yuè ér xiù méi yī tiāo ， qiào lì de róng yán shàng dùn shí fú xiàn chū yī céng yīn mái ， wú qiǎo bù qiǎo ， piān piān zhè shí hòu yǒu rén zhǎo shàng le mén lái 。
月儿秀眉一挑，俏丽的容颜上顿时浮现出一层阴霾，无巧不巧，偏偏这时候有人找上了门来。
Moon picked up her eyebrows, a charming but now slightly grim expression appearing on her face. Unsurprisingly, someone had come to visit just at this moment.
lüè yī chóu chú ， yuè ér huà wèi yī dào lǜ máng ， yíng xiàng le líng lì fēi lái de fāng xiàng 。
略一踌躇，月儿化为一道绿芒，迎向了灵力飞来的方向。
After a brief hesitation, Moon transformed into a green beam and headed towards the direction where the essence energy was flying from. Although the powerful array set by Young Master would give her an advantage in fighting here, the commotion might still affect Young Master's condensation of his golden core. Therefore, she wanted to deal with the opponent at a distance.
suī rán zhè ér yǒu shào yé bù xià de qiáng dà zhèn fǎ ， zài cǐ chù yíng dí bǎ wò gèng dà yī xiē ， kě dòu fǎ de dòng jìng nán miǎn bú huì duì shào yé jié dān chǎn shēng yǐng xiǎng ， suǒ yǐ yuè ér xiǎng yào zài yuǎn yì diǎn de dì fāng jiāng duì fāng dǎ fā 。
虽然这儿有少爷布下的强大阵法，在此处迎敌把握更大一些，可斗法的动静难免不会对少爷结丹产生影响，所以月儿想要在远一点的地方将对方打发。
At the same time, about twenty miles away in the desert, a blue light stopped and dispersed, revealing a middle-aged man around thirty years old. Wearing a scholar’s robe and looking like an elegant bookworm, he easily won people's favor.
yǔ cǐ tóng shí ， zài lí cǐ yuē èr shí duō lǐ de huāng mò ， yī dào lán guāng tíng le xià lái ， guāng máng sàn kāi ， cóng lǐ miàn xiàn chū le yí gè sān shí suì zuǒ yòu de zhōng nián rén lái 。
与此同时，在离此约二十多里的荒漠，一道蓝光停了下来，光芒散开，从里面现出了一个三十岁左右的中年人来。
However, appearances can be deceiving. This man named Zhao Shouguang was notorious among mid-stage cultivators as the "Deadly Scholar." Although he practiced orthodox daoist techniques, his cruelty and cunning were unmatched even by cultivators of demonic arts!
shēn chuān rú shān ， yī fù shū shēng dǎ bàn ， jiā shàng róng mào yīng jùn ， qì zhì rú yǎ ， hěn róng yì jiù néng huò dé bié rén de hǎo gǎn 。
身穿儒衫，一副书生打扮，加上容貌英俊，气质儒雅，很容易就能获得别人的好感。
Not only did he act unpredictably, but he also loved to kill for treasure.
rán ér fán shì bù néng guāng kàn biǎo miàn ， pī zhe yáng pí de yě yǒu kě néng shì láng ， cǐ rén míng jiào zhào shǒu guāng ， zài zhōng jiē xiū shì zhōng ， kě yǐ shuō dǐng dǐng dà míng ， bié rén sòng le tā yí gè wài hào ， jiào “ duó mìng shū shēng 。”
然而凡事不能光看表面，披着羊皮的也有可能是狼，此人名叫赵守光，在中阶修士中，可以说鼎鼎大名，别人送了他一个外号，叫“夺命书生。”
Since making his debut, countless low-ranking cultivators had fallen victim to him. At least hundreds!
suī rán cǐ rén xiū liàn de shì zhèng zōng de xuán mén dào fǎ ， rán ér lùn qǐ xiōng cán yǔ jiǎo zhà ， biàn shì xiū mó zhě yě yào gān bài xià fēng a ！
虽然此人修炼的是正宗的玄门道法，然而论起凶残与狡诈，便是修魔者也要甘拜下风啊！
His own cultivation was no small feat either; though not yet condensing his golden core, he had reached the pinnacle of foundation establishment stage and possessed several powerful artifacts. Ordinary foundation establishment stage cultivators were nothing to him.
