So it turns out I'm the demon!

"I'm a professional at stealing magical treasures!"

Jiang Muxing's power surged, and he clasped his hands together in front of him before pulling them outward.

Dozens of dark red blade energy were drawn out from his palm, each one carrying the true essence of the Blood River, surging with murderous aura.

The blade energy gathered more and more, stretching longer and longer, until it covered half the sky in the blink of an eye, as if someone had used a giant ruler dipped in lava to cut out hideous cracks in the sky.

"fall!"

With a low shout, his blade energy poured down like a torrential rain.

With a whooshing sound, the ground was ripped into deep furrows, and rubble was hurled into the sky, blotting out the sun.

Guo Zhiyao frowned slightly and flicked her sleeve.

A pink silk ribbon slipped out from her sleeve.

The silk sleeves stretched out and lengthened, resembling a undulating pink wave, its surface shimmering with a Taoist aura, shielding her from view. A torrential downpour of sword energy slashed at it, only to be completely deflected.

"Is that all you've got? You dare to spout nonsense in front of me?"

A hint of disdain flashed in Guo Zhiyao's eyes.

Jiang Mu spread her arms wide.

【Whirlwind Slash】!

In an instant, the millions of sword energies that had been deflected surged toward the center.

The dark red blades spun rapidly, forming a continuous line that, from a distance, resembled a giant umbrella, hundreds of feet in diameter, slowly unfurling in mid-air.

The giant umbrella kept spinning, and wherever it passed, even the air was drawn into a vacuum.

"Sizzle!"

This time, the Taoist radiance on the silk couldn't even hold for a single breath before being torn into shreds and scattered.

"Where did this kid get so many tricks up his sleeve?"

Guo Zhiyao was shocked and finally put away her contempt.

With a flick of her wrist, a whisk appeared in her hand.

"break!"

Guo Zhiyao waved her whisk, and Xuanzong's spiritual power burst forth.

Behind her, a huge rainbow rose up.

It stretches across the sky and is over a hundred feet long.

The arc of the rainbow resembles a scimitar held in the hand of a god, its seven colors swirling with an awe-inspiring power.

With a flick of her wrist, the rainbow slashed out horizontally.

"Boom!"

Two extremely powerful forces collided in mid-air, and the resulting shockwave uprooted the surrounding trees.

However, as both sides wore down their strength, the Rainbow Scimitar gradually cracked.

It was eventually torn apart completely and vanished into thin air.

Guo Zhiyao took a step back, her chest heaving slightly, her eyes filled with horror.

What's going on with this kid's star power?

Any cultivator would be exhausted after casting a spell of this scale, yet his stellar energy seemed inexhaustible, as if it would never run out. This defies common sense.

Just as Guo Zhiyao was reeling from the shock, Jiang Mu clasped his hands together in front of his chest, interlocking his fingers, and then pressed his clasped hands against his abdomen. The hundred-foot-long sword umbrella that was whistling around suddenly swirled back, surging into the gaps between his clasped hands like a whale sucking in water.

The blade energy continuously compressed and condensed in his palm.

The crimson color grew thicker and brighter, instantly transforming into a blinding white light that was impossible to look at directly.

It felt as if a blazing sun had been compressed into the palm of my hand.

At this moment, Jiang Mu seemed like a god, with only the silhouette of his sword standing horizontally in mid-air.

"You old hag, take this Great Heavenly Blade strike!"

"cut!"

Jiang Mu rubbed his palms together.

A dazzling, giant blade of light shot out from his palm.

The immense power of the blade illuminated the mountainside in a blood-red hue, as dazzling as a falling sun, and even caused distorted ripples in the void.

Guo Zhiyao was completely dumbfounded.

She hurriedly held the whisk horizontally in front of her and poured star power into it.

The silver strands of the whisk stood up, weaving a silver-white shield in front of him.

But the shield was immediately torn apart like paper.

Guo Zhiyao was blasted away and crashed heavily into the mountain wall behind her.

The mountain wall was immediately smashed into a large crater, and cracks spread outward from the edge of the crater, with loose rocks constantly falling down.

After the smoke and dust cleared, Guo Zhiyao knelt in the pit.

Her Taoist robe was torn in several places, exposing large areas of skin, and her hair was disheveled, making her look quite pathetic.

Guo Zhiyao wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and stared coldly at Jiang Mu.

