Before his words could fully fade, threads of verdant green light began to flow across the surface of the Chaotic Sky Hammer.

It swelled against the wind.

Mysterious wood-grain patterns spread rapidly across the weapon’s body. In an instant, it transformed into a colossal wooden mallet shimmering with a faint, ghostly green glow—a fusion of vitality and destruction.

“Kill!”

Almost the exact moment Zhou Kai moved, two figures shot out from the woods behind him.

Fish Baibai’s large eyes gleamed with unbridled excitement. She had already spat out her half-eaten spirit herb, her clear voice ringing out, “Wait for me, Junior Brother! How can you have all the fun without me!”

The other figure was the outrageously flashy Gao Feiyang. His posture was dashing, his cape flapping loudly behind him. The fourteen large characters embroidered on his back gleamed obnoxiously under the dappled forest light.

With hand seals formed, seven flying swords of various designs circled his body, their sword aura sharp and cold.

“You think you trash can bait this master?” Gao Feiyang let out a strange cry, his target clearly Fu Tong, the weakest among the enemy trio.

Zhang Zhen, an Inner Sect Disciple of the Yin Ruins Sect, had ample combat experience. He wasn’t alarmed; he was furious.

“Reckless fools! Since you’ve delivered yourselves to my doorstep, you’ll all become my ghost slaves! Ghosts, come!”

He clapped his hands together fiercely.

Three black leather pouches at his waist suddenly bulged. Three shrill, piercing shrieks tore through the air. Amidst billowing black smoke, three fierce ghosts—faces green, fangs bared, claws hooked, and bodies wreathed in Yin energy—pounced toward Zhou Kai!

Each ghost possessed an Aura Pressure comparable to the third layer of Foundation Establishment. Their forms were solid and substantial, clearly the result of Zhang Zhen’s meticulous refinement and blood, sweat, and tears.

Seeing this, a cold smile touched Zhou Kai’s lips.

The ghostly energy in Li Youci’s cave dwelling was far stronger than this trash.

“Pathetic tricks.”

He didn’t even bother looking at the three charging specters. From the Consciousness Sea between his brows, his Divine Sense surged forth like a tsunami, instantly enveloping the trio.

Freeze.

The ghosts’ forward momentum abruptly stalled, as if they had sunk into a deep mire. Expressions of extreme agony and terror twisted their spectral faces as they emitted silent, tortured roars.

“How is this possible?!”

Zhang Zhen’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. He could clearly feel his fierce ghosts trembling under the opponent’s Divine Sense pressure, their movements becoming incredibly sluggish.

How could this kid’s Divine Sense be so terrifying? This was simply not something a third-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator should possess!

In the split second Zhang Zhen’s mind was thrown into disarray, Zhou Kai had already closed the distance.

Dragon Roaming the Void.

The giant wooden mallet split the air with a terrifying whistle, descending with simple, brutal force directly onto Zhang Zhen’s head.

Zhang Zhen felt a horrific pressure lock onto him. The war hammer looked like mere wood, but the interwoven Vitality and Mana within it made his soul scream in terror. He wanted to dodge, but found Zhou Kai’s speed was illogical—he appeared as a blur.

“Blood Fiend Corpse Shield!”

Zhang Zhen roared madly. A shield made of bloody bone instantly materialized before him. Simultaneously, Spirit Qi erupted from his feet as he scrambled backward in a desperate retreat.

BOOM—!

The bloody bone shield shattered on impact, fragments flying like shrapnel. The defense hadn’t held for a single breath.

The Chaotic Sky Hammer’s momentum was unabated, smashing squarely onto the arms Zhang Zhen had hastily crossed in front of him.

CRACK!

The sound of snapping bone was crisp and sickening.

“PFFT!”

Taking the heavy blow, Zhang Zhen spewed a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward. His eyes were filled with horror and disbelief.

A second-stage early-phase cultivator breaking the arms of a mid-phase Foundation Establishment cultivator?

Not only was his Divine Sense monstrous, but his physical strength was also this terrifying! What kind of monster was he?!

On the other side, Fish Baibai let out a sharp cry, hefting her Hundred Change Little Rabbit Hammer, and charged straight at the slightly taller Lu Zhun.

Seeing a delicate young girl charging at him, Lu Zhun’s eyes were filled with contempt.

His Yin Ruins Sect specialized in refining corpses and controlling ghosts. Dealing with a little girl like this should be child’s play.

“Little sister, you’re so cute. It’d be a shame if you died. Big brother will take good care of you!”

