Chapter 5991 - 5995

 

Kai and Ming Li returned to the dark alley in the western district of Jade Immortal City and found the abandoned hut.

The young cultivator was hiding inside, counting his Yuan Crystals. Seeing the two return, he was so startled he nearly scattered them all over the floor.

“You two…you two seniors, I really only know that much. Asking further is useless!”

he said tremblingly.

Kai didn’t speak, but simply took out a larger cloth bag and placed it on the ground.

The bag was slightly open, revealing at least five hundred high-grade Yuan Crystals, along with several bottles of excellent healing and cultivation pills.

The young cultivator’s eyes widened, and his breathing quickened.

“We’re not here to make things difficult for you,”

Kai’s voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable power. “We’re looking for forces within Jade Immortal City that are secretly resisting the Divine Race and the oppression of the Jade Immortal Palace.”

“Since you’ve been mingling here, making a living by selling information, you must have connections,”

the young cultivator said, his eyes struggling. He glanced at the Yuan Crystals, then at Kai’s deep, sharp eyes.

Then he licked his dry, cracked lips: “Senior… this kind of thing, if handled poorly, could really cost you your head, and even your soul might be taken to the Fallen Soul Slope.”

“That’s why we sought them out,”

Ming Li interjected. “We have a common goal. These Yuan Crystals and pills are your reward, and also a thank you for the referral. After the deed is done, there will be a greater reward.” A

generous reward will surely attract brave men.

The young cultivator gritted his teeth, grabbed the cloth bag and stuffed it into his robes, whispering, “Follow me, don’t make a sound, and don’t look around.”

He led Kai and the other man through the maze-like alleyways, sometimes climbing over ruins, sometimes crawling into hidden tunnels.

After walking for a full half hour, they arrived at what appeared to be the courtyard of an abandoned wealthy family.

The houses here were tall, but most were dilapidated, overgrown with vines, and lifeless.

The young cultivator stopped in front of a courtyard with a half-broken door hanging on it, and rhythmically knocked on the door frame three long knocks and two short knocks.

After a while, the door creaked open a crack, and a pair of wary eyes looked out.

“Monkey, is that you? Who are they?”

A deep voice came from behind the door.

“Brother Leopard, they’re…the ones I found. They want to join us, and they’re tough guys.”

The young cultivator called Monkey lowered his voice, “They brought generous gifts and are genuinely interested in doing big things.”

There was a moment of silence inside, then the door slowly opened, and a burly man with a scar on his face stepped aside: “Come in, quickly.”

The courtyard was large, and surprisingly, it was a hidden world inside, quite well-maintained, with faint traces of array fluctuations, isolating the aura and sounds from the outside and outside.

A few cultivators were meditating or polishing their weapons in the corners, and they all cast scrutinizing glances when they saw someone enter.

The scarred man, Brother Leopard, led them through the front courtyard to a more secluded courtyard at the back.
Standing in the courtyard was a tall woman dressed in a light blue outfit, her back to them, gazing at a clump of green bamboo.

She slowly turned, revealing a beautiful yet spirited and aloof face, her eyes sharp as an eagle’s, her cultivation clearly at the fourth rank of the Upper Immortal Realm.

“Boss, Monkey brought two people, saying they want to join us,” Leopard Brother said respectfully.

The woman’s gaze swept over Kai and Ming Li, lingering briefly on Kai.

Kai deliberately concealed his cultivation level, while Ming Li’s fifth-rank Upper Immortal Realm cultivation wasn’t completely hidden; this combination seemed somewhat peculiar.

“Who are you? Why are you looking for us?”

the woman asked, her voice cold.

The monkey hurriedly stepped forward, bowing and scraping, “Sister Lianxing, these two seniors want to inquire about the Jade Immortal Mansion and the Divine Clan, especially… especially about the matter at Fallen Soul Slope a while ago. They offered a very high price. I don’t think they’re spies, so…”

The woman called Lianxing interrupted the monkey with a cold glint in her eyes, “The matter at Fallen Soul Slope is something you can inquire about? Monkey, you’re becoming more and more ignorant of etiquette.”

The monkey trembled in fright.

Kai stepped forward and cupped his hands, saying, “Fellow Daoist, please don’t blame him. I am Kai, and this is Ming Li. We inquired about Fallen Soul Slope because the two who were beheaded are likely my old acquaintances.”

