yún fēng yǎo le yǎo yá ， xiǎng yào chēng káng shēn tǐ ， kě què hún shēn má bì ， lián dòng bào jiǒng xià dōu kùn nán wú bǐ 。
云峰咬了咬牙，想要撑扛身体，可却浑身麻痹，连动报炯下都困难无比。
Yun Feng gritted his teeth, trying to support his body. However, he felt numb all over, making it incredibly difficult for him even to move a muscle.
“ bù yòng chěng qiáng ， nǐ xiàn zài zhè zhǒng zhuàng kuàng 。 bié shuō zǔ dǎng wǒ men ， kǒng pà lián yuán yīng dōu wú fǎ dùn chū ， qū qū yī míng chū qī xiū shì ， què gǎn qū shǐ lóng mèi hún pò ， luò de zhè yàng de jié guǒ ， yě suàn jiù yóu zì qǔ 。 yuàn bù dé páng rén shén me 。” gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ qīng xiào zhe shuō ， shēng yīn bīng hán dào le jí chù 。
“不用逞强，你现在这种状况。别说阻挡我们，恐怕连元婴都无法遁出，区区一名初期修士，却敢驱使龙妹魂魄，落得这样的结果，也算咎由自取。怨不得旁人什么。”宫装女子轻笑着说，声音冰寒到了极处。
"Stop being so stubborn. In your current state, you can't even stop us; let alone escape. A mere novice cultivator dares to control the soul of Dragon Sister and ends up like this—consider yourself lucky," said the woman in court attire with a cold smile, her voice icy to the extreme.
“ shī mèi ， nǐ yǔ zhè jiā huo luó suo shén me 。 bù néng ràng gāng gāng nà jiàn rén pǎo le 。” guāng tóu dà hàn méi tou yí zhòu ， yǒu xiē bù nài fán de kāi kǒu 。
“师妹，你与这家伙罗嗦什么。不能让刚刚那贱人跑了。”光头大汉眉头一皱，有些不耐烦的开口。
"Sister, why are you talking to him? We can't afford to let that scumbag get away," grumbled the bald man, clearly impatient.
“ suàn nǐ yùn qì bù cuò ， běn gōng xiàn zài yǒu shì shuǎ zuò ， fǒu zé yí dìng ràng nǐ cháng cháng chōu hún liàn
“算你运气不错，本宫现在有事耍做，否则一定让你尝尝抽魂炼
"Good luck. I have matters to attend to now. Otherwise, I would make sure you experience the agony of soul extraction," said the woman in court attire, her voice still icy.
huà yīn wèi luò ， gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ yǐ tái qǐ zuǒ shǒu ， yī dào xuè máng fēi chū yī xiù ， yī rào ， biàn gē xià le yún fēng de tóu lú 。
话音未落，宫装女子已抬起左手，一道血芒飞出衣袖，一绕，便割下了云峰的头颅。
Before he could say another word, she raised her left hand, and a blood ray shot out from her sleeve, slicing off Yun Feng's head with a swift motion.
suí hòu shuāng shǒu qiā jué ， yī dào guāng xiá juǎn guò ， yí gè xiǎo qiǎo de yīng ér jiù guǐ yì de chū xiàn zài le bàn kōng 。 kàn méi yǎn ， zhèng shì yún fēng 。
随后双手掐诀，一道光霞卷过，一个小巧的婴儿就诡异的出现在了半空。看眉眼，正是云峰。
She then formed some hand seals, and a light霞 rolled over, creating an eerie infant floating mid-air. The infant's appearance matched Yun Feng’s.
rán ér yǔ zhǔ dòng dùn chū de yuán yīng bù tóng ， cǐ yīng ér qì sè huī bái ， sì hū lián shǒu dōu tái bù qǐ lái 。
然而与主动遁出的元婴不同，此婴儿气色灰白，似乎连手都抬不起来。
Unlike the active soul that had escaped, this infant appeared pale and weak, unable to even lift his arm.
gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ zài yāo jiān yī pāi ， yí gè xiǎo qiǎo de yù píng jiù fēi lüè chū lái ， xuán fú zài le xiōng qián ， bá kāi píng sāi ， lǐ miàn yǐn yǐn jìng rán yǒu yuān hún qī lì de shēng yīn chuán le chū lái 。
宫装女子在腰间一拍，一个小巧的玉瓶就飞掠出来，悬浮在了胸前，拔开瓶塞，里面隐隐竟然有冤魂凄厉的声音传了出来。
The woman in court attire slapped her waist, and a small jade bottle flew out, hovering before her chest as she opened it. Inside, faint cries of an angry spirit could be heard.
yuán yīng liǎn sè dà biàn ， gāng gāng dòu fǎ de shí hòu ， tā jiù xiàn zhè sān rén bù guǎn bǎo wù hái shì shén tōng ， dōu fēi cháng guǐ yì qí tè ， shí yǒu ** shì guǐ dào xiū xiān zhě 。
元婴脸色大变，刚刚斗法的时候，他就现这三人不管宝物还是神通，都非常诡异奇特，十有**是鬼道修仙者。
Yun Feng's face turned pale; during the battle, he had noticed that these three were using both strange treasures and unique techniques, making them likely practitioners of ghost cultivation.
ér luò zài zhè zhǒng xiū shì shǒu lǐ ， xià chǎng wǎng wǎng bǐ yǔn luò hái yào bēi cǎn dé duō 。
而落在这种修士手里，下场往往比陨落还要悲惨得多。
Being in their hands would often result in a more tragic fate than death itself.
kàn duì fāng de dòng zuò ， sì hū shì xiǎng yào ná zì jǐ de yuán yīng jì liàn shén me 。
看对方的动作，似乎是想要拿自己的元婴祭炼什么。
Judging by their actions, they seemed to want to use his soul for something.
yīng ér de yǎn zhōng mǎn shì wèi jù ， shēn shēn de xī le kǒu qì ， miǎn qiǎng jiāng zuǒ shǒu tí qǐ ， wǎng zì jǐ de nǎo dài shàng pāi qù ”
婴儿的眼中满是畏惧，深深的吸了口气，勉强将左手提起，往自己的脑袋上拍去”
The infant's eyes filled with fear as he took a deep breath and勉强 lifted his left hand towards his head.
“ hēng 。 xiǎng yào zì shā ， nǎ yǒu nà me róng yì ， xiàn zài shì sǐ shì huó kě yóu bù dé nǐ ！”
“哼。想要自杀，哪有那么容易，现在是死是活可由不得你！”
"Hmph. Wanting to commit suicide is not that easy; your life or death is now out of your hands!"
gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ hēng le yī shēng ， yù shǒu qīng qīng xiàng qián diǎn qù ， bō de yī shēng qīng xiǎng ， cóng nà yù píng zhōng fēi chū yī dào wū guāng ， yī juàn yī suō ， jiù yǐ jiāng yuán yīng bāo guǒ ， suí hòu xī rù le píng zi zhī zhōng 。
宫装女子哼了一声，玉手轻轻向前点去，啵的一声轻响，从那玉瓶中飞出一道乌光，一卷一缩，就已将元婴包裹，随后吸入了瓶子之中。
The woman in court attire snorted, her jade hand pointing forward. With a pop, a black light flew out from the bottle, wrapping around the soul before being sucked back inside.
