The ephemeral creature was approaching, and the Nine-Headed Bird had vanished.

Why did it seem that this Nine-Headed Bird was quite wary of Fu Chaosheng?

A wonderful feeling arose in Jian Chou’s heart, indescribable.

But thinking carefully, such a situation was perfectly normal.

Exactly how strong Fu Chaosheng was, she actually still didn’t know specifically, only having some clues that let her glimpse the tip of the iceberg of his power.

Originally, the Nine-Headed Bird was Pangu’s mount, but it had been killed by the Eight Directions Yama Hall, leaving only a wisp of remnant soul.

If it truly had to face Fu Chaosheng, this kind of “most evil great demon born of heaven and earth” in direct combat, victory or defeat would indeed be difficult to predict.

Temporarily hiding should be the most correct choice.

Regarding these distant and transcendent existences, Jian Chou had always known very little. Though she felt there were many suspicious points, she couldn’t think of anything deeper for the moment.

She simply stopped thinking further.

“The urgent matter is still getting out of here…”

The surroundings remained pitch black.

But after the Nine-Headed Bird disappeared, that mysterious feeling shrouding the entire space vanished completely.

Jian Chou’s heart stirred, and she directly summoned the Six Meridians Spirit-Dividing Mirror, pouring soul power into it. In an instant, light blazed forth!

That original feeling of light being suppressed had also disappeared.

The light from the Six Meridians Spirit-Dividing Mirror filled the entire space in the blink of an eye.

When she could see the surrounding situation clearly, Jian Chou couldn’t help but twitch her eyelids, shocked to the extreme—this was actually a nearly sealed stone cave!

Besides the fist-sized spring on the ground and the Black Wind Cave in front, there were no other exits!

“How am I supposed to get out?”

Jian Chou was immediately somewhat dumbfounded.

She remembered that earlier, the Nine-Headed Bird had said this Black Wind Cave had been sealed by the extreme region and Shijiu Zhou, completely impassable.

But given the current situation…

Did it want her to break through again, or… throw herself into this fist-sized spring?

Her mouth twitched. Jian Chou was already somewhat speechless in her heart.

This Nine-Headed Bird senior had left quite gracefully, but it didn’t care about the aftermath, leaving this difficult problem to her. It simply made one want to collapse helplessly.

She furrowed her brow tightly, moving around in this stone cave under the illumination of the Six Meridians Spirit-Dividing Mirror, wanting to observe more carefully.

However, just at this time, the tripod ring that had previously lost contact with the outside world suddenly flashed with a dark green flowing light!

Contact with the outside was restored!

Jian Chou almost immediately noticed this situation. Her thoughts stirred, and she sank her consciousness into the tripod ring.

Because she had been cultivating earlier, her perception of time was actually very vague. It felt like only a while had passed, but in cultivation, it might have been ten thousand years in a glance.

What was the situation with the outside Tripod Contest, how were her companions—she knew nothing at all.

But the tripod ring was connected to the Star Cloud Scroll, allowing her to check the list of those still remaining in the Tripod Contest at any time.

She checked the tripod ring precisely to examine this scroll.

As her consciousness sank in, that Star Cloud Scroll immediately unfolded before her mind’s eye. On the brilliant scroll, familiar and unfamiliar figures appeared one after another.

Zhong Lanling, Sima Languan, including Fu Chaosheng disguised as Lihan, were all still on it. Zhang Tang, Chen Tingyan, the old woman and Gu Ling were also still there.

Jian Chou’s heart immediately eased somewhat.

But then she noticed something wasn’t quite right.

Those participating in the Tripod Contest had originally numbered nearly a hundred, but now only a meager thirty-some people remained on this scroll!

How much time had passed exactly, or had some brutal battle occurred?

She immediately became surprised and suspicious, then worry surged up: they were in the Tripod Contest, but that didn’t necessarily mean they were safe and sound.

Moreover, when she was dragged away, Little Marten was fighting intensely with that Kui Ox, and she still didn’t know what the current battle situation was.

She needed to leave here quickly.

In an instant, Jian Chou’s consciousness had completely shifted from the Nine-Headed Bird’s side back to the Tripod Contest, beginning to probe this space, searching for a way out.

But what she didn’t know was that the moment her tripod ring restored contact with the outside world, the entire extreme region was in uproar.

“She appeared!”

“The tripod ring’s connection is restored!”

“Holy shit, everyone look quickly!”

“Where did she go?”

“Quick, quick, quick, hurry and switch over to see what’s happening!”

“Is she trapped here?”

“How did she get in?”

“Is there no one else?”

…

Everyone spread the news, as if they had discovered the greatest joy.

Whether dozing or yawning on the streets, upon hearing this news, everyone perked up and crowded around to watch.

