THE RULE KING

The man in the black robe was so enraged that he started cursing violently. "Damn it! He actually took it seriously. He really thinks he has some special talent." He was going back to the Demonic Path in the Southern Border. Along the way, he had been vying for the Ancient Immortal Marrow in the Ancient Immortal Tomb. To evade the pursuers, he crossed the Chenling Sea and ended up right in the territory of the Righteous Path cultivators. If it hadn't been for the old fellow's exceptionally adept concealment technique, he would have surely died on the way. He definitely couldn't make it back to the Southern Border on his own. Moreover, for a cultivator of the Demonic Path, being in the territory of the Righteous Path cultivators was ten times more perilous than being in the Southern Border. The only way to survive was to break through his cultivation level and alter his spiritual aura. The sole opportunity lay in that spiritual root. At present, he couldn't figure out whether his Master's state was genuine or feigned at all. But it didn't matter. The blade wheel hovering behind him was already emanating an overall dark black glow. As long as he took two more steps forward to ensure a hundred percent hit on his Master, that would do.

"Zihe, considering that you once taught me, it's still not too late for you to leave now, and I'll spare your life," he said.

"Hehe. You just cursed me, and now you're saying such things. You really look like a master with that hypocritical facade. Do you really think you can kill me?" Zihe retorted.

"Then give it a try..." The man in the black robe advanced slowly.

Zihe stared at the man in the black robe and sneered, "Hoho, instead of retreating, you're actually approaching your master?"

"If I don't get closer, how can I show my filial piety to you, Master?" No sooner had the words left his mouth than the blade wheel behind the man in the black robe, like a black shooting star, circled from behind to the front. It suddenly expanded from the size of a millstone to several meters and then lunged ferociously towards the face of the old man in the purple robe! The black light emitted by the blade wheel caused all the plants it illuminated to wither and turn into dust. At such a close range, Zihe had no way to dodge it. But it seemed that he didn't have the slightest intention of evading it either. He just stood there, slightly hunched over.

Seeing this scene, the man in the black robe immediately had an ominous feeling. However, the killing move had been fully unleashed with all his might, and there was no way to retract it. Just as the black-light blade wheel was about to slash onto Zihe's body, an unexpected change occurred. The seemingly indestructible blade wheel and the extremely solid black light exploded inexplicably. The shattered blade wheel, along with the surging black light, was like a surging flood mixed with countless sharp blades, rushing back! Before the man in the black robe could react, he was already enveloped by the broken blade wheel and the black light.

Once again, a cloud of dust filled the air... When the dust settled, only Zihe was left standing in the middle of the scene. He smiled slightly, straightened up, and walked towards where the man in the black robe was lying. At this moment, the man in the black robe was on the verge of death, lying on the ground and gasping faintly out of instinct. His skin was wrinkled and turned gray all over, with countless wounds piercing through his body. His entire right arm had been severed by the broken blades, yet not a single drop of blood flowed out.

Zihe stood in front of him, with a trace of pity in his eyes. "I was truly at the end of my rope after being chased by that bald monk. You could probably have succeeded with just a random move. Why did you have to use such a lethal move? You're just too cautious. You always tend to think of people's hearts as too complicated."

Was he really outwitted by him? A sense of sorrow welled up in the eyes of the man in the black robe, who was now left with only a single breath. He was completely powerless to resist. But why did the magic weapon suddenly backfire? There was simply no rhyme or reason to it. He couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he thought.

Zihe said leisurely, "You've been wanting to use this killing weapon on me throughout the journey, haven't you? When we were in the Ancient Immortal Tomb, I was always walking ahead of you. Did you really think you could find a treasure behind me? After cultivating for so long, you still have the idea of taking advantage of the situation... There aren't that many opportunities to be had. Don't even think about it in your next life."

Did he deliberately leave this magic weapon behind? An overwhelming surge of resentment welled up in the man in the black robe's chest. With his last breath, he cursed, "You old dog, you won't end up well..."

