Chapter 28: Ji Qingyou Slays a Soul Formation Master in an Instant

"You were just passing by, so why attack me!"

Ji Qingyou flared with sudden rage, maneuvering the God-Demon Puppet to launch a thunderous counterattack.

"What? You!"

In an instant, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth condensed frantically. A terrifying aura of gods and demons erupted, instantly shattering the incoming strike from a Spirit Transformation expert!

Boom!

The golden light that had been passing by was snatched up by the God-Demon Puppet’s hand and gripped tightly. The figure, a "Spirit Transformation Master," struggled in vain, transforming into a middle-aged man in golden robes who now wore a look of sheer terror.

"Speak! Why did you attack me?" Ji Qingyou asked coldly, her grip tightening around the man.

He was a Spirit Transformation cultivator! That strike just now might have seemed unremarkable, but had she not been piloting the God-Demon Puppet—or if the puppet lacked such immense power—that blow would have killed her.

"You! You were blocking my path, ancestor! Is it not only right that I strike you?" The golden-robed man was both shocked and furious, yet he stubbornly insisted.

Whoosh!

Seeing this, the white light that had flown past earlier suddenly doubled back, though it dared not approach, hovering in the distance as a goddess in white robes watched the scene.

"In that case, go die." Ji Qingyou sneered. The God-Demon Puppet exerted force, and the golden-robed man was instantly crushed into a bloody mist.

"You! Mere barbarian! The Haotian Sect will not let you go!"

The golden-robed man’s soul escaped in terror, his voice filled with venomous spite.

"Is that so?" A flash of murderous intent crossed Ji Qingyou’s eyes. She moved to pursue with the puppet, but a streak of white light moved faster!

Boom!

"Ye Qingxian! I will not let you go!"

The escaping soul was struck and shattered, but it released a torrent of monstrous resentment that coiled around the goddess in white. The goddess turned pale, yet her eyes burned with a ruthless determination to eradicate the man’s soul completely.

"Don't let me survive this, ancestor!"

The golden-robed man’s soul shattered and reformed, screaming as it fled into the distance.

Boom!

Ji Qingyou hesitated for a moment before following with the puppet; she could not pin all her hopes on this goddess. One had to finish the job thoroughly. Tracking the trail of energy, Ji Qingyou noticed that one of the two signatures suddenly vanished. She descended into a massive crater.

She found the goddess in white lying on the ground, gasping for air, her internal energy in complete disarray as if something were devouring it. The golden-robed man was utterly destroyed, body and soul, with various treasures scattered around him. Ji Qingyou first gathered the items; as a Spirit Transformation cultivator, every piece of treasure he carried was of Earth-grade or higher.

Only then did she glance at the goddess.

"Forget it. We are both women; saving a life is like building a seven-story pagoda." She maneuvered the God-Demon Puppet to slice into the nearby mountain, creating a cave.

"Don't... don't move!"

Ji Qingyou intended to dump her in the cave and leave, but she was surprised to find the goddess still capable of speech.

"Hmm? You're alright?" Ji Qingyou frowned, wary for a moment, but she relaxed upon remembering she was safely inside the God-Demon Puppet.

"What? Do you want to lie out here?" Looking at the frail woman, Ji Qingyou asked. The woman’s origins were unknown, and taking her back to the Great Dao Sect was clearly out of the question.

The goddess remained silent for a while before finally yielding. Seeing her silence, Ji Qingyou conjured a beam of spiritual light to move her into the cave.

"You are severely injured. These pills will help restore your vitality." With a wave of her hand, a handful of pills appeared.

"Junior sister, are you here? Senior brother has come to find you!"

Just then, a sinister voice echoed from afar, drawing closer. Ji Qingyou turned back instantly, while Ye Qingxian looked panicked.

"Shh!"

She struggled to speak, using her barely recovered cultivation to toss out a protective barrier, then made herself and Ji Qingyou invisible.

"Cough, cough..."

A man resembling a sickly scholar walked into the cave, coughing as if he might expire at any second, yet his eyes were razor-sharp, brimming with cold, murderous intent.

"His name is Tian Xinzi. He is my senior brother. My current plight is entirely his doing." In the void, the goddess was tense but whispered an explanation.

"What is his cultivation level?" Ji Qingyou asked, her eyes flickering.

"Peak Spirit Transformation, one step away from the Tribulation." The goddess spoke with difficulty, her wounds worsening rapidly.

"My things are still outside; they can't be hidden," Ji Qingyou noted. Indeed, the God-Demon Puppet was too conspicuous, and with the puppet at her disposal, she feared nothing!

The goddess’s eyes flashed with despair, followed by a resolute look: "He is here for me. Run the moment the barrier opens; this has nothing to do with you."

"Fine." Ji Qingyou nodded, but the next instant, she walked straight out.

"What are you doing!" the goddess exclaimed in shock.

"Hmm?" Tian Xinzi turned his head abruptly, only to see a streak of light flashing out of the cave!

"Don't you dare!" A wave of Spirit Transformation energy instantly locked down the space, but Ji Qingyou had already boarded the God-Demon Puppet before the force could take hold. Though she could control it remotely, being inside the puppet was safer!

Swish!

Tian Xinzi’s expression shifted as he reached the cave entrance, only to be met with an explosive burst of God-Demon energy! He was sent flying thirty miles away in an instant!

Tian Xinzi returned in the blink of an eye, shocked and enraged. "What the hell is that thing!"

He had seen the puppet earlier, but a "God-Demon Puppet" under control was an entirely different beast than one left idle. He hadn't expected it to be this powerful!

Tian Xinzi’s face darkened. He sneered and turned to leave. "Junior sister, I am sure the Eight Desolation King would be very interested to hear that you are cavorting with a barbarian woman... Heh, heh, heh."

His voice lingered in the void, but the man had already vanished. Ji Qingyou did not pursue. Firstly, this was the woman’s business, and secondly, the man’s power was too terrifying. While the God-Demon Puppet was invincible, it was not a living being and was somewhat sluggish in its reactions.

The goddess in white emerged, but after only a few steps, she collapsed. The chaotic energy she had suppressed surged back, and she doubled over in pain. The artifact she had used reverted to a glass orb, clattering to the ground beside her. Struggling, she pulled out a jade-green bottle, managed to open the cap with great effort, and began swallowing the pills inside.

Seeing the jade-green pills, Ji Qingyou’s eyes lit up. She could vaguely sense a vast, surging life force within them—perhaps they could even extend her master’s lifespan!