Gurgle! Gurgle! Gurgle!
The Ghost Physician Venerable clutched his throat, his pupils contracting sharply as he spun around, staring at you in abject disbelief.
「You dare kill me?!」
Pfft!
Another fist-sized ice shard pierced upward through his chin, burrowing straight into his brain.
Beneath the effects of Supreme Mode, your face remained cold and impassive, completely blocking out the searing pain wracking your body. You fixed the Ghost Physician Venerable with an unwavering gaze.
「If I want to kill someone, I kill them. What's there to dare? Did I need your permission?」
Pfft!
You forced your numb arm to move, yanking the ice shards out of your chest and hurling them back at the corpse.
「No! No! NOOOOO!」
「His Royal Highness… he'll never let you get away with this… AAAAAGH!」
After letting out one final, desperate threat, the Ghost Physician Venerable's wounds erupted, and the decaying aura of the Heavenly Tribulation of Five Declines ran amok in his body. Countless tendrils of black mist swallowed him whole...
「His Royal Highness! Is that the true identity of the mastermind who sent the Ghost Physician Venerable?」
「So it really is someone from the Qianyuan Imperial Family—a prince?」
Watching this scene unfold in the simulator, Sun Qian's hands tightened into fists, then slowly relaxed.
He'd never expected the Ghost Physician Venerable to spill the beans about the mastermind right before he died.
A prince of the Qianyuan Imperial Family?
That made sense. Only someone of that status could command a lapdog like the Ghost Physician Venerable to come after him.
At the same time, a huge weight lifted off your chest.
His Royal Highness, not His Majesty.
That meant the mastermind had nothing to do with the Qianyuan Empire's Ninth-Rank Earth Immortal Emperor.
The pressure on you had just eased considerably.
「This gambit was risky, but it paid off. I got a crucial piece of intelligence, and I verified my true combat power firsthand.」
「When I go all out with the Nine Steps to the Heavens, I can even threaten a Heavenly Realm powerhouse.」
「With a capable assistant by my side, killing an ordinary Heavenly Realm cultivator wouldn't be impossible.」
「Besides, the entire fortune of a Third-Rank Heavenly Realm powerhouse is no small haul.」
Sun Qian fell silent, his gaze drifting back to the ongoing simulation.
Thud!
A fleshless corpse, reeking of decay, collapsed to the ground, motionless...
The Ghost Physician Venerable was dead.
You—at the Fourth Realm: Divine Ability—had crossed four major realms and killed a Third-Rank Heavenly Realm powerhouse.
If this feat were to spread back to the Imperial Capital, it would shake the entire Qianyuan Empire to its core.
But you had no time to dwell on that. You knelt down and began to loot the corpse.
Your first target was the Ghost Physician Venerable's Heavenly Realm Artifact—the glowing mirror. Next, you reached for the storage ring on his finger...
The ring still hummed with the ghost of his residual spiritual consciousness. Weak as you were now, you couldn't open it just yet.
But you had no doubt that a Heavenly Realm powerhouse's personal stash would be an astronomical fortune.
Just as you were about to examine the ring more closely, you noticed the communication token hanging from the Ghost Physician Venerable's waist suddenly start to vibrate...
It seemed someone was sending a message.
Finish the target as soon as possible. Bring the Emperor Bone back to the Imperial Capital.
You stared at the message on the token, realizing instantly that this was almost certainly the mastermind contacting the Ghost Physician Venerable...
Clearly, the mastermind was growing impatient for your Supreme Emperor Bone, urging the Ghost Physician Venerable to act faster.
But right now, they had no idea their lackey was already dead.
You realized this was a golden opportunity—you could impersonate the Ghost Physician Venerable and pry out more information.
Your Highness, there's been an accident. The target was rescued by Sun Family remnants. Has something gone wrong in the Imperial Capital?
You decided to test the waters about the situation back home.
But the other end fell into a long, tense silence.
You're not that old slave Eunuch Xuan. Who are you?
You'd been exposed!
You were slightly surprised—apparently, your message had contained some fatal flaw—but you didn't feel the least bit disappointed.
So what if you'd been found out? So be it!
Heh heh. Who am I? I'm the very person you've been hunting this whole time. I already slaughtered that old eunuch dog. Don't worry—you'll be next.
You're Sun Qian!!!
Crack!
Ignoring the mastermind's shocked roar, you crushed the communication token in your palm, leaving no trace behind.
You glanced at the Ghost Physician Venerable's skeletal remains on the ground, hesitated for a moment, then stuffed them into your storage pouch as well.
Having finished all this, you finally lost your grip on Supreme Mode. Your body went limp, and you collapsed into a warm embrace.
Su Mei had appeared behind you at some point, supporting your weight with her slender arms.
Protective talismans were stuck all over her body, shielding her from the aftershocks of the battle.
Brother Qian, are you okay?
I'm fine… just killed an old dog. Finally avenged Su Meng and Sun Zhong. Your voice was weak as you lay in Su Mei's arms, feeling as if all your strength had been drained away.
Tap!
Ye Fan's figure stepped out from the distance, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He stared at you with predatory eyes.
Sun Qian, I underestimated you. Who would've thought the arrogant playboy of Magic City could kill a Heavenly Realm powerhouse!
But I know the side effects of the Nine Steps to the Heavens better than anyone. Your lifespan is almost burned out by now. I still have a hundred years left. You're no match for me.
Now, tell me where Liu Yue is, and hand over that Heavenly Realm powerhouse's storage ring. I'll give you a quick, painless death.
Despite his tough talk, Ye Fan's gaze was still filled with wariness as he looked at you.
He'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't impressed. If he'd been the one facing the Ghost Physician Venerable earlier, he doubted he would've stood a chance. But you'd used every trick in the book to take the old monster down.
That was why he'd hidden in the shadows the entire time—even after taking a palm strike from the Ghost Physician Venerable, he'd played dead, waiting until you were at your weakest to make his move...
In Ye Fan's eyes, you were finished now. Su Mei's Cursed Hex Pupil was useless in the short term, leaving her as vulnerable as an ordinary girl...
The odds were stacked in his favor.
Faced with Ye Fan's malice and threats, you lay in Su Mei's arms, weak and exhausted, but not the least bit afraid. You twitched the corner of your mouth into a mocking smile and spoke.
Looking for Liu Yue? Isn't she right behind you?