Chapter Three: The Wolf Shedding Its Sheepskin (I)

Yuanmu’s cultivation had already reached the mid-stage of Immortal, and with the little creature piercing through the enemy’s defense with the Glazed Needle beforehand, that man, caught off guard and panicked, was actually run through by the Meteor Sword in a single thrust. The two Immortals nearby who had been casting spells didn’t even have time to lend a hand; from their perspective, these opponents would inevitably die sooner or later, so their carelessness cost them dearly.

This succession of sudden events left everyone utterly stunned.

Boss Li had thrown his sword first, Yuanmu assassinated right after—it all happened in the blink of an eye. Although the Meteor Sword belonged to Boss Li and had never been refined by Yuanmu, Yuanmu was still an Immortal; while he couldn’t activate the sword’s internal formations, the Meteor Sword still unleashed rare power in his grasp.

Seizing the Immortal’s moment of distraction, Yuanmu swiftly drew the Meteor Sword and, with a few slashes, hacked the Immortal’s golden immortal body into several pieces.

Boss Li formed a circle with his thumb and forefinger, put it to his lips, and let out a sharp whistle. The little creature darted back, nose twitching, and immediately scurried toward a certain spot. Before long, everyone suddenly felt a lightness all over— the “Shear” array had been broken.

Arrays that do not rely on human positioning must substitute with other objects, such as magical treasures or Celestial Stones. Most arrays use Celestial Stones to mark positions and, once the formation eye is controlled, the array caster can command the formation at will.

These three Immortals, for all their cunning, could never have anticipated that Boss Li would own such a heaven-defying pet as a Treasure-Seeking Mouse.

A single immunity to barrier spells was enough to render this powerful support array ineffective.

The reason Boss Li hadn’t ordered the little creature to break the array before was to catch the enemy off guard and strike unexpectedly.

The three Immortals were formidable; if not for a bit of trickery, his own group would surely have perished here.

The two remaining Immortals finally snapped out of their shock and attacked Yuanmu from both sides.

Of those present, Gu Linglong was the strongest. After a brief pause, her Butterfly Immortal Sword flashed out once more, a streak of light shooting toward the two attacking Immortals.

Boss Li laughed heartily, leaped into the air, and caught Yuansen just before he hit the ground, then gently set him down. “Take a breather, brother!”

“Thank you!” Yuansen said, nodding to Boss Li without another word.

The battle had already erupted in the sky—Yuanmu and Gu Linglong each facing an Immortal.

Boss Li spat fiercely on the ground and rolled his shoulders. “Damn it, I was nearly crushed to death.”

Xiao Ying climbed up slowly from the ground, brushing dust off her clothes, her face flushed red. Of everyone, her performance had been the worst; she’d actually been pressed to the ground, while even Li Chengzhu—two cultivation levels below her—had managed to stand tall. Of course, Xiao Ying didn’t know that Boss Li’s nascent soul harbored celestial energy, and his cultivation had already reached the early stage of Integration, a level higher than her own.

When Boss Li strolled back, everyone gazed at him in amazement—his performance this time truly made them see him in a new light.

This guy’s got guts!

“What are you all staring at? Go help them!” Boss Li snapped. Couldn’t they see that Gu Linglong was fighting hard up there?

Prompted by his shout, Qiu Feng and the remaining two Mahayana cultivators finally came to their senses and rushed to assist.

“Damn it, I want you all to survive and walk back alive!” Boss Li yelled up at the sky, arrogant as ever. With a snap of his fingers, the little creature zipped over to the corpse of the dead Immortal. Its dainty nose twitched and snuffled. Just as Li Chengzhu had seen the first time, a small humanoid form was slowly drawn out from the corpse.

Before the Immortal’s nascent soul could react, Boss Li sprang forward, stamping down on it and quickly carving a spirit-sealing sigil on his own large foot. “Trying to run?”

“Squeak squeak!” The little creature drooled with excitement, not even noticing as the saliva dripped down its chest.

Boss Li wiped the drool from the creature’s mouth and patted its head. “Little beast, can’t you show a bit of decency when you eat?” Then he pointed to the Immortal’s nascent soul. “Look, you’ve scared it half to death.”

Xiao Ying swallowed nervously and moved behind Boss Li, peering cautiously at the Immortal’s nascent soul.

It was her first time seeing a living nascent soul. The Immortal’s nascent soul, clad in resplendent celestial armor, twisted in agony beneath Boss Li’s foot, its tiny hands grasping at his giant foot, desperately trying to wriggle free. But Boss Li’s stinking, massive foot was as immovable as a burly Northwestern guard pinning down a naked criminal.

That ferocious appearance and brute strength filled the Immortal with terror.

Almost savoring the pleasure of this torment, Boss Li gritted his teeth and pressed his foot down in a spiraling motion.

Xiao Ying, brows knitted in sympathy, tugged at Boss Li’s sleeve. “Chengzhu…”

Boss Li turned and glanced at her, giving a wicked grin. “Pretty cruel, isn’t it?”

Xiao Ying nodded heavily, her expression somber.

Boss Li patted her head. “Girl, try living a few more centuries.” Then he turned back, glaring fiercely at the nascent soul. “Someone can’t bear to see you suffer. Lucky for you. Tell me who sent you, and I’ll grant you a clean death.”

The nascent soul, brimming with celestial power but deprived of a physical body, could do nothing—at best, it was a vast, mobile treasure trove. As if to protest its plight, it twisted its head furiously, trying to look away, but failed.

Boss Li raised his other foot and stomped hard on the nascent soul’s head. “Behave yourself!”

His sharp heel left a dent in the nascent soul’s skull, which quickly sprang back into shape.

It felt just like stomping on a balloon. Boss Li stamped down a few more times to vent his anger, his foot infused with celestial energy causing the ground to rumble, dust swirling everywhere.

It was a long while before the dust finally settled. Looking from behind, Xiao Ying saw the nascent soul’s head had been smashed deep into the earth, only half its body sticking out. Its legs still kicked defiantly, like a slaughtered boar in its death throes.

Unable to bear it any longer, Xiao Ying turned away, covering her mouth.