Skillful and Unhurried

On the water, as Luo Hongyan gazed beneath the surface through Ning Yao's eyes at the Dark Giant Python, the creature lurking below stared coldly back at her, using the shell of the Black-White King Python and its pitch-black serpentine pupils.

She knew that the Black-White King Python held a hidden mystery within, and the Dark Giant Python knew that she, in her soul form, had usurped Ning Yao's body.

Having refined all the Spirit Sha, the Dark Giant Python secretly coveted her as a more powerful spirit entity, yet it also knew she was no ordinary being and dared not easily breach the surface of the pool.

Like the beast, Luo Hongyan—aware that the Dark Giant Python was lurking in the shadows—grew increasingly hesitant to rashly attempt the fusion with the Phoenix Marrow.

Both sides remained locked in an extremely delicate stalemate.

At this moment, Pang Jian, having slain Jin Yang, pressed the verdant, dripping lotus leaf against his own heart, feeling a refreshing coolness seep into his skin.

Jin Yang regarded this item as a treasure, hoping to use it to protect his heart so he could scheme for that cluster of Phoenix Marrow.

Muttering to himself, Pang Jian swam toward the snake, which kept its distance from the Phoenix Bone, and mounted it quite naturally.

Following the snake's upward gaze, he noticed "Ning Yao" on the water's surface.

Through the now-clear water, he looked at the Ning Family miss, her figure delicate and her clothes soaked through, and snorted in his heart.

When he had been busy hunting down Jin Yang, Ning Yao—who had been released by that leader—had seized the chance to escape. Yet, instead of leaving immediately, she had dared to remain on the Phoenix Bone, looking around; she clearly didn't know how to write the word "death."

Having no fondness for the Ning Family miss, Pang Jian quickly withdrew his gaze and began to search for the Phoenix Marrow.

He immediately spotted it; the Phoenix Marrow, which Jin Yang had viewed as a rare treasure, was bobbing up and down within the Phoenix Bone, closer to the surface.

The Phoenix Marrow seemed to possess a conscious spirit, posturing as if it wanted to charge out of the bone, yet it appeared hesitant, as if wary of something.

Is it worried about Ning Yao? Does it want to enter her body, or is it considering another target?

Pang Jian pondered, once again issuing a command to the snake beneath him, urging it to carry him closer to the Phoenix Marrow.

The snake remained motionless.

While its gaze had shifted away from "Ning Yao," the depths of its obsidian-like pupils were filled with terror and unease.

—It was terrified of the Phoenix Marrow.

It seems I must go myself.

As he thought this, Pang Jian noticed the sound of water being churned from below.

Looking down, he saw the face of the Dark Ghost leader, Xu Rui, flushed red as he abandoned his silver net and struggled desperately to swim toward the surface.

Hong Tai and the masked man in gold were surrounding the strange entity bound by the giant net, buying time for him.

After such a long period of exertion, this Pulse-Opening Realm cultivator from the Dark Ghost had clearly reached his limit; if he did not surface for air, he would be suffocated to death.

"Intercept him."

As Pang Jian's mental command rippled out, the snake beneath him suddenly surged into motion.

It seemed that as long as he didn't force it toward the Phoenix Marrow, it was willing to cooperate with any other order.

Pang Jian repeated his previous tactic.

Utilizing the snake's agility, speed, and powerful momentum, he dove from above, thrusting his Dragon-Patterned Spear to strike at Xu Rui.

Exhausted by Ouyang Duanhai, Xu Rui only wanted to catch a breath, which was why he was swimming upward so desperately.

Only when he had surfaced high enough did he see that Jin Yang had been killed, the corpse of the new Dark Ghost favorite sinking slowly into the depths.

Xu Rui immediately knew disaster had struck.

Then, he saw Pang Jian riding the snake, descending upon him with a spear held in both hands.

Xu Rui let out a mournful cry; he performed even worse than Jin Yang, lasting only a few exchanges before Pang Jian pierced his heart with a single strike.

Following Jin Yang, another Pulse-Opening Realm cultivator of the Dark Ghost was slain by Pang Jian using the same method.

