Chapter 34

"Mr. Du, we will not make things difficult for you. Leave Du You here, and you may go. Farewell." With these words, a dark light flashed from the depths of the cave, and it seemed that the person had already left.

Upon hearing that the other party had fulfilled their promise, Du Bo slightly relaxed, but he still did not dare to be careless. He listened carefully to the sounds outside, but apart from a faint breath, there was no other noise.

It seems they really left!

Du Bo's heart eased, and his gaze shifted to the two clam kings he had pinned down with dark light. He took a deep breath, his chest swelling, and his breathing became heavier. With a "hey," he pulled the two yin-yang clam kings to the front, both hands simultaneously slapping their hard shells. Before they could hit the ground, he released another dark light, which wrapped around them and threw them far away.

After doing all this, he seemed to have used up all his strength, his hands trembling uncontrollably. He barely suppressed the surging blood and qi, and a blue light rose from nowhere, lifting him out.

The clam kings' shells were hard, and the two slaps had only caused some internal vibrations. Once they recovered, they would quickly return. Du Bo's true essence was already depleted, and he had to take this opportunity to leave with Du You as soon as possible.

Flying out of the cave entrance, he saw Du You lying on the ground and was startled. He hurried forward to check, and found that although Du You was covered in true dew and dirt, he was only disheveled and had not been seriously injured. His heart settled, and he thought, "That person ultimately did not dare to offend the Du family completely."

He casually released the sealed meridians of Du You and was about to take him away when Du You, upon waking, shouted, "Uncle Bo, quickly, quickly, it's Zhang Yan! Zhang Yan took the mystic pearl and searched for my magical treasures... Uncle Bo, quickly help me get them back!"

"Zhang Yan?"

Du Bo was instantly shocked, his mind racing with countless thoughts. A sense of foreboding rose in his heart, and he said in a deep voice, "Nephew, there's no need to say more. We will deal with everything once we are out of here."

Just as he was about to rise and fly away, he heard a loud voice, "Mr. Du, why the rush to leave? Why not stay?"

The cave, which had been bathed in spiritual light, suddenly darkened. Du Bo looked up and saw a black inkstone, initially the size of a palm, but in a blink, it had expanded to ten zhang, descending with a tyrannical force.

"The Soul-Stirring Inkstone!"

Du Bo's eyes twitched. He knew Du You had brought a family treasure on this trip, but he never expected it to be this magical artifact!

This inkstone had a profound origin, originally crafted by a Du family member named Du De, a Core Formation cultivator. Once it struck a cultivator, it would immediately shake their soul, immobilize their true essence, and capture their body, leaving them unable to move and ultimately crushed to death.

The appearance of this inkstone clearly meant that the other party intended to take his life.

At this moment, he realized that everything that had happened was part of Zhang Yan's plan, and he was filled with shock and anger.

However, his true essence was already depleted, and most of his dark light had been used up. He was not afraid of Zhang Yan, but he was worried about the dark light cultivator hiding in the shadows. If this person attacked, he knew he would be unable to resist. He could not afford to tangle here any longer; his only option was to rush out of the cave and return to the Du family to regroup.

With this thought, he flicked his finger, and a white light flew out. This was a "Demon-Repelling Jade Pendant" bestowed by the clan, capable of temporarily blocking any magical treasure.

The jade pendant flew out and collided with the inkstone. The Soul-Stirring Inkstone seemed to be supported by something, pausing in the air for a moment. However, a moment later, the immense force crushed the pendant into pieces, and the inkstone continued its descent.

This brief pause gave Du Bo the time he needed. Taking advantage of this gap, a blue light enveloped him and Du You, and they shot out of the cave.

Seeing this, Luo Xiao, hiding in the cave wall, became anxious. Although the Soul-Stirring Inkstone was powerful, it was difficult to maneuver, and she could not fully control it. She shouted, "Daoist Zhang, you must not let them escape!"

Just as the two were about to fly out of the cave, a green light shot out from behind them. Du Bo felt a chill down his spine, knowing it was bad. He barely managed to shift his body to avoid the critical areas.

A "swoosh" sound, and the green light pierced through his left chest, then turned and severed Du You's arm. Du You let out a deafening scream.

Du Bo also grunted, his body pausing in the air. The dark light on his body flickered like a candle in the wind, about to go out. The green light circled in the air and returned, this time aiming for his head.

"The如意神梭 (Ruyi Divine Shuttle)?"

Du Bo couldn't help but smile bitterly. He knew the power of the Divine Shuttle, and even at his peak, he would have struggled to deal with it. Now, he dared not resist. Reluctantly, he retreated back into the cave.

