28: Chapter 28 Murder

"But today... you must die!"

Boom!

Terrifying Devilish Qi erupted from his body, his cultivation instantly breaking through the Void Refining Stage Peak and reaching half-step Tribulation Transcendence!

This was a forbidden technique that burned one's Origin.

Once used, one would either kill the enemy or die themselves.

"Blood Sacrifice Demonic Technique?" Bai Yu raised an eyebrow. "That rat Shadow Demon is certainly willing to pay the price."

Shadow Brake wasted no more words, transforming into a black demonic shadow and instantly charging in front of Bai Yu.

This strike was fast to the extreme.

But Bai Yu simply raised his hand and threw out an indifferent punch.

Wherever the punch's force passed, space shattered inch by inch.

Bang!

Fist and palm collided.

The terrifying shockwave instantly blew away the entire main building of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion.

The dust cleared.

Shadow Brake knelt on the ground, his right arm already exploded into a bloody mist.

He looked at Bai Yu in disbelief: "Impossible... You are clearly only at the Middle Stage of Void Refinement... Why..."

"Why can I cripple you with one punch?" Bai Yu walked up to him, looking down at him from above. "Because I am Bai Yu."

"It's that simple."

After saying that, Bai Yu stepped on Shadow Brake's head.

"Speak, what did Shadow Demon Venerable send you here to do?"

Shadow Brake gave a tragic laugh: "Kill you... kill all your Disciples... destroy everything you have..."

"And then?"

"And then... he will wait for you at the Northern Border Passage..." Shadow Brake coughed up a mouthful of blood. "He said... you would definitely go... because of that seventh disciple of yours..."

A flash of killing intent crossed Bai Yu's eyes: "What happened to Little Qi?"

"She... she is in the Upper Realm... and has been refined into a Puppet... by the Lord of the Clouds..."

After saying these words, Shadow Brake's breath was completely cut off.

Bai Yu stood where he was, clenching his fists.

Refined into a Puppet?

"Lord of the Clouds..." Bai Yu whispered the name, a cold fury burning in his eyes. "I'll remember you."

---

Chapter 18: Qian Ji' Calculation, the Truth of the Northern Border Passage

Amidst the ruins of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, Bai Yu retracted his foot and looked at Shadow Brake's corpse, falling into deep thought.

Qian Ji walked out from the ruins and adjusted his glasses.

"Revered Master, your Disciple just searched Shadow Brake's storage ring." He handed over a Jade Slip. "Inside are the detailed plans of Shadow Demon Venerable."

Bai Yu took the Jade Slip and sent his Divine Sense into it.

The next second, his expression turned grim.

The contents of the Jade Slip were very simple—

Shadow Demon Venerable had set an inescapable trap at the Northern Border Passage, just waiting for Bai Yu to walk into it.

And the so-called "opening of the passage" was nothing but a trap.

The real passage was in the Western Border.

"That rat..." Bai Yu sneered. "His calculations are quite deep."

"Not only that." Qian Ji pulled up another piece of information. "Your Disciple just cracked Shadow Brake's memories and discovered an even more terrifying fact."

"Speak."

"Seventh Junior Sister is indeed in the Upper Realm," Qian Ji said in a low voice. "But she has not been refined into a Puppet."

Bai Yu was stunned: "What do you mean?"

"What Shadow Brake said just now was a lie," Qian Ji explained. "Shadow Demon Venerable intentionally had him say that to provoke you, hoping you would lose your mind and charge straight to the Northern Border to die."

"Although Seventh Junior Sister is trapped in the Upper Realm, she is still alive, and..." Qian Ji paused. "She seems to be planning something."

Bai Yu was silent for a moment.

"Eldest Disciple, did you know all this long ago?"

Qian Ji gave a bitter smile: "Revered Master is wise. Your Disciple did indeed find out long ago, but I didn't dare tell you."

"Why?"

"Because your Disciple feared you would be impulsive," Qian Ji said seriously. "With your personality, if you knew Seventh Junior Sister was suffering in the Upper Realm, you would definitely rush up there regardless of the consequences."

"But the time is not yet right."

"Your cultivation is only at the Middle Stage of Void Refinement, while those old monsters in the Upper Realm are all at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage. If you go up, you will only be sending yourself to your death."

Bai Yu stared at Qian Ji, and after a long time, he sighed.

"Eldest Disciple, you've changed."

Qian Ji was stunned.

"In the past, you only calculated against enemies." Bai Yu patted his shoulder. "Now you're even calculating against me."

Qian Ji' Face turned pale: "Revered Master, your Disciple didn't..."

"Enough, I know you were doing it for my own good," Bai Yu interrupted him. "But in the future, tell me about such things in advance."

"I don't like being kept in the dark."

Qian Ji breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes."

