Chapter 31: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, but a Black Hand Lurks Behind

Xue Fuyi has a Water Spirit Root and is extremely close to water spirit energy.

Although there are many blessed lands for water-based cultivation, the purity of the water spirit energy here is comparable to those blessed lands with Spirit Veins.

"Great-uncle, after you retrieve the banner, I would like to cultivate here for a period of time. Is that alright?"

Zhong Yi turned his head to look at her and nodded slightly, "Hmm, why haven't I heard Mei'er's voice at all along this journey?"

Xue Fuyi's expression stiffened slightly, and when she spoke again, it was in the voice of the seductive ghost that Su Xi had struck dead with lightning, "I have been here the whole time, I missed you so much, you old drunkard."

"Shut up! You must not be disrespectful to Great-uncle." Xue Fuyi scolded again.

Su Xi was stunned, 【Er Miao, Xue Fuyi can even perform a ventriloquist act.】

【Exactly the same, let alone Old Man Zhong, even I can't tell the difference.】 Er Miao was also very impressed.

The way Zhong Yi looked at Xue Fuyi became increasingly affectionate, even to the point of being chilling.

Not paying attention for a moment, Su Xi stepped on Chi Jue's long hair.

Chi Jue let out a low, muffled groan.

【Host, you stepped on his hair.】

【Ah?】 Su Xi hurriedly lifted her foot to release it.

Chi Jue continued to walk forward, and Su Xi looked at his thin back, feeling a secret pity in her heart, 【It feels like I'm seeing my own tragic self.】

【He is even more miserable than you, Host. You died in a flash, but he has been imprisoned for at least ten years, living a life worse than death.】

【...】

After turning another corner, an underground river came into view. There were glowing silver fish in the water, and everywhere they swam was bright.

Suddenly, the quietly flowing river water rose without wind, gradually turning into a huge wave.

A pitch-black coffin emerged from the bottom of the water.

"It has begun," Zhong Yi said excitedly, then reached out to Xue Fuyi, "Give him to me."

Chi Jue was like a puppet, tossed over by Xue Fuyi.

Zhong Yi grabbed him, a dagger appeared in his hand, and he slashed Chi Jue's wrist without hesitation.

As the fresh blood entered the river, the pitch-black coffin seemed to smell the blood; it actually drifted toward this side automatically, and all the blood threads were absorbed by it!

As more and more of Chi Jue's blood flowed out, the black coffin began to emit red light, and a dragon-shaped pattern spread across the coffin body.

Zhong Yi became even more excited and said to Xue Fuyi, "Prepare to extract his Soul."

"Yes, Great-uncle." Xue Fuyi raised her hand and reached toward Chi Jue's head.

But her other hand appeared with a Talisman even faster and stuck it onto Zhong Yi's body!

Zhong Yi maintained the excited expression on his face, but his pupils contracted in extreme shock, as if questioning Xue Fuyi.

Xue Fuyi grabbed Chi Jue and tossed him to the side.

Chi Jue slammed hard against the stone wall, and a 'crack' sound came from his chest and abdomen.

Su Xi was also startled by this sudden change, 【Ha! Xue Fuyi is turning against him.】

"The seductive ghost is already gone; you can no longer control me. And I have already successfully completed Breaking the Core and Forming the Infant; you are of no use anymore, Great-uncle." Xue Fuyi's expression was extremely cold, even terrifying.

"No, I can't say you're of no use; your Soul can still be used to sacrifice to the banner." As she spoke, she took the dagger from Zhong Yi's hand and directly severed Zhong Yi's arm; fresh blood sprayed out wildly, splashing onto the black coffin.

The speed at which the dragon pattern spread became faster and faster!

When it finally emerged completely, it actually soared up from the coffin body.

The black coffin exploded at the same time, and a white banner flew out.

After the dragon pattern swirled in the air twice, it dove into the white banner.

The white banner immediately transformed into a Dragon Pattern Banner, which is the Xuanhuang Banner.