Just then, the thin mist that shrouded the forest suddenly began to churn.

Immediately afterwards, the mist seemed to be drawn by some force, flowing faster and faster until it formed a small vortex, which was then sucked into the cave that Guo Zhiyao had just explored.

At the same time, the restrictive force that had been suppressing high-level cultivators also dissipated at this moment.

Guo Zhiyao was initially taken aback, then a mocking smile appeared on her lips as she looked at Jiang Muhan and said in a cold voice:

"Boy, your strength is indeed formidable; you're probably unmatched among those of the same realm. Unfortunately... you're out of luck. The restrictions here are gone, so even if you wanted to run, you have no chance now."

As she spoke, she reached into her bosom.

He pulled a long golden needle, several inches long, from his own heart.

As the [Sealing Needle] was removed, Guo Zhiyao's previously suppressed cultivation level surged like a volcanic eruption.

Sixth Realm... Seventh Realm... Eighth Realm...

In just a few breaths, her aura leaped directly to the Great Perfection of the Eighth Realm!

Guo Zhiyao instantly rose into the air, her whisk dancing in her hand, her voice indifferent:

"Child, you are currently at the sixth realm because that's the only level you can reach. I, on the other hand, was only at the sixth realm because of the restrictions. Today, I will teach you something..."

She waved her whisk at Jiang Mu, and thousands of silver threads poured out, sweeping towards Jiang Mu from all directions.

There are always higher heavens and more capable people out there!

However, just as the silver threads of the whisk were about to entangle Jiang Mu, an even more powerful and majestic pressure exploded from within Jiang Mu's body. His cultivation level also began to soar at that moment.

Soaring straight up from the Six Realms.

He reached the Great Perfection of the Eighth Realm, on par with Guo Zhiyao, and even had a more imposing aura.

At the same time, a colossal image of the god of fire rose up behind him.

The image of the Dharma is surrounded by raging flames, exuding a majestic heavenly power.

"What?!"

Guo Zhiyao's pupils dilated sharply, and she exclaimed, "You're also at the Eighth Realm?!"

How is that possible?

This kid was clearly emanating the aura of a legitimate Heavenly Star Rank cultivator.

However, the orthodox star position and the divine soul are already bound together, and once proven, they cannot be changed. How did he manage to do that?

In Guo Zhiyao's bewildered and stunned gaze, Jiang Mu and the Vulcan Dharma Image behind him moved in sync, throwing a punch!

"Bang!"

The thousands of silver threads of the whisk that had been wrapped around it were burned to ashes in the face of the raging flames.

The fist's momentum remained undiminished, carrying a devastating force that slammed towards Guo Zhiyao's chest.

The woman spat out a mouthful of blood mist and flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

"You want to teach me how to do things? Who do you think you are!"

Jiang Mu teleported and closed in on him.

The Vulcan's Dharma Image continuously wielded its fiery fists, each punch landing squarely on the woman's delicate body.

Like a tireless pile driver.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The sound of the explosive energy crackling was like a continuous rumble of thunder.

Guo Zhiyao was slammed into the ground by punch after punch, her body sinking into the rocks and creating deep craters.

"I'll teach you something today too: if you don't have the real skills, don't fucking try to show off in front of me!"

With a final, powerful punch, the woman was slammed several feet into the ground, burying half her body in rubble and dirt. She struggled to get up, but Jiang Mu had already descended from the sky, his fiery fist aimed at her head, ready to deliver her to the afterlife. Guo Zhiyao suddenly pulled out the small incense burner from her bosom and hurled it at Jiang Mu.

The small incense burner burst into a burst of white light in mid-air.

The white light was not only blinding, but also carried a strange attack that seemed to strike directly at the soul.

The needle pierced her eye, and Jiang Mu felt a sharp, throbbing pain in her brain, as if steel needles were churning inside.

"hiss!"

Jiang Mu instinctively raised his hand to shield himself from the white light and decisively teleported to the other side.

However, the small incense burner persisted relentlessly.

No matter where Jiang Mu teleported, it clung to him relentlessly, as if its soul's essence had been locked onto.

Jiang Mu's anger flared up, so she stopped dodging and grabbed the incense burner with her other hand.

The moment I touched it, a burning pain shot through my palm.

The surface of the incense burner was extremely hot, as if it were holding an iron ingot that had just been pulled out of a steel furnace.

