Yu Lie swiftly left She Shuangbai behind and disappeared into the dark forest.
His heart was filled with excitement, and he couldn’t help but smile.
The thrill of snatching an opportunity and intercepting someone else’s gains was simply exhilarating! What’s more, the target of his interception was a high-ranking Daoist disciple.
Forget about the wealth the person might carry—just the life of such a disciple alone was enough for Yu Lie to exchange for a significant amount of resources in the alchemy hall or the town!
The rustling of leaves echoed in Yu Lie’s ears as he ventured deeper into the darkness.
The sounds of screams and battle cries quickly faded behind him, leaving only the sound of the wind brushing past the grass and trees.
Breathing heavily, Yu Lie relied on his heightened sense of smell, a result of his recent transformation, to track the scent of blood left by the Daoist disciple Ku Mu.
This was the first time he had used his enhanced olfactory abilities to act as his own hunting dog.
As he pursued, Yu Lie noticed something strange—the scent of Ku Mu’s blood was growing fainter.
Instead of slowing down after entering the forest, Ku Mu had actually sped up significantly.
Yu Lie thought to himself, “This guy is indeed experienced.” However, his expression remained calm, and he didn’t feel anxious.
Yu Lie pulled out a “Water Monkey Armor Talisman” from his Blood Toad Pouch and quickly tied it to his calves as he ran.
With a specific technique, he tapped the talisman and channeled his blood energy.
Instantly, he felt a surge of spiritual power rise from the talisman and envelop his legs.
In the next moment, Yu Lie was running through the rugged forest as if it were flat ground, effortlessly climbing over rocks and leaping over trees.
After chasing for a while longer, Yu Lie noticed that the scent of blood had grown much stronger, as if his prey was just a hundred steps ahead in a patch of low bushes.
He quickened his pace, leaped over a deep ditch, and held his bow at the ready, cautiously scanning the area ahead.
However, what caught his eye wasn’t the fleeing figure of Ku Mu but a small stream.
Frowning, Yu Lie followed the stream for a short distance before stopping.
The scent of blood that had guided him was growing fainter, and he found a blood-stained robe discarded in the stream.
This meant that Ku Mu had likely changed out of his bloodied clothes at some point along the stream and then left.
Despite being severely injured and possibly “brain-damaged,” Ku Mu’s actions were still remarkably cunning and efficient.
But Yu Lie wasn’t ready to give up.
Ku Mu couldn’t have gone far, and with his injuries, he wouldn’t be able to run much farther.
Suddenly, Yu Lie’s eyes lit up as he looked up.
The flapping of wings echoed above him, and a dark shadow circled overhead.
It was his eight-legged crow, guiding him once again.
The crow flew swiftly through the air, unimpeded by obstacles, and quickly led Yu Lie back to Ku Mu’s vicinity.
It circled silently in the air, signaling Yu Lie’s target.
Yu Lie immediately slowed his movements, advancing as quietly as possible.
Instead of charging straight in, he circled around, looking for higher ground to get a better view of the area the crow had indicated.
He knew Ku Mu was nearby, no longer running but hiding.
Soon, Yu Lie stopped searching for high ground and crouched low, hiding in a bush.
He spotted Ku Mu hiding on a small hillock ahead, surrounded by rocks and bushes.
If anyone approached or even moved in the surrounding trees, Ku Mu would likely notice.
Ku Mu himself was leaning against a rock, trying to squeeze into a crevice.
He kept tilting his head, scanning the area for any signs of pursuers.
After a few moments, he pulled out a talisman from his sleeve and stuck it to his body.
His figure, which had been faintly visible, suddenly disappeared, blending seamlessly with the dark rocks around him.
If it weren’t for the faint scent of blood still lingering in the air, Yu Lie might have thought Ku Mu had escaped again.
Ku Mu had used a camouflage talisman to blend into his surroundings.
After setting up the talisman, Ku Mu let out a sigh of relief and cursed under his breath, “Damn it! Good thing no one’s following me.” He tilted his head again, thinking, then pulled out another talisman from his sleeve, this one for concealing his aura.
