Chapter 83: Yan Xiao, You Better Wait, You Bitch (6k)

At that moment, facing Yan Xiao’s words, the woman on the bed laughed louder.

“Who am I? How could anyone easily kill me? Time really flies—decades have passed already. When we first met, you threw black dog’s blood at me. So, judging by your current state, your cultivation must have deepened further?”

Yan Xiao awkwardly rubbed his nose. “That was all nonsense back then, but it seemed to work on you at the time. Of course, now I’m no longer the same—I’ve joined a sect, have an excellent Master, and great Senior Brothers and Sisters. By the way, this is my Junior Brother, and these are my brothers.”

Yan Xiao quickly pulled Zhou Qing forward to the bedside.

“Oh? A handsome young man!” The woman’s expression turned sultry.

Zhou Qing smiled awkwardly.

He didn’t know whether to greet her or not—what exactly was this thing?

Friend or malevolent spirit?

Yan Xiao sat down beside her. “No way—you’ve been alive this long and still haven’t cultivated a physical body?”

The woman sighed. “Gave up. That cultivation method was flawed—it nearly killed me. Now I’m considering possession, but my luck’s been terrible. A few years ago, I got caught by a severely wounded Jin Dan cultivator and nearly had my soul scattered. Now I have to start over from scratch.”

Yan Xiao nodded. He finally understood—otherwise, how could she be reduced to possessing an ordinary human and draining their life essence?

“Uh, my wife—”

Seeing them chatting endlessly, Shi Chuan couldn’t help but remind them.

Yan Xiao snapped back to reality, face flushed with embarrassment. “Sorry, got carried away. So, can you leave this body? She’s been drained almost dry.”

The woman immediately shook her head. “No. I’m going to oppose you.”

Yan Xiao suddenly stood up, a smirk on his lips. “Fine. I knew you’d still be the same. Do you know what realm I’m in now?”

“What?” Seeing Yan Xiao’s suddenly hostile gaze, the woman felt a chill of dread.

The next instant, a terrifying spiritual sense and pressure locked onto the woman.

Her face turned pale with disbelief.

“Jin… Jin Dan?”

Yan Xiao waved his index finger side to side, smug. “No—specifically, Jin Dan Great Perfection. Right now, I could crush you with one finger. No need to run from you like before… wait, I ran from you.”

The woman was still dazed, unable to believe what she saw.

“Why not just reincarnate? It’s exhausting living like this—and possession harms the Dao!”

Yan Xiao picked up a talisman casually.

The woman snapped out of it and screamed in panic. “No no no, Brother Hu, don’t joke! We’re old acquaintances—no need to fight to the death!”

Yan Xiao chuckled.

“I think it’s necessary—after all, it’s you dying, me living!” He stepped closer with the talisman again.

The woman shrieked. “Stop! Don’t you remember? Once, when I had the upper hand, you called me Sister Tao and I let you go. Now I call you Brother Hu—how can you repay kindness with betrayal?”

At these words, everyone turned to stare at Yan Xiao.

Yan Xiao’s face flushed rare red. He glared fiercely. “Don’t slander me! I’m Yan Xiao—upright, honorable, a true man! How could I ever bow to a malevolent spirit like you?”

“Yes yes yes, I misremembered!” the woman hurriedly said.

Pfft—

Lu Yaoyao couldn’t help laughing. Zhou Qing coughed lightly and nudged her with his elbow.

She instantly put on a serious face.

Yan Xiao whirled around to face the group.

Everyone turned their heads away, pretending they hadn’t heard.

He turned back to the woman. “Fine. Heaven favors life. If you help me with one thing, I’ll spare you.”

“What kind of help?” The woman’s eyes lit up instantly.

Yan Xiao said, “When I came, I thought you were just an ordinary malevolent spirit, so I planned to use a secret technique to search through my vision. But now I see it’s unnecessary—such techniques harm the body.”

“And you appearing here isn’t coincidence. Tell us—where is the Blood Tai Sui?”

Hearing Yan Xiao’s words, the woman’s face changed. “You know about the Blood Tai Sui?”

“What do you think we’re here for, brothers? Show your weapons!” Yan Xiao said.

Instantly, several True Disciples behind them unleashed their spiritual pressure.

When the woman sensed they were all Jin Dan cultivators, her face turned even paler.

Clearly, if she couldn’t offer something valuable, she was doomed.

“You have five breaths,” Yan Xiao said.

Without hesitation, the woman blurted out: “There is indeed a Blood Tai Sui in Qingmu City. I was among the first to arrive, but I saw it in another abandoned city over three hundred li away, devouring all yin and evil energies. Its pressure was roughly early Jin Dan.”

