Chapter 72: A Wave of Twists and Turns

This was the reality: he couldn't catch up, damn it.

It seemed that regarding speed, the Illusionary Step was only useful for close-quarters combat; long-distance pursuit remained his weakness. He was so far behind that he couldn't even seize immediate opportunities, let alone execute his elaborate schemes and petty machinations. Wang Yu couldn't help but curse inwardly.

Meanwhile, as time passed, Deacon Xu used a secret art to slow the progression of his injuries. He could only sustain it for one day at most; once its duration ended, he would suffer even more severe damage. However, during this process, aided by spirit pills, the True Essence in his Qi Sea had largely recovered. Though his injuries remained horrific, he had regained the combat power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator before the secret art wore off.

His rapidly fleeing figure abruptly halted. He turned to face the relentless pursuing Immortal Liu, revealing a "benevolent" smile:

"Do you truly believe I, Xu, wouldn't dare to kill you?!"

He pressed his palms together, swiftly forming a series of hand seals. Immense True Essence fluctuations, like surging rivers, lakes, and seas, unleashed wave after wave. Only, these were waves of fire! He was a fire-attribute alchemist, cultivating fire-attribute techniques, and his magical arts followed the same path. Only by specializing in one path can one achieve mastery.

As she watched the twenty to thirty-meter-high waves of flames surge from all directions, Immortal Liu found herself caught between them, like an ant being squeezed. The sudden counterattack caught Immortal Liu by surprise, but she was no fool and was not entirely unprepared.

In the nick of time, a fingernail-sized gray insect suddenly crawled out of her nostril. It resembled a woodlouse but was covered in countless murky insect eyes.

"Splat—"

As the Gu worm burst, a gray carapace completely enveloped her. Yellow eyes sprouted from the shell's crevices, fixed intently on Deacon Xu.

The waves of fire surged, crashing against the armored cocoon. Before the outcome could be determined, Deacon Xu, wielding a low-grade, second-tier magical longsword, leaped into the air and, from a distance, brought his sword down. The air shimmered, distorted by the scorching heat waves. The longsword cleaved out a flaming sword aura nearly two zhang long, completely splitting the armored cocoon in two. Trickling blood seeped from the crevices, and the numerous eyes dimmed.

Deacon Xu cautiously approached, eyeing the seeping blood with suspicion. His spiritual sense struggled to penetrate the carapace and perceive what lay within. He also remained wary of any potential trump cards.

One step, then another...

Suddenly, the ground beneath Deacon Xu's feet collapsed, and a triple-colored poisonous mist—green, pink, and blood-red—erupted from below. His expression turned grim. He stomped on the air, ascending rapidly as if plucked from the earth. Even while escaping, he didn't forget to swing his sword backhand, unleashing another two-zhang-long flaming sword aura.

Just then, Immortal Liu's life-bound Gu worm, the Blood Mosquito Gu, materialized from the poisonous smoke, rapidly expanding. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a gigantic mosquito, five or six meters in length. With a fierce suck of its proboscis, the flaming sword aura was absorbed as if it were water. The Blood Mosquito Gu's blood-red body became streaked with fiery patterns, and in mere moments, it spat out a blood-red fireball the size of a water vat.

It was a true eye-for-an-eye retaliation!

Deacon Xu was also caught off guard. His instinctive reaction was to swing his sword, intending to unleash a third flaming sword aura, but unexpectedly, a stealthy gray-white venomous bee flew past him. It sprayed a stream of venom from its abdomen, which landed precisely on the magical longsword. The low-grade, second-tier sword flickered faintly once or twice; though not completely disabled, it could no longer unleash its original sword aura.

He had no time to mount a second defense. The blood-red fireball slammed squarely into Deacon Xu. Its considerable power generated concentric shockwaves in the air, much like a small missile.

"Thud—"

His charred figure collapsed to the ground, only a faint rise and fall of his chest indicating any remaining life.

At this moment, Immortal Liu finally sprang out from underground. She leisurely surveyed the pathetic state of the Foundation Establishment elder, a mocking smirk curving her somewhat terrifying face. "Still so arrogant? You dared to bully me; now you'll learn what true regret is!"

Immortal Liu also approached cautiously, intently observing his condition. She only relaxed after seeing green poisonous blood oozing from beneath his charred skin.

"Although Emerald Serpent Poison is only a second-tier toxin, it's beyond what an early-stage cultivator like you can handle. Crawl over and lick the back of my foot; I'll grant you the chance to become my servant!"

She actually harbored such an intention; truly, a newborn calf fears no tiger!

Deacon Xu, whose vitality was mostly spent, had his eyelids burned away, leaving only two bloody eyeballs twitching. Upon hearing such arrogant words, his madness intensified.

"You... come here..."

The Blood Mosquito Gu not only inflicted severe wounds upon him again but also disrupted his secret art. With both injuries erupting simultaneously, he had almost lost the ability to stand, especially due to the Emerald Serpent Poison. He could feel his life slipping away. His partially exposed gums and the extensive suppurating burns covering his body made his voice hoarse and strained.

"I... am willing... to sign... a slave contract!"

"'Only a wise person knows how to adapt to circumstances.'" Immortal Liu raised an eyebrow; her anger and irritation receded, replaced by a triumphant expression.

Despite her words, her hand showed no intention of relenting. Forming hand seals, she sent a flying sword from her storage bag, which unhesitatingly slashed towards Deacon Xu's neck. Clearly, her earlier talk of enslavement was pure malice, a desire to humiliate a Foundation Establishment cultivator and retaliate for the similar treatment she had received at Xuanbone Mountain. Her vengefulness surpassed even the rumors!

Flying swords could not only be used as flying magical artifacts but were also among the sharpest blades, and one of the most commonly used artifacts by cultivators. The one in Immortal Liu's hand was no ordinary blade either. As it pierced the air, it made no sound, swiftly severing Deacon Xu's head. His life force rapidly dissipated.

Seeing the dust settle, Immortal Liu completely relaxed. This was her first time confronting a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and its unexpected smoothness only heightened her pride and complacency.

"Watch out!"

Suddenly, Wang Yu's voice echoed from afar. Immortal Liu instinctively leaped backward, only to be ensnared around the waist by a black, smoky rope. Large plumes of black smoke billowed from Deacon Xu's corpse. His immense spiritual sense, honed over years of alchemy and further catalyzed by an unknown demonic art, had shockingly transformed into a savage, irrational malevolent spirit! At that moment, it abruptly swelled, swallowing Immortal Liu in a single gulp.

Wang Yu watched, his scalp tingling with dread. Even with his hastened efforts, he was still a step too late. This was the insidious nature of demonic cultivators; who knew what sinister secret arts or bizarre unorthodox techniques they might possess? Only by killing the person, burning the corpse, destroying the soul, and scattering the ashes could one truly be safe.

Given that Xu Jiaojiao possessed demonic arts, her father likely had some fortuitous encounters as well. After all, in the Scarlet Kite Demonic Domain, to rise to Foundation Establishment through one's own capabilities, and to have climbed from humble beginnings, he certainly had some tricks up his sleeve.

"This is trouble now."