Chapter 131: Killing and Collecting Souls

Wearing the Mountain Demon Hat, Lu Bai tiptoed toward Lady Dou, moving slowly, afraid of making any noise that might startle her and raise her guard.

To his surprise, Lady Dou still managed to dodge the sword strike he had been building up. ’What a shame,’ he thought.

Then, he saw Dou Kuan fleeing with Lady Dou, Mo Tang in hot pursuit.

Lu Bai hesitated for a moment before chasing after the scrawny old man.

He doubted he could catch up to the True Master of the Martial Dao.

Besides, the scrawny old man had three evil spirits with him. ’I’ll collect their Soul Lights first.’

Lu Bai broke into a run, pursuing him relentlessly.

However, he was only in the Inner Strength Realm and didn’t know any Body Techniques. After chasing for a while, he watched with growing anxiety as the scrawny old man pulled further and further away.

The scrawny old man, for his part, was terrified.

He glanced back several times but couldn’t see a soul.

All he could hear were heavy footfalls behind him, as if an ancient behemoth were crashing through the undergrowth in hot pursuit.

His Body Technique was ordinarily nothing special, but his terror fueled him, letting him burst forth with a speed that far surpassed his norm. It was as if he’d shed decades.

In a flash of inspiration, Lu Bai abruptly tore the Mountain Demon Hat from his head, revealing his true form. He brandished the Xuanjian Sect Flying Sword and bellowed, "Where do you think you’re going, you old dog!"

The voice sounded vaguely familiar to the scrawny old man. He glanced back, and a flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes.

’Lu Bai?’

’The kid’s not dead yet?’

In the next instant, the scrawny old man’s expression soured, and rage flared in his heart.

’To think that brat just scared me half to death.’

’The nerve of this kid, actually daring to chase me!’

The scrawny old man thought, ’This kid must have a treasure that hides his presence. If I kill him and take it, it’ll be a godsend! I’ll be able to hide anywhere in the future, and no one will ever be able to find me.’

At this thought, the scrawny old man skidded to a halt and spun around.

Staring at the charging Lu Bai, the scrawny old man let out a sinister laugh. "Without that Five-Black Dog, you still dare to chase me? You’re courting death!"

As he spoke, the scrawny old man shook the Human Skin Lantern in his hand.

In an instant, a ghostly wind howled!

Three evil spirits burst from the Human Skin Lantern.

With shrieks and howls, they charged at Lu Bai.

Lu Bai acted as if he hadn’t seen them. Without breaking stride, he reached into his robes, pulled out a large handful of Five Emperors Coins, and flung them forward!

He was unskilled with Hidden Weapons, so half of them missed their mark.

But the other half struck the three evil spirits squarely.

"AARGH!"

The three evil spirits let out bloodcurdling screams.

"Huh?"

The scrawny old man’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

’Where did this kid get so many Five Emperors Coins?’

Before the old man could react, a massive, abyssal vortex appeared on Lu Bai’s chest. A ghostly light enveloped the area, erupting with a powerful suction force!

The two injured Little Ghosts were powerless to resist and were instantly dragged inside.

The Great Ghost, smoke pouring from its form, was still struggling.

Lu Bai stepped forward, closing the distance.

He clenched two Five Emperors Mother Coins in his fist and threw a punch downward!

The punch nearly blasted the Great Ghost’s soul into oblivion.

Immediately after, the Great Ghost dissolved into a streak of Soul Light and vanished into Lu Bai’s chest.

’Three Soul Lights acquired.’

’This trip was well worth it.’

Lu Bai’s spirits soared. He charged toward the scrawny old man with great strides, intent on killing him.

"What the hell was that?"

The scrawny old man still hadn’t processed what had happened. The three evil spirits had been devoured by whatever was on Lu Bai’s chest, vanishing completely!

While he was still stunned, Lu Bai closed the distance and brought his sword down in a vicious chop!

His Swordsmanship was clumsy, but the power behind it was staggering.

The scrawny old man didn’t dare meet the blow head-on. He instinctively dodged the blade, sidestepped, and attacked Lu Bai from the flank.

The dagger in his hand blurred, flashing with an eerie light.

Lu Bai stood his ground, his eyes wide and furious. A faint golden light glinted within them as he glared at the scrawny old man, his presence terrifyingly majestic.

The scrawny old man’s Heart and Spirit were shaken, and his movements slowed by a fraction of a second.