“I’m not like those mindless spirits—I hid immediately. When I saw it again, it had reached Jin Dan Great Perfection—just like the pressure you just released.”

But that was a month ago, and back then, six human elites surrounded it—each at least at the Jin Dan stage.

Hearing this, everyone’s expressions turned grim.

Its transformation was too fast.

At this rate, wouldn’t it now have reached Nascent Soul?

“Then why are there still so many malevolent spirits around? From what I know, they’re perfect nourishment for the Blood Tai Sui!” Yan Xiao pressed.

The woman replied: “Because during that time, another powerful malevolent spirit arrived—no, precisely, a yin spirit that had developed self-awareness. Its aura was immense, and it could control other malevolent spirits. I’d guess it’s either Nascent Soul, or just one step away.”

“They fought. Then the Blood Tai Sui vanished—likely hiding to gather strength. The yin spirit settled in the abandoned city to recover. These surrounding spirits? Its eyes, searching for the Blood Tai Sui.”

“That’s all I know. I truly don’t know where the Blood Tai Sui is!” the woman hurriedly added.

Everyone hadn’t expected another sentient yin spirit—this gave them a crucial breakthrough.

Such a potent yin spirit? The Blood Tai Sui would never let it go—it would seek to devour and refine it. But the yin spirit thought the same.

So now, they had a perfect chance to play the fisherman.

“You’re sure?” Yan Xiao stepped closer again with the talisman, his expression sinister.

The woman screamed in terror. “True! I swear it!”

“Look at you, scared silly. I, Yan Xiao, always keep my word. Go. Don’t harm ordinary people again!”

The next moment, Yan Xiao stood straight, retracting the talisman.

Li Shitao let out a long breath, thanked him repeatedly. Then a wisp of black mist emerged from the woman’s forehead and vanished swiftly into the night.

Yan Xiao turned and clapped his hands. “Unexpected gain this time. Now the situation’s clear—”

“Third Brother, behind you—”

Before Yan Xiao could finish, Zhou Qing pointed behind him.

Yan Xiao turned, confused—and saw black mist above the woman’s head twisting into a line of small characters.

【Yan Xiao, you bastard, wait till I get you—this isn’t over!】

“Damn it!”

Yan Xiao cursed and spun around to chase after it.

Everyone exchanged glances, stifling laughter.

Mo Xingjian covered his face in disbelief.

“Let’s go check out that ghost city,” Mo Xingjian suddenly whispered to Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing nodded slightly, then asked curiously: “Master, what about Third Brother…?”

Mo Xingjian hesitated. “Before I met him, he made his living as a charlatan—pretending to be a spirit medium. He somehow picked up a low-grade cultivation manual and learned it well enough to fool ordinary people. I saw he had talent and wit, so I took him as my third disciple.”

Zhou Qing understood. No wonder.

Soon after, Yan Xiao returned, grumbling.

Clearly, he hadn’t caught it.

Everyone wisely avoided asking. Lu Yaoyao even secretly stuck out her tongue at Zhou Qing.

Shi Chuan’s wife now stirred weakly awake, making him cry and kiss her in joy.

The group soon departed, heading to the lodging arranged by the city governor.

The next day, Zhou Qing suggested Yan Xiao visit the ghost city.

After brief thought, Yan Xiao agreed. He had nothing better to do, and finding the Blood Tai Sui wouldn’t happen overnight.

Might as well visit its birthplace—perhaps clues would surface.

The group set off. Yan Xiao warned: “Stay alert. That yin spirit dwells there. But since it’s sentient, it should know better than to provoke us.”

Everyone nodded.

About two hours later, an ancient, long-abandoned city appeared before them.

A decaying, sinister aura washed over them, making their breaths catch.

From above, the entire city was swallowed by weeds—wildly growing, hiding collapsed houses beneath, leaving only broken walls standing alone.

Shop signs along the streets had fallen, their characters faded beyond recognition, barely hinting at past prosperity.

Inside the shops, goods lay scattered—some gnawed to shreds by rats, others buried under dust and spiderwebs.

Deeper in, thick shrubbery emerged, gnarled branches twisting and entangling with surrounding trees, forming a gloomy thicket.

Occasional cold winds swept through, bringing bone-chilling cold that made them shiver.

Lu Yaoyao covered her nose and mouth, nervously glancing around.

Because inside the houses, even the thickets, bleached human bones littered everywhere—and dark shadows occasionally flashed past.

They were the malevolent spirits lingering here—or rather, the eyes of the fully formed yin spirit.

【Ignore Point +1】

As Zhou Qing walked cautiously, alert to every corner, a long-absent voice suddenly echoed in his mind—he felt a surge of joy.

He instinctively glanced at the others ahead.

Yes, they are Jin Dan realm, and now they’re in a tense, chaotic multi-person environment—everything fits.