At the same time, countless roots sprouted from the bottom of the incense burner, piercing into Jiang Mu's palm and firmly adhering to him, preventing him from shaking off. Guo Zhiyao's weak yet triumphant voice came from the bottom of the pit:

"Boy, didn't you want this magic weapon? Then I'll give it to you. It's just a pity that you may have the life to take it, but you probably won't have the life to use it."

Once this incense burner touches a stranger's palm, it will use flesh and blood as fuel to drain your lifeblood. Even if you cut off your own arm, it will still chase after you and bite you.

"Oh?"

Jiang Mu looked down at the incense burner in her palm, which was burning brighter and brighter. "Since you've already given it to me, I guess I'll just have to accept it."

With a thought, the demonic energy within the demonic trough surged forth from his palm.

Under the powerful erosion and assimilation of demonic energy, the high temperature on the surface of the incense burner dropped sharply. At the same time, the natal patterns that originally belonged to Guo Zhiyao on the burner were forcibly erased bit by bit.

In no time at all.

The incense burner transformed into a small, dark cauldron exuding a sinister, demonic aura.

It completely transformed into Jiang Mu's shape and recognized her as its master.

"Done."

Jiang Mu raised an eyebrow in satisfaction.

To his slight surprise, although he successfully obtained the right to use the incense burner, when he used his divine sense to probe inside and open it, he did not see the [Thousand Gold Mountain] that had been sucked in earlier.

He carefully sensed it and discovered that the incense burner had undergone some changes after being violently modified by demonic energy.

It has some functions that are hard to explain.

But what exactly is added will require consuming more demonic energy to unlock.

"puff"

On the other side, realizing that her connection with her natal magic weapon had been forcibly severed, Guo Zhiyao was struck dumb and spat out blood again.

She stared dumbfounded at the incense burner in Jiang Mu's hand, completely stunned.

This magical artifact was bestowed upon her by her master, True Person Chengxue, and has been bound to her soul for many years. Even a powerful expert at the tenth realm could not erase her mark in an instant.

But this man in front of me did it so effortlessly.

What kind of sorcery was used?

At this moment, the woman finally realized that even if she recovered to the eighth realm, she would still be no match for the young man in front of her.

The instinct for survival kicked in.

She remembered the cave where she had just inhaled all the mist, gritted her teeth, and rushed over while Jiang Mu was studying the magical artifact.

If I run down the mountain now, I will surely be caught and killed.

Only by venturing into the unknown land that holds the divine artifact "Corpse Dissection Immortal" and braving the dangers within can one find a glimmer of hope!

Seeing the woman flee, Jiang Mu snorted coldly and flicked his sword.

[Wangchuan] The flying sword pierced straight towards Guo Zhiyao's back, instantly passing through the woman's vest.

However, as the flying sword passed through, only a Taoist robe fluttered and fell from mid-air; the true form had vanished into the depths of the cave. "A cicada shedding its shell?"

Jiang Mu recalled his flying sword and frowned.

He didn't rush to pursue her, but instead returned to Duanmu Li's side and grasped the girl's slender, fair wrist.

I didn't have time to check on the girl's condition earlier, fearing that the woman might have placed some kind of hidden restriction on Duanmu Li's body.

Jiang Mu channeled a wisp of spiritual energy into the other person's body, carefully examining it along the meridians. Only after confirming there were no abnormalities did she feel relieved. "Jiang Mu, I'm sorry."

Duanmu Li glanced at the man cautiously, her voice barely audible.

Her high ponytail, which used to fly high, now hung listlessly behind her head.

Like a timid wife who is afraid of being scolded for doing something wrong.

Jiang Mu was taken aback for a moment when he saw her unusually charming and innocent appearance, then burst into laughter:

"Why are you apologizing to me for no reason?"

Duanmu Li ground a small pebble on the ground with the tip of her shoe, her eyes filled with annoyance and grievance, and whispered:

"If I hadn't lost my temper with you, you wouldn't have brought me out, and you wouldn't have caused so much trouble, making you so worried... and even having to divert your attention to save me."

The more he spoke, the lower the little girl's head drooped.

Jiang Mu reached out and pinched the girl's smooth cheek, and smiled:

"No one can predict what will happen next. How many things in this world can you know in advance? You've done a great job of protecting yourself while I wasn't around, and I don't blame you."

"You can be a little temperamental in the future, but you're not allowed to argue with me, understand?"

