Everyone parted ways, even Sǐwáng Hou, who looked like he wanted to skewer Wu Jian and his group. It seemed the man knew tact. He wouldn’t do something with so many people from powerful sects and clans present. While it was doubtful those people would do anything, it would put them on high alert.

“Sǐwáng Hou will probably wait until we’re alone to ambush us,” Hou Jingshu determined.

Wu Jian nodded. “He’s definitely not going to let what happened in that fire cultivation zone go. He’ll want revenge. We should keep an eye out for any potential ambushes.”

Everyone agreed, and so they proceeded cautiously through the next several floors.

One thing Wu Jian noticed about this sect was that the various floors didn’t appear to be the result of something man made. There were sections that showed much of the levels below were the results of cave ins. The cave ceiling collapsed, causing the floors above to come crashing down. That explained why many of the buildings in the lower levels looked askew.

They did not find any treasures like pills, weapons, or armor this far down, but they did find several magical beasts and natural treasures. Most of the natural treasures were simple items like one thousand year old ginseng or fifty year godoma fruit. The ginseng was probably the best item they found, but none of them had any use for it. Hou Jingshu said she’d auction it off and split their earnings.

The ruins they wandered through now looked far more dilapidated than the ones above. They walked past large mountains of rubble, upon which half-destroyed buildings sat. The fact that they survived a cave in was testament to their strength. At the same time, it meant there was very little down here.

Their journey eventually led them into a tunnel. It appeared to have been formed naturally. At least, that was what Wu Jian thought until they reached the end and found something shocking on the other side.

“Is that a cultivation zone?” he asked in shock.

“It looks like it,” said Huǒ Shuchang.

Before them was a large platform overlooking a pool of medicinal liquid. There were runes located on the platform. Once someone put their chi into it, the barrier would be activated. It would both keep people out and gather all the medicinal liquid, helping anyone inside of the barrier cultivate much faster.

“There isn’t enough room for all of us to get on,” Hou Jingshu said. “Let’s decide who should cultivate right now.”

“I believe you should be one of the people to go on,” said Zheng Yawen. “You’ve managed to stabilize your cultivation base, so you should work toward increasing it. Wu Yong should also join you. He’s the youngest among us, so he’ll be able to participate in the upcoming Shang Kingdom tournament.”

“That’s a good idea,” Hou Jingshu said with a nod.

“I would also like to cultivate on this,” Huǒ Shuchang raised his hand.

“I don’t mind. Since you’re from the Xia Dynasty’s Phoenix Clan, there’s really nothing I can do to stop you,” Hou Jingshu said.

Huǒ Shuchang sighed. “I wish you would just forget about where I’m from.”

Hou Jingshu shrugged as if to say she couldn’t do that, then turned to Wu Jian. “You should also cultivate with us. You have the lower cultivation of us all, but you’re also one of the strongest. We’ll need your power if we run into Sǐwáng Hou.”

Wu Jian was about to agree with her, but he sensed something that caused him to turn toward the tunnel they had come from. Two people walked out of it. One of them was Sǐwáng Hou, the man they were just talking about, and the other was Shā Ying Yue. The young woman looked like she didn’t look like she wanted to be there.

“I’ve finally found you again,” Sǐwáng Hou said with a grim smile. “And look at where you’ve brought me. I’ll be sure to use this gift you have given me wisely, and as a reward, I will make your deaths swift and painless.”

“Tch. I didn’t think we’d run into him so soon,” Huǒ Shuchang clicked his tongue.

Hou Jingshu stepped forward as she summoned her new spear. Unlike the previous spear, this one was clearly designed after tigers. The guard protecting the long handle from the blade was shaped like a tiger head with the blade protruding from its mouth. Meanwhile, the handle was longer than Hou Jingshu was tall. Despite this, she spun the spear around as though it weighed less than a feather before adopting a combat stance with her feet spread wide apart.

“You’re more than welcome to try, but just know how deaths won’t come easy,” she declared.

At her words, Wu Yong, Zheng Yawen, and Yin Wuhan stepped in front of Shā Ying Yue to block her from interfering in the upcoming fight, though it looked like the woman in question had no intention of doing so. She stood with her arms crossed, hips cocked. It seemed she planned merely to spectate.

Wu Jian, Hou Jingshu, and Huǒ Shuchang stood at the ready before Sǐwáng Hou.

Sweat trickled down Wu Jian’s scalp as he readied his sword. The heavy weapon was raised with just one hand. He’d already gotten in some swings with it, so he knew it was relatively easy to use, but it was still a weapon he was unfamiliar with.

A moment of tense silence swept through the area before dark qi burst from Sǐwáng Hou’s body like a fountain. The qi transformed into black hands that sought to attach themselves to Wu Jian and the others.

“Not on my watch!” Huǒ Shuchang shouted as he activated his technique. Phoenix wings sprouted from his back. The flames grew hot as he launched a condensed beam of fire at the hands, slicing through them.

Wu Jian and Hou Jingshu raced forward, hiding themselves behind Huǒ Shuchang’s flames as they approached their enemy. Their plan was to attack him before he could spot them, but that fell through when the man turned toward them, lifted his axe, and roared as he slammed it down.

Black qi erupted from the axe and split the ground. Wu Jian and Hou Jingshu split apart and raced toward Sǐwáng Hou from opposite directions.

