Means of Escaping the Witch

Ye Xuan took a stroll through the black market, spending a hefty sum on several magical artifacts specifically designed to counter ghosts and evil spirits. He also purchased some medicinal pills capable of stimulating one's potential for a short period.

While he did all this, the puppet Zhao Wuji followed behind him like a shadow, his ghostly green eyes never leaving Ye Xuan's back for a single moment.

"Brother Zhao, what do you think of this 'Soul-Suppressing Bell'?" Ye Xuan picked up a small, rust-covered copper bell and asked with feigned seriousness. "The Myriad Burials Ghost Ridge is filled with eerie Yin energy, and my spiritual sense has not yet fully formed. With this item, if I encounter a sneak attack from ghost creatures, I'll have a bit more power to protect myself."

Zhao Wuji stiffly turned his neck, glanced at the bell, and let out a grating, clicking sound from his throat:

"Ac... cept... able..."

His voice remained entirely mechanical, yet it carried the unique icy chill of Xia Lengyue.

Ye Xuan sneered inwardly.

He bought these things half for genuine self-defense, and half to put on a show for Xia Lengyue.

Only by acting as if he were truly going out to gain experience, truly afraid of death, and truly preparing for Foundation Establishment, would that paranoid woman lower her guard.

"Everything is ready. Tomorrow morning, we enter the mountains!"

The next morning.

The Myriad Burials Ghost Ridge.

This was a forbidden land shrouded in an ancient curse.

The sky was perpetually a dull, leaden gray, and the air was thick with the stench of rot and blood.

As soon as he stepped into this area, Ye Xuan felt a bone-piercing chill.

Behind him, Zhao Wuji's entire body shuddered.

He was a corpse puppet to begin with, a creature of sinister Yin. However, the malignant Yin energy in this ghost ridge was too chaotic and violent, causing a slight rejection with the control restrictions placed inside his body.

The green fire in his eyes flickered violently a few times, appearing somewhat unstable.

"An opportunity!"

Ye Xuan keenly caught onto this.

But he didn't act rashly. Instead, he pretended not to notice anything, gripping a compass in his hand as he trudged forward through the thick fog.

"According to the ancient records, the Weeping Soul Ravine is in that direction..."

Ye Xuan led Zhao Wuji, avoiding several waves of low-level ghost-fire skeletons, and ventured deeper.

Finally, at sunset, they arrived before a bottomless canyon.

Below the canyon, Yin winds howled furiously. Countless malicious spirits wept and wailed miserably; the piercing sounds struck directly at the soul.

This was the Weeping Soul Ravine.

It was also the entrance to the ruins where the "Ten Thousand Mile Traceless Talisman" was located!

"Brother Zhao, the Yin energy is thickest here. It will definitely birth high-quality 'Soul Gathering Pearls'!"

Ye Xuan turned around, pointing downward with an excited expression. "As long as I get a Soul Gathering Pearl, my spiritual sense will advance a step further, and my chances of reaching Foundation Establishment will increase by at least thirty percent!"

Zhao Wuji stood at the edge of the cliff and looked down.

Instinct told him that it was dangerous below.

But the command he had received was to "protect Ye Xuan during his trials," which did not include "stop Ye Xuan from taking risks," unless it was a certain-death situation.

"Down..."

Zhao Wuji spat out a single word, and his figure leaped down first to clear the way for Ye Xuan.

Ye Xuan took a deep breath, a trace of ruthlessness flashing through his eyes, and closely followed behind.

At the bottom of the canyon.

Visibility here was extremely low, and scattered white bones were everywhere.

The two stopped in front of a collapsed ancient cultivator's cave dwelling.

The main gate of the cave dwelling had long been shattered, and a vicissitudinous, ancient aura faintly seeped out from within.

"This is the place!"

Ye Xuan's heart pounded wildly.

"Be careful," Ye Xuan warned, cautiously stepping into the cave dwelling.

The cave dwelling wasn't large. In the center was a massive altar. Around the altar stood four stone pillars engraved with runes, and right in the middle of the altar hovered a quaint bronze box.

