In the pitch-black night, Old Man Duan let out mad laughter as his figure gradually receded into the distance.
Before you continue