While Yu Ci was merely feeling bothered on this side, the situation at the White Sun Mansion was on the brink of madness!

"Run, run, run, that's all you know... Have the guts to face me in a duel, you spineless, worthless creature!"

Huang Tai was livid, his face distorted with rage as he cursed into the boundless fog. His usual leader's composure was long cast into the abyss. The surge of anger caused his face to flush, highlighting the inch-long scar on his forehead, making it even more prominent.

This scar was a memento from his only direct confrontation with Yu Ci yesterday.

Given Huang Tai's middle-stage nature-connecting cultivation level, his well-trained subordinates, and the sinister "Thousand Bee Instrument" magical instrument, he should not have been injured. However, he was taken aback by Yu Ci's fierce and ruthless swordsmanship during their first encounter.

At the time, Yu Ci was dealing with a battle formation of twenty-five warriors, while Huang Tai was preparing to use his magical instrument for a decisive strike. Yet, Yu Ci managed to break through the warriors' defense with his powerful sword energy, charging forward to decapitate him with a life-for-life strategy.

This distraction allowed Yu Ci to penetrate Huang Tai's central palace. Thankfully, his higher cultivation level and the potential of his Yin Spirit allowed him to retreat in the nick of time, or the consequences would have been more than just a wound.

Taking advantage of the opening created by his dodge, Yu Ci made his escape, leaving Huang Tai almost spitting blood in fury.

At this point, Huang Tai also realized that the wound inflicted by the sword energy was not as ordinary as it seemed.

What appeared to be a superficial scratch, akin to a scrape from a tree branch, had indeed been penetrated by strands of sword energy. Even though it didn't reach his brain, the chilling cold hidden within still made his scalp tingle. Nearly ten hours had passed, and underneath his hot-headed anger, it felt as if a chunk of ice was wrapped around his flesh, a chilling coldness sinking down and blocking his chest, even freezing his heart.

"This sword energy is damn sinister!"

The more uncomfortable he felt, the more irritable Huang Tai became. Thinking about it, he had not even utilized thirty percent of his strength in the battle, yet Yu Ci had easily escaped, and he had suffered a loss. He had lost face completely, how could he not be angry, how could he not hate?

The surrounding warriors all lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.

Yesterday's battle was not just a disgrace to Huang Tai, but also to the warriors. Four of them were lost, two of whom were killed by Huang Tai's out-of-control "Thousand Bee Instrument", their deaths too gruesome to behold.

Now, the morale of the group had plummeted to an all-time low.

Liu Siwei watched Huang Tai vent with cold eyes, knowing that some things had to be said, "We absolutely cannot continue chasing like this."

Huang Tai, not recognizing who spoke, glared in response. Seeing it was his own partner, he suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "What do you mean, old Liu..."

"Let's withdraw early! From yesterday's battle, we have already collected his vital essence imprint. As long as we return and ask Elder Tu to take action, under the effect of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Soul Locking Technique, even if he ascends to the heavens or burrows into the earth, he will not escape our grasp."

Upon hearing this, Huang Tai was displeased: "We've come this far, who can withdraw? Elder Liu, you say we should not pursue, and let that bastard make a mockery of us?"

"We pursue, and that's exactly what would make us a laughing stock!"

Liu Siwei raised his voice considerably: "Look at what we've been doing these past few days? How many Birds of Prey have we encountered along the way? He's alone, a small target, he can leave if he wants to. We, a group of people, can't even hide. How many times have we fought this stifling guerrilla war?

"He was able to gather Fish Dragon Grass in the Sky Rift Valley, he must be extremely familiar with this place. Perhaps these past few days, he's been deliberately leading us in circles within the Sky Rift Valley. The question is not whether we can catch him, but whether we will be dragged to death by him!"

"Bullshit!"

Huang Tai could no longer suppress his anger, roaring like thunder: "We have more than twenty people, taking turns on duty, there's always a two-hour break in a day. That little bastard is alone in the valley, who is there to keep watch for him? If anyone is to be dragged to death, it's him, not us!"

The warriors all bowed their heads lower, Liu Siwei retorted with a cold laugh: "You have time to rest, what about me? These past two days, you've been pushing me, I've used the 'Three Calls in One Breath' technique eight times just to barely lock on to his tracks. This is a major drain on my Primordial Qi, even if I stop now, it will take one or two months to recover. Have you ever thought about that?"

Huang Tai was stunned, Liu Siwei's words followed:

"Even if I could hold on a few more times, the Soul Search Mirror is not omnipotent. The previous uses of 'Three Calls in One Breath' have exhausted Old Ding's Remnant Soul within the mirror. Yesterday, we replaced it with one of our own souls, but how long can that last? Speaking of it, we do have an imprint..."

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Huang Tai waved his hand impatiently: "We've been chasing him down the valley for two days with twenty or so people, all for a single imprint. It's embarrassing to even mention it. In my opinion, we should continue the chase. That little bastard must be running out of tricks, using the same Sword Energy again and again. He can only launch five... no, three swords at most, then he'll be a sitting duck!"

"But you have to let him launch three swords first. The fact now is, he's determined to hit and run, his familiarity with the terrain amidst the surrounding mists is beyond comprehension..."

"You're boosting his morale..."

"Damn you, Huang!"

Liu Siwei was really angry now: "Don't play dumb, you're afraid of getting a scolding from Elder Tu, but don't let your brothers risk their lives to cover your mistakes! What's a piece of cake for Elder Tu, for us, it's a matter of life and death! How many more lives do we have to throw in to finish him off?"

Huang Tai was furious, Liu Siwei not only defied him but also incited the surrounding warriors, this was insubordination, a crime deserving of death!