cǐ nǚ liǎn shàng lù chū mǎn yì zhī sè ， shuāng shǒu yī hé ， yǐ jiāng píng sāi sāi hǎo le ， suī rán lóng mèi zhī hún de fǎn shì ， yǐ ràng yuán yīng xū ruò wú bǐ ， dàn jìng jiè bǎi zài nà lǐ ， qí tǐ nèi de hún lì ， yī jiù yuǎn fēi pǔ tōng de xiū shì kě bǐ 。
此女脸上露出满意之色，双手一合，已将瓶塞塞好了，虽然龙妹之魂的反噬，已让元婴虚弱无比，但境界摆在那里，其体内的魂力，依旧远非普通的修士可比。
Satisfied with this outcome, she closed her hands and sealed the bottle. Although the backlash from Dragon Sister's soul had weakened him greatly, his soul force was still far beyond that of ordinary cultivators.
cǐ nǚ shēn wèi guǐ dào xiū shì ， zhè me hǎo de cái zhì zì rán bú huì fàng qì 。
此女身为鬼道修士，这么好的材质自然不会放弃。
As a ghost cultivator, such good material would not be discarded by this woman.
suí hòu sān gè lǎo guài wù de mù guāng ， quán dōu luò zài nà xiǎo qiǎo de fān qí 。
随后三个老怪物的目光，全都落在那小巧的幡旗。
The three old monsters' eyes all fell on the small banner.
cǐ bǎo de wēi lì ， tā men gāng gāng qīn shēn jiàn shí ， yí gè èr gè ” zì rán yǎn chán wú bǐ 。
此宝的威力，他们刚刚亲身见识，一个二个”自然眼谗无比。
They had just witnessed its power firsthand; each one naturally coveted it.
yǐ xiū wèi lái shuō ， guāng tóu xiū shì bǐ liǎng míng tóng bàn yào shèng shàng yī chóu ， dàn bù zhī wèi hé ， tā jìng yǒu diǎn gù jì gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ shì de 。
以修为来说，光头修士比两名同伴要胜上一筹，但不知为何，他竟有点顾忌宫装女子似的。
While the bald man was slightly superior in cultivation compared to his two companions, he seemed somewhat hesitant towards the woman in court attire for some reason.
hào tiān guǐ dì tóng yàng àn tūn tuò mò ， dàn zài lì hún gǔ zhōng ， pāo de dì wèi hái yǒu dài shāng zhuó ， yǐ zhè jiā huo de chéng fǔ ， yě míng bái zì jǐ bù kě néng jiāng fān qí qiǎng dào shǒu zhōng 。
昊天鬼帝同样暗吞唾沫，但在厉魂谷中，抛的地位还有待商酌，以这家伙的城府，也明白自己不可能将幡旗抢到手中。
Heavenly Ghost Emperor also swallowed his saliva but, considering his position within Li Hai Valley, knew that he could not snatch the banner. Since he couldn't get it, Heavenly Ghost Emperor's eyes darted around, and he began to think of other plans.
jì rán dé bú dào ， guǐ dì yǎn zhū zhuǎn dòng ， yǐ dǎ qǐ le bié de niàn tou 。
既然得不到，鬼帝眼珠转动，已打起了别的念头。
"Two fellow daoists, this banner is no ordinary treasure. In my humble opinion, we should present it to the sect master; what do you say?" said Heavenly Ghost Emperor, stroking his beard with a carefree expression.
“ liǎng wèi dào yǒu ， cǐ fān bìng fēi pǔ tōng bǎo wù ， yī zài xià zhī jiàn ， bù rú jiāng qí xiàn gěi zōng zhǔ ， bù zhī liǎng wèi yì xià rú hé 。” guǐ dì mō le mō hú xū ， shén qíng xiāo sǎ wú bǐ 。
“两位道友，此幡并非普通宝物，依在下之见，不如将其献给宗主，不知两位意下如何。”鬼帝摸了摸胡须，神情潇洒无比。
"Hmph, if you can't get your hands on something, neither will I. And presenting it to the sect master means more benefits for us when we return," Heavenly Ghost Emperor's proposal was indeed the best choice for him.
hēng ， zì jǐ qiǎng bú dào de dōng xī 。 nǐ men yě bié xiǎng zhàn qù ， ér xiàn gěi zōng zhǔ ， huí qù hòu hái kě yǐ dé dào bù shǎo hǎo chù ， hào tiān guǐ dì de zhè ge tí yì duì tā lái shuō ， zhèng shì zuì jiā xuǎn zé 。
哼，自己抢不到的东西。你们也别想占去，而献给宗主，回去后还可以得到不少好处，昊天鬼帝的这个提议对他来说，正是最佳选择。
"Presenting it to the sect master?"
