Captured by Misfortune

Xu Yan moved with incredible speed, hunching slightly as he darted out of the ruined temple like a hunting leopard!

At that moment, his heart leaped into his throat.

The old monster probably kept me alive all this time for this very day...

The thought flashed through Xu Yan's mind as he burst out of the ruined temple.

"Whoooo..."

Outside the ruined temple, rain poured down in torrents. A fierce gust swept past with a terrifying howl, like the wailing of ghosts.

"Heh heh heh..."

Golden Light Daoist let out a sinister laugh. The gale swept into the ruined temple, lifting his white hair. Coupled with his ashen face, it made him look like a vengeful ghost, sending a prickling chill across Xu Yan's scalp.

"Good boy, do you really think you can escape?"

Golden Light Daoist watched Xu Yan dart outside the ruined temple, disdain spilling from his eyes.

He had cultivated for nearly a hundred years and had now reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining. Though he was hardly an expert in the Cultivation World, he was still far beyond any ordinary mortal.

Although Xu Yan had practiced the cultivation method on the hide scroll, he had only just achieved Qi Introduction and had not even reached the first level of Qi Refining. When Xu Yan had helped support him earlier, he had thoroughly examined Xu Yan's entire body and confirmed that there was not a trace of magic power within him.

Golden Light Daoist's words fell upon Xu Yan's ears like a writ demanding his death. He did not dare look back.

Old monster!

After cursing inwardly, Xu Yan threw every ounce of his strength into charging forward.

Watching Xu Yan's actions, Golden Light Daoist's eyes filled with mockery. To him, Xu Yan was already prey in his bag.

"Heh heh... Good boy, you've followed your patriarch for three years, yet you've never seen an immortal's methods, have you? Today, I'll give you a demonstration."

Golden Light Daoist gave a strange laugh, then fished a yellowed piece of Talisman Paper out of nowhere with his withered fingers.

The Talisman Paper seemed to have existed for quite some time, its four corners already somewhat tattered. Several red lines were drawn across the middle of the yellowed Talisman Paper, looking exceedingly crude.

With a flick of Golden Light Daoist's withered hand, the Talisman Paper flew into the air.

Golden Light Daoist blew sharply at the Talisman Paper and shouted, "Go!"

Bzzzt!

The instant Golden Light Daoist's voice fell, the Talisman Paper suspended in midair gave off a faint glow. The red lines at its center writhed, transforming into an ocher vine as thick as an arm.

Whoosh!

The moment the ocher vine appeared, it shot toward Xu Yan like a nimble snake, moving with incredible speed and whistling through the air.

By then, Xu Yan had fled more than a hundred feet from the ruined temple. Suddenly hearing the whistle behind him, he cried inwardly, This is bad!

Before he could react, something abruptly tightened around his entire body, as though a giant python had coiled around him. Even breathing became difficult.

I'm done for! Xu Yan's heart sank. He felt that he would probably not escape this calamity today. Terror surged over him in an instant, making his entire body tremble.

The ocher vine formed from the Talisman Paper had wrapped Xu Yan from head to toe like a tightly bound rice dumpling. He could not struggle free at all.

"An immortal's methods really are formidable!" Looking down at the vines covering his body, Xu Yan could not help letting out another quiet sigh.

He had been so intent on escaping that he had not noticed how Golden Light Daoist had conjured this vine out of thin air.

"Heh heh heh... Good boy, go on. Keep running!"

Seeing Xu Yan restrained by his Talisman Paper, Golden Light Daoist could not help snickering.

"Old monster! May you die a wretched death!"

Xu Yan shot Golden Light Daoist a hate-filled look and cursed him loudly.

Now that he had been captured and his hopes of escape had been shattered, Xu Yan instead suppressed his fear of Golden Light Daoist and began hurling abuse.

"Heh heh... Curse all you like, good boy. I was going to give you a quick death, but now I've changed my mind. In a moment, I'll squeeze out your blood essence with my own hands, drop by drop, and let you die in agony so unbearable you'll beg for death! Hahaha..."

