"He's still not dead?"
Xiao Cangqing's brow was tightly furrowed, his expression as dark as an impending storm.
The shock in his heart was beyond words.
Two killing blows, one after the other—even a King-level expert would have difficulty withstanding them.
And yet, after being reduced to a pile of shattered debris, the rotten man before him could still speak with a mocking tone, sounding quite relaxed.
This made him realize that even his most powerful killing blows were nothing more than a tickle to this Evil Spirit.
This unnatural Life Force was something the proud and conceited Xiao Cangqing found hard to accept.
He gripped his longsword tightly, aimed the tip at the ice shards and fragments below, and swung down fiercely.
BOOM—
A tremendous roar erupted as the immense, cold Sword Qi, like an arrow splitting the sky, instantly tore a crater more than ten meters deep into the ground.
Dust flew, and everything nearby trembled from the impact of the Sword Qi.
Yet Xiao Cangqing's feet were as if planted on solid ground, standing steadily in mid-air, not falling even as the earth below was torn asunder by his Sword Qi.
Zheng Yi and Tan Hengshong witnessed it all, their eyes filled with shock.
They knew Xiao Cangqing's strength well; even if the two of them, both King-level experts, joined forces, they might not be his match.
But now, facing this rotten man, even Xiao Cangqing seemed to be struggling.
This made them wonder, 'Just how strong is this Evil Spirit?'
"You've certainly got some tricks, but that's all they are."
The rotten man's voice rang out again, this time from the dark corner of another building several hundred meters away.
Everyone looked up to see the Evil Spirit's figure had already reformed, as if he had never been injured.
He stood there, the nauseating stench of rot as strong as ever.
Xiao Cangqing glanced coldly at the Evil Spirit, his face expressionless as he traced an elegant flourish in the air with the tip of his sword.
"I've already heavily wounded you. This superficial illusion can't hide it."
He trod on air, walking step by step away from the top of the crater and landing steadily back on the ground.
"GEH GEH GEH GEH GEH…"
The rotten man let out a string of sinister laughter, as if mocking Xiao Cangqing's powerlessness.
He slowly retreated into the darkness, his figure gradually fading from sight.
He left behind only the lingering stench of rot and the unsettled shock and doubt in the hearts of everyone present.
"Mr. Xiao, are we really just going to let that thing leave?"
Tan Hengshong and Zheng Yi came up behind Xiao Cangqing, asking with worried expressions.
Their gazes were locked on the direction in which the Evil Spirit had disappeared, their hearts filled with unease.
Xiao Cangqing shook his head slightly, pulling himself from his thoughts. He said slowly, "The rotten man has already left Dalang City."
"But more than whether he lives or dies, I'm concerned about the words he left us with as he departed."
'The true terror is about to emerge.'
"What exactly does that mean?"
In truth, during his fight with the rotten man, Xiao Cangqing had sensed that the Evil Spirit wasn't in its optimal state.
This struck him as odd, but considering there was a live broadcast, he hadn't mentioned it, lest the audience think he had won dishonorably.
At this moment, Xiao Cangqing was indeed a little annoyed.
This was the first time he had personally acted to kill a King-level Evil Spirit, yet even after two powerful killing blows, the creature still managed to escape.
"No way, are Evil Spirits really that terrifying?"
"You're wrong. That Evil Spirit was starting to fear Xiao Cangqing, that's why it ran away."
"Rather than running away, why do I get the feeling that rotten man had some other purpose?"
"Heh, you're just making excuses for his failure."
"Do Evil Spirits have human-like emotions?"
The people in the live broadcast chat were also in a heated discussion.
For the first time, they had witnessed the terror of an Evil Spirit with their own eyes.
Even though it had been shattered to pieces by Xiao Cangqing's Sword Qi, the rotten man had somehow reconstituted its complete body through incredible means, swaggered off, and even left behind a threatening remark.
This scene was more shocking than any Evil Spirit video the public had ever seen before.
"Next, the cleanup of Dalang City will be your responsibility."
Xiao Cangqing turned to Tan Hengshong and Zheng Yi and said, "I have driven away the strongest Evil Spirit. You should know what to do next."
"I will hold the fort here, so you can act boldly and without worry."
"No matter what kind of Evil Spirit you encounter, if they dare appear before me, they have only one choice: death, or to flee for their lives."
His voice gave people an incredible sense of security.
Hearing his words, a warm feeling surged through the hearts of everyone present, as if they had found an unshakable protector.
As long as Xiao Cangqing was here, Dalang City could return to peace.
...
Amidst towering mountains and jagged peaks,
a winding mountain road coiled like a great dragon.
The sun was a golden furnace, mercilessly scorching the earth and causing the leaves on the trees to curl.
The sound of cicadas rose and fell in the dense forest.
Chu He suddenly stopped. He turned his head slightly, his tone impatient. "Come on out. You've been following me for so long. Do you plan to keep this up?"
Ever since leaving Dalang City, Ye Lingyun had been lost in memories of her fight with the Evil Spirit.
She was repeatedly replaying every detail of the battle in her mind, trying to identify her shortcomings and learn from the experience.
Chu He's words suddenly startled her.
'We've been followed this whole time, and I didn't even notice?'
After Chu He spoke, several figures slowly emerged from the woods behind them.
"Mr. Chu, you discovered us long ago, as expected. Otherwise, we never would have been able to catch up to you."
A soft, clear voice came from the dense forest behind them.
Afterward, several figures gradually came into view.
One of them, a woman, stepped out gracefully. She had a slender figure and an elegant aura.
"My name is Liu Yuzhu. I am from the Great Xia Empire, an undercover agent sent to the Great Jing Empire."
Liu Yuzhu introduced herself with complete composure, her tone betraying not a hint of fear, as if she were discussing a trivial matter.
Her words astonished Ye Lingyun. In the Great Jing Empire, being an undercover agent was a crime punishable by death.
'Is Liu Yuzhu really not afraid of Chu He taking action?'
After all, Chu He was the former National Guardian War God of the Great Jing Empire, a man of unfathomable power.
Seeing that Chu He remained silent, Liu Yuzhu continued, "Mr. Chu, I think once you see this photograph, you will understand why I've appeared here."
As she spoke, she took a photograph from her clothes and handed it to Chu He.
Chu He took the photograph.
In it was a middle-aged couple, beaming as they held a young child.
Chu He's gaze lingered on the photo for a moment, and an irrepressible shock suddenly filled his eyes.
Because the child in the photograph was him, as a young boy.
"The couple in the photo are citizens of the Great Xia Empire."
Liu Yuzhu's voice sounded by Chu He's ear. "Many years ago, their son was abducted by human traffickers. His whereabouts are still unknown. I believe you understand my meaning, Mr. Chu."
"Ding! New quest triggered: Go Home, Return to the Original Bliss.
Quest Completion Reward: Five Thunders Righteous Method.
Quest Failure: No penalty."
Just then, a system notification suddenly sounded in Chu He's mind.
That voice made him instantly understand that this photograph was not just a baseless rumor—it was real.