Chapter 690 - 685: Ang Xiao Gets Excited
Blood Demon Zhenren died peacefully.
Not even Ang Xiao had expected it. He had only intended to take a glimpse at the mastermind’s methods, but in doing so, he stared Blood Demon Zhenren to death.
This was to be expected.
After all, while Blood Demon Zhenren was technically a Great Trueman, in reality he was a cripple on his last legs. He could only rely on his Position as a Great Trueman to fight opponents beyond his true strength.
But as luck would have it, he ran into Ang Xiao.
A Great Perfected Lord at the dignified Late Stage of Golden Core—even a single glance from across the Netherworld was more than enough to cause the already dying Blood Demon Zhenren to drop dead on the spot.
Ang Xiao didn’t even understand why Blood Demon Zhenren had appeared. He had no choice but to perform another divination, searching for clues within the Great Net of Karma Links. Soon, he had deduced everything: Blood Demon Zhenren’s entire lineage, his background, his patrons, and every karmic link attached to him.
And what were the specifics?
First, Blood Demon Zhenren was Fortune’s subordinate—a confidant, even. Second, he had karmic links to Yuan Tu, which clearly indicated a grudge between them.
The conclusion was self-evident:
’What a brilliant move! An attempt to kill with a borrowed knife?’
’Use my hand to kill this Blood Demon Zhenren, get rid of a troublesome karmic link, eliminate one of Fortune’s confidants, and foist the karmic fallout onto me.’
Ang Xiao burst into laughter.
It was only then that he finally banished the last shred of doubt from his mind, now convinced that Yuan Tu and Si Chou truly had nothing to do with Fortune.
Just then, a sudden ROAR made Ang Xiao halt. He turned to look into the distance, where he saw the brilliant light of an Ability spreading toward him.
The light abruptly parted, and a figure emerged from within.
The man was handsome and dashing, his great robes billowing around him. His entire being exuded a powerful "Boundless" aura, yet a malevolent energy emanated from between his brows.
It was the Primal Daoist Evil!
The commotion from the Combat between Si Chou and Ang Xiao had been too great. It had alerted the Immortal Alliance of the Azure Sun Cultivation Realm, which in turn alerted the Primal Daoist Evil among them.
As a Daoist Remnant, it naturally possessed no sense of morality or shame. Killing was its very nature. The stronger the Cultivator, the more eager it was to slay them. Thus, after casually slaughtering the group of Immortal Alliance Cultivators, it had come straight here, clearly treating Ang Xiao as its prey.
Ang Xiao, meanwhile, was just as surprised.
He could, of course, recognize the Primal Daoist Evil’s origin.
But that was precisely why he was so surprised and incredulous.
’It’s all going too smoothly...’
Ang Xiao thought to himself, yet he felt none of the pleasant surprise that comes from an effortless gain. Instead, his lips slowly curled into a sinister sneer.
Everything was going unbelievably smoothly!
’The schemers are supposed to be Fortune and his mastermind, yet so far, the only one who has died is one of Fortune’s own confidants.’
’Even if I did disrupt some of his plans, does he truly have no countermeasures? Could he possibly not know that I need Mu Changsheng’s Daoist Remnant?’
Impossible!
At this thought, Ang Xiao nearly clapped his hands in admiration. His gaze fell upon the Primal Daoist Evil, and it was as if he could see the mastermind lurking right behind it.
’The trap... is the Primal Daoist Evil itself!’
He was a hundred percent certain of this, and that was exactly why he had to admire it. This was an overt plot; his opponent hadn’t even tried to hide it.
’After all, I am determined to obtain this Daoist Remnant.’
’Even if there is a trap, I have to walk right into it and test it... The mastermind anticipated this, so they didn’t even bother with a pretense of concealment.’
How many years had it been? For the first time, Ang Xiao felt he had found a kindred spirit. The mastermind who had planned all this seemed to understand him on an unbelievable level. From his backup plans to his strength, and even his personality—their judgment on every point was uncannily precise.