Especially Master, who seems to be observing the surroundings with full attention.

Good, good, excellent!

Zhou Qing began deliberately moving toward a blind spot, trying his best to avoid drawing attention.

[Ignore Point +1]

[Ignore Point +3]

…………

At that moment, Yan Xiao Hu, who was walking ahead, suddenly made a stop signal.

Everyone immediately went on guard.

At this point, even Zhou Qing and the others could smell a nauseating stench of decay.

“Ahead!” Zhou Qing suddenly spoke.

As everyone cautiously advanced, a massive pit appeared.

When they saw what lay inside, their brows tightened.

Lu Yaoyao turned away and vomited against the wall.

Inside the pit lay countless corpses, twisted and sprawled in all directions; their limbs contorted, postures varied, but clearly, their faces still bore expressions of terror and agony as they died.

Bloodstains had long dried into dark, muddy brown, blending with the soil.

A foul odor continuously emanated from the pit, making one vomit; the pit walls were crawling with wriggling white maggots.

Judging by the degree of decay, these ordinary corpses had been dead no more than two months.

“It was these evil spirits that did this!”

Like sacrifices dumped here, combined with what Li Shitao had said, everyone understood now—this was the nourishment the sentient yin spirit needed to restore itself.

In an instant, rage burned in everyone’s hearts, their eyes brimming with killing intent.

“Everyone be careful!”

At that moment, everyone suddenly noticed that the surrounding evil spirits had multiplied drastically, surging from all directions and surrounding them completely.

These evil spirits varied in form, but mostly existed as black mist, exuding a nauseating stench.

Yan Xiao Hu and the others tightened their hearts, immediately back-to-back, watching the evil spirits with vigilance.

But in the next instant, the evil spirits ahead suddenly parted, clearing a path.

Immediately, a more powerful evil spirit appeared.

It was large in stature, radiating a thick stench of blood, its red eyes glinting with eerie light.

“Nascent Soul realm!”

When they saw the infant flame burning atop the evil spirit’s head, everyone’s hearts tightened.

They hadn’t expected this yin spirit had already evolved into Nascent Soul realm—this was going to be difficult.

Remember, Jin Dan and Nascent Soul are qualitatively different; even if all of them combined, they could barely match it—never mind the countless evil spirits surrounding them.

“Careless!” Yan Xiao Hu cursed inwardly. From the intel, this yin spirit should’ve been only pseudo-Nascent Soul, matching his own cultivation.

Even if it had gained sentience, it was nowhere near human intelligence.

Anyone with half a brain wouldn’t dare attack a group like this.

Zhou Qing glanced subtly at his Master, feeling a wave of reassurance.

[Ignore Point +2]

[Ignore Point +4]

[Ignore Point +3]

…………

Prompt tones kept sounding; Zhou Qing’s spiritual power surged rapidly, ready to strike at any moment.

Yan Xiao Hu also swiftly assessed the most advantageous battlefield terrain.

“Humans, I know why you’ve come here. We can cooperate—afterward, we split the Blood Tai Sui fifty-fifty, how about it?”

The next moment, the yin spirit spoke in human language, its voice low and sinister.

Zhou Qing and the others were stunned—they hadn’t expected this yin spirit not only refrained from attacking, but proposed cooperation.

But could they trust it?

Leaving aside how credible it was, the pit before them held over a thousand human corpses under Taiqingmen’s protection.

They were all watching now.

Zhou Qing drew his broken sword, faint lightning arcs rolling along its edge.

He stepped forward, voice resolute: “Third Brother, I’ll support you—we can definitely break out.”

He had his Master here—he had nothing to fear.

What he feared was that Third Brother might pretend to compromise to protect them, only to be looked down upon by Master.

After all, Master had wanted to beat up Third Brother for days now.

This journey was both protection for them as brothers—and a test.

Yan Xiao Hu stared at the corpses in the pit, fists clenched tightly.

A broadsword slowly materialized.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing quietly exhaled in relief.

Behind him, Mo Xingjian’s eyes flickered with approval.

Sometimes, certain things cannot be surrendered—they are the bottom line of being human.

The others, seeing this, quickly took their assigned positions—years of cooperation had forged this unspoken understanding.

“What are you staring at? Are your eyes swollen so badly you can’t even read the situation?” A True Disciple kicked Mo Xingjian sharply in the backside.

Mo Xingjian instinctively clenched his hands, then quickly relaxed them, unsure where to stand.

At this moment, Yan Xiao Hu transmitted a mental message to everyone: “Everyone, a hard battle is coming—remember, don’t get bogged down. It’s not that we can’t win, but this thing is too valuable to destroy.”

Everyone nodded in understanding.