“This enmity is irreconcilable. There is no turning back for me with the Jade Immortal Mansion and the Divine Clan behind them. I heard there are like-minded people here, so I came to visit them. It’s not about spying, but about cooperation.”

Lianxing stared at Kai, seemingly trying to discern the truth from his eyes.

Kai’s gaze was calm, though he tried his best to conceal the deep sorrow and icy killing intent within him, a trace of which still escaped, causing Lianxing, who had experienced life-and-death battles, to feel a slight chill.

“Words are meaningless

,” Lianxing said indifferently. “Who knows if you’re just bait sent by the Jade Immortal Palace to lure us out? We’ve lost quite a few brothers lately.”

“We can swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao,” Mingli said.

“An oath to the Heavenly Dao?”

Lianxing’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “In the Azure Nether Immortal Continent, where the influence of the Divine Race is deepening, whether the Heavenly Dao is still as impartial as before is still unknown. Besides, there are loopholes in oaths.”

Kai frowned slightly: “Then how will you believe me, fellow Daoist?”

Lianxing turned and looked at the bamboo grove: “Come with me, let’s talk somewhere safe.”

She led the way into the bamboo forest. Kai and Mingli exchanged a glance and followed.

Monkey also wanted to follow, but was stopped by Leopard Brother’s gaze.

The bamboo forest appeared ordinary, but upon entering, Kai immediately felt the space slightly distorted, and the flow of spiritual energy became peculiar.

After walking about a dozen steps, Lian Xing’s figure suddenly blurred and vanished into thin air!

At the same time, the surrounding bamboo swayed without wind, its leaves rustling, instantly becoming so dense that it blocked out the sun, as if transforming into a giant green cage.

A powerful binding force surged from all directions, and streaks of azure array patterns rose from the ground, like living vines, wrapping around Kai and Ming Li’s feet.
“Hmph, as expected, you harbor ulterior motives!”

Lianxing’s voice echoed from all directions of the bamboo forest, carrying a cold mockery

. “You dare to spy with such paltry tricks? Today, I’ll make sure you don’t leave alive, a perfect opportunity to unleash my newly refined Thousand Bamboo Soul-Locking Array!” Mingli’s ghostly aura surged, ready to resist.

Kai, however, raised his hand to stop him.

His expression was calm as he glanced at the shifting bamboo forest and the array patterns moving across the ground, shaking his head.

“The array is not bad, borrowing the spirit of natural bamboo and wood, fusing the three elements of illusion, confinement, and killing. The one who set it up is quite accomplished in wood-based array formations.”

Kai’s voice wasn’t loud, yet it clearly penetrated the rustling of the bamboo leaves. “Unfortunately, while following the natural way, it has lost its true essence. Forcing change only creates stagnation.”

As he spoke, he took a light step forward.

This step, seemingly casual, landed precisely on a weak node where several moving array patterns converged.

The moment his foot landed, there was no earth-shattering roar, only a soft “crack,” like glass shattering.

Centered on his foot, the swirling azure array patterns trembled violently, then, like a long snake stripped of its tendons, rapidly dimmed and disintegrated. The

wildly dancing green bamboo around them abruptly stopped, and the countless bamboo leaf illusions receded like a tide, revealing the bamboo forest’s original form.

Kai took another step, his figure seemingly piercing through an invisible curtain of water, already appearing on the other side of the bamboo forest.

Lian Xing was standing beside a thick purple bamboo stalk, her hands forming a hand seal, her face still showing astonishment and disbelief.

Her proud Thousand Bamboo Soul-Locking Array, which had once trapped and killed several Upper Immortal Realm cultivators, had been broken so easily, in a single step!

She hadn’t even seen how he had done it!

In that instant of astonishment, Kai’s figure appeared like a ghost, three feet in front of her.

There was no overwhelming aura, no dazzling magical light, just a simple gesture: fingers drawn together like a sword, pointing towards her brow.

Before the fingertip, space slightly collapsed, a wisp of chaotic gray light flickering, emanating a terrifying aura that froze her very soul.

Her protective aura was as fragile as paper before this fingertip; instinct told her that if this finger struck, she would surely die!

Lianxing’s pupils constricted, her whole body turned ice-cold, and she didn’t even have time to think of dodging or blocking!

The fingertip stopped steadily half an inch before her brow.

Kai withdrew his finger, stood with his hands behind his back, and calmly looked at her: “Now, can we talk properly?”

The bamboo forest was silent.

