A piercing shriek forced the words back down his throat. From the Curse Sword Conch Shell in his hand, a ghostly blue electrical fire burst forth, enveloping him, causing his body to convulse uncontrollably. Unable to utter a word, he loosened his grip, letting the conch shell fall into the dust.

Just as he suspected! Yu Ci was a bit surprised, but mostly relieved. He had noticed earlier that the position of the Curse Sword Conch Shell was different from when it was dropped by the leader, which had made him hesitate. It was fortunate that he had, otherwise, it would be him now, his hair standing on end from the electrical shock.

And so, that female cultivator...

With a thud, the person kicked the Curse Sword Conch Shell in frustration, sending it flying more than ten yards away. Seeing this, Yu Ci snapped back to reality, wasting no more time, he took advantage of the situation and retreated. Within two breaths, he was already a thousand feet away.

Anyone who wouldn't get angry at this point was no man. The man's face darkened, "You dare to trick me? Don't blame Mister Xiao for being ruthless!"

In the midst of his roar, he made no move, but the void was already filled with crisscrossing Sword Energy. Yu Ci could feel that the other party's Sword Energy was quite strange. Each sword formed a ring, spinning at high speed, with a strong corrosive force converging inward. If one were to be cut or trapped by the high-speed rotating sword ring, their limbs would be torn apart!

The clanging sound rang out beside him. The Xi Guang Sword in Yu Ci's hand had lost its form, turning into a thin misty sword circle, perfect and flawless, extending ten feet around him. This was originally the "Flawless Sword Circle" he had learned from Meng Wei. After more than four months in the mountains, Meng Wei had personally instructed him, making his defensive power even stronger.

The opponent's sword rings flew and interweaved like a storm, pushing the sword circle to shrink. In a blink of an eye, it had shrunk by more than half from ten feet in diameter. Yu Ci was also blown half a mile away by the powerful impact, but the opponent's sword rings could never break through to the inner layer.

A sudden whistling sound filled his ears, and the storm of sword rings stopped abruptly. Yu Ci swept his cold eyes around, only to see the ground where he had been forced to retreat was corroded, and the air was filled with a strong acidic smell, making the air sizzle.

Yu Ci no longer retreated, standing with his sword, nailed to the ground like a post. As for his opponent, he was standing on the small mound where Pang Ji had been killed, looking down from above. After a round of fierce attack, the Treasure Sword was nowhere to be seen. He was flexing his fingers, seemingly still recovering from the pain of the electrical burn.

At this moment, he was staring at Yu Ci, the Ghost Eye Blood Pattern on his forehead was bright red and seemed to be dripping. There was a light flowing within it, as if a ghost had opened its eyes:

"Flawless Sword?"

Flawless Sword was Meng Wei's nickname, praising the female cultivator's strong defense and flawless swordsmanship, and also implying her strict discipline, making her impeccable in her actions. The man called out this nickname, obviously seeing through Yu Ci's background. To this, Yu Ci remained calm and composed.

The man didn't need Yu Ci to confirm, merely stating solemnly, "Good, very good! Truly a rising star of the Lichen Sect... Your rise to fame begins now, and I give you the chance to announce your name!"

Yu Ci looked at him, not responding immediately, but slowly sizing him up from head to toe. Each shift of his gaze caused the angle of his Xi Guang Sword to subtly change, triggering the movement of countless auras. The two men were not currently locked in a sword fight, but they were both focused intently on each other. The only difference was that the man's cultivation level was superior, and his sword energy, even at this distance, still posed a tangible threat. Yu Ci, with his weaker cultivation level, could only use his sword aura to protect himself.

After a long standoff, Yu Ci finally spoke in a deep voice, "Yu Ci of the Lichen Sect would also like to hear your name?"

The man was clearly taken aback, "You don't know who I am?"

Should I? Yu Ci didn't voice this thought, but merely chuckled with a hint of mockery.

The blood mark on the man's forehead was even more vivid. He stared at Yu Ci for a long while before nodding, "I am Xiao Fuyun."

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He didn't mention his sect. Judging by his demeanor, it wasn't that he was deliberately hiding it, but rather his fame was so great that he didn't need the backing of a sect. Unfortunately, Yu Ci's understanding of the cultivation world was still quite limited. Xiao Fuyun's posture was like casting a flirtatious glance at a blind man.

This time, Yu Ci didn't need to make a special response. Xiao Fuyun's face was a mix of red and green. Finally, he exhaled, looking much calmer, "You said your name is Yu Ci, Yu Ci..."

His voice grew quieter, as if he was trying to remember Yu Ci's name. Just as Yu Ci was puzzled, a thunderous roar suddenly echoed in his ears:

"Yu Ci!"

This was Xiao Fuyun calling his name. At the sound, Yu Ci shuddered, his muscles visibly trembling before he froze on the spot. Xiao Fuyun watched closely, then bellowed again, "Yu Ci, Yu Ci, come out now!"

