Chapter 924: The True Behind the Scenes

The Netherflame's terrifying form, wreathed in black mist, spread poison in all directions.

A command, issuing from Xu Qing's mouth, also emanated from the Netherflame's.

First Defilement: Divine fire rises with smoky impurities!

Inside the passage entrance, the young man named Feng, who had just breached the barrier and was about to rush forward, suddenly trembled. His expression drastically changed as countless black spots, laden with impurities, spread across his entire body and face.

Second Defilement: Divine soul arises with mundane desires!

The next moment, all his senses were stripped away.

Third Defilement: Divine body decays and becomes crippled!

All the black spots on the young man named Feng completely rotted; his flesh peeled away, and his bones decayed.

Fourth Defilement: Divine shrine gathers dust and loses its luster!

A desperate wail escaped the young man named Feng's lips as he felt his Dao foundation, already shaken by his previous self-detonation, was now collapsing.

But the curse was not over yet!

Fifth Defilement: Divine nature becomes impure and loses wisdom!

Sixth Defilement: Divine fate welcomes curses and severance of life!

The power of soul annihilation erupted, turning the young man named Feng into a vengeful spirit. His flesh grotesquely rotted, and his body emitted a strong stench of decay.

Just then, he suddenly raised his hand and slapped his chest. Immediately, a large amount of corrupted blood and countless wailing souls rushed out of his body in a scramble.

Those were the blood and souls of tens of millions of his bloodline relatives, which he had previously integrated into his body to become a complete Blood Profound being. Now, out of desperation, he could only abandon them.

As the sea of blood and multitude of souls dispersed, his bloodline diminished, wings reappeared on his back, and a third eye reformed on his brow.

As for the curse that had fallen upon him, it naturally dispersed, and he barely managed to withstand it through this method. With a flap of his wings, his speed surged, and he rushed towards the passage exit.

Although Xu Qing's curse had been suppressed by this desperate method, the preceding process had significantly affected his speed. Thus, almost the instant he rushed out, Yue Dong, who was already closest to him, also flapped her wings and instantly gave chase.

At the same time, she formed hand seals, and at that very moment, the passage suddenly manifested dozens of restrictions.

These restrictions were clearly placed by her stealthily along the way as the last one to enter. Now, they erupted simultaneously, blocking the young man named Feng.

Under the obstruction of these dozens of restrictions, even though the young man named Feng had gained the initiative, his speed continuously slowed. Although he ultimately rushed out of the passage left by his ancestor, yet...

The instant he emerged, Yue Dong's figure, at a speed faster than his, flew out ahead of him and landed in front of the Golden Mouse, preventing the young man named Feng's plan from being carried out.

Without hesitation, he was about to choose to flee, but Lan Yao's figure had already caught up, intercepting him from above.

The next moment, Xu Qing and the Captain also appeared outside. However, they did not attack the young man named Feng; instead, they simultaneously headed straight for the exit of the underground cavern above.

For Xu Qing and the Captain, this was an opportunity to leave this place.

With Lan Yao and the other two entangled, the timing was perfect.

This timing, in fact, was secretly created by him and the Captain while they were in the passage.

Otherwise, Xu Qing wouldn't have previously used the Six Defilements of the Divine.

His purpose was certainly not to kill the young man named Feng; rather, the opponent's survival was the best choice. So, he merely delayed him, thereby cutting off the possibility of him freeing the Golden Mouse.

As for how the three of them would fight next, it was none of their concern.

Xu Qing and the Captain understood that they had already gained plenty.

They had to leave now; any delay would lead to complications.

But just as Xu Qing and the Captain's figures reached mid-air and were about to approach the exit, a barrier suddenly and silently appeared.

It was a large silver net, composed of crystalline white threads, enveloping the entire underground cavern.

It emanated a terrifying pressure, containing astonishing sealing power, seemingly even stronger than the power unleashed when the young man named Feng self-detonated his Great World.

If it were just that, it wouldn't be so bad. Xu Qing and the Captain, merged with the Emperor's Corpse, could blast it open, though it would cost them something. However... on this seal, a talisman paper was actually floating!

The paper was silver, and although the writing on it was clear, its meaning was hard to decipher. However, the divine aura emanating from it was very strong.

Unlike the aura of a deity, it was... the aura of a Great Emperor.

Xu Qing and the Captain's expressions changed.

They didn't need to ponder over this seal; they immediately understood it must have been set up by Yue Dong, who had been stealthily following them all along and was the last to enter the passage.