There were no fluctuations of restrictions around the box; it seemed easily obtainable.

But Ye Xuan knew that this was the biggest trap!

Just as he was ten steps away from the altar.

An earth-shattering ghostly shriek suddenly erupted from the ground beneath the altar!

Rumble!

The ground blasted open, and black energy surged out.

A "Ghost Fiend Corpse King," standing thirty feet tall and formed entirely from countless vengeful spirits, crawled out from underground.

The aura of this Ghost Fiend Corpse King had astonishingly reached the peak of the Golden Core stage! It even faintly carried a trace of the oppressive might of the Nascent Soul realm.

"Not good! It's a Corpse King!"

Ye Xuan's expression changed drastically. He retreated in terror, his foot slipped, and he tumbled to the ground in a sorry state. "Brother Zhao, save me!!"

There was no need for him to yell at all.

The moment the Corpse King appeared, Zhao Wuji's combat instincts were thoroughly triggered.

As a puppet, he had no fear, only the drive to slaughter.

"Die..."

Zhao Wuji let out a low growl. His black armor erupted with a blinding dark light. Instead of retreating, he charged forward like a humanoid war chariot, crashing explosively into the Ghost Fiend Corpse King!

Bang!

The two behemoths collided viciously.

Airwaves rolled, and crushed stones flew everywhere.

Zhao Wuji's strength was terrifying, but his body seemed to have been tortured by Xia Lengyue for a long time while he was alive.

Therefore, the corpse puppet refined from him only had the strength of the Golden Core stage.

Ye Xuan lay on the ground, watching Zhao Wuji fight to the death with the Corpse King, completely unable to pay attention to what was behind him. A brilliant light flashed in Ye Xuan's eyes.

"Now is the time!"

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!

He didn't run away, nor did he go to help.

Using both hands and feet, like an agile gecko, he clung to the shadows on the ground, instantly bypassing the battlefield and rushing toward the center of the altar!

That was his only path to survival!

Closer!

Even closer!

Five steps... three steps... one step!

Ye Xuan dashed up the altar and grabbed the hovering bronze box.

It felt icy cold and incredibly heavy in his hands.

Without hesitation, he forcefully pried it with his fingers. With a "click," the box opened.

There were no spectacular golden light visual effects inside, only a tattered yellow talisman paper that looked like it could weather away at any moment.

Drawn on the talisman paper was a twisted cinnabar rune infused with the profound mysteries of space.

The Ten Thousand Mile Traceless Talisman!

This was the legendary divine talisman that could ignore all restrictions, instantly teleport one ten thousand miles away, and cleanse all auras and karmic ties on oneself!

Ye Xuan felt wild joy in his heart.

But he knew the danger wasn't over yet.

He couldn't put this talisman into his storage bag; Xia Lengyue would check it.

He couldn't hide it on his person; Zhao Wuji would search him.

The only way was to...

Eat it!

Ye Xuan didn't hesitate at all. He grabbed this talisman paper that had been left there for who knows how many years and stuffed it directly into his mouth!

"Ugh..."

An indescribable taste instantly exploded in his mouth.

It was like chewing a burial shroud that had been left for ten thousand years, carrying a strong earthy stench and a spicy sensation.

Ye Xuan forcefully suppressed the urge to vomit, his Adam's apple bobbing as he forcefully swallowed the talisman paper down.

Boom!

As the talisman paper entered his stomach, it instantly transformed into a cool and profound stream of energy, drilling deep into his dantian.

It didn't erupt immediately. Instead, it lay dormant, turning into a faint, barely visible spatial rune that quietly hovered in the center of his five-element spiritual energy vortex.

As soon as Ye Xuan's divine sense shifted, this rune would instantly activate.

Not only would it teleport him ten thousand miles away, but the power of laws contained within would also act like a massive fire, cleanly burning away all marks on his body, including Xia Lengyue's soul-tracking mark, any tainted auras on him, and even the residual spiritual sense on his magical artifacts!

"It worked!"

Ye Xuan trembled all over with excitement.

With this thing, he essentially had an extra life!