“ xiàn gěi zōng zhǔ ？”
“献给宗主？”
The bald man froze, his expression turning unpleasant, and the woman in court attire’s steps also stiffened.
guāng tóu dà hàn yī dāi ， biǎo qíng biàn dé yǒu xiē nán kàn ， ér gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ de jiǎo bù ， yě bù yóu de jiāng yìng le qǐ lái 。
光头大汉一呆，表情变得有些难看，而宫装女子的脚步，也不由得僵硬了起来。
"Is something wrong? Do you not agree?" asked Heavenly Ghost Emperor calmly.
“ zěn me ， liǎng wèi bù yuàn yì me ？” guǐ dì yún dàn fēng qīng de shuō 。
“怎么，两位不愿意么？”鬼帝云淡风清的说。
"Haha, fellow daoist, what are you talking about? This treasure is incredibly powerful; of course, it should be presented to our venerable sect master. Sister, do you agree?"
“ hē hē ， dào yǒu shuō nǎ lǐ huà ， cǐ bǎo wēi lì jí dà ， dāng rán yīng gāi xiào jìng gěi zōng zhǔ tā lǎo rén jiā ， shī mèi 。 chēng shuō shì ma ？”
“呵呵，道友说哪里话，此宝威力极大，当然应该孝敬给宗主他老人家，师妹。称说是吗？”
"Yes, yes!" Although the woman in court attire was cold-hearted, her expression showed a hint of fear when mentioning the sect master. Despite her reluctance, she had no choice but to reluctantly agree with his suggestion, hating Heavenly Ghost Emperor deeply.
“ shì a ， shì a ！” gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ suī lěng kù wú bǐ 。 dàn tí dào zōng zhǔ 。 liǎn shàng yě bù yóu de fú xiàn chū jǐ fēn wèi jù ， suī rán xīn zhōng bǎi bān bù yuàn yì ， dàn yě zhǐ néng qiǎng xiào zhe dā yìng tí yì ， xīn zhōng zì shì hèn sǐ le hào tiān guǐ dì 。
“是啊，是啊！”宫装女子虽冷酷无比。但提到宗主。脸上也不由得浮现出几分畏惧，虽然心中百般不愿意，但也只能强笑着答应提议，心中自是恨死了昊天鬼帝。
"Since that is the case, this banner will be temporarily kept by me until we return and present it to our venerable sect master."
“ jì rán rú cǐ ， zhè fān qí jiù zàn qiě jiāo yóu zài xià bǎo guǎn ， děng huí gǔ yǐ hòu ， zài xiàn gěi zōng zhǔ tā lǎo rén jiā 。”
“既然如此，这幡旗就暂且交由在下保管，等回谷以后，再献给宗主他老人家。”
Heavenly Ghost Emperor's deep scheming could not miss their resentment. However, he ignored it as a light rolled out, snatching up the banner.
yǐ hào tiān guǐ dì de chéng fǔ ， nǎ néng kàn bù chū liǎng rén xīn zhōng de yuàn dú ， què shì ruò wú dǔ ， yī dào guāng xiá fēi lüè ér chū ， yǐ jiāng nà fān qí shōu qǐ lái le 。
以昊天鬼帝的城府，哪能看不出两人心中的怨毒，却视若无睹，一道光霞飞掠而出，已将那幡旗收起来了。
With this mission completed, his status within the sect would surely rise; there was no need to care about two inner hall elders.
zhè cì rèn wù wán chéng yǐ hòu ， zì jǐ zài zōng mén nèi de dì wèi bì jiāng shuǐ zhǎng chuán gāo ， nǎ hái yòng zài hū tā liǎng míng nèi táng zhǎng lǎo 。
这次任务完成以后，自己在宗门内的地位必将水涨船高，哪还用在乎他两名内堂长老。
His reasoning was so convincing that even if they were unhappy, they dared not show it on the surface.
