Yao Ranran arched a brow slightly. "Elder Shang, are you certain?"
Elder Shang appeared utterly confident, sneering. "Little girl, this old man has no desire to kill you. Once you witness my true strength, you will hand over the Divine Phoenix of your own accord!"
Yao Ranran shook her head. "Elder Shang, did Pei Daoyou not explain clearly? The Phoenix was not taken by me. It chose to follow me of its own will."
"The last person who snatched the Phoenix said the very same words!" Elder Shang's eyes swept over her with disdain.
Yao Ranran: "..." Bai Qingwu really is despicable!
How could she steal even her lines like that?
At that moment, a cold voice cut in.
"Are you two finished talking?"
A mass of black mist surged up from beneath the ground, wrapping around a tall figure in a wide, dark robe. The robed man's eyes carried a cruel smile, sweeping over the three of them with icy indifference.
Elder Shang sized him up, chuckling. "So this is the one skulking in the shadows, too afraid to show himself? Turns out you're nothing more than a burrowing rat."
At the sight of the black-robed figure, Meng Xiangxiang could not stop his body from trembling violently, fear making his knees weak.
Elder Shang caught sight of the youth shaking like a sieve, the corner of his mouth twisting with mocking amusement.
Ghost creatures of the lower world… truly pathetic.
The black-robed man's gaze slid over Elder Shang with derision. "Shang Shenxing, you are still alive?"
The three syllables struck like thunder. Elder Shang's hand froze midway through stroking his beard, his pupils widening sharply. "Who are you? How do you know my true name?"
Only now did Yao Ranran learn that Elder Shang's full name was Shang Shenxing. Even in the original book this secret had not yet been revealed, yet here it was!
The black-robed man ignored her, fixing Elder Shang with a contemptuous stare. "A waste such as you is unworthy of knowing my identity. Die."
His voice dropped like a hammer. Fierce winds howled, black mist surging, the temperature plummeting.
Elder Shang's expression hardened. "You dare call this old man trash? Then you will not live to see another day!"
With a furious shout, his palms thrust forward, unleashing a surging storm of spiritual force.
All around them, broken remnants of vines whirled through the air. Heaven and earth themselves seemed to shift in color.
"No… you are a Nascent Soul cultivator?" Elder Shang gasped after their first exchange. Only then did he sense the hidden depth of the man's cultivation.
"Nascent Soul? And what of it?" The black-robed man's tone dripped with contempt. With a flick of his sleeve, countless thorned vines erupted from the earth.
The sharpened tips all aimed at Elder Shang's face. His eyes trembled.
"Who in the world are you?!"
"Elder Shang, you can do it!" Yao Ranran called encouragingly from the side.
Meng Xiangxiang finally regained a shred of clarity. "Y-yes, Elder Shang, kill him quickly! He's from the Spirit Realm, don't let him strike first!"
"What? From the Spirit Realm?" Elder Shang's pupils shook violently.
He had already suspected as much the moment this black-robed man spoke his true name. Now, hearing Meng Xiangxiang's words, he could no longer deny it.
The man gave a cold laugh. "Too late. Shang Shenxing the worthless, how could you possibly slay me?"
His fist shot forward like a bolt, the vines writhing toward Elder Shang in unison.
Elder Shang clenched his jaw, eyes flashing with savage determination. "Then we die together!"
"What a righteous old man!" Meng Xiangxiang's eyes gleamed with sudden hope.
He had not expected Elder Shang, after learning the truth of his foe, to still charge forward without fear of death.
"Farewell, you two!" Elder Shang's feet suddenly burst with speed. In each hand he crushed a talisman, pressing them to his body. In the blink of an eye, he fled hundreds of meters away.
Meng Xiangxiang: "..." He had been too naive after all.
"Ha. That waste actually had Swiftwind Talismans? A miscalculation." The black-robed man flexed his fist. All the vines froze, then turned as one to aim at Yao Ranran and Meng Xiangxiang.
"He ran. And yet you two still stand here? Interesting."
A flicker of amusement passed through his eyes.
Yao Ranran gave a soft laugh. "Senior, that is exactly what I wanted to ask. He ran. Why haven't you?"
Her voice was gentle, but her gaze unflinching, locking firmly onto his.
Meng Xiangxiang's whole body shook as he looked at her with wide eyes, admiration flooding him. Even in the face of death, Fairy Yao feared nothing. If there were another life, he swore he would repay her kindness.
"Dog of a master, kill us if you will. Even if we die, thousands more righteous souls will rise to oppose you!"
Yao Ranran: "???"
What kind of ghost was this, who longed for death so much?
"Hahaha! A foolish pair, human and ghost. Very well, I shall let you die quickly!"
The black-robed man waved his arm. The countless vines twisted like enraged flood-dragons, bristling with thorns as they lashed forward.
Meng Xiangxiang shut his eyes tight, face serene in death. "Fairy Sister, in the next life I will choose you again!"
The wind brushed across his cheek. In this final moment, his senses sharpened unnaturally. He could feel the warmth of blood spattering his face, burning and stinging.
"Fairy Sister… how could you fall before me…"
A single tear rolled from the corner of his right eye.
Yao Ranran frowned at him. This boy was a born dramatist.
"Meng Daoyou, why don't you open your eyes and see who has truly fallen?"
"Fairy Si… Sister?" Meng Xiangxiang's eyes flew open. A familiar, peerlessly beautiful face filled his vision.
He gaped in shock. All around them, only shattered corpses of vines lay strewn.
"You… who are you?" The black-robed man's eyes bulged. Blood spurted from his throat, purplish blotches spreading rapidly across his skin.
Yao Ranran's brows knitted. "You… were poisoned?"
"Pft!" A mouthful of dark purple blood spilled from his lips. His eyes wide with horror, he twitched his hand inside his sleeve with difficulty.
"You… you… Yao… Yao…"
"What? Where are your spirit stones hidden?" Yao Ranran asked coolly.
But before he could respond, his long black hair turned white, his body shriveling. In mere moments, only a pile of bones remained.
Yao Ranran stared blankly.
What kind of poison was this, so terrifying?
Meng Xiangxiang's tongue knotted, his mind spinning.
His enemy… slain?
It was over, just like that?
"Meng Daoyou, are you unharmed?"
The black-robed man was dead, his body bare of possessions. Only Meng Xiangxiang could now lead her to his hidden treasures.
Meng Xiangxiang swallowed hard, finally finding his voice. "Fairy Sister, I… I am fine!"
Yao Ranran sighed in relief and smiled. "Good. Then let's go quickly, to his stone dwelling."
"…Alright!"
As if in a dream, Meng Xiangxiang numbly led her away.
…
"Elder Shang, why have you returned?" Pei Xianqiao's eyes widened in surprise.
Elder Shang gritted his teeth. "Pei girl, we must flee this place at once!"
"What happened? We cannot leave now!" Pei Xianqiao shoved him aside, gaze fixed on Shen Yuefu, still seated in meditation.
Elder Shang roared with frustration. "Foolish girl, Shen Yuefu is beyond saving. We must run!"
"What? Why do you say that?" Pei Xianqiao's face turned pale with shock.