This woman and Lan Yao, one outside and one inside, their coordination was simply perfect.

To set up something to this extent, even using such an item, their motives were likely far more complex than a simple treasure hunt.

After all, the value of this talisman was immense.

“Fellow Daoists, there's no need to worry,” Yue Dong said faintly. “This seal is not for you, but to prevent Feng Lintao from escaping. Once we two have killed Feng Lintao, we will naturally open the seal and allow you to leave!”

“Furthermore, if you two are willing to lend a hand and shorten the time it takes to kill him, that would be for the best. After all, that Golden Mouse will soon be unable to be contained!”

The Golden Mouse behind Yue Dong was now clearly struggling violently. It was clear that although Lan Yao's claim of containing it for an incense stick's time was false, the mirror indeed could not hold out much longer.

Xu Qing and the Captain's hearts sank.

They had to admit that these two cultivators from the Holy Land were not only powerful in cultivation and possessed many magical artifacts but also had extraordinary minds. On this journey, they had essentially been plotting against each other, with each genuine party having a contingency plan.

Even a single misstep could lead to their demise here.

The young man named Feng also swept his gaze around; his face turned even paler in an instant, and despair even appeared in his eyes. He let out a bitter laugh.

“A Saint Ancestor Sealing Talisman,” he exclaimed. “This talisman requires an immense amount of battle merit to exchange for within the clan. To think that for me, Fellow Daoist Yue Dong would go to such lengths!”

“The conflict between us was merely a temporary one born of self-interest. You've already taken the items. Yet you set up seals beforehand, as if you intend to completely finish me off. This truly surprises me!”

“Do we have some deep-seated hatred between us?”

Feng Lintao's eyes were bloodshot, looking frantic after despair, and his voice, by the end, was almost a roar.

“Deep-seated hatred? What do you think?”

Yue Dong's eyes flashed with intense killing intent; the gentleness in her expression completely vanished, replaced by a deep hatred, as if she wished to devour his flesh alive.

“Fellow Daoist Feng, how did you truly acquire this Demonic Feather bloodline? My sister and I have been investigating for many years.”

“You thought no one would notice, that no one would know. But she has a sister, it's just that she never told you. And for our trip here, treasures are secondary. Our true target is you!”

Lan Yao, standing by, spoke through gritted teeth, then swayed her body and rushed straight at Feng Lintao. Yue Dong also charged forward with hatred.

A roar echoed as the three fought together.

Feng Lintao was now severely injured, only able to barely defend himself, but blood gushed from his mouth repeatedly.

Meanwhile, in mid-air, beneath the sealing net, Xu Qing and the Captain's expressions were grim. They did not wish to participate in this matter, but the Golden Mouse was now struggling increasingly violently.

Once it broke free...

Xu Qing and the Captain exchanged glances, both showing guilt. They had each taken an egg and feared that once the Golden Mouse broke free, it would annihilate them first.

If they wanted to leave, the only way now seemed to be to assist Yue Dong and Lan Yao.

Moreover, the conversation between the two women and Feng Lintao revealed the cause and effect. Though they didn't know the specifics, simply judging by the two women seeking revenge for their sister, they could discern a glimpse of their character.

So, after Xu Qing and the Captain exchanged glances again, each giving a seemingly normal blink, they both showed determination.

“Such a beast deserves to die,” the Captain growled, then added, “Immortal Ladies, we will wait here.”

Seeing this, Feng Lintao's face turned pale. In his cultivation, he had experienced many life-or-death crises, but a perilous situation like today was still extremely rare for him.

Especially given his personality, which usually made him the hunter, not the hunted, as he was today.

And all of this was because the Mysterious Heaven Divine Vine had been devoured...

Just thinking about it, the veins on his forehead would throb, and the pressure inside his skull would increase. But he forcibly suppressed it, refusing to dwell on this matter that could drive him mad.

While exerting full effort to resist, repeatedly retreating in defeat, and spitting blood several times, he appeared desperate, but his mind was rapidly analyzing the current situation. He knew that to release the Golden Mouse at this moment, he would have to detonate his Great World again.

However, he had already detonated two, and detonating a third... his cultivation would truly be at the Divine Condensation Second Realm.

Although facing life or death, this was not unacceptable, but after self-detonation, even if he could release that terrifying Golden Mouse, he himself at that time would be even weaker than now.

In that case, the possibility of him taking advantage of the chaos would be infinitesimally small.

A greater possibility was that he would trap himself and instead be annihilated by the Golden Mouse.

