Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

Chapter 1399 Slaying the Profound Bone

"These formations set up by the Old Demon of Extreme Yin must have taken a lot of effort," Qin Hao said, a cold smile curving his lips. These formations were intricately linked, possessing both powerful binding force and the ability to conceal and warn. An ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator who rashly entered might not be able to break through them all in a short time, and might even alert the Old Demon of Extreme Yin himself, who was thousands of miles away. However, for Qin Hao, who possessed an AI-assisted analysis system and was an expert in formations, the word "ordinary" was sufficient to describe his abilities.

He flashed, his fingertips flickering with spiritual light, sometimes pointing at void nodes, sometimes injecting streams of pure magic power into specific locations. His movements were fluid and precise, precisely destroying the core of the formation.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the layers of formations that enveloped the deserted island were completely dismantled, leaving only a black stone pillar at the core, covered with intricate runes—the Spirit Sealing Pillar—standing alone in the ground, emanating a chilling aura that imprisoned the soul.

Qin Hao's gaze locked onto the Spirit-Sealing Pillar, and his Nascent Soul-level mana surged forth, transforming into a solid, azure hand that firmly grasped the pillar. Accompanied by a dull groan and a slight tremor in the ground, the Spirit-Sealing Pillar was slowly pulled out.

Beneath the pillar, a dark, narrow opening, barely wide enough for one person to pass through, was revealed. A chilling wind, carrying an aura of decay and gloom, howled out from within, its biting coldness brushing against Qin Hao's robes.

Although the entrance was inconspicuous, the interior was a completely different world. Qin Hao's figure flickered, and he had already entered. Before him suddenly opened up, revealing a square stone hall with sides about twenty zhang long. Several fist-sized luminous pearls were embedded in the ceiling of the hall, emitting a soft milky white glow, illuminating the entire space.

However, instead of bringing warmth, the bright light highlighted the eerie scene in the center of the hall.

A pool about ten feet in diameter occupied the center of the hall. In the center of the pool, a strange plant, shimmering with red, blue, and purple light and shaped like a lotus seat, stood gracefully. The light flowed, and the air was filled with ethereal mist. Its shape was very similar to the legendary treasure of heaven and earth—the Seven-Colored Lotus! This thing is said to have the miraculous effect of bringing the dead back to life and boosting cultivation, enough to drive any Nascent Soul cultivator crazy.

But Qin Hao didn't even glance at the Seven-Colored Lotus. This thing wasn't some kind of immortal herb at all, but a level seven demon beast, the Demon-Crowned Serpent. It was just that the serpent crown on its head had been deliberately refined into the shape of the Seven-Colored Lotus by the Extreme Yin Old Demon to deal with Xuan Gu.

Qin Hao's gaze passed over the pool and landed on the ground at its edge. There, a stark white skeleton lay silently. The bones possessed a jade-like luster, yet, at the Baihui acupoint on the top of this seemingly lifeless skull, a small arrow, only three inches long, was deeply embedded, faintly crackling with golden electricity—the very weapon used to subdue ghosts and spirits: the Golden Thunder Bamboo Arrow!

"Fellow Daoist Xuan Gu, how does it feel to be trapped here?" Qin Hao's voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed in the empty stone hall: "If you do not show yourself soon, when the Old Demon of Extreme Yin discovers that the restrictions here have been broken and comes here in person, you will really have no chance to escape and will be trapped here for eternity."

The moment the words fell, it was as if some dormant will was awakened. The seemingly lifeless skeleton on the ground trembled violently, emitting a teeth-grinding "crack," and strangely stood up on its own!

In the hollow eye socket, two eerie green lights, like will-o'-the-wisps, suddenly lit up, burning and leaping, staring intently at Qin Hao.

"Who...are...you?" A dry voice rang out, each word filled with extreme vigilance and suspicion: "How do you know of my existence? And how do you know that wicked creature, Ji Yin, would come?"

Faced with Xuan Gu's questioning, Qin Hao remained calm: "Who I am is probably not important to Fellow Daoist Xuan Gu at this moment. What's important is that I can help you." He paused, then his tone was resolute: "I'll help you kill Ji Yin and avenge yourself!"