Lu Zhun gestured with both hands. From the ground behind him, two bluish-black zombies abruptly burst forth.

These two zombies had bulging muscles, pitch-black sharp nails, and dense corpse energy. They were clearly Iron Corpses with bodies comparable to mid-phase Bone Forging cultivators—extremely tough and impervious to ordinary steel.

“ROAR!”

The two Iron Corpses roared, pouncing toward Fish Baibai from left and right, carrying a stench of decay.

Lu Zhun felt smug. These were his proudest creations. An ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator would be lucky to escape alive. This little girl might be a body cultivator, but with her delicate skin, a single claw swipe would end her.

Fish Baibai looked at the pouncing zombies. She showed no fear. Instead, her large eyes shone brighter, as if she had spotted new toys.

“Is this all? Just two lumps of rotten meat? Not impressive at all!”

Black light flashed on her Hundred Change Little Rabbit Hammer as it swelled in the wind. A pair of cute rabbit ears actually popped out of the hammerhead, while the surface turned fiery red.

A scorching heat began to radiate outward.

“Taste my… Flaming Little Rabbit Hammer!”

WHOOSH—!

A thick pillar of fire erupted from the hammerhead, instantly engulfing the Iron Corpse on the left.

Ssssizzle…

A teeth-grating sound filled the air. The Iron Corpse struggled frantically within the flames, emitting shrill, agonized roars. The corpse energy was visibly burned away, and its tough skin began to char and crack.

The smile on Lu Zhun’s face froze, replaced by utter astonishment.

This little girl looked so young—how could she possess such a powerful magical treasure that spewed such domineering flames?!

He had no idea that ever since Fish Baibai had advanced to a third-grade artifact refiner, she had been continuously tempering this hammer.

Before Lu Zhun could recover, Fish Baibai had already swung her weapon. Her petite frame erupted with terrifying power completely disproportionate to her size.

THUD!

The second Iron Corpse was struck squarely. Its sturdy chest instantly caved in, leaving a massive dent. It was sent flying backward, crashing through several large trees before twitching and falling still.

“Too weak! Too weak! Not fun at all!” Fish Baibai pouted, dissatisfied. “Junior Brother’s fight looks much more lively!”

Her eyes darted to Zhou Kai. She saw his green-glowing wooden mallet. Although powerful, she felt something was missing aesthetically.

“Junior Brother! Junior Brother!” Fish Baibai called out crisply. “Stop using that wooden mallet! It’s not imposing enough! Add some flair to it!”

Hearing this, Zhou Kai’s mouth twitched. This battle-hammer loli had the leisure to critique his style mid-combat?

With his four-element Spirit Roots and a decade of cultivating the Azure Spirit Qi Gathering Art, he was simply accustomed to using the Wood Attribute.

“Alright!”

Zhou Kai responded. With a thought, the Vitality and Mana within his body surged, pouring into the Chaotic Sky Hammer.

Instantly, roaring flames burst forth across the surface of the giant green wooden mallet!

Wood fuels fire. Fire empowers wood. The mutual enhancement multiplied its power far beyond mere addition.

“That’s more like it!” Fish Baibai nodded approvingly.

Meanwhile, Gao Feiyang was handling his fight with ease, even having the spare attention to adjust his wind-tousled hair.

Fu Tong’s heart was already filled with dread. She had thought her looks and the bait of the “cave dwelling” would lower their guards. Who would have thought her opponents were a monster, a violent child, and… a man who was ridiculously wealthy!

She held a jade-green short dagger coated with potent poison. Her movements were elusive, scattering powders with strange fragrances.

“Little brother, this humble girl is just a weak woman. Why must you be so aggressive?” Fu Tong’s voice was soft and charming, attempting to bewitch him.

Gao Feiyang snorted. “Save it. With your looks, you’d only qualify to serve tea at the Decent Pavilion in our Three Watches Market.”

With a flick of his cape, his seven flying swords transformed into a grinding wheel. Although his realm was lower than Fu Tong’s, he suppressed her completely.

His left hand shot forward, unleashing a barrage of talismans that transformed into fireballs, ice spikes, and lightning bolts. His right hand slapped his Storage Bag, summoning a half-human-tall mechanical puppet wolf that roared and joined the fray.

CLANG! DING!

Fu Tong’s poisoned dagger clashed with the flying swords. Her poisonous powders were blown away by the fierce gales of a massive azure-blue bird circling above—another of Gao’s pets.

She inwardly cursed. This guy looked like a peacock, but he was a mobile treasure vault!

“Damn it!”

