Tu Shanjun's gaze sharpened, no longer fixed on Wen Yue, but instead locked onto Cui Guang, the seventh layer cultivator.

Without the heavily wounded target to restrain him, Cui Guang no longer needed to hold back.

If the others approached Wen Yue, he still had a chance to resist.

But if Cui Guang got close, Wen Yue would surely die by his sword.

As expected, Cui Guang began to laugh.

A hearty, uninhibited laugh.

He had felt so stifled in this battle.

Despite his own formidable strength, he had been hampered by the malevolent ghost's entanglement because of his severely wounded Junior Brother Tang. He couldn’t unleash even half his power, nor could he create distance to slowly wear down this late-stage Qi Refining malevolent ghost.

But now, all was well.

Junior Brother Tang had regained consciousness. Even if he couldn’t fully protect himself, Cui Guang was overjoyed that he was no longer a liability.

He could finally unleash his full power.

“What? Scared?”

Cui Guang glared at Tu Shanjun with a fiery gaze, his voice calm yet sounding as if he already saw Tu Shanjun's end.

Tu Shanjun's crimson eyes showed no fear; instead, they were remarkably serene, his body not even tense.

Witnessing Tu Shanjun's composure, Cui Guang's anger flared.

He had been stifled for so long, and now he finally had the upper hand. Why was this malevolent ghost so calm? Did he not know he was about to die?

A mere malevolent ghost, why should he not fear a Qi Refining cultivator?

“Die!”

Cui Guang roared.

With a flick of his incantation, he issued a swift command.

The crimson longsword instantly transformed into three streaks of light, whistling towards Tu Shanjun.

Tu Shanjun attempted to dodge, but with his burden gone, Cui Guang’s power was indeed unleashed.

He completely suppressed Tu Shanjun.

As the flying sword flashed by, black ghostly blood instantly scattered to the ground, his flesh tearing open.

He just needed one chance, one opportunity to perish with Cui Guang.

Tu Shanjun was forced to retreat, but Cui Guang, mistaking it for an escape attempt, immediately redirected his flying sword towards Wen Yue.

Tu Shanjun had nowhere to run, no way to retreat. He instantly used his already twisted arm to block the crimson longsword.

With a muffled thud, the crimson longsword pierced through Tu Shanjun’s palm, forcibly burrowing into his dark-green arm, leaving only the hilt embedded in the front of his dark-green ghostly hand.

This pain was soul-rending, piercing through bone and straight into his spirit, contorting Tu Shanjun’s face.

Cui Guang's expression was indifferent. Earlier, the malevolent ghost had used this method to stall him; now, he would give the malevolent ghost a taste of his own medicine, a taste of this stifling agony.

As the thought flashed through his mind, Cui Guang appeared before Tu Shanjun, reaching for the hilt of the sword embedded in Tu Shanjun’s left palm.

Tu Shanjun, instead of retreating, advanced, grabbing the hilt.

He roared, tearing off his own shoulder with brute force.

As Cui Guang drew near, he swung horizontally.

“Rip!”

Cui Guang’s robes across his chest were directly torn apart, revealing a deeply gashed wound that exposed bone. His flesh was turned inside out, and blood gushed forth.

Cui Guang felt his blood and qi churning, his head swimming, and he nearly lost his footing, stumbling.

He coughed up a mouthful of rebellious blood, his previously flushed face rapidly turning pale, his lips losing all color.

Tu Shanjun bared his fangs in a grotesque grin.

His severed ghostly arm hung from the crimson longsword.

He opened his monstrous maw and swallowed his own arm in one gulp.

The severed arm immediately condensed into black mist, and the bleeding wound briefly stemmed.

Fear flickered in Cui Guang's eyes. He was scared.

“Junior Brother Tang, what are you still waiting for? Quickly slay this demon!” the compass cultivator roared. His injuries were also severe; his arm was still trembling. If not for the pills supporting his body, he would have collapsed.

Although Senior Brother Cui had been the most stifled, his combat strength was the best preserved. He hadn’t expected the malevolent ghost to be so ruthless, even tearing off his own arm to heavily wound Senior Brother Cui.

Tang Wen's injuries had slightly improved. Hearing his senior brother's shout and seeing the situation on the battlefield, wasn’t this precisely his chance to seize victory?

Wen Yue chuckled, “That brat, your senior brother is telling you to go to your death.”