bù dàn xíng shì xǐ nù wú cháng ， ér qiě zuì xǐ huān de jiù shì shā rén qiǎng bǎo 。
不但行事喜怒无常，而且最喜欢的就是杀人抢宝。
At this moment, Zhao Shouguang hovered in mid-air, scrutinizing the distant scene with a frown. Just moments ago, there was an obvious sign of something extraordinary—abnormal essence energy—but now it had vanished without a trace...
zì chū dào yǐ lái ， sǐ zài tā shǒu lǐ de dī jiē xiū zhēn zhě ， yǐ jīng nán yǐ jì shù 。
自出道以来，死在他手里的低阶修真者，已经难以计数。
Could it be an illusion?
qǐ mǎ yǒu shù bǎi zhī duō ！
起码有数百之多！
Zhao Shouguang shook his head; he hadn't been mistaken.
ér tā běn shēn de xiū wèi ， yě fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， suī rán shàng wèi níng dān ， dàn yě tà rù le zhù jī qī dà yuán mǎn ， jiā shàng yōng yǒu jǐ jiàn wēi lì bù cuò de bǎo wù ， yì bān de zhù jī qī xiū zhēn zhě ， tā gēn běn jiù bù fàng zài yǎn zhōng 。
而他本身的修为，也非同小可，虽然尚未凝丹，但也踏入了筑基期大圆满，加上拥有几件威力不错的宝物，一般的筑基期修真者，他根本就不放在眼中。
There were usually two reasons for such phenomena: either a treasure was about to appear, or someone was in the critical stage of condensing their golden core, causing a surge of essence energy that could trigger celestial anomalies.
cǐ shí zhào shǒu guāng xuán fú zài bàn kōng zhī zhōng 。 yīn qíng bù dìng dì dǎ liàng zhe yuǎn chù dì jǐng xiàng 。 gāng gāng míng míng tiān shēng yì zhào 。 líng qì yì cháng 。 zěn me zhǎ yǎn jiān jiù xiāo shī dé wú yǐng wú zōng ……
此时赵守光悬浮在半空之中。阴晴不定地打量着远处地景象。刚刚明明天生异兆。灵气异常。怎么眨眼间就消失得无影无踪……
With this thought, a greedy smile appeared on Zhao Shouguang's face as he licked his lips. If it were a treasure, he wouldn't miss such an opportunity.
nán dào shì huàn xiàng ？
难道是幻象？
If there was a cultivator here about to condense their golden core, it would be a great fortune for him...
zhào shǒu guāng yáo le yáo tóu 。 zì jǐ jué méi yǒu yǎn huā 。
赵守光摇了摇头。自己绝没有眼花。
Judging from the earlier anomaly, he should be at the critical stage of condensation. If successful, he wouldn’t dare provoke the other party; after all, the difference between foundation establishment and early-stage golden core was just one step in terms of rank, but the disparity in strength was immense.
tōng cháng chū xiàn zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng yǒu liǎng zhǒng kě néng 。 yī shì zhòng bǎo chū shì 。 dì èr zé shì yǒu xiū shì zhèng zài níng jié jīn dān 。 tǐ nèi dì líng lì fān téng dá dào le dǐng diǎn 。 gù ér cái néng yǐn dòng tiān dì yì xiàng 。
通常出现这种情况有两种可能。一是重宝出世。第二则是有修士正在凝结金丹。体内地灵力翻腾达到了顶点。故而才能引动天地异象。
But the more crucial this moment became, the harder it was to move. He could only be a pawn for others to manipulate.
niàn jí zhì cǐ 。 zhào shǒu guāng dì liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī tān lán 。 shēn chū shé tou tiǎn le tiǎn zuǐ jiǎo 。 ruò shì zhòng bǎo zì bù bì shuō 。 zì jǐ jiàn dào le qǐ huì cuò guò 。
念及至此。赵守光地脸上露出一丝贪婪。伸出舌头舔了舔嘴角。若是重宝自不必说。自己见到了岂会错过。
This man was likely an independent cultivator; otherwise, there would be no reason for him not to condense his golden core within a sect. Running into him here, in such a desolate place, meant he had been cautious about being discovered. But still, fate had brought them together.
