Stop pretending, the seemingly useless junior sister is the real boss.

With his master backing him up, Bai Xiaobai instantly felt confident.

"Master, this big guy is very wicked. Not only does it want to devour its disciple, but it also said it wants to devour you. We absolutely cannot let it go."

Shen Ji shielded Bai Xiaobai behind him and looked up at the enormous creature that was also scrutinizing him. The killing intent in his eyes was undisguised, pressing down heavily on Xuan Hui.

"It turns out that the magic array in this ancient secret realm was set up to trap you. But we never expected that our accidental intrusion would break the array that trapped you. You Netherworld Xuanhui, a peak fifth-order spirit beast. A thousand years ago, you slaughtered human cultivators to improve your own cultivation. Nearly ten thousand human cultivators were devoured by you. We only knew that you were eventually trapped in the ancient secret realm by a mysterious powerhouse, but we never expected that you would be trapped here."

Upon hearing Shen Ji's words, a playful and inquisitive glint flickered deep within Xuan Hui's two large, lantern-like vertical pupils.

"Heh, I've been trapped in this damned secret realm for a thousand years, and yet someone still remembers me. Boy, the aura around you is strange. This late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation level, you're deliberately suppressing it, aren't you? But even if you're suppressing your cultivation, your true cultivation level definitely won't exceed the mid-stage Deity Transformation realm. So, boy, you don't really think you can defeat me, do you?"

Upon hearing Xuan Hui's words, Bai Xiaobai, who had already retreated to a safe distance, looked up at Shen Ji, who stood with his hands behind his back in mid-air.

As she guessed, her master had indeed suppressed his cultivation.

However, this Xuanhui is at the peak of the fifth rank, which is equivalent to the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage of a cultivator. Now, it is only one step away from entering the sixth rank, which is the Void Realm.

So even if the master suppresses his cultivation, can he really defeat Xuan Hui?

She couldn't help but worry, but as a mere Qi Refining cultivator, there was nothing she could do at this moment. All she could do was stay far away and not hold them back.

Shen Ji's robes fluttered, his face expressionless. Only his cold, frost-like eyes silently scrutinized the colossal creature before him.

After a moment of silence, he took a step forward, as if there were invisible steps beneath his feet, and approached Xuan Hui step by step.

"Congratulations, you guessed right. My true strength is indeed at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, but defeating you is more than enough."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished from the spot like a ghost.

Enraged, the Xuanhui's crimson vertical pupils widened in fury, and a long roar that struck straight to the soul soared into the sky.

Bai Xiaobai desperately covered her ears, but the roar penetrated her consciousness, as if even her soul trembled. Amidst the roar's force, rocks crumbled from the surrounding cliff face, and black poisonous mist swirled wildly in all directions.

"Arrogant brat! I have cultivated for nearly ten thousand years, and this is the first time I have ever seen a cultivator as reckless as you. Today, neither you nor your master will escape. Come out here!"

The Xuanhui was furious to the extreme. Just as it was frantically sweeping its giant tail across the surrounding cliffs, a silent voice came from the void.

"You've only reached the fifth level after ten thousand years of cultivation. Your aptitude is truly terrible. Such a waste will never amount to anything, even if you cultivate for another ten thousand years. It would be better to leave your spirit core to my disciple so he can advance to the Foundation Establishment stage. That would be a way to make use of your waste."

Bai Xiaobai had just suppressed the metallic taste in her throat from the roar of the Xuanhui when she was shocked by her master's words about making use of trash.

So the way her master speaks, well, how should I put it, is somewhat similar to her style.

So, is this a case of "one who stays near vermilion gets stained red, one who stays near ink gets stained black," or "one who stays near white gets poisoned by the mouth of a white person"?

But is it really a good idea to provoke Xuan Hui at this time?

Enraged, the Xuanhui opened its blood-red maw, and a dark green poisonous mist surged out towards Shen Ji like a tidal wave.

Wherever the toxic fog reached, even the air itself emitted a hissing, corrosive sound.

Shen Ji remained calm and composed, his movements as swift as a ghost as he dodged the poisonous mist attack. He then formed hand seals, causing his body to radiate spiritual light, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to converge upon him, condensing into a crystal-clear spiritual sword at his fingertips.

Purple lightning flickered on the sword's blade. He moved with the sword, transforming into a streak of light that shot straight into Xuan Hui's vertical pupils.

Faced with Shen Ji's attack, Xuan Hui sneered.

"I initially thought your arrogance indicated you had some strength. But with your old injuries, you can only exert the strength of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator at most. Kid, you will pay the price for your arrogance."

The Xuanhui suddenly shrank its head, and a thick shield instantly condensed. At the same time, its massive body twisted wildly like a moving mountain, attempting to wrap around and crush Shenji with its body.

Seeing this, Bai Xiaobai's heart sank, but at this moment, there was no other way but to hide and not distract her master.

"boom!"

The spiritual sword collided violently with the Xuanhui's shield, unleashing a deafening roar.

The shockwave, visible to the naked eye, spread in all directions, leveling the forests and cliffs within a radius of several miles.

The shield that Xuan Hui had erected around his body trembled violently, but in the end it still couldn't completely block the earth-shattering sword energy, and was forcibly torn open.

Shen Ji flashed forward, seizing the fleeting opportunity, and passed through the torn opening, striking Xuan Hui's blood-red vertical pupils!

Without the protective shield, the attack hit precisely.

Xuanhui let out a painful roar, its massive body convulsing wildly from the intense pain.

Its massive tail swept down again, this time with speed and power far exceeding the previous one, as if it were about to shatter the entire secret realm.

"die!"

Shen Ji gave a soft shout, and the hand seals in his hands changed again.

The spirit sword, crackling with purple lightning, unleashed a terrifying burst of power, slicing open another massive wound on the Xuanhui's enormous body.

The agonizing scream that struck straight to the soul struck again. Before Bai Xiaobai could even cheer on his master at home, he was blasted away.

Fortunately, she was far enough away that she was not actually harmed.

Despite being hit repeatedly, Shen Ji dared not take any chances. His hands moved swiftly, forming hand seals, and a gigantic spiritual sword slowly appeared in the void behind him.

"go!"

With a long, silent roar, the light of the giant spirit sword instantly pierced the sky and struck Xuan Hui's head.

But this attack almost exhausted all the spiritual power in his body.

Shen Ji knew in his heart that with his current strength, he was not yet capable of killing Xuan Hui.

To win now, you have to be quick.

Before Xuan Hui could even begin to guess his identity and true strength, he unleashed all his spiritual power and killed him in one strike.

Otherwise, once Xuan Hui reacts, the master and disciple will have no chance of survival.

The intense sword light, carrying the power to pierce through the heavens and earth, sank deep into his skull.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Xuan Hui's frantically twisting body suddenly stiffened, and the light in its blood-red pupils quickly dimmed.

It let out a mournful cry of despair, and its massive body crashed to the ground, raising clouds of dust.

The outcome is decided.

Shen Ji landed gracefully beside the enormous corpse of the Xuan Hui, his face slightly pale and his breathing somewhat unsteady. This battle had clearly not been easy for him either.

Moreover, due to the excessive consumption of spiritual energy, he was no longer able to suppress the surging magical power within his body.