Chapter 1000: with translation of chapter title

The entire Yao Tian was filled with yin killing qi; wherever the Nirvana flame passed, everything ignited, tongues of fire incessantly licking outward in all directions…… but this situation did not last long.

The black qi filling the entire Yao Tian suddenly all rapidly swept toward the Lingdie Valley direction, continuously compressing.

Not long after, that area became completely indistinct.

Even the Nirvana flame was wrapped in the black qi; occasionally a tongue of fire would stretch out from within the black qi, only to vanish again the next moment.

At this moment, other parts of the Yao Tian also had black qi slowly drifting up from beneath the ground, as if endless.

Xiao Jiu quickly figured out what was happening before her.

The opponent could not extinguish the Nirvana flame, but she first gathered the existing yin killing qi in the Yao Tian, rushing toward the Lingdie Valley in a short time; on one hand cutting off the Nirvana flame's path to continue expanding outward, and on the other hand, a large amount of yin killing qi enveloping the Nirvana flame was also continually consuming its Mana.

After all, the Nirvana flame shot out by Feng Wu still differed in mana from the Nirvana flame within the Nirvana flame domain.

However, this is not a major problem; the Nirvana flame burning away that black qi is merely a matter of time.

Now the biggest problem is that the black qi does not disappear just because it has been burned away.

Its roots are lodged beneath this land; as long as Tang Yaocao remains, it will continuously emerge.

Wildfire cannot burn it all out; the spring wind blows and it grows again.

Xiao Jiu no longer bothered with the newly emerged black qi.

Since she had made up her mind, she would not hesitate to destroy everything in the Yao Tian to force Tang Yaocao to reveal herself; thus she would go all the way!

The Nirvana flame burned a path for Xiao Jiu; Xiao Jiu locked onto the Lingdie Valley direction and rushed straight there.

In the Lingdie Valley, wings suddenly fluttered, and a large swarm of Ghost King Butterflies flew out.

Each Ghost King Butterfly was the size of a man's palm, layered upon layer, countless in number.

Xiao Jiu held a long bow, aiming ahead; each time she drew it fully and shot, several Ghost King Butterflies would instantly turn to nothing.

At the moment the Nirvana flame, wrapped in layers of black qi, burned forth, a tearing-through-space sound suddenly rang out.

Xiao Jiu furrowed her brows, instinctively wanting to dodge.

Just as her foot began to move, she stopped again.

No, cannot retreat.

The newly appeared black qi around had already become very thick; every gap Xiao Jiu tried to dodge through, the opponent could possibly repeat the same trick to buy time.

Xiao Jiu did not dodge; she merely stopped, her ears twitched, she held her breath and focused, precisely locking onto the direction from which the tearing-through-space sound came.

That sound came from far to near, and in an instant it was right at hand.

Xiao Jiu raised her right hand, firmly grasping it at a distance of only a few centimeters from her brow.

It was a long needle as thick as a chopstick, icy cold throughout; the moment Xiao Jiu seized it, she knew what it was.

Earlier, she and Liu Junyan had basically inferred that Tang Yaocao was not an untimely death; her cause of death was likely the same as that of the girl nailed to death in the ritual circle.

Therefore, what Xiao Jiu had seized was likely the very weapon used to nail Tang Yaocao to death back then.

But before Xiao Jiu could examine that long needle, it actually vanished within her hand.

Xiao Jiu frowned.

Xiao Jiu suddenly laughed again.

She had not encountered such a formidable opponent in a long time.

Indeed.

The appearance of the Ghost King Butterflies indicates that Tang Yaocao had already been a Ghost King–like entity long ago.

Now, she has almost completely 'sucked' dry the Seven Halls Yama.

The merit, cultivation, spiritual power, etc., of the Seven Halls Yama are existences far beyond what ordinary cultivators can aspire to.

Having received nourishment from the Seven Halls Yama, Tang Yaocao's growth over these years must have been rapid.

If nothing unexpected happens, by continually cultivating while treading on the Seven Halls Yama, she should ultimately be able to become an immortal, right?

To defeat such a formidable opponent, one either needs ruthless means or must wage psychological warfare.

Xiao Jiu seized the moment when the opponent retracted the long needle, and suddenly shouted toward the Lingdie Valley: "Tang Yaocao, stop struggling needlessly; you have gone into demonic deviation, and if you persist in obstinacy, how long do you think before the heavenly thunder that judges you will strike?"

"I know, you are a pitiful person; you want to avenge yourself, you do not want to be dragged into an abyss by your own obsession; before encountering the Seven Halls Yama, you alternated between being immersed in water and fire and repeatedly saving yourself from water and fire, step by step arriving at today—no easy feat."

"I know, you have a contract with the Seven Halls Yama; he failed to fully fulfill it, which is his fault, but he once had his memories altered, also being compelled……"

"Compelled? Hah…… hahahaha……"

Sure enough, under Xiao Jiu's relentless psychological pressure, Tang Yaocao finally could not hold back and spoke.

"Back then, when he wanted to save his beloved, he threatened and lured me without mercy; now a single phrase 'compelled' can betray the contract and cast me into an abyss."

"Since he lacked the ability to fulfill the contract, he should never have dragged me into this in the first place! All of this is his own doing!"

"Yes, all of this is indeed his own doing, but now that he's dead, what benefit does it bring you?"

Xiao Jiu coaxed: "If the Seven Halls Yama dies, your contract will be completely void; the impact on you will be great—you know this better than I; you two are like grasshoppers on the same rope—if one suffers, the other cannot remain unscathed."

Upon saying that, Xiao Jiu had expected to further provoke Tang Yaocao's emotions, but she did not expect Tang Yaocao to suddenly fall silent.

This eerie silence made Xiao Jiu's heart go cold, her intuition warning her.

Sure enough, after a brief silence, Tang Yaocao burst into a string of laughter: "How can you be certain he's dead, and that it must be a bad thing for me?"

Xiao Jiu's heart gave a sudden jolt.

Then Tang Yaocao continued: "Back then, I was still too naive; even though I was already a regional Ghost King, I remained unsatisfied, wanting to achieve perfection and ascend to immortality; but now it seems, for someone like me, no matter how arduous or sincere, what good would it do? If the higher realms do not acknowledge you, you will suffer endless hardships and accomplish nothing."

She paused, then raised her voice sharply: "If from beginning to end I will never be acknowledged, why must I cling to this path to the bitter end? Can't I pursue Ghost Cultivation? Even if I have gone into demonic deviation, demonic cultivation…… is not impossible……"

Mad.

Tang Yaocao was truly driven mad.

"Demonic cultivation'—such words she could utter; who gave her the courage?"

No!

Xiao Jiu suddenly realized what it was…… the inner elixir!

Even if all Merit, Xiūwéi, Spiritual Power, etc. are exhausted, the inner core of the Seven Halls Yama remains.

He is none other than one of the Ten Yama of the Nether Realm, the Seven Halls Yama!

Obtaining his inner core, at least on the path of Ghost Cultivation, Tang Yaocao will surely have smooth sailing……