The Demonic Cultivator In Zombie World

Chapter 217: How long do you intend to hide?

Boom, boom, boom!

The battle among the four Nascent Soul cultivators was truly earth-shattering. The aftermath of their fight alone was enough to alter the landscape. The noise and fury of their battle soon caught the attention of some bandit cultivators in the vicinity.

As word spread, it drew more attention from other wandering bandit cultivators. Their gazes locked onto Shangguan Hao and the others like hyenas watching a group of lions, ready to pounce at any sign of weakness. To these cultivators, Nascent Soul ancestors were usually lofty figures.

Yet, should these elders be gravely injured in battle, they too would face nothing but death if confronted by bandit cultivators.

The bandit cultivators waited patiently. They awaited the fall of the mighty lion so they could swarm and feast on the remains.

Among them, Wan Wuying and his companions, also bandit cultivators, had also noticed the battle among the four Nascent Soul cultivators from a distance. Huang Yuanwu was tempted to join and claim his share of the spoils.

However, Wan Wuying cautioned him, "The strife of Nascent Soul cultivators is not something we can meddle in. If you wish to take a share, first assess if you have the means to do so."

After some deliberation, Huang Yuanwu and Zhao Wuya nodded repeatedly, suppressing their restless thoughts.

Chu Xuan, unlike most bandit cultivators who were drawn close to the Thousand Caverns, kept himself well hidden. He could see that Shangguan Hao was no ordinary cultivator.

Throughout the confrontation, Shangguan Hao had remained silent amidst the Reincarnation Divine Sect cultivators' roars and curses, possibly holding back a trump card—perhaps reinforcements or a strategic formation. Thus, Chu Xuan refrained from indulging in the fantasy that the others might wound each other grievously.

As expected, the fight among the Nascent Souls had barely lasted a moment when an agent from the Heaven Shaking Divine Sect, dressed in black, seized an opportunity. With a fierce punch, he penetrated the skull of the early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the Reincarnation Divine Sect. His Nascent Soul barely escaped the body before the black-clothed man casually captured it and tossed it into a bag.

During the battle, this agent had not revealed his cultivation in bodily refinement. Instead, he struck in an instant when a flaw was exposed, demonstrating admirable judgment and timing.

In the blink of an eye, the situation shifted to two against one, encircling the mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the Reincarnation Divine Sect.

Shangguan Hao spoke indifferently, "Don't bother trying to send the information out. Around these Thousand Caverns, I've already laid out a formation well in advance. Once inside, no one can leave. As for the transmission jade, it's equally incapable of sending out even the slightest bit of information. Ming Rui, you might as well surrender here!" With that, he took out a formation disk and suddenly activated it.

Ming Rui's gaze sharpened as he immediately surveyed his surroundings. As expected, a protective barrier had risen around the Thousand Caverns.

Sword qi surged endlessly around them, attacking anyone attempting to leave the area. The bandit cultivators showed signs of fear and desperately tried to escape, only to be sliced into countless pieces by the fierce sword qi in an instant.

Chu Xuan noticed the soaring sword qi as well and raised an eyebrow in response. Shangguan Hao had set a deep trap for Ming Rui to fall into, inadvertently ensnaring the marauding bandit cultivators who plagued the vicinity of Heavenly Sword City as well.

Fortunately, Chu Xuan had remained cautious and kept a significant distance from the Thousand Caverns, thus he was outside the range of the formation. A quick glance was enough for him to recognize the formation as one of the Nascent Soul level, with the controlling disk still in Shangguan Hao's hands.

Had he been too greedy and ventured closer, he might have been caught inside the formation. With his current strength, even though he might have been able to break free, it would have forced him to reveal many of his hidden capabilities.

Praising himself for his cautious nature, Chu Xuan continued to watch the unfolding events from beyond the formation.

Meanwhile, the black-clothed man from the Heaven Shaking Divine Sect let out a sinister chuckle, "Hehehe, you must be a disciple of True Master Tiancang, right? Today, another one dies by my hand."