Golden Light Daoist fixed his cold, sinister gaze on Xu Yan, a depraved smile spreading across his face.

"Cough, cough... Pfft!"

After speaking, Golden Light Daoist spat out another mouthful of black blood, and his aura weakened considerably.

"To think even activating a worthless piece of Talisman Paper would take so much effort!" Golden Light Daoist muttered, his aged face growing much more solemn.

"Come here!"

Golden Light Daoist barked at Xu Yan.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Xu Yan felt a powerful pulling force envelop his body, dragging him uncontrollably toward the ruined temple.

No matter how desperately Xu Yan struggled with all his strength, he could not resist that tremendous force. A few breaths later, he was brought before Golden Light Daoist.

Then Golden Light Daoist reached out with his withered fingers and seized Xu Yan by the neck, carrying him toward the Medicine Cauldron inside the ruined temple as though he were a chick.

"Urgh... Cough, cough..."

With his neck suddenly seized, Xu Yan nearly passed out. His whole face contorted as he struggled for breath.

Thud!

Upon reaching the Medicine Cauldron, Golden Light Daoist slammed Xu Yan heavily onto the ground.

By then, the Medicine Cauldron was churning violently. An intense fragrance filled the entire ruined temple, and streaks of emerald light shone from within the cauldron, looking extraordinarily strange.

At this sight, Golden Light Daoist could not conceal the smile on his aged face.

"Good... Good... My spiritual medicine has finally reached the right stage." With that, he shakily took a white jade porcelain bottle from his chest and tipped a blue-green pill the size of a longan into the cauldron.

Then Golden Light Daoist stared viciously at Xu Yan and took a Golden Cone gleaming with pale golden light from his waist.

This Golden Cone was the magical artifact upon which Golden Light Daoist's reputation rested. As thick as an infant's arm and a foot long, it was covered in intricate patterns and looked quite extraordinary.

After taking out the magical artifact, Golden Light Daoist hoisted Xu Yan up, holding his entire body above the Medicine Cauldron.

"Good boy, don't blame your patriarch for being cruel. Blame yourself for being too weak. In the Cultivation World, the strong have always devoured the weak. Rest assured, I won't forget your contribution. Tsk, tsk... Counting you, I've killed seventy-two boys with my own hands. Alas, I didn't want to, either, but what can I do when your flesh and blood are so useful to me? Heh heh heh...!"

After speaking, Golden Light Daoist was about to end Xu Yan's life with the Golden Cone in his hand and drain all his blood essence. But something seemed to occur to him. His sinister eyes shifted, and he put the Golden Cone away.

Xu Yan was utterly terrified now, an intense fear spreading through his entire body. The vines around him were tightening more and more, and he could no longer speak at all. Otherwise, he would certainly have cursed this old monster at the top of his lungs. Now, he could only fix Golden Light Daoist with a hate-filled stare.

Golden Light Daoist ignored Xu Yan's gaze and continued talking to himself. "You cursed me earlier. Wouldn't killing you in one blow with a magical artifact be letting you off too lightly? Since I promised to squeeze your blood essence out drop by drop, naturally, I can't spare you so easily!"

Golden Light Daoist looked at Xu Yan, madness written across his face.

After speaking, he carefully surveyed his surroundings before resting his gaze on Xu Yan's chest. He wanted a sharp implement that felt right in his hand to draw Xu Yan's blood essence. The fish-gut-sized sword Xu Yan had taken out earlier suited his purpose perfectly.

Golden Light Daoist beckoned, and the green bead Xu Yan had tucked into his robe, along with the Fish Intestine Short Sword, fell into the old monster's hand.

Golden Light Daoist paid no attention to either item. Since they had been taken from a mere mortal, he assumed there could be nothing wondrous about them.

Thus, after a hurried glance, he tossed the green bead at his feet and pinched the Fish Intestine Short Sword between his withered fingers.

"Good boy, offer your last drops of blood essence to your patriarch!"

With a savage laugh from Golden Light Daoist, the Fish Intestine Short Sword held between his fingers immediately pressed against Xu Yan's chest, right over his heart.