Su Xi and Gu Qingzhou stared at the bizarre stone coffin before them. Though they didn't know what lay within, they were certain that if they were pulled in, their fate would be grim.
Gu Qingzhou hastily produced his Kylin Fan, hoping to use its power to disrupt the strange suction pulling them toward the coffin.
However, the Kylin Fan only slightly slowed their approach to the stone coffin. They were still being drawn in relentlessly. As they neared, they could clearly see the eerie glow emanating from within the coffin.
Suddenly, Su Xi's fire-poker felt hot and then, with a swoosh, flew into the stone coffin.
Immediately after, a pained grunt echoed from the coffin. Red light flickered incessantly before abruptly vanishing.
As the red light disappeared, the strange suction pulling Su Xi and Gu Qingzhou also ceased.
Before Su Xi could comprehend what had happened, the stone coffin exploded. A powerful wave of energy surged outwards. With the coffin's destruction, a man in a black robe appeared in the center of the plaza.
The man was entirely shrouded in black, his face completely obscured, only the faint red light beneath the robe was visible. He exuded a chilling aura, as if from hell itself, sending shivers down their spines.
A nondescript fire-poker was embedded in his chest, trembling continuously.
Despite the pain from the fire-poker, the man seemed to have some reservations. He dared not touch it, only letting out occasional shrieks of agony.
The fire-poker not only severely wounded the man in the black robe but also continuously siphoned energy from his body. The excruciating pain made him roar in unbearable agony.
"Roar~"
His roar struck deep into the souls of Su Xi and Gu Qingzhou.
In the wake of his cry, both Su Xi and Gu Qingzhou felt dizzy and unsteady. They quickly covered their ears, finding some relief.
The man in the black robe was not prepared to let them off so easily. He raised both his hands.
Dense red lines materialized on the plaza floor, weaving into a massive skull pattern. The pattern pulsed with an eerie red light, flickering in a loop.
Under this strange crimson glow, Su Xi and Gu Qingzhou's cultivation was completely suppressed, rendering them unable to channel any energy. Their vital blood churned within them, being absorbed by the red lines beneath their feet.
Nourished by their vital blood, the man in the black robe felt somewhat better.
He gambled, betting he could kill Su Xi and Gu Qingzhou as blood offerings before the fire-poker drained all his energy. If his treasure lost its master, he was sure he could find a way to be rid of it.
Su Xi had no intention of waiting to die. As her vital blood was almost completely drained, she produced her recently synthesized weapon, the Stellar Gun.
The Stellar Gun, modified by the laboratory, was ten times more powerful than the previous laser gun. Furthermore, its activation did not require her to actively use her cultivation.
Su Xi pulled the trigger, and the Stellar Gun immediately began to devour her cultivation.
A wave of weakness instantly washed over her, making cold sweat break out on her forehead. She wondered if she would be reduced to a dried husk. Fortunately, just as Su Xi was about to succumb, the Stellar Gun finished charging.
"BOOM!"
A plasma energy beam surged towards the man in the black robe.
The energy field generated by the beam interfered with the formation, causing the spiritual energy within Gu Qingzhou to stir.
Seizing the opportunity, he activated his small iron sword and hurled it at the man in the black robe. Due to the critical situation, he had expended a considerable amount of vital blood, forcefully enhancing the sword's power.
Seeing that Su Xi and Gu Qingzhou could still attack, the man in the black robe let out a soft "Hm," but showed no panic.
He raised his right hand and drew a line in the air.
As he moved his hand, a blood-red barrier materialized before him, blocking the incoming attacks.
Gu Qingzhou watched as his iron sword was blocked, and the energy within it was continuously absorbed by the blood-red barrier.
The dissipation of energy left Gu Qingzhou's face pale. This was his most potent attack, and now it had been stopped. What could he possibly do?
Just as Gu Qingzhou thought their doom was sealed, he heard a scream.
A hole instantly appeared in the chest of the man in the black robe, who had been standing majestically on the high platform. He was almost bisected, and black blood dripped to the ground.
Su Xi breathed a sigh of relief at the sight.
Her weapon, which had nearly drained her dry, had indeed yielded some results.
The man in the black robe had not expected Su Xi to possess such a powerful weapon. He was wounded in the first encounter. He looked at Su Xi in disbelief, "What kind of technique is this?"
As a ghost cultivator, there were few methods that could effectively deal with him. It was highly abnormal that Su Xi could injure him so easily.
Hearing the man in the black robe's question, Su Xi's expression remained impassive. She raised the Stellar Gun in her hand.
Villains often die from talking too much, and she wouldn't put herself in danger.
However, she knew that activating the Stellar Gun required a great deal of spiritual energy. If she used it twice in quick succession and failed to kill the enemy, she would perish. Therefore, while activating the Stellar Gun, she instantly grabbed Gu Qingzhou.
With a helper, why should she do all the work herself?
Before Gu Qingzhou could react to Su Xi's intentions, he felt more than half of his internal energy being drained. A wave of weakness swept through his entire body, causing him to collapse to his knees.
Simultaneously, the Stellar Gun finished charging and fired again.
"Rumble."
The Stellar Gun's energy beam was incredibly fast. Before the man in the black robe could react, his body was instantly disintegrated.
As the man in the black robe vanished, the binding on the ground also began to collapse.
Su Xi felt her strength return. She strode forward and picked up the fire-poker that had fallen to the ground. This time, she knew the fire-poker was extraordinary and treated it with the utmost care.
Gu Qingzhou looked at Su Xi beside him, his expression complex.
He had not expected Su Xi to possess such formidable abilities so soon after joining. The weapon that could eliminate ghost cultivators had already stirred his desire.
If he could obtain the Stellar Gun, he was certain he could achieve great success in the upcoming sect competition.
With this thought, Gu Qingzhou immediately walked up to Su Xi and said, "Thank you, Junior Sister, for what happened today. Otherwise, I would surely have been in grave danger."
Su Xi looked at Gu Qingzhou, who was speaking to himself, and remained silent. Her eyes, however, were filled with amusement, clearly not believing his insincere gratitude.
Seeing Su Xi's expression, Gu Qingzhou reached into his robes and produced a pill, offering it to her. "This is a top-grade Level Two pill. Allow me to express my gratitude for saving my life."
After this incident, his desire to possess Su Xi grew even stronger.
Su Xi accepted the pill from Gu Qingzhou, confirmed he wasn't lying, and put it in her pocket.
Gu Qingzhou was still anticipating the pill's effect on Su Xi and naturally couldn't do nothing. He began to persuade her, "Junior Sister, pills are covetable items. If others find out, it would be very disadvantageous for you. Therefore, you should consume it here as a precaution."
Su Xi looked at Gu Qingzhou and asked doubtfully, "Are you telling the truth?"
Gu Qingzhou nodded, his face a picture of sincerity. "Everything I say is true, of course."
Having received Gu Qingzhou's assurance, Su Xi nodded seriously, took out the pill, and dropped it into her mouth. She chewed a few times before swallowing.