Green Ring

The ox-headed ghost aimed its horns at the Ape King in midair and charged straight toward it.

Chen Xiuming ignored the battle between the ghost and the Ape King, his Divine Sense rapidly sweeping across the battlefield.

He found his fellow disciples locked in bitter combat.

United, the seven of them had barely held off the ape horde's initial attacks. Now scattered, they were on the verge of being slaughtered one by one.

A formidable horde of apes stood before them, while the Corpse Demon Sect disciples watched like predatory tigers from above.

Reluctance and resolve flashed through Chen Xiuming's eyes. Black qi surged from his ghost banner once more, enveloping him.

His speed suddenly surged as he broke away from the fray, fleeing into the distance.

Without Chen Xiuming, a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator, holding the line, the remaining Profound Yin Cult disciples quickly faltered.

The Ape King was especially terrifying. Towering and immensely powerful, almost no one could withstand a single exchange with it.

Smashing a seventh-level Qi Refining cultivator to death with a single punch, the Ape King suddenly flew into a frenzy. As it stared at the Heavenly Spirit Fruit tree, raging flames seemed to burn within its eyes.

"Roar!"

The Ape King unleashed a furious bellow. Surging currents of air blasted from its nose and mouth, sweeping away the surrounding debris.

Wu Sui seized the moment while both sides fought to the death. His pitch-black chain darted out like a viper lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike toward the Heavenly Spirit Fruit tree in the rear.

Seeing the chain about to wrap around the two ripe Heavenly Spirit Fruits, the Ape King pushed off the ground, leaping into the air to fiercely snatch at the chain.

Wu Sui slapped the corpse-rearing bag at his waist. A ninth-level Qi Refining Corpse Puppet materialized in midair, crashing directly down toward the Ape King.

Boom!

The two physically formidable monsters collided in midair.

The Corpse Puppet was sent flying backward. Blocked by this impact, the Ape King's momentum plummeted. Stripped of its upward force, it plummeted back down to the earth, forced to watch helplessly as the chain coiled around the two Heavenly Spirit Fruits and yanked them away.

Fury erupted in the Ape King's eyes. It snatched a millstone-sized boulder from the ground and hurled it with tremendous force. The massive rock shot toward the midair flying boat like a falling meteor.

Wu Sui flicked the chain in his hand. The far end snapped back, tossing the two Heavenly Spirit Fruits into the flying boat.

The chain then whipped around in midair, plunging headlong toward the incoming boulder.

Boom!

The boulder was shattered to pieces by the chain, sending a shower of rubble in all directions.

By now, the Profound Yin Cult disciples had been completely wiped out by the apes. Seeing their Heavenly Spirit Fruits stolen, the horde flew into a rage, grabbing massive logs and boulders to hurl at the flying boat.

With the Heavenly Spirit Fruits in hand, Wu Sui naturally had no reason to linger. He commanded the flying boat and sped off into the distance, using the chain to reel the Corpse Puppet in before they departed.

Refusing to let the matter drop, the apes gave chase. However, unable to fly, they quickly lost sight of the flying boat.

Song Wen watched Wu Sui recall the Corpse Puppet into his corpse-rearing bag. Noting that another bag still hung at Wu Sui's waist, he realized the man possessed at least two Corpse Puppets.

Furthermore, the gap in strength between the two puppets had to be significant, or else he would not have kept them separated in different bags.

If two Corpse Puppets of vastly different power levels were placed in the same bag, the stronger one would forcibly drain the Corpse Fiend Qi from the weaker, gradually diminishing its strength.

Having secured the two Heavenly Spirit Fruits so smoothly, Wu Sui was in high spirits. He laughed and said,

"Junior Brother Ji Yin, I will note down your merit for this outing. When we return to the Sect, I shall reward you handsomely."

Song Wen bowed. "Senior Brother praises me too highly. I did not contribute any effort, so I dare not claim undeserved credit."

"What is yours, is yours," Wu Sui replied. "Your cultivation may be lacking, but your mind is quite sharp."

As he handled Wu Sui's pleasantries, Song Wen marveled inwardly. That chain in Wu Sui's hands was truly miraculous-capable of attack and defense, able to extend and retract at will.

