Wang Hao summoned Xiaobai and Yaya to his side.

“Fellow Daoist, are you truly determined to fight me to the death?”

“Two low-grade Tier 2 spirit beasts? What can they possibly do to me?” As the man spoke, he flicked his wrist, tossing two metal spheres onto the ground.

The spheres clattered loudly against the rock. Moments later, they mechanically unfolded, transforming into angular, sharp-edged monkeys.

“Puppet Beasts?” Wang Hao narrowed his eyes. He had inquired about such items before, hoping to purchase one, but he had never found a reliable channel.

“Oh? You have some knowledge after all. That’s right—these are low-grade Tier 2 Puppet Beasts crafted by your Grandfather here. Kid, give up your resistance, and I’ll make sure you suffer less torment.”

The yellow-robed cultivator was intent on toying with Wang Hao; he relished the feeling of slowly draining his enemy’s hope.

“That remains to be seen.”

Wang Hao ordered Xiaobai and Yaya to entangle the two puppets while he retrieved a blue talisman. First-tier talismans were useless against an opponent of this caliber; he had to escalate the battle immediately.

This was a Water Needle Talisman he had obtained earlier—a solid mid-grade Tier 2 item that should have some effect.

He threw the Water Needle Talisman into the sky. The heavens suddenly darkened as a massive blue cloud, several hundred zhang in size, manifested in mid-air.

“A Water Needle Talisman! How dare you, kid!” The yellow-robed cultivator finally lost his earlier composure.

The cloud mass churned violently. Countless ice needles began to condense within the vapor, emitting a bone-piercing chill as they poised to strike.

Not daring to rely solely on his top-grade defensive spirit artifact, the yellow-robed cultivator rapidly cast several fire-based spells toward the sky, attempting to burn away the cloud layer’s thickness. Simultaneously, he conjured a ring of revolving fire shields around himself to block the incoming barrage.

Finally resolving to kill, the yellow-robed cultivator decided to eliminate Wang Hao first to prevent him from activating more talismans.

A flash of golden light streaked out as his alms bowl shot forth, smashing toward Wang Hao with crushing force. He also imitated Wang Hao by throwing out a handful of talismans. The strongest among them was a low-grade Tier 2 Fire Rain Talisman—though he was clearly not as extravagant as Wang Hao when it came to expending resources.

The two ape puppets also began their assault.

However, puppets ultimately couldn’t compare to living creatures. Even though their attack power and defenses were formidable, their flexibility was significantly compromised. For the time being, they couldn’t gain an advantage over the agile Xiaobai and Yaya.

As an expert in talisman combat, Wang Hao naturally wasn’t afraid of the yellow-robed cultivator’s bombardment. He similarly threw out a handful of spirit talismans to counter the incoming fire and brought out the Chaos Earth Seal to block the golden alms bowl.

Boom!

A violent collision shattered everything within several dozen zhang into dust.

The Chaos Earth Seal was no match for the alms bowl and was knocked flying, though fortunately, it was sturdy enough not to crack. Wang Hao was blasted away by the residual force; his clothes were torn to shreds, and even his inner armor was ripped open.

He grunted, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

The yellow-robed cultivator wanted to press the advantage, but the Water Needle Talisman’s attack commenced.

Dense clusters of ice needles blanketed the sky, raining down upon the yellow-robed cultivator. Forced to abandon his pursuit of Wang Hao, he focused entirely on controlling his fire shields for defense.

Muffled crackling sounds echoed as thick fog billowed forth from the collision of ice and fire.

Seizing the opportunity, Wang Hao summoned Xiaoyue and Xiaodie, ordering them to attack the yellow-robed cultivator while he slashed at his opponent with his sword.

Xiaoyue and Xiaodie fluttered their wings, releasing two beams of hallucinatory divine light.

The yellow-robed cultivator proved worthy of being a late Foundation Establishment expert. Even with his vision obscured by the thick fog, he remained alert to Wang Hao’s movements. With swift dodges, he evaded Wang Hao’s flying sword and used a small yellow shield to block one beam of hallucinatory light.

However, he hadn’t anticipated that Wang Hao possessed two Phantom Moon Butterflies.

While he dodged one beam, the second struck him squarely.

Instantly, the yellow-robed cultivator felt his consciousness drift. It was as if he had returned home, forty years ago. His wife sat by the bed, smiling gently at him, while his two-year-old son crawled across the floor…

“Wrong! This is an illusion!”

In just a few breaths, the yellow-robed cultivator abruptly snapped back to reality.

“Too late!”

