"Don't go over there!" Xu Yi roared, blocking Cang Ying. "He's deliberately provoking you."
Cang Ying's eyes were bloodshot, his chest heaving. He was furious at being deceived and saddened by Lei Bao's death. His insides felt as if they were burning, making it impossible for him to calm down.
Seeing Cang Ying stopped by Xu Yi, "Lei Bao" sneered, "They call you a good dog, but you refuse to admit it. That woman's words made you afraid to move. Hahaha, you're so obedient."
Cang Ying's teeth chattered, wishing he could pounce on him and tear off a piece of flesh.
Xu Yi, seeing the amusement on "Lei Bao's" face and his apparent disregard for his predicament, pondered further.
"Who exactly are you?" Xu Yi asked.
"A person?"
"Lei Bao" let out a disdainful cold laugh. "Humans, such lowly beings, are merely my food. As for who I am, you are not worthy of knowing."
Not human?
Then it could only be a demon or a devil.
A shadow of gloom crossed Xu Yi's heart.
Why would this unknown individual disguise himself as Lei Bao and become the lord of a city?
His goal was definitely not just to kill people.
Seeing Xu Yi lost in thought, "Lei Bao" knew it was bad.
He had treated this group of people as fools, forgetting that Xu Yi was among them.
"Do you really think this formation can trap me?" he stared directly at Xu Yi. "I remember you."
With that, the space around him rippled. Under the violent tremors, his figure gradually blurred.
"Trying to escape?"
Xu Yi flung a small black ball behind her.
The black ball detonated just as it was about to touch the figure, its violent spiritual energy clashing wildly.
"Ah!"
Amidst the swirling smoke, Xu Yi heard a scream.
She moved forward quickly, using her spiritual energy to disperse the smoke.
The courtyard had been reduced to ruins by the explosion of the Heavenly Thunder Seed; "Lei Bao" was nowhere to be seen.
She swept the area with her divine sense and finally picked up a severed arm in a corner. The tattered cloth clinging to it still bore the faint outline of dragon patterns.
"He still got away."
Xu Yi clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction, her gaze fixed on the bloody wound of the severed arm.
"Cang Ying, come take a look at this arm." Xu Yi tossed the arm into Cang Ying's embrace as if it were trash.
Cang Ying fumbled to catch the severed arm, swallowing hard as he recalled the power of the explosion.
If he had harbored resentment earlier about self-mutilating to apologize to a few sect disciples, after witnessing Xu Yi's methods, all resentment vanished.
He still felt the lingering fear from the power of that black ball.
He calmed himself slightly and looked down at the scarred arm, his brows furrowing.
"This arm seems to be Lei Bao's," Cang Ying said, initially unsure, but as he looked closer, he became more certain. "Look at this scar. I was the one who bandaged it for him back then. There's no mistake."
Long Haotian looked at the wound and frowned, "So, the person just now… that thing not only killed Lei Bao but also took over his body."
"Very likely," Xu Yi nodded.
"It's too terrifying. What on earth was that thing?"
Chen Tao imagined if someone had taken over his body, and his fellow disciples, unaware, had been laughing and joking with him.
He couldn't help but shiver, frantically rubbing his arms.
Xu Yi continued searching through the ruins, saying without looking back, "You can report this matter to the sect. This might not be as simple as it seems."
Upon hearing Xu Yi's words, Long Haotian's heart sank inexplicably, as if something extremely dangerous was happening silently.
In the end, Xu Yi couldn't find any other useful clues.
She made a note of the matter and decided to send a message back to the sect after they left.
Xu Yi once again felt the inconvenience of not having a transmission disk, considering returning to Xuan Ji Sect.
But then she thought that if she returned, the elders might not let her out easily, so she shook her head and dismissed the idea.
Lei Bao was dead, and Cang Ying took over the City Lord's Mansion.
His first order was to lift the city lockdown.
His second order was to open the City Lord's Mansion treasury and enthusiastically invite Xu Yi and the other three to visit.
When the four emerged from the treasury, even the usually calm Wang Yi'an's eyes twinkled with joy.
Cang Ying followed behind, a look of pain on his face as he escorted the four out of the City Lord's Mansion.
As soon as they left, he impatiently shut the gates.
Xiling City, after the lockdown was lifted, was much quieter than when they first arrived.
It was likely that the cultivators who had been trapped here would not wish to return to Xiling City for a long time.
Walking on the road, Chen Tao, remembering the treasures in his newly acquired storage bag, walked with a lighter step, occasionally letting out a lewd chuckle.
Long Haotian glanced at him, shaking his head secretly.
Junior Brother Chen's disposition still needed a lot of refinement.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Long Haotian's semblance of a smile and the twitching of his lips, Xu Yi asked curiously.
Long Haotian straightened his face and said sternly, "I wasn't smiling."
Xu Yi: ...
So, who said you were smiling?
Long Haotian seemed to realize his own awkwardness and quickly changed the subject, "What was that incredibly powerful little ball you threw out?"
"Oh, that." Xu Yi flicked her wrist, and a small, dark ball lay quietly in her palm. "This is called a Heavenly Thunder Seed. Each one possesses the power of a full strike from a Nascent Soul cultivator. It's truly an essential artifact for venturing out. How about it, want to buy a few?"
Long Haotian was tempted.
Back in the inn, when the three of them were no match for Cang Ying, if they had Heavenly Thunder Seeds, wouldn't they be able to face Nascent Soul cultivators without fear?
Long Haotian's desire to purchase grew stronger.
However, remembering Xu Yi's tendency to squeeze every last bit, he feigned composure and asked coolly, "What's the price for one Heavenly Thunder Seed?"
Xu Yi's eyes curved into a smile. "Not expensive, two hundred high-grade spirit stones."
Long Haotian's face stiffened. He cried out inwardly, "Merchant! Merchant!"
"Two hundred high-grade spirit stones? That doesn't seem too expensive." Chen Tao looked down at his storage bag, scratching his head with a look of pure innocence. "Senior Sister Xu, I don't have enough spirit stones. Can I use other things as a substitute?"
"No problem, no problem," Xu Yi said with a smile, pulling Chen Tao forward as she spoke gently, "Given our relationship, I'll take a slight loss."
"Senior Sister Xu, you're my sister from now on."
Hearing Chen Tao's heartfelt words, Long Haotian felt as if a mouthful of blood was stuck in his throat, unable to be spat out or swallowed.
Why hadn't he realized how foolish Chen Tao was before? He was being sold but still helping count the money.
Wang Yi'an consoled him, "Senior Brother Long, you'll get used to it."
"You knew all along, didn't you?"
Long Haotian recalled how Chen Tao had provoked Wang Yi'an multiple times, but Wang Yi'an had ignored him. Suddenly, he understood the situation.
Wang Yi'an nodded heavily.
After all, who would bother arguing with an idiot?