Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell

The System's warning was like a splash of ice water, instantly extinguishing the slightest complacency Nightmare felt from his increase in strength.

Qinglan Sect's kill order! And it was personally issued by Immortal Master Yuheng, a Nascent Soul Cultivator! The priority is extremely high!

This meant that he had moved to the top of the Qinglan Sect's kill list. It was no longer a task for ordinary Disciples or the Enforcement Hall, but a target that the entire Sect's high-level management was focused on and determined to eliminate quickly! The reward would undoubtedly be generous enough to tempt Peak Golden Core Stage and even Early Nascent Soul Stage old monsters!

What was even more troublesome was that this kill order could spread to the Southern Wasteland Demon Domain, and even some demon Cultivators could receive it! The Qinglan Sect's influence here, or rather, the price Immortal Master Yuheng paid, far exceeded his expectations!

"They really... think highly of me," Nightmare's eyes glinted with cold light. Far from being afraid, a chilling malevolence was ignited within him.

He quickly checked his condition. His injuries had recovered by seventy percent, his Demonic Essence was abundant, the demonic vine seedling's strength had greatly increased after evolving, and the 'life leaf talisman' gifted by the Wood Spirit Clan continuously nourished him. Although not at his Peak, he now had the strength to fight.

He couldn't just sit and wait for death! He had to leave this temporary Immortal Cave immediately!

Nightmare didn't hesitate, instantly retracting the Restriction. His figure shot out of the cave like a wisp of smoke, simultaneously extending his Divine Sense to its maximum extent, vigilantly scanning his surroundings.

Sure enough! The moment he appeared!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three sharp sword lights tore through the air from three different directions, instantly locking onto him! On top of the sword lights stood three Cultivators dressed in Qinglan Sect inner Sect attire: two Middle Golden Core, and one Early Golden Core Stage! Their eyes held undisguised killing intent and a hint of greed!

"Nightmare! It really is you! By Junior Martial Uncle Yuheng's decree, I'll take your dog life!" The leading Middle Golden Core Cultivator shouted sternly. With a flick of his sword art, a thick green sword aura cleaved down directly at Nightmare's head!

The other two also attacked simultaneously, their sword lights interwoven into a net, sealing off all of Nightmare's escape routes!

Clearly, they had already ambushed him nearby, just waiting for Nightmare to appear!

"Just you lot?" Nightmare sneered, not bothering to clash head-on.

Executing the Demonic Shadow Evasion Technique to its extreme, his figure flickered like a ghost, slipping through a gap in the sword net at the last possible moment, while simultaneously flicking his right hand repeatedly!

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Three condensed Soul Shattering Finger forces were not shot at the three individuals, but precisely aimed at the spiritual light connection points of the Flying Swords beneath their feet!

The three Cultivators hadn't expected Nightmare's movement technique to be so strange, nor his finger force so tricky. The spiritual light of their Flying Swords instantly became chaotic, their sword arts were interrupted, and their bodies abruptly stiffened!

Seizing this opportunity, Nightmare had already transformed into a black streak, rapidly fleeing into the distance!

"Chase him! Don't let him get away!" The three Cultivators were both shocked and enraged. Steadying their Flying Swords, they pushed them to their limit and pursued relentlessly.

However, the Demonic Shadow Evasion Technique, which had fused with the Xiangliu Poison and the demonic vine's characteristics, was far superior in speed to those of the same stage, and even more unpredictable. After a few flashes in the dense forest, he quickly widened the distance.

But those three Azure Mist Cultivators were clearly prepared. One of them took out a compass-shaped Magical Artifact, and after injecting a spell, the compass needle immediately locked onto Nightmare's escape direction!

"He has a tracking Magical Artifact!" Nightmare frowned. If this continued, he would eventually be exhausted to death, and the greater the commotion, the more enemies he would attract!

He had to get rid of them quickly!

His mind raced, and he instantly had an idea.

Nightmare changed direction, no longer fleeing towards secluded areas, but instead rushing towards the "Corrosive Poison Demon Forest," which the System had previously scanned and mentioned as having a large number of Tier 3 Corrosive Poison Spiders!

At the same time, he secretly communicated with the demonic vine seedling in his Dantian.

