If it were a Fake Pill Zhenren, why would he ambush him?

"Damn it." Qi Guan Mountain immediately prepared to summon the Three Ghosts for protection, but a sudden outbreak of corpse qi from behind, accompanied by a terrifying soul-capturing power, shook his very soul into trembling. This terrified him to the point he dared not call back the Three Ghosts and swiftly used a life-saving technique to flee.

The Soul Capturing Technique was a bane to Yin Ghosts, and summoning back the Three Ghosts would undoubtedly be a death sentence. Besides, there wasn’t enough time to retrieve them before the soul-capturing power descended, so Qi Guan Mountain had no choice but to use his last resort, the Divine Deceit Body-Swapping Technique.

This technique allowed him to instantly swap places with a Divine Deceit Substitute within five hundred miles, but the substitute would fall into the opponent’s hands. It was a life-saving method he had cultivated over thirty-seven and eight months.

But the Three Ghosts had been drawn away by Feng Jue, and one of his strongest killing moves, the Inconstant Demise Technique, couldn’t be interrupted immediately, preventing him from focusing on performing other ghost techniques. He had no choice but to use the Divine Deceit Substitute to protect his soul and life.

"Damn, how did I end up encountering a corpse cultivator with late-stage Foundation Establishment spirit body cultivation, who also practices the Soul Capturing Technique?" After swapping places with the Divine Deceit Substitute, Qi Guan Mountain found himself in a cave more than four hundred miles away. It was a place he had scouted before, deeper within the Traceless Mountain Range.

The original plan was to obtain something that might exist in the Ancient Evil Cultivator’s Cave Mansion, allowing him to immediately escape using this technique.

Because as soon as that item appeared, the Golden Core Cultivators in the Divine Fall Mountain Range would immediately sense it. The Tier Three Great Demon that might exist in the Traceless Mountain Range would also do the same, so the quicker he left the Ancient Evil Cultivator’s Cave Mansion, the safer he would be.

"Using it without gaining anything, damn it," Qi Guan Mountain cursed repeatedly, ghostly energies surging around him. However, just as he was seething with anger, he suddenly felt something strange about the invasive corpse qi within him.

It was devouring his Yin Technique and ghost aura within him, at an extremely rapid pace, heading towards his Dao Foundation.

"Damn it!"

Qi Guan Mountain hurriedly tried to suppress it with ghost qi, but the ghost qi he sent was like delivering meat to the mouth of a starving Great Demon.

"Damn it!"

"What is this corpse qi!"

...

Meanwhile, Wen Jiu looked at the Ghost-faced Stone Statue before him but did not immediately try to collect it, because he sensed an aura similar to that of the Yin Spirit Stone Statue, which made him somewhat uneasy.

After perceiving that the corpse qi mark within Qi Guan Mountain had fled hundreds of miles away, Wen Jiu was not surprised. He merely marveled that a top-tier late-stage Foundation Establishment ghost cultivator had such a powerful life-saving technique.

"Absolute Spirit Corpse Qi entered his body; your Yin Technique and ghost aura will be quickly devoured, and even Yin Spirit Stones cannot be used. Let’s see how far you can escape." Anticipating that Qi Guan Mountain would have life-saving methods and would have made preparations beforehand, Wen Jiu had also prepared several measures, not hesitating to use Absolute Spirit Corpse Qi once more.

But fortunately, all that Absolute Spirit Corpse Qi remained inside Qi Guan Mountain, unnoticed by others, so it was not a concern.

"Brother Feng, the Three Ghosts are yours." After transmitting this message, Wen Jiu controlled the East Spring Undying Bone to pursue immediately.

Feng Jue was overjoyed at the sight.

Brother Han.

Truly, no one like you!

"What are you waiting for, attack!" Feng Jue shouted to Yun Ni and others, then quickly charged towards the Three Ghosts.

The Inconstant Demise Technique, due to the great distance, had completely collapsed, and the strength of the Three Ghosts was likewise diminished. Feng Jue struck them as one with a single blow. Yun Ni and others quickly reacted, rushing towards Shangguan Yingxian and the others.

This sudden change caught Shangguan Yingxian and others off guard, and even Meng Lang, who had just recognized an adoptive father, was taken aback. Instinctively wanting to retreat, they were unable to do so as Yun Ni and others had already closed in, Yun Ni throwing out a dozen array flags to seal off several miles of the surrounding area, leaving no escape route.

"Damn it!"

Shangguan Yingxian panicked.

Meng Lang felt bitter, raising his hand to attack Shangguan Yingxian and others with a sudden shift in demeanor.

"I thought I’d have to endure and infiltrate for a long time to deliver a fatal blow, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon. Shangguan Yingxian, prepare to die!" he declared, attacking Shangguan Yingxian with his Half-Demon Body.