ér zhè fān lǐ yóu guān miǎn táng huáng ， liǎng rén zòng rán xīn zhōng bù mǎn ， biǎo miàn shàng què yě bù gǎn zuò chū lái
而这番理由冠冕堂皇，两人纵然心中不满，表面上却也不敢作出来
Of the four former ghost emperors, only Heavenly Ghost Emperor had lived a carefree life. This result did not come from his high cultivation but rather his cunning and intelligence, always preferring to think before acting.
dāng nián de sì dà guǐ dì ， liǎng rén zhàn sǐ 。 yī rén shī zōng ， wéi yǒu hào tiān guò dé xiāo yáo ， rú cǐ jié guǒ ， bìng fēi yīn wèi tā xiū wèi gāo ， ér shì jiǎo huá duō zhà ， fán shì dōu xǐ huān yòng nǎo 。
当年的四大鬼帝，两人战死。一人失踪，唯有昊天过得逍遥，如此结果，并非因为他修为高，而是狡猾多诈，凡事都喜欢用脑。
This trait somewhat resembled Lin Xuan's.
zhè yì diǎn ， dào yǔ lín xuān yǒu xiē xiāng xiàng 。
这一点，倒与林轩有些相像。
"Alright, this matter is over; we can't afford to delay any longer. We mustn't let that woman escape; otherwise, if the Fairy Peacock is alerted, things will go south," said the bald man, his expression emotionless as he spoke.
“ hǎo le ， cǐ jiān shì qíng yǐ jīng jié shù ， wǒ men bù néng jì xù dān gē ， wú lùn rú hé ， yě bù néng ràng gāng gāng nà nǚ zǐ pǎo le ， fǒu zé wàn yī jīng dòng le kǒng què xiān zi ， dà shì kě jiù bù miào 。” guāng tóu dà hàn shōu huí mù guāng ， biǎo qíng mù rán de kāi kǒu dào 。
“好了，此间事情已经结束，我们不能继续耽搁，无论如何，也不能让刚刚那女子跑了，否则万一惊动了孔雀仙子，大事可就不妙。”光头大汉收回目光，表情木然的开口道。
"We need to focus on extracting the inner core of the Peacock first. If this fails, we won’t have the face to see our sect master again no matter what treasures we obtain," agreed Heavenly Ghost Emperor.
ěr cuò ， wǒ men shēn rù běn yīn shān mài zhī zhōng ， qǔ kǒng què nèi dān cái shì dì yī yào wù 。 rú guǒ zhè jiàn shì qíng shī bài le 。 bù guǎn dé dào shén me bǎo bèi ， dōu méi yǒu liǎn huí qù zài jiàn zōng zhǔ 。” hào tiān guǐ dì diǎn le diǎn tóu ， zàn tóng de kāi kǒu 。
尔错，我们深入本阴山脉之中，取孔雀内丹才是第一要务。如果这件事情失败了。不管得到什么宝贝，都没有脸回去再见宗主。”昊天鬼帝点了点头，赞同的开口。
"Since that is so, why waste words? Hurry up and move!"
