“Third Master?”

From the other side of the talisman: “It may just be a coincidence. There’s no need to create additional problems. Yin Sha is in the past; it’s not our target.”

The black-clothed person couldn’t swallow this: “But the grudge of Yin Sha…”

The voice from the talisman was emotionless: “Matters have their priority and urgency. We must proceed gradually.”

The journey continued without further incidents. Xiang Haikui and her two companions safely reached Yin Sha.

Today’s Yin Sha is much more lively than ten years ago. Even before entering the city, passing citizens bowed to her in greeting.

Amid a chorus of “Second Young Lady,” she returned to the City Lord’s mansion.

Upon receiving the news, Xiang Heng prepared a table full of her favorite dishes and personally went to the main gate to welcome them.

He wasn’t there to welcome Xiang Haikui, but Yin Changli.

While his daughter dared to treat this Mountain Sea powerhouse like a servant, he certainly didn’t.

However, during the meal…

Bai Xingxian peeled a crab and handed it to Yin Changli.

Yin Changli passed it to Xiang Haikui.

Xiang Haikui passed it to Xiang Heng.

Xiang Heng inexplicably felt the pleasure of standing at the top of the food chain.

He ignored the pair of hands that kept peeling crab shells and shrimp legs for his daughter with a proficiency that was heartbreaking to watch, and asked: “Xiao Kui, have you decided? Are you going?”

Xiang Heng was referring to the trip to the royal capital.

For the Jin Ling King’s birthday celebration, the major city lords and sects from the Central Continent would send representatives with gifts to express their “submission.”

Although Xiang Tianqing was in the royal capital, the significance was different. Yin Sha still needed to send someone specifically. Previously, Meng Xilou had handled these matters; this time, it would be Xiang Haikui.

Jing Wenxiu had sent a message saying that the ten-year agreement was approaching, and specifically requested her presence.

But she hadn’t contacted her master yet, and her master didn’t even know about it.

“I still have to go. I’ve thought it through; worst case, I’ll duel him myself. I’m not like I was ten years ago, completely helpless against him. At the very least, I need to let the people of the royal capital get a glimpse, to gain some understanding of my master through me.”

After speaking, Xiang Haikui licked the oil from her fingers.

Mmm~ Though not of my species, it’s still delicious.

For a carnivore like her, the most direct benefit of cultivation was never having to worry about gaining weight again.

“Besides, I’ve wanted to see Senior for a long time.”

Although Yin Changli was focused on his task of shell-peeling like a machine, he was also paying attention to what Xiang Haikui was saying.

Hearing this, his movements paused briefly.

Xiang Heng had many concerns: “But going to the royal capital isn’t like roaming the borders killing demons. That place is filled with experts, and the environment is complex.”

Xiang Haikui knew that because Xiang Tianqing was currently in the royal capital, going there posed a greater risk for her.

But she had never thought of avoiding it. If she encountered them, she would send them back to their hometown for free, just as she had done with Meng Xilou.

Of course, her father was also worried that she might conflict with Xiang Tianqing again.

Xiang Haikui couldn’t guarantee anything about that. She would try to avoid Tianqing but would also defend herself if necessary.

She owed Tianqing nothing.

~

After eating her fill, Xiang Haikui returned to her room to sleep and regain her strength. Early the next morning, she set out to kill the Shen Yao outside the border, planning to depart for the royal capital afterward.

She and Bai Xingxian rode camels, while Yin Changli still rode the little alpaca.

When they reached a secluded area, Yin Changli returned the body to Dao Chen.

Dao Chen’s original purpose for coming to Yin Sha was to release this ancient Shen Yao. He was skilled at setting up formations to lure the Shen Yao.

“Stand back.” Having used the little black snake, Dao Chen tossed the snake jar to Bai Xingxian.

This was the sixth time they had come to kill the Shen Yao, so Bai Xingxian was familiar with the routine. He took the snake jar and led the camels away.

Before long, Tian Kuang began to vibrate in its sword case, indicating Shen Yao’s approach.

The Shen Yao was sealed by the quicksand formation and couldn’t be seen with the naked eye. Only by closing one’s eyes and releasing divine consciousness could one sense the energy waves permeating the surroundings, like curtains of thin gauze billowing in the wind, one after another, rising and falling.

The Shen Yao was inside the curtain, while they were outside.

Neither could see nor touch the other, as if they existed in two parallel worlds.

However, while the Shen Yao couldn’t come out, they could go in.

“Are you ready?” Dao Chen bent down, picked up the alpaca, and asked Xiang Haikui.

Over the past ten years, Dao Chen had become quite familiar with Xiang Haikui’s ways. By following them, he had gained considerably.

Yin Changli’s compassion had caused his Tianren Sword Realm to advance three levels, faster than his two hundred years of busy work pretending to be a white lotus savior.

Leveling up while just lying in his consciousness sea was so enjoyable that he didn’t want Yin Changli to recover.

“No problem!” Xiang Haikui held her sword, recalling her previous experiences of being beaten to her knees. “This time we must kill it!”

“Let’s go.” Dao Chen recited a set of formation incantations, and their bodies began to dematerialize as they entered the interior of the quicksand formation.

It was still the same desert beneath their feet, but now a monster appeared before them.

It looked like a large bucket of mercury poured into a human-shaped mold, with vague facial features indicating it was male.

Its voice was neither male nor female, like a eunuch’s: “You’ve come to die again.”

Xiang Haikui pointed at it with her sword tip: “Don’t be so arrogant, old demon!”

The Shen Yao walked a few steps toward her sword with its hands behind its back: “You can talk after you can cut me!”

Having been imprisoned for countless years, Shen Yao’s power was greatly diminished. Xiang Haikui couldn’t defeat it because she couldn’t hit it.

It had no physical form, just a cluster of light. When it condensed into form, it could be harmed by the five elemental forces.

But once in danger, it would immediately disperse and merge into the light. Even Xiang Haikui’s flood dragon transformation was useless.

“This time it’s not us fighting you, but it.” Dao Chen habitually chanted “Amitabha” and placed the alpaca on the ground.

Xiang Haikui patted the alpaca’s head: “Yes, this is the divine beast I traveled mountains and crossed seas to find, specifically to counter you!”

The Shen Yao curiously looked at the alpaca.

It wasn’t in a hurry to attack Xiang Haikui. After five battles, Xiang Haikui couldn’t kill it, but it also couldn’t catch her.

It asked: “Is this a camel or a sheep?”

Xiang Haikui: “An alpaca.”

The Shen Yao had never seen or heard of one: “It counters me? It hasn’t even opened its spirit aperture; it’s just an ordinary mount, isn’t it?” It sneered. “Stinky girl, what trick are you trying to pull?”

Seeing it prepare to attack and kill the alpaca, Dao Chen also sneered. “So, faced with a mount that hasn’t even opened its spirit aperture, you, a great ancient demon, once the overlord of this vast desert, actually dare not spare its life for a moment?”

Hearing this, the Shen Yao withdrew its hand: “Fine, let it show whatever ability it has.”

“Baa baa, go!” Xiang Haikui rhythmically patted the alpaca’s backside three times, like some kind of signal, driving it forward.

The Shen Yao was merely curious; it didn’t guard against a mount that hadn’t awakened its spiritual intelligence.

The alpaca trotted to its front, raised its head, and made a “poof” sound.

The Shen Yao froze for a moment before realizing it had been spat on.

Saliva?!

The Shen Yao was stunned again, then let out a piercing scream: “Ah!”

This was the moment!

Dao Chen used his prayer beads to encircle and remove the alpaca, leaving the battlefield to Xiang Haikui.

Xiang Haikui brought her sword down in one slash!

The Shen Yao, still screaming, frantically tried to merge into the light but was a step too slow. The sword energy split its mercury body in half!

Then both halves merged into the light.

Xiang Haikui concentrated and held her breath. Its aura now carried her sword energy; as soon as it moved, she would sense it.

She had to thank Dao Chen for discovering that the Shen Yao wasn’t afraid of the five elemental forces but was afraid of filth.

But she couldn’t just throw filth at it; like trying to cut it with her sword, it would dodge.

So Xiang Haikui racked her brains and thought of the alpaca.

This type of animal had a special skill: when unhappy, it would spit at the face of whoever upset it.

There were no alpacas in the Central Continent, nor any records of them, so the Shen Yao probably wouldn’t recognize one or understand its abilities.

Using it to take the Shen Yao by surprise was perfect.

As for how Xiang Haikui knew where to find an alpaca, it was because this cultivation world had a geography similar to Earth’s. If Yin Sha in the Central Continent had camels, then the Western Continent should have alpacas.

Traveling mountains and crossing seas, she indeed found one.

And this one had the strongest spitting ability with the longest range.

Selecting it from among tens of thousands of alpacas, then training it to respond to the Shen Yao, had been incredibly difficult.

Whoosh…

She sensed the sword energy and struck in that direction with another slash.

The Shen Yao cried out in pain.

“In this quicksand formation, you can’t escape!”

“How despicable!”

“It’s called using every stratagem in war.”

This Shen Yao had to be killed, not just for the boss to absorb its demonic energy, but because it would eventually become a disaster for Yin Sha if left alive.

Before being sealed, this Shen Yao had killed people in particularly perverse ways, using illusions to torment them.

For instance, it would create a mirage of an oasis for someone dying of thirst, teasing their will to survive, only to let them die at the very edge of what seemed within reach.

Even after being sealed for so many years, it still hadn’t changed its ways, so it needed to be killed.

Xiang Haikui recalled her dream where, had it escaped and her father not gone mad and slaughtered everyone in the desert, this Shen Yao would have been the one to strike.

The Shen Yao shouted fiercely: “If you want to kill me, you’re still not qualified!”

Xiang Haikui was fully alert, knowing it was about to make an all-out, desperate move!

The sun overhead seemed to be suddenly devoured, plunging the world into darkness.

Xiang Haikui suddenly heard music floating around her ears, along with faint laughter.

Gradually, the laughter became more unrestrained. She felt uncomfortable in her eyes, as if something was covering them.

She reached up to touch and found her eyes were indeed blindfolded.

She tore it off, nearly popping her eyeballs out of their sockets!

She knew Shen Yao’s ultimate move might involve some kind of illusion. Judging from the “dying-of-thirst person’s” longing for “water,” the illusion she would fall into should also be related to desire.

She had been guessing what she might see in this desire illusion.

Never in her wildest dreams did she expect to see a room full of handsome men of all types!

Xiang Haikui was shocked. There truly was a variety of “plump and slender,” all kinds of men.

There were idols she had admired in modern times, male models she had drooled over in magazines, and of course, her senior.

“Continue, why are you stopping?” She couldn’t control herself from saying this.

Then, as if in a dream, she played hide-and-seek with these handsome men, having the time of her life.

Xiang Haikui, wake up!

She kept urging herself to wake up. This illusion was too terrifying. It must be the influence of the dragon race; her recent concerns were justified!

She was extremely panicked yet also found it novel and exciting—overall, quite anxious.

Soon after…

My goodness, the feeling of being surrounded by handsome men was truly wonderful!

Princess Shanyin was so fortunate!

But suddenly, she embraced an ice-cold popsicle.

Pulling down the blindfold to look, she saw it was Yin Changli.

Yin Changli had a slight curl to his lips. His eyes appeared to be smiling, but beneath them were piled countless ice picks, ready to shoot out and kill her at any moment!

Terrified, she fell backward, landing on her behind.

“B-Boss…” She felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, trembling as she watched Yin Changli bend slightly. His long hair, originally draped over his back, slid over his shoulder and fell onto her.

He smiled falsely and said, “You want to be Princess Shanyin? Well, I want to be Emperor Wu of Han.”

Then he grabbed one of her ears and pulled her up from the ground.

The scene instantly changed, returning to the palace of the small black sphere. The originally magnificent imperial palace was completely transformed into a dazzling golden room, imprisoning her, with the key thrown away!

Xiang Haikui: Save me.jpg!

I’ll never dare again, Boss!

The Shen Yao, seeing that she had fallen into a deep illusion, condensed its form, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.

Xiang Haikui suddenly opened her eyes and quickly slashed a “Z” shape in the direction of its approach.

Until its death, the Shen Yao never knew how she had suddenly broken free from the illusion.

After obtaining the spiritual essence, Xiang Haikui wiped the sweat from her forehead. This illusion was truly beyond words.

…

After the quicksand formation was broken, Bai Xingxian saw the jumping light of the spiritual essence in her palm and exclaimed joyfully: “You succeeded!”

Xiang Haikui didn’t speak, walking toward them.

Dao Chen had already returned his body to Yin Changli. He led the alpaca forward: “Well done.”

Xiang Haikui didn’t acknowledge him either. She threw the spiritual essence into the snake jar and, after a while, hopefully asked: “Senior, try again.”

Yin Changli nodded and placed his hand on the snake’s body.

He should be able to return to his physical body now, although he was still a bit short.

If he returned now, the injuries to his body would likely cause him intense discomfort.

But he didn’t want to disappoint her further. It would be better to return to his original form first, at least to show her some progress.

“I’ll try.” He closed his eyes.

A ball of black light flew out from Dao Chen’s spirit platform and fell into the snake jar.

Xiang Haikui and Bai Xingxian stared unblinkingly at the little black snake. After a quarter of an hour, the snake’s body seemed to twitch.

Both held their breath.

The little black snake twitched twice more, then its body suddenly disappeared from the jar.

The two were startled to see the human form of Yin Changli appear out of thin air on a rock about a dozen zhang away.

Before they could rejoice, they saw him stumble back and forth, then fall.

“Uncle!”

“Senior?”

Both quickly stepped forward.

However, Bai Xingxian was held back by Dao Chen beside him. Dao Chen shook his head and made several meaningful expressions with his eyebrows.

Bai Xingxian completely failed to understand and anxiously asked: “What’s wrong?”

While he was being held back, Xiang Haikui had already approached: “Senior?”

His memory should not have returned yet. Earlier, the boss had clearly said in the jade slip that the body needed to heal first, then the consciousness.

Yin Changli lay on his side, half-prostrate on the rock, resting on his arm.

His cloud-like long hair spread out like a peacock’s display around him. He laboriously lifted his head slightly, his well-proportioned eyebrows deeply furrowed. Without strength, he slumped back down.

In the posture of a frail, sickly beauty, he tremblingly extended his other hand toward her. As his long sleeve fell back, it revealed a smooth, fair arm.

Xiang Haikui had intended to support him, but after one glance at those slender, articulated fingers, she stopped.

In the end, it was Bai Xingxian who ran over to help him up.

Xiang Haikui pretended not to see his disappointed look, thinking to herself: When you were pulling my ear earlier, your strength seemed quite considerable!