Strike First for the Advantage

This was naked provocation.

Xiao Yan's expression turned even more sinister.

Though he did not know what "showing off" meant, it probably was not anything good.

However, when he turned to look at Ghost Demon True Person and saw that he said nothing, he could only force a smile. "Fine, Junior Brother. Please!"

As he spoke, he stepped back.

At the same time, he secretly thought, Hmph! Let's see how miserably you die later!

Just then, Lu Li moved.

Whoosh.

His body swayed where he stood, and two figures actually split off from him.

Afterimages!

The next moment, Lu Li flickered through the hall like a ghost, swift as lightning, so fast that his figure could not be caught at all.

For a moment, gusts of wind whipped through the cave residence's great hall.

Within the whirlwinds, Lu Li's four afterimages had only just formed before appearing anew again.

Ever-born and never-ending!

Moreover, there were always exactly four afterimages—neither more nor fewer!

"Layers of Ghost Shadows! Four afterimages!"

Seeing this astonishing sight, Xiao Yan's expression changed drastically. He cried out, "This is the phenomenon that only appears when Spirit Ghost Phantom Step reaches the fourth level! How is that possible?"

His heart was utterly shaken, a tempestuous sea roaring within him.

Only one short month!

How had Lu Li cultivated this demonic art, Spirit Ghost Phantom Step, to the fourth level already?

This was a realm Xiao Yan had failed to reach even after cultivating for three months!

How was this possible?

Could this fellow's aptitude truly be this terrifyingly good?

"Good! Enough!"

Suddenly, Ghost Demon True Person's voice rang out.

Hearing this, Lu Li abruptly halted and returned to his original spot, clasping his hands in a bow toward Ghost Demon True Person.

The four afterimages slowly faded away.

"Not bad, not bad, not bad!"

Ghost Demon True Person was exceedingly pleased. He said "not bad" three times in a row, praising, "Lu Li, I did not misjudge you! Your aptitude is excellent. In only one month, you cultivated Spirit Ghost Phantom Step to the fourth-level realm of 'Layers of Ghost Shadows'! You are practically no inferior to my eldest disciple!"

"Thank you for your praise, Master."

Lu Li remained composed, neither pleased nor troubled.

At this moment, Ghost Demon True Person added, "Xiao Yan, you are not bad either. I am rather satisfied with you as well."

"Thank you for your praise, Master."

Xiao Yan hurried forward and bowed in thanks.

The next moment, Ghost Demon True Person changed his tone. "However, I am currently at a critical point in my cultivation and have no spare energy to accept disciples for the time being. Let us do this. One month from now, when I emerge from seclusion again, I will inspect your cultivation. Whoever is superior shall be accepted as my Core Disciple. Oh, and this time, I will be entering deathly seclusion. Be careful yourselves. If you die, I cannot be bothered to collect your corpses or avenge you."

Hm?

Upon hearing those words, both Lu Li and Xiao Yan froze.

There seemed to be something more behind those words.

"Leave!"

Ghost Demon True Person waved his hand.

"Yes!"

Lu Li and Xiao Yan bowed once more, then withdrew from the cave residence.

Rumble.

The Black Stone Gate shut.

Black vines crept and climbed up from beneath the ground, sealing the entire Black Stone Gate.

The restriction had been activated.

It seemed that Ghost Demon True Person truly intended to enter deathly seclusion for a month.

Lu Li frowned slightly and turned to leave.

"Junior Brother Lu, wait."

Just then, Xiao Yan spoke.

Before Lu Li could even turn around, Xiao Yan opened his mouth and spat out a thick, icy stream of blood qi as thick as a fist. Like a sharp arrow, it shot straight at Lu Li's back.

It was so fast that there was no time to react!

This was Blood-Devouring Demonic Qi!

And this strand of Blood-Devouring Demonic Qi was even thicker than before, as wide as the mouth of a bowl.

Once struck by the Blood-Devouring Demonic Qi and penetrated by it, all the blood qi in one's body would likely be drained dry in the blink of an eye!

He had clearly hidden his strength earlier!

Pfft.

It hit!

The Blood-Devouring Demonic Qi blasted into Lu Li's back and passed straight through.

An afterimage!

The next moment, Lu Li's figure slowly emerged thirty meters away, his expression icy.

He had actually anticipated this all along!

"Senior Brother Xiao, what is the meaning of this? You actually attacked me and harmed a fellow disciple. Are you not afraid that Master will hold you accountable?"

Lu Li's gaze turned cold as he questioned him in a deep voice.

"Damn it! You actually dodged it!"

