Chapter 1393: Chapter 8: Ghostly Shadows of the Ruins

"These filthy things... naturally need to be killed..."

Xie Xuanyi turned around, looking up at the thirteen figures bound by sword qi ropes.

Cold wind blew past.

The thirteen "people" swayed unsteadily.

"But before killing them, it’s necessary to study them a bit."

Xie Xuanyi narrowed his eyes.

The recent period of retreat was more peaceful and quiet than expected.

The pursuit from the Heavenly Phoenix Palace didn’t occur, instead, some never-before-seen filthy spirits were discovered near the cave dwelling.

Not only Xie Xuanyi hadn’t seen them.

Even Cui Zhen, who had lived for over a hundred years, hadn’t seen them.

Initially, during their retreat, they could always hear shrill cries outside the great array.

This abnormality, at most, could scare the little cultivators in the Qi Refining Realm.

Let alone those who cultivated to the level of Xie Xuanyi and Cui Zhen, even a Taoist in the Foundation Establishment Realm wouldn’t fear ghosts and demons.

Xie Xuanyi casually unleashed a Thunder Pool Talisman and ignored it.

Unexpectedly.

After two days, the Thunder Pool Talisman "captured" a living dead.

Xie Xuanyi’s Thunder Pool Talisman battered it beyond recognition, leaving only flesh, yet "it" was not dead, still twisting and struggling.

This is not an evil spirit!

The filthy creations of the Demon Sect could not possibly be unafraid of Thunder Techniques!

Witnessing this, Cui Zhen also made a move, unleashing "Dao Fire" to incinerate the living dead.

However, the result was unexpected.

Cui Zhen’s Dao Fire failed to annihilate it...

This is intriguing.

Xie Xuanyi and Cui Zhen both understood that the strength they casually unleashed, even if this living dead didn’t have any cultivation aura, could easily be resisted by a cultivator from the Cave Heaven Realm.

Regarding this strange creature.

Xie Xuanyi and Cui Zhen named it "Filthy Spirit."

Though it retained a life form, it had lost its basic spirit wisdom, possessing traits of both demon and human...

The duo captured a total of fourteen filthy spirits from the surrounding territory.

The reason why only thirteen are suspended now.

Is because one filthy spirit was "accidentally" killed by Cui Zhen earlier.

"What’s there to study about these things."

The handsome Great Demon frowned deeply, showing disgust: "It’s beneath me to dirty my hands killing them."

"Then leave them all to me."

Xie Xuanyi clasped hands behind his back, speaking lightly: "By the way... have you found the person I asked you to find?"

"A loose cultivator without a city or registration, not easy to find at all."

Cui Zhen replied gloomily: "The Demon Country is vast, if they are hiding on purpose, if they could be found easily, you and I would have been exposed long ago."

"...Indeed."

Xie Xuanyi chuckled softly.

The person he asked Cui Zhen to find was none other than Ao Ying, with whom he had a chance encounter during the Northern Hunt years ago.

Back then.

Xie Xuanyi was still known as Xie Zhen.

In those days, Xie Xuanyi gifted Ao Ying a portion of "Red Dragon Fortune," and left behind a Sword Energy Order, originally intending to leave a useful "Dark Child," but unexpectedly, this demoness upon returning to the Northern Country, directly changed her name and hid away.

Initially, Ao Ying probably hid to avoid pursuit while guarding against Chong Kan’s northern revenge.

But now...

This demoness is clearly hiding from him.

"News came from Ye Ling that I need to leave for a few days."

"These things, you study them yourself."

Cui Zhen stood up, inspecting the hanged ghosts above, said with indifference: "Though you have many Undying Spring, I still advise you... to conserve them, there might be a tough battle ahead."

Coming to the territory of Great Ape Mountain for more than a hundred days, Cui Zhen had made extensive preparations for his revenge plan.

"From your words, it seems you’re about to start fighting?"

Xie Xuanyi raised an eyebrow.

"Very soon."

Cui Zhen calmly said: "Everything’s ready, just waiting for the right moment... I’m leaving."

Before his words finished.

