Before leaving for Xia Island, Mu Nianbing specifically instructed Ai Jiangtu to temporarily take over the leadership of the team.
Ai Jiangtu was initially hesitant, but after Mu Nianbing repeatedly insisted, he finally agreed.
After that, Mu Nianbing boarded a plane back to China, bringing the Queen of the Nine Netherworlds with him.
Upon returning, Mu Nianbing went directly to Liu Xian's house.
Since he planned to claim Xia Island, he intended to bring Liu Xian and Liu Ru along.
The Earth Holy Spring on Xia Island contained extremely abundant energy. If Liu Xian and Liu Ru cultivated there for a period of time, breaking through to the High Level would be very easy.
If Lingling were not still too young, Mu Nianbing would have brought her along as well.
But it did not matter—waiting a few years would not make much difference.
The Earth Holy Spring had remained perfectly preserved on Xia Island for so long, which meant the island likely had some special structure capable of maintaining its energy.
Mu Nianbing had no intention of taking the Earth Holy Spring away. Leaving it on Xia Island would be far more beneficial for long-term cultivation.
"Master, I didn't expect you to have the hobby of keeping mistresses."
The Queen of the Nine Netherworlds suddenly emerged from Mu Nianbing's contract space and gently leaned against his back.
Her pale fingers brushed across his cheek as she breathed softly beside his ear.
Both Liu Xian and Liu Ru were startled by her sudden appearance. Liu Ru even hid behind Liu Xian in fear.
Mu Nianbing did not expect the Queen of the Nine Netherworlds to appear so abruptly. He could only give a brief explanation to calm the two of them.
After a while, Liu Xian and Liu Ru gradually relaxed.
"Did you do that on purpose?"
Mu Nianbing looked at the Queen of the Nine Netherworlds with dissatisfaction.
This woman—no, this female ghost—often acted completely unpredictably.
After teasing Mu Nianbing for a moment, the Queen of the Nine Netherworlds slipped back into the contract space.
Liu Ru cautiously peeked out from behind Liu Xian. After confirming that the ghostly woman had disappeared, she asked curiously,
"Brother Bing, what exactly is your relationship with her?"
"Well… you could say we're friends," Mu Nianbing replied vaguely.
If possible, he preferred not to reveal trump cards like the Ancient King. Otherwise, it would certainly attract the attention of the Holy City.
With the Ancient King's current strength, directly confronting the Holy City would still be extremely difficult.
A trace of doubt appeared in Liu Ru's beautiful eyes. She still felt that the relationship between the two was more than just friendship.
Mu Nianbing did not waste any more time and immediately took Liu Xian and Liu Ru toward Xia Island.
The Cang Ming Flood Dragon moved incredibly fast through the sea. Following the directions given by the Queen of the Nine Netherworlds, an island soon appeared ahead of them.
Before Mu Nianbing could even step onto the island, a figure clad in armor suddenly appeared before him.
"Master!"
The Ancient King knelt respectfully in midair.
Mu Nianbing did not expect the Ancient King to appear so suddenly. He had originally intended to keep his identity secret from Liu Xian and Liu Ru, but now there was no need.
However, considering their personalities, he did not worry about the secret being exposed.
Ignoring the stunned expressions of Liu Xian and Liu Ru, Mu Nianbing looked toward the Ancient King.
"How have the people on the island been handled?"
"Reporting to Master, most of the island's inhabitants have been imprisoned. A small number who refused to submit have already been refined into undead."
Mu Nianbing nodded calmly.
Although Xia Island was essentially a nest of serpents, it also presented an excellent harvesting opportunity for him.
It just so happened that the Scythe of Death had rarely been used until now.
This was the perfect time to use it.
After arriving on the island, Mu Nianbing turned to Liu Xian and Liu Ru.
"You two stay here for now. I'll come back later."
He did not want them to witness what he was about to do with the Scythe of Death.
Although the two of them felt uneasy, Mu Nianbing's tone left no room for argument, so they could only nod.
Under the Ancient King's guidance, Mu Nianbing soon arrived at an ancestral hall.
Countless undead surrounded the building, ensuring that no one could possibly escape.
Beneath the ancestral hall was a dungeon—ironically built by the natives of Xia Island themselves, yet now being used against them.
As Mu Nianbing stepped into the dungeon, he saw that every cell was packed with people—men, women, the elderly, and even children.
The moment these prisoners saw the Ancient King, they immediately lowered their heads in terror.
The horrifying scene of the Ancient King refining living humans into undead had deeply scarred their minds.
Even though their cultivation had not been crippled, none of them dared attempt escape.
The strength of that armored undead was simply too terrifying.
Even the island's great elders had been defeated in a single move. Any resistance would certainly result in death.
"Human… he's not undead!"
When the prisoners noticed Mu Nianbing, the previously lifeless crowd suddenly stirred with excitement.
Mu Nianbing looked at the hopeful faces before him.
A faint, chilling smile appeared on his lips.
"Master, everyone remaining on Xia Island is imprisoned here," the Ancient King reported before quietly standing guard beside Mu Nianbing.
Mu Nianbing formed an ice blade in his hand and casually opened the nearest cell.
A wave of freezing air instantly filled the cell, immobilizing everyone inside.
Then Mu Nianbing calmly swung the Scythe of Death, harvesting their lives one after another.
The entire process was smooth and efficient.
In Mu Nianbing's eyes, no one on Xia Island was innocent.
As for the exact depth of their sins, that was not something he cared to investigate.
His only responsibility was to send them to hell.
When the prisoners in the other cells witnessed this scene, their faces turned pale with terror.
Moments earlier, they had believed Mu Nianbing was their savior.
Instead, he proved to be a far greater demon.
Under the power of the Scythe of Death, the dozens of people who had just been killed slowly rose again.
A thick aura of death surrounded their bodies.
Compared to ordinary undead, they appeared almost human.
As long as they suppressed the death energy within them, they could even disguise themselves within human society.
Without hesitation, Mu Nianbing moved on to the next cell.
Just as he stepped inside, a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Big brother… please don't kill me. I'm so scared."
Mu Nianbing looked at her.
The girl had a sweet and delicate appearance, and with tears streaming down her cheeks, she looked extremely pitiful.
"What is your name?" Mu Nianbing asked calmly as he gently touched her head.
"Shu Xiaohua."
"Don't be nervous. Just relax and take a deep breath. Feeling dizzy is normal."
"Big brother…"
Shu Xiaohua wanted to say more, but her voice suddenly stopped.
Mu Nianbing silently wielded the Scythe of Death, harvesting the lives of everyone else inside the cell.
After subduing the newly created undead, he continued moving through the dungeon.
Several women attempted to seduce him in desperation, hoping to survive.
But Mu Nianbing showed no hesitation.
The Scythe of Death continued to fall.
Finally, Mu Nianbing arrived at the last cell.
Inside was only one woman.
She wore a colorful headscarf and a delicate hat. Her upper body was covered by a short, slanted shirt, while loose dark trousers hung from her waist.
The headscarf covered most of her face, revealing only her eyebrows and eyes.
Yet even with part of her face hidden, her delicate nose and small lips gave her an extraordinary beauty and calm elegance.
"Song Feiyao."
Even without seeing her full face, Mu Nianbing immediately recognized her identity.
...
Author's Note:
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