The killing formation and illusions from before seemed as if they had never occurred.

Only a bead of cold sweat on Lianxing’s forehead and her slightly trembling fingers testified to the life-or-death terror of that instant.

Leopard Brother, Monkey, and the others rushed in from outside the formation, and upon seeing this scene, they all stood frozen in shock.　Lianxing took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in her heart. When she looked at Kai again, her eyes were completely different, filled with shock, fear, and a glimmer of hope.

The person who could break the formation so easily, who could bring her such a death threat, could not possibly be a lackey of the Jade Immortal Mansion.

If the Jade Immortal Mansion had such a figure, they would have been uprooted long ago.

“Senior… your supernatural powers are astonishing. Lianxing was blind and has offended you greatly.”

Lianxing cupped her hands, her tone becoming respectful. “Please come with me, let’s… talk in detail.”

She paused, looking at the dumbfounded monkey beside her, her eyes filled with complex emotions: “Monkey, you come too. This time… you’ve truly brought a remarkable person.”

Upon hearing this, the monkey was first bewildered, then overjoyed, his gaze towards Kai filled with awe and excitement.

Kai nodded slightly, following Lianxing deeper into the bamboo forest towards a refined dwelling entirely constructed of green bamboo.

Lianxing led Kai and Mingli into the dwelling, the monkey cautiously following behind.

The room was simply furnished with only a few bamboo chairs and a bamboo table, but the spiritual energy inside was much richer and purer than outside, clearly indicating that a spirit-gathering array had been set up.

“Senior, please sit down.”

Lianxing gestured for Kai to take a seat, while she herself sat opposite him, her expression solemn.

Kai sat down and, without beating around the bush, asked directly, “Fellow Daoist Lianxing, what do you know about the male and female cultivators beheaded at Fallen Soul Slope? What were their crimes? And who carried out the execution?”

Lianxing sighed and shook her head, saying, “To be honest, senior, this matter is a closely guarded secret within Jade Immortal City. Although we have some channels, we’ve only managed to glean some superficial information.”

“Jade Immortal Prefecture publicly stated that these two were executed for breaking through the barrier without permission and leaving the Thirteenth Heaven to travel to the lower realm, thus violating the divine decree.”

“Traveling to the lower realm without permission?”

Kai frowned. “Are there any similar precedents? And why such a severe punishment?”

“That’s precisely what’s suspicious.”

A sharp glint flashed in Lianxing’s eyes. “It’s not that cultivators haven’t secretly traveled to the lower realm in the past; most were fined, imprisoned, or given minor punishments as a warning.”

“To be so openly executed, and in such a perilous place as Fallen Soul Slope, using a Soul Refining Array… this is unprecedented.”

“Therefore, we suspect that those two seniors were not merely guilty of crimes committed in the lower realms, but rather that they learned some secrets they shouldn’t have known, or perhaps they touched upon the fundamental interests of the Jade Immortal Palace, or even the divine race behind it, which led to their deaths, and even the possibility of their souls being refined to eliminate any future threats.”

Kai’s heart sank.

This matched his guess.

Senior Mu Sha was knowledgeable, and his wife was no ordinary cultivator. Their sudden return to the Thirteenth Heaven, and their appearance in the Azure Nether Immortal Continent where the divine race’s influence had infiltrated, might indeed indicate that they had discovered something.

“Do you know when they were captured? Where were they captured? Did they resist or leave any words?” Kai pressed.　Lianxing shook her head again: “The exact time and place are unknown. All we know is that they suddenly appeared on the Jade Immortal Prefecture’s wanted list a month ago, accused of trespassing and spying on forbidden areas.”

“The capture seemed quick, without causing much of a stir.”

“There are rumors that they initially intended to infiltrate the vicinity of the City Lord’s Mansion, but for reasons unknown, they disappeared without a trace, reappearing at the execution ground at Fallen Soul Slope.”

“As for whether they left any words…”

She paused, “The execution ground has an isolation array; no sound can be heard from the outside. Our people were too far away at the time; they only saw the execution process, not what they said.”

Kai remained silent for a moment, suppressing the surging anger within him, and said in a deep voice: “Then, who gave the order? And who carried it out?”

Lianxing’s expression turned solemn: “The one who gave the order is most likely the current City Lord of Jade Immortal City, the Lord of Jade Immortal Prefecture, Yu Wuji.”

“He is one of the representatives of the Divine Race here, his cultivation is unfathomable, at least a seventh-grade Upper Immortal, and he wields considerable power.”