“ jì rán rú cǐ ， yòu hé bì làng fèi chún shé 。 hái bù gǎn kuài dòng shēn ？”
“既然如此，又何必浪费唇舌。还不赶快动身？”
The woman in court attire did not bother with a good mood; she transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the front.
gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ kě méi yǒu hǎo liǎn sè ， shēn xíng yī zhuǎn ， yǐ huà wèi yī dào dùn guāng fēi xiàng le qián miàn 。
宫装女子可没有好脸色，身形一转，已化为一道遁光飞向了前面。
The bald man and Heavenly Ghost Emperor exchanged glances before each displaying their abilities and diving into the dense forest.
guāng tóu dà hàn yǔ guǐ dì duì shì yī yǎn ， yě gè zhǎn shén tōng ， mò rù le mì lín lǐ miàn 。
光头大汉与鬼帝对视一眼，也各展神通，没入了密林里面。
The other cultivators were even more hesitant, but they didn't follow closely. Instead, they circled from both sides to surround them, as there weren’t just one Peacock Lord in Cangming Mountain; numerous low-grade beasts also roamed around. Their task was to block these lower-level creatures so that the three elders could focus on their mission.
qí yú de xiū shì gèng bù gǎn dài màn ， bù guò tā men què méi yǒu jǐn jǐn gēn shàng ， ér shì cóng liǎng cè yū huí bāo chāo ， bì jìng cāng míng shān zhōng ， bìng fēi zhǐ yǒu yī wèi kǒng què lǐng zhǔ ， qí yú de dī jiē yāo shòu yě shǔ bù shèng shǔ ， ér tā men de rèn wù ， jiù shì zǔ dǎng nà xiē dī jiē cún zài ， ràng sān wèi zhǎng lǎo néng gòu quán shēn xīn téng chū shǒu lái 。
其余的修士更不敢怠慢，不过他们却没有紧紧跟上，而是从两侧迂回包抄，毕竟沧溟山中，并非只有一位孔雀领主，其余的低阶妖兽也数不胜数，而他们的任务，就是阻挡那些低阶存在，让三位长老能够全身心腾出手来。
After Yun Feng had blocked the enemy with all his might, Misty Profound Fairy’s light sped through the clouds towards her own domain. She did not flee to Moon Ink Clan but instead headed for Peacock's lair.
zài shuō yún fēng pīn sǐ jiāng dí rén zǔ zhù yǐ hòu 。 miào yōu xiān zi dùn guāng quán kāi ， fēng chí diàn chè de zuān rù le yún céng lǐ miàn ， tā bìng méi yǒu táo wǎng mò yuè zú ， fǎn ér fēi xiàng le kǒng què de dòng fǔ 。
再说云峰拼死将敌人阻住以后。妙幽仙子遁光全开，风驰电掣的钻入了云层里面，她并没有逃往墨月族，反而飞向了孔雀的洞府。
After all, there was no other active soul in the clan except for that old guy, Huan Yuan.
bì jìng běn zú zhī zhōng ， chú le hùn yuán nà lǎo jiā huǒ ， zài yě méi yǒu yuán yīng wū bēi le 。
毕竟本族之中，除了混元那老家伙，再也没有元婴巫卑了。
Huan Yuan had always been at odds with her and her husband; in such a situation, he would be more than happy to see them suffer rather than offer any help.
ér hùn yuán xiàng lái yǔ zì jǐ fū fù bù hé ， yù jiàn zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng ， bié shuō yuán shǒu ， néng bù luò jǐng xià shí yǐ jīng shāo gāo xiāng le 。
而混元向来与自己夫妇不和，遇见这种情况，别说援手，能不落井下石已经烧高香了。
Now she could only hope. Peacock was an intermediate-stage transformed creature, far stronger than herself. If she could get her aid, there might still be a chance for her husband.
rú jīn tā néng qí qiú de zhǐ yǒu yí gè 。 kǒng què kě shì huà xíng zhōng qī de yāo zú ， shén tōng zhī qiáng ， yuǎn zài zì jǐ zhī shàng ， rú guǒ néng gòu qǐng tā jí shǐ yuán shǒu ， zhàng fū shuō bù dìng hái yǒu xī wàng 。
如今她能祈求的只有一个。孔雀可是化形中期的妖族，神通之强，远在自己之上，如果能够请她即使援手，丈夫说不定还有希望。
This woman had lived several hundred years and quickly calmed down from the initial panic. She took out a secret communication talisman from her chest and poured in her energy. The talisman turned into a fiery streak that flew towards Cangming Mountain's main peak.
