With a flick of his wrist, two metallic hooks, tethered by a rope, collided once more. The sound, which was once as delicate as cicada wings, suddenly shifted in tone. The sound itself was overlooked, replaced by an indescribable, intense vibration in the void, changing in a thousand ways in an instant, targeting all living beings, creating a shockwave.
This was the Hook Rope that Yu Ci had obtained in the Ghost Beast Cave. Although its origin was unknown, the vibration produced by the collision of the two hooks could directly impact the Divine Soul.
Neither Nan Songzi nor Yu Ci could escape it.
In that moment, Yu Ci almost coughed up the Heart-Tugging Horn. The changes in the impact of the Hook Rope were ten times more complex than those of Nan Songzi. Even with his experience and preparation, Yu Ci almost couldn't withstand it. In his perception, the invisible barrier protecting his Divine Soul twisted and deformed in this instant, full of holes and on the verge of collapse.
Just now, in order to achieve the maximum effect, he had not held back when using the Hook Rope!
Fortunately, Nan Songzi's reaction was even worse than he had imagined.
In Yu Ci's eyes, Nan Songzi's Yin Spirit State was a faint, colorless phantom with a few glaring black spots. The Life-defining Yin Demon that enveloped it was shrouded in red smoke. The colors of the two were sharply contrasted and clearly delineated. However, when the two hooks collided in succession, the colors of the two suddenly became blurred.
Then there was a piercing scream.
It was not a cry from either Nan Songzi or the Life-defining Yin Demon, but a simultaneous shriek from both. These two incorporeal beings were using this method purely as a release. The intense emotional impact exploded from their intertwined screams, the emotions were extreme chaos and anxiety!
This twisted mixture of smoke was right before Yu Ci's eyes. At this moment, it was as if he was witnessing two beasts tearing each other apart. These two had completely forgotten their original target, their representative colors eroding each other, desperately fighting for control, as if they harbored deep hatred.
In fact, this thought was not wrong.
Years ago, Nan Songzi was driven to the ends of the earth by the Jade Purification Alliance and eventually had to flee across the Cang River to settle in the south. It was then that he accidentally obtained a fragment of the "Five Aggregates Yin Demon Sutra". This demonic scripture had some history, the demonic powers and evil methods recorded in it were extremely powerful, but also incredibly dangerous to practice. Especially the "Five Aggregates Yin Demon", which he had cultivated using the Peach Blossom Tent as a foundation, slaughtering dozens of female cultivators with spiritual power, extracting their Yin essence and blood, and after their horrific deaths, their fierce souls and spirits, mixed with the Heart Demon's Evil Energy in his own Divine Soul, were refined one by one.
Such a ferocious entity, even if its intelligence was completely obliterated, its instinct would remember such a blood feud. However, because it was controlled by a powerful curse technique, this resentment could only accumulate deeper, making the Yin Demon more powerful, thereby achieving a spiraling upward refining step.
Such a method of "feeding the demon with one's own flesh" was naturally fraught with danger. Though Nan Songzi was a man who could be ruthless, he had only managed to refine three such demons after dozens of attempts. When he summoned the Peach Blossom Tent, hundreds of illusory images emerged from within.
However, one of these demons was absorbed into his body at Nanfrost Lake, enhancing his strength. But as his physical body shattered, so too did this demon dissipate into smoke. Another demon was used to perform the Possession stance and was blasted into ashes along with the Demons by Elder Jie Liang. As for the last demon, the "Life-defining Yin Demon", which was most closely linked to his Divine Soul, he could no longer bear to part with it. Yet, under the impact of the double hooks and the effect of the "A Dream to Return" potion, it had aroused its primal ferocity, intending to turn on him.
But then, a purple light emerged from the chaotic colors.
Yu Ci saw this light, suppressed his dizzy and nauseous feeling, tightened his grip on the Pure Yang Talisman Sword, and focused on the changes in the smoke.
The newly appeared color did not make the colors more chaotic. The purple color did not mix with any other color, it just emanated from Nan Songzi's Yin Spirit. The light was gentle and not blinding, its expansion was not fast, but the two colors of smoke mixed together began to peel apart under the light.
The Life-defining Yin Demon let out a low roar. Although it had no intelligence, it instinctively detested that thing. When it came into contact with the purple light, it wanted to avoid it, but it was unwilling to give up on the "great enemy" and the delicious food at its mouth.
Conflicts arose from different instincts, causing the Life-defining Yin Demon's aggressive erosion to pause, and Nan Songzi's momentum to rise abruptly. Thanks to the effect of the True Purple Smoke Warm Jade, his consciousness became clearer. He no longer engaged in ugly and dangerous biting and erosion with the Yin Demon, but instead repeatedly activated the Curse technique, intending to suppress it using the control Talisman pre-set in the Life-defining Yin Demon.
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The Life-defining Yin Demon struggled madly, but under the double attack of the True Purple Smoke Warm Jade and the pre-set Talisman, even if it could still cause damage to Nan Songzi's Yin Spirit, it was gradually diminishing.
Nan Songzi, who had just recovered from his shock, was still apprehensive about that strange Hook Rope: "What on earth is that thing!"
He was already an expert in Illusion technique, but he was still caught off guard when the double hooks collided and the shockwaves spread. Especially the countless Illusionary Appearances that sprang up in an instant, provoking his anger and resentment, made him break out in a cold sweat just thinking about it. But then again, how could he sweat when he was in this state?
