Chapter 1334: Ghost Corpse (I)

This furious shout was like thunder, shaking the air with a deafening hum. The devil cultivators rushing in from both sides as reinforcements were stunned by the roar. A long staff suffused with red light smashed them on them one after another, carrying dazzling, illusory colors.

Boom!

The two devil cultivators who had followed along were both from the Eastern Sea and could not withstand such force. The one on the left was slightly better off as he managed to bring out a shield shaped dharma artifact in time. When the staff struck it, the yin qi evaporated, the tainted blood qi scattered, and the dharma artifact emitted a shrill, painful hum. The devil cultivator immediately spat out a mouthful of blood and fell like a shooting star.

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The other devil cultivator was even weaker and did not possess a single dharma artifact. Yet he had still followed along to curry favor. When the staff struck him squarely in the chest, a bowl sized hole instantly appeared on his torso.

This devil cultivator had only come to show his face; he had never imagined the opponent would be so ferocious. The red light of the Palace Sun Tiger surged through his internal organs, leaving them throbbing with pain. He could not care about anything else and immediately turned and fled into the distance.

Although the bodies of devil cultivators were not that vital and most parts could be discarded, using just two strikes to injure two Foundation Establishment Realm devil cultivators made Daoist Bai inhale sharply.

This man is actually this ferocious. Yet it is said he excels at both long and short weapons. This is only a long staff. Even the legendary Situ Mo and Li Zhouwei were probably no better than this.

Daoist Bai’s heart was pounding as he watched. The command token in his hand leapt up, immediately enveloping him in black and white light as he rapidly chanted an incantation. At this point, he was only seeking a swift escape.

Fortunately, Ding Weizeng did not continue attacking. He held the long staff in his hand and watched the two devil cultivators flee in panic. He did not give chase but instead stood in front of the master of the Locust Soul Hall.

This sort of trash... was actually chosen by a Purple Mansion Realm Dao lineage.

Ding Weizeng was a skilled combatant. He had only grown more imposing in the years he had spent fighting on the eastern front and exterminating demons in the west. He did not need another sweep of his perception technique to tell him exactly how much weight this man carried. He was entirely beneath his notice.

It was only because Daoist Bai was said to be a successor of the Mifan Dao lineage and owed favors to the Purple Mansion Realm that he was treated with some respect. Otherwise, Ding Weizeng could have smashed this kind of man to death with a single swing. To have such trash come knocking was nothing but humiliation, so his gaze turned icy.

On the other hand, Cui Jueyin, standing to his side, was far more cautious. He was not focused on the man in front of him at all. He was only afraid that Ding Weizeng might act on impulse and cripple Daoist Bai with a single blow, causing trouble and ruining matters in the north. Nine tenths of his attention was fixed on Ding Weizeng, his fingers holding a seal without moving.

Daoist Bai's surge of anger and lingering luck vanished in an instant, and he finally realized the situation before him.

What are Guan Gongxiao and his people even doing?! Such a good opportunity to make the Li Family lose face, yet they did not even know how to stall these people at the river and instead let them through. Utterly useless.

Whether it was the Palace Sun Tiger or the Everbright Platform, taking out either one would be enough to restrain his Locust Shade Ghost. The Everbright Platform also possessed binding and entangling effects, and was already threatening his life.

I need to create some distance first.

The technique in his hand flashed and Daoist Bai vanished from where he stood. He reappeared not far away and was just about to speak when he realized the entire situation was gradually slipping out of control. Things had already turned into a chaotic melee.

The puppet refined from Situ Biao had possessed decent cultivation in life, but it was greatly inferior after being turned into a dharma artifact. Although Geng Metal was not particularly afraid of True Fire, the yin qi on its body had become a weakness. Once it was bound by True Fire, it could not advance an inch. Instead, Li Minggong still had a free hand to block the devil cultivator on the other side.

Chen Yang also drew his sword and stepped forward. He cultivated the well known Jing Dragon King of Jiangnan and had no trouble holding back several enemies. However, Qu Buzhi and An Siwei were weaker and could only barely battle evenly against devil cultivators of similar cultivation.

As for Li Jiangqian, apricot yellow flames wove around him as he wielded the golden hammer and chased after devil cultivators to strike them. Whether he could defeat them or not was beside the point. The people below were not fools. No one dared battle the head of the Li Family, and each avoided him in wide arcs.

Yet Li Jiangqian did not plunge in without caution. Although he appeared reckless, he did not stray far from Cui Jueyin. He carefully surveyed the cultivators before him, as if searching for something.

Soon, he caught sight of a young man among the devil cultivators. The young man was dressed in black and had only just reached the Foundation Establishment Realm. Yet the dharma light around him did not appear dim. He stood quietly among the cultivators and did not make a move.

These devil cultivators had all achieved their cultivation in the Eastern Sea. They were all advanced in age and had relied on a reckless surge of blood qi to luckily reach the Foundation Establishment Realm. They practiced a mishmash of techniques, and none of them looked particularly presentable. Thus, the sudden appearance of a handsome and youthful figure was impossible to overlook amid this bunch of crooked melons and misshapen dates all around.

He did not make contact. When he saw the devil cultivator standing there with a sword at his side, he quickly withdrew, silently taking note and growing alert in his heart,

The forces beneath the Locust Soul Hall are not simple either. It is not suitable to get entangled further.

Li Jiangqian was still subtly probing as Daoist Bai used a spell to barely extract himself. After glancing at the situation, his face turned livid with anger. Although the Locust Soul Hall had far more cultivators, their quality was abysmal. None of them had any loyalty to speak of, as they crowded together and slacked off. For a moment, there were hardly any who could descend to conduct a search, making Daoist Bai feel colder and colder inside.