“Such severe punishments must be ordered by him personally, or at least approved by him.”

“As for the specific executor…”

Lianxing glanced at Brother Leopard beside her, who immediately stepped forward and whispered, “We’ve inquired from various sources and confirmed that the one who led the people to Fallen Soul Slope to supervise the execution and preside over the Soul Refining Array that day was Fei Qing, the chief steward of the City Lord’s Mansion.”

“This man is Yu Wuji’s confidant, with a cultivation level of around the fifth rank of the Upper Immortal Realm. He is skilled in array formations and penal law, and is ruthless and vicious.”

“And the ones who actually carried out the beheadings were two senior executioners from the City Lord’s Mansion’s Execution Hall, brothers named Tu Gang and Tu Meng. Both are fourth-rank Upper Immortal Realm body cultivators, specializing in executions, and their methods are cruel.”

“Tu Gang, Tu Meng…”

Kai slowly uttered these two names, his eyes icy cold without a trace of warmth, “Where are they now?”

Lianxing sensed the almost tangible killing intent emanating from Kai and her heart skipped a beat.

However, he still replied, “These two usually live in the executioner’s quarters on the west side of the City Lord’s Mansion, taking turns on duty. Today… according to our observation, Tu Meng should be on duty, while Tu Gang is off duty.”

“Tu Gang is addicted to drinking and gambling. On his days off, he often goes to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion in the West District to drink, and then goes to Qianjin Fang to gamble a few rounds. It’s getting late now, so he’s likely at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.”

Kai stood up and cupped his hands to Lian Xing, saying, “Thank you for informing me, fellow Daoist. This information is crucial to us.”

Lian Xing quickly returned the courtesy, “Senior is too kind. The Jade Immortal Mansion and the Divine Race have been oppressing us for a long time. Senior’s cultivation

is extraordinary; if you can shake them, it would be our good fortune.” “However… although Tu Gang is an executioner, he is still a member of the Jade Immortal Mansion. If he makes a move within the city, it will likely immediately attract the patrols and the City Lord’s Mansion’s experts. Senior must be cautious.”

“I know what I’m doing.”

Kai’s tone was calm, yet contained an undeniable determination. “Ming Li, you stay here with Fellow Daoist Lian Xing and continue to gather more detailed information, especially regarding Yu Wuji and Fei Qing’s movements, preferences, and weaknesses. Monkey…”

The monkey straightened up, startled. “Senior, please give your orders!”

“Take me to Zui Xian Lou. Identify Tu Gang.”

Kai glanced at him. “Afterwards, there will be a reward, and I can also arrange for you to temporarily leave this dangerous place.”

A struggle flashed across the monkey’s face, but thinking of the bag of high-grade Yuan Crystals and Kai’s unfathomable cultivation, he steeled his heart. “Yes! This junior will lead the way! I’ll recognize Tu Gang even if he’s turned to ashes!”

Kai nodded and said to Lian Xing, “Don’t spread today’s events. We’ll discuss the follow-up when I return.”
Having said that, he said no more, signaling the monkey to lead the way, and his figure disappeared into the deepening night.

Lianxing stared at the direction Kai had disappeared in for a long time before softly saying to Mingli, “Senior Mingli, what exactly is Senior Chen’s cultivation level? Just now, with a single finger strike to break the formation, I couldn’t muster the slightest power to resist.”

Mingli’s gaze was deep, and he slowly said, “Mr. Chen’s cultivation level is beyond our comprehension. You only need to know that Jade Immortal Mansion… has probably really kicked a hornet’s nest this time.”

…

Drunken Immortal Pavilion was the largest restaurant in the West District, brightly lit and bustling with noise.

Cultivators, merchants, and even some prominent rogue cultivators gathered here, creating a distorted kind of prosperity amidst the clamor.

The monkey, familiar with the place, led Kai to a shadowy spot opposite the restaurant, pointing to a bald, burly man on the second floor by the window, drinking heavily, shirtless, revealing muscular physiques and several hideous scars.

“Senior, that’s Tu Gang. He has a scar on his right eyebrow, making him easy to recognize,”

the monkey whispered, his voice trembling slightly.

Kai looked up.

Tu Gang was burly, his face full of scars, playing drinking games and drinking wildly with several equally imposing companions. His voice was booming, and his behavior was savage.

He made no attempt to conceal his cultivation level as a fourth-grade Upper Immortal, exuding a murderous aura.