"Hehehehe..." The skull of Xuan Gu opened and closed, emitting a piercing laugh filled with endless mockery and disbelief: "You? A mere early Nascent Soul cultivator? Boy, don't think you're so arrogant just because you broke a few restrictions! That wicked disciple is extremely yin. Although his talent is not as good as his junior brother Ji Xuan, he is cunning, ruthless, and decisive. He also received the true teachings of my 'Mysterious Yin Scripture.' Hundreds of years have passed. With his methods, his cultivation has probably already reached the peak of the early Nascent Soul stage! What do you think you can do to kill him?"

"Fellow Daoist Xuan Gu, are you doubting my strength?" Qin Hao raised an eyebrow, looking at the flickering ghost fire with interest.

"Hmph! It's not just about strength!" Xuan Gu's soul fire suddenly intensified: "How can I be sure that you're not a lackey sent by that wicked Ji Yin? Did you deliberately break the restriction to lure me out, and then use thunderous methods to completely annihilate me to prevent future troubles? I was more adept at such tricks than you were back then!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Hao not only wasn't angry, but instead chuckled, "Hehe, Fellow Daoist Xuan Gu is overthinking it. If I were truly a subordinate of the Extreme Yin Old Demon, would I be wasting my breath on you here?"

The ghostly fire in Xuan Gu's empty eye sockets flickered violently. He remained silent for several breaths, his soul fire glowing erratically, clearly engaged in a fierce psychological battle: "Boy, what you say makes sense. Fine, I'll believe you for now that you're not that wicked lackey. But, do you really think you can kill Ji Yin, a peak early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, all by yourself? A fool's dream! Even in my prime, killing him would have required considerable effort, let alone now?"

"I might not be able to do it alone," Qin Hao said solemnly. "But if we have Fellow Daoist Xuan Gu, who is so familiar with the Yin Demon's techniques, methods, and even fatal weaknesses, and he assists us, then it wouldn't be such a pipe dream if we joined forces and found an excellent opportunity to take his life."

Xuan Gu's withered finger bones rubbed together unconsciously, making a "crunching" sound.

“Cooperating with you…” Xuan Gu’s voice lowered, “It’s not impossible.”

"However, you must first show your sincerity. Help me find a suitable, at least Core Formation stage, high-quality physical body! Without a physical vessel, I cannot use even a tenth or a twentieth of my Xuan Yin Secret Techniques, especially the methods to restrain that monstrous creature! This is the basis of our cooperation!"

"A physical body?" Qin Hao nodded readily. "That's easy. Once we leave this place, I, Zhang, will find a suitable body for Fellow Daoist Xuan Gu, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

"However, before leaving, I, Zhang, also need Fellow Daoist Xuan Gu to show some of his sincerity."

"Oh?" A flash of Xuan Gu Soul Fire appeared. "What kind of sincerity do you desire, sir?"

"The whereabouts of something." Qin Hao's gaze sharpened: "The Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng!"

"Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng?!" Xuan Gu Shangren's soul trembled violently: "Who exactly are you?! How do you know the whereabouts of the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng that I possess?! I only told those two wicked disciples, Ji Yin and Ji Xuan, about this secret back then! Could it be... that you are their successor? Did they send you?!"

"Hmph!" Facing Xuan Gu's violent mental attack, Qin Hao snorted coldly. A divine sense power far more vast and powerful than Xuan Gu's current soul power descended like an invisible mountain, instantly enveloping Xuan Gu's withered skeletal body and the remnant soul within it!

The air seemed to freeze, and even the milky-white luminous pearls in the stone hall seemed to dim slightly. Xuan Gu's soul fire was suppressed by this powerful pressure, flickering violently like a candle in the wind. Its roar was forcibly interrupted, leaving only the cracking sound of its joints bearing the unbearable weight.

How could a mere remnant soul or withered bone easily provoke the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator?

"Fellow Daoist Xuan Gu, what do you think?" Qin Hao's voice was icy, carrying an undeniable authority: "With those two good-for-nothings, Ji Yin and Ji Xuan, how could they possibly train a Nascent Soul stage disciple?"

