After Wen Mingyu and the others entered the water, they searched the lake for a long time but found nothing.
Two Nascent Soul cultivators were investigating ahead, while she and her aunt followed behind.
The light of the searching spell plunged into the lake without leaving a trace, and after circling the lake once, they planned to go ashore to call Jiang Yin and the junior sister to come down and investigate, hoping to find some clues.
Unexpectedly, a change occurred at this moment.
Unbeknownst to them, the lake had been sealed by a formation, creating an inescapable cage between the surface and the bottom, trapping them inside.
No matter how they tried to break through, the powerful force was absorbed by the water in an instant, not even causing a ripple.
Instead, the binding effect of the formation grew stronger, pressing down so hard they couldn’t even lift their hands.
Before long, the four of them were immobilized.
Suddenly, a fierce and menacing ghost appeared in the water, baring its fangs and claws as it lunged at them—it was Xia Ci.
His eyes glowed with a sinister red light, and anyone who met his gaze was shaken to their core, unable to resist.
At the critical moment, Wen Fei bit her tongue, using her blood as ink to draw a talisman, hiding Wen Mingyu.
But she was already cursed, her mind bewitched, and after the formation concealed her, she mistakenly identified Tang Muxi and Jiang Yin as Xia Ci.
“Hurry!
We must save them quickly.
Xia Ci is extremely vicious, and his eyes are strange.
If he captures them, their lives could be in danger at any moment!”
She didn’t know how long she had delayed, but fortunately, it was still dark, so there should still be time.
Jiang Yin listened but didn’t act immediately.
“Don’t worry, Sister Mingyu.
Even if we go down now, it won’t help.
Without a way to break the formation in the water and deal with Xia Ci’s eyes, we can’t save them,” Tang Muxi gently reassured her.
Hearing this, Wen Mingyu suppressed her anxiety and recalled what Jiang Yin had said earlier, asking, “Did you say those eyes are the Netherworld Talisman?”
Tang Muxi nodded, “The Netherworld Talisman is the second most powerful artifact in the ghost realm.
It can split into countless patterns and has the ability to control the undead.
You were likely bewitched by its eyes because someone injected a ‘clone’ of the Netherworld Talisman into Xia Ci’s eyes.”
And that person is most likely Gan Sha.
Wen Mingyu gasped, never expecting to encounter such an artifact, and couldn’t help but regret underestimating the situation.
She should have borrowed the Jishi Lamp.
“Since there’s a formation underwater, why don’t we just blow up the entire Heart Lake?
No matter how Gan Sha hides, if his lair is destroyed, he’ll have to show himself!”
Tang Muxi suggested.
Wen Mingyu’s eyes lit up at the thought of the stack of Earth-grade talismans in Tang Muxi’s hand, even feeling a bit of heat in her throat.
Jiang Yin also agreed, nodding in approval, “Yes.”
With their support, Tang Muxi wasted no time and took out all the talismans from her storage ring.
Using them all at once would be wasteful and leave them without a backup plan, so she only took out half and placed them around Heart Lake.
While Tang Muxi prepared to blow up Heart Lake, Jiang Yin and Wen Mingyu set up several formations, sealing the entire Xia Mansion tightly.
“Do you have a small world?”
Jiang Yin suddenly asked while setting up the formation.
Wen Mingyu paused, puzzled, “I do, but why?”
“Isolate the Xia Mansion from the earth veins and immerse it entirely in the small world.
Even if we can’t defeat them, we can forcibly imprison them here.”
“Miss Jiang, you’re truly brilliant,” Wen Mingyu immediately complied.
Speaking of small worlds, Jiang Yin also had one, but she was reluctant to use it, fearing it might backfire on her.
Once everything was ready, Tang Muxi retreated to a safe distance and used her magic to detonate the runes buried by the lake.
She had specifically chosen powerful Heavenly Thunder Talismans, which could unleash over a dozen Nascent Soul-level thunderbolts when activated.
There were more than ten Heavenly Thunder Talismans by the lake, and activating them together could summon hundreds of thunderbolts.
Even if Xia Ci had turned into an evil spirit, he couldn’t withstand such an assault.
The runes spun rapidly, and as the Heavenly Thunder Talismans activated, the entire sky was filled with blinding lightning, roaring like a beast of destruction, unleashing unprecedented power.
Thunder rumbled, dark clouds gathered, and the violent thunderbolts descended from the sky, all striking Heart Lake.
Fortunately, the Xia Manor was taken into Wen Mingyu’s Small World.
If it had remained in the city, this action might have implicated half the city.
The Small World was shaken violently by the explosion, scaring Wen Mingyu into quickly stabilizing the magical artifact.
The heavenly thunder connected with the formation in the lake, causing a deafening and earth-shattering impact.
The intense power continuously struck the formation, one wave after another.
The formation couldn’t withstand it and couldn’t absorb it in time, soon developing cracks.
By the time all the heavenly thunder had fallen, the lake water had completely disappeared, leaving only a lakebed that was unrecognizable.
As the dust settled, Xia Ci was forced to reveal himself and immediately attacked Tang Muxi.
Jiang Yin had anticipated this and immediately summoned the Imprisoning Demon Sword, using offense as defense.
She knew Xia Ci’s eyes contained the patterns of the Netherworld Talisman, which could confuse the mind or even control it if seen.
Therefore, she didn’t dare to look directly and only used her divine sense to track the enemy’s movements.
At the same time, Xia Ci’s “lair” appeared behind him, a hemispherical barrier inverted on the lakebed.
Through the strands of sinister ghostly energy, the three captured Nascent Soul cultivators could be seen.