Was this the man who had personally beheaded Senior Mu Sha?

Kai’s eyes were calm and unwavering, but his aura seemed to blend completely with the surrounding shadows. Even the monkey, standing close by, couldn’t sense his presence, only feeling a strange chill.

“Go back and find Ming Li. The rest is none of your business,” Kai said to the monkey.

The monkey, as if granted a pardon, nodded hurriedly and silently retreated into the darkness.

Kai didn’t act immediately. He simply stood quietly in the shadows, like the most patient hunter, watching the noisy window on the second floor.

Time passed slowly.

As the moon hung high in the sky, Tu Gang, seemingly having had his fill of drinking, staggered to his feet, exchanged a few jests with his companions, and went downstairs alone. He

then headed towards a relatively secluded alley, apparently on his way to the next casino.

Kai moved.

Like a wisp of smoke in the darkness, he silently followed.

The alley deepened, the light dim, with only a few distant lights.

Tu Gang hummed a vulgar tune, completely unaware of death’s approach.

Just as he reached the middle of the alley, at a corner piled with clutter, the shadow before him suddenly came alive.

Without any warning, a slender hand seemed to reach out from nowhere, gripping his throat.
Tu Gang’s drunkenness instantly turned into cold sweat!

His eyes widened, and the surging Yuan energy within him was about to erupt when he was horrified to discover that an indescribable power, seemingly capable of annihilating everything, surged into his body from that palm, binding all his meridians, dantian, and even his soul!

He couldn’t move a single finger, and could only stare in terror at the figure slowly emerging from the shadows.

It was a young, calm-looking man, but his eyes were like an icy pool, coldly staring at him.

“You…who are you…”

Tu Gang managed to squeeze out a few words.

Kai didn’t answer, but instead leaned close to his ear and calmly asked in a voice only the two of them could hear:

“A month ago, at Fallen Soul Slope, were you the one who attacked that man and woman?”

Tu Gang froze, disbelief and a deeper fear flashing in his eyes.

The other party had come for that matter!

And so directly, so…terrifying!

He wanted to deny it, but under the gaze of those dual pupils, he didn’t even have the courage to lie, and could only nod with difficulty.

“Who gave the order? Yu Wuji? Or Fei Qing?”

Kai continued, his voice flat.

“It was…it was Steward Fei…bearing the city lord’s order…to order us brothers…to carry out the execution…”

Tu Gang felt like he was suffocating.

“Did they say anything before they died?” Kai’s fingers tightened slightly.

“No…no…the formation blocked them…they seemed…very angry…glaring at Steward Fei…”

Tu Gang felt his soul being frozen and cracked by that icy power. “I…I was just following orders…spare…”

Before he could utter the word “spare,”

*crack* .

A faint, almost inaudible cracking sound.

The light in Tu Gang’s eyes instantly froze and dimmed.

All his vitality, along with his soul, was completely annihilated by the surging chaotic power, leaving no trace.

Kai released his grip, and Tu Gang’s burly body slumped to the ground like mud. Then, under the erosion of the chaotic power, it quickly turned into ashes, leaving not even his clothes behind, completely dissipating in the night wind.

The alley remained silent, as if nothing had happened.

A fourth-grade Immortal Realm cultivator was, in Kai’s eyes, as easy as slaughtering a dog…

Kai stood still, the night enveloping his calm face.

The first one.

He raised his head, looking towards the City Lord’s Mansion, brightly lit, symbolizing the supreme power of Jade Immortal City.

Kai’s gaze pierced the night, locking onto the relatively independent, heavily guarded complex of buildings to the west of the City Lord’s Mansion—the Executioner’s Quarters.

The lights there were noticeably sparser, exuding a cold and murderous aura.

According to Lian Xing’s intelligence, the one on duty now should be Tu Gang’s elder brother, Tu Meng.

Killing Tu Gang was only the beginning.

Tu Meng, too, had to die.
Neither of these executioner brothers, stained with the blood of their predecessors, Musa and his wife, will escape.

His figure once again merged into the darkness, moving like a ghost through the rooftops and alleys of Jade Immortal City. His speed was extreme, yet he caused no fluctuation of spiritual energy, not even a ripple in the wind.

His control over his own power had reached a state of perfection.

The closer one got to the core area of ​​the City Lord’s Mansion, the tighter the security became.