The skull of Xuan Gu made a "clicking" grinding sound, as if mocking itself: "Heh heh... that's true. That wretched wretch Ji Yin was dull-witted. If he hadn't been ruthless and skilled in trickery, he would have had difficulty even forming a core back then. Without a great opportunity, he probably wouldn't have been able to break through the bottleneck of the mid-stage Nascent Soul when he passed away. As for Ji Xuan... hmph, his aptitude is indeed a bit better than his senior brother's, but in a mere four hundred years, he would have had absolutely no chance of cultivating a Nascent Soul cultivator."

"However, where did you learn of this information? My existence, the whereabouts of the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng, and even my grudges with those two wicked disciples... these secrets are known to only a handful of people in the Chaotic Star Sea! I hope you will tell me honestly, otherwise... please forgive me for not being able to trust you, and even less daring to entrust my life and path to someone of unknown origin!"

Seeing Xuan Gu's determined attitude of not giving up until he got an answer, Qin Hao knew that this old monster would never give in without some substantial evidence.

He fell silent, his hands rapidly forming a profound hand seal in front of his chest. As the incantation was activated, he opened his mouth and gently exhaled. A deep, inky black flame silently floated above his palm.

The flames burned silently, without any scorching heat. Instead, they exuded a chilling, deathly stillness that froze one's very soul, and within them, countless twisted and tormented phantoms wailed in agony! This was none other than the supreme demonic flame recorded in the Xuan Yin Scripture—the Heavenly Capital Corpse Flame!

"Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire?!" Xuan Gu Shangren's reaction was even more intense than when he heard about the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng! The skull suddenly lunged forward, its soul fire pulsating violently, almost bursting out of its eye sockets! "You... how can you wield this fire?! This is one of the supreme secret techniques recorded in the Profound Yin Scripture! Only those who have deeply studied the Great Dao of Profound Yin and whose cultivation has reached the Nascent Soul realm could possibly master and control it!"

This was utterly contrary to his understanding! In the entire world, if it came to the depth of his comprehension of the *Xuan Yin Jing*, he, Xuan Gu Shangren Xiao Cha, considered himself second to none. Even a demonic cult leader with a higher cultivation level than him, when using the Xuan Yin secret technique in his presence, could never completely conceal the aura of the technique's origin! Unless… the level of the technique the opponent cultivated far surpassed the *Xuan Yin Jing*, reaching the realm of returning to simplicity and the unity of all methods?

Qin Hao patted his storage bag, and a pale black jade slip flew out and landed on Xuan Gu's bone palm: "A few days ago, I killed an avatar of the Extreme Yin Old Demon on a small island. This Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire was taken from his avatar."

"Hahaha...hahaha..." Xuan Gu pressed the jade slip against his forehead, and soon burst into a desolate laugh filled with endless hatred and a hint of pleasure. His withered body trembled: "Good! Good! What a wicked little thief! I didn't expect that after hundreds of years, you, you wretched creature, would not have wasted your time! Not only did you successfully advance to the Nascent Soul stage, but you even mastered the divine power of 'Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire'! Truly, 'the student surpasses the master'! What a pity...what a pity! The demonic fire you painstakingly refined has ultimately benefited someone else! Hahahaha!"

As the maniacal laughter subsided, Xuan Gu's soul fire locked onto Qin Hao once more: "Since you were able to kill the Extreme Yin clone and seize its Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire, your supernatural abilities must be extraordinary! It seems you are indeed capable of helping me kill that treacherous disciple who betrayed his master and ancestors!"

“A wise choice.” Qin Hao smiled calmly and withdrew the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire. He tossed out another object, a blank jade slip: “So, Fellow Daoist Xuan Gu, can you now tell me the whereabouts of the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng, and the method to safely capture it?”

Xuan Gu caught the blank jade slip with his bone claws, remaining silent for a moment as if weighing the final gains and losses. But thinking of the hope of revenge right before his eyes, he finally stopped hesitating. He quickly imprinted a complex map route and several profound incantations and hand seals into the jade slip. After finishing, he tossed the jade slip back to Qin Hao.

Qin Hao probed the jade slip with his divine sense, and the AI ​​simultaneously analyzed and recorded it. After confirming that everything was correct, he nodded in satisfaction: "Thank you for your trouble, fellow Daoist."

Xuan Gu seemed to remember something, his soul fire flickering slightly as he added, "The location of this Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng is no ordinary place; it is a hidden space in the outer area of ​​the Void Heaven Palace. If you wish to enter, you will need a token to enter the Void Heaven Palace—a fragment of the Void Heaven Palace map. These fragments are scattered throughout various places and are extremely difficult to collect. I wonder if you..."

