Sink to the Riverbed and Scrape by to the End

"Whoosh--"

"Whoosh--"

Three deadly golden arrows flashed past in an instant, covering several miles in the blink of an eye.

Chen Dengming's clone made a hand seal and used a substitution technique, his figure dodging a golden arrow with Substitute Peach for Plum speed, and appeared on a rooftop a hundred feet away.

But almost the instant his figure reappeared, a golden shadow of unparalleled speed appeared simultaneously, piercing through his body without giving him any chance to dodge.

"So fast!"

Chen Dengming was packing up his things and discreetly making his escape with He Yingyu, suddenly changed his expression. Having been hit by the Soul Reaping Arrow before, he did not hesitate to sever the mental connection he had established with his clone.

"Bang!--"

The clone was blasted open in the chest by a powerful force, and at the same time, a greedy Soul Power instantly swept over the clone.

But in the next instant, the clone collapsed due to the cracking of the mental imprint, with only a few remaining Divine Sense being devoured by the golden arrow.

The golden arrow suddenly emitted a dissatisfied buzzing sound, and abruptly forked from the trident-like arrowhead into three greedy, fierce, and bloodthirsty golden faces. It was actually a soul arrow formed by three golden core soul ropes.

The three faces turned their heads and roared in dissatisfaction at the Soul Devouring Ancestor was slowly drifting into the city from behind.

"Hmm? It's actually a clone?"

A questioning voice came, and a figure stood gracefully in the night sky, his long black robe fluttering in the wind.

The moonlight was cold and clear. He held an ebony staff, and his whole being seemed even colder than the moonlight. His eyes were deep-set and very sharp, emitting an eerie light in the darkness, more murderous than a hawk.

At this moment, the entire city grew increasingly quiet, because everyone staring at the old man was so terrified that their souls seemed to have left their bodies, floating in the air, filled with confusion.

Only the Foundation Establishment cultivators were still struggling and resisting, but that was all they could do; the separation of spirit and body seemed imminent.

This terrifying and bizarre scene was witnessed only by a group of dying people. Jia Guoxian, who was fleeing in panic, had just escaped into the Ming River when he was forced into a desperate situation by two golden arrows.

Two sudden booming sounds pierced through his Defense Magic Item, and he was struck by two arrows, letting out a shrill scream.

"Spare me!!"

"Spare me? My disciple's Physical Body was destroyed by a few sanctimonious scoundrels from the Eastern Region, and my beloved concubine is now dead too."

The Soul Devouring Ancestor sneered, "You deserve to die."

Jia Guoxian roared in despair, and suddenly a strong golden Golden Light Core Power surged from the surface of his skin, revealing clear cracks.

"Self-destruction? That takes some courage!"

The Soul Devouring Ancestor's eyes were indifferent.

The two golden arrows that pierced Jia Guoxian's body suddenly split into six golden faces, filled with resentment, unwillingness, and excitement. As if they saw their own past situation in Jia Guoxian, they all wanted to drag him down with them. The leeches opened their sucker-like mouths and sucked hard.

Instantly, a surge of Core Power, along with Jia Guoxian's soul, was drawn towards the six faces.

"No!!"

The Soul Devouring Ancestor watched everything unfold with a cold smile. To him, casually killing a Golden Core cultivator and adding another Golden Core Soul Power to the Soul Arrow was nothing more than a trivial matter.

His eyes gleamed with an evil and eerie light as he slowly surveyed the entire city, his astonishing Soul Power sensing the fluctuations of divine souls in all directions, and he asked in disbelief.

"He just fled, or is he not here? This old ancestor didn't recognize him at first. This so-called Dao Child is actually the Longevity Dao Child of the Longevity Sect."

He became interested; Longevity Dao Child, this was excellent prey.

If we can hunt it down, the reward will be far greater than all the inferior souls in the entire Border Town.

With a casual wave of his hand, three golden soul arrows whistled through the air.

Two of the soul arrows hovered in front of him, and on one of the soul arrows hung a Storage Bag, which was the very same Storage Bag that Jia Guoxian had given to Chen Dengming's clone not long ago.

The other soul arrow New Life a fourth arrowhead, which was none other than Jia Guoxian's face, filled with pain, resentment, and hatred, resembling a ghost that had not yet been tamed.

The Soul Devouring Ancestor picked up the Storage Bag, his lips, which were cracked and parched, parted, and he uttered an evil and seductive sound.

"He deceived you; what he left behind in this Border Town was only an avatar."

Tell me, what level of strength did he possess when he killed my beloved concubine?

Then, find a place that carries his scent, and take this old ancestor to find him."

A deep resentment flashed across Jia Guoxian's face. He abruptly turned his head, glanced at the Storage Bag, and then quickly looked away, fixing his gaze on the house that Chen Dengming had previously rented.

Nearly a thousand miles away in the wilderness, Chen Dengming and He Yingyu were traveling quickly using the Ghost Shadow Bracelet.

Faced with Nascent Soul Old Monster cultivator whose strength was completely unknown, they dared not take to the air in a high-profile manner and could only maintain a low-altitude stealth.

However, traveling at such a speed will naturally not be very fast.

At this moment, Chen Dengming felt a jolt in his heart. Suddenly, a bad feeling arose in his the Unseen, as if he was about to be captured and his soul was taken away from afar.

He has extremely strong telepathic abilities.

Especially in moments of genuine danger, this ability to act on impulse and receive divine inspiration will increase dramatically.

At that moment, upon sensing this situation, Chen Dengming's face darkened. Without hesitation, he grabbed He Yingyu, his mind racing as he communicated with the Little Array Spirit inside the Soul House.

"Ling'er, I feel someone is sensing my soul and locking onto my location. It might be that Soul Devouring Ancestor. Do you have any good ways to avoid it?"

Little Array Spirit Zhenling was once Nascent Soul True Lord, an expert in playing with ghosts and spirits. His knowledge and ability in this area were far superior to Chen Dengming's half-baked skills.

The Little Array Spirit pondered deeply, "Then, then, that ancestor was a contemporary of mine. If he, if he finds the house you used to live in, absorbs your, your remaining soul energy, and locks onto your soul, it would be very easy for him."

Now, all you can do is weaken your Soul Power and then go to the Ming River, close to the Fallen Forbidden Zone.

Only by using the presence of more ghosts and Soul Spirit there to confuse your Soul Power will you have a chance to avoid them.

She was so nervous that she stammered even more.

It is indeed very dangerous now.

If Chen Dengming is captured by the Soul Devouring Ancestor, she will also suffer a tragic fate.

For Soul Body like her, falling into the hands of a master of the ghost path would be the best possible outcome—a fate where she could neither live nor die.

The Soul Devouring Ancestor couldn't obtain her from the same era in the past, but if he captures her now, he can obtain her soul from that era.

With guidance from the Little Array Spirit, Chen Dengming devised a plan. Though alarmed, he remained calm and decisively pulled He Yingyu aside.

"Senior sister, we can't escape forward. We need to go to the Ming River, to get closer to the Fallen Forbidden Zone. Only by getting closer to the dangerous area will we be safer. You go first, I'll follow soon."

Chen Dengming raised the Ghost Jade Bracelet in his hand.

"Okay. I'll do as you say."

He Yingyu's expression was solemn. At this moment, she would not hesitate and immediately carried out the order, fleeing south towards the Ming River.

The Ming River is vast and long, stretching for thousands of miles. It serves as a buffer zone separating the Far East from the Fallen Forbidden Zone, preventing direct contact.

Chen Dengming quickly formed hand seals and cast a spell, gathering the power of a celestial being.

Four beams of light suddenly appeared around him, then detached and flew out like celestial maidens ascending to heaven. The moment they landed, they condensed into Heavenly Immortal Clone.

