Elder Jia, the tables have turned!

Elder Jia, the shape of attack and defense has reversed! A cry of wild joy exploded in Jia Ren's mind like a thunderclap.

Master?

Which master? True Person Corpse Heart?!

Jia Ren's sinister face changed color in an instant. A shiver ran through his whole body, and almost by instinct, he turned around, about to assume a respectful posture.

A mighty Golden Core expert was not someone a mere Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator like him could offend.

However, behind him was nothing at all. Aside from the howling mountain wind, where was even half a human shadow?

Not good!

He had fallen for it!

The thought had only just flashed through Jia Ren's mind when a terrifying sense of crisis that made his soul leap from his body locked onto his dantian and skull from behind!

The instant he turned his head, Zhao Hao moved!

That earlier expression of innocent delight and survival after calamity vanished without a trace, replaced by a chilling killing intent completely at odds with his age!

He merely raised his hand and pointed at Jia Ren from afar.

Perfected-level Evil Light Art!

A black beam condensed to the utmost shot out soundlessly, arriving first despite being launched later!

At the same time, a streak of dark light shot like lightning from Zhao Hao's sleeve, aiming straight for the back of Jia Ren's head!

Second-tier low-grade spiritual artifact, Ghost Bone!

All of this happened in the time it took for sparks to fly from flint!

As an old-school demonic cultivator, Jia Ren's battle instincts had long since been carved into his bones. The instant he sensed something was wrong, he did not even think; he abruptly tilted his head aside while pouring all the spiritual power in his body into his protective robe!

Pfft!

The black beam struck Jia Ren's abdomen with perfect accuracy!

The high-grade magic artifact robe on his body flashed wildly with spiritual light, yet it only held for an instant before being pierced through by that terrifying black ray. The remaining force slammed viciously into the area behind his dantian.

"Guh-aaah!"

Jia Ren let out a shrill scream. His dantian felt as if it had suffered a heavy blow, and he sprayed out a mouthful of rebelling blood.

However, what made his heart and gallbladder split apart was still to come.

That streak of dark light skimmed past his scalp, slicing off his left ear, and at the same time, it severed his entire left arm—which he had not had time to withdraw—cleanly from the shoulder!

Fresh blood gushed out like a fountain!

"You!"

Jia Ren turned back in utter horror, and what he saw was a pair of eyes icy to the bone, containing not the slightest emotion.

That was simply not the gaze a ten-year-old boy should have!

What made him even more unable to understand was the fluctuation of spiritual power erupting from this brat's body...

Foundation Establishment Realm!

How was this possible?!

"You're not Zhao Hao! Which old monster possessed your body?!"

Jia Ren instantly "figured out" everything. All color drained from his face, leaving only boundless terror.

An old monster who had possessed a body, who could deceive a Golden Core True Person, disguise himself as a mortal, and still recultivate to the Foundation Establishment Realm within three months!

The horror of such an existence had already exceeded his imagination!

How could he dare have even the slightest thought of fighting? With his right hand, he swung that first-tier top-grade Soul Summoning Banner fiercely!

Wuuu—!

Hundreds of vicious-looking yin souls let out silent shrieks, transforming into a black torrent that blotted out the sky and covered the earth as it pounced toward Zhao Hao!

Facing such a scene of a hundred ghosts walking the night, Zhao Hao instinctively retreated half a step, his scalp tingling.

As a modern youth raised under the red flag, he had a natural fear of things like ghosts and spirits.

But in the next moment, the surging spiritual power of the Foundation Establishment Realm within him coursed through his entire body, instantly dispelling that chill.

Spirit Shield Art!

A solid layer of spiritual power shield instantly expanded. The Ghost Bone short sword let out a clear, ringing sword cry, transformed into a bolt of black lightning, and shuttled back and forth through the tide of souls.

Like a red-hot branding iron cutting into butter, with every flash, great swathes of yin souls were shredded by the sword light and turned into blue smoke.