"There's no need for Fellow Daoist Xuan Gu to worry about that." Qin Hao interrupted him, his tone calm yet brimming with powerful confidence: "I have long been prepared for the matter of the incomplete map of the Void Heaven Palace and have my own way of entering."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Gu's soul fire flickered, as if he wanted to say something more. However, the moment his thought arose, a sudden change occurred!

A chilling, undisguised killing intent suddenly erupted from Qin Hao, instantly locking onto him! The temperature in the entire stone hall seemed to plummet to freezing point!

"What do you intend to do?!" Xuan Gu was filled with shock and anger. His withered bones instinctively leaped backward, his soul fire surging wildly. He had never expected that the other party would suddenly turn on him so soon after the agreement was reached!

"What are we doing?" Qin Hao's smile remained, but his eyes had turned as cold and ruthless as ice. "Naturally, I'm sending Fellow Daoist Xuan Gu on his way."

Before he finished speaking, without moving, the massive spirit-sealing pillar he had previously pulled out, under the control of an invisible force, emitted a heavy whooshing sound and shot back with lightning speed, accurately re-inserting itself back into the original hole! Boom! The entire hall trembled violently, the hole instantly sealed shut again, and a powerful binding force once more spread out, completely isolating the inside from the outside! The whole process was as fast as lightning, and Xuan Gu didn't even have time to react effectively!

"You!!" Xuan Gu was both shocked and furious. His withered bone claws pointed at Qin Hao, and his soul fire turned a blazing white due to extreme anger: "You really were sent by that little thief Ji Yin! What a deep scheme! What a vicious method! You deliberately deceived me to gain my trust, tricked me into revealing the whereabouts of the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng, and then killed me! That wretched creature is truly my good disciple!!"

Qin Hao shook his head slightly, his gaze indifferent as he looked at the enraged Xuan Gu, his tone terrifyingly calm: "Fellow Daoist Xuan Gu has misunderstood. Killing you has nothing to do with the Extreme Yin Old Demon. Why would I, Zhang, need to use someone else's name to do my work?"

"Unrelated?" Xuan Gu was taken aback, then became even more furious: "Since that's the case, I have never met you before, and we have no grudges against each other! I have already told you the truth about the whereabouts of the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng! Why did you still suddenly try to kill me?! Going back on your word, aren't you afraid of being punished by the Heavenly Dao and plagued by inner demons?!"

"Why?" Qin Hao's lips curled into a cold smile: "Because, at this moment, in this place and in this situation, you are at your weakest! If I were to let you out of this cage, where the sky is high and the sea is wide, with your cunning and methods, you could find a physical body to recover your strength, and I really wouldn't be confident that I could kill you again!"

Qin Hao was acutely aware of the terrifying power of the Xuan Gu Master. This fiend not only possessed profound cultivation but also an unfathomable cunning and unpredictable methods, making him one of the most formidable figures in the human realm. In the original story, if the protagonist Han Li hadn't possessed the heaven-defying Little Green Bottle, capable of endlessly generating Golden Thunder Bamboo to subdue Yin spirits and ghosts, and forging seventy-two Golden Thunder Bamboo magic swords, the final outcome would have been uncertain!

If Xuan Gu Shangren were truly given time to find a physical body and cultivate the Asura Sacred Flame to its peak, given his ruthless nature, the entire landscape of the Chaotic Star Sea would likely be rewritten because of him! With such a huge potential threat, how could Qin Hao allow him to leave this place and become a major threat in the future?

"Therefore, in order to avoid future troubles, Fellow Daoist Xuan Gu, please enter eternal silence here!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Qin Hao no longer hesitated. He suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a dazzling golden light, which expanded rapidly in the wind, instantly transforming into an enormous, incredibly heavy tome, hovering three feet above his head! The four ancient characters on the tome's cover shimmered with light—"The Myriad Talismans Treasure Record"! It was none other than Qin Hao's natal magic weapon!

"Hurry!" Qin Hao pointed his fingers like a sword and lightly pointed at Xuan Gu.

Om-!