Seeing that seduction failed and her attacks were useless, resentment flashed in Fu Tong’s eyes. She never expected to run into such a hard wall today.

The battle turned instantly.

On Zhou Kai’s side, the flaming wooden mallet increased his momentum. His strikes came faster and faster, each blow carrying the power to boil seas, pounding Zhang Zhen until he had no chance to breathe.

Despair filled Zhang Zhen’s heart. The three fierce ghosts suppressed by Zhou Kai’s Divine Sense were swept by a stray wave of fiery hammer wind. They screamed once before dissipating into green smoke.

“No! My ghosts!” Zhang Zhen’s heart bled. That was his entire fortune!

“Still worrying about your ghosts?”

Zhou Kai sneered, closing in. The wooden mallet, blazing with flames, descended toward Zhang Zhen’s head like a judgment from the heavens.

Zhang Zhen’s pupils contracted. The shadow of death enveloped him. He tried to beg, but his throat locked up.

THUD!

A dull, wet sound.

Zhang Zhen’s head—along with his terror and defiance—exploded into a gruesome mess under Zhou Kai’s hammer, splattering red and white matter across the forest floor.

“Senior Brother Zhang!”

Lu Zhun and Fu Tong screamed in unison, voices quivering with horror.

Zhang Zhen, a fourth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator and an elite of the Yin Ruins Sect, had been crushed like a bug.

Fish Baibai, seeing Zhou Kai finish his fight, stopped holding back. The Hundred Change Little Rabbit Hammer stretched to fifty feet in length, earthy light blazing.

“Armored Little Rabbit Hammer!”

CRUNCH!

Lu Zhun’s chest collapsed. Ribs shattered, organs ruptured. Blood mixed with viscera gushed from his mouth as he hit the ground, clinging to life by a thread.

Gao Feiyang intensified his assault. Sword light rained down, talismans surged like the tide, and his puppets roared.

Fu Tong, already struggling, lost her composure entirely. A moment of carelessness allowed the mechanical puppet’s claw to tear through her arm.

Thud!

Fu Tong slumped to the ground, face deathly pale, trembling uncontrollably.

“D-don’t kill me! Senior Brothers, Senior Sisters, it’s a misunderstanding!” Lu Zhun, mustering his last ounce of strength, pleaded hoarsely. “We… our Yin Ruins Sect has already formed an alliance with your esteemed sect! We’re all on the same side!”

Fu Tong wailed, “Yes, yes! We didn’t know it was you, disciples of Calamity Abyss Valley! We’ve offended you greatly, please spare us! We’re willing to offer everything we have!”

Gao Feiyang’s swords and puppets froze. He was clearly stunned.

Zhou Kai walked expressionlessly to stand before Lu Zhun. The flames on his wooden hammer receded, restoring its faint green glow. Yet, the blood and brain matter staining the wood made it look exceptionally ferocious.

“We only follow the Young Miss’s orders,” Zhou Kai said calmly. “If she tells us to kill, then we kill.”

The warhammer descended.

BANG!

Lu Zhun’s head exploded, silencing him forever.

Witnessing this, Fu Tong let out a piercing shriek and turned to flee.

“Trying to run?” Gao Feiyang snapped back to reality, pointing two fingers.

Whoosh!

Seven flying swords merged into a single streak of light. It pierced through Fu Tong’s back, exiting her chest in a spray of blood.

Fu Tong’s mouth opened and closed, but no sound emerged. She slumped face-first into the dirt, motionless.

The scent of blood filled the mountain hollow.

Fish Baibai ran over to Zhou Kai, looking up at him with her small face. “Junior Brother, you were so impressive just now! That wooden hammer with the fire is way more domineering!”

Zhou Kai nodded. “Senior Sister Fish completely overpowered her opponents. Truly formidable.”

“Of course! This young lady may be the Young Miss’s maid, but I’m still the eldest daughter of the Fish family!” Fish Baibai playfully punched Zhou Kai’s chest. “You still haven’t come home with me to meet my parents!”

“Then why did you say back then that you had no Spirit Stones and couldn’t afford my Spirit Gathering Array?”

“What were you scheming back then? Did you think I couldn’t tell?”

…

Gao Feiyang curled his lip and began looting the corpses.

He tossed the Storage Bags to their respective owners. “No wonder they found us. That Lu Zhun raised corpse insects and hid them around the perimeter.”

He paused, glancing at the bodies. “Though… knowing our Sect Master’s personality, forming an alliance with the Demonic Path is exactly the kind of thing that old fox would do.”