A moment later, Nightmare rushed into a dark forest filled with faint purple poisonous miasma and sticky spiderwebs covering the ground. From deep within the forest came a spine-chilling rustling sound.

The pursuers followed closely. Upon seeing the demon forest, a trace of apprehension appeared on their faces, but after looking at the tracking compass in their hands, they gritted their teeth and charged in.

As soon as they entered the Corrosive Poison Demon Forest, the tracking compass was interfered with by the poisonous miasma. The needle began to tremble slightly, and its accuracy dropped sharply.

The three Cultivators had to slow down and proceed cautiously.

Just then!

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Dozens of pitch-black, hideous demonic vines, exuding an evil and deathly aura, shot out without warning from the mud and spiderwebs beneath their feet, like tentacles from Hell, instantly coiling around their legs!

These were precisely the demonic vine Clones that Nightmare had released in advance and ambushed here!

"What is this?!"

The three Cultivators were greatly alarmed and hastily swung their swords to cut at the demonic vines!

But the evolved demonic vines were incredibly tough and contained the characteristic of "evil corrosion." Their Flying Swords struck them, producing sounds like metal clashing, leaving only shallow marks. Instead, their Divine Sense was stung by the mental pollution emitted by the demonic vines, and their movements faltered!

In that brief moment of hesitation, more demonic vines coiled around them, and their devouring power erupted, frantically absorbing their protective Spiritual Qi and vital essence!

"Not good! It's a trap!" The leading Cultivator was horrified, struggling desperately as if caught in a swamp!

Meanwhile, Nightmare's figure appeared like a ghost behind a giant poisonous mushroom, his eyes cold and emotionless, forming hand Seals!

Soul Shattering Finger! His target was the weakest Cultivator, the Early Golden Core Stage Stage one!

Strike him when he's down, finish him off!

Puchi!

The Early Golden Core Stage Stage Cultivator was already flustered by the entanglement of the demonic vines and couldn't dodge at all. His glabella was instantly pierced, his eyes lost focus, and he died on the spot!

"Ding! Killed an Qinglan Sect Early Golden Core Stage Stage Cultivator, gained villain points +1000!"

Seeing this, the other two were terrified and completely lost their Battle Intent, desperately burning their vital blood to break free from the demonic vines and escape!

But how could Nightmare give them a chance?

The demonic vines frantically coiled and devoured, weakening their strength. Nightmare transformed into a demonic shadow, like a grim reaper harvesting lives, and the Soul Shattering Finger was like an emissary of death, each strike inevitably taking away a sliver of life!

In just ten breaths of time!

The other two Middle Golden Core Cultivators were also successively drained of their Spiritual Qi by the demonic vines, or had their Divine Souls annihilated by the Soul Shattering Finger, turning into two shriveled corpses!

"Ding! Killed 2 Qinglan Sect Middle Golden Core Stage Cultivators, gained villain points +2400!"

"Current villain points: 14800!"

The battle ended, and Nightmare quickly cleaned up the battlefield, collecting the three Storage Pouches and the tracking compass. He then used demonic fire to burn the bodies to ashes, erasing all traces.

He carefully examined the compass and found a very faint mark at its core, which was connected to his aura. It was clearly a tracking mark placed by Immortal Master Yuheng through some secret technique.

"Hmph, quite a clever method," Nightmare snorted coldly. He tried to erase it with Demonic Essence, but found the mark extremely stubborn, fused with the compass itself, and difficult to remove.

His eyes flashed. Instead of destroying the compass, he put it into the System space, temporarily isolating and sealing it with the System's power.

Having done all this, he dared not linger and immediately left the Corrosive Poison Demon Forest, continuing his escape.

However, the Qinglan Sect's pursuit did not stop; instead, it intensified.

Over the next few days, Nightmare encountered several more waves of ambushes. There were Qinglan Sect Disciples, Loose Cultivators who came after hearing the news and wanted to claim the bounty, and even one or two Golden Core Stage Yao Beasts lured by special means!

These enemies varied in cultivation level and methods, keeping Nightmare busy. Although he managed to counter-kill all the enemies with the demonic vine's strangeness and his own ruthlessness, gaining a considerable amount of villain points, his injury recovery was affected, his Demonic Essence consumption was huge, and his spirit remained in a state of high tension.

