Just as Han Changqing was falling into utter despair, believing that they were both destined to end up in the beast's stomach today...
In the next instant, the massive body of the Third Realm demon beast stiffened midair before it could even reach them.
Immediately after, its immense blood qi and demonic power seemed to be subjected to a terrifying devouring force, and its body withered away at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In just two short breaths, the bear-like Third Realm demon beast was reduced to a shriveled husk that collapsed to the ground, before even that husk crumbled into ash and scattered across the floor.
A streak of dark light flashed and sank back into Su Yueli's shadow.
Su Yueli felt somewhat helpless and shook her head inwardly. “Xiaohei, I hadn't even made a move yet.”
A deeply aggrieved protest immediately echoed in her mind.
It was simply starving.
Su Yueli had been in seclusion for too long, and Xiaohei had been cooped up inside without a chance to come out. Consequently, her Martial Soul hadn't made much progress either.
Originally, Su Yueli had planned to wait until she completely broke through to the Fourteenth Realm and perfected her physical body before refortifying her Martial Soul. She hadn't expected this little fellow to get so desperate from hunger.
Standing behind her, Han Changqing stared with wide eyes, his mouth open so wide it could swallow an egg.
His voice trembled. “Y-Your Excellency! Wh-what is going on?!”
A genuine Third Realm demon beast had vanished, mysteriously shriveling up before it could even launch an attack?!
Su Yueli's expression remained unchanged as she calmly replied, “It is fine. That is my weapon spirit.”
A weapon spirit?!
Han Changqing's mind went completely blank as a loud buzz rang in his ears.
What kind of weapon spirit could swallow a Third Realm demon beast whole in one bite?!
This was simply too terrifying and utterly unheard of!
Amidst his shock, Han Changqing also felt a sudden wave of realization.
No wonder! No wonder Senior Su had been completely fearless from the very beginning!
In his eyes, even if a martial artist cultivated to an extremely high realm, it was still very difficult to gain an advantage against demon beasts of the same or higher tier.
Yet Senior Su actually possessed a terrifying weapon spirit capable of instantly obliterating a Third Realm demon beast. This had to be the senior's true trump card!
Unaware of the wild assumptions running through Han Changqing's head, Su Yueli stepped over the pile of ash on the ground and walked straight into the depths of the stone cave.
The interior of the cave was quite spacious. Floating above a rocky crevice right in the center was a fist-sized, crystalline mass of intertwined black and red minerals.
The mineral core was surrounded by a dense, malevolent aura. This was precisely the target of her journey: the Earth Meridian Fiend Astral Essence.
With a casual wave of her hand, Su Yueli swept the Earth Meridian Fiend Astral Essence into her storage bag.
Having obtained the item, she felt a slight trace of surprise in her heart.
She hadn't expected it to be this easy...
Although this place was remote and hard to find, for a core material of a Grade Eight elixir, it was guarded by only a single Third Realm mid stage demon beast. She had truly struck gold.
That demon beast had probably guarded this place for many years out of desire for the treasure, but hadn't dared to swallow it. Otherwise, given the overbearing malevolent aura contained within the Earth Meridian Fiend Astral Essence, the beast would have exploded and died in a matter of minutes.
“Let's go.” Su Yueli turned and walked out of the cave.
“Ah? Y-Yes, of course!” Han Changqing snapped back to his senses and hastily agreed. He quickly trotted to catch up, his attitude now thrice as respectful and cautious as before.
...
Meanwhile, at the Han residence in Luochuan City.
At this moment, the main gates of the Han residence had been violently blasted open. The courtyard was in complete disarray, littered with blood and broken weapons.
Han Zhen, the patriarch of the Han family, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Covered in wounds, his chest heaved violently as he retreated to the front of the main hall.
Behind him, several Han family elders also looked pale and weak, their auras extremely diminished.
Opposite them, the Zhao family patriarch led over a hundred elite guards, surrounding the Han family members in tight layers.
“Han Zhen! I advise you to stop resisting!”
The Zhao family patriarch laughed maniacally, his eyes filled with viciousness. “Today, your Han family is destined to be wiped off the face of Luochuan City!”
Han Zhen gripped the long saber in his hand and spat angrily, “You old scoundrel! If you do this, are you not afraid of angering our Han family's honored guest, Senior Su?!”
“Senior Su? Hahahaha!”
The Zhao family patriarch sneered repeatedly, as if he had just heard the most hilarious joke. “At death's door, and you still rely on that ignorant female martial artist? She dared to rashly barge into the depths of Cangji Mountain. By now, she has probably already been turned into beast dung!”
With that, the Zhao family patriarch turned toward a middle-aged man standing behind him. He bowed deeply, his attitude subservient to the extreme.
“Immortal Master, the culprit who murdered your esteemed disciple and ruined my son is none other than the demoness recruited by this Han family!”
“Now that she has entered the depths of Cangji Mountain, she is surely dead without a grave! As long as you help us annihilate the Han family, our Zhao family will present any clues she left behind with both hands!”
The middle-aged man wore a grey Taoist robe. Hovering half an inch off the ground, he stood suspended in the air, his body radiating a suffocating spiritual pressure.
This person was a peak Fourth Realm cultivator! He was the master of the Second Realm cultivator whom Su Yueli had casually swatted to death earlier.
The Taoist looked down upon the Han family from above, his gaze as cold as if he were looking at ants.
He was highly disdainful. Although his disciple was useless, he was still a cultivator after all. To die in Luochuan City, a place gathered with mundane martial artists, was undoubtedly a slap to his face.
As for the woman who killed his disciple... since she had dared to enter the depths of Cangji Mountain seeking her own death, her bones were likely already gone.
However, destroying this Han family was a simple matter of convenience, and it would serve as a perfect display of his authority.
Feeling the terrifying pressure radiating from the Taoist that far surpassed any martial artist, Han Zhen felt utter despair in his heart.
A peak Fourth Realm cultivator... this was simply not a power that mundane martial artists like them could resist!
Han Zhen gritted his teeth and transmitted his voice weakly to his two daughters behind him, “Ling'er, Yu'er! In a moment, the elders and I will fight to the death to hold them back. Find an opportunity to escape through the back path! Run as far as you can. You must not die here!”
Han Qingling gripped her longsword tightly, her eyes filled with unyielding resolve. “Father! I'm not leaving! If we must die, I will die with the Han family!”
The image of Su Yueli lightly clenching her fist and turning the Second Realm cultivator into blood mist on the official road flashed in her mind once more.
Han Qingling was gambling, desperately clinging to the last shred of hope in her heart—as long as they could hold out until Senior Su and the Grand Elder returned, the Han family still had a chance!
But looking at the hovering peak Fourth Realm immortal master before her, waves of despair and doubt inevitably rose in her mind. Could Senior Su... really return safely from the extremely perilous depths of Cangji Mountain?
Beside her, Han Yu's eyes were already red from crying, but she still gripped her clothes tightly and sobbed softly, “Father, Sister... Sister Su is very powerful, she definitely won't die! She will definitely make it back to save us!”
“Struggling in vain, seeking your own death.”
The hovering Taoist snorted coldly. He slowly raised his right hand, and a glow of spiritual magic condensed in his palm.
“Kill them! Leave none alive!” the Zhao family patriarch roared, waving his hand viciously.
Rate on N.U.