On the surface, squads of Jade Immortal Mansion guards, clad in blue Daoist robes and exuding a powerful aura, patrolled along fixed routes.

In the shadows, numerous hidden detection barriers and warning arrays, like a dense spiderweb, covered the area.

However, in Kai’s eyes, these were not impenetrable.

His divine sense, like invisible mercury, spread out silently, precisely avoiding the conventional detection points and penetrating the subtle gaps in the array’s operation.

The characteristics of chaotic power allowed him to perceive and manipulate energy to an unbelievable degree.

What he saw was not merely the external form of the formation, but also the flow of its energy and the nodes where laws intertwined.

The Executioner’s Abode was located inside the west wall of the City Lord’s Mansion, separated from the core inner area by several courtyards and gardens. It was considered a relatively peripheral functional area, but its defenses were still formidable.

A pale blue light membrane enveloped the abode, a basic protective and alert barrier capable of withstanding attacks of a certain intensity and sensing unauthorized intruders.

Kai stopped in the shadow of a rockery several dozen feet away from the barrier.

He didn’t rashly touch the barrier, but observed it carefully.

The energy flow of the barrier followed a fixed pattern, fluctuating like breathing.

At the moment of each “breath,” there was an extremely brief energy “blind spot,” an unavoidable momentary delay during the formation’s self-adjustment.

This blind spot was so subtle as to be almost imperceptible, lasting less than one-hundredth of a breath; ordinary cultivators’ divine sense couldn’t detect it, let alone utilize it.

But Kai could.

He silently calculated the frequency of the barrier’s energy fluctuations, patiently waiting.

A night breeze rustled through the garden, and a patrol of guards passed by in the distance, their footsteps fading into the distance.

Now!

In that one-in-a-billionth of a second, as the barrier’s energy surged to its peak and was about to dip, Kai moved.

Without afterimage, without a sound of air being torn apart, he seemed to transform into a wisp of smoke, passing through that fleeting “gap” with perfect precision and entering the barrier’s interior.

Throughout the entire process, the barrier’s light membrane didn’t even ripple.

Entering the courtyard, the oppressive feeling intensified.

A faint stench of blood and a malevolent aura formed from long-term immersion in slaughter permeated the air.

The courtyard’s architectural style was rugged and cold, primarily constructed of black stone, clashing sharply with the celestial atmosphere of the other areas of the Jade Immortal Mansion.

Kai’s divine sense cautiously extended like tentacles.

The courtyard occupied a considerable area, with dozens of independent courtyards, most of which were dark, with only a few courtyards illuminated.

The centrally located “guard room” was brightly lit, with two guards of considerable strength standing watch at the entrance.

Based on the rough layout provided by Lianxing and the aura sensing, Kai quickly located a relatively secluded courtyard near a corner, which was now faintly emanating the unique blood and qi fluctuations of a fourth-grade body cultivator of the Upper Immortal Realm.

That blood and qi carried the same aura as Tu Gang, but it was more condensed and ferocious; it should be Tu Meng.　　As expected, a separate warning array was also set up around the courtyard, even more sophisticated than the outer perimeter barrier.

The array connected to several key nodes within the courtyard; once triggered, it could not only issue an alarm but also launch an attack or trap the enemy.

Kai held his breath, his gaze falling on several inconspicuous rune imprints on the ground and walls at the courtyard entrance.

This was a composite “Earthbound Spirit Net Array,” combining sensing, binding, and earth spike attacks.

The array’s core should be underground in the center of the courtyard.

Forcing its way in or violently breaking through would inevitably alert those inside, and might even affect the entire dormitory.

Kai once again demonstrated his astonishing mastery of array formations.

He extended his right index finger, a point of chaotic gray light condensing at its tip, extremely subtle, almost imperceptible.

He pointed it in the air, and the gray light transformed into several threads thinner than a hair, silently disappearing into the key rune nodes on the ground.

The power of chaos, the source of all laws, could also assimilate and annihilate all laws.

The wispy, chaotic energy precisely cut into the energy flow channels of the formation, without damaging its structure, but rather performing an operation that was almost “paralyzing” and “misleading.”

It temporarily severed the formation’s “perception” of external intrusions and created several tiny, self-circulating “dead ends” within its internal energy cycle.

The entire process was silent, like the most skilled physician performing the most delicate surgery.

After only three breaths, the formation at the courtyard entrance was still operating, its light flickering, but under Kai’s manipulation, it had become blind and deaf, oblivious to everything that was about to happen.