jiǎ rú yǒu xiū shì zài zhè lǐ níng jié jīn dān 。 duì zì jǐ ér yán yě shì mò dà dì jī yuán ……
假如有修士在这里凝结金丹。对自己而言也是莫大地机缘……
Zhao Shouguang's face showed a cruel smile as he imagined playing with a future high-ranking cultivator at will. It gave him an unsettling sense of satisfaction.
cóng gāng cái de yì xiàng kàn ， tā yīng gāi shì dào le níng dān de guān jiàn shí kè 。 rú ruò chéng gōng ， zì jǐ dāng rán bù gǎn zhāo rě ， bì jìng níng dān chū qī yǔ zhù jī qī dà yuán mǎn biǎo miàn shàng zhǐ yǒu yī bù zhī yáo ， dàn shí lì què shì tiān chā dì yuǎn 。
从刚才的异象看，他应该是到了凝丹的关键时刻。如若成功，自己当然不敢招惹，毕竟凝丹初期与筑基期大圆满表面上只有一步之遥，但实力却是天差地远。
After all, the many cultivators who had fallen to his hands were far from reaching their golden core stage!
dàn yuè shì zài zhè zhǒng guān jiàn shí kè ， yuè shì dòng tán bù dé ， zhǐ néng rèn rén zǎi gē 。
但越是在这种关键时刻，越是动弹不得，只能任人宰割。
And if he killed this one, he could still find numerous treasures in his storage bag.
cǐ rén duō bàn shì yī míng sàn xiū ， fǒu zé méi yǒu bù zài zōng mén nèi jié dān de dào lǐ ， tā pǎo dào zhè niǎo bù lā shǐ de huāng pì zhī dì ， zì rán shì hài pà bèi rén fā jué 。 nǎ zhī dào hái shì zhuàng jiàn le zì jǐ 。
此人多半是一名散修，否则没有不在宗门内结丹的道理，他跑到这鸟不拉屎的荒僻之地，自然是害怕被人发觉。哪知道还是撞见了自己。
A future condensation-stage expert must be incredibly wealthy!
zhào shǒu guāng dì liǎn shàng ， lù chū yī sī cán rěn de xiào yì ， xiǎng xiàng zhe zì jǐ yào bǎ yī wèi wèi lái de gāo jiē xiū shì wán nòng zài gǔ zhǎng lǐ 。 tā jiù yǒu yī zhǒng bìng tài de kuài yì 。
赵守光地脸上，露出一丝残忍的笑意，想象着自己要把一位未来的高阶修士玩弄在股掌里。他就有一种病态的快意。
With these thoughts, Zhao Shouguang's blue light intensified as he prepared to fly over. Time was of the essence; even though it would take some time for the other party to condense their golden core, he couldn't afford any delay. If they emerged prematurely, he might have to flee.
bì jìng ， yǐ qián yǔn luò zài qí shǒu lǐ de xiū zhēn zhě suī duō ， dàn méi yǒu yí gè shì jí jiāng jīn dān dà chéng ó ！
毕竟，以前陨落在其手里的修真者虽多，但没有一个是即将金丹大成哦！
Before his body could move, Zhao Shouguang suddenly frowned and stopped, looking surprised at something in front of him.
gèng bié shuō jiāng duì fāng miè le yǐ hòu ， hái kě yǐ cóng tā de chǔ wù dài lǐ zhǎo dào zhū duō bǎo wù 。
更别说将对方灭了以后，还可以从他的储物袋里找到诸多宝物。
Less than half an incense stick later, a brilliant green light flew towards him, dispersing as it revealed a charming young woman.
yī wèi wèi lái dì níng dān qī gāo shǒu ， xiǎng bì shēn jiā shí fēn fēng hòu ！
一位未来地凝丹期高手，想必身家十分丰厚！
The girl was about eighteen or nineteen years old, her beautiful face long and black hair reaching to her knees. Zhao Shouguang's expression turned to shock.
