Zuo Qinghui was enveloped in a layer of golden light, his form light and floating as he flew towards Yuan Ming's direction, easily breaking through the illusory shadows of flames and giant trees made of spirit light.

However, he had barely flown a few dozen feet when the environment before his eyes blurred, and his figure inexplicably returned to its original place.

A trace of astonishment flickered in Zuo Qinghui's eyes. With a single hand making a quick gesture before his chest, his body immediately shone brightly with golden light, turning into a stream of light that shot out towards another direction, his speed astonishingly fast.

But as quickly as he left, he returned even faster. Almost the moment after he flew out, he blurred before coming back to where he started.

Zuo Qinghui's expression grew somber. The array set up in this cave mansion was not simple, seemingly able to shift his location or perhaps it was some kind of illusion technique that he also couldn't see through at a glance. He couldn't afford to be careless.

Yuan Ming had taken the opportunity to flee from the cave mansion and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

It was indeed too much pressure being in close contact with an early-stage Core Formation cultivator. Fortunately, Zuo Qinghui had not exerted his full strength just now, and his own reaction had been quick enough. He had used many magic artifacts and let Big Green barely withstand the attack; otherwise, he would have been unable to defend against that strike from the Golden Ruler Treasure just now.

He knew that the Five Elements Annihilation Array inside the cave mansion might not be able to trap Zuo Qinghui for long. Once he broke free, it was nearly impossible for Yuan Ming to escape his pursuit.

Although he did not wish to confront a Core Formation Stage cultivator head-on, today's extortion had left him almost no way out. If he truly agreed, he would become a slave working to make money for Zuo Qinghui. Given the latter's greedy and stingy nature, not only would Yuan Ming be constantly monitored, making it impossible to keep secrets, but any hope for future breakthroughs would also be dashed, forever depriving him of his freedom and eternally enslaving him.

Yuan Ming took a deep breath, a resolute look flashing in the depths of his eyes, no matter what, he had to leave him here today, to forever thwart future troubles!

While mentally commanding Hua Zhi and Lei Yu to come over, he took out a bronze giant sword in one hand. The sword was brimming with green thunder, the very Bronze Thunder Sword from Shi Dian, and with a fierce thrust, he plunged it into the ground!

The purple spirit stone on the hilt immediately flickered with spirit light, incessantly infusing spiritual power into the ground below.

Over the past five years, although he seldom left the house, he still managed to repair the sword and embed it with high-grade Thunder Attribute Spirit Stones thanks to the Thunder Attribute Ore he found continuously.

Inside the cave mansion, Zuo Qinghui stood in place, no longer acting rashly, but spreading his Divine Sense to carefully observe his surroundings and deducing the changes in the Five Elements Annihilation Array.

By his estimate, although this trapping array was somewhat clever, it was not indecipherable with his knowledge of formations.

However, just at that moment, the roaring sounds of "rumble" thunder echoed, and streaks of green lightning emerged from the ground, weaving rapidly, forming a Thunder Array with a radius of several dozen feet surrounding him, more powerful than when Yuan Ming was trapped by the same array.

Zuo Qinghui gave a slight chuckle, raising one hand and sending the Golden Ruler Treasure flying out, spinning rapidly, and striking the Thunder Array before him.

With a "zilah" sound, the Thunder Array was easily torn open with a massive hole.

The Golden Ruler Treasure did not stop there, transforming into a golden rainbow and fiercely striking a certain part of the Five Elements Annihilation Array.

With a "chit" sound, the entire Five Elements Annihilation Array also trembled, a white mark appeared as though it was a crack.

Zuo Qinghui's body lit up again with an eye-catching golden glow, flowing up and down, and under his control, he shot out from the opening in the Thunder Array, heading straight for the white crack.

Although Zuo Qinghui had not discovered the operation pattern of the Five Elements Annihilation Array, he aimed to use brute force to break the cunning array. Seeing this, Yuan Ming showed no panic. With a twist of his hand holding the Command Flags,

Green spirit light surged around the white mark, and numerous green tree shadows emerged from nowhere, enveloping the white mark within them, and in a flash, disappeared from sight.

Zuo Qinghui missed and became furious. His ten fingers changed seals rapidly.

The Golden Ruler Treasure blurred slightly and morphed into dozens of golden ruler shadows, then, like a storm of violent thunder, struck various parts of the array. The space around the array stirred, the Five-Colored Spiritual Light boiling like churning water, yet it showed no sign of collapse.

Yuan Ming meanwhile, secretly mobilized the soul crows, a flicker of black light at his brow, sending out four soul crows.

He made hand seals and used the Dream Butterfly Illusion Technique.

Gaah...

The four soul crows quietly flew to each corner of the cave mansion and then simultaneously opened their mouths to caw, black sound waves billowing out and rushing towards Zuo Qinghui.

In an inconspicuous corner of the cave mansion, two newly-made Seven-step Immovable incense sticks were already burning inside the Stealing Heaven Tripod.

If previously Zuo Qinghui still harbored intentions of making Yuan Ming submit and turning him into a money tree, his murderous intent was now intense, truly harboring killing intent towards Yuan Ming.

Just when he was about to unleash another technique to completely shatter the trapping array, he suddenly felt a disturbance in the void around him, and the enveloping black sound waves closed in. His face showed surprise as he swiftly flew backward.

In that instant, he had not yet understood what these black sound waves were but suspected that they definitely weren't going to be beneficial to him. It was better to dodge them first.

A Core Formation Stage cultivator's speed far exceeded any Foundation Establishment existence, and his form retreated a great distance in the blink of an eye, almost flying out of the cover of the black sound waves.

Yuan Ming did not panic at all. With a flip of his hand, the green Array Flag shot out, merging into the array as a streak of green light.