“How could a Qi Refining sixth-layer cultivator be so heavily wounded by me? He just wants to get rid of you who is a burden.”

“Come here, if you come here, I’ll kill you, perfectly fulfilling your senior brother’s wish.”

Wen Yue leaned on his Soul Banner, panting, yet his expression was calm as he stared directly at Tang Wen, who was approaching.

His words were provocative, yet his demeanor remained unchanged.

Tang Wen, having endured the initial attack, still had buzzing ghost roars in his mind. He was also very afraid of the unknown ghost shadow. Hearing Wen Yue's words now, he immediately looked at Senior Brother Wang with suspicion.

Senior Brother Wang, who wielded the Blood Curse Compass, was a Qi Refining sixth-layer cultivator, yet he was now severely wounded.

Senior Brother Cui and Senior Brother Lin were both entangled by malevolent ghosts, so indeed, only he could move freely.

But what if the demon was telling the truth?

Tang Wen's expression darkened. He had impulsively used his flying sword and been roared at by a ghost shadow, then he was on the brink of death. Perhaps his senior brothers truly had opinions about his actions.

Wen Yue leaned on his Soul Banner, his expression unchanged, but his heart was filled with tension.

Teacher was barely holding on, even damaging his own body. If he couldn't control himself, he might have cried out. What he needed now was to quickly use spirit stones and Yin Soul Pills to restore his spiritual power, only then would he have a chance to gamble with his life.

The compass cultivator was incredulous. Junior Brother Tang had actually been bluffed by the demon's few words. He quickly roared, “The demon is lying to you!”

“Half of his body is pinned by the One Yuan Sword Talisman! His spiritual power is exhausted! How could he deal with you?”

“Your senior brother protected you for two hours! If he intended to harm you, would Senior Brother Cui have risked injury to block that malevolent ghost?”

“Tang Wen, act now!”

Tang Wen instantly snapped awake, his face flushing with anger as he glared at Wen Yue. “You tricked me!”

Wen Yue grinned brightly, narrowing his eyes. “You can come and try.”

“Still trying to bluff me!”

Tang Wen’s anger surged. The spiritual power in his dantian instantly filled his body, flowing into the low-grade magic sword in his hand. In a flash, he appeared before Wen Yue.

Wen Yue tried to move his body, but indeed, as the compass cultivator said, he had no strength left.

The last thirty percent of his spiritual power drained away, two-thirds of it gone.

“Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts!”

A phantom of a malevolent ghost leapt from the banner of the Soul Banner, its image flickering as it charged at Tang Wen.

Tang Wen flipped his wrist, and a spirit talisman turned to dust, forming a light shield that enveloped his body.

The phantom and the light shield collided, both annihilating each other.

“Did you think I was unprepared?”

Tang Wen grew even more exasperated. The truth was just as his senior brother had said; this person was merely trying to scare him.

Precisely because of this, he was even more infuriated, angry at his own cowardice.

He swung his sword horizontally at Wen Yue’s neck.

Noticing this, Tu Shanjun roared, his eyes crimson as he charged forward.

The protective malevolent ghosts were already powerless. Wen Yue faced Tang Wen directly, his expression unchanged.

He didn't call out to Teacher; he was afraid that he might distract him.

But Teacher still noticed him.

“This life is truly regrettable.”

“Clang!”

A black arm blocked the sword blade. The black armored arm was strong and powerful, the dark-green cuticles deeply indented by more than an inch, threads of fresh blood seeping from the cracks.

The owner of the large hand suddenly pulled on the reins.

The powerful warhorse neighed, lifting its front hooves and kicking Tang Wen in the chest.

With a thud, Tang Wen was sent flying like a cannonball.

“Brother…-in-law.”

Wen Yue looked over at the sound. On the warhorse was Sanhu, his hands covered by black ghostly hands.

Sanhu smiled foolishly, seemingly oblivious to the blood flowing from his arm.

“Sanhu, what are you doing here?”

“How did you get in?!”

Wen Yue felt no relief.

He even felt a chill in his heart.

The situation was like a hot pot, and they were all ants waiting to die.

Wasn't one death enough?

Now that Sanhu had come in, he was also just going to his death.

“Brother…-in-law.”

“Sanhu, amazing.”

Sanhu smiled.

Wen Yue looked back. It turned out the small illusion array that had kept the main army out had been smashed open by Sanhu, creating a gap.

(Chapter End)