zuò chū zhè ge pàn duàn yǐ hòu ， zhào shǒu guāng shēn shàng lán máng dà qǐ ， zhèng yào yù qì fēi guò qù ， shì bù yí chí ， suī rán duì fāng níng chéng jīn dān duō bàn hái xū yào yí dìng de shí jiān 。 dàn zhào shǒu guāng wéi rén jī jǐng ， hái shì jué de cǐ shì dān gē bù dé ， wàn yī duì fāng jìng tí qián chū guān ， nà zì jǐ fǎn ér yào luò huāng ér táo le 。
做出这个判断以后，赵守光身上蓝芒大起，正要驭器飞过去，事不宜迟，虽然对方凝成金丹多半还需要一定的时间。但赵守光为人机警，还是觉得此事耽搁不得，万一对方竟提前出关，那自己反而要落荒而逃了。
This girl had no shadow!
shēn xíng shàng wèi qǐ dòng ， zhào shǒu guāng tū rán méi tou yí zhòu de tíng le xià lái ， bìng liǎn lù yà sè de wàng zhe qián miàn 。
身形尚未启动，赵守光突然眉头一皱的停了下来，并脸露讶色的望着前面。
A ghost spirit!
jǐn jǐn guò le bú dào bàn zhù xiāng de shí jiān ， yī dào yào yǎn de lǜ máng jiù fēi zhì le yǎn qián ， guāng huá sàn kāi ， cóng lǐ miàn lù chū yī jiāo qiào kě rén de shào nǚ lái 。
仅仅过了不到半柱香的时间，一道耀眼的绿芒就飞至了眼前，光华散开，从里面露出一娇俏可人的少女来。
But ordinary ghost spirits couldn't openly appear in the sunlight. And this girl emitted astonishing essence energy, comparable to a late-stage foundation establishment cultivator. Could it be...
nà shào nǚ dà yuē shí bā qī suì nián jì 。 róng mào tián měi yǐ jí ， yī tóu wū hēi yóu liàng de xiù fà zhǎng kě jí xī ， rán ér zhào shǒu guāng de liǎn shàng ， què lù chū le è rán zhì jí dì biǎo qíng 。
那少女大约十八七岁年纪。容貌甜美以极，一头乌黑油亮的秀发长可及膝，然而赵守光的脸上，却露出了愕然至极地表情。
Zhao Shouguang, though not a good person, was well-versed. He heard that certain special-constitution ghost spirits could also cultivate ghost techniques. Was the woman before him...
zhè ge shào nǚ jū rán méi yǒu yǐng zi ！
这个少女居然没有影子！
Moon was equally observing the cultivator in front of her; though her expressionless face didn't show any emotion, she inwardly groaned. She hadn’t expected his cultivation to be so profound. It seemed dealing with this opponent wouldn't be easy.
yīn hún ！
阴魂！
A formidable adversary!
rán ér pǔ tōng de yōu míng guǐ wù nǎ néng zhèng dà guāng míng de bào lù yú tài yáng dì miàn qián ， ér qiě zhè shào nǚ de shēn shàng sàn fà zhe jīng rén de líng lì ， jū rán néng gòu hé zhù jī hòu qī de xiū zhēn zhě xiāng bǐ ， nán dào shì ……
然而普通的幽冥鬼物哪能正大光明的暴露于太阳地面前，而且这少女的身上散发着惊人的灵力，居然能够和筑基后期的修真者相比，难道是……
Zhao Shouguang's expression fluctuated as Moon spoke first: "Esteemed fellow cultivator, the area ahead is forbidden by our master. Please take a detour if you pass through here."
zhè zhào shǒu guāng suī rán bú shì shén me hǎo dōng xī ， dàn jiàn shí yě guǎng bó yǐ jí ， tīng shuō yī xiē tè shū tǐ zhì de yīn hún 。 tóng yàng néng gòu xiū liàn guǐ dào shén tōng 。 nán dào yǎn qián de nǚ zǐ jiù shì ……
这赵守光虽然不是什么好东西，但见识也广博以极，听说一些特殊体质的阴魂。同样能够修炼鬼道神通。难道眼前的女子就是……
"Detour?"