Lu Bai suddenly let go of his sword, reached out with both arms, and grabbed for the scrawny old man.

For a split second, the old man’s vision blurred.

He seemed to see several arms crisscrossing, making it impossible to tell which were real and which were illusions.

Steeling himself, he slashed his dagger toward several of the arms!

SNAP!

Lu Bai’s large hand suddenly seized his wrist, clamping down like an iron hoop from which he could not break free.

Before the old man could react, Lu Bai’s hands moved in a blur, applying several joint locks.

CRACK! SNAP! POP!

A series of sickening cracks echoed from the scrawny old man’s body.

Excruciating pain shot through the joints of his limbs!

"AAAAH!"

The scrawny old man shrieked in agony. His hand went limp, and the dagger clattered to the ground.

It was a move from the Vajra Demon-Subduing Fist: the Eight-armed Dragon Tamer.

It was purely a grappling technique for Tearing Sinews and Shattering Bones. Cultivated to its peak, it could even capture a True Dragon alive!

This had nothing to do with one’s Cultivation; it was simply a matter of being completely overwhelmed by a superior Ultimate Skill.

This entire exchange, though it takes time to describe, happened in the blink of an eye.

Lu Bai had only just let go of his sword; it hadn’t even hit the ground yet.

After dislocating several of the old man’s joints, Lu Bai smoothly snatched his falling Flying Sword and swung it in an upward arc!

SQUELCH!

A spray of blood erupted.

The blade was incredibly sharp. In an instant, it sliced him open from bottom to top, spilling his stinking Internal Organs all over the ground.

The single strike had nearly cleaved the scrawny old man in two!

The scrawny old man was thrown backward. He lay on the ground, his body twitching a few times before falling still. He stared wide-eyed as his breathing slowly ceased, dying with his eyes open.

Lu Bai let out a sigh of relief and gathered all the Five Emperors Coins he had just thrown.

He then searched the man’s body, found a few silver notes, and casually tucked them into his robes.

BOOM!

Just then, a tremendous explosion echoed from high in the distant sky!

Two figures, each wreathed in fiery Blood Qi, collided once more in midair.

Lu Bai considered for a moment, then gripped his sword and hurried in that direction.

’Given the methods of the Witch Race, their revenge would be impossible to guard against.’

’If I don’t take this chance to kill Lady Dou, I’ll never be able to rest easy!’

Lu Bai considered pulling out the Mountain Demon Hat again but quickly abandoned the idea.

’She detected me even when I was wearing the Mountain Demon Hat, and my attack missed.’

’I might as well not use it. It’ll also keep me from exposing this treasure.’

’As long as I can get close, killing that Witch will be as easy as flipping my hand!’

Dou Kuan’s Cultivation was inferior to Mo Tang’s, and since he was carrying another person, his speed was ultimately a bit slower.

After a short chase, Mo Tang caught up and cut them off.

Dou Kuan and Mo Tang exchanged a single blow, then faced each other in a standoff in midair.

Dou Kuan’s voice was grim. "Lord Mo, spare us, and we can meet again on better terms. Why must you be so merciless?"

"Dou Kuan, you should know that colluding with the Witch Race is a capital offense in the Wu Dynasty."

Mo Tang’s tone was placid, yet left no room for argument.

Lady Dou’s voice was haunting. "Lord Mo, if my husband and I were to join forces, we could fight to the death and take you with us. You might not win.

You are so young, yet you’ve reached such a high Realm and hold an esteemed position. Why take such a risk?"

Mo Tang replied coolly, "The fish will certainly die today. The net, however, might not break."

"Put me down."

Lady Dou said, "Let’s join forces, husband. We’ll show her what we’re really capable of!"

Dou Kuan understood and set Lady Dou down.

Mo Tang seized the opportunity to attack.

Her Sword Stance unfurled, her Sword Moves fierce and sharp. Crisscrossing waves of Sword Qi completely enveloped both Dou Kuan and his wife!

"Hmph!"

Dou Kuan swung his Long Saber, his Blood Qi erupting as he blocked Mo Tang’s Sword Moves, shielding Lady Dou behind him.

Lady Dou seized the chance to retreat a few steps, moving out of their battle. She bit her fingertip again, using her Witch Race blood as a catalyst to draw bizarre runes in the air.

At that very moment, the nearby jungle rustled, and a tall, burly man burst out. He charged straight for Lady Dou like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey!