Chapter 42: Profound Yin Form-Capturing, Nail-Head Life-Claiming
Boom!
A violent wail accompanied by increasingly turbulent spiritual energy fluctuations erupted from midair. Ouyang Haoze's eyes were bloodshot, clearly having reached a state of utter ruthlessness.
Witnessing this scene, the other two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators from the Divine Martial Gate—Wu Zhichong and Duanmu Yuan—could no longer remain idle.
"Senior Brother Ouyang!"
Wu Zhichong stepped forward first. Seeing Ouyang Haoze's current disheveled state, he felt a pang of trepidation and whispered, "The Taiwei Mirror is ultimately a matter of great importance..."
"I understand."
Ouyang Haoze glanced back at Wu Zhichong, the fury in his bloodshot eyes quickly subsiding as he spoke calmly, "But that demon within the formation is even more crucial! At such a young age, he's already proficient in formations, and his cultivation isn't weak either. If he breaks through to perfected Qi Refining in the future, he might very well attempt Foundation Establishment."
"If we can kill a Foundation Establishment seed of the Demon Sect, sacrificing one Taiwei Mirror is worth it!"
Hum—
In midair, the Taiwei Mirror emitted a violent tremor, as if voicing dissent.
Yet Ouyang Haoze turned a deaf ear. A mere spiritual treasure—when useful, he might address it as "Lord Taiwei," but when useless, what was it worth?
Seeing Ouyang Haoze's resolute demeanor, Wu Zhichong could only sigh and refrain from further persuasion. After all, Ouyang Haoze, at perfected Qi Refining, was the Divine Martial Gate's leader in this operation. Since he had made his decision, the consequences naturally fell on him. Wu Zhichong had done his part by voicing his concerns.
Meanwhile, inside the marketplace.
Lü Yang stored the severely damaged Blood Sun Sword Pill and gripped the Primordial Qi Myriad Spirits Banner, his expression inscrutable as he gazed at Ouyang Haoze outside the marketplace.
"Junior Brother Lü... you're alive?"
Fairy Feixia and Lu Yuanchun approached—one with undisguised delight on her face, the other harboring lingering wariness toward Lü Yang despite surviving the ordeal.
"Brother Lü truly conceals his depths!"
Lu Yuanchun exclaimed loudly, "Having repelled Ouyang Haoze, the marketplace is now secure! We can hold out until the Saint Sect receives word and sends reinforcements!"
"Repelled? Far from it."
Lü Yang shook his head.
"Indeed," Fairy Feixia clapped her hands and laughed. "Look at Ouyang Haoze's state—his vital energy severely depleted. This isn't just a repulsion; it's a heavy injury! A lesson he won't soon forget!"
Lu Yuanchun hurriedly chimed in agreement.
Yet Lü Yang sneered at their reactions and uttered shocking words: "Merely repelling him won't solve the problem permanently. I've never been one to leave loose ends."
"It's simpler to just kill him."
"Kill... kill who?"
Ouyang Haoze?
For a moment, Fairy Feixia and Lu Yuanchun stood frozen. Even in their most optimistic imaginations, such a scenario had never crossed their minds.
That was a perfected Qi Refining cultivator—a righteous true disciple!
Who could kill him?
How?
The next instant, Lü Yang retrieved the "Mysterious Female Taiyin Treasure Jade" that Lu Yuanchun had returned to him earlier. He formed hand seals and placed it on his palm, circulating his energy.
Under his control, the treasure jade gradually melted, transforming into a circular radiance resembling a translucent, bone-white mirror. As the light shone, silhouettes rapidly surfaced in Lü Yang's eyes—each corresponding to residual traces of qi left behind by individuals.
Judging by others' reactions, it seemed only he could see them.
Fairy Feixia, Lu Yuanchun, Ouyang Haoze, Wu Zhichong, Duanmu Yuan... everyone who had fought here had left traces of their qi behind.
"So this is the Profound Yin Form-Capturing Grand Art..."
The second divine ability recorded in the Taiyin Molting Corpse Dissolution True Method. Its difficulty lay solely in external materials, which was why Lü Yang had mastered it effortlessly upon obtaining the treasure jade.
"Let's test its power."
Lü Yang lowered his eyelids and swiftly locked onto one residual trace—Ouyang Haoze's—which he captured through the Profound Yin Form-Capturing Grand Art.
"Profound Yin Form-Capturing..."
Lü Yang activated the divine ability. In the next moment, the circular radiance formed by the Mysterious Female Taiyin Treasure Jade devoured Ouyang Haoze's qi trace and projected his figure.
"...Nail-Head Life-Claiming!"
Then, Lü Yang slashed downward with two fingers.
Crack!
The radiance split in two, and Ouyang Haoze's figure was simultaneously cleaved from head to toe—bisected vertically.
To ensure thoroughness, Lü Yang had chosen a vertical slash.
Almost simultaneously—
Outside the marketplace, Ouyang Haoze had just concluded his conversation with Wu Zhichong. Turning back toward the marketplace, he raised his hand and hurled the Taiwei Mirror into the formation.
Despite the mirror's violent resistance, his resolve was unshakable—he intended to detonate it.
Yet in the next instant, Ouyang Haoze's movements froze.
Then, a bizarre slash mark materialized atop his head out of thin air, rapidly extending downward before erupting into a spray of blood.
He split apart.
His corpse plummeted from midair, half of his face still frozen in shock. His eyeballs twitched slightly, as if he hadn't yet realized what had happened.
"How... did... I... die?"
His consciousness dissipated amidst bewilderment.
With Ouyang Haoze's control gone, the Taiwei Mirror, now within the formation, settled into stillness. Lü Yang beckoned, and it obediently flew toward him.
............
Northern Frontier, Divine Martial Gate headquarters.
Within a brightly lit hall—
This place was called the "Soul Lamp Hall," housing the soul lamps of the Divine Martial Gate's upper echelons: the sect master, elders, and even true disciples.
As an established power in the Northern Frontier, the Divine Martial Gate had ruled for over a millennium, its prestige deeply ingrained. Deaths among its upper ranks were exceedingly rare, so the disciples tasked with guarding this hall treated it as a cushy assignment—a way to milk sect subsidies while idling.
Today was no exception. The on-duty disciple performed his routine inspection of the soul lamps.
Entering, he swept his gaze across.
Lit, lit, lit, lit, extinguished, lit, lit...
...Huh?
The disciple blinked, instinctively turning his head before rubbing his eyes. His expression gradually shifted from indifference to horror.
"Extinguished... extinguished... Senior Brother Ouyang's soul lamp is out!?"
His voice echoed through the hall.
In the next instant, a middle-aged Daoist materialized within the hall. His gaze fell upon the extinguished soul lamp, his face contorting with shock and fury.
How many years had it been since a Divine Martial Gate true disciple had perished?
"Ouyang... Skeleton Mountain!?"
The Daoist's expression darkened. Suddenly, he reached out, summoning Ouyang Haoze's soul lamp. Channeling his magic power, he forcibly reignited the flame!
Of course, the dead could not return to life.
This reignited flame couldn't resurrect Ouyang Haoze—it merely projected the final images he had seen before death.
Soon, the flame revealed a scene.
The Daoist immediately recognized it as the Primordial Saint Sect's marketplace at Skeleton Mountain. Within the marketplace, a strikingly handsome young man gazed into the distance.
Him? He killed Ouyang Haoze?
A hatred deeper than bone surfaced in the Daoist's eyes.
Because Ouyang Haoze wasn't just a true disciple of the sect—he was also the most outstanding junior of the Ouyang Clan, a descendant in whom the Daoist had placed great hopes!
This grudge... this vengeance... would only end with death!
..........
"Hmm?"
Within Skeleton Mountain's marketplace, Lü Yang—who had just stored the voluntarily surrendered Taiwei Mirror—suddenly frowned. He looked up at the sky, a chill rising in his heart.
This sensation was familiar.
It was the feeling of his karma being manipulated by external forces. In his previous life, when the Mending Heaven Peak Master had calculated his karma, he had experienced something similar.
Could it be... another Foundation Establishment True Person was scheming against him!?