Ambush

This move was still effective, bringing back the young man's soul. Yu Ci chuckled, "Wait here and hide well. If you're discovered, just jump down with all your might. With that robe, it's not easy to die from a fall."

Ye Tu's heart settled a little, and he remembered Yu Ci. "What about you, Uncle?"

"Me? I'm going to see if I can directly lop off that damned bald guy's head!"

Ye Tu was startled. Yu Ci no longer paid him any mind. His body contracted and sprang, like an agile mountain monkey, he leaped onto the cliff face to the side of the slope. With a few ascents and descents, he completely vanished into the mist.

Yu Ci wasn't acting crazily, nor was he being impulsive. He had simply spotted a sliver of a chance to win, a chance so obvious it was enough to tempt him into taking a risk.

It was because he now possessed the Zhaoshen Map.

Opening the Zhaoshen Map again, it was evident that the opponent's progress hadn't been satisfactory during this period. The Sky Rift Valley was filled with mist, greatly limiting visibility. Even if Spirit Cultivators relied on their spirit and soul senses, reducing their dependence on sight, there was still a limit.

Especially since the cliffs were as smooth as mirrors, with many places offering no foothold. Coupled with the highly aggressive raptors and fierce beasts, it was truly a perilous journey every step of the way. Unless one possessed a flying magical artifact, or a treasure like the Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror that Yu Ci had, it would take countless attempts and explorations to venture deep within. Taking detours was the most normal thing.

Yu Ci lay prostrate on the cliff face. About three zhang to his right was the only path the three of them had to pass through the slope – this was the information from the Zhaoshen Map, and it was absolutely accurate.

Yu Ci's current position was originally an extremely steep cliff face with no place to stand. But he quickly dug out a hollow with the jade medicine hoe in his hand. Thanks to the Treasure Boy and Young Master Ye, the medicine hoe cut through stone like mud. When infused with true qi, it was even more formidable. Debris clattered down, concealed by the constant clamor of the Sky Rift Valley.

Only a nearby ghost-faced monkey, drawn by the sound, curiously poked its head out. Yu Ci's hand moved like lightning, grabbing its throat. Before it could struggle, he struck it again with the medicine hoe, knocking it unconscious.

Holding the unconscious ghost-faced monkey, he pondered for a moment and began drawing talismans. This took some time, but the progress of the three people above was even slower, so Yu Ci calmly finished drawing three talismans and sealed them within the Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror.

Then, he concealed the Zhaoshen Map, lest the green light attract the attention of the three above. At this point, even without the Zhaoshen Map, he could smell an aura amidst the strong winds and clouds, an aura that was out of place in the Sky Rift Valley – it was the mixed body odor of the Poisonous Snake Monk and his companions.

He chose to position himself downwind, which effectively masked his scent. It was precisely because Yu Ci possessed an unusually keen sense of smell that he paid special attention to similar abilities. Every time he ambushed, he carefully restrained his entire aura, and his skill in stealth and concealment grew daily, becoming quite remarkable.

The distance between them gradually closed, and the headwind carried the voices of the three people from above. The Poisonous Snake Monk and his group had been cautious in the Sky Rift Valley, but they had never expected that in such a deep, three-thousand-zhang abyss, someone would have anticipated their movements and laid an ambush. Thus, amidst the howling wind, they raised their voices, as if afraid others couldn't hear:

"Xu Lao Er, how much longer is yours? Don't let it burn out before you reach the destination."

The speaker's language was crude, his tone jovial and carefree. His voice matched his demeanor, and Yu Ci immediately thought of that boy-faced Taoist.

The one who replied was likely the bald middle-aged man leading them, his voice slightly hoarse: "Plenty of time. This 'Finger Smoke Path' is a secret art of our Wanling Sect. With ghost beast fur, tracking for a thousand li is common. Now, what matters is whether the information you two have is accurate..."

"The information jointly investigated by the Abbot and Mr. Mingyue is naturally trustworthy."

The familiar voice of the Poisonous Snake Monk rang out. When his emotions were stable, his slow, deliberate tone truly sounded like a venomous, cold snake hissing, "The key isn't us, it's on your end, Xu Lao Er. If you also get blinded by the ghost beasts, don't blame Lu Quan and me for not being friendly."