Duanmu Li's face was being pinched by him, and her lips were pouting, but she didn't slap his hand away. She just let out a muffled "hmm" from between her distorted lips.

Jiang Mu released his grip and said seriously:

"By the way, do you know what kind of magical object that woman came here to find?"

Duanmu Li rubbed her cheeks, which had been pinched red, and repeated what Guo Zhiyao had been rambling on about.

"Corpse Dissection Immortal... Xiangyang Lingzhu..."

Jiang Mu turned to look at the dark cave entrance, lost in thought.

"It seems that the cat demon is hiding here most likely because of the 'Sun-Facing Spirit Bamboo' inside this cave."

He said to Duanmu Li:

"Let's go in and see what's going on inside."

He didn't feel comfortable leaving the girl alone outside; keeping her by his side was the safest option.

The two stepped into the cave one after the other.

To prevent them from getting separated or being ambushed, Jiang Mu simply took the girl's hand.

The girl's palm was slightly cool, but her fingers obediently curled up in his palm, without pulling away.

The cave was not dark.

The mountain walls on both sides shimmered with a green light, making the passageway appear as if it were immersed in turquoise water.

After walking for about half an incense stick's time, a glimmer of light suddenly appeared ahead.

It is an export.

However, the two were stunned when they stepped out of the cave.

The mountains and trees outside were exactly the same as before he entered the cave, and even the large crater he and Guo Zhiyao had created during their fight was still there.

In other words, they came out of the same cave entrance they had entered before.

"Could it be another illusion array?"

Jiang Mu pondered for a moment, then put two fingers together and gently touched the space between her eyebrows.

[Spiritual Divination]!

Supernatural powers are at work.

The world before my eyes switches between black and white.

When Jiang Mu's gaze swept across the cave entrance again, he saw a scarlet "凶" (xiōng, meaning fierce or ominous) character floating there.

The location is about ten steps away from the cave entrance.

Jiang Mu led Duanmu Li over, but the two of them passed right through without touching anything.

Even when he releases his star power, it cannot be sensed.

"It seems there's a hidden door here."

Jiang Mu asked疑惑地, "I wonder how Guo Zhiyao managed to trigger the mechanism and sneak in. Did she have some kind of key hidden in her hand?"

Just when he was at his wit's end, a fair finger gently poked his waist.

Jiang Mu looked at the girl beside her: "What's wrong?"

Duanmu Li didn't speak, but pointed to the ground.

Jiang Mu looked curiously in the direction she was pointing, and then froze.

There was a large arrow on the ground.

The arrow is pointing straight ahead.

Jiang Mu's lips twitched, and she immediately felt ashamed.

Goodness, he kept his head tilted back and looked up the whole time, never once looking down at the ground.

Unexpectedly, the clue was below.

It's true that high-level puzzles often employ the simplest methods of solving them.

"Walk."

Jiang Mu coughed lightly and led the girl forward, following the arrows on the ground.

After walking about ten steps, another identical arrow appeared on the ground.

However, this time the arrow points backward.

"Go back?"

Jiang Mu raised an eyebrow and chose to follow the arrow.

And so, following the arrows that moved forward and backward on the ground, sometimes taking three steps forward, sometimes two steps back...

It's like playing a game.

After going around in circles about ten times, a beam of light suddenly distorted in front of them, and then a bright door appeared.

A white light shone through the door, obscuring what was inside.

The two stepped inside.

After a brief moment of dizziness, everything suddenly became clear.

Jiang Mu was astonished to find that they were once again standing at the familiar cave entrance.

Outside, it was still that same mountain forest.

But the traces left by his fight with Guo Zhiyao are gone.

The sky was even grayer than before.

A light mist swirled among the trees, looking somewhat similar to the mist in the illusionary maze on Mount Lüxiang.

"It seems that this is the illusionary world containing the immortal artifacts that allow one to dissolve corpses."

Jiang Mu looked around and said.

He suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

Ever since Jiang Chaoxi's extraordinary inheritance appeared in the sky above Fazhou City, the surrounding area has become increasingly abnormal.

First, there's the village illusion of Guanjia Village, then there's the divine waters at the bottom of Wenlin Pool.

Even the remote Lüxiang Mountain now hides such a secluded paradise...

How many messy seeds did that big devil sow back then?

Just as she was thinking this, she poked his waist with her little finger again.