The lair was filled with lost souls, like a ghostly domain adrift in the void, exuding a chilling aura.
Tang Muxi saw Wen Fei’s pale face and unstable spirit, showing signs of soul separation and confusion, and exclaimed, “Master!”
She simultaneously drew her bow with the Illusion God, forming several sharp arrows and fiercely shooting them at the barrier.
Xia Ci naturally wouldn’t allow this, turning and crushing them in mid-air.
With his other hand, he unleashed a surge of ghostly energy, viciously attacking Tang Muxi.
Tang Muxi didn’t dare to face it head-on and threw out several talismans to defend herself.
Jiang Yin seized the opportunity when he turned to defend, sweeping her sword with all her might across his neck.
The Imprisoning Demon Sword was immensely powerful, and even though Jiang Yin could only exert part of its strength, the strike was still unstoppable.
Xia Ci couldn’t defend in time, and in an instant, his head was severed.
However, his actions paused only for a moment, and a crimson light flashed in his eyes, instantly healing the fatal wound.
Xia Ci grinned hideously, opening his cracked mouth to let out a piercing scream that penetrated the soul, making one’s head spin.
Jiang Yin couldn’t react in time and was momentarily affected, hesitating in her movements.
Although Xia Ci had his back to her, a sharp claw suddenly grew from his waist, swiftly striking at her heart.
“Senior Sister!”
Tang Muxi, also affected mentally, had been keeping an eye on Jiang Yin.
Seeing her attacked, her heart leaped, and she gripped the Illusion God, drawing her bow and forming an arrow.
Wen Mingyu also immediately threw the Mystic Fan, urgently attacking Xia Ci.
However, they were ultimately a step too slow.
They were too close, and the claw appeared without warning, piercing the heart in the blink of an eye.
—Squelch!
The body was penetrated, and the chilling ghostly energy spread out!
Jiang Yin smirked, the Imprisoning Demon Sword in her hand stabbing into Xia Ci’s body.
A golden dragon’s form suddenly appeared at her heart, roaring as it fiercely bit the attacking claw, crushing it with a slight force.
It was the Heart-Guarding Scale!
Tang Muxi had never been so grateful for using the golden dragon bone in the Heart-Guarding Scale; otherwise, the situation would have been dire.
The ice arrows and Mystic Fan pierced through Xia Ci’s body, the ferocious power nearly destroying half of it.
However, the “immortal and indestructible” Xia Ci’s eyes flashed red again, and the destroyed body instantly healed.
“So it’s these eyes causing trouble.”
Jiang Yin smirked, her eyes fierce, and with the Imprisoning Demon Sword embedded in Xia Ci’s body, she angrily slashed upward.
The sharp black blade tip, filled with violent energy, surged and roiled, cutting through everything in its path!
In an instant, it severed those eyes that glowed with a cold, nether light!
—Ah!!!
The wailing of a ghost echoed through the sky, and the surging ghostly energy quickly dissipated, an overwhelming force sweeping across the land.
“Retreat quickly!”
Jiang Yin immediately pulled back, taking Tang Muxi out of the Small World at once.
Wen Mingyu didn’t dare delay either, escaping with the “mini ghost domain” inverted on the lakebed.
The Netherworld Talisman’s patterns were severed by the Imprisoning Demon Sword, unable to reconnect, causing all the power contained within to collapse.
It not only destroyed the entire Xia Manor but also affected the vast Small World.
With hundreds of rolling heavenly thunders ahead and the collapse of the divine artifact’s patterns behind, Wen Mingyu’s Small World, only of low grade, couldn’t withstand it, cracking with a fissure spanning the heavens and earth.
Sensing the ghostly energy slightly leaking out, Wen Mingyu’s expression changed dramatically, cycling through several emotions before finally settling into a grim determination.
At this point, she finally realized why Jiang Yin had tricked her into transferring the Xia Mansion into her own small world.
“Miss Jiang is truly meticulous, to even foresee that this would eventually involve the entire Small World!”
Jiang Yin smiled faintly, checked Tang Muxi’s meridians, and only relaxed after confirming they were unharmed.
Casually putting away the Imprisoning Demon Sword, she praised, “Not at all, it’s Miss Wen who has a heart for the world. To prevent this border town from being implicated, she was willing to sacrifice her own Small World, truly admirable.”
Wen Mingyu’s expression changed back and forth, and finally, she glanced at the “mini ghost domain” and suppressed her regret for the time being.
She turned around, intending to shatter the barrier covering it with her fan.
“Hold on,” Jiang Yin stopped her.
“How could we trouble Pavilion Master Wen with this? Let me handle it.”
Pavilion Master Wen?
Wen Mingyu was suspicious, unsure of what she was up to now.
Tang Muxi glanced at the scene of rampant ghost energy within the barrier and immediately understood her Senior Sister’s intention.
She coughed lightly and agreed, “Let’s leave it to Senior Sister. Mingyu, please wait for a moment.”
Even the little junior sister was persuading her, so Wen Mingyu couldn’t insist and handed the barrier over to Jiang Yin.
Jiang Yin swiftly took over, used the Imprisoning Demon Sword to break the barrier, and immediately transferred the three trapped cultivators out before sealing it again.
She was so fast that not a trace of ghost energy leaked out.
Finally, she naturally took out her small world and stuffed the patched-up “mini ghost domain” inside.
“Pavilion Master Wen, please.”
So she had a small world!
And she only brought it out now to take advantage!
Wen Mingyu saw her looking so justified and couldn’t hold back anymore, gritting her teeth as she mocked, “Miss Jiang is quite quick…”
“Not at all,” Jiang Yin humbly smiled, as if someone was praising her.
