“Ah! So refreshing!”
After emptying himself at full speed and fastening his belt again, Lu Li felt completely refreshed.
In contrast, Gong Shangyu beside him was still dazed by what he had just witnessed.
His eyes were glazed over, his face flushed bright red like a boiled shrimp, and faint wisps of white steam seemed to rise from his head.
Ah… Master!
He, he actually…
Huff huff… huff huff!
So blissful…
I—I’m about to faint…
Gong Shangyu’s gaze was unfocused and drifting, his body beginning to sway slightly.
His face showed nothing but a bizarre expression of being lost in thought and dizziness, his legs so weak that even standing steadily was a struggle.
“Young Master Shang? What’s wrong with you?”
Lu Li held the “treasure” in his hands with a peculiar expression, noticing the unusual look on the face of this Young Master from the Dan Ding Pavilion.
“Oh… n-no, nothing!”
Gong Shangyu snapped back like a cat with its tail stepped on, his voice clearly panicked and embarrassed.
He then waved his hands repeatedly, avoiding eye contact with Lu Li, and hastily pointed toward the frontline battlefield inside the Zhou family courtyard, changing the subject.
“Senior Lu! The thief is breaking in!”
Though feeling strange, Lu Li knew the situation was urgent and had no time to pry.
He figured this rich young master’s shyness and unfamiliarity with such a “coarse” scene had just scared or embarrassed him.
“Stay close and wait for the opportunity!”
Lu Li gave a low shout, no longer hesitating.
His figure shot out from behind the rockery like lightning, moving swiftly toward the dense black mist that was about to touch the door!
The shadow seemed to sense Lu Li’s approach and immediately sneered disdainfully.
The black mist churned, apparently preparing to ignore this “futile” attack again.
“Devil! Witness the treasure!”
Lu Li roared, gathering all his strength, and forcefully hurled the ladle of pure Yang and filth—his “Technique treasure”—directly at the thick black mist above the door!
Upon hearing Lu Li’s cry of “treasure,” the Devil swung his Spirit Sword at the incoming ladle, shattering it with a single strike.
As the ladle shattered, the steaming pure Yang substance inside burst forth like a broken silver vial, splashing a torrent of water over the thief’s head.
Sizzle—
A sharp hissing sound like a red-hot iron plunged into icy water suddenly exploded!
The originally thick, ink-like, formless black mist instantly boiled and churned as if it had met its natural enemy, eventually dissolving like melting snow!
Countless gray-white bubbles surfaced on the black mist’s surface, releasing a strange odor mixing burnt and fishy smells.
“Ugh… what is this stuff!”
A piercing scream suddenly came from within the black mist, no longer the mocking laughter of before!
The thief’s illusory, misty body seemed broken by a shattered Technique, quickly solidifying before collapsing!
The previously elusive black mist vanished in an instant, revealing a middle-aged man dressed in tight night clothes, his face covered with black cloth, staggering into view!
The man was drenched in dripping liquid, wisps of white steam rising from his clothes—clearly Lu Li’s sudden strike had dealt him a heavy blow, even dispelling his intangible state!
Lu Li’s heart leapt with joy as he shouted angrily:
“Now’s the time! Take him down!”
The Dan Ding Pavilion guest disciples around quickly snapped out of their shock, spirits soaring.
Their attacks once again rained down like a storm upon the revealed thief!
With the Devil’s evil Technique broken, their attacks finally had real effect!
The middle-aged man, both furious and panicked, frantically wielded his Spirit Sword to block and dodge while muttering incantations, attempting to reform the black mist.
But the “filth” clinging to him severely disrupted his mana flow, making it difficult for him to reenter intangible form.
Just as the cultivators were about to jointly surround and capture this Devil sect thief—
Something suddenly changed inside the Zhou family courtyard!
Boom!
Rumble—
A violent explosion burst forth from the inner chamber behind the cultivators!
Wood chips scattered!
Bricks shattered!
A powerful shockwave instantly blasted the chamber’s doors and windows to pieces!
“Ah! Ugh…”
Amid brief, agonized screams, several Dan Ding Pavilion cultivators who had been disguised as maids hiding inside the room were blasted out like kites with broken strings, crashing heavily into the courtyard, their fate unknown!
Immediately, a slender yet fierce black figure streaked out from the shattered roof hole like a ghost!
Though dressed in similar night clothes, the black shadow clearly bore a female silhouette.
Under her arm was tucked a dirt-smudged, unconscious Gu Qingying, completely defenseless!
The female thief’s speed was astonishing.
Her cold eyes swept over the battlefield below, and when they landed on the disheveled middle-aged man, a sharp glint flashed in her gaze.
“Useless!”
The female thief sneered coldly, her hoarse voice carrying an unquestionable aura of dominance.
As her words fell, her empty hand suddenly swept forward.
A much thicker, colder, almost solid pitch-black fierce wind erupted like a roaring black dragon, violently crashing toward the Dan Ding Pavilion guest disciples attempting to surround the male thief!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
With continuous dull thuds, most of the guest disciples at the Qi Refining late stage were almost powerless before this terrifying fierce wind.
Their protective auras shattered instantly, and like being struck by giant hammers, they spat blood and flew back, turning the battle into utter chaos!
Among those still standing were only the two mysterious black-clad figures, along with Lu Li and Gong Shangyu, both at Foundation Establishment stage.
From a distance, Lu Li silently evaluated the female thief’s strength.
Judging from the power of her casual strike just now, he estimated her cultivation was around mid Foundation Establishment.
Considering she was a Devil cultivator, her practical combat experience was probably even higher than his!
The female thief noticed Lu Li and Gong Shangyu stubbornly enduring her casual strike without collapsing.
A slight flicker of surprise crossed her cold eyes, as if she hadn’t expected anyone among these cultivators to be worth a second glance.
Her gaze lingered briefly on Gong Shangyu and Lu Li, but only for a moment.
She showed no intention to continue fighting.
With a raise of her arm, she expertly tossed the unconscious Gu Qingying under her arm toward the male thief who had just caught his breath nearby.
“Take the prey and leave quickly! I’ll cover the rear!”
The female thief’s voice remained hoarse and cold, but carried an uncompromising firmness.
The male thief’s face showed a flash of reluctance, but he dared not disobey.
Snatching Gu Qingying, he glared fiercely at Lu Li before his form blurred into a dim, thin black smoke, rushing out of the courtyard at top speed!
“Thief! Don’t run!”
Lu Li shouted desperately, trying to give chase, but the female thief’s shadow had already appeared before him like a specter, locking onto Lu Li with a chilling murderous intent!
At this critical moment, Gong Shangyu, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly whispered just loud enough for himself in the corner of the courtyard:
“System! Activate time stop!”
With Gong Shangyu’s command, the sound of grinding gears echoed through the courtyard, and time itself began to slow to a halt!