Jiang Mu looked down and saw Duanmu Li pointing to a sloping hill on the right, whispering:

"There are people over there."

Jiang Mu looked in the direction she was pointing, and her pupils involuntarily contracted.

Two people were standing on a hillside in the distance.

One male and one female.

They stood motionless, their backs to Jiang Mu and Duanmu Li. The surrounding mist created an eerie atmosphere.

After careful observation, Jiang Mu was horrified to discover that the two people's body shapes, clothing, and even the girl's posture of carrying the giant sword were exactly the same as theirs.

"Who's playing tricks?!"

Jiang Mu asked in a deep voice.

The two eerie figures with their backs turned did not respond and remained motionless.

Jiang Mu's eyes turned cold, and she lightly flicked her fingertips.

call out!

The Flying Sword of Oblivion shot out from the sky and stabbed towards the two people.

However, the flying sword passed right through the opponent's body without causing any damage, and returned after circling around.

"It looks like a projection?"

After a moment of contemplation, Jiang Mu took Duanmu Li's hand and carefully walked away.

But as they drew closer, the two figures began to fade.

With each step forward, the other person's silhouette became a little more blurred.

When they reached the spot where the two figures had stood, they had vanished into the mist, leaving behind an empty meadow with nothing in sight. Strangely, when Jiang Mu looked up again, the two figures reappeared not far away.

They are still exactly the same as them.

He still had his back to them.

This time, however, the man's arm was around the girl's shoulder, pulling her close to him.

Their actions were very intimate.

A thin layer of white frost covered the girl's shoulders.

"What the hell is this thing?"

Jiang Mu's curiosity and competitive spirit were completely aroused, and she pulled Duanmu Li to continue walking forward.

When they reached their destination, the two figures also disappeared.

The girl next to him suddenly shivered.

"It's so cold..."

Duanmu Li's delicate body trembled slightly, and she opened her mouth to exhale a breath of white mist.

cold?

Jiang Mu looked down and was astonished to find a thin layer of frost on the girl's eyebrows and hair, even her eyelashes had turned white and fluffy. The frost was spreading from her shoulders down her neck...

But Jiang Mu herself did not feel anything unusual.

Without thinking, Jiang Mu instinctively pulled the shivering girl into his arms. At the same time, he circulated his star power, channeling his warmth into the girl's body.

The frost on Duanmu Li's body began to fade.

Her frosty eyebrows turned jet black again, her frozen eyelashes softened, and color gradually returned to her pale face…

Only some remains on the shoulder.

The girl leaned against the man's chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you feeling better?"

Jiang Mu asked softly with concern.

"Hmm... much better."

Duanmu Li buried her face in Jiang Mu's broad, warm chest, greedily absorbing his heat, and gave a muffled response. Only after confirming that the girl was alright did Jiang Mu have the mind to lift his head.

Only then did he suddenly realize what was happening.

The way he was holding Duanmu Li and dispelling the frost on her arm was exactly the same as the posture of the phantom they had seen in the distance earlier. Even the location of the frost on the girl's arm was the same.

"The illusions in this place aren't remnants of the past... can they let us see what's about to happen?"

Jiang Mu was greatly shocked.

Could it be that there's a magical artifact here that can see into the future?

Future Vision!

If it really exists, it's more powerful than any magic weapon or supernatural ability.

Jiang Mu raised her head and looked into the distance.

As expected, two more figures appeared in the distance with their backs to them.

The man still held the delicate young girl in his arms.

He simply lowered his head slightly.

The girl looked up, and the two shadows were very close, almost overlapping.

It's obvious they're kissing.

Jiang Mu was dumbfounded.

Duanmu Li was also stunned.

She blinked and looked up at Jiang Mu, who was holding her.

At the same time, Jiang Mu subconsciously looked down at the girl in his arms.

Eyes facing each other.

The atmosphere immediately changed.

A blush crept up from the girl's ears, but Duanmu Li pretended to be calm, trying her best to keep her pretty, innocent face straight, and nodded very seriously and with satisfaction:

"Hmm, this place is really nice. It seems like my chance has come."

"Opportunity my ass!"

Jiang Mu tapped the girl on the head, turned around and left, "Let's not go there, let's go in another direction."

"No, that's my chance!"

The girl protested loudly.

However, the protest was ineffective, and Jiang Mu forcibly dragged him away.