The Myriad Talismans Treasure Record suddenly opened, the pages turning rapidly without wind! Ten talismans, their edges engraved with intricate golden runes and radiating an incomparably sharp aura that seemed capable of tearing the heavens apart, shot out from the pages like arrows released from a bow!

This was Qin Hao's trump card, the one that made him famous—the Heaven-Piercing Golden Radiance Slash Talisman! The ten talismans transformed into ten enormous battle halberds, each over ten feet long, solid as a substance, and gleaming with golden light, the instant they left the treasure record! Runes flowed across the halberds, and the terrifying sharpness of the Geng metal cut through the air with a piercing shriek, like ten roaring golden dragons, sealing off all escape routes for Xuan Gu, and with a destructive force, they ruthlessly attacked!

At the same time, Qin Hao clenched his right hand in the air, and a long sword about four feet long, with a flowing golden luster and a blade covered with fine and mysterious crack-like runes, appeared in his hand—the Sky-Splitting Armor-Piercing Blade!

The moment the blade appeared, the air around it twisted eerily, as if space itself had been torn apart by its sharpness! Qin Hao vanished from his spot like a ghost, appearing beside Xuan Gu in the next instant. The Sky-Splitting Blade slashed out silently, leaving a long-lasting, dark spatial rift in its wake! This strike was both incredibly fast and incredibly ruthless!

"You brat! This is outrageous!!" Master Xuan Gu roared repeatedly, filled with shock and rage. His current state was utterly miserable. Without a physical body, he was unable to use any magical treasures! Relying solely on a decaying skeleton and the remnant soul of a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, facing the long-awaited, deadly attack of a Nascent Soul cultivator, the pressure was like a collapsing mountain and a tsunami!

Faced with ten colossal golden halberds that could tear everything apart and the space-twisting blades that followed like leeches, Xuan Gu could only desperately squeeze out the remaining soul power! His withered bones moved rapidly with his claws, drawing mysterious trajectories in the air, while he chanted incantations.

In an instant, countless jet-black Yin magic spells, including bone spears, ghost claws, and skulls formed from pure Yin energy, rained down on the golden torrent of halberd shadows! Several enormous phantom shields made of white bones spun around it to block the attack.

Boom boom boom boom——! ! !

A deafening explosion instantly engulfed the entire stone hall! Golden light burst forth, and black energy dissipated! The spells that Xuan Gu had hastily conjured were as fragile as paper before the raging Geng metal power transformed from the ten Sky-Piercing Golden Blade Talismans! The golden halberd shadows were unstoppable, shattering the Yin magic spells layer by layer, and the terrifying shockwaves even cracked the hard stone walls! Although most of the attacks were neutralized by the spells, several residual golden blades still slashed fiercely at Xuan Gu's withered bones!

Snap! Snap!

The withered bones, as tough as refined steel, instantly developed several deep cracks under the residual power of the Golden Emperor Slash, and a piece of arm bone was even directly severed and flew away! The Xuan Bone Soul Fire shook violently and let out a painful groan.

Even more deadly was that the silent, space-distorting blade of the Sky-Splitting Armor-Piercing Blade had already struck! Xuan Gu was horrified; the withered bones twisted at an unbelievable angle, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.

But the blade's sharpness, capable of tearing through space, still grazed his ribs, leaving a deep and terrifying wound!

"Damn it!" Xuan Gu felt a chill run down his spine. He knew perfectly well that he was only at the late stage of Core Formation, and to fight a Nascent Soul cultivator with a natal magic weapon was like throwing an egg against a rock! The opponent's talismans seemed endless, and every strike of the Sky-Splitting Blade left him exhausted and drained.

If this continues, in no time his withered bones will be completely dismantled, his remnant soul exposed, and he will be at the mercy of others!

At the critical moment of life and death, a hint of madness and determination flashed in Xuan Gu's eyes! He suddenly opened his mouth and let out a sharp screech that could pierce eardrums!

"Mysterious Soul Yin Fire!!"

boom!

A ghastly white flame, carrying the power to burn the very essence of the soul, suddenly erupted from the crown of his withered skull! This flame had no high temperature, but it exuded an extreme cold that could freeze the soul. At the center of the flame, countless tiny vortexes seemed to be spinning, frantically devouring the surrounding light and spiritual energy. It was none other than the Xuan Gu Shangren's trump card, his innate divine power—the Xuan Hun Yin Fire!