Kai’s figure flickered, drifting over the courtyard wall like a wisp of smoke and landing in the courtyard.

The courtyard was small, with three black stone houses in the center. To the left was a stone platform for cultivation, and to the right was a small weapon rack, hanging several heavy ghost-headed swords and chains, the air thick with the stench of blood.

Dim light streamed through the main room’s window, illuminating a burly figure seated cross-legged on a futon, seemingly meditating. His breathing, however, was slightly erratic, and his brow was furrowed.

It was Tu Meng.

His face bore a striking resemblance to Tu Gang, but was more somber, a deep scar on his left cheek making him appear particularly menacing.

At this moment, his chest heaved slightly, a bead of sweat on his forehead, his mind uneasy.

Just moments before, while circulating his internal energy, Tu Meng’s heart had inexplicably pounded violently, an indescribable chill instantly running down his spine, as if he were being watched by some extremely dangerous being.

The feeling came and went quickly, but it prevented him from entering a meditative state.

He and Tu Gang were twin brothers; though not perfectly aligned, they shared a subtle connection.

Now, he felt a vague sense of unease and emptiness, as if he had lost some important link.

“What’s going on?”

Tu Meng opened his eyes, a fierce glint in them, filled with doubt and wariness. “Could it be that kid A-Gang has gotten into trouble again? Or…”

He recalled the execution at Fallen Soul Slope a month ago, the hateful and defiant eyes of the man and woman before their deaths, especially the man. Despite his cultivation being suppressed, his gaze seemed to see right through people, giving him nightmares afterward.

He shook his head, trying to dispel the unease: “Hmph, two ignorant fools. Even their souls were refined after death. What could they possibly do? They must have been too hasty in their cultivation lately.”

Although he comforted himself with this thought, he still decided to go out and patrol, and check the security situation at the inn tonight.

He got up, walked to the door, and prepared to push it open.

Just as his hand was about to touch the door…
A sudden change occurred!

A barely perceptible ripple spread through the space behind him, like an invisible pebble dropped into a calm lake.

A figure seemed to step directly out of the void, abruptly appearing within three feet of him!

There was no killing intent, no wind, not even a change in temperature. It wasn’t

until that hand, as gentle as a lover’s caress, touched his vital point on the back of his heart that Tu Meng was startled to realize what was happening!

“Who?!”

His soul nearly left his body; his muscles instantly tensed like iron, his protective aura surging instinctively, and he lunged forward, opening his mouth to shout and alert the guards outside.

However, it was all too late.

The hand on his back suddenly emitted an indescribable, terrifying suction force and destructive energy!

It wasn’t ordinary spiritual power, nor was it chilling ghostly energy or blazing true fire; it was a chaotic void that seemed to devour, decompose, and annihilate all things in heaven and earth!

His powerful protective aura, before this force, was as fragile as ice and snow under the sun, instantly melting and disintegrating.

That force penetrated his body, rupturing and disintegrating his meridians inch by inch.

His dantian, like a punctured balloon, saw his accumulated vital energy, cultivated over hundreds of years, dissipate wildly, only to be mercilessly devoured by the chaotic power.

Even more terrifying, this force rushed straight into his sea of ​​consciousness, firmly imprisoning his terrified soul, which was just about to coalesce to attempt self-destruction or transmit a message.

Then, like a millstone, it slowly crushed and disintegrated him!

“Ugh… Heh heh…”

Tu Meng’s eyes bulged, bloodshot, his mouth wide open, but he could only utter hoarse, leaky hoarse sounds, unable to utter a single word.

He felt his consciousness being dragged into boundless darkness and nothingness, all his power, all his senses, rapidly leaving him.

He wanted to turn around, to see who was killing him, but his neck was stiff, unable to even turn an inch.

Through his blurred vision, he only saw the outline of a long, steady hand, seemingly containing the ultimate truths of heaven and earth.

A voice, calm to the bone, seemed to resound directly from the depths of his soul:

“Sending you down to join your brother.”

Brother?

A-Gang?

A final flicker of extreme fear and disbelief flashed in Tu Meng’s eyes before his consciousness completely sank.

*Poof!

* A muffled sound, like a bag full of sand bursting open.

Tu Meng’s burly body, starting from the inside out, rapidly turned into a cloud of gray-black dust, falling away like weathered rock.

Even his clothes and storage ring were eroded by the chaotic power, vanishing completely into the air.