Chapter 121: Who Gave You the Nerve?

Saving Beiming Ye was merely a trivial matter for Jun Wushuang, one he quickly cast from his mind. His primary focus remained on seizing control of the Yin-Ming Corpse-Nurturing Array. In his previous life, Jun Wushuang had been the Heaven-Devouring Demon Emperor, and he possessed a profound understanding of formations. While he might not have reached the zenith of the craft, he far surpassed the average divine-level formation master. To him, this Yin-Ming Corpse-Nurturing Array, though a supreme Dao-level formation, was nothing more than a child’s toy. Before long, he had traced the formation lines, altered its structure, and usurped control.

While Jun Wushuang was busy securing the array, skirmishes were erupting all across the underground city. The ruins concealed many hidden fortunes, and beyond the most coveted Myriad-Poison Demon Pearl, there were numerous other treasures to be claimed.

*Swish!*

A dark silhouette was sprinting for his life. Had Jun Wushuang been present, he would have recognized him instantly.

"Damn that wretched girl! To think she’s hounding me so relentlessly. If I ever get the chance, I’ll make sure she pays!" Night Owl’s triangular eyes blazed with intense rage, though he quickly suppressed it to focus entirely on his escape.

Night Owl was in a dire state. A deep, bone-exposed gash ran down his back, oozing blood in a terrifying display. He bore over a dozen other wounds as well, each one bleeding profusely. The crimson blood not only stained his garments but also dripped onto the ground, leaving a trail of carnage in his wake.

"Night Owl, you cannot escape me. Surrender now, and I might grant you a quick death. Otherwise, I shall slice the flesh from your bones and subject you to a slow, agonizing execution!" A cold, ruthless voice echoed from behind, accompanied by a graceful figure in hot pursuit. She wore black fitted gear and carried two blades—one long, one short—strapped to her back. It was Ling Qianxue.

"You wench! Dreaming of killing your grandfather? Keep dreaming!" Night Owl spat, his hatred for Ling Qianxue absolute. Were it not for her cowardly ambush, he would never have sustained such grievous injuries.

"You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!" Ling Qianxue retorted, her voice icy. "Even your Demon Son is no match for my Prince. What do you think you are? Today, I shall kill you and present your head as proof of my merit!"

"Innate Divine Ability: Blade Will!" Ling Qianxue activated her Blade Emperor Physique and channeled her supernatural power. With her long blade in hand, she drew upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, imbuing it with the essence of her Blade Will, and struck.

*Crack!*

A brilliant blade-light, a hundred meters in length, surged forward like an enraged dragon, tearing through the air toward Night Owl. Already severely wounded and unaccustomed to head-on combat, Night Owl had no hope of parrying the blow.

*Thud!*

Night Owl vomited blood, his body sent flying like a kite with a snapped string before crashing to the ground, gasping for his final breaths. Ling Qianxue descended swiftly and planted a foot firmly on his back. The strike was merciless, pressing directly onto his open wounds and causing Night Owl’s features to twist in agonizing, repeated screams.

"Hand over what you picked up, and I will grant you a swift end!" Ling Qianxue stood over him, her gaze as cold as if she were looking at a dying dog.

"What... what are you talking about?" Night Owl gritted his teeth, cold sweat drenching him.

*Smack!*

Ling Qianxue leaned down and struck him across the face, twisting his features. "Don’t play games with me. I saw you take something. If you don’t hand it over, don’t blame me for being unkind!" She had seen him recover an object but had not identified it clearly, preventing her from searching for it directly. However, she was certain it was no ordinary item.

"I have nothing of the sort! Believe it or not, it’s up to you!" Night Owl spat out a mouthful of blood, his resolve unshaken.

"It seems you won’t shed tears until you see the coffin. Very well, I shall show you the price of deception!" Ling Qianxue’s face remained frigid. With a flick of her blade, she severed the tendons in his hands and feet, then shifted the point to his dantian. "My patience is thin. One more strike and your dantian will be shattered; no treasure in the world will save you then. One last time: will you hand it over?"

"You win," Night Owl stared at her, finally breaking. "The item is hidden in my chest piece. I cannot move, take it yourself."

Ling Qianxue did not let her guard down. Her mental energy remained locked onto him, and her blade stayed pressed against his dantian, ready to cripple him at a moment's notice. Night Owl lay still, appearing to have accepted his fate.

"Ah!" A piercing shriek escaped Ling Qianxue. The hand she had reached out with was rapidly turning black and festering—a potent poison.

"Hidden Sand and Shadow!"

At that same moment, Night Owl suddenly spat out three venomous needles, aiming directly for Ling Qianxue’s throat. These needles were his hidden ace, coated in a toxin so lethal that even a practitioner of the Heavenly Human Realm would perish upon contact.

"Dragon Blood Shield!" Ling Qianxue’s expression shifted violently as she activated her final protection—a drop of Dragon Spirit Blood gifted to her by Crown Prince Jiang Rulong. It was immensely precious. As it activated, it manifested as a phantom dragon-shadow, wrapping around her like armor.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

The needles were deflected by the dragon-shadow, failing to graze her. However, the Dragon Spirit Blood was a one-time-use artifact; once activated, it was exhausted. Her life-saving treasure was gone.

"What a pity," Night Owl muttered, his face ashen. He was severely injured, his tendons severed, and he had no strength left to resist her wrath.

"Damn you! You dared to ambush me and waste the Dragon Spirit Blood the Prince bestowed upon me! You deserve to die a thousand times over! Since you are so stubborn, I shall kill you and search your corpse. I don't believe I won't find that treasure!" Ling Qianxue’s beautiful eyes were burning with killing intent and fury. The loss of the Dragon Spirit Blood had exhausted her patience entirely.

*Swish!*

She raised her blade, sharp and lethal, and swung it toward Night Owl. He could not defend himself, forced only to watch the blade descend. "I never thought I would die here," he whispered, despair washing over him.

*Clang!*

A sharp, ear-piercing sound of metal striking metal rang out. Ling Qianxue’s blade snapped clean in two.

Simultaneously, a familiar voice echoed in the ears of both Night Owl and Ling Qianxue:

"Who gave you the audacity to lay a hand on my man?"