The yinyun gradually dispersed, and under the leadership of the Immortal Estate heroes, the Four-Direction Demonic Node was broken one after another.
Only the Southern Alley Market remained uncleared.
At this point, it could basically be declared a grand success for the team building.
All that was left was to finish the storyline and collect the mission rewards.
However, no one knew how things were going on Ao Tian’s side.
The Black Crow Subjugation Battle was so smooth that even Yun Liu’s ability to print money in cultivation was rendered useless~
Lin Shu looked pitiful, her newly bought clothes beaten to rags once again, her two pale, plump thighs exposed—a true professional battle-damage welfare.
Qin Xing and the other two were also wounded, each covered in dust from the Nili Magic Golem’s demonic power.
Yun Liu rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
It wasn’t that hell mode was too easy, but rather that the Clear Mist Peak Senior Sister, being an all-round healer, had broken the game balance.
Ji Shiyu and Xiao Xinran were also far stronger than the script had intended.
The two Qi Luck of Dongji girls, having just entered Foundation Establishment, already had real combat strength on par with upper Foundation Establishment.
Add to that the early-stage tank gifted by Silver Sparrow Terrace’s sign-in, and the Main Character Group squad actually looked quite formidable.
Before long, the magic golem was suppressed by the array, turning into a dull, lifeless stone as its petrified heart quietly fell.
“This time, it should finally be over, right? Nili Magic Golem, so what!”
Xiao Xinran flicked her crimson ponytail, her long hair blazing and her spiritual energy fierce.
“So what!”
Ji Shiyu stuck out her tongue, still a bit in disbelief.
They had actually joined forces to take down a third-realm demon comparable to the peak of Golden Core, and it was a Nili Magic Golem, known for its tenacious vitality, as tough as an Earth Spirit Root Cultivator.
“Don’t copy me!”
Xiao Xinran glared at Ji Shiyu, baring her teeth, while Ji Shiyu shot back with a mocking face.
“Don’t copy me!”
The flame-haired, dazzling girl was fiery and alluring.
One wore a cloak of ashen flames, the other crowned with a wreath of burning flowers—almost like a pair of twins.
Qin Yao and Lin Shu were equally astonished, unable to hold back their laughter.
After painstakingly training her will and mastering the Burning Silence Art to unlock Yan Shen Jiefang, Xiao Xinran was fuming to see the blonde copy it outright.
“Damn it, you never let a single one of my things go, green tea thief!”
“That’s not right. How can the matters of cultivators be called stealing? What evidence do you have that it’s yours?”
Ji Shiyu spread her hands (Flame Princess version), even tossing a mocking flying kiss in pure yellow-haired mischief.
It was as if she was saying: your (luck) is amazing, let me play with it for a while.
“Dung beetle wearing a mask, shameless!”
Xiao Xinran’s sweet lips spat venom as she drew her sword, her insults as creative as ever.
“Wuhu, so mad, cluck cluck cluck.”
The verbal sparring quickly escalated into a scuffle, with the two sword-riding girls chasing each other through the air, their daily “love-hate show” in full swing—yet the original could never quite catch the knockoff, which was infuriating.
Lin Mei was helpless, too late to intervene, thinking to herself that there were still other demonic cultists left to deal with.
Two fire chickens darted wildly through the sky, each showing off in their own way.
This time, it was the female lead’s turn to taste the frustration of being the victim.
“Noisy.”
Yun Liu shook his head and walked toward the heart.
There were more important matters at hand.
He rubbed his hands, ready to collect the boss loot.
Pfft!
Suddenly, a crimson blood hand burst from the corrupted stone heart, striking Yun Liu’s chest.
A surge of powerful spiritual energy exploded.
Caught off guard, Yun Liu was sent flying.
“Xiao Yun!”
No one expected a trick from the golem.
Qin Xing quickly circulated her spiritual energy, summoning a green cloud to catch the white-robed youth, but the baleful energy knocked her back several feet, her throat filling with a metallic taste.
A burly blood-man crawled out from the foul, blackened heart, flexing its neck.
Its body seemed to be formed entirely of blood, radiating a terrifying aura that was anything but human.
