A fiery-red phantom appeared above Ou Haochen's head, floating there. It was a white-haired old man with a sharp gaze, staring at Hua Yunfei again and again, yet unable to see through him at all.
Even an early-stage Approaching Dao Realm cultivator could not escape his perception. Why could he see nothing from this young man?
In an instant, he became wary!
This person looked young, but he might be some old monster several thousand years old, with unfathomable cultivation!
He might even be at the late stage of the Approaching Dao Realm!
If that was the case, things were dire!
His current strength was no match for a late-stage Approaching Dao Realm expert of this era!
He roared at Ou Haochen, "Disciple, run! Your master can't beat him!"
Young Hero, Let's Talk This Out
As a former Sage-level expert, the fiery-red figure was absolutely no fool. He was exceedingly shrewd!
Nor was he rigid and old-fashioned!
When faced with someone he could not defeat—even if it was only a gut feeling—he never hesitated to flee for his life!
That had been true in the past, and it was true now!
"Disciple, retreat at once!"
The fiery-red Sage Remnant Soul urged him anxiously. His soul had fused with Ou Haochen's, and unless absolutely necessary, they could not separate!
Yet upon hearing him, Ou Haochen did not move at all. Confused, he said:
"Master, you're a Sage. Can some snot-nosed brat really stump you?"
"Stop putting on an act and make your move already! I can't wait to use the Blood-Drinking Curse to drain his blood!"
Ou Haochen's face was filled with excitement. In his eyes, a Sage was invincible!
Although his master was only a remnant soul and could not possibly be invincible, that was only when facing a Holy Land Master or the ancestor of some sect.
Hua Yunfei looked utterly ordinary, and at most, he was only around a hundred years old. How strong could someone that age be?
"Acting, my ass, you little bastard!"
The Sage Remnant Soul was on the verge of cursing aloud, as frantic as an ant on a hot pan.
When he turned back, he saw Hua Yunfei quietly staring at him, a smile hanging on his lips.
The longer he looked, the greater the terror in his heart.
His instincts could not be wrong!
This man was someone they could not defeat!
"Haochen, this man's true age must be over fifteen hundred years old. He looks young only because he has taken some special medicine. We absolutely cannot be deceived by his appearance!"
"Retreat! Listen to your master!"
The Sage Remnant Soul urged him again, but unfortunately, his soul could only continue existing through Ou Haochen's soul.
Once they separated, he would quickly dissipate.
Otherwise, the moment Ou Haochen had spoken just now, he would have been so furious that he would have run off by himself.
"What? So he's not just a little older than me?"
Ou Haochen was not completely stupid. He immediately understood and secretly cursed himself for being fooled by Hua Yunfei's appearance!
As he spoke, he turned and ran. The Sage Remnant Soul floated behind his head, continuously urging, "Faster, faster! Use your movement technique!"
As he spoke, he raised a hand and sent out a streak of light that entered Ou Haochen's body.
In an instant, Ou Haochen's speed surged, leaving a string of afterimages behind him!
Then, the Sage Remnant Soul turned and cast a baffling Dao art, seeking to conceal their tracks and give them a greater chance of escape.
Because he knew that Ou Haochen's chance of escaping on his own was zero!
A blood-red fog suddenly rose over Qingyang Town, blocking divine sense and reducing visibility to less than ten feet!
Even after doing all that, the Sage Remnant Soul still did not feel safe. He extended two fingers and sent several streaks of light into the corpses scattered throughout Qingyang Town!
At once, those corpses moved. They stood up, roared viciously, their eyes turned white, and they charged toward Hua Yunfei.
"You have disappointed me far too much."
"It was my mistake. I should not have held any hope for you."
"Disperse!"
The One-Word Incantation left his lips, and the surrounding fog and trapping formation instantly scattered. The running zombies also collapsed weakly to the ground.
The Sage Remnant Soul's Dao arts were beneath contempt in his eyes.
Hua Yunfei raised his hand and made a grasping motion. Ou Haochen and the Sage Remnant Soul, who had already fled a hundred miles away, instantly lifted off the ground and flew backward!
The two landed before Hua Yunfei, unable to move!
"Young Hero, let's talk this out!" The Sage Remnant Soul rubbed his hands together and smiled fawningly.
He did not care in the slightest about his status as a Sage.
Survival came first. How much was face worth?
"Senior, I have Low-Grade Saint Talent. Spare me, and I'll acknowledge you as my master!"
"Senior must also want someone with Saint Talent as a disciple, right? How impressive would that sound when spoken aloud!"
Ou Haochen shouted.
He refused to believe that Hua Yunfei would not be tempted by Saint Talent.
Who could resist a disciple with Saint Talent?
"You are the stupidest person I have ever seen, bar none."
"Even the fish I raise are smarter than you!"
Hua Yunfei felt great regret and heartache, but he still killed Ou Haochen without hesitation.
With a flick of his finger, a bloody hole appeared between Ou Haochen's brows. His eyes went vacant as he fell!
"I'm unwilling! Why? This Sage Remnant Soul awakened, and I haven't even done anything yet!"
"What an injustice!"
Once Ou Haochen died, his soul was extinguished. The Sage Remnant Soul had been dwelling within his soul, and now he too would be destroyed.
Unless he could immediately find a new vessel to inhabit, death was inevitable.
Hua Yunfei watched him wail without the slightest ripple in his heart.
Thinking of the Sage Remnant Soul's earlier behavior, an idea suddenly struck him.
This man is a Sage Remnant Soul. His eyes are above his head, yet merely because he sensed that he could not win, he decisively lowered himself and fled, caring nothing for his dignity.
His nature should be extremely cautious!
To become a Sage, he must have cautiously endured his way there as well!
Someone like this... should be quite suitable for the Backer Sect...
A Sage Remnant Soul might one day have a chance to be reborn through another body and become a true Sage!
Having reached that thought, Hua Yunfei made his decision. He extended two fingers and halted the Sage Remnant Soul's ongoing dissolution.
"Se... Senior!" The Sage Remnant Soul had yet to recover from the shock, and he had already begun calling Hua Yunfei senior.
"Don't make me sound old."
Hua Yunfei waved his hand. "I'll give you a chance to live. That depends on whether you know how to cherish it."
"I cherish it! This lowly one will cherish it greatly! No matter what conditions Senior has, as long as I can live, this lowly one will agree to them."
The Sage Remnant Soul demonstrated to perfection that a true man could bend and stretch!
He had to preserve his life first!
Hua Yunfei nodded, then looked at Lin Yang and Mu Qingqing. "You two are now homeless. Are you willing to return to my sect with me?"
"May I ask what sect Senior belongs to..." Mu Qingqing began, but before she could finish, Lin Yang suddenly pressed down on her hand, signaling that he would speak.
Lin Yang said, "Senior, Qingqing and I are willing!"
He made the decision directly. Many seniors had exceedingly strange temperaments. Hua Yunfei had saved them first and was willing to take them in afterward. If they cared too much at this moment about what sect he belonged to, they might offend him!
"Very good."
Hua Yunfei gave Lin Yang an appreciative look. "Since that is the case, the two of you are now disciples of the Backer Sect. With your talents—especially yours, Lin Yang—becoming true disciples will be no problem!"
Lin Yang possessed Dao Grade Talent and the Thunder Battle Physique. Becoming a true disciple was as certain as a nail driven into a board!
As for Mu Qingqing, Hua Yunfei had checked her information. Her talent should rank second only to Lin Yang's in Qingyang Town.
She possessed Mid-Grade Heaven Talent. If all went smoothly, she could also become a Celestial Realm cultivator in the future.
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