I Can Devour Spirits

The leading figure, clad in heavy armor and wielding a long halberd, dismounted from his horse not far away!

At this time, the West Main Street was already deserted!

As the person dismounted, his gaze swept over the battle encircling Wei Ziyan, then glanced at Duan Rong and the others nearby, and he stood there, like a stone statue, unmoving!

Regardless of the thunderous roars outside the city or the clattering of the heavy armored cavalry approaching, Bai Yuan remained seated cross-legged, motionless, focusing on Qi circulation to adjust his breathing.

Once Bai Yuan finished his breathing adjustment, he joined the troop.

Lu Jin then withdrew! Jiang Zhe was the last to retreat for breathing adjustment, by which time his face had already turned somewhat pale!

Jiang Zhe glanced at the team of heavy armored cavalry not far away and then wordlessly sat down cross-legged!

Under the four-person attack and continuous draining, Wei Ziyan’s movements had already slowed down, and the swirling blood threads on the red skeleton above him seemed somewhat thinner, lacking the previously vivid blood-red hue.

The four of them, Jiang Zhe included, could attack in turns and supplement one another, while Wei Ziyan could only be gradually worn down.

The ”candied hawthorn” was mysterious, but as long as they swallowed one and adjusted their breathing, they could revive their spirits!

It was evidently very effective!

At this moment, Jiang Zhe suddenly struck with a sword, aiming at one of Wei Ziyan’s red skeleton’s ribs!

A tiny crack emerged on that rib!

Although it was just a minor achievement, Jiang Zhe felt a rush of joy! His strategy was to exhaust Wei Ziyan, turning small victories into a major victory!

Despite it being a small achievement, knowing the result from a single leaf falling, Wei Ziyan was already on the path of defeat!

Just as Jiang Zhe predicted, moments later, Shen Qing created a crack on the scapula of that red skeleton!

As time went by, Wei Ziyan’s movements were no longer as swift, and multiple cracks appeared all over the skeleton!

In the eye sockets of the red skeleton, two bloodshot eyeballs moved bizarrely!

Knowing this day would likely end without a chance of survival, Wei Ziyan glanced toward Ge Qinglei, pinned to the ground by a black longsword and unable to move, as he fought his way toward Ge Qinglei’s side.

Ge Qinglei, limbs severed and left like a human stick, was not killed. It was obvious they intended to keep him alive for interrogation.

Being the Hall Master of the Filthy Blood Sect, Ge Qinglei naturally knew many secrets of the Holy Sect! Wei Ziyan couldn’t allow him to fall into the hands of the Taiyi Sect!

Suddenly, Wei Ziyan launched an assault towards Ge Qinglei, and Jiang Zhe and the others didn’t sense anything amiss. Seeing the increasing cracks on Wei Ziyan, they all thought he was at the end of his strength!

To their eyes, Wei Ziyan’s assault was nothing more than a desperate beast struggling for survival!

No one stopped Wei Ziyan, instead avoiding his fierce attacks and continuing to entangle him in combat!

Unknowingly, Ge Qinglei was already on the side of their battle formation!

Jiang Zhe suddenly noticed Shen Qing standing not far from the pinned-down Ge Qinglei, and an uneasy feeling swept over him!

But just at that moment, Wei Ziyan charged towards Shen Qing!

Shen Qing dodged Wei Ziyan and slashed at him from behind, severing a piece of bone in his back. Thinking he had achieved a feat, Shen Qing felt a rush of joy.

But from afar, Jiang Zhe saw Wei Ziyan lunging towards Ge Qinglei.

Ge Qinglei, with a pale face, watched Wei Ziyan, a skeleton covered in blood threads, approaching, and gave a sad smile, saying, ”Law Envoy, let us meet again in the afterlife!”

He understood what Wei Ziyan intended, yet at this moment, felt no fear at all. Previously, he was overwhelmed with terror, wanting to survive but fearing the inhuman tortures of the Taiyi Sect.

But now, knowing his inevitable death, he felt instead a sense of calm.

Without hope, there is no fear!

As Wei Ziyan charged at Ge Qinglei, they exchanged glances and suddenly shouted in unison, ”The fire of the Holy Sect shall burn eternal!”

