Chapter 941: The Hunt

Boom!!

The lid of the pitch‑black ancient coffin burst open, and a rotting, terrifying aura surged out like a tide. Yan Buji's hair stood on end, and he instinctively fled wildly, but the aura clung to him like a shadow, locking onto him!

"Who... destroyed my Dao Hall..."

A hoarse voice echoed from the coffin, as if a demon that hadn't spoken for ten thousand years finally awoke. Then a phantom figure drifted out, an old man clad in a tattered Dao robe, his face gaunt, yet his eyes burned with a pale green soul‑flame.

"Ancient soul cultivator?!" Yan Buji's heart jolted.

Though the old man retained only his primordial spirit, his aura was so strong it far surpassed the pinnacle of Refining Void, and even hinted at the pressure of the He Dao Stage!

"Young one..." the old man's soul‑eyes turned, fixing Yan Buji, "Your body... carries the aura of Soul‑Burying..."

Yan Buji's heart leapt, and he instinctively gripped his black sword. The sword, obtained from a secret realm stone tablet, was named "Soul‑Burying", and he hadn't expected it to be linked to this old monster!

"Senior, you misunderstand!" Yan Buji forced down his panic, bowing and saying, "The one who destroyed the secret realm is someone else; I am also a victim!"

"Lies!" the old man suddenly roared, his soul‑flame surging, "Your body... still bears my disciple's resentment!"

Disciple?

Yan Buji suddenly realized, Zhang Xungui!

"Damn it!" he muttered, and without hesitation turned and fled!

"Trying to run?!" the old man let out a fierce howl, his gaunt soul‑hand sweeping, the collapsed secret‑realm space suddenly solidified, countless soul‑chains shot out from the void, coiling toward Yan Buji like poisonous snakes!

"Break!" Yan Buji roared, swinging the Soul‑Burying sword, the jet‑black blade cleaving through swaths of soul‑chains. Yet more chains surged forth, and in the blink of an eye they tangled his limbs!

"Ah!" As the soul‑chains entered his body, Yan Buji felt his primordial spirit being gnawed by countless ants, pain nearly causing him to faint. He frantically activated the Swallow Desire Pot, pouring its lustful thoughts to continuously cleanse himself! The black light of his Soul‑Burying sword flared, shattering the soul‑chains outright!

"Desire Great Vehicle?!" the old man's soul‑eyes narrowed, then he grew even more enraged, "You thief! Harmed my disciple, destroyed my Dao Hall, today I will refine your soul for ten thousand years!"

Yan Buji dared not linger; seizing the brief gap, he fully powered the Soul‑Burying sword and the Looming Needle, cleaving the secret‑realm barrier with a single slash and leapt out!

Boom—!

A earth‑shattering explosion roared behind him, and the entire secret realm collapsed completely. Yan Buji didn't look back, turning into a streak of black light and fled wildly.

He was drenched in blood, his primordial spirit wounded, and even the Soul‑Burying sword dimmed slightly.

"That old monster is at least half a step into He Dao..." he thought, startled.

No, that Lao Gui is probably not just half a step into He Dao; he might even be a remnant soul of a Great Vehicle Stage cultivator. Otherwise, even though I'm gravely injured now, the gap in realms wouldn't be so small that I couldn't muster any resistance!

If he were at his prime, he might still have been able to hold his own, but after a life‑or‑death battle with Zhang Xungui and then being devoured by soul‑chains, his combat power now is less than a tenth of what it was; he could never match that ancient soul cultivator!

Swoosh!!

A pale green soul‑light shot from behind, its speed astonishing!

Yan Buji hurriedly dodged, the soul‑light brushed past, and instantly corroded his left arm into bone!

"Ah!" he muttered low, gritting his teeth and continued to flee.

"Thief... you can't escape..." the old man's voice, like a festering wound, echoed through the void.