The big shots from the Ten Great Ghost Clans and the Eighteen Underground Floors almost simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.

Heaven knew what state the entire underworld’s seventy-two cities had been in during this period.

The attention on this Tripod Contest had already reached its peak the moment Jian Chou disappeared. Those who originally hadn’t been paying attention to the Tripod Contest, hearing about the strange incident of a cultivator disappearing, couldn’t help but join in and follow the battle situation.

But at the same time, a difficult problem faced everyone—

Where exactly had Jian Chou gone?

Everyone was concerned about her whereabouts, but everyone was ignorant of her whereabouts.

If this problem couldn’t be resolved for long, no matter how many people paid attention to the Tripod Contest, it would be useless, because they would leave eventually. Only when Jian Chou reappeared would everything have meaning, everything have profit!

And now, she had finally reappeared.

The stakeholders from the Ten Great Ghost Clans and Eighteen Underground Floors almost wanted to burn incense, worship Buddha, and make vows in their joy. As for where Jian Chou had actually been?

They didn’t care about that.

That was something the Eight Directions Yama Hall should worry about.

In fact, at this moment in Eight Directions City, there was complete silence.

The towering palaces suspended high in the sky like eight enormous fortresses. In the deep and quiet great hall, floating light condensed into two scenes.

One was the seventh level Bull Pit Hell at this very moment.

During Jian Chou’s disappearance, because the Seal-Playing Marten and Kui Ox were fighting fiercely, no one could pass through. Latecomers gradually caught up, and this place immediately became a chaotic battlefield.

Flashing blades and swords, magical artifacts flying everywhere.

The other scene was the mysterious rocky cave at this moment.

The female cultivator Jian Chou who had previously disappeared “without reason” was now standing beside that fist-sized spring, concentrating carefully, seemingly pondering whether she could exit from here.

In the hall, everyone’s gaze fell upon her.

But when they clearly saw her current cultivation level, it transformed into complete shock and silence—

In just a few short hours since they had last seen her, the female cultivator who had previously been at the Core Formation realm with a crack in her soul pearl had now actually reached the Jade Nirvana realm!

Moreover, through her soul body, they could clearly see that layer of lustrous “purple jade” covering her!

“How did she do it?”

After a long silence, the tall and robust Mount Tai King finally couldn’t help but ask.

Lord Qin Guang’s face carried a trace of coldness, but no confusion.

Others didn’t know why Jian Chou had disappeared, but the few of them knew clearly. Only the existence of the Nine-Headed Bird’s remnant soul was a secret that couldn’t be revealed in the extreme region for now. So they hadn’t told the Ten Great Ghost Clans and the seventy-two cities’ Eighteen Underground Floors.

Now the Nine-Headed Bird had taken Jian Chou away, and in the blink of an eye this female cultivator had already broken through to a new realm, even condensing the “purple jade” state of Jade Nirvana.

This could be considered a “quasi” Yama King.

“Besides the Nine-Headed Bird, who else could do it?” Song Emperor King laughed, but the light in his eyes gradually became malevolent. “We once slaughtered Nine-Head in the past, causing it to be sealed with only a wisp of remnant soul remaining in the world. Now it assists this female cultivator, and this female cultivator has received its favor. If she truly becomes a Yama King someday, hehe…”

By then, “Eight Directions City” changing its name to “Nine Directions City,” “Eight Hall Yama Kings” becoming “Nine Hall Yama Kings” wouldn’t be any big deal.

If there were open internal strife among the Yama Kings, or someone wanted to restore reincarnation, that would be interesting.

Everyone could hear the meaning in Song Emperor King’s words.

Eight Directions City was established after the Yin-Yang Realm War, and most Yama Kings had also established their prestige in that battle.

Between them and the Nine-Headed Bird was a deadly feud.

This concerned the great matter of reincarnation; they absolutely couldn’t afford to be careless.

The existence of this Jian Chou had almost immediately become subtle.

First, she was adorned with imperial purple and had already cultivated to the Jade Nirvana realm, possessing the “purple jade” state, very likely to become a future Yama King.

Second, she had countless complex connections with the Nine-Headed Bird, unclear and inexplicable.

The Second Hall Chu River King wore black robes and had rarely spoken, but now he raised his head, looking toward Lord Qin Guang: “This matter is of great importance. I wonder how Lord Qin Guang will handle it?”

Lord Qin Guang’s gaze still fell on Jian Chou, or rather, on that trace of dark purple occasionally visible in Jian Chou’s eyes, only slowly saying: “Better to kill wrongly than let escape. Once the Tripod Contest ends, take her life.”

Hearing this, everyone said nothing.