Of course, what was more important was that Liu Siwei's words had indeed struck him at his most vulnerable spot. Despite the Mansion Master's admonishments, he had rashly sent out Lu Ding, Si Long, and others to capture their target, resulting in their complete annihilation. This was undoubtedly an unforgivable mistake. If he could not promptly capture and kill Yu Ci to atone for his sins, what awaited him upon Tu Du's arrival would be far more than a mere demotion.

Liu Siwei, now reckless and shameless, laid bare his personal ambitions without any regard for the consequences. Regardless of the outcome of the current situation, his reputation within the mansion was bound to be tarnished.

"Damn fool..."

Before he could finish the sentence, Huang Tai's eyes widened in surprise. A figure had swiftly passed under his gaze! A moment too late, the stifled groans of dying guards echoed from the perimeter. Someone cried out:

"He's here!"

Pushing aside the interfering man, he nearly shoved Liu Siwei off the cliff. Huang Tai didn't care about that at the moment, his eyes wide as he peered into the fog, but he could see nothing. In his desperation, he roared:

"Where the hell is the Soul Search Mirror?"

Liu Siwei, too, was startled by the sudden passing figure, but seeing Huang Tai's attitude, he coldly responded:

"The effect of the 'Three Calls in One Breath' just passed, we have to wait at least another half an hour!"

Huang Tai was almost grinding his teeth, shooting Liu Siwei a fierce glare, then turned around and barked, "Chase him!"

Even though Huang Tai's authority was greatly diminished, his orders were still not to be disobeyed. Most of the warriors rushed down immediately. However, Liu Siwei did not move, nor did the two men loyal to him. One of them asked in a low voice:

"Steward, how do we handle this situation?"

"Follow them, and watch. The Soul Search Mirror was useless when it mattered, and it's even more useless now! Damn, this Yu Ci sure knows how to seize an opportunity, just at the right moment. He wasn't like this a few days ago..."

Shaking his head, Liu Siwei held the Soul Search Mirror and jumped down. The landing spots nearby had all been calculated in advance, and with his two subordinates guarding him, there should be no problem. However, if he knew the fate of three Nature-Connecting Initial Stage Cultivators who had formed a similar formation a few months ago, he would have been more cautious.

In the fog, a cold light suddenly appeared.

In an area beyond Liu Siwei's awareness, it was as if the river of time had flowed backward. Several months ago, there had been a man with a cultivation level similar to Liu Siwei's. He had also jumped down, his body suspended in the air; he was also completely unguarded, with a sword suddenly thrusting at his vital points; he was even similarly weakened, not in his usual state. The only difference was that the swordsman, having learned sword aura and Primordial Qi from Ye Bin, had his strength increased by multiples!

Liu Siwei only had time to show surprise on his face before the sword aura penetrated his neck.

The sword aura was too fine, like a handful of sand mixed into his throat. The "sand" seeped into his chest and piled onto the crown of his head, tearing everything it passed into shreds.

"That imbecile Huang Tai!"

This was Liu Siwei's last conscious thought.

Yu Ci emerged from the mist, meeting head-on with the personal guards who had leaped down from behind. As they turned aghast, he thrust his sword, piercing directly into a guard's abdomen. His sword energy destroyed the guard's internal organs, cutting him down on the spot, allowing only a single scream to escape. Yet, he did not immediately withdraw his sword. Instead, he used the weight of the two bodies to drastically slow his descent, reaching the steward Liu before making any movements. Only then did he withdraw his sword and fled with the momentum.

He did not spare a glance for the man below who had just reacted.

Relying on his initial impression, after a chase of more than five miles, Huang Tai's mind gradually calmed down. He realized that continuing like this would only bring him more humiliation and no benefits. After all, hunting down Yu Ci relied on the Soul Search Mirror. Without Liu Siwei's cooperation, he was no better than a blind man.

Unfortunately, the two had just had a falling out. It wasn't easy to patch things up once the damage was done.

At that moment, he heard a scream from the side, near where he had just landed.

His body jolted, his hair standing on end. Without a second thought, he turned and retreated. Just as he leaped three feet away, he heard a rush of wind above him. He instinctively dodged to the side and saw a vaguely familiar corpse, shrouded in mist, plummeting down.

Then, another one!

This time, Huang Tai finally recognized the face of the corpse. He was startled and quickly reached out, managing to catch the falling body. The shockwave reached his chest, leaving him breathless, but that was no longer important.

"Steward Liu!"

Someone nearby called out. However, Steward Liu could not respond. His expression of shock was clear, but it was frozen on his face. There was no sign of life, only a thin red line across his throat.

Huang Tai's mind went blank for a moment, then he suddenly snapped back to reality and roared, "Where's the Soul Search Mirror? Where is it?"

An experienced warrior stepped forward to investigate. He lifted Steward Liu's still-warm hand, and Huang Tai's anger and strength were instantly drained.

The Soul Search Mirror was gone, and so was the Storage Ring.

A scream echoed from above, "He's here, he's here, Steward Liu was killed by him, killed..."

"Damn your ancestors!"

Huang Tai suddenly exploded. He roared and swung his sleeve, and with a hum, thousands of sharp needles that were as blinding as fire tore through the mist, shooting towards the direction of the scream. Countless tiny explosions sounded as the fire needles collided with the rocks, and then... the scream subsided.

The remaining dozen warriors were as silent as cicadas in winter, daring not to make a sound. Huang Tai also fell silent. After a while, he staggered forward, chuckling eerily. In the spine-chilling laughter, he waved his hand, "Let's go, all of you, go to hell!"

With that, he started climbing upwards, not towards the scene of the incident, but straight up, never looking back.

************

Once again, what a great supporting role, why doesn't any reader want to play such a part? Also, starting from the next chapter, we will enter the full layout phase. In the name of the overall situation, please click and collect!

I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e