In the small courtyard, strands of Yin energy rose and hovered, enveloping the surroundings. The sounds outside the courtyard grew fainter, as if isolating this place from the outside world.
Sun Lingtong, short in stature, resembled a three-year-old child with a head of short, shiny black hair. His eyes were large, distinctly black and white, with chubby cheeks and smooth, tender skin.
He was trapped in the middle of the courtyard.
In front of him and behind him stood two black-clad demon cultivators, one with triangular eyes and the other with a hooked nose.
To Sun Lingtong's right, a shadow, seemingly alive, gathered against the courtyard wall.
Within the enveloping shadow, Han Ming's figure flickered faintly.
Her face was delicate yet tinged with a bluish-gray hue. Her expression, twisted by intense resentment and hatred, made her look especially menacing.
“The situation is unfavorable,” Sun Lingtong thought to himself.
He could clearly sense the separation between himself and the surrounding environment, as if the once clear world had suddenly been obscured by a layer of coarse glass.
With this realization, Sun Lingtong understood that he had fallen into a formation.
The reason the formation hadn’t shown its external signs was solely because the opponents were holding back.
"Three against one, and they're all at the Foundation Establishment stage," Sun Lingtong observed the two black-clad demon cultivators in front and behind him, as well as Han Ming in the corner.
His gaze quickly swept over them and lingered momentarily on Han Ming.
“Han Ming possesses the Yin Corpse Qi!”
“Most of her body has already turned into a zombie, so ordinary attacks are ineffective against her.”
Sun Lingtong calculated in his heart, while outwardly showing a panicked expression. “Wait, everyone, don't be impulsive!”
“I’m a disciple of the No-Void Sect. You should consider the consequences of making a move.”
“If I die at your hands, there will surely be traces left behind. You must think carefully about the future retaliation from the No-Void Sect.”
The two black-clad demon cultivators remained expressionless, while Han Ming gritted her teeth. “Worried about the No-Void Sect's retaliation? You ambushed me before, weren't you afraid of the Soul-Devouring Sect's revenge?”
Sun Lingtong quickly said, “I didn't ambush you, it wasn’t my intention.”
“It was that young puppet master who offered such a high price that it was hard to refuse!”
“The black smoke that knocked you out wasn’t from me. It was the young puppet master; the one who imprisoned and humiliated you was also him. Go after him!”
“We're not enemies, I was just doing business.”
“As long as you pay, I can be your ally.”
“Ally?!” Han Ming’s tone rose, full of mockery and disdain. “Do you think I’d fall for the same trick twice?”
“Still asking for money?”
“Hah, are you blind? Can’t you see the current situation?”
“Enough, killing you and taking your soul for interrogation is the same!”
“Attack...”
“Wait!” Sun Lingtong shouted, “I know you’ve set up a formation, but you must understand.”
“This is the Immortal City of Huoshi!”
“The formation you’ve set up will inevitably trigger a response from the city's defensive formation. How long can it last?”
“If I'm trapped in the formation and can't leave, I will certainly fight you to the death.”
“At this rate, won’t that old puppet master laugh himself to death?”
“We should sit down and have a proper discussion. There’s no need for a life-and-death struggle.”
Sun Lingtong tried to persuade them kindly.
On normal days, his words might have had some effect. But now, after Meng Kui had set the stage for watching tigers fight from atop a mountain, the aura of fortune had already influenced everyone present.
Han Ming snapped, “He’s stalling for time, attack!”
As she spoke, she formed seals with her hands, and with a small opening of her mouth, she spat out a wisp of black-gray Yin wind.
Hand seal, body seal, mind seal.
These were among the main auxiliary techniques for spellcasting in the cultivation world.
The two black-clad demon cultivators performed the same technique, blowing out two additional gusts of Yin wind.
The Yin wind, though seemingly slow, was actually swift. It approached Sun Lingtong from three directions, about to surround him.
Sun Lingtong channeled his mana, and his figure suddenly vanished from his original spot. When he reappeared, he was already by the left wall of the courtyard.
The Yin wind missed its target, converging into a whirlwind that continued to pursue Sun Lingtong.
This was the advantage of being trained under the same sect.
They all mainly cultivated the "Nine-Turn Soul-Devouring Art". Even though each of their mana had unique characteristics, their essence was similar. This allowed their spells to briefly merge rather than clash fiercely against each other.
Sun Lingtong attempted to leap over the courtyard wall, but suddenly, whistling Yin energy surged in front of him. The ground split open, and from the cracks, torrents of Yin wind erupted.
The overwhelming Yin wind shot straight into the air, forming a wall of wind about five or six feet thick and two zhang high.
These Yin wind walls were not just in one spot; in the next breath, all the courtyard walls were blown away, replaced by violently billowing black-gray Yin wind.
“Within my Yin Wind Narrowing Formation, Sun Lingtong, where do you think you can run?” The hooked-nosed demon cultivator laughed smugly.