This fire specifically harms the soul and destroys spirituality; its power is unparalleled! However, at this moment, the flames are clearly running out of steam and have not yet reached their legendary power, which is obviously related to Xuan Gu's current weakened state.

As soon as the pale white Xuanhun Yin Fire appeared, the temperature in the hall seemed to plummet to the depths of hell! The air seemed to freeze, and even the milky white luminous pearls were swallowed up by this eerie flame, becoming dim and lifeless.

The flames transformed into a pale white fire python, carrying a sinister aura that burned souls and corroded spirits, and pounced fiercely towards Qin Hao! Wherever it passed, even space seemed to be frozen and scorched with tiny black marks!

However, facing the Xuanhun Yin Fire, which was enough to make even Nascent Soul cultivators wary, Qin Hao showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, his eyes flashed with the gleam of a successful scheme!

"Finally, you've used your ultimate move!"

Qin Hao's lips curled into a cold smile. With a thought, the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire he had previously suppressed surged forth once more! This time, it no longer hovered in his palm, but transformed into a corpse fire demonic dragon, equally ferocious but as black as ink! The demonic dragon roared, carrying endless resentment and deathly aura, and fiercely confronted the pale white Xuanhun Fire Python!

Chi chi chi——! ! !

Two flames, vastly different yet equally insidious and domineering, collided with a deafening roar! There was no earth-shattering explosion, only the chilling sounds of mutual erosion, devouring, and attrition! The deathly poison contained within the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire and the soul-consuming, corrosive power of the Profound Soul Yin Fire were locked in a frenzied battle!

Black fire and white flames, like two evil dragons, entangled and writhed, tearing at each other, each wanting to devour the other completely! In an instant, the black and white colors flowed wildly in the center of the hall, forming a death zone! A terrifying chill and a burning sensation in the soul permeated the air.

Although the Profound Soul Yin Fire possesses a higher essence and greater potential, its Profound Bones are currently too weak, lacking the strength to sustain its power. Qin Hao's Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire, however, was completely seized from the Extreme Yin Ancestor's avatar and refined by him for three years. Now, powered by his Nascent Soul cultivation, it unleashed its full power, its momentum like a rainbow! The black Corpse Fire Demon Flood Dragon gradually gained the upper hand, firmly suppressing and coiling around the pale fire python!

"Now!" Qin Hao seized the moment when the two flames were locked in a stalemate, and Xuan Gu was using his full power to control the Yin Fire. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes! He gripped the Sky-Splitting Armor-Piercing Blade tightly with both hands, and the vast Nascent Soul power within his body surged into the blade like a river bursting its banks! At the same time, the Myriad Talisman Treasure Record above his head flipped once more, and a high-level metal-type amplification talisman, the "Sharp Metal Law-Breaking Talisman," instantly ignited, transforming into a dazzling golden light that merged into the blade!

"Golden Sky Slash!"

Qin Hao let out a low roar that shook the stone hall! The Sky-Splitting Blade erupted with an unprecedentedly dazzling golden light! A massive golden blade of light, over ten zhang long and composed entirely of highly refined metallic magic power, materialized out of thin air! Fine spatial cracks spread along the edge of the blade like a spider web, emanating a terrifying aura that could cut through anything!

The golden blade of light, like a giant axe splitting the heavens and earth, slashed down towards Xuan Gu's withered skeleton! Its speed was extreme, and its power locked onto Xuan Gu, leaving him no way to dodge!

"No--!!"

Xuan Gu Shangren let out a desperate and unwilling roar, his soul fire filled with horror and resentment! He desperately tried to mobilize the remaining Xuan Hun Yin Fire to defend himself, but most of his power was tightly entangled by the Tian Du Corpse Fire! The thick black bone shield that he hastily condensed, covered with twisted runes, was instantly cleaved in two like a hot knife through butter before the indestructible Jin Xiao Zhan!

Snap! Snap snap snap snap—!!!

The ear-piercing sound of bones shattering rang out like popping beans! The golden giant blade cleaved through the skeletal body of the Xuan Gu Shangren without any resistance! From the head to the pelvis, the entire upper body, along with the arms, was instantly cleaved into countless fingernail-sized fragments by the violent Geng metal power! Like porcelain shattered by a heavy hammer, they scattered and flew in all directions!

