With various factions deliberately or inadvertently turning a blind eye, the Zhou Family had fallen deep into their demonic state. Each one possessed formidable strength, and they were bolstered by the ’Walking Corpses’ created with the Netherworld Curse.

The Zhou Mansion had long since become a veritable deathtrap, a demon’s lair that devoured men.

It wasn’t just the people from San Fen Hall who had run into trouble; the other two teams faced the same predicament. Within the thick fog, battles erupted everywhere, accompanied by an unending chorus of shouts and blood-curdling screams.

「In the Zhou Mansion’s side courtyard.」

Old Master Sunx’s eyes were downcast. He leaned on his steel cane, an invisible aura swirling around him.

"We’ve known each other for over seventy years. We were childhood playmates, sworn friends, confidants, and enemies..."

"Time flies. The children who once played together are now old men with one foot in the grave."

Across from him, Old Master Zhou’s face was deathly pale. His cloudy eyes seemed lost in thought as a low growl escaped his throat.

"Heh..."

Old Master Sunx shook his head gently.

"Old friend, though I wish you were dead, seeing you in this inhuman, ghost-like state still breaks my heart."

"So be it!"

"Since we’ve known each other for a lifetime, allow me to be the one to send you on your way."

PENG!

He tapped his steel cane lightly on the ground, and his entire body lunged forward like a ferocious tiger descending a mountain.

The steel cane looked ordinary but actually weighed over a hundred pounds. As he thrust it forward, a burst of fierce Strength erupted.

BOOM!

The air cracked with a sonic boom.

"ROAR!"

The Fallen Demon, Old Master Zhou, didn’t dodge or evade the incoming attack. With a great roar, he threw a punch.

"A good attack!"

Old Master Sunx’s eyes widened in fury. Bolstered by his abundant Inner Qi, the deep wrinkles on his face actually smoothed out.

With a flick of his wrist, the steel cane moved like a coiling azure dragon. Before its momentum was spent, it changed direction, jabbing repeatedly into the empty air.

Phoenix Nod!

Though the movements seemed light and graceful, each jab, each thrust and pull of the steel cane, carried a surge of immense Inner Qi and a breath of fierce Strength. It was enough to shatter a boulder.

DONG!

The two figures collided mid-air.

The two old men, who had known each other for decades and whose fates were intertwined, simultaneously unleashed all their remaining potential.

This scene made everyone else look on in awe.

No one expected Old Master Sunx, at such an advanced age, to still be capable of such ferocious and domineering power.

"The Demon-Vibrating Sword Technique!"

An Elder from the Celestial Yu Gang narrowed his eyes at the figure standing opposite him with a sword, his expression gradually turning grim.

"You’re the Sword Demon, Tu San?"

"Correct." Tu San held his longsword, his tone indifferent.

"I am guarding this place under orders from Immortal Master Zhou. If you retreat now, I won’t have to draw my sword."

"Such arrogance!" The other Celestial Yu Gang Elder stepped forward, tapping his Double Maces together. A deafening clang reverberated through the area.

"We are all at the Qi Circulation Realm. Do you really think we’d be afraid of you in a two-on-one fight?"

"You can try." Tu San gently stroked his longsword, his voice cool and detached.

"But once I draw my sword, it will certainly taste blood."

"Then let’s try!" The Double Maces tore through the air like a crashing tidal wave, suddenly converging in mid-air.

Drumming Maces!

The other Elder moved like a bolt of lightning. His hands, hidden in his sleeves, suddenly flipped over and struck. A crystalline, jade-like radiance appeared.

Profound Jade Hand!

This was a Palm Technique with the power to melt gold and shatter jade.

The Celestial Yu Gang was backed by Immortal Sects. The Martial Arts learned by their Elders at the Qi Circulation Realm were all considered supreme in the Martial World.

Techniques like Mixed Element Iron Hand and the Thirteen Body Refinement weren’t even worthy of their notice.

ZING!

The longsword left its sheath, stirring up waves of Sword Qi.

The Sword Qi merged with the Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy, its power instantly skyrocketing. Countless streams of Sword Qi rampaged across the battlefield.

The clash between the old masters of the Sunx and Zhou Families was already impressive, but it paled in comparison to this three-way battle.

Even if local county magnates reached the Qi Circulation Realm, their foundations were ultimately too weak. Only disciples from the Major Sects backed by the Immortal Sects were considered the apex of power below the Innate Realm.

*

*

*

Chaos!

Utter chaos!

Everywhere he looked were twisted figures. Roars and screams mingled together, grating on the nerves.

"Get out of my way!"

Zhu Ju roared in anger as his Five Elements Internal Qi erupted from his body.

The Method he cultivated was unique. His Inner Qi was like five streams of Strength with different forces, and once they intertwined, they would expand rapidly as if being inflated.

Five Elements Mutual Generation!

BOOM!

The seven or eight figures that had crowded in front of him were forcefully blasted away, and a section of the side wall collapsed.

Before he could even catch his breath, a dark shadow pounced.

The Sword Light wasn’t particularly bright, but it carried a resolute killing intent that made the spot between Zhu Ju’s eyebrows ache, even through his helmet.

With no time to dodge, he took a sharp breath and raised his palm to block.

DING...

A clang rang out.

Zhu Ju leaned back, getting a clear look at his attacker.

"Zhou Ye!"

"It’s me." Zhou Ye’s face was deathly pale and his skin was shriveled. A deep despair filled his eyes.

"Zhu! We meet again!"

"You’re..." Zhu Ju took a step back, looking Zhou Ye up and down as a flicker of realization appeared in his eyes.

"You’re dying."

"That’s right." Zhou Ye’s body trembled, his face a mask of despair.