Sǐwáng Hou turned toward Wu Jian, who he deemed a more serious threat because of his space manipulation. He swung the axe from the ground up in a diagonal attack that would have—should have—sliced Wu Jian in two. Instead, it passed through Wu Jian as he used Nihility at the very last second. Now in front of his enemy, Wu Jian swung his greatsword down, relying on gravity to increase his attack speed.

It was blocked by the axe. However, Wu Jian’s strength was such that Sǐwáng Hou’s knees buckled and the earth beneath him broke apart. The man gritted his teeth before, with a ferocious yell, he pushed Wu Jian back.

“Take this!”

Hou Jingshu came in from behind and thrust out her spear. This man must have had eyes in the back of his head, however. He spun around and met her spear with his axe. Sparks exploded as the two weapons clashed.

In most cases, Sǐwáng Hou would have completely overpowered Hou Jingshu thanks to his higher cultivation, but Hou Jingshu surprised the man by remaining in place. Their physical strength, at least, was about equal.

“Hmph!” With a deep snort, Sǐwáng Hou tried to throw Hou Jingshu away, but she locked their weapons together.

“Now, you two!”

Wu Jian came in from behind as Huǒ Shuchang swooped down from above. They both swing their weapons at the same time. Now pinned in place and being attacked by two people, it seemed as though Sǐwáng Hou had met his match.

Yet Wu Jian could only think that way for a moment.

A sense of danger was all the warning he had.

“Everyone! Get back!”

Wu Jian and Hou Jingshu leapt backward as black qi exploded from Sǐwáng Hou’s body once more, unleashing a shockwave that pushed the two further back. Huǒ Shuchang was unlucky. He had been in the air and couldn’t get away, so the shockwave threw him into a wall, which crumbled around him.

It wasn’t just shockwaves they had to deal with. Black miasma clung to their bodies and tried to drain their vitality. Wu Jian was protected by his armor and had enough time to remove himself from the miasma with Nihility, but Hou Jingshu had no such ability. He was worried that she might need help. However, the young woman shouted and an explosion of powerful yang qi erupted from her. The death chi that clung to her dissolved into nothing.

The rubble Huǒ Shuchang had been buried under exploded as the man in question stood up and walked over to them. He stood on one side of a triangle that boxed Sǐwáng Hou in. Despite being surrounded, their enemy did not appear worried. He merely glared at them and readied his axe.

“He’s about to attack!” Hou Jingshu shouted.

“Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

Just like she had said, Sǐwáng Hou swung his axe around in a circle, body moving a full 360 degrees. From the axe came a black blade of death qi. The trio leapt into the air to avoid the attack. It was all they could do. However, it also became clear when Sǐwáng Hou turned toward Wu Jian that this had been a trap.

“Let’s see if you can escape from this!!”

Sǐwáng Hou unleashed another attack, but this one was just a giant wave. There was no technique to be had here. Only pure power. And yet, it was for this reason that Wu Jian knew he would not be able to avoid it. He still did not have enough control over Nihility to phase his entire body out of space, nor did he have enough chi.

Just as Wu Jian thought his life was about to start flashing before his eyes, Huǒ Shuchang appeared before him. The man grabbed him by his training gi, flapped his wings, and was able to just barely avoid being overtaken by the attack. Yet Huǒ Shuchang’s wings were not meant to grant him prolonged flight. They both tumbled to the ground.

Sǐwáng Hou prepared to attack them as they were scrambling to their feet.

“Those two aren’t your only opponent!” Hou Jingshu shouted as she rushed in. Qi emitted from the blade of her spear as she began thrusting it at super human speed. It was so fast that all anyone could see was a blur.

Yet Sǐwáng Hou was able to block all of her attacks. He moved his axe just enough to take her spear on the handle. Hou Jingshu gnashed her teeth together as she increased her speed. Sparks flew, the man was pushed back a few steps, and he began sweating, but that was all. Her attacks were unable to penetrate his strong defenses.

While Hou Jingshu kept him occupied, Wu Jian and Huǒ Shuchang attacked from behind. Huǒ Shuchang spun his sword as he tucked it into his torso, then thrust it forward, unleashing a beam of condensed fire. Wu Jian raced forward alongside the beam.

The attack struck Sǐwáng Hou in the back but did not penetrate. The black death qi acted as a shield. However, it did cause him to stumble forward, and Hou Jingshu used that single distracted moment to cut the man’s cheek. She had tried to take his head, but he was still strong enough to block the attack even at his disadvantageous position.

What he could not avoid was Wu Jian’s attack.

Wu Jian came in with a yell so ferocious it could be heard miles out. All Sǐwáng Hou could do was stare as Wu Jian swung his greatsword with all his might into the man’s torso. Sadly, even that was not enough to outright kill him. Wu Jian thought he was going to cut the man in half, but instead, Sǐwáng Hou was launched clean into the air. He flew several feet away and struck the ground hard enough to leave a dent.

“That does it…”

Sǐwáng Hou stood up. Blood ran down a cut on his skull. Some of it dripped into his left eye, making his appearance all the more gruesome as he glared at them.

“The three of you are dead! I’m going to send all of you across the yellow river! Be sure to greet King Yama! Let him know who sent you to the other side!”