Wang Hao’s voice rang out cold and sharp.

In a battle between experts, a single instant could decide the outcome—let alone several breaths. The Child-Mother Green Light Sword swept gently across the yellow-robed cultivator’s neck.

Clutching his throat, the man tried in vain to stop the blood spraying forth.

“I refuse… to accept this…”

A wet gurgling sound bubbled from his throat as the man in yellow staggered a few steps before collapsing to the ground, never to rise again.

Wang Hao swayed as he stood up. His inner armor was destroyed, and he had sustained serious injuries that would require recuperation in a safe place.

He glanced at Yaya and Xiaobai; they were still locked in combat with the Puppet Beasts. Even though their master had fallen, puppets would not cease attacking as long as their energy reserves remained.

Wang Hao intended to keep these two puppets—they were Tier 2 constructs of considerable value. He ordered Xiaobai and Yaya to engage them from a distance in a battle of attrition, careful not to damage the chassis.

But at that moment, another streak of light pierced the sky.

Moments later, a man in green robes arrived above the small island. It was the Foundation Establishment third-layer cultivator who had finally caught up!

The newcomer surveyed the situation on the island. When his gaze landed on the corpse of the yellow-robed cultivator, his expression twisted into utter disbelief.

“You… you actually killed Big Brother!”

Wang Hao wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, revealing a sinister grin. “That’s right; I killed him. What? Do you want to join him?”

The man’s eyes darted around nervously. After a split second of hesitation, he suddenly threw out a handful of talismans and turned to flee!

Wang Hao would never let him escape. Not only was the risk of other accomplices too high, but leaving a witness alive was a future threat he could not afford. A mere early Foundation Establishment cultivator—against Wang Hao and his full menagerie of spirit beasts?

There was no way he would let this prey walk away.

He immediately ordered Yaya and the Phantom Moon Butterfly, Xiaodie, into attack mode. Simultaneously, he swallowed a Qi Restoration Pill and soared into flight on his sword, chasing the green-robed man overhead.

As the pill dissolved, Wang Hao felt a surge of restored True Essence. He immediately hurled out a Crimson Lotus Flower.

Even before the crimson lotus approached, the green-robed man felt an unbearable heat wash over his back, parching his throat instantly.

He dared not face it head-on. He tried maneuvering his flying sword to evade, but attacks from Yaya and the Phantom Moon Butterfly blocked his escape routes. Forced into a corner, he resorted to using a flower basket-shaped magic tool to block the strike.

BOOM!!!

Crimson fiery clouds descended, and a massive scarlet mushroom cloud rose into the air. Flames billowed and heatwaves surged, turning the sky and sea a deep crimson within a hundred-zhang radius. An astonishing shockwave swept outward in all directions.

The green-robed man was sent flying backward from the fiery clouds, the flower basket in his hand now tattered and severely damaged.

Wang Hao’s boots flashed with spiritual light. His speed suddenly accelerated, closing the distance in a heartbeat.

He summoned the Chaos Earth Seal, which instantly swelled to the size of a small hill and smashed down toward the green-robed man.

With his defensive magic tool destroyed, the green-robed man could only use his flying sword to parry. A metallic clang rang out as the Chaos Earth Seal clashed with the white flying sword, locking them in a stalemate.

At that moment, Yaya’s lightning attack surged again.

Fear flashed across the green-robed man’s face as he hastily retreated. The Chaos Earth Seal seized the momentum, its glow intensifying as it smashed the white flying sword aside and sent the man flying backward.

Having lost both his magic tools, the green-robed man’s fate was sealed.

Before he could steady his stance, he was enveloped by two beams of hallucinatory divine light from Xiaoyue and Xiaodie. As he fell into a daze, Yaya unleashed an azure thunderbolt that directly extinguished his life force.

Wang Hao ordered Yaya to retrieve the man’s Storage Bag and quickly returned to the small island.

The two Puppet Beasts, their energy finally exhausted by Xiaobai, lay motionless on the ground.

After a brief cleanup to cover his tracks and collecting the magic tools and Storage Bag from the yellow-robed man, Wang Hao hurriedly fled toward the horizon.

After half a day of continuous flight, he found another small, desolate island. Detecting no signs of high-tier demon beasts nearby, he hastily burrowed underground, carved out a simple secret chamber, and began recuperating.

Time passed quickly.

Nearly a month later, Wang Hao finally recovered from his injuries. After finishing his cultivation session, he took out the harvested Storage Bags. He prepared to inventory his gains, deciding to start with the green-robed man’s loot and save the potential pleasant surprises for later.