Wow!

A pile of pale, broken bones lay scattered on the ground, having lost all support. Only the two leg bones and pelvis of the lower body remained relatively intact, but they were also riddled with cracks, lying askew on the ground. The two points of pale green soul fire dimmed and went out the instant the skull shattered, as if they had vanished completely.

Qin Hao, having landed a successful blow, did not relax his guard in the slightest; on the contrary, he became even more vigilant! He retreated swiftly, creating distance. The Myriad Talisman Record above his head shimmered with golden light, dozens of defensive talismans ready to be activated at any moment, and the Sky-Splitting Blade was held horizontally in front of his chest. His gaze, sharp as lightning, scanned the pile of broken bones on the ground. He was not naive enough to believe that the old monster, Xuan Gu Shangren, would perish so easily. The remnant soul of the opponent must still be attached to some bone fragment, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack or escape!

Sure enough! Just a few breaths later, on a relatively intact rib fragment located deep within the pile of broken bones, a barely perceptible glimmer of extremely dim green light, almost blending into the color of the bone, flashed! A faint yet exceptionally pure soul fluctuation, like a pebble thrown into water, rippled outwards clearly! It was the last remaining trace of Xuan Gu Shangren's soul source imprint! He was desperately trying to conceal his aura, attempting to deceive everyone!

A cold glint flashed in Qin Hao's eyes: "Still trying to hide?!"

He didn't approach any further, but instead patted a specially made spirit beast pouch at his waist without hesitation!

"Squeak!"

A sharp, excited cry rang out! A green shadow shot out of the bag, rolled nimbly on the ground, and revealed its form—it was a spirit beast less than two feet tall, covered in green fur, and resembling a small monkey! It had a pair of round, crimson eyes, and most striking was its large nose, which almost took up half of its face. At this moment, it was excitedly twitching, greedily inhaling the pure soul energy permeating the air! It was the ancient beast Qin Hao had obtained from the young master of the Qingyang Sect, a beast specifically designed to subdue yin spirits and ghosts—the Howling Soul Beast!

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!" The Soul-Crying Beast clearly sensed the deliciousness hidden within the rib fragment, squealing excitedly. With a few nimble flips, it leaped to the pile of broken bones. Its large nose snapped open, aimed at the peculiar rib fragment, and an invisible, powerful suction force specifically targeting souls suddenly erupted! It seemed to form a small vortex of souls!

"Fellow Daoist, spare my life!!" Just as the suction force touched his ribs, the illusory soul form of Xuan Gu Shangren was forced to manifest. It was only the size of a fist, its green light flickering erratically, utterly ethereal. It struggled desperately under the suction force of the Soul-Crying Beast, uttering a pitiful plea for mercy: "Fellow Daoist, wait! I, Xiao, am willing to serve you as my master! To be your slave, your servant, and to be loyal for eternity! The Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng... all the secret techniques of the Profound Yin Scripture... I can do it all... Ah—!"

Qin Hao's eyes remained icy cold, unwavering. With a thought, he directly commanded the Howling Soul Beast to devour it. For a cunning and vengeful old monster like Xuan Gu, only complete annihilation could prevent future trouble! To subdue it? That would be suicide!

"squeak--!"

Upon receiving the command, the Soul-Crying Beast let out an even more excited roar! It then inhaled sharply through its wide-open nose!

call!

Like a whale sucking in water! The remaining illusory soul of Xuan Gu Shangren, still struggling and begging for mercy, was like a candle flickering in the wind, powerless to resist. In an instant, it was torn from the rib fragments that housed it, turning into a twisted green stream of light, which was sucked into the bottomless nose of the Ti Hun Beast!

"No—!! Extreme Yin...wicked disciple...this old man...I hate it..." The last trace of Xuan Gu Shangren's will, filled with endless resentment and unwillingness, completely disappeared into the nose of the Crying Soul Beast.

"Burp~~~" The Soul-Crying Beast patted its non-existent belly contentedly and let out a burp. Its crimson eyes narrowed with satisfaction, seemingly still savoring the meal. Having eaten and drunk its fill, it quickly climbed onto Qin Hao's shoulder affectionately. (End of Chapter)