While killing Xu Rui, Pang Jian still had the leisure to keep an eye on the Phoenix Marrow, noting that it was still drifting within the bone, not having charged out as he had expected.

On the water, Ning Yao merely crouched on the Phoenix Bone, waiting in silence without any other unusual movements.

Feeling slightly more at ease, Pang Jian saw that he had no more opponents and prepared to abandon his disobedient mount to approach and seize the Phoenix Marrow himself.

However, before he could act, he saw Hong Tai suddenly burst forth from the bottom of the pool.

The cunning and treacherous Hong Tai had seen the falling corpse of Jin Yang and immediately realized that Xu Rui likely wouldn't escape either.

He left the masked leader to temporarily restrain Ouyang Duanhai, who was trapped in the silver net, while he—a Xisui Realm cultivator—swam up alone to see if he could quickly finish off Pang Jian.

Is he trying to fight me to the death?

Pang Jian immediately dismissed the idea of parting ways with the snake.

The "Dark Giant Python" began to swim, obeying Pang Jian's command and ignoring Hong Tai's arrival entirely.

It veered in a different direction, diving from the other side toward the bottom of the pool to hunt the Dark Ghost leader guarding Ouyang Duanhai.

Though Hong Tai's combat power was formidable, his speed underwater was far inferior to Pang Jian's, who was accompanied by the snake.

By the time he finally spotted Pang Jian, he didn't even have time to strike before he saw Pang Jian riding the "Black-White King Python" he had tamed for years, diving straight downward.

"Damn it!"

Having failed to anticipate this, Hong Tai cursed in his heart and hurriedly turned back to save his subordinate.

It was too late, unfortunately.

By the time Hong Tai saw the Silver Silk Giant Net, he also saw the masked man who had been left behind to guard it. Pang Jian, riding the serpent, had utilized the momentum of a high-speed dive to drive his spear through the man's mask and into the depths of the pool.

As the mask shattered, a face covered in a crisscross of scars was revealed.

When Hong Tai saw that face, he also saw the tip of the Dragon-Patterned Spear piercing the man's left eye, pinning him dead to the ground.

—Just as the Phoenix Bone had pinned and killed the Dark Giant Python.

So, it was because his face was covered in scars and he knew he was too ugly that he wore a mask.

Pang Jian thought to himself, then pulled the Dragon-Patterned Spear from the man's eye socket with a forceful tug.

As blood gushed out, Pang Jian noticed the iron chains in the man's hands retracting violently toward the interior of the silver net.

He knew immediately that the Humanoid Monster trapped by the net was about to break free, and he quickly signaled the python beneath him to move away.

Sure enough.

No sooner had he and the python pulled away, and before Hong Tai could even arrive, Ouyang Duanhai broke free from the net and headed straight for the Phoenix Marrow above.

Hong Tai was descending, while Ouyang Duanhai was ascending.

The two sides, having fought for so long, were already at daggers drawn. Seeing Hong Tai so close, Ouyang Duanhai attacked him directly.

"Everything is a mess! It's all a complete mess!"

Hong Tai was filled with fury. At that moment, the corpse of his subordinate, Xu Rui, drifted past him and sank to the bottom of the pool.

Looking at the corpses of Jin Yang, the masked subordinate, and numerous others from the Qi Refining Realm, all scattered across the pool floor, Hong Tai's dark, vicious gaze roamed through the water, locking firmly onto Pang Jian atop the serpent.

Damn it, that was a spirit pet he had raised for years!

"Pang Jian!"

Hong Tai's eyes were practically spitting fire. He roared the name in his heart, ignoring the monstrous Ouyang Duanhai to pursue the serpent-riding Pang Jian.

The priceless skeleton of the Dark Giant Python, the mysterious object within the Phoenix Bone, and even the consequences of Jin Yang's death—all were cast to the back of his mind.

At this moment, all he wanted was to kill Pang Jian and vent the hatred in his heart.

"The old bastard has lost his mind."

Pang Jian, riding the serpent, shook his head slightly as he watched Hong Tai charge toward him, oblivious to everything else.

The fastest python under the water was now obediently following his commands; no matter how powerful Hong Tai was, what could he do if he couldn't catch him?