At this thought, he suddenly wondered, where had the fleshly body he sought to possess gone?
Before the thought could fully form, Sword Energy roared.
Amidst the fog born from the Illusion array, Yu Ci's figure, ethereal and elusive, broke through the air and lunged with a sudden thrust of his sword.
"Young fool!"
Nan Songzi had just recovered from his frenzy, seeing this, he sneered, "If your Sword Energy could harm my Yin Spirit..."
Before his words could fully take root in reality, the fog-like Sword Energy had already pierced his Body of the Yin Spirit. Not a trace of force fell on his Yin Spirit or any other place nearby. Instead, it dispersed and reassembled, forming a sharp bundle of Sword Energy, striking heavily at the core where purple light was diffused.
A strike with all his might!
Yu Ci did not know what the source of the purple light was, but his instincts, honed over many years on the brink of life and death, told him that this was his chance, a chance that could turn the tide!
Nan Songzi, of course, had the most meticulous protections for the most crucial items like the True Purple Smoke Warm Jade. But just now, he had been mindlessly tearing at the Life-defining Yin Demon, and then exerting his full strength to suppress it with a curse, mobilizing all his power, including the Forest of True Evils protecting the Warm Jade. Now, in the rush, the True Evils recoiled. Even if they were powerful, how weak could the Sword Energy driven by Half Mountain Mirage be?
The combination of Half-Mountain Mirage Sword Intent and the "Imitation Primordial Qi" mentioned by Elder Jie Liang had the greatest effect of instantaneously achieving a high level of lethality that was incredibly close to a Golden Elixir cultivator!
The stream of Sword Energy clashed with the True Evils, producing a resonating hum. At this point, the disparity in Cultivation Level between the two sides was revealed. The immense shock force was transferred from the Pure Yang Talisman Sword into his arm, then spread throughout his body. Yu Ci's figure was thrown backward uncontrollably.
At this moment, Nan Songzi suddenly realized that he had made an unforgivable mistake!
He should never have allowed the Sword Energy and the True Evils to clash at such a critical position. Perhaps he could have locked the True Purple Smoke Warm Jade within his Yin Spirit under the impact of the Sword Energy, but the material of the Warm Jade was not sturdy. It could not withstand the collision of the two great forces.
But now, it was too late to understand.
Where the Sword Energy and the Forest of True Evils collided, the purple light was intense. This was the reaction of the True Purple Smoke Warm Jade under the impact. Sensing trouble, Nan Songzi instinctively chose to let go of the Jade between the risk of losing it forever and temporarily letting it out of his grasp. He released the restraint to dissolve the collision force. Almost at the same time as Yu Ci was thrown, the purple light shot like a meteor in the opposite direction, bouncing several times on the ground before coming to a halt more than ten feet away. Only heaven knew if it had been damaged.
Upon separating from the Warm Jade, the newly restrained Life-defining Yin Demon let out an ecstatic shriek.
In response, seeing that the Warm Jade might have been damaged, Nan Songzi truly flew into a rage, disregarding the imminent threat. The Yin Spirit around him churned violently, black light suddenly appearing and transforming into an almost imperceptible aura in the void. It quickly pursued the still floating Yu Ci.
Yu Ci was still unable to control his body, but his acute sense of danger remained intact. As his gaze swept across, the calm expression he had always managed to maintain changed.
"God Slaying Sting!"
The aura broke through the air with incredible speed. Yu Ci had no preparation for this, but even if he had, how could he face the most venomous "hidden weapon" in the cultivation world, the God Slaying Sting?
In that moment, Yu Ci could only react in the most basic way—raising his arm to shield his chest, covering his vital points.
A muffled thud echoed, and Yu Ci felt a shock through his arm, followed by a burning sensation, as if it had been scorched by a fierce fire.
He had been hit!
At this time, Yu Ci's momentum finally exhausted, he had been thrown seven or eight zhang away, sliding a certain distance after landing. He felt as if his internal organs were on fire, already suffering from internal injuries. But compared to the arm that had been hit by the God Slaying Sting, this injury was nothing.
Imagine Meng Wei, whose Dao foundation was still unstable. Despite her genius, after being hit by the God Slaying Sting, her Golden Elixir almost shattered. How could Yu Ci compare to her?
Yu Ci pressed his right hand against his left arm... huh?
His hand felt burning hot, but it wasn't his flesh that was hot, but a metal disk hidden in his sleeve—the Divine Bronze Mirror! His arm had only been roasted by its heat, which was why he felt a burning sensation.
Not only that, but his muscles and meridians were not damaged at all, only some obstruction due to internal injuries. The legendary lethal move, "Reverse the meridians, stop at the aperture," showed no signs of invading his body.
Blocked it? The "God Slaying Sting" that could disperse aura, change instantaneously, and break through all physical defenses had been blocked?
Yu Ci pulled out the hot Divine Bronze Mirror, looking at its unchanged exterior, unable to comprehend.
At this time, he heard a very strange tone:
"Bastard, I'll destroy you..."
It was Nan Songzi's voice, followed by an even more piercing scream from him: "Don't eat me!"
The eerie tremor in the voice made even a brave man like Yu Ci feel a chill down his spine.
With the effects of the two treasures activated in succession, Brother Fishbone's concept should really change. Yes, for the sake of the treasures, please support by bookmarking and voting.
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e