And self-detonation must be worthwhile!

Of course, if he were truly at a dead end, he wouldn't mind doing it; at least he could drag one or two down with him.

He might even go all out, detonate his true Great World, and with the Golden Mouse, bring everyone to perish with him; there was also a certain probability of that.

“But those two humans are interesting...” he mused. “Did they see something? And that sentence just now... was it meant for me? Do they know I have a way to break this seal?”

Feng Lintao's eyes flashed, and he spat out a bead. This was his Natal Magical Artifact; upon appearing, it spun rapidly and rushed towards Lan Yao and Yue Dong.

At the same time, he swiveled his body and rushed straight towards Xu Qing and the Captain.

Amidst a roar, under Yue Dong and Lan Yao's attacks, Feng Lintao's Natal Magical Artifact was immediately damaged, but it still managed to momentarily impede them.

Seeing Feng Lintao spitting blood wildly, his aura weak, and flying towards Xu Qing and the Captain, Yue Dong's expression was furious and indignant, and she quickly spoke.

“Two Fellow Daoists, please help me,” she implored. “I don't ask for a kill, just obstruct him for a moment.”

As she spoke, she and Lan Yao rapidly charged forward.

At this moment, Xu Qing and the Captain, watching this scene, had killing intent rising in their eyes. They seemed to choose to help Yue Dong and Lan Yao, and blasted towards Feng Lintao.

As for Feng Lintao, madness appeared in his eyes, and he was gambling in his heart.

There were some things he couldn't say; saying them would expose his trump card.

So he bet that these two in front of him had seen through the essence. After all, if they cooperated with the two women to kill him, there would be no benefit to them; instead, because of his death, they would then directly face the two women.

Being sealed here and unable to leave, and with that Golden Mouse, their situation would become extremely passive.

But if he didn't die and escaped, he would certainly attract the two women's pursuit and divide their attention, making them wary on all sides.

This was the only way to break the deadlock.

The next instant, as Feng Lintao and Xu Qing's attacks met, in the blink of an eye, Xu Qing and the Captain suddenly swayed and opened a path.

Yue Dong and Lan Yao's expressions changed.

Feng Lintao didn't hesitate for a moment; he surged past, and the instant he neared the seal, he suddenly self-detonated his third illusory Great World, directing all its power towards the seal.

At the same time, with a raise of his hand, he actually took out an Emperor's Talisman identical to the sealing rune!

Combined with his own world's self-detonation, it formed a silver beam that shot skyward, directly piercing through the seal, penetrating the mud layer, and connecting with the outside world.

The next instant, his figure stepped through with a fierce stride.

And Xu Qing and the Captain, likewise without any hesitation, transformed into two long rainbows and shot out through the fragmented seal.

In the blink of an eye, all three had escaped the predicament and vanished into the distant horizon.

As they rapidly sped away, Yue Dong and Lan Yao's figures also appeared outside the seal, staring intently at the direction the three had departed, their expressions grim.

“Was it because my words just now were too deliberate,” Yue Dong murmured darkly, “or because I genuinely don't have a sister, which made the conveyed emotion untrue?”

“Or was my innate ability detected?”

“If those two had believed even slightly,” she continued, “under my innate ability, they would have thought I truly cared about revenge instead of suspecting me of scheming against them, and I could have seized their emotions and planted a thought. And my innate ability did feel like it had grasped their emotions earlier!”

“As for Feng Lintao, there's a secret treasure in his soul related to the Blood Profound Saint Ancestor's legacy. That's why I could only unleash half of my innate ability on him, making him believe that there really was a woman whose blood he stole. If I did too much, I worried it would arouse suspicion!”

“And besides that, this is the first time I've faced cultivators of my realm or even weaker and failed to use my innate ability...”

“What a pity, they would have made two excellent flesh puppets. Furthermore, the Blood Profound Saint Liquid is so scarce, it's highly likely it's related to them.”

“Pity, pity, pity.”

Yue Dong muttered and looked back at Lan Yao with cold eyes, as if she wasn't looking at a person, but a flesh puppet whose emotions had been manipulated.

Lan Yao, oblivious to Yue Dong's words, was now gritting her teeth, staring at the direction Feng Lintao had fled in mid-air, overflowing with rage.

“Those two humans deserve to die,” she snarled, “and Feng Lintao deserves to die even more. Thankfully, we found evidence against him before we came. This time, we will definitely kill him to avenge our little sister.”

Her eyes were bloodshot, her expression ferocious, filled with absolute hatred.