“Cooperate with a piece of trash like you? Dream on!”

Before Yan Xiao Hu could speak, a shout erupted from behind.

Instantly, a figure in black robes appeared, hovering in midair.

In his palm, a blazing flame rose—not ordinary fire, but a strange, eerie blue, flickering as if countless mysterious runes danced within.

Then, the black-robed man sneered at Zhou Qing and the others, flicked his arm, and the blue flame surged like a roaring dragon straight toward the yin spirit.

The yin spirit, seeing this, roared in fury and retreated.

Simultaneously, wherever the flame passed, the evil spirits burst into flames and exploded into ash.

“Little brats, what are you waiting for? Charge!” The black-robed man grinned at Zhou Qing and the others, then turned and fled.

“Cangyan Dao Palace!”

Yan Xiao Hu and Zhou Qing shouted the name almost simultaneously.

They’d followed after all—and had the patience to strike at this exact moment.

“We’ve been waiting for you,” Mo Xingjian snorted, immediately giving chase.

Yan Xiao Hu, seeing this, shouted anxiously: “Old Ox, are you crazy? Come back!”

Roar!

Zhou Qing was about to reveal the truth to Third Brother, when the enraged yin spirit charged forward with a scream.

The dense swarm of evil spirits howled toward them.

“Fall back while fighting!” Yan Xiao Hu shouted, raising his long blade and charging the yin spirit.

“Two of you protect Zhou Brother and Lu Sister; three of you turn rear into front and quickly carve a path; the rest stay ready to support the boss!” The seven remaining Jin Dan True Disciples instantly deployed their strategy.

“You’re underestimating me!” Lu Yaoyao shoved aside the True Disciple blocking her, drew her long sword, and charged forward.

The others hurried to shield her on both sides.

Facing these evil spirits, Zhou Qing had planned to immediately unleash the first form of the Cang Lei Sword Art—combining lightning and sword techniques, perfect for suppressing evil spirits.

But how would he explain it to Master afterward?

Some things, he still preferred to keep low-key.

Watching Lu Yaoyao cut through the evil spirits with grace, Zhou Qing felt a surge of heroic spirit—he sheathed his broken sword, drew a regular longsword, and charged forward.

“Get out fast—don’t get trapped in a war of attrition!” Zhou Qing shouted to the others.

After all, Third Brother couldn’t hold out much longer, and Master’s return was uncertain—even if he returned, would he still hide his identity to fish?

“Understood!” Several True Disciples, watching their boss overwhelmed by the yin spirit and countless evil spirits, gritted their teeth and pushed outward at top speed.

Countless evil spirits screamed in agony and dissolved under their near-unstoppable advance.

But the dissipated yin energy was greedily devoured by other evil spirits, making them stronger.

After fighting their way to the center of the ghost city, a more furious roar echoed from behind.

“Humans, I’ll tear you into a thousand pieces!”

As the yin spirit’s roar faded, Yan Xiao Hu and three True Disciples flew toward them, pale-faced, eyes blazing with excitement and madness.

“Damn it, I thought I was crazy enough—I barely chopped off one of the yin spirit’s arms, but Li Shitao’s even crazier! Who knows how long he’d been hiding? He grabbed the arm and just ate it raw and ran!”

Yan Xiao Hu began cursing loudly.

“Third Brother, are you alright?” Zhou Qing rushed forward as Yan Xiao Hu landed.

Yan Xiao Hu shook his head: “Get out fast—these things multiply the more we kill, and they grow stronger by devouring each other. I can’t fathom why the Blood Tai Sui draws so many evil spirits.”

“Boss, we’ve got to charge upward—we’ll carve a path, you hold the rear!” one of them gasped.

Yan Xiao nodded, then swiftly scanned the surroundings, his face grim. “By the way, where’s Old Ox? Did that guy just lose his mind? He went off alone chasing the Cangyan Dao Palace people.”

Everyone immediately shook their heads, faces filled with worry—they still hadn’t seen Niu Guangmo.

Zhou Qing hurriedly said, “Third Senior Brother, actually, Niu Guangmo is…”

“Watch out!”

Before Zhou Qing could finish, Yan Xiao shoved everyone behind him.

Without warning, a vast sea of crimson mist surged forward like a blood-red sandstorm, carrying an indescribable stench of rot.

Many malevolent spirits enveloped by the mist immediately let out piercing screams before vanishing.

“How laughable—we thought we’d be the yellow bird, but turns out they got here first as the fisherman.”

Yan Xiao spat on the ground, then looked up at the sky.

Above, the air was thick with swarming malevolent spirits and dense crimson mist.

The enraged yin spirits behind them had now caught up.

They were caught between wolves ahead and tigers behind.

(End of Chapter)