cǐ nǚ dào dǐ yě huó le jǐ bǎi nián 。 hěn kuài biàn dù guò le zuì chū de huāng luàn ， jiāng xīn qíng píng fù xià lái 。 cóng huái zhōng qǔ chū yī zhāng mì zhì chuán yīn fú ， fǎ lì kuáng zhù ér rù ， nà fú huà wèi yī dào huǒ guāng ， fēi xiàng le cāng míng shān zhǔ fēng de fāng xiàng 。
此女到底也活了几百年。很快便度过了最初的慌乱，将心情平复下来。从怀中取出一张秘制传音符，法力狂注而入，那符化为一道火光，飞向了沧溟山主峰的方向。
After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to return along the same path, sending a distress signal. Once Peacock appeared, she must help her husband; Yun Feng alone could not withstand three old monsters.
suí hòu tā lüè yī chí yí ， jū rán yuán lù fēi le huí qù ， qiú jiù de xìn hào jì rán yǐ jīng chū ， xiāng xìn kǒng què hěn kuài jiù huì xiàn shēn chū shǒu ， tā bì xū qù bāng bāng zhàng fū ， miàn duì sān míng lǎo guài wù ， yún fēng yí gè rén kě zhī chí bú zhù 。
随后她略一迟疑，居然原路飞了回去，求救的信号既然已经出，相信孔雀很快就会现身出手，她必须去帮帮丈夫，面对三名老怪物，云峰一个人可支持不住。
Although this would put her in danger, their deep bond made it impossible for her to abandon him and run away.
Yun Feng gritted his teeth, trying to support his body. However, he felt numb all over, making it incredibly difficult for him even to move a muscle.
"Stop being so stubborn. In your current state, you can't even stop us; let alone escape. A mere novice cultivator dares to control the soul of Dragon Sister and ends up like this—consider yourself lucky," said the woman in court attire with a cold smile, her voice icy to the extreme.
"Sister, why are you talking to him? We can't afford to let that scumbag get away," grumbled the bald man, clearly impatient.
"Good luck. I have matters to attend to now. Otherwise, I would make sure you experience the agony of soul extraction," said the woman in court attire, her voice still icy.
Before he could say another word, she raised her left hand, and a blood ray shot out from her sleeve, slicing off Yun Feng's head with a swift motion.
She then formed some hand seals, and a light霞 rolled over, creating an eerie infant floating mid-air. The infant's appearance matched Yun Feng’s.
Unlike the active soul that had escaped, this infant appeared pale and weak, unable to even lift his arm.
The woman in court attire slapped her waist, and a small jade bottle flew out, hovering before her chest as she opened it. Inside, faint cries of an angry spirit could be heard.
Yun Feng's face turned pale; during the battle, he had noticed that these three were using both strange treasures and unique techniques, making them likely practitioners of ghost cultivation.
Being in their hands would often result in a more tragic fate than death itself.
Judging by their actions, they seemed to want to use his soul for something.
The infant's eyes filled with fear as he took a deep breath and勉强 lifted his left hand towards his head.
"Hmph. Wanting to commit suicide is not that easy; your life or death is now out of your hands!"
The woman in court attire snorted, her jade hand pointing forward. With a pop, a black light flew out from the bottle, wrapping around the soul before being sucked back inside.
Satisfied with this outcome, she closed her hands and sealed the bottle. Although the backlash from Dragon Sister's soul had weakened him greatly, his soul force was still far beyond that of ordinary cultivators.
As a ghost cultivator, such good material would not be discarded by this woman.
The three old monsters' eyes all fell on the small banner.