As long as he wanted to, he could vanish into thin air at any moment, leaving that crazy woman Xia Lengyue to go mad at empty space!

Right at this moment.

Boom!

A loud crash echoed out.

The battle not far away had reached its conclusion.

Zhao Wuji was, after all, a puppet meticulously refined by Xia Lengyue; he knew neither fatigue nor pain.

At the cost of a broken left arm and a deeply caved-in chest, he finally caught a flaw in the Corpse King's defense and shattered its head with a single punch!

The black mist dispersed.

The Corpse King collapsed with a crash, turning into a pile of dry bones on the ground.

Zhao Wuji swayed his battered body, turned around, and fixed his eerie green eyes dead on Ye Xuan, who was standing on the altar.

What... are... you... do... ing...

Ye Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

He had swallowed the talisman too quickly for Zhao Wuji to see clearly, but standing on the altar was far too conspicuous.

He had to smooth this over!

Ye Xuan took a deep breath, his face instantly shifting into an expression of surviving a great disaster.

He raised the now-empty bronze box in his hand and shook it vigorously.

Then, he pulled a few Tier 1 Yin Soul Pearls out of his sleeve—trash drops he had casually picked up on the way after killing low-level ghosts—and pretended he had taken them from the box.

Brother Zhao! Look! Good stuff!

Ye Xuan shouted excitedly, jumping down from the altar and running up to Zhao Wuji to present his treasure. There were actually three Hundred-Year Yin Soul Pearls hidden in this box! Although they aren't Soul Gathering Pearls, they are still highly beneficial to divine sense! This trip wasn't in vain!

Zhao Wuji looked down at the few dull grey pearls in Ye Xuan's palm.

He had no sentience and couldn't distinguish the grade of treasures, but his visual perception was shared with Xia Lengyue.

Far away in the Azure Cloud Sect, Xia Lengyue saw this scene through her puppet's eyes.

A few broken pearls?

Xia Lengyue frowned slightly.

Going through all this trouble, nearly getting the puppet destroyed, just for this?

However, looking at Ye Xuan's unworldly excitement and his willingness to risk his life for such petty gains, it perfectly aligned with his desperate eagerness for success.

Never mind.

Xia Lengyue's voice transmitted through Zhao Wuji's throat, carrying a trace of disdain and warning. Since you have them, hurry up and roll back here.

The Yin energy in this place is too heavy, and my puppet is severely damaged. It can no longer protect you.

Hearing this, Ye Xuan's heart settled!

He had fooled her!

She didn't notice!

Yes, yes, yes! Thank you, Senior Sister! Thank you, Brother Zhao!

Ye Xuan nodded and bowed repeatedly.

Zhao Wuji didn't speak; he merely turned stiffly and walked out of the cave with heavy steps.

Ye Xuan followed behind, his hand resting lightly on his lower abdomen. Feeling the dormant spatial talisman in his dantian, an imperceptible sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.

After leaving the Weeping Soul Ravine, Ye Xuan found an excuse to rest for the night in Black Wind City.

Inside the inn room.

Ye Xuan sat cross-legged on the bed. He didn't cultivate, but instead fell into deep thought.

At this very moment, with just a thought, he could instantly fly far away.

Once the Ten Thousand Mile Traceless Talisman was activated, all of Xia Lengyue's methods would be rendered useless. He could go to a place where no one knew him, hide his name, and start anew.

Should I leave?

Ye Xuan asked himself.

But he looked at the few shabby Yin Soul Pearls in his hand, and then at the pitiful few thousand spirit stones in his storage bag.

If I leave now, I will indeed be safe.

But... then what?

I am only at the great perfection of the Qi Condensation realm right now. If I go to an unfamiliar cultivation world tens of thousands of miles away, I'll have no background, no resources, and no backing. If I want to reach Foundation Establishment, I'll still have to risk my life to find a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Moreover, I am cultivating the Five Elements Chaos Sutra. The resources I need are ten or even a hundred times that of an ordinary cultivator!

Without a Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, my Five Elements Physique is just a joke. I'll be destined to fade into mediocrity.