What alarmed him even more was that the pursuers were getting stronger and appearing more frequently! It was as if an invisible net was slowly closing in!

He had to leave the Southern Wasteland Demon Domain as soon as possible! Otherwise, he would eventually be exhausted to death, or attract an uncontrollable existence!

One day, Nightmare had just dealt with two Middle Golden Core Stage Loose Cultivators and hadn't even had time to catch his breath when his expression suddenly changed!

An incredibly powerful Divine Sense, far beyond the Golden Core Stage, swept across the sky like a storm, instantly locking onto his location!

A Nascent Soul Cultivator?! Although it wasn't Immortal Master Yuheng's main body, it was definitely a Divine Sense from the Nascent Soul Stage!

Nightmare didn't even think, unleashing the Demonic Shadow Evasion Technique to its fullest, fleeing desperately in the opposite direction of the Divine Sense's origin!

But that Divine Sense clung to him like a maggot, locking onto him tightly and rapidly approaching with terrifying speed!

"Junior! Where do you think you're going to run?!" A cold, aged voice thundered behind him, carrying the unique pressure of a Nascent Soul Cultivator, making his Qi and blood churn!

He couldn't escape!

The speed difference between them was too great!

A trace of despair flashed in Nightmare's eyes, then transformed into a frantic resolve! Even if he died, he would make the other party lose a few teeth!

He abruptly stopped, turned around, his Demonic Essence frantically circulating, the demonic vine seedling in his Dantian ready to strike, preparing for a desperate struggle!

However, the moment he turned around, he froze.

He saw a dazzling golden escape light clashing fiercely with a clear, azure sword light in the distant sky, erupting in earth-shattering roars! The Nascent Soul Divine Sense that had locked onto him seemed to have been forcibly intercepted by the owner of the golden escape light!

"Ao Cang! Why do you hinder me?!" The cold, aged voice was filled with shock and anger.

A bold and unrestrained voice laughed loudly: "Hahaha! Old man Yu Qing, I've taken a liking to this little fellow. Don't come to the Southern Wasteland to cause trouble with your Qinglan Sect's messy affairs!"

Ao Cang? Sounds like a demon Cultivator? Why would he help me?

Nightmare was filled with doubt and surprise, but he couldn't afford to think too much at this moment. This was a heaven-sent opportunity to escape!

Without hesitation, he turned around again, pushing his speed to the limit, and frantically fled into the distance!

At the same time, he hardened his heart, took out the sealed tracking compass from the System space, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes, but he still threw it fiercely in another direction!

Furthermore, he forced out a drop of his vital essence blood, wrapped it with a trace of his own aura, attached it to the compass, and then activated the compass with a secret technique, causing it to transform into a streak of light and fly away at an extremely fast speed!

Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell!

Having done all this, Nightmare immediately activated a secret technique from the Myriad Poison Demonic Scripture to conceal his aura, and at the same time, placed the life leaf talisman on his chest, isolating his own fluctuations to the greatest extent. He changed direction and stealthily headed towards the most secluded path out of the Southern Wasteland Demon Domain that the System had scanned.

Sure enough, the Nascent Soul Cultivator's angry roars and sounds of struggle quickly faded into the distance. The Divine Sense that had locked onto him seemed to have been attracted by the compass carrying his vital essence blood aura!

It worked!

Nightmare dared not linger for a moment, traveling day and night. Several days later, he finally crossed the border of the Southern Wasteland Demon Domain without incident.

When he stepped out of that wild and dangerous land, feeling the gradually thinning yet familiar turbid Spiritual Qi in the air, he felt as if a lifetime had passed.

Ahead was a relatively gentle hilly area, with faint signs of Mortal cooking smoke visible in the distance.

For now... he was safe.

Nightmare let out a long sigh of relief, but his eyes remained solemn.

The Qinglan Sect's kill order would definitely not be canceled because of his departure; instead, it might be even more effective in Human Race territory. The reason why that demon Cultivator named Ao Cang helped him was also a mystery.

He had to fully recover from his injuries as soon as possible, improve his strength, and figure out the current situation.

His gaze swept towards the distant Mortal village, and he had a plan in mind.

His figure flickered, and he headed towards the village. The most urgent task was to find a place to go into seclusion, digest all his gains, and initially refine that azure luan inheritance plume!

Only strength was fundamental!