They had just witnessed its power firsthand; each one naturally coveted it.
While the bald man was slightly superior in cultivation compared to his two companions, he seemed somewhat hesitant towards the woman in court attire for some reason.
Heavenly Ghost Emperor also swallowed his saliva but, considering his position within Li Hai Valley, knew that he could not snatch the banner. Since he couldn't get it, Heavenly Ghost Emperor's eyes darted around, and he began to think of other plans.
"Two fellow daoists, this banner is no ordinary treasure. In my humble opinion, we should present it to the sect master; what do you say?" said Heavenly Ghost Emperor, stroking his beard with a carefree expression.
"Hmph, if you can't get your hands on something, neither will I. And presenting it to the sect master means more benefits for us when we return," Heavenly Ghost Emperor's proposal was indeed the best choice for him.
"Presenting it to the sect master?"
The bald man froze, his expression turning unpleasant, and the woman in court attire’s steps also stiffened.
"Is something wrong? Do you not agree?" asked Heavenly Ghost Emperor calmly.
"Haha, fellow daoist, what are you talking about? This treasure is incredibly powerful; of course, it should be presented to our venerable sect master. Sister, do you agree?"
"Yes, yes!" Although the woman in court attire was cold-hearted, her expression showed a hint of fear when mentioning the sect master. Despite her reluctance, she had no choice but to reluctantly agree with his suggestion, hating Heavenly Ghost Emperor deeply.
"Since that is the case, this banner will be temporarily kept by me until we return and present it to our venerable sect master."
Heavenly Ghost Emperor's deep scheming could not miss their resentment. However, he ignored it as a light rolled out, snatching up the banner.
With this mission completed, his status within the sect would surely rise; there was no need to care about two inner hall elders.
His reasoning was so convincing that even if they were unhappy, they dared not show it on the surface.
Of the four former ghost emperors, only Heavenly Ghost Emperor had lived a carefree life. This result did not come from his high cultivation but rather his cunning and intelligence, always preferring to think before acting.
This trait somewhat resembled Lin Xuan's.
"Alright, this matter is over; we can't afford to delay any longer. We mustn't let that woman escape; otherwise, if the Fairy Peacock is alerted, things will go south," said the bald man, his expression emotionless as he spoke.
"We need to focus on extracting the inner core of the Peacock first. If this fails, we won’t have the face to see our sect master again no matter what treasures we obtain," agreed Heavenly Ghost Emperor.
"Since that is so, why waste words? Hurry up and move!"
The woman in court attire did not bother with a good mood; she transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the front.
The bald man and Heavenly Ghost Emperor exchanged glances before each displaying their abilities and diving into the dense forest.
The other cultivators were even more hesitant, but they didn't follow closely. Instead, they circled from both sides to surround them, as there weren’t just one Peacock Lord in Cangming Mountain; numerous low-grade beasts also roamed around. Their task was to block these lower-level creatures so that the three elders could focus on their mission.
After Yun Feng had blocked the enemy with all his might, Misty Profound Fairy’s light sped through the clouds towards her own domain. She did not flee to Moon Ink Clan but instead headed for Peacock's lair.
After all, there was no other active soul in the clan except for that old guy, Huan Yuan.
Huan Yuan had always been at odds with her and her husband; in such a situation, he would be more than happy to see them suffer rather than offer any help.
Now she could only hope. Peacock was an intermediate-stage transformed creature, far stronger than herself. If she could get her aid, there might still be a chance for her husband.
This woman had lived several hundred years and quickly calmed down from the initial panic. She took out a secret communication talisman from her chest and poured in her energy. The talisman turned into a fiery streak that flew towards Cangming Mountain's main peak.
After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to return along the same path, sending a distress signal. Once Peacock appeared, she must help her husband; Yun Feng alone could not withstand three old monsters.
Although this would put her in danger, their deep bond made it impossible for her to abandon him and run away.