Jiu Shen felt a strong killing intent piercing through his back and he could not help but smirk in amusement. A flicker of imperceptible anger flashed before his pair of silver eyes as Jiu Shen turned to face the bald man with a calm look.

"I chose to ignore this ant earlier since I don't want to dirty my hands with his filthy blood, but who knows that this guy is actually tired of living..." Jiu Shen muttered as he looked at the bald man as if he was looking at a corpse.

Hu Xiandao, Boss Scar, and the others who were familiar with Jiu Shen's personality were surprised to hear these kinds of words from him. The Wine Master Jiu in their minds was quiet and had a lazy disposition, but this face of Jiu Shen in front of them gave a different feeling.

The baldy's face contorted with fury when he heard Jiu Shen's words.

"Brother Hu, I want to give you face, but this damnable bastard is just too much so don't blame me for being merciless!!" The bald man glared at Jiu Shen with a face full of wrath.

Jiu Shen's eyes looked calm and tranquil on the surface, but the killing intent in his heart has reached to a terrifying degree that everyone could feel the atmosphere around them suddenly drop.

Just because he appeared to be harmless and quiet doesn't mean that Jiu Shen didn't want to kill. It's just that he preferred to live a peaceful life in this mortal world, but never did he thought that he would actually be treated casually by the mortals of Nuar.

"It seems like I have truly been merciful all this while. Sigh." Jiu Shen shook his head lightly and the majestic and overpowering demeanor of one of the top paragons in the Primordial God Realm suddenly burst forth from his being, bringing awe and fear to the onlooking crowd.

Jiu Shen's eyes were still serene, but this time, even the weakest among everyone present could already feel the oppressive might that Jiu Shen possessed.

The bald man's eyes went wide in panic and he immediately regretted his rashness. To think that this brat that didn't look older than twenty could actually exude such an earth-shaking aura. This truly made the bald man vexed in his heart, but he could do nothing but sigh to himself with a bitter look.

"Little bro-"

Pu.

Like a watermelon hit by a huge mace, the bald man's head suddenly exploded under the dumbstruck gazes of everyone.

The headless corpse staggered briefly before it dropped to the ground.

Thud.

Fear enveloped the hearts of the onlooking crowd after seeing how a 7th-rank Emperor realm expert died just like that. He wasn't even able to continue speaking before his head exploded into a bloody mess. Such cruelty...

Jiu Shen's silver eyes were still tranquil as if nothing noteworthy happened. He then grabbed the dumbfounded Xia Xinyue towards the deeper parts of the mysterious cave while ignoring the crowd who stood rooted in their spots.

Suddenly, Hu Xiandao, Boss Scar, and the others heard Jiu Shen's voice inside their heads. "Leave this place. You will only be courting death if you foolishly get inside."

After that, they all looked at each other and smiled wryly to themselves.

"Let's go back. Since Wine Master Jiu has already spoken, we should just listen to his orders." Hu Xiandao said to Boss Scar and his buddies. At first, they were strangers, but after casually talking among each other, Hu Xiandao learned that they were actually customers of Jiu Shen, so he readily provided them with help and prevented them from dying. If not for this barbarian's assistance, Boss Scar and his buddies might have already lost their lives.

Boss Scar glanced at Jiu Shen's back with a complicated look and shook his head. "Wine Master Jiu has hidden himself deeply, but it seems like he is now allowing others to see his true power. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?" He muttered in a barely noticeable voice.

Hu Xiandao naturally heard Boss Scar's words and his heart became agitated all of a sudden. Even this fearless barbarian felt fearful as he recalled Jiu Shen's pair of incomparably cold and emotionless eyes.

"Luckily, I'm not his enemy." He muttered in his heart with relief.

After that, their group started to leave the mysterious cave. When the other groups saw them leaving, they promptly abandoned the idea of going deeper into the cave, but some brave souls still dare to go deeper with resolute faces.

* * *

Within the 3rd level of the mysterious, the scene in front of Jiu Shen and Xia Xinyue suddenly changed.

Before them was a vast expanse of greeneries, tall mountains, and beautiful rivers. There were also a few savage beasts that emitted violent roars after sensing the pair's arrival.

Xia Xinyue's gorgeous face revealed a hint of pleasant surprise when she saw the splendid scenery in front of them.

"Illusionary World?" Jiu Shen muttered under his breath and nodded his head inwardly.

"The fellow who owned this place isn't just an ordinary Origin God Realm expert if he was capable of constructing this illusionary world. If it wasn't eroded by the endless passing of time, it could have trapped Nascent God Realm experts, but now, it could only manage to confine experts below the 9th-rank Saint realm. What a pity." Jiu Shen said in a casual tone, but Xia Xinyue who heard his words suddenly revealed a tinge of cruelty and she took out a cold and gleaming sword before plunging towards Jiu Shen.

Jiu Shen sneered as he swiped his right arm, brandishing it like a dragon's claw which instantly tore through the air and sliced Xia Xinyue's body apart.

Rip.

The scene in front of Jiu Shen once again changed. This time, he was back inside the cold and gloomy cave with dim lighting.

He saw that Xia Xinyue was still under the effects of the illusionary world, but he didn't help her right away and instead went towards a corner of the third level. He then pressed his hands on a bulging part on the wall, which caused a clicking sound to echo faintly.

Click.

And as if forcefully awakened from a long slumber, Xia Xinyue panted while holding her ample chest with a look of terror. She finally realized that the beautiful place that she had seen earlier was only an illusion created by a high-level array formation. Thinking about this, sweat trickled down her pretty face as her chest rose up and down as she breathed heavily.

She then looked in front of her and her eyes exhibited a trace of horror after realizing that her companion wasn't present. Jiu Shen. Sect Master Jiu Shen. Where is he? She suddenly felt a sense of emptiness as if she was abandoned by the world...

Step. Step. Step.

When she heard those footsteps Xia Xinyue abruptly turned around and immediately dashed towards Jiu Shen after seeing his figure. She dived into his embrace and sobbed like a married woman who had finally seen her husband after being separated for many years.

Jiu Shen's eyes flickered and wanted to push her away, but when he heard her sobbing sounds, he just stood there foolishly and allowed her to vent her emotions.

'Ays... This little girl is so troublesome. I shouldn't have brought her here...'