This person... gets me!
But for that very reason, Ang Xiao suddenly recalled one of his earlier judgments, and a completely new doubt bloomed in his mind:
’Fortune’s Heaven and Earth’s Killing Intent.’
’Before, I thought Fortune wanted to kill Yuan Tu, so I resolved to do the opposite and protect him. But looking at it now, that might not be the case at all.’
’If this person understands me so well...’
’...then they can surely put themselves in my shoes and guess my thoughts. I fear that on the surface, the goal was for me to kill Yuan Tu, but in reality, it was a ploy to induce me to help him achieve his aims, wasn’t it?’
This was pure speculation.
But Ang Xiao wasn’t actually trying to find a definitive answer. He didn’t even care about the truth. All he needed was to know that the possibility existed.
And if it existed, it had to be stamped out!
At this thought, Ang Xiao instantly reversed his earlier decision not to kill Yuan Tu. He had no intention of rearing a tiger only for it to cause trouble later. It was better to just kill him and be done with it!
Of course, Si Chou had already whisked Yuan Tu far away.
Besides, even if he were still here, with Si Chou fighting in his stead, it would be difficult for Ang Xiao to kill him using only Master Xiao Hai’s "skin."
But it didn’t matter.
Ang Xiao shifted his gaze to the Primal Daoist Evil. Once he refined it into his own avatar, catching up to Yuan Tu would be a trivial matter.
Acting on a thought was the fundamental quality of a Saint Sect True Monarch.
The next moment, Ang Xiao actively approached the Daoist Remnant. He offered no resistance, allowing the Primal Daoist Evil to pounce on him, to tear him limb from limb, skin him, and devour him.
As this happened, the Primal Daoist Evil’s expression grew increasingly vacant. Using Master Xiao Hai’s flesh and blood as a medium, the terrifying Veil of the Trees was actively absorbed by the creature. This caused the Daoist Remnant’s movements to slow, as if it were forgetting how to think, how to act, and even how to survive.
It was being "formatted."
Ang Xiao’s method for Refining the Daoist Remnant was simple: a direct cleansing of its memories and personality, which were then replaced by his own will. It was brutally efficient.
And the results were just as extreme.
Before long, the Primal Daoist Evil had completely ceased to think. It stood there in a daze, allowing Ang Xiao’s will to progressively take control of its body.
To this end, he had even split off a Divine Soul Thought specifically to control the Daoist Remnant.
However, the very instant his will entered the Daoist Remnant...
BOOM!
The Primal Daoist Evil, which had been motionless, suddenly stirred. A flash of Essence Light shot through its vacant eyes, and a do-or-die resolve appeared in their depths.
The next moment, Ang Xiao discovered that the Divine Soul Thought he had sent into the Daoist Remnant was trapped. In a daze, he saw an old man with white hair and a wizened face glaring at him like a tiger stalking its prey. The old man’s hands were forming a Finger Technique, his expression grave. Then, he actively charged toward Ang Xiao’s thought.
’Is this... an attempt to possess me!?’
Ang Xiao was stunned for a moment. He could see it clearly: the old man wanted to erase the consciousness of his Divine Soul Thought and seize control for himself?
What an absolute joke!
"The audacity!"
Ang Xiao roared, but there was little real anger in his heart. Instead, he felt a surge of elation—the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.
’So this is the trap you laid?’
’It’s not nearly enough!’
Even now, Ang Xiao remained brimming with confidence, believing the advantage was still his.
After all, even if the mastermind did succeed—possessing this one Divine Soul Thought and preventing him from Refining the Primal Daoist Evil into a usable avatar...
So what?
’I’ve been hiding in the Netherworld, lying in wait for so many years. My backup plans far exceed your imagination! Master Xiao Hai and the Primal Daoist Evil are just two of my most insignificant assets.’
’I have many more trump cards like them!’
’Can you possibly ruin them all?’