Starting as The Young Master of A Pharmacy, He Trained Swordsmanship in Seclusion For Twenty Years - Chapter 68

Zhao Sheng kept moving forward, while Lu Xuan followed at a distance.

It wasn’t until ZhaoSheng leaped down from the rooftop and landed on the eerily silent street that things took a turn.

“Gone?”

“No!”

“This is a trap—that was a fake!”

“This Faceless Specter is a decoy!”

“Damn it, Old Li and Old Qian are in danger!”

Staring at the empty street, Zhao Sheng’s mind snapped to clarity. He immediately turned and rushed back toward the Black Tiger Gang leader’s estate.

Meanwhile, at the gang leader’s estate…

Qian Hao and Li Daren were not standing together but had split up. Each gripped a broadsword, unleashing their formidable life-force energy recklessly as they charged into the horde of undead corpses.

After cleaving through a corpse, Qian Hao glanced toward Li Daren—and what he saw made his expression darken.

The white-robed, faceless specter had reappeared, materializing in midair… right behind Li Daren.

“Old Li, behind you!”

But before Qian Hao’s warning even left his lips, Li Daren had already sensed the chilling presence at his back.

“Hmph!”

Li Daren’s blade surged with overwhelming life-force energy, white steam billowing around him. Without hesitation, he spun and slashed horizontally at the faceless specter.

The specter was instantly sliced in two.

Yet, in the next moment—

The severed specter’s lips curled into an eerie grin.

Then, one of its halves stretched out a ghostly, indistinct white hand—and touched Li Daren’s right arm.

The scorching life-force energy in Li Daren’s arm began to boil violently.

A wave of sinister black energy rapidly coiled around his arm, corroding his life-force. Under its assault, Li Daren’s broadsword clattered to the ground. His hand blackened and decayed at a visible rate.

Just as Li Daren stood frozen in disbelief, a cold glint flashed before his eyes—

“Shhk!”

His entire right arm fell to the ground.

Within a single breath, the flesh on the severed arm withered and rotted away, leaving only bare bone.

The one who had severed Li Daren’s arm was none other than Qian Hao.

Pushing Li Daren back a few steps, Qian Hao glared warily at the bisected specter. Its form was now even more blurred than before.

Then, under Qian Hao’s wary gaze, the two halves of the specter gradually faded into nothingness.

The moment it vanished, the surrounding corpses collapsed lifelessly, as if nothing had happened.

“Old Qian… thanks.”

Li Daren stared at the white bone on the ground—his own arm.

He had hesitated.

If not for Qian Hao’s decisive strike, that terrifying Yin energy would have invaded his entire body.

Qian Hao didn’t respond. Instead, his voice turned grave.

“We’re in trouble, Old Li.”

“This Faceless Specter has grown much stronger… and it seems to have gained intelligence.”

Half an incense stick’s time later…

A figure appeared at the estate’s front gate, dashing toward Qian Hao and Li Daren like lightning.

Zhao Sheng, having just returned, barely had time to catch his breath before noticing Li Daren’s condition.

His face darkened in disbelief.

“Old Li… your arm?!”

What could have happened to make a Blood-Refining martial artist lose an arm?

Li Daren used his life-force energy to temporarily suppress the bleeding. His voice was urgent.

“Old Zhao, the Faceless Specter you chased was a fake!”

“It’s developed intelligence!”

“And it can resist a martial artist’s life-force energy!”

“I let my guard down. If not for Old Qian, I’d be dead.”

“Resisting life-force energy?”

“Has it already evolved into a Malice-grade supernatural entity?!”

Zhao Sheng’s expression turned grim, his mood clearly foul.

According to the intelligence provided by the Black Raven Envoy, the Faceless Specter should have been a Ferocity-grade entity. How had it suddenly advanced to Malice-grade?

The Black Raven Guard had strict classifications for supernatural threats:

Mortal-grade, Hazard-grade, Ferocity-grade, Malice-grade, Calamity-grade, Catastrophe-grade.

Mortal and Hazard-grade entities were low-level threats—easily burned away by a Blood-Refining martial artist’s life-force energy.

Like the black specter Lu Xuan had encountered in Willow Ditch Village—that had been a Hazard-grade entity.

A Ferocity-grade entity required a Blood-Refining martial artist to fight with full strength to eliminate.

A Malice-grade entity, however, possessed a sliver of intelligence and could resist life-force energy, even attacking martial artists directly.

Calamity-grade entities could only be dealt with by Inner Qi experts who wielded the power of Heaven and Earth.

And Catastrophe-grade entities… they possessed legendary Ghost Domains. Only Outer Aura Grandmasters or Divine Mansion True Masters could hope to defeat them.

“Old Zhao, that specter was wounded by my life-force energy. It won’t strike again tonight.”

“But it’ll return tomorrow. We can’t afford to miss our chance.”

“If it kills more people, it’ll only grow stronger.”

“At that point, even a peak Blood-Refining martial artist won’t be able to stop it.”

The specter had reappeared precisely because Zhao Sheng—a peak Blood-Refining expert—had left the estate.

Just as Zhao Sheng was about to speak—

A wave of scorching heat surged forth, flames roaring into the sky and illuminating the faces of the three men.

The corpses on the ground were instantly engulfed in crimson fire.

And then… a figure emerged before them.

Lu Xuan.

Having followed Zhao Sheng, Lu Xuan had overheard everything.

So the “ghostly thing” the White Lotus Cultists mentioned… was a supernatural entity.

If that was the case, then Lu Xuan was very interested.

Especially since the Faceless Specter had been injured and wouldn’t reappear tonight—there was no rush to return to the Shen Estate.

Lu Xuan wanted to question these three Black Raven Guards for more details.

But before that… he had taken care of the corpses.

Their lingering Yin energy hadn’t escaped his perception.

Even a mosquito’s leg is still meat.

Lu Xuan, ever thrifty, had burned them all to ashes.