Just moments ago, Yang Xiao and his group were about to capture the innkeeper, but then a mysterious expert appeared and severely injured everyone with a single strike.
If it werenât for that Skyfoot Centipede, Yang Xiao and the others would have been slain by the mysterious expert by now.
âBrother Wushuang, youâre finally here!â Xiang Yangâs breath was unstable, clearly having just survived a life-threatening situation. He was still filled with lingering fear as he hurriedly pulled Jian Wushuang behind him, feeling a bit safer only after standing in his shadow.
Jian Wushuang, however, didnât seem too afraid of death. His eyes remained cold, his head held high with pride, and his voice sharp as he said, âSenior Wushuang, it was that black-clad expert who struck just now. With a single palm, he severely injured everyone. He must be a powerful cultivator in the Nascent Soul stage!â
Jian Wushuang glanced at the calm and composed Jian Shang, feeling satisfied. This reminded him of the Jian Shang from back in Qishen Temple, who remained cool-headed even when being hunted down, displaying both courage and wisdom in the face of his pursuers.
âSenior Wushuang?â Jian Shang felt uneasy under the constant gaze, his small face blushing slightly as he lowered his eyes and softened his voice.
âAhem!â Jian Wushuang quickly averted his gaze, coughing lightly to cover his embarrassment before turning to look at the mysterious black-clad elder.
The elder had a head full of silver hair and wore black robes, exuding a vigorous aura.
This wasnât the demonic expert from the Dark Sect.
It was a formidable figure he had never sensed or discovered before.
Even now, standing face to face, Jian Wushuang couldnât detect the elderâs presence.
âYour formation is much more troublesome than any puppet!â Jian Wushuang took a step forward, his figure suddenly rising as he met the elderâs gaze head-on.
The black-clad elder, standing on the shattered beam, looked astonished. Forcing himself to remain calm, he asked, âHow did you break the grand array I set up?â
âSimple!â Jian Wushuang thought to himself, and a surge of illusory power rose within himâthis was the power of thought manifested into consciousness.
It could even create a consciousness avatar.
If he were to burn this power, he could kill even a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.
âSo strong!â The black-clad elder trembled inwardly.
Then, as if realizing something, he exclaimed in shock, âAre you a cultivator from the Upper Realm?â
He could see that Jian Wushuangâs aura was only at the Golden Core stage since Jian Wushuang hadnât concealed his presence. But that powerful thought power was already comparable to the Divine Appearance stage.
Thatâs why he instinctively mentioned the Upper Realm.
âUpper Realm?â Jian Wushuangâs heart stirred. Although he knew of the Upper Realm, he didnât understand much about it. In fact, he hadnât even fully grasped the nature of this small world, with its figures like the True Immortal of the Tang Dynasty or the creator of the Princess Tomb.
At that moment, someone happened to clarify things for him, so he pretended to be calm and said, âEveryoneâs the same, whatâs there to be surprised about?â
âOh, do you think Iâm also a strong practitioner from the Upper Realm?â The black-clad elderâs previously tense expression relaxed slightly.
Both were schemers, their minds working faster than ordinary people. With just one sentence, he deduced that Jian Wushuang wasnât from the Upper Realm.
Since the black-clad elder himself wasnât a strong practitioner from the Upper Realm, he had assumed Jian Wushuang was one based on the otherâs thought power. But now that Jian Wushuang claimed to be from the Upper Realm as well, it made his words seem less credible.
The black-clad elder wasnât from the Upper Realm but was instead a powerful practitioner native to this world.
The method of distinguishing between the Upper and Lower Realms was through power.
The power systems of the Upper Realm and the Lower Realm were completely different. Although the black-clad elder had never been to the Upper Realm, he had glimpsed the divine techniques and secret methods of the Upper Realm through his inheritance, which differed greatly from those of the Lower Realm.
âI havenât asked for your name yet, sir?â
âJian Wushuang!â
The moment Jian Wushuang announced his name, his brow furrowed slightly, realizing he had just misspoken. Now, the black-clad elder had begun to shift the topic.
It was clear that the elder would no longer believe anything he said.
âI miscalculated. If the other party had come from the Upper Realm, he would have recognized the space crystal and wouldnât have used such a treasure to refine a puppet. Instead, he would have restored his own strength. Obviously, he doesnât recognize the space crystal, which is why he used it to make a puppet!â Jian Wushuang sighed inwardly.
In just one encounter, he had already made two missteps.
The opponent certainly possessed a mind as sharp as a seven-orifice exquisite heart.
Although this was a mundane world, one couldnât underestimate the wisdom of ordinary people.
When they found their path of cultivation blocked, some would choose to walk the path of the Dao, the heart, or the kidneys.
It was evident that this opponent had chosen the heart.
His mental state was very strong. When faced with challenges, he remained calm and could unravel lies with just a few words, subtly shifting the topic and diverting attention.
In this way, Jian Wushuang found himself completely at a disadvantage.
After exchanging names, Jian Wushuang became cautious with his words and instead began to deduce the elderâs identity through his name.
Jiu Chen Immortal!
That was the elderâs Dao name.
The ability to refine puppets meant he had surely obtained secret divine techniques from the Upper Realm. It wasnât surprising that he knew about the Upper Realmâs powerful practitioners.
In terms of cultivation, he might have once been a practitioner at the Divine Form level but had somehow fallen to the Nascent Soul stage. He was likely in a cooperative relationship with the Tang Emperor now.
After all, such a powerful figure in the mundane world wouldnât be subservient to imperial power.
Cooperation!
Following this train of thought, Jian Wushuang spoke up.
âDaoist Jiu Chen, since weâve laid everything out, why donât we be more straightforward? This time, give me some face and spare Yang Xiaoâs life. Whatever you need, just name it!â
Jian Wushuang lowered his stance. He couldnât gauge the elderâs strength, but the elder was at least a mid-Nascent Soul stage practitioner. If it came to a fight, Jian Wushuang had no problem with it, but there were so many people present.
If Yang Xiao died, it would be troublesome.
He regretted not asking Yang Xiao about the matters of the Jiang Kingdom earlier, which had led to this situation.
Jiu Chen Immortal gently stroked his beard and smiled faintly. âIn the mundane world, thereâs a saying that Iâve always appreciated. Let me share it with you, Daoist.â
âPlease,â Jian Wushuang gestured.
âThe one who eats the lordâs salary must serve the lord and relieve the lordâs worries.â
After Jiu Chen Immortal finished speaking, his demeanor remained calm and indifferent.
However, Jian Wushuangâs expression darkened.
The elder gave no face at all. The message was simple: since he had received benefits, he must fulfill his obligations. Yang Xiaoâs life couldnât be saved.
Since that was the case, there was nothing more to discuss with the elder.
âXiang Yang, take Jiang Shang upstairs and stay with Chen Yuan. When the time is right, take Chen Yuan and leave!â
He silently transmitted his voice, and his thought power surged to its peak.
âToday, no one shall escape from my hands!â Jiu Chen Immortal raised his hand, summoning a golden light.
Buzz!
The dazzling golden light was so bright that no one could keep their eyes open.
Even Jian Wushuang felt his eyes stinging, but fortunately, his thought power enveloped the surroundings, so he wasnât completely blinded.
However, the others werenât as fortunate. They all clutched their eyes in pain, curling up into balls.
Only four people remained standing.
Besides Jian Wushuang and Jiu Chen, there were the Guardian Tong Shan and Xiang Yang.