Although he had quickly removed his blood-stained robe when crossing the stream, his wounds were still bleeding, and he needed to deal with the scent to avoid being tracked.
However, before Ku Mu could use the talisman, his body suddenly stiffened, and he froze in place.
A loud explosion echoed, and flames erupted nearby. “Someone’s here!” Ku Mu panicked, scrambling to escape.
But then he sniffed the air and noticed the smell of sulfur.
He realized, “A fire arrow! It’s not that bastard She Shuangbai!”
Ku Mu’s fear turned to relief.
If it had been She Shuangbai, the man wouldn’t have bothered with a warning shot—he would have simply walked over and crushed Ku Mu with a single blow. “If it’s not a high-ranking Daoist disciple, then I still have a chance!” Ku Mu thought, daring to peek out from his hiding spot to locate Yu Lie.
But as soon as he stuck his head out, another arrow flew toward him, forcing him to duck back down.
This time, however, the arrow wasn’t just a simple shot—it exploded into a shower of fine steel needles that pierced Ku Mu’s scalp. “Ah!” Ku Mu cried out in pain, “That hurts!”
Before he could recover, another object flew toward him—a small ball of white sand and gunpowder that exploded on impact, setting the area ablaze.
The flames were impossible to extinguish, even with dirt.
Ku Mu roared in frustration, “You little brat! You’ve got quite the tricks!”
Yu Lie, hidden in the shadows, narrowed his eyes but remained silent.
He quietly shifted his position to avoid being discovered.
His caution paid off, as Ku Mu, now burning, frantically threw out a series of ghost fire talismans in all directions, hoping to hit his unseen attacker.
Yu Lie retaliated immediately, firing a single-shot divine machine arrow followed by a poison smoke arrow, both of which exploded near Ku Mu, engulfing him in a cloud of toxic fumes.
The battle became a chaotic exchange of ghost fires and arrows, with both sides trading blows.
But after just three rounds of Yu Lie’s thorny fireballs and white sand bombs, Ku Mu couldn’t hold on any longer.
He coughed violently, his head drooping, and his eyes bloodshot as he emerged from the hillock, frantically scanning the area. “You little brat! Show yourself!”
Yu Lie’s relentless attacks had not only prevented Ku Mu from tending to his wounds but had also burned his hair and beard and blinded him with smoke.
In response, Yu Lie fired another precise arrow, which struck Ku Mu’s throat.
However, Ku Mu’s body only swayed slightly as a layer of yellow spiritual light enveloped him, protecting him from the blow.
Ku Mu still had a defensive talisman, and it was a high-quality one at that.
Ku Mu followed the direction of the arrow and growled, “I’ve got you now, you little brat!” He then threw out an object, a sinister smile on his face.
Three small golden flying daggers appeared, hurtling toward Yu Lie’s location.
Yu Lie’s eyes narrowed as he saw the spiritual energy forming the daggers. “Damn, he’s got killing talismans too!” He quickly fired two arrows, knocking down two of the daggers, but the third one came straight at him, forcing him to dodge.
Ku Mu, seeing this, grinned even wider.
He made a hand gesture and shouted, “Turn!” The golden dagger that Yu Lie had dodged suddenly changed direction, obeying Ku Mu’s command, and flew back toward Yu Lie at high speed.
Ku Mu had pulled out another powerful talisman—the Life-Stealing Three Blades Talisman.
Although it wasn’t a seventh-grade talisman, it was still a formidable eighth-grade one, capable of tracking its target’s aura and launching three flying daggers in quick succession.
But to Ku Mu’s disappointment, the golden dagger only grazed Yu Lie’s arm, producing a metallic clang before disappearing.
Yu Lie’s outer robe tore, revealing a layer of fish-scale armor underneath, which shimmered with a dark aura.
Thanks to his agility, the armor, and the dark aura, Yu Lie remained unharmed.
Ku Mu’s eyes widened in shock. “Blood artifact armor?” he muttered through gritted teeth, immediately reaching for another talisman to attack Yu Lie.
But Yu Lie, though only slightly grazed, wasn’t about to give Ku Mu another chance.
With a flick of his wrist, a fiery red bird shot out from his hand, its flames lighting up the area and catching Ku Mu’s attention.
