Chapter 81: The Fisherman Gains the Prize

Inside the stone chamber.

Zhang Yi and Yan Sixteen's methods were endless and ingenious.

Seeing that three humanoid puppets were not enough, Zhang Yi unleashed a fourth. Four puppets attacked together, breaking through each formation with brute force.

Meanwhile, Yan Sixteen had quietly crafted a domineering demonic formation called the “Seven Inferno Demon Slaughter Array.” As he swiftly arranged the setup, a towering Inferno Demon as tall as the cave itself emerged, raising its hand to conjure raging flames, standing against Zhang Yi’s four puppets.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The stone chamber’s cushions, platforms—all had long since been destroyed by their fierce battle. The place lay in utter chaos, rocks shaken loose and sand scattered across the floor. Yet the two fought ever more ferociously, their anger mounting with each strike, determined to settle life and death here and claim all of Feng Qiu’er’s relics for themselves.

Yet, despite their endless tricks, their strengths remained equal. The duel dragged on for most of the day, neither gaining the upper hand, and both exhausting much of their spiritual power and receiving numerous wounds.

Zhang Yi’s chest was charred black, his torn clothes stained with blood, narrowly escaping death. Yan Sixteen, though not gravely injured, was gasping for breath, his face pale, clearly depleted of spiritual power.

As fatigue overtook them, a faint sound echoed from the mountain path, growing steadily more distinct.

Hiss… hiss… hiss…

Yan Sixteen, closest to the mountain path, noticed first. His expression darkened as he shouted, “What’s that sound?”

Zhang Yi reacted faster, the rage from their battle suddenly dissipating. He said coldly, “Snakes. Someone is coming! Let’s deal with them first!”

Yan Sixteen’s eyes flickered, but he retreated steadily, moving to a spot where neither Zhang Yi nor the newcomer could ambush him. He replied, “Fine.”

Soon, emerald-scaled giant snakes slithered into the chamber, making both Yan Sixteen and Zhang Yi tense. Many were peak first-tier venomous snakes.

Zhang Yi furrowed his brow and shouted toward the mountain path, “Liu Miaomiao, I know it’s you. Come out!”

There was no answer.

Only more and more snakes entered, encircling the two men, confirming their suspicion that the intruder was indeed Liu Miaomiao.

“Liu Miaomiao, both Zhang Yi and I know you deliberately let slip the location of our master’s retreat, hoping we’d scout the way for you, isn’t that right?” Yan Sixteen called loudly as he discreetly took out a mid-grade spirit stone to quickly replenish his spiritual power.

He stalled for time, speaking in a low, threatening voice, “Your little schemes are far too naive to fool us. If you want to live, I advise you to leave now.”

“Otherwise, once we get out, it’ll be your end. Zhang Yi and I will torment you just as we did Lan Yuexin—”

Whoosh!

Suddenly, hundreds of venomous emerald-scaled snakes, as if commanded, sprang at Yan Sixteen and Zhang Yi.

Both men immediately deployed their techniques to slay the thick-skinned, poisonous serpents. Yet there were simply too many, and more kept pouring in. These snakes were tough, their scales hard as iron, and they moved quickly. Before long, exhausted and depleted of spiritual power, both were bitten by the venomous snakes.

“What potent poison!” Yan Sixteen felt dizzy as soon as he was bitten. He hurriedly swallowed an antidote pill, but just then, a flying sword appeared behind him like a ghost, and before he could react, it sliced off his head, blood spraying everywhere.

Zhang Yi saw Yan Sixteen’s head inexplicably severed, unable to even discern how it happened, and finally realized he had completely underestimated the intruder—perhaps more accurately, underestimated Liu Miaomiao’s methods.

“I must get out—”

“Ugh!”

The next moment, his vision spun wildly, and he saw his own body spurting blood…

Thud! Thud!

Both Zhang Yi and Yan Sixteen’s heads hit the ground.

The air twisted gently, and Liu Miaomiao’s slender figure appeared behind Zhang Yi, holding a sharp longsword, its tip dripping crimson blood.

Her gentle, harmless face curved into a cold, emotionless smile.

“Aunt, senior brothers, all of your possessions are now mine.”

“You fought so long, and Aunt never appeared. Looks like she’s truly dead…”

Liu Miaomiao’s beautiful eyes swept the chamber. Seeing so many of her venomous snakes killed by the two men, she squinted with some pain. These emerald-scaled snakes were poisonous beasts she had painstakingly raised in secret. Losing so many, she could only hope the gains would make up for the loss.

With a wave, she gathered the surviving snakes into her beast pouch, then sheathed her sword, preparing to search for Feng Qiu’er’s relics.

Buzz!

At that moment, a powerful force of confinement descended from the chamber’s ceiling with blinding speed, trapping Liu Miaomiao within. Her face changed instantly, her heart filled with shock.

“How can there be someone else here! Could Aunt still be alive?!”

She mustered all her spiritual power to struggle, but the confinement was overwhelming. With her cultivation at the early Foundation stage, she could not break free in the short term. Then, from all directions in the chamber, obscure, arcane chants echoed.

“Om… Boromo… Savahe…”

“Ah!”

As soon as the chant began, Liu Miaomiao’s head buzzed, pain splitting her skull, making her scream. She tried to curl up for relief, but her body was immobilized, leaving her helpless as endless agony engulfed her. Then, a force of subjugation descended with the chant, and in the midst of her suffering, she lost consciousness.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Several razor-sharp sword threads shot toward Liu Miaomiao, severing her head.

Once Liu Miaomiao was dead, a divine sense descended into the chamber, inspecting every inch inside and out.

Rumble!

After a long while, a hidden door slowly opened.

Jiang Min emerged from the secret door, gazing at the three headless corpses on the floor and letting out a relieved sigh.

“Feng Qiu’er’s traps turned out to be quite useful.”

Jiang Min raised an eyebrow.

Both the confinement formation set in the chamber and the subjugation chant for Liu Miaomiao were measures Feng Qiu’er had prepared to seize Liu Miaomiao’s body.

The cultivation method Feng Qiu’er gave Liu Miaomiao was flawed from the start, planting an invisible seed within her, easy to control. Even if Liu Miaomiao later changed her practice, as soon as Feng Qiu’er recited the chant, Liu Miaomiao would be utterly at her mercy.

Having inherited Feng Qiu’er’s memories, Jiang Min naturally learned how to control the confinement formation and the subjugation chant.

Moreover, Liu Miaomiao had slain Zhang Yi and Yan Sixteen first, saving Jiang Min the trouble of dealing with those two threats.

While the sandpiper and clam fought, the fisherman reaped the reward.

Now, Jiang Min, the fisherman, claimed the greatest benefit.

“Feng Qiu’er and all her disciples—each has eight hundred schemes. According to her memories, her senior disciple Lan Yuexin was also killed in a terrible way by Zhang Yi and Yan Sixteen at her order, after attempting to betray her…”

“It seems, after reaching Foundation stage, I’ll need to learn more techniques—talismans, formations, puppet arts—to ensure I can protect myself amid complex dangers.”

Jiang Min’s gaze shifted.

His eyes settled on the center of the chamber floor, and he smiled.

“All of Feng Qiu’er’s treasures are hidden in the secret compartment beneath this chamber.”

“Now, let’s see what they’ve left behind.”