Cui Zhen transformed into a streak of light and ascended into the sky.

Although Xie Xuanyi had signed a soul oath with Cui Zhen to ensure his safety, he only ensured that the cave dwelling surroundings were secure.

As for Cui Zhen himself, he possessed absolute "freedom."

If something arises and he wishes to leave, Xie Xuanyi wouldn’t stop him.

Of course, during this period, if anything happens to Cui Zhen... it wouldn’t concern Xie Xuanyi.

"..."

Cui Zhen departed.

Xie Xuanyi, alone, stood before the bonfire.

He clasped his hands behind his back, looking up at the thirteen figures of Filthy Spirits, murmuring with confusion.

"Even the old demon who lived for over a hundred years doesn’t recognize you..."

"Where exactly did you things crawl out from between the rocks?"

News from Jiayong Pass, Xie Xuanyi had already received.

At this moment, he quietly processed the information sent by Duan Zhao, calculating within his mind.

He initially believed that these filthy spirits only "happened" to appear in the territory of Great Ape Mountain.

Now, things seem not so simple.

These filthy spirits appeared even in the human race’s northern region ten thousand eight hundred miles away from Great Ape Mountain.

Sizzle.

Xie Xuanyi flicked out a wisp of Sword Qi.

This wisp, containing the Path of Destruction, pierced through directly.

Xie Xuanyi didn’t use full strength, but the gap in realm was too large, this vast Taoist intent directly blasted open the chest of one filthy spirit!

Countless dark blood flowers exploded, falling like blood rain.

This blood rain was rather harsh.

It fell splattering for a long time.

The head of the filthy spirit hung by the rope, its body torn like a sack...

"Dead."

Xie Xuanyi glanced at the ground, expressionless: "Though hard to kill, it’s not that you can’t kill them."

The intelligence provided by Duan Zhao was that attacks from the Tao Realm couldn’t annihilate them.

This intelligence wasn’t wrong, but there was a slight deviation...

It’s not that Tao Realm attacks can’t annihilate them.

It’s that means such as "Xuanzhuo," "Thousand Mechanism," and Xu You’s "Spirit Sea" weren’t enough to annihilate them.

If you promote to Yang God.

A pure, thick Great Dao, falling with force, with the purest and strongest Great Dao Intent, crushing past, these filthy spirits couldn’t endure no matter what.

Alternatively, attack directly with pure Path of Destruction Intent.

This kind of intent, known for its slaughter...

Can also annihilate Filthy Spirits.

"Let’s try other means again."

Xie Xuanyi, setting aside Taoist intent, used pure Sword Qi to annihilate.

The result was shocking.

Pure physical attacks really couldn’t erase "filthy spirits," whether the Sword Qi sliced them into pieces, these filthy spirits would self-heal, even if chopped into bits the result was the same, only the self-healing speed would be greatly reduced.

"So..."

"To eradicate such things, either rely on the ’Path of Destruction,’ or on the ’Undying Spring’?"

Xie Xuanyi furrowed his brow.

Cui Zhen didn’t take these things seriously, thinking they were probably some evil puppets secretly refined by a hidden Great Cultivator of the Demon Country.

But Xie Xuanyi knew well.

These things are definitely not puppets.

He had once seen similar creatures atop the starry dome of the Ancient Tree Cave Heaven.

Existing in a realm higher than these filthy spirits.

The "things" that attacked the young sword bearer back then, came in overwhelming waves, endless and boundless!

"To figure out the source of ’Filthy Spirits,’ we need to find the ’Ruins Ghost Shadows’ mentioned by the scouts..."

Xie Xuanyi looked up at the twelve swaying hanging filthy spirits. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

He pondered deeply.

The fingers in his sleeve repeatedly tapped, eventually his thoughts settled.

With a snap.

A fingertip tapped down.

A wisp of dark Sword Qi streaked past.

The twelve filthy spirits’ heads exploded simultaneously, skyful of dark blood rain splashed like ink.

"It seems, I must make a trip to the ’Ruins’?"

...

...

(PS: There will be another 4000-word update tonight.)