yuè ér tóng yàng zài dǎ liàng yǎn qián de xiū zhēn zhě ， yù róng shàng suī rán méi yǒu biǎo qíng 。 dàn xīn zhōng àn àn jiào kǔ ， méi xiǎng dào duì fāng de xiū wèi gāo shēn dào rú cǐ dì bù ， kàn lái xiǎng yào jiāng tā dǎ fā zǒu kǒng pà bú shì yī jiàn róng yì de shì qíng 。
月儿同样在打量眼前的修真者，玉容上虽然没有表情。但心中暗暗叫苦，没想到对方的修为高深到如此地步，看来想要将他打发走恐怕不是一件容易的事情。
Zhao Shouguang snorted, his face showing a vicious expression. Moon was startled and quickly retreated.
jìng dí ！
劲敌！
A sharp blade of light passed where she had stood—a short sword artifact.
zhào shǒu guāng liǎn shàng dì biǎo qíng yīn qíng bù dìng ， yuè ér lüè yī yóu yù zhī hòu xiān kāi kǒu le ：“ zhè wèi dào yǒu ， qián fāng shì wǒ jiā zhǔ rén de jìn dì ， dào yǒu ruò shì lù guò yú cǐ qǐng rào xíng 。”
赵守光脸上地表情阴晴不定，月儿略一犹豫之后先开口了：“这位道友，前方是我家主人的禁地，道友若是路过于此请绕行。”
The other party actually possessed such a ghost spirit as a servant! Zhao Shouguang's shock increased, making him even more wary of the cultivator who was about to condense his golden core.
“ rào xíng ？”
“绕行？”
Since their intentions were clear, there was no need for further words. He wouldn't be able to afford wasting time here; originally, he wanted to catch the ghost spirit by surprise and kill it, but Moon's alertness had surpassed his expectations!
zhào shǒu guāng hēng le yī shēng ， liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī xiōng lì de biǎo qíng ， yuè ér yī jīng ， lián máng chōu shēn xiàng hòu tuì qù 。
赵守光哼了一声，脸上闪过一丝凶厉的表情，月儿一惊，连忙抽身向后退去。
Although she dodged the other party’s ambush, Moon was still filled with fear. With a wave of her hand, an epiphany-sized jade ring appeared.
yī dào lì máng cóng tā gāng cái zhàn lì zhī chù lüè guò ， shì yī bǐng chǐ xǔ zhǎng de duǎn jiàn fǎ bǎo 。
一道厉芒从她刚才站立之处掠过，是一柄尺许长的短剑法宝。
Completely translucent, emitting soft light, Zhao Shouguang narrowed his eyes without showing any contempt—exquisite spirit treasure!
duì fāng jū rán hái yōng yǒu zhè zhǒng tè shū tǐ zhì de yīn hún wèi pū ， zhào shǒu guāng xīn zhōng jīng hài zhī xià ， duì yú nà zhèng bì guān jié dān de xiū shì gèng kàn zhòng le jǐ fēn 。
对方居然还拥有这种特殊体质的阴魂为仆，赵守光心中惊骇之下，对于那正闭关结丹的修士更看重了几分。
Moon's abilities didn't end there; she crossed her hands and formed a peculiar mudra while reciting obscure incantations.
jì rán yì tú bù guǐ ， nà jiù wú xū fèi huà ， bì jìng zài zhè ér dān gē shí jiān duì zì jǐ bù lì a ， yuán běn tā xiǎng chū qí bù yì de jiāng yǎn qián de xiǎo yīn hún jī shā ， méi xiǎng dào yuè ér de jī jǐng hái zài tā xiǎng xiàng zhī wài a ！
既然意图不轨，那就无需废话，毕竟在这儿耽搁时间对自己不利啊，原本他想出其不意的将眼前的小阴魂击杀，没想到月儿的机警还在他想象之外啊！
The sky suddenly darkened as black fog enveloped the girl’s body. The blackness moved and stretched, appearing almost alive, extremely eerie.