At the same time, Yu Lie blew a whistle, signaling the bird, and threw two poison smoke arrows to the ground, releasing a cloud of toxic fumes.
He then quickly retreated, disappearing from Ku Mu’s sight.
Ku Mu, still standing in the open, could only stare in horror as the fiery bird descended upon him, engulfing him in flames.
The explosion shattered the protective golden bell around him, and when the flames subsided, Ku Mu lay on the ground, charred and motionless, seemingly dead.
But Yu Lie wasn’t taking any chances.
He fired several more arrows, targeting Ku Mu’s throat and groin.
The arrows struck true, and Ku Mu’s body twitched violently before finally going still, blood gushing from his mouth.
He was dead.
Only then did Yu Lie slowly emerge from the shadows, stepping into the moonlight.
He let out a long breath and stared at Ku Mu’s corpse, thinking, “High-ranking Daoist disciples are indeed formidable. Even in such a state, he was able to fight back with talismans.”
Yu Lie then tossed another white sand bomb at Ku Mu’s body, setting it ablaze once more.
With plenty of gunpowder left and knowing that Ku Mu’s body, having undergone the Copper Skin Iron Bones transformation, wouldn’t burn easily, Yu Lie remained cautious.
After a while, he sent his eight-legged crow to confirm that Ku Mu was truly dead.
Once he was sure, Yu Lie approached the corpse and knelt beside it.
He began to search Ku Mu’s body, his hands trembling slightly with excitement.
After rummaging through the corpse, Yu Lie found something tucked in Ku Mu’s elbow.
He examined it briefly and couldn’t help but grin.
However, he didn’t inspect the item right away.
Instead, he looked around cautiously, grabbed the item, and hoisted Ku Mu’s body over his shoulder.
After thoroughly searching the area to ensure he hadn’t missed anything, Yu Lie strode deeper into the forest.
The commotion from the battle was sure to attract attention, and he couldn’t afford to linger.
After about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, Yu Lie stopped in a cave, far from the village.
In the dark cave, he lit a candle and examined Ku Mu’s corpse under the dim light.
Then he turned his attention to the item he had found.
The object was about the size of a baby’s fist, colored red and green, and shaped like a rolled-up tube with a fleshy, root-like base.
It resembled a strange plant or a piece of flesh.
As Yu Lie touched it, he could feel the life force within and couldn’t help but feel excited. “It’s a blood artifact, and a storage one at that!”
This was Ku Mu’s personal storage device.
As a high-ranking Daoist disciple who had participated in the Great Conscription, it was no surprise that he carried such an item.
Yu Lie immediately wanted to open it and see what treasures lay inside.
However, every Daoist’s blood artifact was bound to its owner.
Without the owner’s consent or a special method to break the bond, it was nearly impossible for an outsider to open.
But this didn’t stump Yu Lie.
After ensuring his surroundings were secure, he pulled out a bronze cup and dipped the storage artifact into it, washing it repeatedly.
After a few rounds, the artifact finally opened, revealing its contents.
Yu Lie saw that the artifact resembled a pitcher plant, with a small leaf covering its opening.
He placed it on his left wrist, and the artifact’s roots wrapped around his arm, disappearing into his sleeve.
Reaching into his sleeve, Yu Lie began pulling out one item after another.
First came a pile of miscellaneous items—clothes, shoes, dried food, and water.
Then came a collection of bottles and jars, likely containing various medicinal pills.
Next, several glowing objects caught Yu Lie’s eye, and his breath hitched. “Spirit stones!”
“One, two, three, four, five… nine, ten!” Yu Lie counted ten spirit stones, each weighing a full tael.
The sight of them made his head spin with excitement. “I’ve struck it rich!”
Besides the spirit stones, Yu Lie continued to search the storage artifact, pulling out a stack of talismans—concealment, camouflage, cleansing, and more.
They were even more comprehensive than the ones Guo Daoren had prepared for him.
Although he didn’t find another golden blade talisman, he did find two talismans depicting golden flying daggers, likely the ones Ku Mu had used earlier.
In addition to the talismans, there were also stacks of books…
(End of Chapter)