Summoning four fake Heavenly Immortal Clone in succession was Chen Dengming's limit. His Mental Strength energy was greatly depleted, and his Immortal Celestial Dao Power was almost 80% depleted.

Soul Power also weakened accordingly as mental and Mental Strength declined.

"Go!--"

Following Chen Dengming's instructions, the four clones immediately continued their escape in different directions.

After doing all this, Chen Dengming noticed that the sudden surge of excitement had indeed diminished considerably.

He immediately breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at the direction where He Yingyu had fled, activated the Ghost Jade Bracelet, and his weak and tired body quickly moved away with the pull.

Fifteen minutes later.

Three golden soul arrows whistled through the air, carrying the figure of an old man dressed in black robes and leaning on an ebony cane, and instantly arrived at the field where Chen Dengming had been standing.

Upon arriving here, he let out a soft "Eh," a strange light flashing in his sinister eyes. He did some calculations with his fingers and then chuckled.

"So it's another clone technique? Weakening Soul Power and confusing the senses, quite astute and clever. No wonder he's the recently rising star Longevity Dao Child."

He suddenly flicked his sleeve, and three golden soul arrows beneath his feet tore through the night sky, hurtling off in three different directions.

Then, he picked up the ebony staff, raised his hand and gave it a slight pull, and the ebony staff bent strangely.

With a 'hum,' a bowstring appeared in the air, and several pale golden golden core Yin spirits flew out from his wide, loose sleeves, condensing into a new soul arrow.

The next moment, the arrow shot out like golden lightning.

The air was torn open, creating a vacuum zone and leaving behind a trail of white mist.

After doing all this, the Soul Devouring Ancestor frowned and suspiciously glanced towards the direction of the Ming River, vaguely sensing that there seemed to be some fluctuations of energy there as well.

"Where did this child learn such a miraculous technique of creating clones?"

With a single step, ripples spread through the void, and his figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

At the bottom of the icy Ming River, a chilling and malevolent aura surged and raged throughout the water.

Corpses and skeletons lay buried in the silt at the bottom of the river. Occasionally, strange ghosts covered in water plants and with sharp teeth would sweep across the water in groups, creating a sinister and terrifying scene.

In the river, Zhu Xun led the way. Chen Dengming sensed the growing threat approaching and immediately ordered Zhu Xun flee, pulling He Yingyu down with him to the bottom of the river.

He apologized and pulled a piece of bone from the mud.

They then dug a pit on the spot and hurriedly hid inside with He Yingyu, burying themselves in the mud mouth to mouth and nose to nose, entering a state of complete concealment.

After half a cup of tea.

A vast and powerful spiritual force covered the area of water.

Instantly, countless demonic spirits in the river either scattered in fright or immediately became subdued and lay dormant.

Above the river, the figure of the Soul Devouring Ancestor floated silently in the air.

He held an ebony staff, his full head of black hair swirling like black flames, each strand seemingly imprisoning countless ghostly spirits, causing the surrounding air to distort slightly. The Spiritual Qi around him boiled and churned chaotically, like the bewitching aurora borealis, exuding a terrifyingly oppressive aura.

A pair of malevolent eyes, radiating an eerie light, coldly gazed down at the river below. Any spirit or demon whose gaze was locked onto by him would have its soul fly out and gradually dissipate.

Chen Dengming and He Yingyu hid in the silt at the bottom of the river, not daring to breathe.

They felt a terrifying pressure and threat from the outside, like a sharp steel knife that occasionally grazed them, making each second feel like an eternity.

The two stared at each other, mouth to mouth, in the mud.

Chen Dengming suddenly blinked twice in the darkness.

He Yingyu's eyes widened as she felt a breath blow into her mouth. Instantly, the tension in her body dissipated considerably. A flash of anger crossed her eyes, but she was not to be outdone, so she immediately blew a breath back.

A smile flashed in Chen Dengming's eyes, and he blew it back with even more force.