Only Metropolitan King Jiang Chang, upon hearing this, gave a cold laugh and directly flicked his sleeve, disappearing from his spot.

Song Emperor King furrowed his brow tightly, opening his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately gave up.

The Tripod Contest matter involved multiple parties’ interests.

Since the rules stipulated they couldn’t interfere, taking Jian Chou’s life during the Tripod Contest would indeed cause a tremendous uproar.

Killing early would naturally avoid long nights and many dreams.

But the Tripod Contest would end sooner or later. Even if this female cultivator had countless secrets, how could she not exit the Tripod Contest?

After her value was drained and she left the Tripod Contest, killing her then wouldn’t be too late.

So for now, they should just suppress their killing intent.

Song Emperor King glanced at the chair left behind after Metropolitan King Jiang Chang departed, inexplicably smiled, and only said: “His Highness Metropolitan King seems still not very approving of our actions.”

Several people in the hall looked at him, but didn’t respond.

The atmosphere in Eight Directions City had always been so strange.

No one took it seriously.

At this moment, throughout the entire extreme region, almost all projection rings were connected to Jian Chou’s tripod ring. As for the seventh level hell where a spectacular battle was currently erupting, it strangely lost attention.

Only a small portion of people, upon observing that figure at the edge of the pit, exclaimed in surprise.

Bull Pit Hell had long since become a true “battlefield.” Whether those who came early or late, all were attracted by the battle between Little Marten and the Kui Ox, gathering around the pit.

How many enemies met?

Eyes immediately reddened.

Battles erupted one after another.

Gu Ling and the old woman were targeted by passing Snow Region esoteric sect members and started fighting.

Chen Tingyan, due to old grudges, fought with Xing Fei, Xing Zhan and others from the Impermanence clan.

Zhang Tang had a cold expression, with several spots of deep white blood already splattered on the silver crown binding his hair. His moon-silver thin blade flashed like lightning when drawn, and several cultivators from Fengdu City had already perished under his blade!

Sima Languan, who had pursued Jian Chou here, was fighting with an alluring red-dressed female cultivator. With his transcendent cultivation, he could only fight her to a standstill.

“Lihan,” or rather Fu Chaosheng, had just arrived at this pit’s edge. With one sweep of his eyes, he understood exactly what kind of chaotic situation this was.

Little Marten and the Kui Ox had long since battled into the sky. For now, one could only hear thunder rolling overhead but couldn’t see their shadows.

He had impressions of everyone…

But the person he sought wasn’t here.

Earlier in the first level canyon, he had seen the message Jian Chou left for him and was prepared to pursue all the way.

Unexpectedly, he encountered that Zhong Lanling who held an ancient qin.

Even without the cosmic eyes in hand, Fu Chaosheng was a great demon gathering heaven and earth’s power. His naked eyes could see the strange aspects of the other party.

That was clearly a monster pieced together.

Toward Jian Chou, he always had the most wonderful feeling.

Perhaps because he was born knowing her, no matter how many people he met afterward or how many things he experienced, he still felt others could hardly reach the level of this “old friend.”

So at that moment, he actually felt that such a monster had better not appear before Jian Chou.

He and Zhong Lanling thus clashed.

But during their brief struggle, he put himself in her position and thought again: if such existences as Zhong Lanling were just one, that would be manageable, but if there were “a group,” that would be extremely terrifying.

He wasn’t Jian Chou after all.

Even if he felt she might be better off not knowing, he ultimately couldn’t make this decision for Jian Chou. Moreover, the grudges between Shijiu Zhou and the extreme region couldn’t be explained in just a few words.

What should be known, Jian Chou would still know.

Therefore, halfway through their exchange, Fu Chaosheng didn’t directly strangle Zhong Lanling. He merely struck the other back with one palm, directly leaving him behind, and instead came to find Jian Chou.

The cosmic eye could observe in all directions, and he easily followed Jian Chou’s traces.

But unexpectedly, after entering this enormous pit, a strange and powerful force appeared, forcibly blocking the cosmic eye’s observation, causing him to instantly lose direction again.

At this moment, Fu Chaosheng had arrived at the scene.

He still maintained “Lihan’s” appearance and features, in a dark blue robe, swaying at the very edge of the pit. In his glass-like ice-blue eyes, faint murderous intent flickered.

His gaze slowly fell on the very bottom of that pit.

That mysterious force had now inexplicably departed. He could clearly sense that Jian Chou was in a space below, and her cultivation had made considerable progress again.

Thus, his brow couldn’t help but furrow several degrees.

“Boom!”

In the chaotic battle, a crimson electric light suddenly shot out from the bottom of the pit, aimed directly at Fu Chaosheng’s location!

The few people in the extreme region’s seventy-two cities who witnessed this scene couldn’t help but cry out in alarm.