"I’m dying!"

How could he not know his own condition? First, he became a Fallen Demon by cultivating the Silent Extinction and Fierce Death, then Zhou Jianmi extracted his Vitality Killing Qi. The only reason he was still alive was because of the thread of Qi provided by the Netherworld Curse.

When his time was up, death was certain!

Zhou Jianmi was the cause of all this, but afflicted by the Netherworld Curse, he couldn’t even resist.

"Why am I the one who has to die? Why isn’t it you?"

His eyes filled with madness as he gnashed his teeth and roared:

"Die!"

"Die!"

"Just die!"

Ever since he began cultivating the Silent Extinction Path of Evil Death, his sanity had collapsed. Now, only instinct remained.

An instinct to destroy everything.

But it was precisely this lingering despair and resentment that elevated Zhou Ye’s Sword Technique to another level.

Even a master at the Qi Circulation Realm wouldn’t dare to underestimate it.

The longsword tore through the air, and a pitch-black Sword Qi stabbed forward at astonishing speed.

Nearby, the Zhou Mansion guards and servants also roared and pounced, trying to overwhelm Zhu Ju again.

"HAH!"

Zhu Ju let out a stifled shout. The ground beneath his feet cracked as his figure shot upward like a Flood Dragon, sending a flurry of palm shadows out in all directions.

Iron Tree Silver Flower!

The charging figures were sent flying one after another, and even Zhou Ye’s longsword was parried away.

Aside from Zhou Ye, the others weren’t actually that strong.

But they were tough as leather and fearless of death. Once surrounded by them, escape became exceedingly difficult.

The moment he landed, the crowd charged again, this time including three Fallen Demon members of the Zhou Family, Zhou Ye among them.

"Hmph!"

Zhu Ju grunted, slowly raising his hands. The surrounding airflow began to converge wildly with his Palm Technique.

Martial Arts Realm!

Mixed Element Without Extremity!

BOOM!

A massive wave of Qi erupted from his position, surging outward in all directions and blasting away numerous figures.

Just then.

The space between Zhu Ju’s eyebrows throbbed violently as a sense of extreme danger washed over him.

From within the thick fog, a long cry suddenly rang out. Black Tiger Wu Chun, wielding a long spear, lunged forward with ferocious momentum.

His timing was perfect, chosen at the exact moment Zhu Ju’s strength was spent. The spear aimed straight for his throat.

Even with the Breaking Army Armor, he was confident he could pierce the throat in a single thrust.

Danger!

At this moment of life and death, the Ancestral Acupoint Profound Light in Zhu Ju’s mind suddenly flared. Everything in his perception seemed to slow to a crawl.

The figures flying backward, Zhou Ye lunging forward after landing, and the rapidly approaching spear.

Zhu Ju’s eyes looked dazed, but a sudden enlightenment bloomed in his heart.

Life born from a hopeless situation, the true meaning of being "shocked."

’So that’s how it is!’

ZING!

The long saber hanging at his waist sang as it left its scabbard. His Inner Qi, which should have been depleted, was now quietly surging with a new vitality.

The Demon Saber!

DING...

The saber and the spear tip collided in mid-air. The shower of sparks illuminated two figures: one with a calm gaze, the other with a look of utter shock.

SWOOSH!

Parrying the long spear, Zhu Ju executed a backhanded diagonal slash with his saber. A gust of sinister wind appeared, slicing a Zhou Mansion servant in two.

Yin Wind Saber!

’Martial Skills are Slaughter Techniques!’

’My Cultivation has progressed by leaps and bounds recently, but my Martial Arts Realm hasn’t seen much improvement.’

’Even though my Palm Technique reached the Micro level and I comprehended a Martial Arts Realm, it was only because practicing Magic greatly increased my Divine Soul Power. I haven’t truly mastered it.’

’Only by experiencing life-and-death battles can I truly grasp Martial Arts True Intent!’

’Xiao Gongdu and Elder Luo can harness the Power of Heaven and Earth with a casual move. Since I have Illuminated my Profound Light, my Divine Soul Power is stronger than theirs. It should be even easier for me.’

In a flash, countless thoughts raced through his mind. The long saber in Zhu Ju’s hand seemed to come alive, weaving between the figures. A single, light swing was enough to take a head.

"Kill!"

Following his low shout, the Saber Qi suddenly merged with the aura of heaven and earth. The light from his saber fell like a curtain, enveloping Zhou Ye.

Saber Technique reaching divinity!

This was it.

PUFF!

PUFF! PUFF!

With a series of tearing sounds, Zhou Ye’s body was brutally hacked into more than a dozen pieces.

The long saber turned, pointing directly at Black Tiger Wu Chun.

"Die!"

Demon Saber—Shocking God!

A faint, almost imperceptible saber light flashed. Wu Chun’s body stiffened, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes. In a daze, his entire life flashed before his eyes like a slideshow.

Sigh!

A sigh of release seemed to sound as his head tilted to one side and his body slowly slumped to the ground.

Zhu Ju took the opportunity to toss out the Yin Sha Pearl, absorbing the dissipated Yin Corpse Evil Qi from the area. Then, his figure flickered and he sped off into the distance.

He had no intention of risking his life for ’Immortal Master Jiangg’.

The Zhou Mansion had become so dangerous precisely because several Immortal Masters had allowed it to happen. Now they were expected to throw their lives away to clean it up? What kind of twisted logic was that?

The right thing to do was to find a chance to escape the chaos, find a safe place, and lie low until this whole affair was over.

He hadn’t run far when a familiar cry of alarm made Zhu Ju stop in his tracks. He immediately changed direction, darting toward a side courtyard.