This move was called "Soul-Hooking Ghost Wail", a combination of Soul-Shaking Technique and Sound Slaying Secret Method. Those with weak wills might have their divine souls forcibly pulled out on the spot, causing severe damage. As for those who could withstand the sonic attack, most of them were still shaken, and Xiao Fuyun had his own ways to deal with them.

He laughed heartily, pulling out a small, delicate purple clay pot, only slightly larger than a fist. At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary tea utensil. However, the knob on the pot's lid was carved with a pair of intertwined, embracing ghostly figures. The rim of the lid was punctuated by nine needle-sized holes, from which tendrils of smoke were currently wafting.

Yu Ci stared blankly, his body rigid, eyes wide. Seeing his reaction, Xiao Fuyun gently caressed the purple clay pot in his hand, chuckling, "Young one, your ability to draw out my precious pot means your death was not in vain. I will collect your Divine Soul into this 'Chaos Nine-Hole Soul-Scattering Smoke Pot', give it a good welcome, and vent the world's cultivators' anger. Let's see how your Lichen Sect will continue to monopolize the Eastern Marquis Tomb!"

He habitually raised his tone, while lifting the knob of the lid, chanting a Curse Sound. The smoke billowing from the nine holes instantly transformed into a fishing net, cast outwards.

Watching the smoky net traverse a mile's distance, descending upon him, and yet Yu Ci remained dazed and foolish, not knowing to dodge. Xiao Fuyun declared, "The deed is done."

The most formidable feature of the Chaos Nine-Hole Soul-Scattering Smoke Pot is its ability to refine bewitching smoke that captures souls. Its design is unique, and with its ten layers of heaven and sixty-four levels of refining, even a Vacuum Walking Cultivator would be caught off guard, let alone this youngster who hasn't even formed a Golden Elixir. Once the smoke passes over the body, the youth's Yin Spirit will be involuntarily manipulated. Xiao Fuyun already began to ponder what means to use to pry out the location of the Eastern Marquis Tomb as swiftly as possible.

However, the next moment, his face subtly changed. He turned his head to look into the distance, only to see lightning flashing across the horizon. Amidst the rumbling thunder, beneath the Thunder God Mask, a female cultivator in armor appeared in the void, standing above the wasteland. Her tall, voluptuous figure radiated a heat as intense as fire, causing Xiao Fuyun to squint.

"Hmm... The Heavy Weapon Sect?"

Xiao Fuyun's sect held considerable power in the north, and their intelligence was reliable. He knew that in recent years, in the North Wilderness Territory, a Heavy Weapon Sect had been growing rapidly. Its Clan Leader was enigmatic, and the cultivators under his command all wore heavy-armored magic weapons, a distinctive trait. Of course, in his eyes, the Heavy Weapon Sect was but a small fry; a mere word from him could wipe them out. What he was interested in, however, was the eerie blue electric light emanating from the female cultivator's heavy armor.

This object, it looks so familiar!

Beneath the visage of Lei Gong, the female cultivator seemed a bit surprised, uttering, "The 'Peerless Benevolence' Xiao Fuyun?"

Xiao Fuyun laughed heartily, "Benevolence is our pursuit, but I'm too modest to accept the title 'Peerless'. Ha, this Daoist friend seems unfamiliar. Have we met before?"

The female cultivator no longer spoke, her gaze swept over the distant Curse Sword Conch Shell, paused on Yu Ci, then without another word, she flicked a golden light into the high sky. It was visible for dozens of miles under the dim clouds.

Xiao Fuyun was taken aback, his face changed. He felt that a person with a cultivation level no less than the female cultivator was flying towards him at high speed. His sharp eyes had already seen that the female cultivator had reached the Initial Stage of Golden Elixir, and the heavy-armored magic weapon on her was also extraordinary. He would not fear such a person alone, but with one more, trouble would ensue.

On any other day, he wouldn't mind, but now he was determined to extract the location of the Eastern Marquis Tomb from Yu Ci. How could he tolerate any distractions?

A thought crossed his mind, and he made a ruthless move, "Soul extraction, not for Yin Spirit but for Remnant Soul... Gather for me, Spirit Confusion Smoke!"

The smoke condensed into a net that enveloped Yu Ci. His body went limp and fell. Xiao Fuyun was first overjoyed, then his face changed. At the same moment, a string of "crackling" sounds echoed in the air, pulling out a whip tens of feet long, whipping the air with such sharpness that it was impossible to ignore.

"Who dares to touch the person that the Heavy Weapon Sect wants!"

Xiao Fuyun wished he could curse out loud: Wretched woman, which eye of yours saw me touching him... Damn it, where is Yu Ci's Remnant Soul?

With a heart full of confusion and rage, he dodged the electric whip and hurriedly turned to look, only to see Yu Ci's figure falter again, disappearing into the ground, leaving no trace.

The horizon was filled with dark energy, another Golden Elixir cultivator finally arrived, silent, ready for action.

My Eastern Marquis Tomb! Xiao Fuyun was furious, the rune patterns on his forehead bulged out at their brightest red, like angry ghost eyes, shaking one's soul.

"Seeking death!"

...