Moreover, Ding Weizeng and Cui Jueyin charging in would be like tigers entering a flock of sheep...

But when he thought of the Gui Dusk Profound Token in his possession, Daoist Bai no longer feared for his life unless a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator appeared in person. The fear in his heart eased slightly. After being cursed at by Ding Weizeng, he could not save face, and the dharma light surging with yin purging karmic force had scorched his face with a burning pain.

He could only turn to look at Cui Jueyin and smile as he said, "So it was to exchange pointers. We already traded a move or two just now. Your family's Fairy Minggong truly keeps her depth hidden. To think her spell arts have already reached such a level."

Ding Weizeng barely kept his face neutral, yet his large hands were gripping the staff as if he might smash it down on Daoist Bai's head at any moment.

Seeing Li Jiangqian's glance, Cui Jueyin clasped his hands and replied, "The Wilderness is a land my family has sheltered for generations. It is not suitable for searching. Your hall should seek another method. If our two sides were to clash, I fear it would only benefit those with ulterior motives."

Daoist Bai exclaimed, "Exactly so!"

Cui Jueyin had given him an out. After those two strikes from Ding Weizeng, Daoist Bai became even more compliant. He nodded repeatedly, his gaze sweeping the ground unwillingly, and returned without a word.

The devil cultivators below were even more adept at following the wind. After charging about for so long without anyone descending, when it came time to flee, each ran faster than the last, retreating along with Daoist Bai.

After only a few steps, they ran into people from the Grace Covenant Gate. Daoist Bai was so embarrassed he could not lift his head and hurried past, only to see a streak of escaping light fly rapidly over from the opposite bank. It was a disciple dressed in black.

The man's face was covered in blood and he looked utterly miserable. When he reached them, he cried out in anguish, "Hall master! Esteemed lords! Baiku Prefecture... The storehouses of Baiku Prefecture... were secretly breached and entered. All the many treasures and dharma artifacts accumulated over these years have been taken!

"The expert moved in a strange manner and possessed terrifying strength. With all the lords away, this subordinate could not stop him!"

Daoist Bai felt as if he had been struck by lightning and shouted in disbelief, "What?!"

The Baiku Prefecture region was rich in spirit ores, and the esteemed families of Hidden East had settled nearby. It was an extremely important location. Nearly all the spirit resources and dharma artifacts accumulated over the years had been stored there, and even Black Rat, one of the Eight Great Dharma Protectors, had been stationed to guard it.

Such an incident left Daoist Bai both shocked and furious as he demanded, "Where is Black Rat?! Where did that bastard die off to?!"

The man in black shook his head and said sorrowfully, "My lord, Black Rat Dharma Protector was the first to notice and pursued together with Baiku Prefecture Prefect Wang Bakong. Unexpectedly, although that person was only at the Qi Cultivation Realm, his escaping light was extremely fast, and he managed to get away."

Daoist Bai had just lost a great deal of face; now, he had also lost treasures he deemed extremely important. His mood was already at its lowest. He was so furious that darkness was flickering in his vision

He cursed, "Useless trash! Two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators! One at early Foundation Establishment Realm and one at mid Foundation Establishment Realm, yet you let a mere Qi Cultivation Realm escape. Do you know which one it was?!"

The man immediately trembled at his rage as he answered, "It was a rogue cultivator from Baiku Prefecture. He had beaten up a young master of the Wang Family not long ago and was rescued by the desert rogue cultivator Bai Yinzi. No one expected the two of them to hit it off and actually come back to steal the goods..."

When he heard that it was only two rogue cultivators, Daoist Bai instantly flew into a rage and shouted harshly, "Investigate! Come back with me. Even if we have to turn the entire White River Stream upside down, you will find the whereabouts of these two for me."

The Gui Dusk Profound Token at his waist immediately emitted soft, illusory colors that did not dim in the torrential rain, making those who looked at it feel as if they would sink into it, unable to look away.

Daoist Bai turned his head to find that the cultivators around him all wore respectful expressions, their eyes burning with fervor as each one appeared more eager than the last. Yet, seeing this scene, Daoist Bai thought again of what he had just suffered from the Li Family. His chest felt stifled as anger surged uncontrollably within him.

"When we attacked the Golden Tang Gate and could loot the mines, every one of you charged faster than the next, eager to strip Situ Biao of everything, fighting among yourselves until nothing could even be recovered. Now that we are in the Wilderness, you all stand around like wooden chickens, slow to act, practically kneeling like grandsons before the Li Family!

"Now, hearing that a Qi Cultivation Realm cultivator seized the treasures and supplies of an entire prefecture, your eyes light up. You clearly want to claim it all for yourselves!"

These devil cultivators were nothing more than a rabble. If there were benefits to be had, they would charge and fight, but without any benefits, they would do nothing at all. Each only wanted to be a local tyrant in whatever territory they were given. The so-called Eight Great Dharma Protectors were not the strongest either, merely those closest to him...

At this moment, Daoist Bai finally stopped being stingy and said coldly, "Those who fought alongside me just now will return to the hall with me later. You will not be lacking in rewards!"

Those three were instantly overjoyed. The other devil cultivators, smiling on the surface but resentful inside, seemed to have heard something extremely important. Some clutched their arms while others hugged their legs, all claiming injuries as they cried out dramatically.

There were even a few who stood calmly within the crowd. Though they said nothing, their eyes quietly swept over the Gui Dusk Profound Token at Daoist Bai's waist, revealing expressions of both greed and apprehension.

What exactly did that person take to make him mobilize so many forces, even at the cost of offending Moongaze Lake, disregarding even Purple Mansion Realm powers, and insisting on searching another's territory?