Zuo Qinghui's vision changed, and a huge green forest suddenly appeared overhead, followed by a pressure so heavy it seemed to weigh tens of thousands of pounds, causing a slight delay in his movement.

It was this moment of hesitation that allowed him to be engulfed by the black sound waves released by the soul crows.

Zuo Qinghui's eyes became blurry, and he stood there, dazed.

Yuan Ming's face lit up with hidden joy, yet he dared not delay. With the flick of his finger, the Absolute Shadow Needle shot out like lightning toward Zuo Qinghui's temple.

A black shadow flashed in his hand as he gripped the Soul Destroying Sword, slicing through the air and emitting a sharp, piercing screech.

A black Sword Qi, four or five zhang long, howled as it shot straight for Zuo Qinghui's head.

At that moment, the Golden Ruler Treasure suddenly appeared beside Zuo Qinghui, blocking the Absolute Shadow Needle before rapidly encircling everything.

With a "ding," the Absolute Shadow Needle was forcibly sliced in two.

Zuo Qinghui's figure also abruptly shifted to the side, avoiding the attack of the Soul Destroying Sword Energy, his eyes becoming exceptionally clear as he turned and pounced toward Yuan Ming's position.

"You're a Soul Cultivator! You're actually in league with Pu Zhengqing!"

As the words fell, the Golden Ruler Treasure flew out of his hand, transforming into a vast, long rainbow that shot toward Yuan Ming's location.

Everywhere it passed, the Illusion Array's spirit light was effortlessly torn apart, revealing Yuan Ming's figure.

Before he could dodge, the Golden Ruler Treasure was already striking down upon him, moving several times faster than before, like a flash of golden lightning.

With a "pfft," Yuan Ming's body was split in two, but unexpectedly, no blood appeared, and both halves of the body dissolved into phantoms.

Deep within the Five Elements Annihilation Array, Yuan Ming's figure emerged, wiping the virtual sweat from his forehead.

That last moment was due to the virtual and real changes of the Five Elements Annihilation Array, where everything within the array could be turned into phantoms through this transformation.

This was a profound alteration of the Five Elements Annihilation Array, which took him five years of focused effort to learn to run this array, consuming numerous Spirit Stones to finally master it.

Fortunately, he had invested great effort in diligently practicing this array, which was his lifeline.

Yuan Ming became even more cautious, shifting his position once more while simultaneously releasing all eight soul crows to cast the Crow Caw Illusion Technique upon Zuo Qinghui.

The black sound waves, now more concentrated than before, enveloped Zuo Qinghui, their coverage even wider.

Zuo Qinghui's face tensed, facing a Soul Cultivator in combat for the first time, he retreated once again to evade.

However, behind him, the void was filled with thunderous light, with eight thick bolts of green thunder streaking out, their contained might astonishing, forcing Zuo Qinghui to pay heed.

A flash of cold light in Zuo Qinghui's eyes, and the Golden Ruler Treasure let out a long cry, its golden brilliance flaring up as if it were armor enveloping him completely.

The eight bolts of green thunder struck faster, hitting Zuo Qinghui first.

Dazzling green thunder light burst forth before quickly dissipating.

Zuo Qinghui's Protective Golden Light was shattered substantially, with the arm holding the Golden Ruler charred black.

The black sound waves emitted by the soul crows swept over, giving him no chance to dodge, engulfing his body.

Powerful waves of illusion emanated by the sound waves assaulted Zuo Qinghui's Divine Soul like a tidal surge.

Having just been injured by the Bronze Thunder Pattern Array, Zuo Qinghui's Divine Soul was unstable. Unable to resist, his eyes showed signs of confusion, truly falling into an illusion.

Behind him, a black light flashed past as the previously evaded Soul Destroying Sword Energy flew back, striking atop Zuo Qinghui's head, entering his Sea of Consciousness, and fiercely slashing at his Divine Soul.

The illusions before Zuo Qinghui's eyes vanished, his body shaking violently. He could not help but clutch his head, letting out a pained moan, rooted to the spot.

Yuan Ming narrowed his eyes and, with a swing of the Soul Destroying Sword, struck thrice in rapid succession.

Three beams of Soul Destroying Sword Energy were unleashed, striking him while Zuo Qinghui was unable to move.

With a wail of agony, Zuo Qinghui bled from the seven orifices on his face, his complexion deathly pale, his Sea of Consciousness and Divine Soul almost annihilated.

His mana circulation was also greatly affected, with the Golden Ruler Treasure's light becoming extremely dim, only a fraction of what it had been before.

At the same time, Yuan Ming's body also swayed slightly, his complexion terribly pale, his Sea of Consciousness Soul Power nearly depleted.

The Soul Destroying Sword's power was astonishing, yet the consumption of Soul Power was also exceptionally immense. With his current level of Divine Soul Power, channeling four strikes in a short period was already his limit.

At this moment, the Soul Destroying Sword suddenly let out a humming sound, bursting forth with a fierce and deadly aura, violently impacting Yuan Ming's Divine Soul as his already weakened Soul Power trembled intensely.

What was happening? Pain surged in Yuan Ming's Sea of Consciousness, his head felt as if it would split open, and he was gripped by panic. He released the Soul Destroying Sword too late, his Divine Soul violently shaking. Yuan Ming's head spun, his vision darkening, feeling his consciousness fading away.

In this critical moment, Yuan Ming raised a hand to retrieve the Stealing Heaven Tripod, which entered his arm. A warm current gushed forth, flowing into his parched Sea of Consciousness.

His Soul Power quickly recovered, and the warm stream enveloped his Divine Soul, merging into it. The intense pain in Yuan Ming's Divine Soul was greatly alleviated, and his dissipating consciousness rapidly regained clarity.

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