Then, Wei Ziyan quickly performed a sealing gesture with his hands, shouting boldly, ”Brother Ge, see you in the next life!”

”Explosive burial!”

Following that, a deafening explosion rang out!

Duan Rong stood afar, feeling the ground beneath shake, a crack splitting open, causing him to stumble, nearly losing balance. A massive air current erupted from where Wei Ziyan and Ge Qinglei were, reaching Duan Rong and making his cheeks sting!

As the shockwave subsided, Duan Rong stood there in a daze!

”What is this...?!”

Dust filled the previous combat site, resembling a sandstorm, obscuring vision!

As the dust gradually cleared, a large pit nearly a zhang in radius was visible, its edges radiating numerous cracks, with one large enough reaching almost to Duan Rong’s feet.

In the center of the pit’s bottom lay an entirely cracked skeleton, glowing red.

Beside the skeleton was a black longsword. Ge Qinglei, who had been pinned by the sword, had been reduced to powder, dispersing across the fields like drifting dust!

At the edge of the pit, three figures sat cross-legged, mouths bleeding, bodies covered in dust!

They were Jiang Zhe, Lu Jin, and Bai Yuan. Clearly badly wounded, their faces were unsightly!

Not far in front of them lay half a corpse, fully mangled and bloodied, half its face pressed against the ground, eyes vacant and hollow, beyond dead!

This corpse was Shen Qing, the closest to Wei Ziyan moments ago!

Sitting cross-legged, Jiang Zhe’s internal injuries caused blood to continuously seep from his mouth, but compared to his physical injuries, his heart felt even more bitter!

He really hadn’t anticipated Wei Ziyan being so savage!

Jiang Zhe glanced at Shen Qing, who lay mangled not far away, and sighed inwardly. Shen Qing was his best friend, whom he had specifically brought along for this task, believing it to be a prestigious achievement, never imagining Shen Qing would perish here!

Ge Rusong, a member of the Taiyi Sect’s Elder Hall and the Chairman of the Ministry of Communication, had entrusted Jiang Zhe with this task, instructing him to bring Wei Ziyan and Ge Qinglei back to the sect alive.

But things happened this way unexpectedly!

At this moment, Jiang Zhe reflected that the responsibility for this incident did not lie with him. The blame belonged to Ge Rusong!

Despite being a sect elder, Ge Rusong was too eager for credit.

The Ministry of Communication only dealt with intelligence gathering and transmission. Capturing individuals for the sect was the responsibility of the Judgement and Rectification Department!

However, upon receiving news from the Xianggu County contact point that two big fish were headed their way, Ge Rusong, driven by greed, didn’t inform Chairman Yang Sixuan of the Judgement and Rectification Department, choosing instead to secretly dispatch a team!

Ge Rusong dared to act thus because he had considered his excuse. The matter was urgent, and there was simply no time to notify Yang Sixuan.

This was indeed the truth!

The contact point’s information indicated that the Head Altar Law Envoy would arrive in Xianggu County in four days. Once the sect received the information, two days had already passed. They had only two days to mobilize. Ge Rusong thus had an excuse to act independently!

Time was of the essence, and he feared that notifying Yang Sixuan might delay the opportunity!

Yet, Jiang Zhe contemplated that had Ge Rusong not been so eager for credit, and entrusted this matter to Yang Sixuan, the outcome might not have been this disastrous!

Yang Sixuan’s subordinates frequently operated within the Mortal World, managing various major cases, especially those involving the Filthy Blood Sect, which typically included their participation.

Yang Sixuan also possessed extensive secrets of the Filthy Blood Sect! With his Soul Illumination Seal, countless secrets had been extracted from its members.

If Yang Sixuan had organized this mission, their late arrival by several hours wouldn’t have occurred.

Moreover, with Yang Sixuan’s experience, he would have sent direct disciples at the Qi Vortex Realm.

Actually, it wasn’t that Ge Rusong didn’t want to send disciples at the Qi Vortex Realm; he had yet to take any apprentices at the time, having no direct disciples at his disposal!

Jiang Zhe knew that upon his return, he would struggle to account to Ge Rusong. But he was also aware that Ge Rusong would face an even tougher challenge!

Once this affair surfaced, it would stir a storm within the Elder Hall!