Cold sweat beaded on Yan Buji's forehead as he frantically searched for a plan. Suddenly, his gaze fixed; a hundred li ahead lay a crimson lake!

"Blood‑Murder Lake!" a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

It is a notorious deadly place in the Zanghun Shanmai, where the blood‑murder aura can corrode the primordial spirit; ordinary cultivators avoid it. Yet now, it is his only chance of survival!

"Old thing, if you have the guts, come after me!" Yan Buji snarled, suddenly accelerating toward the blood lake.

"Seeking death!" the old man roared, the soul‑light's speed increasing threefold.

At the instant the soul‑light was about to catch Yan Buji, he plunged fiercely into the blood lake!

Hiss!

Blood‑water churned, and the terrifying murderous aura instantly seeped into his whole body. Yan Buji endured the excruciating pain, channeling his power to draw the aura into the Soul‑Burying sword. The blade hummed, beginning to absorb the blood‑murder energy!

Fortunately, Yan Buji's spirit and flesh were unified, allowing his mortal body to bear part of the damage to his primordial spirit.

"Hm?" the old man halted on the lake's surface, his soul‑eyes clouded with indecision.

This blood‑murder aura is extremely harmful to the primordial spirit; even he would not dare to tread lightly.

"Thief... you think this will let you live?" he sneered, his gaunt hand forming a seal: "Soul Sacrifice·Ten Thousand Ghosts Devour the Heart!"

Boom!

The lake surface erupted, countless blood‑colored ghost hands shot up from the water, crazily clawing at Yan Buji!

"Damn it!" Yan Buji cursed inwardly. That old monster could actually control the vengeful spirits of the blood lake!

He plunged desperately, but the ghost hands followed like shadows. Just as they were about to seize him, the Soul‑Burying sword quivered violently, a jet‑black blade flash erupting on its own, slashing all surrounding ghost hands!

"Sword spirit awakened?" Yan Buji was both shocked and delighted.

"Hmph!" on the lake surface, the old man's expression darkened, "Soul‑Burying recognizes its master? Good... very good..."

He suddenly raised his hand, a droplet of pale green soul‑blood hovering at his fingertip.

"With my soul‑blood... I summon the Nine‑Nether Gate..."

Heaven and earth suddenly changed color!

Above the blood lake, a gigantic nether gate slowly opened, and countless fierce ghosts wailed from within. A terrifying suction burst forth, causing the entire blood lake to spin, forming a massive vortex!

"?!"" Yan Buji was horrified, his color draining.

It seemed to be some ancient soul‑path forbidden technique, capable of forcibly seizing living souls! Yan Buji, now deep at the lake's bottom, was powerless to resist the suction!

"Old thing... this is because you forced me!" Yan Buji's eyes flashed with madness, and he suddenly bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of refined blood onto the Soul‑Burying sword.

"With blood, sacrifice the sword... Soul‑Burying... open the heavens!"

Clang!!!

The sword's roar shook the heavens!

A jet‑black, ink‑like sword light shot skyward, cleaving the nether gate cleanly in two!

Maintaining his momentum, he struck straight at the old man's primordial spirit!

"What?!" the old man shouted in shock, hastily forming a soul shield to block.

"Boom!"

Sword light collided with the soul shield, a terrifying energy storm sweeping all directions. The blood lake evaporated more than half, surrounding mountains collapsed, and heaven and earth lost their color!

Taking the opportunity, Yan Buji shot out from the lake bottom, fleeing without looking back.

"Little thief...... I will surely kill you......"

The old man's furious roar echoed behind him, but his voice was clearly much weaker. Obviously, that sword strike also inflicted heavy wounds on him.

Yan Buji dared not linger, burning his essence blood in a frantic escape.

In this battle, he exhausted all his trump cards, gravely wounded and near death, but he managed to save his life.

"Zhang Xungui...... ancient soul cultivator......"

A cold light flickered in his eyes.

This debt will be settled sooner or later!