suī rán duǒ guò le duì fāng dì qí xí ， dàn yuè ér xīn zhōng yě shì hòu pà bù yǐ ， yù shǒu huī chù ， yī bā zhǎng dà xiǎo de yù huán bèi tā jì qǐ lái le 。
虽然躲过了对方地奇袭，但月儿心中也是后怕不已，玉手挥处，一巴掌大小的玉环被她祭起来了。
Zhao Shouguang was startled. He had killed hundreds of cultivators but had never faced ghost cultivators before.
tōng tǐ jīng yíng ， sàn fà zhe róu hé de guāng zé ， rán ér zhào shǒu guāng què yǎn jīng wēi mī ， háo wú qīng shì zhī yì ， jí pǐn líng qì ！
通体晶莹，散发着柔和的光泽，然而赵守光却眼睛微眯，毫无轻视之意，极品灵器！
Legends said that these practitioners of ghost techniques possessed astonishing abilities far beyond ordinary same-rank cultivators.
yuè ér de shǒu duàn dāng rán bù zhǐ yú cǐ ， shuāng shǒu jiāo dié ， niē zhe qí tè de fǎ yìn ， yīng chún wēi qǐ ， tǔ chū huì sè nán dǒng de zhòu yǔ 。
月儿的手段当然不止于此，双手交叠，捏着奇特的法印，樱唇微启，吐出晦涩难懂的咒语。
He wouldn't allow the other party to cast spells; he released his divine sense, but it was immediately blocked by black clouds, leaving him unable to see anything.
tiān sè zhòu rán yīn chén le xià qù ， yī tuán hēi qì bāo guǒ zhù shào nǚ de shēn tǐ ， nà hēi sè shēn suō tūn tǔ ， jiù rú tóng yǒu shēng mìng yī yàng ， xiǎn de guǐ yì zhì jí 。
天色骤然阴沉了下去，一团黑气包裹住少女的身体，那黑色伸缩吞吐，就如同有生命一样，显得诡异至极。
The ghost fog suddenly began changing. Countless small air masses separated from within and transformed into numerous grotesque insects, each about the size of a thumb, with extremely sharp mandibles, looking terrifying.
zhào shǒu guāng yī jīng ， tā suī rán zhǎn shā guò shàng bǎi xiū shì ， dàn yǔ guǐ xiū jiāo shǒu hái shì dì yī cì 。
赵守光一惊，他虽然斩杀过上百修士，但与鬼修交手还是第一次。
Buzzing above the black cloud, there were thousands of them, lifelike and not like they had been conjured by magical essence energy.
Moon picked up her eyebrows, a charming but now slightly grim expression appearing on her face. Unsurprisingly, someone had come to visit just at this moment.
After a brief hesitation, Moon transformed into a green beam and headed towards the direction where the essence energy was flying from. Although the powerful array set by Young Master would give her an advantage in fighting here, the commotion might still affect Young Master's condensation of his golden core. Therefore, she wanted to deal with the opponent at a distance.
At the same time, about twenty miles away in the desert, a blue light stopped and dispersed, revealing a middle-aged man around thirty years old. Wearing a scholar’s robe and looking like an elegant bookworm, he easily won people's favor.
However, appearances can be deceiving. This man named Zhao Shouguang was notorious among mid-stage cultivators as the "Deadly Scholar." Although he practiced orthodox daoist techniques, his cruelty and cunning were unmatched even by cultivators of demonic arts!
Not only did he act unpredictably, but he also loved to kill for treasure.
Since making his debut, countless low-ranking cultivators had fallen victim to him. At least hundreds!
His own cultivation was no small feat either; though not yet condensing his golden core, he had reached the pinnacle of foundation establishment stage and possessed several powerful artifacts. Ordinary foundation establishment stage cultivators were nothing to him.
At this moment, Zhao Shouguang hovered in mid-air, scrutinizing the distant scene with a frown. Just moments ago, there was an obvious sign of something extraordinary—abnormal essence energy—but now it had vanished without a trace...
Could it be an illusion?
Zhao Shouguang shook his head; he hadn't been mistaken.
There were usually two reasons for such phenomena: either a treasure was about to appear, or someone was in the critical stage of condensing their golden core, causing a surge of essence energy that could trigger celestial anomalies.