"Do you think I'm like that dead ghost, thinking I'm invincible just because I stole a Shexing Disc? That disc couldn't even deal with Jin Huan, let alone the ghost beasts below!" Xu Lao Er gave a cold laugh. "Or perhaps, it's my fault for defying the Sect Leader's orders and secretly coming down to the valley with you?"

The Poisonous Snake Monk sneered, "Don't blame us for being meddlesome, but the truth is, the temptation of ghost beast spirits and souls is too great for your Wanling Sect. Hu Ke is a prime example."

The Taoist Lu Quan coughed, laughing heartily as he interrupted the Poisonous Snake Monk's direct provocation: "We sought you out, Xu Lao Er, because both Mingyue and I trust you... What we need now is patience. Finding the ghost beast is just the beginning. We still need to find a way to lure it away and locate the treasure site before we can think about what comes next!"

"What comes next might not be certain. That junior from Bai Ri Mansion you mentioned, young as he is, has already achieved spirit transformation and reached Spirit 통. He should be quite famous in Juebi City, yet we've never heard of him before. Could it be Jin Huan..."

Lu Quan's tone was dismissive: "Your Wanling Sect is so afraid of being oppressed by Bai Ri Mansion that you attribute everything to them! How sudden was Hu Ke's theft of the Shexing Disc? If Mingyue and I hadn't happened to be there, and then met you, we wouldn't have known. No matter how powerful Jin Huan is, he's only at the peak of Core Formation, not an immortal who can foresee the future!"

The voices of the three grew clearer, revealing quite a bit of information. Yu Ci learned that Jin Huan, mentioned multiple times by the group, was the Mansion Lord of Bai Ri Mansion, arguably the most influential figure in Juebi City. At the same time, he sneered inwardly.

He didn't know the deeper reasons, but he was certain the Taoist was lying.

What "happened to be there"? When that bald thief Zhengde attacked, he hadn't even seen what the Shexing Disc looked like before the monk called it out. If they didn't know about it beforehand, who would believe that?

The monk and the Taoist had issues, and Xu Lao Er was no good either. For the sake of a "treasure" that had vanished, he colluded with outsiders and defied orders to descend into the valley. Such a fool, blinded by greed, deserved to die!

At this moment, Xu Lao Er cursed under his breath, "Damn it, no path again..."

Yu Ci narrowed his eyes. As Xu Lao Er spoke those words, the three of them had arrived directly above him. However, to go further down, the only path nearby with a foothold was the one to Yu Ci's right. The temporary hollow Yu Ci had dug was deep enough for concealment, and the strong wind blew from the right, so there was no risk of his aura being exposed.

Concurrently, he did his best to suppress his spirit and soul fluctuations. This was his first time doing such a thing, but judging by the actual effect, it was quite good. At least, the three above hadn't detected anything.

The three spent some time finding the correct path and then carefully slid down. What was called a path was actually just one or two protrusions on the cliff face that allowed them to use leverage to buffer and slow their descent, preventing them from sliding all the way down. Of course, this was also a safe zone where fierce birds and beasts were unlikely to inhabit.

The first to slide down was Xu Lao Er. He descended with the wind, passing three zhang away from Yu Ci. Yu Ci narrowed his eyes, vaguely seeing wisps of smoke rising from his fingertips. The man didn't even glance his way. After he confirmed that there was still a path downwards, the Poisonous Snake Monk and Lu Quan also slid down.

At this very moment, a dark shadow flew up from the cliff face to the side, lunging towards Lu Quan on this side.

The incident happened suddenly, but the boy-faced Taoist reacted with lightning speed. Without any preamble, countless silk-like sword energies shot through the air with piercing sounds. The dark shadow seemed to be hit by a heavy hammer, recoiling violently and emitting a piercing shriek. Then, thousands of blood lines sprayed from its body, and its cries abruptly ceased.

The mangled corpse fell down. All three above and below could see clearly that it was a ghost-faced monkey.