Bang! Before he could utter the word "die," Zihe stomped on his head. The man in the black robe's head was crushed as easily as a watermelon. Then, a jet-black Nascent Soul escaped from his body and fled towards the sky. Without even looking up, Zihe waved his hand casually, and a streak of blood light shot out. The Nascent Soul was annihilated in mid-air without making a sound.

"Stupid dog," Zihe cursed, a wild smile spreading across his face. All the hidden dangers had been eliminated... Now, all that was left for him to do was to find the spiritual root nearby and rebuild his foundation. To steal the opportunity of the Heavenly Dao and gather the Ancient Immortal Marrow—this was something unprecedented... Such an opportunity had actually fallen upon him.

Zihe composed himself and staggered around to search for the spiritual root...

The moon cast a cool, watery light. Xu Shan sat cross-legged by the small river. In the serene stillness, only the chirping of insects and the gurgling of the flowing water could be heard. After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes, having been pretending to meditate and cultivate. He had rushed back to the Xinglan Sect before nightfall and hadn't told anyone about it. However, all the activities of the outer disciples couldn't escape the perception of Elder Cao. It was said that cultivators above the Foundation Establishment stage would use their spiritual consciousness to scan the surroundings. With his limited abilities, if someone were to detect him, he wouldn't be able to notice it. He didn't know if Elder Cao would be idle enough to check on the outer disciples. He was still carrying Zhang Biao with him, and there was a risk of being discovered. He had been pretending to cultivate by the river for an hour now. This was the best way to avoid attracting attention as much as possible. Since he usually practiced here alone, he hoped no one would pay him any heed.

Sitting there and pondering for a moment, Xu Shan reached behind his waist and took out a bamboo tube. He lifted the lid. He had bought this bamboo tube on a whim in Litaizhen. He had asked Zhang Biao to test it on the spot, and indeed, the latter could enter various containers. So he simply brought him back in the bamboo tube and even bought a ring along the way, though he hadn't had a chance to try it yet.

Xu Shan shook the bamboo tube and said softly, "Come out."

Zhang Biao responded upon hearing the voice. In Xu Shan's stunned gaze, he emerged through the side of the bamboo tube, and then his figure gradually returned to its normal size. As soon as he appeared, Zhang Biao looked somewhat dejected. "Master Xu, do you think I can ever turn back into a human?"

"Cheer up. There's nothing bad about being a ghost. At least no one can bully you now, and you've even reached the Immortal Mountain."

"Oh.... Is this the Immortal Mountain, Master Xu?" Zhang Biao looked around. "It doesn't seem much different. Can I cultivate immortality with you?"

"Of course you can," Xu Shan lied without batting an eyelid. "But this kind of thing depends on fate. Let's talk about it later. There's something I need you to do right now."

"Just tell me, Master Xu," Zhang Biao readily agreed. "You're my savior for bringing me out."

Xu Shan put on the ring and beckoned to Zhang Biao. "Give it a try. See if you can get into this ring."

"Okay." Zhang Biao reached out and touched the ring. Like a wisp of smoke, he squeezed in with great effort.

"Very good. Come out." Zhang Biao quickly retreated to his original position. Xu Shan hesitated for a moment and said, "This time... Try to see if you can enter my body. Let's start with the hand."

Zhang Biao nodded. The man and the ghost both extended their hands, and their palms overlapped directly. After observing for a while, Xu Shan channeled his spiritual power. Zhang Biao let out a cry, and his hand was sent flying. Holding his hand, he said, "Master Xu, what's going on?"

Xu Shan pursed his lips. It was just as he had expected. As long as he channeled his spiritual power to the corresponding part of his body, he could repel Zhang Biao.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Xu Shan's breathing became slightly rapid, but then he quickly composed himself. "Let's do it again. This time, put your head in. Enter my body and help me find... the spiritual root."