Yun Ni and the others, witnessing this scene, said nothing, though their eyes showed disdain, ultimately uttering no words.

Because eliminating Shangguan Yingxian and his followers was more important.

...

Elsewhere, Wen Jiu continued to control the East Spring Undying Bone in relentless pursuit of Qi Guan Mountain. He sensed that the distance to Qi Guan Mountain wasn’t closing but actually widening. This didn’t surprise Wen Jiu.

After all, Qi Guan Mountain was a late-stage Foundation Establishment ghost cultivator, and the head of a sect, certainly having deep resources and plenty of escape talismans. However, his spirit body was already wounded, being eroded by Absolute Spirit Corpse Qi, and his Yin Techniques were nearly devoured. He couldn’t fly far, and being caught by the East Spring Undying Bone was only a matter of time.

But just then, the corpse qi mark suddenly disappeared. It was clear that Qi Guan Mountain had realized he was being pursued, so he used a special Yin Talisman, as the aura couldn’t suddenly vanish otherwise.

"Killing this guy should yield a nice harvest, and from his soul’s memory, I can find out what he’s after," Wen Jiu muttered, immediately using the Three Thousand Blood Inks through the Corpse Fate Technique to divine.

Wen Jiu had a strong feeling that the Ghost-faced Stone Statue that helped Qi Guan Mountain escape was definitely related to the Yin Spirit Stone Statue, so Qi Guan Mountain’s purpose likely aligned with Feng Jue’s, seeking that crucial item of the Heterodox Golden Core.

"Southeast direction."

After consuming fifty percent corpse qi, the Corpse Fate Technique finally divined Qi Guan Mountain’s location. Wen Jiu then commanded the East Spring Undying Bone to pursue him. Under the divination of the Corpse Fate Technique, it was apparent that Qi Guan Mountain hadn’t detected this method of fortune-telling, so he continued fleeing towards a certain location, without switching directions like Feng Jue.

As time slowly passed, Qi Guan Mountain, flying at full speed under a shroud of black yin qi, couldn’t help but curse out loud.

With a Tier Two Top-Grade Concealment Yin Talisman shielding him, none of the corpse cultivator’s placements on him should sense him. Yet, the unease in his heart remained.

"It’s impossible. He shouldn’t be able to sense my presence anymore." With a Tier Two Top-Grade Concealment Yin Talisman as his shield, even Fake Pill Zhenren couldn’t detect him across hundreds of miles, so how could a mere middle-stage Foundation Establishment corpse cultivator?

As the Yin Techniques and ghost qi in his Dao Foundation dwindled, the Yin Spirit Stone needed to replenish his Yin Techniques would be immediately devoured by that strange corpse qi, preventing him from restoring even a trace of Yin Technique.

Qi Guan Mountain was in a panic.

And was frightened.

When his Dao Foundation’s Yin Technique was utterly exhausted within a quarter of an hour, Qi Guan Mountain could only hide within the forest.

But the anxiety persisted.

"He shouldn’t know I’m here..."

"Shouldn’t know..."

Qi Guan Mountain murmured to himself.

As time ticked by, an hour and then two passed, with the forest and sky remaining silent, allowing Qi Guan Mountain’s tense heart to finally relax, the unease gradually fading away.

But suddenly, a terrifying wave of corpse qi erupted around him, and the horrifying soul-capturing power instantly enveloped a hundred feet, covering him. Qi Guan Mountain’s face changed drastically.

Just as he was about to speak, his soul was already gripped by the soul-capturing power. Lacking a Divine Soul Defense Yin Technique, one of his Three Souls and Seven Spirits was instantly seized. Without ten breaths, he would succumb to the Soul Capturing Technique.

"No..."

"Spare me..."

"Spare me..."

Qi Guan Mountain begged, filled with despair.

But his Yin Techniques had been completely devoured by corpse qi, leaving him unable to cast a single spell or utilize any Yin Talismans.

After ten breaths.

Qi Guan Mountain fell in unwillingness and despair.

Wen Jiu collected his corpse and swiftly departed because this place was three thousand miles deep within the Traceless Mountain Range. He had just sensed an immense demonic power, on par with a late-stage Foundation Establishment or even a Perfection Cultivator.

The next moment, Wen Jiu controlled the East Spring Undying Bone, executing several Blood Corpse Escapes, then flew at full speed, while reviewing the soul’s memory, finally discovering the reason behind Qi Guan Mountain’s venture to the Ancient Evil Cultivator’s Cave Mansion.

"Indeed, Qi Guan Mountain came for it."

"The crucial item of the Heterodox Golden Core... Yin Sha Evil Spirit!"

[Same as always.

A second update before midnight.]