That man was simply unlucky. If all six of them had fought head-on, with the powerful magic tool in his hand and his superior cultivation, he might not have had the advantage outright, but the two sides would at least have been evenly matched.
Unfortunately, he was young and had found success early, which had made him a little too arrogant and careless. He hadn't shown even half his strength before the Ghost Soldier's sneak attack succeeded, and one slash took his head clean off.
At the Qi Refining Second Layer, even after undergoing a second round of Marrow Cleansing and Hair Washing, a human body's natural defenses were still far inferior to those of Monster Beasts. Human cultivators could overpower Monster Beasts and other unusual creatures because they knew how to use tools. After casting the Bloodthirsty Art, the Ghost Soldier could hack a giant serpent so deeply that the wound reached the bone. Cutting through the neck of a mere human cultivator at the Qi Refining Second Layer was nothing.
As the arrogant young man's head flew through the air, Chen Ge and Wei Hua both revealed ferocious, bloodthirsty smiles. One cast a Netherflame Bullet, while the other reinforced himself with a Profound Yin Shield. Directing his Small Sword to streak through the air, Wei Hua charged forward. After Lei Dong's successful first strike, he immediately drove the Ghost Soldier toward the female disciple from Extreme Yin Cave.
The female disciple was also at the Qi Refining First Layer, but faced with the Ghost Soldier's murderous momentum, she lost her nerve before the fight even began. Her face drained of color, and she hurriedly maneuvered her Ink Green Small Sword to meet the attack, panic written all over her pretty features. The other male disciple, utterly horrified, immediately tried to run. He hadn't made it more than a few steps before Wei Hua's green sword pierced his calf. Chen Ge followed up with a Netherflame Bullet that nearly blasted him into several pieces.
Whoosh—the Ink Green Small Sword in Lei Dong's hand suddenly arrived. While the female disciple struggled to fend off the ferocious Ghost Soldier, Lei Dong showed no mercy and cut open her throat with a single stroke.
The whole thing had taken less than a few seconds, yet it had been fraught with danger. The most dangerous of all was the man at the Qi Refining Second Layer, who should have been a core disciple of Extreme Yin Cave. If he had managed to unleash his full fighting strength, it would have been impossible to predict which side would emerge victorious. The three brothers, all in the same boat, stared at one another, drenched in sweat. Their faces were all pale. They hadn't felt it while killing with ruthless decisiveness, but once it was over, they were all left with lingering fear. Of course, their opponents had also been novices with little experience. The ambush had thrown them into confusion, and in their haste, they hadn't even managed to cast a spell.
Although they had all completed missions and killed Monster Beasts before, this was their first time using spells to kill people. Fortunately, all three were fairly resolute. They knew that things had come to this, and now all that remained was to figure out how to cover their tracks.
The three split up the work and searched the victims for valuables. The man and woman were obviously poor; besides a few magic tools and other items issued by their sect, they yielded just two Spirit Stones and four bottles of Lesser Vitality Pills. As for the man whose head had been cut off, his Storage Bag held only three Spirit Stones and five bottles of Lesser Vitality Pills. It was otherwise empty. However, the Flying Sword magic tool in his hand, called the Fire Cloud Sword, was extraordinary. The scorching heat radiating from it was in a completely different league from the shabby beginner's gear that was the Ink Green Small Sword.
"This should be a Middle Grade Flying Sword-type Magic Tool," Chen Ge said after carefully examining it for a long time, his expression grave. Lei Dong and Wei Hua both drew in a sharp breath. The power of a Middle Grade Magic Artifact was far beyond anything they could withstand at their current level. Even Wei Hua's half-baked Profound Yin Shield probably wouldn't be able to stop it. They were lucky the Ghost Soldier had taken the man out immediately; otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
After inspecting it again, Chen Ge said with delight, "We've struck it rich. This guy probably only got this Flying Sword recently and hasn't refined it much. If we put in some effort, we should be able to erase his imprint before long."
"Let's talk about it after we get back." Lei Dong knew this was no place to linger. He quickly drove the Ghost Soldier to devour the three Extreme Yin Cave disciples' flesh and blood. Once the Ghost Soldier had grown a little more lively and satisfied, the three set off at once.
They avoided the main roads and instead picked their way along narrow paths, hurrying as fast as they could. After a grueling journey that passed without incident, they returned to Myriad Ghost Cave battered but unharmed. As soon as they got back, the three didn't dare linger for even a moment.