With this thought, a greedy smile appeared on Zhao Shouguang's face as he licked his lips. If it were a treasure, he wouldn't miss such an opportunity.
If there was a cultivator here about to condense their golden core, it would be a great fortune for him...
Judging from the earlier anomaly, he should be at the critical stage of condensation. If successful, he wouldn’t dare provoke the other party; after all, the difference between foundation establishment and early-stage golden core was just one step in terms of rank, but the disparity in strength was immense.
But the more crucial this moment became, the harder it was to move. He could only be a pawn for others to manipulate.
This man was likely an independent cultivator; otherwise, there would be no reason for him not to condense his golden core within a sect. Running into him here, in such a desolate place, meant he had been cautious about being discovered. But still, fate had brought them together.
Zhao Shouguang's face showed a cruel smile as he imagined playing with a future high-ranking cultivator at will. It gave him an unsettling sense of satisfaction.
After all, the many cultivators who had fallen to his hands were far from reaching their golden core stage!
And if he killed this one, he could still find numerous treasures in his storage bag.
A future condensation-stage expert must be incredibly wealthy!
With these thoughts, Zhao Shouguang's blue light intensified as he prepared to fly over. Time was of the essence; even though it would take some time for the other party to condense their golden core, he couldn't afford any delay. If they emerged prematurely, he might have to flee.
Before his body could move, Zhao Shouguang suddenly frowned and stopped, looking surprised at something in front of him.
Less than half an incense stick later, a brilliant green light flew towards him, dispersing as it revealed a charming young woman.
The girl was about eighteen or nineteen years old, her beautiful face long and black hair reaching to her knees. Zhao Shouguang's expression turned to shock.
This girl had no shadow!
A ghost spirit!
But ordinary ghost spirits couldn't openly appear in the sunlight. And this girl emitted astonishing essence energy, comparable to a late-stage foundation establishment cultivator. Could it be...
Zhao Shouguang, though not a good person, was well-versed. He heard that certain special-constitution ghost spirits could also cultivate ghost techniques. Was the woman before him...
Moon was equally observing the cultivator in front of her; though her expressionless face didn't show any emotion, she inwardly groaned. She hadn’t expected his cultivation to be so profound. It seemed dealing with this opponent wouldn't be easy.
A formidable adversary!
Zhao Shouguang's expression fluctuated as Moon spoke first: "Esteemed fellow cultivator, the area ahead is forbidden by our master. Please take a detour if you pass through here."
"Detour?"
Zhao Shouguang snorted, his face showing a vicious expression. Moon was startled and quickly retreated.
A sharp blade of light passed where she had stood—a short sword artifact.
The other party actually possessed such a ghost spirit as a servant! Zhao Shouguang's shock increased, making him even more wary of the cultivator who was about to condense his golden core.
Since their intentions were clear, there was no need for further words. He wouldn't be able to afford wasting time here; originally, he wanted to catch the ghost spirit by surprise and kill it, but Moon's alertness had surpassed his expectations!
Although she dodged the other party’s ambush, Moon was still filled with fear. With a wave of her hand, an epiphany-sized jade ring appeared.
Completely translucent, emitting soft light, Zhao Shouguang narrowed his eyes without showing any contempt—exquisite spirit treasure!
Moon's abilities didn't end there; she crossed her hands and formed a peculiar mudra while reciting obscure incantations.
The sky suddenly darkened as black fog enveloped the girl’s body. The blackness moved and stretched, appearing almost alive, extremely eerie.
Zhao Shouguang was startled. He had killed hundreds of cultivators but had never faced ghost cultivators before.
Legends said that these practitioners of ghost techniques possessed astonishing abilities far beyond ordinary same-rank cultivators.
He wouldn't allow the other party to cast spells; he released his divine sense, but it was immediately blocked by black clouds, leaving him unable to see anything.
The ghost fog suddenly began changing. Countless small air masses separated from within and transformed into numerous grotesque insects, each about the size of a thumb, with extremely sharp mandibles, looking terrifying.
Buzzing above the black cloud, there were thousands of them, lifelike and not like they had been conjured by magical essence energy.