Xiao Yan's face was full of viciousness. With a gesture, he recalled the stream of blood qi and said chillingly, "Lu Li, did you not hear clearly just now? Master will be in seclusion for one month. If we die, he cannot even be bothered to collect our corpses or avenge us! Therefore, even if I kill you, Junior Brother, Master will not know! And even if he does, I wager he will not care! Then I will become Master's Core Disciple!"

As he spoke, he flipped his other hand over, and a snow-white Spirit Talisman appeared in his palm.

Three twisted, blood-red seal-script characters were inscribed upon it:

Ghost-Controlling Talisman!

"This is a low-grade magical artifact, a Ghost-Controlling Talisman. It seals a vicious ghost at the tenth level of Qi Refinement. Lu Li, you can die now!"

A savage grin appeared on Xiao Yan's face.

"Is that so?"

Lu Li narrowed his eyes slightly.

"That's right! Die!"

Xiao Yan let out a wild laugh and poured his dharma power into the Spirit Talisman.

But in an instant, his expression changed drastically.

His dharma power seemed to have been frozen by frost, circulating with extreme sluggishness.

This was... the poison of Ice Spirit Ghost Grass?

When had he been poisoned?

Before he could react.

Boom.

The earth trembled.

A wave of heat descended, blanketing everything.

Xiao Yan looked up and discovered that Lu Li had already charged in front of him. Muscles bulged and knotted all over Lu Li's body, his clothes bursting apart as blood qi radiated from him, blazing like a furnace.

The killing intent on his face was cold, chilling as frost.

The next instant, a massive fist thundered forth.

Its tremendous force compressed the air, blasting out a startling sonic boom.

This punch was enough to shatter gold and split stone!

"How can you possess such powerful blood qi strength?"

Xiao Yan shrieked.

Yet in that moment between life and death, he did not retreat. With a flick of his hand, he directed the Blood-Devouring Demonic Qi toward Lu Li's glabella.

He intended to perish together! To gamble life against life!

Bang!

This was the dull sound of Lu Li's fist striking Xiao Yan's forehead.

Clang!

This was the crisp sound of the Blood-Devouring Demonic Qi blasting against Lu Li's chest.

The next moment.

Xiao Yan's head exploded on the spot.

Like a watermelon smashed apart by a giant hammer, red and white matter splattered in every direction.

Before his death, what he saw was the Blood-Devouring Demonic Qi being bounced back by Lu Li's fleshly body.

How... could that be?

His Blood-Devouring Demonic Qi could not even pierce Lu Li's body?

Lu Li was clearly only at the first level of Qi Refinement!

Before he could figure it out.

Lu Li's huge fist turned into a palm and abruptly plunged downward. Like an eagle diving to snatch a rabbit, it grabbed straight for Xiao Yan's heart.

Bone Claw Heart-Grasp!

Pfft.

With a muffled impact, the giant palm viciously struck Xiao Yan's heart.

Afterward, an irresistible force erupted from the palm, shattering Xiao Yan's internal organs into a mass of bloody pulp.

In the blink of an eye, Xiao Yan's head had exploded and his heart had shattered.

He was dead.

With a bang.

The headless corpse collapsed limply to the ground, blood spreading everywhere.

Lu Li frowned slightly as he withdrew his bloodied hand.

A faint feeling of nausea rose in his heart.

But there was no guilt.

If he had not been cautious, he would have been the one lying dead on the ground.

Inside the Glazed Bottle he had crushed in the cave residence just now was a poisonous herb he had discovered in Ten Thousand Ghost Cave.

It was called Ice Spirit Ghost Grass.

When sealed within an airtight space, this Ice Spirit Ghost Grass would quickly rot and turn into colorless, odorless poisonous gas.

After inhaling this poison gas, the dharma power throughout one's body would gradually freeze and congeal, its circulation becoming slow and sluggish.

The effect was quite good.

However, it took a little too long to take effect.

Anyone with slightly higher cultivation could detect it instantly.

But Xiao Yan was only at the fifth level of Qi Refinement and could not notice it at all.

He never could have imagined that Lu Li would strike first, directly releasing poison inside the cave residence.

Of course, Lu Li had released the poison in advance merely to be safe.

If Xiao Yan had not made a move to harm him, he would not have dealt a killing blow.

Ding.

A system notification rang out in his mind:

"Your White Bone Heart-Destroying Palm is extraordinarily excited because you killed a cultivator for the first time. Cultivation efficiency increased by 300%!"

"Progress increased by 10%!"

As the voice faded.

A tremendous rumble sounded.

Behind Lu Li, the Black Stone Gate slowly opened once more.

Ghost Demon True Person still sat upon that White Bone Throne, undisguised admiration shining from his blood-red eyes.

That feeling... was just like Ximen Qing catching sight of Pan Jinlian.