"Running?"

The corner of Zhao Hao's mouth curved into an icy arc.

From the moment he had started, he had never intended to let Jia Ren go.

However, just as he was about to drive the Ghost Bone Sword to bypass the soul tide and give chase, a dense fluctuation of blood energy erupted violently from Jia Ren's position.

Blood Escape Art!

Jia Ren's figure instantly turned into a cloud of blood mist. In a flash, he vanished from where he stood.

Clearly, the thought of "an old monster who had seized a body" had frightened him so badly that he had even used something like the Blood Escape Art.

"..."

Zhao Hao looked at the empty mountain forest and fell silent for a moment.

He did not chase after him.

The Blood Escape Art consumed a great deal, but it was extremely fast, and its direction was uncertain. Chasing now would most likely be a waste of effort.

His main objective had already been achieved.

With a thought, the Ghost Bone Sword traced a graceful arc through the air, cutting down the last yin soul, then flew back into his hand.

Zhao Hao beckoned, drawing over Jia Ren's severed arm and the Blood-Colored Compass he had left behind.

He first glanced at the Blood-Colored Compass, a trace of disgust flashing through his eyes.

It was this thing, like a dog chain, that had kept him feeling as if thorns were pricking his back.

Then he turned his gaze to the severed hand and thought for a moment.

After that, he took from his storage pouch the Tracking Compass that True Person Corpse Heart had given him back then, the one he had already strengthened to first-rank mid-grade.

He activated the Tracking Compass and shone it at Jia Ren's bloody severed arm. Immediately, a wisp of aura from the severed hand was absorbed into the Tracking Compass.

On the surface of the Tracking Compass, a glaring white dot was fleeing madly toward the northwest at a terrifying speed.

That direction was neither the Soul-Severing Plain nor the Extreme Yin Sect.

Clearly, Jia Ren had truly been scared out of his wits. He did not dare go to either side, and had simply chosen a different direction to flee.

Zhao Hao even saw that after the light dot had sprinted dozens of li, it accelerated twice in succession, shifting dozens of li each time, before finally stopping in a mountain range, completely motionless.

Three consecutive uses of the Blood Escape Art!

Zhao Hao silently made an estimate.

His dantian had been struck heavily, and his left hand had been cut off. Heavy injury was inevitable, but only the dead could keep secrets.

Zhao Hao hesitated no longer and immediately summoned the system panel in his mind.

[Main Item: Tracking Compass (First-Rank Mid-Grade)]

With a thought, he dragged the Blood-Colored Compass he had just obtained straight into the material slot.

[Consumed Material: Blood-Colored Compass (First-Rank Mid-Grade)]

[Enhancement Success Rate +20%]

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhao Hao drew one hundred low-grade spirit stones from his storage ring and threw them into the material slot.

[Enhancement Success Rate: 100%]

"Confirm enhancement!"

[Ding! Enhancement successful! Tracking Compass (First-Rank Mid-Grade) has been upgraded to (First-Rank High-Grade)!]

As the system prompt rang out, the Blood-Colored Compass used as material was erased by an invisible rule and instantly turned into powder, disappearing completely.

At this point, this hidden danger capable of tracking his lifeblood essence had been thoroughly rooted out.

Zhao Hao let out a breath of relief, but his heart did not fully relax.

He did not know whether the Extreme Yin Sect—or rather, True Person Corpse Heart—had any other means of tracking him.

But right now, he could no longer worry about that much.

He raised his head and looked into the distance. The Northern Lands were absolutely no longer a place he could stay.

The most urgent matter was to find a place, digest the gains from this time, and then flee far away as soon as possible.

But at this moment, he lowered his head and looked at the Tracking Compass in his hand.

On the compass surface, the light dot representing Jia Ren was still stopped in its original place, not moving at all.

"Found a place to hide and heal your wounds?"

Zhao Hao's expression was unreadable as he spoke.

"Elder Jia, the shape of attack and defense has changed!"