Qin Cha’s heart sank.
Peak Golden Core. In their current state, it would be hard to handle.
“An external avatar?”
Yun Liu covered his mouth, voice hoarse, blood seeping through his fingers.
He’d miscalculated. Another expert?
“A mere ant, yet you know quite a bit.”
The blood-man frowned, equally puzzled.
A normal Foundation Establishment cultivator would have died from that blow alone.
That this youth still had strength after battling the Nili Magic Golem was unexpected.
Was he a Shenhua Sect disciple from one of the peaks?
Ji Shiyu and Xiao Xinran were shocked and enraged at Yun Liu’s injury, immediately halting their squabble to attack the blood-soaked demon.
Swish! Swish!
The blood-man remained motionless, flicking two flying swords away with just his fingers.
With another sweep of his hand, a tide of blood surged toward the girls.
The difference in cultivation was too great—Ji Shiyu and Xiao Xinran fell to the ground, unable to maintain their Yan Shen form.
“I intended to aid the Saintess, but a few nobodies ruined it. Heh, Shenhua Sect members, what a coincidence—killed my disciple and stole my Alchemy Manual. Now I’ll settle old and new scores together!”
Saintess?
Disciple…
Alchemy Manual…
Yun Liu propped himself up.
In an instant, all five of them had suffered severe injuries, unable to fight further, yet his eyes remained calm, quickly catching on.
What the hell, it was one thing for the Nili Magic Golem’s strength to be buffed, but no one ever said there’d be a fourth phase.
Who was this insidious bastard, unknown even to Madam Jing Rui, someone who confused even the Holy Son and Saintess?
An external avatar was not an extraordinary power, but a substitute body refined by accomplished cultivators, inheriting part of the original’s power and capable of using most abilities.
This person’s avatar was at Golden Core level—meaning the original was at least Nascent Soul.
However, the avatar was still in a blood spirit state, far from perfect compared to Ji Xing Shu.
“So it’s the Bloodthirsty Banner Lord. No wonder.”
Yun Liu wiped the blood from his lips, understanding dawning.
He helped Qin Cha up, signaling the unwilling Xiao Xinran and Ji Shiyu to retreat.
This was not an opponent they could face at present, yet it had long since set its sights on Ji Shiyu.
Oddly enough, it was the unrighteous adoptive father who’d pinned this black pot on the dutiful daughter.
“Not bad. A small cultivator from the barren lands of East Pole Province knows my name? Who is the one with the surname Ji? Hand over the Book of Pills Remnant and kowtow three times, and I’ll leave you a whole corpse!”
The blood-man cast another glance at the white-robed youth.
If he knew the youth’s real identity, he might reconsider.
But among the five, the green-robed girl was spent, and the other injured ones posed no threat.
Taking their heads to present to the Saintess would be a simple matter.
Since the matter involved the Alchemy Manual, Qin Xing’s heart skipped.
She felt a pang of guilt and wanted to step forward to buy the others some time.
But before she could, Yun Liu grasped her hand.
The situation had turned dire in an instant.
And the Ying Shadow had a clear boundary—intervening in demonic cult business was outside the Shanhai Pavilion’s scope, and thus unprotected by the Pavilion Deacon.
At that moment, the named Ji Shiyu scratched her head in confusion.
“What the hell? Whether I give it up or not, it’s death either way. I’ll kowtow your grandma’s legs!”
“Well said! How could my master be someone who fears death? Demonic cultist, surrender immediately!”
Yun Liu’s expression suddenly shifted, standing behind Ji Shiyu and loudly backing her up, looking every bit the loyal subordinate of the blonde girl.
The four girls exchanged odd looks, glancing back at Yun Liu.
My master???
“Fine, fine. I’ll remember you, yellow-haired brat!”
The blood-man’s gaze locked onto his target, a wicked grin spreading.
But before he could finish his threat, the white-robed youth drew a thick stack of Thunder Shock Talismans from his robes.
“Still talking big! My master’s name remains unchanged. Remember it— the one who will kill you is Ji Shiyu of Falling Cloud Peak!”
Golden talismans filled the air, so numerous they made one’s scalp tingle.
“What the f—!?”
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