They went around praying to every god they could think of, asking to see Myriad Ghost Ancestor. Unfortunately, no one was willing to inform the Ancestor. Instead, they were met with ridicule. What right did ordinary disciples at the Qi Refining First Layer have to request an audience with the Ancestor?
But this concerned their very lives, so the three could only steel themselves and visit the six- or seven-year-old Zuo Chao. Zuo Chao was not only Myriad Ghost Ancestor's Personal Disciple, but also dearly favored by him. Most importantly, Zuo Chao was still a child; perhaps a few coaxing words would get them what they wanted. But they were still coldly turned away by the servants who attended him. Zuo Chao was in seclusion, trying to break through to the Qi Refining Third Layer, and wouldn't see any visitors.
Even though Chen Ge tried every manner of persuasion and even offered the servants Spirit Stones as a bribe, they still didn't dare disturb Zuo Chao's cultivation.
With no other choice, the three brothers discussed it and decided to ask Ding Wanyan. They had no idea whether Senior Sister Ding would agree to see them. She was a lofty figure, and they had never dealt with her before.
They found Ding Wanyan's residence with some trepidation. Fortunately, unlike Zuo Chao, Ding Wanyan was no little child who needed servants to attend her. Even the worldly-wise Chen Ge felt uneasy and hesitated, unsure what to do. Lei Dong simply volunteered and pressed the visitor function on the Gatehouse Restriction.
But after a long while, there was no response. He had no idea whether Ding Wanyan was in seclusion or simply wasn't home. Unwilling to give up, Lei Dong pressed it twice more and waited, but still nothing happened. The three exchanged glances. Were they really going to ask Zhou Minghua, the person they had made an enemy of? Just as they were about to leave in disappointment, the Gatehouse Restriction stirred, and a slightly cool voice sounded in their ears. "May I ask who's there?"
"Your junior brother Lei Dong, along with Chen Ge and Wei Hua. We have something important to discuss with Senior Sister Ding. We hope she'll grant us an audience." Hearing Ding Wanyan's voice was like hearing the music of heaven. Delighted, Lei Dong hurriedly answered in a respectful, measured tone.
"Lei Dong?" Ding Wanyan murmured quietly, as if trying to remember who they were. After a brief hesitation, she still opened the door. Her expression was clear and composed, neither pleased nor angry. She stood there in the doorway without inviting them inside.
"This junior pays his respects to Senior Sister Ding." Since they were here to ask for help, Lei Dong made a point of lowering his posture, his manner filled with respect. He showed no trace of discomfort at the fact that Ding Wanyan was two years younger than him. Chen Ge and Wei Hua hurried forward to pay their respects as well.
Seeing that all three of them looked somewhat battered and smelled strongly of sweat, Ding Wanyan wrinkled her lovely nose. "What important matter brings you all to see me?"
"Senior Sister Ding, the matter is like this." Lei Dong cleared his throat and explained everything from beginning to end, without concealing even the fact that they had transplanted a nearly century-old Lingzhi. As Lei Dong recounted the events, before he had even gotten to the part where they killed anyone, Ding Wanyan's expression, previously calm and unreadable, turned faintly icy. "The people from Extreme Yin Cave have gone too far! Do they think there's no one left in Myriad Ghost Cave to stand up to them? Come, I'll take you to get revenge."
No matter how refined Ding Wanyan's bearing or how outstanding her aptitude, she was still only a twelve-year-old girl. Earlier, hearing these older boys call her "Senior Sister" so respectfully had earned them some goodwill from her; she had begun to accept them as her junior brothers. As she listened, she learned that her junior brothers had been doing an ordinary mission, digging up Lingzhi, when someone had blocked their way and tried to search and rob them. Her anger flared at once. What was more, their opponents' words had shown contempt not only for Myriad Ghost Cave but even for Myriad Ghost Ancestor. Myriad Ghost Ancestor treated Ding Wanyan as dearly as his own daughter, so she decided to give that ignorant fellow a lesson he wouldn't forget.
"Senior Sister, please let your junior brother finish." Lei Dong was touched by Ding Wanyan's protectiveness. But the corners of his mouth turned down, and he wore a bitter expression. "The truth is, we were forced into it. We didn't want to just surrender, so we fought back with all our might and ended up killing all three disciples from Extreme Yin Cave."
"What?" Ding Wanyan was stunned. She had thought it was merely a matter of the two sides bullying each other. She had never imagined that these three battered-looking junior brothers had killed their opponents. This was a serious matter...
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