But Fu Chaosheng merely glanced at it.

His pale hand gently lifted, casually blocking like this—

“Boom!”

The shooting crimson electric light, carrying overwhelming murderous qi, fiercely struck his palm!

A wave of terrifying soul power fluctuations, accompanied by thunder-like explosions, immediately shook outward in all directions!

At that moment, the entire pit fell silent!

Those in battle all had a moment of stillness, shocked by this thunderous explosion and heart-trembling from this sudden shock.

They looked toward where the explosion originated.

The edge of the pit.

A cold, solitary standing figure.

The long-missing Ghost King clan member—Lihan!

It was actually him?

Below, Sima Languan, who was fighting the alluring red-skirted female cultivator, immediately shot a brilliant light from his eyes, but along with it arose heavy wariness.

Because that strike that had accidentally attacked “Lihan” was launched by himself, one of his three most powerful ultimate techniques.

It was originally meant to attack this mysterious red-skirted female cultivator, but unexpectedly her techniques were so strange that she diverted trouble eastward, forcibly redirecting this strike.

This redirection landed precisely on “Lihan”!

But at that moment, “Lihan” had merely extended one hand and easily blocked this strike. Even after that endless chaotic soul power and light dispersed, that pale hand of his…

Was completely unharmed!

How was this possible?

This Ghost King clan member “Lihan” who had originally been squeezed out of the rankings—how could he be strong to this degree?!

Sima Languan’s eyelids twitched.

Even the red-skirted female cultivator across from him felt a hidden shock, immediately retracting her wide-open offensive into an airtight defensive stance!

At the pit’s edge, Fu Chaosheng’s expression showed no change whatsoever.

He slowly lowered his hand, but his gaze turned toward the source of that strike—Sima Languan. He had some impression of this person, seemingly the one who wanted to peel his “old friend’s” “beauty skin” to make human skin lanterns at the Ice Palm Prison Division.

His glass-like eyes were too transparent.

But also too cold.

The moment his gaze projected out, Sima Languan felt tremendous danger. That face, half handsome and half grotesque, immediately twisted somewhat. But simultaneously, the human skin lantern in his hand blazed with red light!

Ghost King clan Lihan was violent by nature, with unpredictable moods.

Everyone present knew this.

At this moment, everyone thought he would seek out Sima Languan to revenge this arrow, but he exceeded everyone’s expectations—

Fu Chaosheng merely indifferently withdrew his gaze, seemingly not caring much, and instead continued looking toward the very bottom of that pit, as if seeing something.

Then he simply leaped down!

Everyone saw his dark blue figure fly up, actually diving directly from the pit’s edge toward the bottom where countless black winds blew!

His wide sleeves were like wings growing from his back.

That momentary feeling was extremely demonic and extremely indifferent.

All the battles in the pit weren’t in his eyes. Even attacks that spilled over from battles couldn’t affect his diving trajectory.

In just a blink, he was already at the cave entrance at the pit’s bottom.

Without hesitation, he plunged in!

“Rumble…”

A muffled sound.

In the mysterious rocky cave, Jian Chou was studying that spring, having vaguely sensed a faint fluctuation flowing in the spring water, about to probe deeper.

Unexpectedly, the countless jagged stone walls around her suddenly shook.

Stalactites hanging from above nearly fell.

Countless ripples actually spread through the void.

Like a pool of water suddenly disturbed.

In the center of the ripples, a figure slowly appeared.

It was Lihan breaking through from outside, or rather…

The ephemeral creature, Fu Chaosheng!

His face still showed no expression, the dark blue deep-colored robe making his face appear even paler, faintly carrying a demonic aura that only Jian Chou could discern.

Though his eye color differed from the past due to his disguise, that strange brilliance where ancient and youthful intersected within them was infinitely familiar to her.

The Six Meridians Spirit-Dividing Mirror was already raised, and Jian Chou was fully alert.

But seeing clearly it was him at this moment, an indescribable subtle feeling arose in her heart, making even her expression strange.

Should she be on guard, or should she lower her guard?

She rarely experienced such hesitation.

Fu Chaosheng stood one zhang away from her, sensing the faint remaining aura in this rocky cave, his brow slowly furrowing.

Naturally, he also sensed Jian Chou’s hesitation.

A flash of indescribable light passed through his eyes. Fu Chaosheng’s lips curved in a smile as he directly asked: “It seems Fellow Daoist Jian Chou has encountered something.”

Encountered something…

This sentence was truly perfectly phrased.

Jian Chou just looked at him like this, her eyes carrying several parts inquiry and scrutiny. Finally, she still lowered the Six Meridians Spirit-Dividing Mirror and laughed: “Right now, haven’t I encountered an old friend?”