The intimidating aura emanating from the Soul Devouring Ancestor never left, sweeping across the river like a whirlwind from time to time.

As they played the flute, they both relaxed and even began to kiss quietly, feeling carefree and at ease, as if they had disregarded life and death and were no longer tense.

Under the relentless threat of the Nascent Soul Old Monster, enjoying a romantic encounter in the Pit of Dead Men is a thrilling and dangerous feat that Chen Dengming has never accomplished in his later years of cultivation.

A long time passed, until all four clones received the sensation of death one after another, and only then did the aura of the Soul Devouring Ancestor depart.

Chen Dengming and He Yingyu stared at each other, their eyes conveying their message, but neither of them immediately left the mud.

Sure enough, after an incense stick had burned...

The Soul Devouring Ancestor returned and lingered above the Ming River for a long time. He even entered the Fallen Forbidden Zone, causing a great commotion of ghostly wails and howls before finally departing.

"Junior Brother?"

He Yingyu blinked, seeking her opinion.

Chen Dengming's eyes darted around, a vague sense of unease creeping into his mind. He gestured that they couldn't go out yet and patted He Yingyu on the back.

"Sleep!"

The two immediately closed their eyes and remained motionless, resting at the bottom of the river.

As it turned out, this act of hiding until the very end did indeed save the two from disaster.

The Soul Devouring Ancestor did not completely leave, but left behind four soul arrows like eyes, secretly patrolling and monitoring the area around the Ming River, like a spread-out net.

Having lived for over a thousand years, the Nascent Soul Old Monster possessed far more patience and wisdom than ordinary people when hunting.

Five days passed in this manner.

Suddenly, a series of images resembling butterflies of light appeared in the Sky Dome, gradually dissipating and turning into black holes, as if Spirit Transformation experts were fighting.

Four days later, a series of spirit boats, accompanied by a powerful spiritual aura, sped in from the eastern region. Only then did the four soul arrows tremble and depart in unison.

Two days later.

In the silt at the bottom of the Ming River.

A series of 'sizzling' sounds echoed in the water outside the silt.

Zhu Xun was received regarding the search for information.

Beneath the mud, Chen Dengming moved, separating his lips from He Yingyu's, which were like suction cups. Then, the two carefully climbed out of the pit, and after confirming that it was safe, they quickly left.

"The Soul Devouring Ancestor has already left? Which senior from the Eastern Region has led the team here?"

Now, ten days have passed, and Chen Dengming's spiritual Mental Strength have recovered. He uses his Heavenly Eye to observe the situation on the Border Town from afar.

From high above, one can vaguely see that the city's grand formation has been reactivated, and it is filled with spirit boats, presenting a magnificent and imposing sight.

He dared not approach the Border Town rashly for the time being, because he was unsure whether it was the people from the Eastern Region who had retaken the border town, or the Devil Cultivator sent by the Western Region to take over.

However, now that he was certain that the Soul Devouring Ancestor was no longer pursuing him, he was completely relieved without the threat of this Nascent Soul Old Monster.

"Ten days have passed. I wonder how things are going at the sect. The battle between Spirit Transformation experts should be over by now."

Chen Dengming pondered for a moment, then quickly descended, intending to find a secluded spot to set up a small communication array to contact Senior Brother Xing and ascertain the current situation.

It's not safe outside either.

He'd rather go back and cultivate on Longevity Peak, Fourth-Rank Spirit Vein. Dying at the hands of Nascent Soul Old Monster is death, dying at the hands of Spirit Transformation expert is also death; everyone dies eventually. If he had to choose, he would definitely choose the more glorious and sophisticated way to die.

(Please vote for me, my dear readers! I'll add an extra chapter tomorrow if I get 100 votes. This time it's really 100, I can't be reckless anymore.)

The Soul Devouring Old Devil was confused with the Ancestor, similar to the difference between the Ancestor of the Longevity Sect and the next level Golden Core cultivator. This has been corrected. The Old Devil's Physical Body was destroyed last time.