Chapter 364 - 347: Please Enter the Urn
Zhao Lin picked up a Yin Evil Pearl. Even through his beast-hide gloves, he could feel the Yin Evil Qi it contained.
Evil Qi was extremely destructive to meridians and Spiritual Acupoints. Once it invaded the physical body, Spiritual Power could no longer flow smoothly. Even Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators could not endure prolonged exposure to Evil Qi.
'To think Ghost Cultivators could condense Evil Qi into pearls. How wicked.'
"Brother Zhao, that thing belongs to a Ghost Cultivator. It would be better to let the sect handle it."
Wei Shi reminded him out of kindness.
"I know."
Zhao Lin nodded thoughtfully and put the Yin Evil Pearl away.
An hour later, Zhao Lin figured enough time had passed. He activated the Array Plate again, and this time, the Array successfully started up.
A loud rumble echoed out, and all three of them felt a distinct fluctuation of Mana.
"It worked!"
Wei Shi and Li Yuanyou exclaimed in delight.
"There's a two-breath interval between the Array's activation and its full formation. When the Ghost Cultivator activated the Array before, neither of us had any experience, so we missed the window to get out."
"But a Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator definitely wouldn't make that mistake. If they chose to flee immediately, they could still escape the Array."
After observing for a moment, Zhao Lin pointed out the Array's weakness.
"Then we'll have to stop him!"
Wei Shi chimed in.
"Stopping him won't be easy. We need to plan this out beforehand."
Zhao Lin deactivated the Array and began discussing a strategy with Wei Shi and Li Yuanyou to deal with the Fat Cultivator.
"Where is this… Huh?"
At some point, Hu Hongxing had regained consciousness. His face was full of confusion. "Why are you guys back?"
Zhao Lin's eyes turned cold. He suddenly struck out with his palm, his arm slashing through the air to create a crescent-shaped blade of energy over three feet long.
Sky-splitting Slash!
With a flash of cold light, Hu Hongxing's head was lopped right off.
He then released a dozen or so Flame Stream Arrows, incinerating the corpse to ash.
"Brother Zhao?"
Wei Shi froze for a second. By the time he reacted, Hu Hongxing's body was already engulfed in flames.
"A good kill!"
Li Yuanyou held a mortal grudge against Hu Hongxing. After his initial surprise, a flash of glee passed through him.
Before the two could ask, Zhao Lin took the initiative to explain, "We're about to fight a Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator. Our chances aren't good to begin with. Keeping this person around would ultimately be a liability."
"We don't understand Ghost Cultivators, nor do we know what other Secret Techniques he might have. Although I sealed his Spiritual Acupoints, methods that are effective against Magic Cultivators might not work on a Ghost Cultivator."
"If he stays alive, he's a variable. I had to eliminate that variable!"
After hearing this, Wei Shi had no more objections. "Brother Zhao is right. I was being too naive."
...
The three of them returned to the outermost entrance of the cave.
Li Yuanyou extended a feeler outside, then quickly retracted it. He whispered, "That person is still up there. He'll see us the moment we go out."
Zhao Lin nodded. "Fellow Daoist Li, you go back first. The two of us will lure him in."
Li Yuanyou wasn't a strong fighter, but he could create illusions. The Fat Cultivator didn't know he existed, making him a perfect secret weapon.
"Alright. You two be careful then."
Li Yuanyou urged, then turned and left.
Zhao Lin and Wei Shi pushed aside the vines at the cave entrance and walked out side by side.
The Fat Cultivator, keeping watch from the high ground, spotted them immediately. He rejoiced inwardly, 'I knew the Chasing Breath Talisman wouldn't be wrong. So they were hiding in a cave!'
The Chasing Breath Talisman was a type of tracking talisman that could follow a cultivator's aura. When Zhao Lin had used the Void Trapping Skill to escape, the Fat Cultivator had used this talisman to lock onto Zhao Lin's aura and track him all the way here.
The talisman's weakness was its imprecise positioning. After a while, the aura would dissipate, making it impossible to continue tracking.
'I absolutely cannot let these two brats run away again!'
The Fat Cultivator gripped his Antler Blade, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the two men's backs.
He had originally wanted to attack immediately, but then he remembered how unusually slippery the two were—especially Zhao Lin, with that headache-inducing Void Trapping Skill. He decided to wait for a better opportunity.
"Younger Brother Wei, we're really in luck. Who would've thought this inconspicuous cave would actually have Star Peony Grass."
"Totally! We've struck it big, brother!"
"Shh, keep your voice down..."
Zhao Lin and Wei Shi weren't speaking loudly, but every single word reached the Fat Cultivator's ears.
'Star Peony Grass?'
The Fat Cultivator's heart skipped a beat. He didn't lack Spirit Stones, so he wasn't particularly interested in Yinfeng Grass, but he desperately coveted the Star Peony Grass that could accumulate merit.
"Who's there?"
Zhao Lin suddenly raised his head and shouted toward the mountain.
The Fat Cultivator decided to drop the act. Without a second word, he leaped down from the summit, sending his Antler Blade flying straight at Wei Shi.
Simultaneously, he formed a hand seal. Golden light erupted as a dozen or so hooked flying blades shot out.
Roaming Scythe Blades!
The Fat Cultivator knew Wei Shi was a Body Cultivator and that ordinary Magic wouldn't be able to do anything to him, so he used a sharp magic weapon against him.
And Zhao Lin was a Martial Cultivator. For him to have mastered a technique like the Void Trapping Skill was already rare; it was impossible that he had any other mastery-level magic. The Roaming Scythe Blades would be more than enough to overwhelm him!
Seeing the Antler Blade shooting toward him, Wei Shi cried out in alarm and immediately leaped back in retreat.
The Antler Blade SWISHED down, striking the spot where he had just been standing. It plunged directly into the ground, leaving behind a deep fissure.
Zhao Lin formed a hand seal, pointed in front of himself, and cast a Rock Armor Skill.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
After a rapid series of clangs, the flying scythes struck the rock armor, and both spells dissipated into nothingness.
'So that's all he's got!'
Breaking through Zhao Lin's defense with a single move further confirmed the Fat Cultivator's suspicion: as long as he defended against the Void Trapping Skill, his opponent would be helpless.
He immediately manipulated the Antler Blade, sending it tunneling through the earth to appear under Zhao Lin's feet, where it suddenly burst from the ground.
Zhao Lin was greatly startled. He leaped away, narrowly dodging the Antler Blade, and then broke into a run down the mountain.
Wei Shi shouted, "Quick, back to the cave!"