At the very moment the Xuanhuang Banner was formed, Su Xi felt as if her Soul was about to leave her body!

She hurriedly steadied her mind and performed a Great Circulation of Thunder Spirit Power to stabilize her Soul.

Xue Fuyi was closest to the Xuanhuang Banner and had an even harder time; the banner was looking to feed, and if it wasn't fed, it would devour the souls of all living beings nearby, including hers.

The fish spirits of some silver fish in the river left their bodies and flew toward the Dragon Pattern Banner.

With an icy expression, Xue Fuyi raised her hand to extract Zhong Yi's Soul.

An aged phantom was stripped from Zhong Yi's body.

Xue Fuyi muttered incantations and threw Zhong Yi's Soul toward the Xuanhuang Banner...

Zhong Yi's Soul let out a scream of extreme terror; that kind of scream had no sound, but Su Xi could hear it very clearly.

The Xuanhuang Banner seemed to have discovered a delicacy; it wrapped its fabric around and swallowed Zhong Yi's Soul!

Taking advantage of the Xuanhuang Banner digesting Zhong Yi's Soul to claim ownership would allow one to control it completely. Right now, it was like a newborn cub, very easy to tame.

Xue Fuyi flew toward the Xuanhuang Banner, reaching out to grab the banner handle.

Just at this moment, the Xuanhuang Banner suddenly disappeared!

Only a gust of air brushed lightly over her jade-like fingertips.

And while she was stunned, Chi Jue, who had been lying on the ground half-dead, also disappeared!

Su Xi stowed the Xuanhuang Banner into the System Space, then stuck an Invisibility Talisman on Chi Jue, and used Teleportation with all her might to leave the tomb.

Xue Fuyi finally reacted; there had been a fourth person here just now!

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; and behind the oriole, there is a black hand.

She chased out after them.

However, the other party's concealment technique was too high, and she couldn't catch up at all.

Standing at the entrance of the tomb, Xue Fuyi's face was livid, her hands quickly forming seals, and gradually a layer of thin ice emerged on the surrounding ground.

And some footprints appeared on the ice layer.

There were hers, Zhong Yi's, and some claw prints of birds and beasts; besides that... there was also a pair of petite footprints that caught her attention.

She walked up to that pair of footprints, removed the thin ice of the footprints, and saw the direction led into the tomb.

She immediately entered the tomb again, continuing to search for the tracks.

Finally, it was confirmed: this pair of petite footprints was indeed the fourth person who had been by the dark river at that time!

"Sneaking around, you won't get away!" Xue Fuyi put away the thin ice of the footprints, her expression growing increasingly cold and fierce.

Su Xi was hiding in a pit a hundred meters away; through the System Map, she saw Xue Fuyi using the Ice Freezing Technique to freeze the footprints, and the pair she had retrieved was indeed hers.

Looking at her own footwear, 【It seems I need to change into a new pair.】

【The host can check the mall; there are many beautiful shoes.】

【Help me pick a pair that is the cheapest and most convenient for movement.】

【These running shoes are very suitable; they are on limited-time sale for only 10 points.】

【I'll take them.】

Su Xi changed into the white running shoes, feeling very light and comfortable.

【What should I do about this?】 Su Xi looked at Chi Jue, who was still in a coma, and draped a cloak over him.

When she ran away at the time, she didn't know how she had ended up saving him on impulse.

【Host, as long as you gain his trust, you can obtain points, just like with the master-disciple recognition.】

【Right, how could I have forgotten that.】

Su Xi immediately took Chi Jue and used Teleportation to reach the sky, flying toward the distance.

Finally, she stopped at a mountain village, found an unoccupied abandoned house, and brought Chi Jue inside.

Chi Jue slowly woke up, saw Su Xi meditating and practicing, and asked aloud, "Who are you?"

Su Xi finished her practice and met his silver-purple eyes; a look of amazement flashed uncontrollably in the depths of her eyes, "So beautiful."