Sun Lingtong had no way forward, and from behind, a chilling whirlwind was blowing towards him.
He cursed, extended his left hand with five fingers, and formed a seal with his fingers, creating a hand sign.
In the next moment, he spread his left hand flat, and a cluster of lightning formed in his palm.
The hooked-nosed and triangular-eyed cultivators began to hold back.
As Sun Lingtong fought back fiercely, the two black-clad demon cultivators grew somewhat apprehensive.
They preferred letting Han Ming take the lead, weakening Sun Lingtong. If he revealed one or two trump cards against Han Ming, the two demon cultivators would be safer.
Demon cultivators excelled in solo combat and also preferred it.
A key characteristic of demonic techniques was the ability to use fellow cultivators as resources for cultivation. Thus, demonic sect brothers often had strong motivations for turning against each other.
After briefly joining forces to attack Sun Lingtong, the three from the Soul-Devouring Sect soon turned on each other.
The pressure on Sun Lingtong sharply decreased!
Sun Lingtong keenly felt this change, granting him a moment of respite.
His eyes flashed with brilliance, and he switched his combat style back to evasion. Occasionally, he would activate spells or magical artifacts, attacking Han Ming or the Yin wind walls.
Prolonged defense inevitably leads to failure.
Han Ming spat ghost fire that chilled Sun Lingtong to the bone, turning his black hair to white ash.
Her nails were exceptionally sharp and carried corpse poison. Sun Lingtong’s body was riddled with wounds, the flesh around them rotting and exuding a foul corpse stench.
Han Ming’s Soul Capturing Shuttle was what Sun Lingtong feared most. He preferred enduring other attacks rather than allowing the Soul Capturing Shuttle to get close.
“Haha, hahaha!”
“Sun Lingtong, did you think about today when you framed me back then?”
“I will surely capture and kill you, extract your soul, and let you taste the soul punishments of the Soul-Devouring Sect.”
Han Ming’s eyes were filled with bloodthirsty rage. Revenge made her feel indescribably satisfied, sinking into a nearly frenzied excitement.
Sun Lingtong was forced into a corner.
“Die!” Han Ming screamed, pushing her mana to the limit. The ghost fire blazed, forming a serpent of dark fire that opened its jaws to devour Sun Lingtong.
In the face of death, Sun Lingtong suddenly let out a sly laugh.
“You want me dead?”
“Hahaha, you three are far from it!”
The next moment, his figure abruptly vanished.
“Another Space-Piercing Technique,” the triangular-eyed cultivator muttered.
“No worries, he’s within my Yin Wind Narrowing Formation... Not good!” The hooked-nosed cultivator's expression suddenly changed drastically.
The relentless Yin wind that formed the wind walls collapsed at that moment.
The hooked-nosed cultivator, who had been maintaining the formation, suffered a terrifying backlash from the sudden change.
He spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground, unconscious.
“What’s happening?!” The triangular-eyed cultivator wondered in alarm. Sun Lingtong had already flashed behind him.
Splat.
A snow-bright dagger, razor-sharp, easily pierced the triangular-eyed cultivator's lower back.
Then, the dagger exploded with bright blue lightning, fiercely attacking the triangular-eyed cultivator's internal organs.
The triangular-eyed cultivator's body convulsed violently, as if in the throes of a seizure.
Within a few blinks, his eyes rolled back, and he opened his mouth, a stream of black smoke seeping from his throat.
Thud.
He, too, fell to the ground, unconscious.
“Only you’re left.” Sun Lingtong, no longer looking beleaguered, had eyes blazing with light and an unyielding fighting spirit.
Han Ming, enraged, shouted, “Without these two burdens, it’s no big deal!”
With that, she charged at Sun Lingtong.
Sun Lingtong took a deep breath, holding a dagger in each hand, pouring his mana into them.
The blades flickered continuously, like the flapping wings of a butterfly, dancing forward.
The butterfly-like blade light was dazzling and exquisite, as beautiful as a painting. Not a trace of mana was detected, perfectly restrained.
Sun Lingtong’s self-created blade technique—Butterfly Wing Blade!
A swarm of butterflies surrounded Han Ming.
Wrapped in Yin wind, Han Ming spewed ghost fire and attacked with punches and kicks, but all her strikes missed!
The butterfly blade lights were exceptionally nimble; some lightly grazed her skin, while others sliced through her limbs, flying out from her back.
From their formation, attack, to their dissipation, the butterfly swarm lasted no more than five breaths.
Han Ming stood still, motionless.
Her eyes widened, filled with disbelief!
“This... this is your true strength?” she managed to utter.
As soon as the words left her mouth, her head fell off, and her torso, severed diagonally at the waist, also crashed to the ground.
As her body hit the ground, her limbs were also dismembered, scattering around her.
Blood gushed out, rapidly forming a pool around Han Ming’s corpse.