Chapter 42 Who is the Fish and Who is the Bait

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“White Phosphorus, Venomous Scorpion, hold that old man off for now. While fusing the memories just now, I discovered something rather interesting.” The Ghost Mother was delighted by her discovery.

The two beings readily agreed and moved to shield the Ghost Mother behind them.

“Old bastard, try my innate art—the Evil God Hook!”

Venomous Scorpion gently swayed the poisonous stinger on his tail, then suddenly sent it piercing through space toward the Master.

White Phosphorus was not to be outdone and immediately unleashed his own innate art.

His serpent’s mouth opened, and poisonous mist poured from between two long fangs, spreading around the Master.

Faced with the combined attack of the two beings, the Master merely dodged, widening the distance between them.

He flashed rapidly from one position in the sky to another, yet Venomous Scorpion’s hook clung to him like a maggot burrowed into the bone.

The poisonous mist released by White Phosphorus continued to spread outward. The surviving humans were now in grave danger. At the sight of the green fog rushing toward them, they threw down their weapons and fled, terrified that even the slightest trace of it might touch them.

Those who ran too slowly were instantly corroded into skeletons the moment they came into contact with the green mist.

The Master’s expression darkened as he watched the civilians suffer. He called toward a certain direction, “Move the surviving civilians to a safe place first.”

Liu Xiaosheng naturally understood that the Master was speaking to him. He promptly revealed his true form, and at the same time, hundreds upon thousands of Liu Xiaosheng’s incarnations appeared.

Clearly, he had employed the great art known as Myriad Manifestations.

Each incarnation stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a defensive line. Then every Liu Xiaosheng pressed his palms together, causing golden bells to materialize around them and block the green poisonous mist.

The rescued civilians did not stop, but continued running forward. Among them, Ji Huai’s sons and daughters led the way, moving the fastest. After all, two legs could never outrun four.

Perched on horseback, Ji You’s face was deathly pale. He did not dare look back at the battle between immortals and mortals behind him. It had already surpassed the limits of an ordinary war.

“Sister, do you think Father is still alive? The entire capital of Wei is gone. Where am I supposed to go now?” Ji You asked the woman beside him in a daze.

“Pull yourself together! What do you look like right now? The most important thing is to lead the remaining soldiers out of this dangerous area. We can only have hope if we survive first.” Ji Yuxuan remained exceptionally calm.

“Soldiers, follow the river upstream. Do not stop moving!”

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Unlike the Ji sisters, who were fleeing in panic, Liu An and Jian Yi kept their eyes fixed on Liu Xiaosheng and his countless incarnations.

“Junior Brother, I finally understand. You are actually this Daoist’s disciple. Then why did you claim to be the Master’s disciple as well? And why did the Master acknowledge you as his disciple too? Can you explain how this came about?”

Jian Yi spoke with a mixture of realization and surprise.

For a moment, Liu An did not know how to answer. Was he supposed to say that he was simply too foolish to cross the threshold of cultivation, and that because his own master had no experience teaching disciples, he had been told to secretly learn from the Master? Obviously, he could not put it that way.

After thinking for a while, Liu An slowly began, “I… I…”

The words lodged in his throat, and he could not figure out how to continue.

Seeing his troubled expression, Jian Yi did not press him for an answer. Instead, he changed the subject to ease Liu An’s embarrassment.

“In any case, since the Master has acknowledged you as his disciple, I accept you as my junior brother. We two senior and junior brothers have been through so much together. How could our bond fade over such a trivial matter? Wouldn’t you agree, Junior Brother?”

“You’re right, Senior Brother.”

Lin Yiyi, who had been listening nearby, was already numb with shock. Good heavens, the revelations were endless—one hidden identity layered over another.

The way she looked at Liu An had completely changed. She now kept her distance, treating him with wary respect. She had realized that she and the two men stood worlds apart.

She was merely an ordinary mortal. To encounter the disciples of two great cultivators and share such an unforgettable experience with them was already an opportunity beyond her wildest hopes.

Jian Yi’s senses were exceptionally keen, and he could clearly feel that Lin Yiyi had grown distant from him. She no longer treated him with the same intimacy as before.

The battle in the sky continued. Before long, the Ghost Mother’s aura suddenly surged, and she began laughing maniacally.

“I truly never imagined that I would actually discover such an unexpected prize. Liu Xiaosheng, so you have been hiding in the lower realm. I wonder how delighted those old fellows will be when they learn of your current state. They hate you to the bone.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiaosheng’s expression instantly grew solemn.

“Things are becoming troublesome. The direction this takes is impossible to predict. No one knows who is the fish and who is the bait anymore.”

By then, there was no one left behind him. Liu Xiaosheng withdrew his countless incarnations and unleashed his full aura, intending to kill the Ghost Mother in an instant.

He did not want outsiders to learn of his secret in the lower realm.

Thus, he struck with a killing move from the outset. Liu Xiaosheng directly drew the Sword-Nourishing Gourd and took out his life-bound flying sword.

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The moment the flying sword emerged, snow began to fall between heaven and earth. The ground froze, and bone-chilling winds howled across the world.

What a sword—Frostfall.

“One Sword Seals the Ice!”

Liu Xiaosheng raised his sword. An icy lotus blossom settled upon its tip, then split cleanly in two in the blink of an eye.

With crisp precision, he swung out a blade of sword light imbued with the profound intent of extreme frost. In an instant, it severed one of the Ghost Mother’s arms.

Before the Ghost Mother could react, her arm had already fallen away. She stared in agony at the smooth cut and the blood slowly dripping from it.

A furious roar rang out across heaven and earth, scattering even the clouds.

“For a million years, no one has ever wounded me! How dare you sever one of my arms today!”

Liu Xiaosheng sneered disdainfully and gave the Ghost Mother no chance to recover. He flashed to her side and seized her by the throat with one hand.

“Weren’t you the arrogant one who told me to wait? I am standing right in front of you now, with my hand around your throat. What can you do about it?”

With a sharp crack, the Ghost Mother’s neck was twisted apart by Liu Xiaosheng. He casually hurled the body toward the ground.

White Phosphorus and Venomous Scorpion, who were still fighting the Master, witnessed how swiftly the Ghost Mother had been defeated and destroyed. Regret immediately filled their hearts, and they began thinking of retreating.

“Senior, we had no intention of coming here. We were misled by the Ghost Mother. She claimed to have sensed changes in the yin and yang bodies within the prison of the lower realm and asked us to assist her. She promised to reward us with priceless treasures afterward. We were simply blinded by greed and made such a grave mistake.”

White Phosphorus was the first to surrender. Without the slightest hesitation, he sold out the Ghost Mother.

Seeing how decisively White Phosphorus had betrayed his companion, Venomous Scorpion felt no psychological burden about doing the same.

“Honored masters, we truly never intended to become your enemies. We will leave at once. Please be magnanimous and spare us.”