Seeing Du Bo blocked, Luo Xiao was delighted and reminded, "Daoist Zhang, the Ruyi Divine Shuttle is powerful, but this person has condensed his true essence and dark light together. As long as the dark light does not dissipate and his head and heart are not severed, he will not die. Do not be careless."

Zhang Yan, standing behind the cave wall, smiled and said, "No problem, he's just a cornered beast."

Luo Xiao cast a spell, and the Soul-Stirring Inkstone descended again. This time, Du Bo had no way to avoid it. He roared, his muscles visibly tensing under his clothes, his shoulders rising as he pushed upward. The vast dark light suddenly condensed into a palm-sized shield.

"Bang!"

The Soul-Stirring Inkstone struck Du Bo's shoulder, but his condensed dark light, though thin, was as resilient as water, protecting his shoulder and absorbing the blow. The inkstone did not directly contact his body. Du Bo remained silent, kneeling on the ground, and with a fierce effort, he pushed the inkstone upward.

Luo Xiao exclaimed, "Hmm," but instead of being alarmed, she was delighted. Du Bo, though seemingly resilient, was like a caged tiger or a stranded dragon. Even if he could temporarily resist, it was only a last-ditch effort.

She thought, "In this case, I need to add more pressure and send you on your way sooner!"

She waved her hand, and another treasure flew into the air. It was a vermilion pen with cloud patterns, a full belly, and a golden-painted handle. In the air, the pen tip moved as if nodding, and a force instantly enveloped Du Bo.

"The Proclamation Pen?" Du Bo exclaimed in shock.

He was furious that Du Luo had indulged Du You so much that she had even given him this magical treasure without telling him. Now, it had led to this bitter outcome.

At this critical moment, he could only fight to the death. His wrist trembled, and a silver arrow slid into his palm. He raised his hand and threw it at Luo Xiao.

The small arrow reached Luo Xiao in an instant, and her face changed. Just as the arrow was about to hit her, a shield with bird-like wings suddenly appeared in front of her. There was a "clang," and the arrow and shield fell to the ground.

"The玄鸟盾 (Xuanbird Shield)?"

Seeing his attack thwarted by his own treasure, Du Bo's vision went dark, and the blood in his throat could no longer be suppressed, spewing out of his mouth.

At this moment, the Proclamation Pen had circled around his body, and the blue dark light on his body had been reduced by a layer. Another circle, and it dimmed even more. Seeing the dark light gradually thinning, his face changed. His body was already in ruins, and only the last bit of true essence squeezed from his dantian was holding on. He knew he could not escape today.

Thinking of this, he made a decision, sighed, and placed his hand on Du You's shoulder, thinking, "I hope your mother understands my intentions!"

He pushed, and most of the dark light surrounding him moved to Du You. Then, with a flash of light, he carried Du You and flew out.

After this action, blood seeped from Du Bo's face, and he had completely given up resistance. However, as long as Du You survived, his family would be safe. He could only hope that the Du family would avenge him once they learned the truth.

As the Proclamation Pen circled in the air again, the last bit of dark light on Du Bo's body was stripped away.

The Soul-Stirring Inkstone then descended unimpeded, and with a "bang," it crushed Du Bo to pieces, leaving no trace of his spirit.

Du You, initially thinking he had escaped, was caught off guard when the Ruyi Divine Shuttle followed and pierced through his chest and abdomen. He let out a "wah," spewing blood, and fell from the air.

Seeing the Ruyi Divine Shuttle circling in the air, about to strike again, Du You's eyes filled with fear, and he shouted, "Zhang Yan, if you kill me, the Du family will surely destroy your soul and spirit. If you let me go, I will inform the sect leader and make you the head disciple of the lower courtyard, and you can have any magical treasures and elixirs you want..."

Zhang Yan ignored his rambling and cast a spell. The Ruyi Divine Shuttle flashed past Du You's neck like cutting through soft mud, and his head rolled off. Another circle, and the Ruyi Divine Shuttle shattered the last bit of Du You's spirit.

With this, Du You and Du Bo were no more.

With the major enemies eliminated, Zhang Yan's mind relaxed. With these two dead, no third person knew that he had swallowed the mystic pearl. He could now return to the sect with peace of mind.

He slowly exhaled, looked at the bodies on the ground, and turned to Luo Xiao, who had emerged from the cave wall, and asked, "Daoist Luo, is there a way to dispose of these two bodies without leaving any traces?"

Luo Xiao thought for a moment, her eyes brightening, and she clapped her hands, saying, "There is a way."

She took a step forward, picked up a packet of powder from the ground, and held it in her hand. "This is the Evil Salt Powder. Just a little, and it can dissolve gold and stone. It's perfect for disposing of bodies."

"In this case, we can dispose of Du You and Du De's bodies but leave the other twelve bodies."