A cry of wild delight exploded in Jia Ren's mind like a thunderclap.
Master?
Which master? True Person Corpse Heart?!
Jia Ren's sinister face changed color. A shudder ran through him, and he turned almost instinctively, ready to bow in respect.
A mighty Golden Core cultivator was not someone a mere Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator like him could afford to offend.
But there was no one behind him. Apart from the howling mountain wind, not a soul was in sight!
This is bad!
I've fallen for it!
The thought had barely flashed through Jia Ren's mind when a terrifying sense of danger, enough to send his soul fleeing, locked onto his dantian and head from behind!
The instant Jia Ren turned, Zhao Hao moved!
His innocent expression of relief at surviving disaster vanished without a trace. In its place was a chilling killing intent utterly at odds with his age!
Zhao Hao merely raised a hand and pointed at Jia Ren from afar.
Evil Light Art, perfected!
A black beam condensed to its utmost limit shot forth without a sound, launched later yet arriving first!
At the same time, a streak of dark light flashed from Zhao Hao's sleeve and flew straight at the back of Jia Ren's head!
The tier-two low-grade spiritual weapon, Ghost Bone!
All of it happened in the blink of an eye!
As a veteran demonic cultivator, Jia Ren had battle instincts carved into his bones. The instant he sensed something wrong, he jerked his head aside without thinking and poured all his spiritual energy into his protective robe!
Pfft!
The black beam struck Jia Ren squarely in the abdomen!
The glow of his high-grade magic-tool robe flared. It held for only an instant before the terrifying black light pierced through it, and the remaining force slammed into the back of his dantian.
"Argh!"
Jia Ren let out a shrill scream. His dantian felt as though it had been struck by a hammer, and a mouthful of blood burst from his lips.
But what came next chilled him to the marrow.
The streak of dark light skimmed past his scalp, slicing off his left ear. At the same time, it severed his entire left arm, which he had not managed to pull back, cleanly at the shoulder!
Blood gushed out like a fountain!
"You!"
Jia Ren turned back in utter horror and met a pair of icy eyes devoid of all emotion.
Those were not the eyes of a ten-year-old boy!
Even harder for him to comprehend was the spiritual energy surging from the boy...
The Foundation Establishment Realm!
How is that possible?!
"You're not Zhao Hao! Which old monster took over your body?!"
Jia Ren instantly "understood" everything. All color drained from his face, leaving only boundless fear.
An old monster who could fool a Golden Core True Person, disguise himself as a mortal, and cultivate back to the Foundation Establishment Realm within three months!
The terror of such a being was beyond anything Jia Ren could imagine!
He no longer dared to fight. With his right hand, he swung his tier-one supreme-grade Soul Summoning Banner!
Whooo—!
Hundreds of hideous yin souls let out soundless shrieks and became a black torrent that surged toward Zhao Hao, blotting out the sky!
Faced with this procession of a hundred ghosts, Zhao Hao instinctively took half a step back, his scalp prickling.
As a modern young man who had grown up under the red flag, he had an instinctive fear of ghosts.
But in the next instant, the Foundation Establishment Realm spiritual energy coursing through him swept across his body and drove away the chill.
Spirit Shield Art!
A solid shield of spiritual energy sprang up. The Ghost Bone Dagger rang out with a clear sword cry, becoming black lightning that darted back and forth through the tide of souls.
Like a red-hot iron cutting through butter, its every flash shredded swathes of yin souls into wisps of smoke.
"Running?"
Zhao Hao's lips curved into a cold smile.
From the moment he struck, he had never intended to let Jia Ren go.
Yet just as he was about to send Ghost Bone Sword around the tide of souls in pursuit, a dense surge of blood qi erupted from Jia Ren's position.
Blood Escape Art!
Jia Ren's figure became a cloud of blood mist and vanished in a flash.
Clearly, the thought of an "old monster who had taken over a body" had frightened him so badly that he had even resorted to Blood Escape Art.
"..."
Zhao Hao looked at the empty mountain forest and fell silent for a moment.
He did not give chase.
Blood Escape Art was costly, but it was extremely fast, and Jia Ren could have gone in any direction. Chasing him now would most likely be a waste of effort.
Zhao Hao had already achieved his main goal.
With a thought, Ghost Bone Sword traced a graceful arc through the air, destroyed the last yin soul, and flew back into his hand.
Zhao Hao beckoned, drawing over the severed arm and Blood-Colored Compass Jia Ren had left behind.
He first glanced at the Blood-Colored Compass, disgust flashing in his eyes.
This was the thing that had hung over him like a dog's leash, keeping him constantly on edge.
Then he looked at the severed hand and considered it for a moment.
From his Storage Bag, he took out the Tracking Compass True Person Corpse Heart had given him, which he had since enhanced to tier-one mid-grade.
He activated the Tracking Compass and held it over Jia Ren's bloody severed arm. A wisp of aura was drawn from the arm into the compass.
On its face, a glaring white point of light was fleeing northwest at a terrifying speed.
That direction led to neither the Soul-Severing Plain nor the Extreme Yin Sect.
Clearly, Jia Ren had been scared out of his wits. He dared not go to either place and had fled in another direction entirely.
Zhao Hao even saw the point of light accelerate twice more after racing several dozen miles. Each burst carried it another several dozen miles before it finally stopped in a mountain range and remained motionless.
Three uses of Blood Escape Art in a row!
Zhao Hao silently assessed the damage.
With a heavy blow to his dantian and his left arm severed, Jia Ren was bound to be gravely wounded. But only the dead could keep secrets.
Zhao Hao hesitated no longer and immediately summoned the system panel in his mind.
[Primary item: Tracking Compass (tier-one mid-grade)]
With a thought, he dragged the Blood-Colored Compass he had just acquired straight into the Material Slot.
[Consumed material: Blood-Colored Compass (tier-one mid-grade)] [Enhancement success rate +20%]
Without hesitation, Zhao Hao took a hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones from his Storage Ring and dropped them into the Material Slot.
[Enhancement success rate: 100%]
"Confirm enhancement!"
[Ding! Enhancement successful! Tracking Compass upgraded from tier-one mid-grade to tier-one high-grade!]
As the system notification sounded, the Blood-Colored Compass used as material was erased by an invisible rule. It instantly crumbled to dust and vanished completely.
With that, the threat of an item capable of tracking his lifeblood essence was eliminated.
Zhao Hao breathed a sigh of relief, though he did not relax entirely.
He did not know whether the Extreme Yin Sect—or rather, True Person Corpse Heart—had other ways to track him.
For now, though, he could not worry about that.
He looked into the distance. He absolutely could not remain in the Northern Lands.
His first priority was to find somewhere to make use of what he had gained this time, then flee as far away as possible.
But then he looked down at the Tracking Compass in his hand.
The point of light representing Jia Ren still sat in the same place, unmoving.
"Found somewhere to hide and heal?"
Zhao Hao's expression was unreadable as he spoke.
"Elder Jia, the hunter has become the hunted!"