Soul-Slaying Maiden: Master Of Ancient Divine Weapons

Han Zhen got up from the ground, his expression slightly darkened.

From behind him, he slowly drew out the Xuanyuan Sword.

Although he couldn't fully unleash its power since it was now embodied by Gongyang Jin, the Xuanyuan Sword, as an ancient divine weapon, possessed impressive abilities even in basic attacks.

The Xuanyuan Sword was a demon-slaying blade. The surrounding creatures, neither human nor ghost, exuded black mist akin to living corpses.

Using the Xuanyuan Sword to deal with them was most fitting.

"Round two, let's continue."

Han Zhen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and charged into battle with his sword again.

———

Atop the tower.

Xia Youwei and Li Lingzhen continued climbing upward.

The higher they ascended, the stronger the night winds blew, making the rusty old ladder emit teeth-grinding creaks.

Looking down, the ground had long vanished into the darkness, leaving them feeling like they were suspended mid-air.

If only the Heavenly Will of Four Symbols were still usable, Xia Youwei sighed inwardly and then spoke aloud, "Lingzhen, what's with your Li family? How could they go after our teacher?"

If it weren't for Li Fengchun controlling Li Shutong himself, even the Ninth-Rank Insect Sovereign Nightmare Beast wouldn't have succeeded so easily.

Li Lingzhen knew Xia Youwei was trying to distract her from the fear of climbing higher.

Gripping the railing tightly, Li Lingzhen steadied herself.

"The Li family isn't unified. When a family reaches a certain scale, it naturally breeds all kinds of people."

Li Lingzhen's answer surprised Xia Youwei.

She hadn't expected the author of banned books to sound so serious.

"My grandfather and the current head of the Li family—his elder brother, my great-grandfather—don't get along."

Li Shutong ranked second in the Li family. His elder brother, Li Guangming, was the true head of the family.

Li Fengchun was aligned with Li Guangming's faction.

"When he went to assassinate the three Insect Sovereigns, my great-grandfather deliberately erased my grandmother's contributions to build a 'Great Xia War God' and secure a century of opportunities for the Li family."

"But because of this, the brothers' relationship soured drastically. Later on, for reasons unknown, my grandfather completely distanced himself from family affairs."

This was internal Li family business, something only Li Lingzhen, as his granddaughter, could share.

But they still couldn't believe the Li family would choose to ally with the Insect Tribe.

Wasn't that courting death?

They couldn't make sense of the motives of such high-ranking figures, so the conversation fell silent again.

However, the exchange had diluted their fear of heights, and they had climbed a good distance higher. Looking up, they could now vaguely see the top of the tower.

"We're almost there."

Seeing the "finish line," Li Lingzhen's tone lightened slightly.

But Xia Youwei sensed something, looked outside the tower, and her expression turned serious.

"Be careful. They're coming."

What she referred to were a group of Nightmare Beasts swooping down from high above.

Their eyes glowed blood-red with an eerie radiance.

Nightmare Beasts were more agile in the air, and their target was clear—Xia Youwei, who was closest to the top.

"Youwei!" Li Lingzhen shouted in warning.

Xia Youwei had already summoned the Fuxi Zither. Its calming melody resonated in their ears, creating an invisible ripple that shielded the two of them.

The Nightmare Beasts' illusions required eye contact to work. However, the eerie glow in their red eyes was blocked by the invisible barrier.

It worked.

Previously, when Han Zhen used the calming melody to dispel their illusions, Xia Youwei had realized that the Fuxi Zither could counter illusions.

But before they could celebrate, the Nightmare Beasts, realizing their illusions were ineffective, began charging at the tower.

They were agile and extended their wings, making it impossible for the Fuxi Zither to counterattack while maintaining the illusion shield.

At that moment, Li Lingzhen stepped forward.

She raised her hand and summoned the Shennong Cauldron. The ancient cauldron, initially the size of her palm, expanded with the wind, growing to three to five meters in size, blocking the entire attack route outside the tower.

"Youwei, go ahead and destroy the array core."

"I'll handle things here."

There was no time for hesitation. Xia Youwei chose to trust her teammate. She enveloped herself in the Fuxi Zither's melody to protect against illusions and turned to continue climbing.

———

Meanwhile, Li Lingzhen placed her hands lightly on the Shennong Cauldron.

Soon, a faint herbal fragrance wafted out of the cauldron.

The Nightmare Beasts that had been chasing Xia Youwei suddenly stopped as they caught the scent. They were drawn to the cauldron in a frenzy, recklessly throwing themselves against it.

This was one of the hidden functions of the Shennong Cauldron and a result of the special training they had undergone with Li Shutong over the past 20 days.

The cauldron, designed for alchemy, had accumulated various medicinal properties over time. When triggered, it could produce different effects.

For example, the scent of the Insect Saliva Herb had an intense allure, drawing all creatures who smelled it toward the cauldron with an uncontrollable "hatred."

Li Lingzhen braced herself against the cauldron's four legs. The Nightmare Beasts had lost all rationality and attacked from every angle with no regard for their safety. She gritted her teeth, holding her ground against wave after wave of collisions.

If she failed, she would instantly fall into the Nightmare Beasts' illusions without the Fuxi Zither's protection.

———

On the battlefield below,

Han Zhen slashed a Fourth-Rank Corpse Beast with one swing of the Xuanyuan Sword.

Black blood splattered across the ground, joining the scattered remains of countless creatures. Yet reinforcements kept coming.

Han Zhen, wielding his sword, fought valiantly.

Even the elder of the Longevity Corporation, Mu Yang, who had fully succumbed to berserk madness, bore dozens of sword wounds across his body.

The cuts, inflicted by the Xuanyuan Sword, were deep enough to expose bone. Even Mu Yang's monstrous regenerative abilities couldn't heal them, and the damage continued to worsen.

Panting slightly, Han Zhen took a brief pause and looked toward the sky, relieved to see the Nightmare Beasts struggling to make progress.

But just as he was about to re-engage, Mu Yang suddenly stood upright, shifting from a crawling position back to a human stance.

His eyes, which had turned pale white, slowly regained their black hue.

Mu Yang's expression twisted with struggle, as if caught between control and chaos. His face contorted unnaturally, black veins crawling across it like vines.

He seemed to be suppressing something.

"Run… run… now!" Mu Yang rasped, forcing out the words. Then, he pulled something from his storage space.

It was a jet-black syringe.

Without hesitation, Mu Yang plunged it into the opposite side of his neck.

The black liquid surged into his veins, and his entire body convulsed violently.

With a loud bang, the human shell restraining him exploded, exposing raw, crimson flesh beneath.

Mu Yang had fully transformed into a monster—a Sixth-Rank beast.

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