Bai Yu turned to look at the night sky beyond the ruins.

"Since the Northern Border is a trap, I won't go there." A cold light flashed in his eyes. "But since that rat Shadow Demon has set up a game, if I don't go, wouldn't that be failing to give him Face?"

Qian Ji' heart stirred: "Revered Master, you mean..."

"Beat him at his own game." Bai Yu sneered. "I'll go to the Northern Border, but not to die. I'm going to... wipe him out."

Qian Ji froze for a moment, then understood.

"Revered Master, you want to..."

"Right." Bai Yu nodded. "Shadow Demon Venerable thinks I'll lose my mind and rush over, so I'll pretend to have lost my mind."

"When he lets his guard down..."

Bai Yu clenched his fist.

"I'll crush him with one punch."

A flash of excitement crossed Qian Ji' eyes.

This was the Master he knew.

Always playing outside the rules, always able to find a way to break the deadlock in a desperate situation.

"Revered Master, your Disciple will arrange it immediately," Qian Ji said quickly. "I will release news saying that you've lost your mind due to the matter of Seventh Junior Sister and are preparing to force your way into the Northern Border Passage."

"At the same time, I will secretly mobilize all our forces to coordinate with your actions."

"Very good." Bai Yu nodded in satisfaction.

Just then, Gu Yelian and Mo Chi walked over.

The injuries on both of them had already been treated.

"Revered Master." Gu Yelian looked at Bai Yu with concern. "Are you really going to the Northern Border?"

"I am," Bai Yu nodded. "But you two don't need to follow."

"Why?" Mo Chi asked, puzzled.

"Because this time, I'm going alone." Bai Yu turned to look at them. "You stay here and help Eldest Disciple guard the Heavenly Secret Pavilion."

"Once I've wiped out Shadow Demon Venerable, I'll take you to the Upper Realm."

Gu Yelian opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately just nodded.

She knew that since Master said so, he must be certain of success.

Three days later.

Northern Border, deep within the ice fields.

A massive spatial rift floated in mid-air, emitting a deep blue light.

That was the legendary passage leading to the Upper Realm.

Around the rift, hundreds of figures waited quietly.

The leader was none other than Shadow Demon Venerable.

He wore a black demonic robe and a ghost-Face mask, his whole body radiating a terrifying pressure.

Void Refining Stage Peak.

Behind him were the remaining twelve of the Thirteen Demonic Generals.

Every single one of them was at the Void Refinement Stage.

"Venerable One." One of the demonic generals spoke up. "Will Bai Yu really come?"

"He will." Shadow Demon Venerable sneered. "With his personality, hearing that his seventh disciple was refined into a Puppet, he will definitely lose his mind."

"Furthermore..." He looked at the spatial rift. "I have already laid a killing array within the rift. As long as he dares to enter, it will be a path to certain death."

Just as he finished speaking.

A dragon's roar suddenly echoed from the distance.

The nine nether bone dragon carriage broke through the clouds and descended with a crash.

Bai Yu stood on the dragon's head, looking coldly down at Shadow Demon Venerable below.

"Shadow, five hundred years have passed and you still love playing dirty tricks."

Shadow Demon Venerable looked up, and seeing Bai Yu, a flash of smugness crossed his eyes.

"Bai Yu, you really did come."

"Nonsense." Bai Yu leapt down from the bone dragon carriage, landing steadily on the ice field. "My Disciple is in the Upper Realm; if I don't come, who will?"

"Then you can go and die." Shadow Demon Venerable waved his hand. "Attack!"

The twelve demonic generals attacked simultaneously, terrifying Devilish Qi instantly enveloping the entire ice field.

But Bai Yu just raised his hand and gave a light wave.

An invisible force instantly shattered all the Devilish Qi.

"That's it?" Bai Yu sneered. "Shadow, did you overestimate these subordinates of yours?"

Shadow Demon Venerable's expression changed.

He suddenly realized that Bai Yu's aura... was wrong.

This was not the Middle Stage of Void Refinement.

This was... the Void Refining Stage Peak!

"Impossible!" Shadow Demon Venerable cried out. "How could you have broken through to the Peak so quickly?"

"Why don't you guess?" Bai Yu smiled.

In the next second, his body moved, instantly vanishing from where he stood.

When he reappeared, he was already in front of a demonic general.

He threw a punch.

That demonic general didn't even have time to react before being blasted into a bloody mist by the punch.

[Ding! Killed a Void Refinement Stage Cultivator, absorbing cultivation Origin!]

[Current Cultivation: Void Refining Stage Peak (99%)]

Bai Yu grinned.

"Just a little more, and I'll be able to break through to the Tribulation Transcendence Stage."

He turned to look at the remaining eleven demonic generals.

"You all... come at me together."