Ming Rui's pupils contracted, "Senior Brother Yun Zhongyu was killed by you?"

The man in black only laughed strangely, "I would have liked to kill him, but alas, he didn't die by my hand." He continued, "True Master Tiancang loves to cultivate disciples with spiritual bodies, nurturing them for hundreds of years before slaughtering them to extend his own life, claiming their deaths as accidents."

"You must be still in the dark, right?" he taunted.

Ming Rui's pupils shrank drastically, his mind deeply shaken.

"Die!"

Shangguan Hao took this opportunity to burst forth, attacking in tandem with the black-clothed man from left and right.

Despite being a direct disciple of True Master Tiancang, Ming Rui could not withstand the combined assault. He tried several times to break out from the encirclement of Shangguan Hao and the black-clad man, but the sword qi formation forced him back each time. Soon, he was gravely wounded and on his last breath.

In a final act of desperation, he roared, "I only ask one thing, is what you said true? Did my master really... slaughter my senior brothers? Tell me, so I can die with some understanding!"

The man in black sneered, "I was once a disciple of True Master Tiancang myself, and I barely escaped with my life. At this point, I have no reason to lie to you."

With a furious roar, Ming Rui died from exhaustion, his body plummeting towards the ground.

Within the formation, Shangguan Hao and the black-clothed man had nearly annihilated all the bandit cultivators, claiming their storage bags for themselves.

The two bandit cultivators knelt before Shangguan Hao, pleading for mercy, "Master! We have always served you loyally, plundering loose cultivators on your behalf. It was also at your behest that we spread the word to lure these bandit cultivators here, please grant us a chance to live..."

Before they could finish their plea, Shangguan Hao unleashed a slash of sword qi. Their heads soared into the air, and they died without understanding why Shangguan Hao had killed them so readily.

The man in black let out a strange chuckle, "Fellow Daoist Shangguan, you're quite decisive in killing your disciples."

Shangguan Hao gave a slight smile, "They were merely deeply malevolent bandit cultivators, deserving of death. These two were once my disciples, but long ago we lost any master-disciple affection. It is only right that I eliminate them for the greater good."

The man in black smiled silently.

Shangguan Hao looked around to make sure no one else had survived. He nodded in satisfaction. With no third party left alive, there was no one to know they had met.

Turning to the man in black, Shangguan Hao bowed respectfully, "Emissary, the disappearance of Ming Rui will sooner or later attract the attention of that old ghost Tiancang. He has the ability to divine the future. If he suspects that Ming Rui is dead, he might trace it back to me. I intended to remain in this extraterritorial battlefield to seek out the Taotie Tree species for the sect, but I am not strong enough on my own..."

The man in black chuckled softly. He could clearly hear what Shangguan Hao was implying: he wanted the protection of the Heaven Shaking Divine Sect.

The man in black pulled out a blood-colored gem and tossed it to Shangguan Hao. "This gem contains a drop of True Master Tiancang's blood essence. I refined it specifically to counteract his divination. The personal imprint on the blood has been removed, so it cannot be sensed by Tiancang. Even if Tiancang uses a significant portion of his lifespan to divine the future, at most he can discover that Ming Rui died in the Thousand Caverns, but he won't be able to trace it back to you. Keep this gem with you and continue your search for the Taotie Tree seeds without worry."

Shangguan Hao was overjoyed, "Yes! Thank you, Emissary! I will certainly devote himself entirely to the sect, heart and soul!"

The man in black let out a strange laugh and with a light step, his figure vanished like a gust of wind.

Shangguan Hao did not leave immediately. Instead, he looked around carefully. After a long while, he suddenly spoke, his face showing a cold expression, "How long do you intend to hide?"

Chu Xuan sneered silently, remaining hidden in his spot.

After a while, Shangguan Hao nodded in satisfaction, "It seems there really is no one else around, very good..."