Chapter 2498

This question left Shangguan Biao speechless for a moment, then he stared at it: "You don't hear it? Hah, dare to play dumb and defy me again, I'll flay you alive and hang you on the city walls!"

"Mother Sovereign, my lord, heh heh! Look at yourself, you've even shed your shell! This is no longer your city." The blue leopard demon's tail curled, it glanced at him askance: "A homeless cur, still pretending to be an all-powerful city lord?"

"When I rescued you from Bai Shi Gully, you were covered in wounds, on your last breath—if I hadn't sent people to tend you, you'd have died long ago in that foul ditch!" Shangguan Biao glared at it, "Is this how you treat your savior?"

"Savior? I've served you as a slave for hundreds of years, the debt of saving my life has long been repaid tenfold!" The blue leopard demon sneered, "You usually curse us, beat us, kill us as you please—did you ever think you'd see this day?"

Shangguan Biao's face darkened as he told the demons: "Seize it, I'll richly reward ten pieces of supreme profound crystal!"

The demons exchanged glances, four great demons stepped forward, but they did not take the blue leopard demon as their target, instead pressing closer to Shangguan Biao step by step.

The blue leopard demon flicked its long tail lightly: "Seize you, and we'll have a thousand supreme profound crystals. This account, they'll still reckon it."

As soon as the number "a thousand" was spoken, several demons licked their lips, greed flashing in their eyes.

This kind of light, Shangguan Biao had seen plenty in their eyes usually, but never had it made him feel this chilled.

These dead things, dare to bite their master!

In this city, finding a reliable subordinate is truly not easy.

The blue leopard demon roared its order: "Forward! Kill this evil ghost, and the reward is two thousand profound crystals!"

Over a hundred demons behind it surged at once toward Shangguan Biao.

But the first to strike was actually Shangguan Biao, a red flash and he was before the leopard's head, five claws like hooks, aiming to gouge its eyes.

He had cultivated for several thousand years, long since seen through demons and humans, to break this situation the most direct and effective way was to slay the blue leopard demon and reestablish his authority!

These demons' nature is to bully the weak and fear the strong, greedy for life and afraid of death; as long as he swiftly and fiercely slays their strongest, the demons will crawl back and acknowledge him as master.

This is called "killing to establish prestige"! For several thousand years, Shangguan Biao has wielded it with consummate skill.

Right now he especially needs reliable subordinates; even if we retreat a hundred steps, at least we need usable ones, otherwise we cannot escape Jade Capital City at all!

Even though Shangguan Biao is a soul cultivator and bears grave injuries, his several thousand years of cultivation are no sham; facing the two demons lunging head-on, he neither dodged nor evaded, reached out and slapped them dead, then charged straight at the blue leopard demon.

But the blue leopard demon had vanished from its spot.

It is adept at riding the wind, Shangguan Biao knows its specialty is wind escape, seeing this he was not startled, instead backhanded a whip lash behind him!

Sure enough, a blue light flashed, the blue leopard demon appeared behind him, leapt up, its bowl-sized forepaw grabbing his nape, claw tips like spring blades flashing with a blue-green light.

But Shangguan Biao anticipated the enemy first, this whip lash precisely struck its left shoulder.

Its cultivation is beneath the White Bear King, and it is no match for Shangguan Biao; struck by this lash it was whipped away, its waist nearly broken, the whip mark on its body looked as if smoked and roasted by fire, even faintly showing firelight.

Shangguan Biao's whip could even contend with the Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds, how could the blue leopard demon withstand such force? It cried in pain, scraping its claws on the ground a few times before barely standing.

This old ghost, despite suffering heavy blows, is still this strong?

"Fool, dare to rebel with your meager strength?" Shangguan Biao sneered, "You are not worthy."

Having said that, he shook his whip, the whip hardened throughout, actually transforming into a spear ten feet long.

The blue leopard demon recognized this spear as formidable, it growled low and retreated, the fur on its neck standing on end.

Shangguan Biao heard it shout: "Attack!"

Indeed, a hundred demons attacked from behind, but Shangguan Biao always felt something was off.

He backhanded two whip lashes, slaying two demon beasts, one of them directly whipped until its body exploded, thick fresh blood spraying everywhere, the nearest Shangguan Biao was actually soaked head to toe.

He is a netherworld ghost, has no physical form, logically blood and soil cannot adhere to him. Yet this blood splatter made him feel half his body as heavy as if bearing several thousand pounds of stone, making him sluggish.

Disaster, he has been poisoned by soul toxin!

Taking advantage of his sluggish turn, the blue leopard demon circled from behind, raked his hind leg fiercely, then escaped via wind escape.

This scratch also felt like it struck solid flesh, but what Shangguan Biao felt was not pain, but cold.

The claw wound oozed ice flowers, spreading upward along both legs.

Only then did a voice say: "The Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds may not come from the Nine Netherworlds, but this water from the Hanliu Yin Spring truly can freeze souls."

This voice sounded somewhat familiar.

Shangguan Biao turned his head, and saw Wu Yao!

This heavenly demon was leaping down from above a large stone, his right shoulder strangely sunken.

Earlier in the Void Place, he suffered several heavy blows from the Earth Mother's avatar, his right arm was broken, even part of his clavicle severed, now he is in recovery.

Shangguan Biao hastily withdrew from the Void Place, knowing the situation was lost, intent on fleeing Jade Capital City, yet he had cast his pact with the heavenly demon to the winds.

He glanced at Wu Yao then at the blue leopard demon, realization dawning: "No wonder this beast dares to bite its master, it turns out there is a heavenly god backing it!"

He coldly asked the blue leopard demon: "What price did the heavenly god offer you, that you dare betray me?"

He was angry, but not surprised.

These two heavenly gods have lingered too long in Jade Capital City, inevitably they will lure hearts, sow discord, secretly instigate rebellion.

Shangguan Biao originally thought it would be the Cyclops King and the heavenly god exchanging glances and secret vows, never imagining the true traitor was the blue leopard demon.

"They are far more generous than you." The blue leopard demon licked its claws, "We fought you to the death for Ling Mountain, wanted to ask you for some spirit pills and profound crystals, yet you kept putting us off!"

"During the decline of heavenly and earthly spiritual energy, I also treated you kindly! Your lives were better than those of immortals outside!" Shangguan Biao's face turned iron blue, "Ungrateful wretch! Don't think I don't know, you were already in league with them before the war!"

After Jade Capital City re-entered the world, everywhere was plundered, the obtained profound crystals and supplies seemed plentiful, but in fact even feeding the Earth Mother herself, this great glutton, was a struggle, my own days as Shangguan Biao were tight, where would there be surplus to distribute?

Moreover, this gang of insatiably greedy wretches is never satisfied, give them more and they will only demand more!

Wu Yao grew impatient: "Mother Sovereign, my lord, where are you going? The promised 'Yangguan Dao' hasn't been given to us yet. Being human or ghost, one should still speak some good faith."

"The 'Yangguan Dao' is not in the city." Shangguan Biao saw his expression and felt his heart sink, he would not miss the ill intent in his eyes, yet he kept his composure: "Come with me to obtain it."

Whether demon or heavenly demon, all think of kicking someone when they're down. Hah, these shameless things!