The disdain on his face and the mockery in his eyes drove Hong Tai even further into a frenzy, causing him to lose his sanity completely.

Hong Tai, who only had a few guesses about the existence of the Phoenix Marrow, no longer cared about Ouyang Duanhai. He focused solely on Pang Jian, determined to pursue him even if he couldn't catch him.

Pang Jian was not nervous. He knew that as long as he didn't leave the Blackwater Pool, he could rely on the python's immense speed advantage.

While dodging Hong Tai's relentless pursuit, he moved unhurriedly toward the surface, watching to see how the Humanoid Monster with the Phoenix Bird Totem on its chest intended to obtain the Phoenix Marrow.

After a stalemate of this sort, the panting Hong Tai began to bubble continuously from his mouth.

However, Pang Jian saw that when the Humanoid Monster truly reached the upper end of the Phoenix Bone, the Phoenix Marrow began to dart away rapidly, as if avoiding the monster's capture.

The Phoenix Marrow seemed anxious, as if it knew that if it were truly obtained by the monster, it would be assimilated.

Gradually, the position of the Phoenix Marrow shifted higher and higher.

At the peak of the Phoenix Bone near the surface, Luo Hongyan, who had been waiting silently, watched the cornered Phoenix Marrow. It seemed to finally notice her, and she felt a mix of surprise and worry.

She was surprised because she had the ability to refine this drop of Phoenix Marrow, which could become the key to recasting her physical body.

She was worried because she would be incredibly weak while refining the marrow, and the python Pang Jian was riding contained the "Dark Giant Python" that could threaten her.

Furthermore, she still could not confirm whether the mysterious figure who had raised the "Dark Giant Python" was at the bottom of the pool.

Damn old bastard! Black snake, if you think we can slaughter him, we won't hide anymore!

Pang Jian, who had been entangled with Hong Tai for a long time, was also approaching the Phoenix Marrow. This thought suddenly occurred to him, and he wanted to see his mount's attitude.

As it turned out, the visitor from the Fifth Realm who had possessed the level-two "Black-White King Python" merely paused for a moment before choosing to continue circling Hong Tai.

"Fine, I'll think of another way."

Pang Jian was not annoyed and immediately dismissed the idea of fighting Hong Tai.

At this moment, the Phoenix Marrow appeared hesitant under Ouyang Duanhai's aggressive pursuit. Above, Luo Hongyan was weighing the pros and cons, while Pang Jian was getting closer and closer to Ouyang Duanhai and the Phoenix Marrow.

Suddenly, the Bronze Pendant on Pang Jian's chest emitted an intense, scorching heat once again!

This incredibly hot temperature instantly enveloped the "Dark Giant Python," allowing it to resist its fear of the Phoenix Marrow.

Driven by a mysterious, alien power, the "Dark Giant Python" suddenly went berserk and charged toward the location of the Phoenix Marrow!

Pang Jian suddenly sensed that within his hand bones and his sternum, countless Phoenix Birds, as small as dust, were stirring restlessly!

Ouyang Duanhai, who was heading for the Phoenix Marrow, suddenly sensed something and snapped his gaze toward Pang Jian. The Phoenix Bird Totem on his chest suddenly turned ferocious.

With a "crack," the totem shattered Ouyang Duanhai's skeleton. The Phoenix Bird extended its head toward Ouyang Duanhai's neck, as if filling his skull.

The Phoenix Bird completed its total transformation, turning Ouyang Duanhai's skin-and-bone frame into a bizarre Phoenix Bird body.

At the same time, Luo Hongyan, standing atop the Phoenix Bone, felt the wondrous aura emanating from within Pang Jian at this very moment.

It was a strange aura almost identical to the one on Ouyang Duanhai, yet the states of their existence were diametrically opposed.

Ouyang Duanhai had been heart-devoured by the Phoenix Marrow, completely controlled and hollowed out by it until he was refined into a Heavenly Phoenix Divine Guard.

Pang Jian, however, had refined a single drop of Phoenix Marrow, using that drop to temper his own skeleton.

"How is this possible?"