The Poisonous Snake Monk, while sliding, turned his head and exclaimed, "What excellent Raised Eyebrow Sword! Brother Lu's One Will Thousand Threads has truly mastered Mr. Mingyue's... Careful!"

Before the word "mastered" could be uttered, the monk's expression changed drastically, and he issued a warning.

A pure green sword blade silently emerged from the mist. The timing was perfect, precisely when Lu Quan's torrential sword momentum had subsided and he was inevitably recovering his qi. It was also when his body had slid into this area, in the worst possible environment with nothing but the smooth cliff face behind him and no place to gain leverage.

Every hair on Lu Quan's body stood on end. As he slid down at high speed, the sword blade shimmering with green light in the mist also twisted slightly, but its chilling aura was directed straight at his vulnerable neck. What was most infuriating was that it exerted no force; his own sliding body was simply forcing itself onto it!

He let out a strange cry and finally managed to muster a bit of strength at this critical moment, on the verge of life and death. He forcefully pushed off the cliff face with his back, lunging sideways and forward. Although this direction might lead to a fall into the abyss, it was the best judgment to evade the sword light.

His exertion was timely, but his neck still felt a chill, followed by a wet sensation. He had clearly been wounded. Lu Quan couldn't bother to dwell on it. His body was already airborne, temporarily out of the sword's threat. Meanwhile, the Poisonous Snake Monk below had found a foothold and was pushing himself upwards.

At this very moment, a buzzing sound erupted from the side. The Poisonous Snake Monk and Xu Lao Er shouted in unison, but they were still a step too late.

Lu Quan shrieked, using a secret technique to activate his remaining vital energy, forcefully unleashing the swift and decisive "Raised Eyebrow Sword." The formless yet tangible sword energy was about to protect his entire body, but it was still a step too slow. His back was struck, and the sharp, chilling energy penetrated deep within. He let out a pained groan, and the sword energy he was about to unleash was forcibly blocked, causing his meridians to become chaotic. He spat out a mouthful of blood that he could no longer hold back.

"Catch!" Xu Lao Er's reaction was quite fast. A black rope flew out from his sleeve, heading towards Lu Quan's falling direction, intending to pull him back. However, in the mist, Lu Quan turned his head to stare at the rope, his body completely still. Upon closer inspection, his eyes were filled with the aura of death!

"Seven Stars Illuminate Destiny, turn!"

The incantation pierced through the clouds and mist, resounding in the ears of the three. Xu Lao Er's heart trembled as he saw blood gushing from all seven orifices of Lu Quan. The uncontrolled sword energy burst out of his body, shredding him into a thousand pieces, just like the ghost-faced monkey before.

"It's not a sword, it's a talisman!" the Poisonous Snake Monk exclaimed as he charged back up, seeing much more clearly than Xu Lao Er. The moment he saw the green sword blade fly off unnaturally, he cursed, knowing Lu Quan was utterly finished.

This move of transforming a sword into a talisman was sudden and, combined with the series of preceding changes, any one of the three would likely have been unable to escape this calamity. Everything stemmed from their flawed thinking: how could anyone be in such a deep, three-thousand-zhang area below twenty li in the Sky Rift Valley, and how could they so accurately track their movements and ambush them, striking with such ferocity?

More importantly, who exactly was this person?

The next moment, a dazzling burst of flame provided him with the answer!

Yu Ci leaped out from the clouds and mist. After unleashing the Seven Star Sword Talisman, he had switched to the Nine Yang Talisman Sword, its distinctive swirling flames now visible. The Poisonous Snake Monk's gaze swept past the flames of the talisman sword, and his face immediately contorted completely: "A junior from Bai Ri Mansion!"

With a hiss, his sleeves billowed, unleashing an axe-like surge of energy. Following that, several points of emerald light flickered, and his usual tactics were all brought into play.

Yu Ci's face was like cast iron, unmoving. He stood on the nearly vertical cliff face, meeting the oncoming axe-like energy and the dim emerald light without the slightest reduction in speed. He plunged downwards, the Nine Yang Talisman Sword leveraging his momentum. The blade cut through the air, thrusting forward.