Wu Sui's success in claiming the Heavenly Spirit Fruits relied on two things: first, that wondrous chain; second, stumbling upon the Profound Yin Cult locked in battle with the apes.

Had Song Wen come for the Heavenly Spirit Fruits on his own, he might not have succeeded. The strength of that ape horde was genuinely terrifying.

The Ape King in particular possessed thick skin and immense strength. Ordinary attacks could hardly breach its defenses.

In a head-on confrontation, Song Wen lacked the confidence to defeat the entire horde.

Tricking Wu Sui into claiming the fruits had been the right move.

Now, he only needed to kill Wu Sui to claim the Heavenly Spirit Fruits for himself.

However, Wu Sui was incredibly strong and had a Golden Core cultivator backing him. He undoubtedly possessed numerous life-saving trump cards and could not be underestimated. It had to be a one-strike kill. He could not afford his opponent the slightest chance to counterattack, lest he escape.

Song Wen channeled the Cold Moon Blade within his body, preparing to unleash his deadliest strike. He had already released his two ninth-level Qi Refining Black-armored Gus. If he failed to kill Wu Sui with a single blow and the man tried to flee, the Black-armored Gus waiting on the perimeter could intercept him.

Just as Song Wen gathered his power to strike, the flying boat abruptly veered left, diving toward the ground.

Startled, Song Wen peered downward. Standing on the ground several hundred meters to their left was a delicate, beautiful figure-it was none other than that scantily clad, enchanting woman.

Earlier, he had been entirely focused on Wu Sui and had completely failed to notice her presence.

He silently cursed his own carelessness. If this woman had witnessed him killing Wu Sui just now, he would likely be captured by the Sect the moment he left the secret realm, doomed to endure torment worse than death.

"Junior Sister Ying Ni, I never expected to meet you here."

Wu Sui leaped from the bow of the boat, landing before the woman.

Ying Ni's face seemed to perpetually wear a captivating smile. Looking at Wu Sui with deep affection, she said,

"Senior Brother Wu Sui, I never expected to encounter you here either. This is wonderful! This secret realm is far too dangerous. Only by staying beside a powerful cultivator like you can I feel safe."

Appearing entirely bewitched by her beauty, Wu Sui patted his chest. "Rest assured, Junior Sister. With me here, I will never allow you to come to harm."

Ying Ni's eyes brimmed with admiration and infatuation. "Thank you for your protection, Senior Brother."

"Come, Junior Sister," Wu Sui said. "Board my flying boat. I will take you with me."

Ying Ni glanced at the flying boat, a flash of surprise in her beautiful eyes. "Oh? Senior Brother, there is someone else on your vessel?"

"His name is Ji Yin," Wu Sui said. "His cultivation is weak, but he has a sharp mind. I figured he still had some use, so I let him follow me."

"Do you dislike sharing a boat with him, Junior Sister? I can tell him to scram."

Ying Ni hurriedly stopped Wu Sui. "There is no need for that. Since he is a fellow disciple, providing him with some guidance and assistance is only proper camaraderie."

Aboard the flying boat, Song Wen heard their entire exchange and felt a wave of internal frustration.

Wu Sui's luck was truly extraordinary. Had Ying Ni not appeared so suddenly, Wu Sui would most likely be a corpse by now.

But with the addition of Ying Ni, another ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator, Song Wen could no longer easily make a move.

Both were personal disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect-their methods and trump cards could not be compared to ordinary ninth-level Qi Refining cultivators.

Song Wen simply lacked the confidence to eliminate both of them simultaneously.

He had never fought the personal disciples of a major Sect before and was unfamiliar with their hidden means. This left him constrained, unwilling to act rashly.

Down below, Wu Sui appeared completely ensnared by Ying Ni's charms. However, given how ruthlessly he had slaughtered that young woman from the Crimson Blood Sect earlier, he did not seem like someone easily swayed by feminine wiles.

Feigning an infatuated gaze of his own at Ying Ni, Song Wen rapidly assessed the situation.

He was no longer the cultivation novice he had been when he first encountered Ying Ni. He knew she must have practiced some form of charm arts. If a fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator like him wasn't affected by her allure, it would be utterly abnormal.

At the same time, Song Wen's sharp eyes caught sight of a green ring worn on Ying Ni's left index finger.

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