Chapter Sixteen: Snatching Food from the Tiger’s Jaws, White Jade Escapes Once More

As Han Chong and Leng Yue fled swiftly, their minds raced with urgent thoughts.

With each elevation in cultivation, the requirement to slay ever more formidable monsters grew steeper. If one simply ran at the sight of demons and ghosts, it would certainly preserve one's life, yet the path to immortality would remain forever out of reach.

“You go ahead, wait for me outside!” Han Chong made his decision, pushing Leng Yue forward as he halted, his gaze coldly fixed upon the four fiends fleeing a hundred feet away.

“Are you mad?” Leng Yue cried out, incredulously staring at Han Chong’s back. She had never expected this cautious youth to become so bold and resolute at such a critical moment; now his silhouette seemed to tower, powerful and heroic.

Han Chong narrowed his eyes, sending a second-level Demon-Slaying Blade flashing toward the leading pangolin! The azure blade, crescent-shaped and radiant, illuminated the entire burial passage. Both monsters and ghosts were stunned.

The pangolin and the white jade serpent narrowly evaded the blow, but the red tiger wraith behind them was struck head-on, its chest split open by a deep, bone-cutting gash.

“Howl!” The red tiger wraith staggered, clutching its chest in agony and colliding with the knife-wielding skeleton behind it. Both struggled to rise, while the pangolin and serpent glared furiously. After a brief hesitation, they glanced back at the approaching corpse of Lady Yu and turned to flee, abandoning their companions.

The skeleton was even more ruthless—it rose, grabbed the grievously wounded red tiger wraith, and hurled it toward the rear before rushing to follow the two monsters.

Han Chong's eyes flashed; another Demon-Slaying Blade shot forth, this time targeting the sluggish skeleton, as he darted to the side.

“You bastard!” Leng Yue shouted in fury and distress, tears welling in her eyes. She stamped her foot and sped back along the original path.

Seeing Han Chong open the way and target the skeleton, the pangolin and serpent wasted no time, escaping without entanglement.

The Demon-Slaying Blade darted toward the skeleton, whose green ghost-fire eyes suddenly flared. Its jaws snapped wildly, and it spat forth a green flame, igniting its bone knife and swinging it at the incoming blade.

But Han Chong ignored the skeleton, his gaze locked on Lady Yu’s corpse. She had seized the red tiger wraith, who had just risen and tried desperately to flee, and sank her teeth into its neck.

Han Chong saw clearly: as her jaws opened, two fangs abruptly lengthened a foot, piercing deep into the wraith’s flesh and bone. Her desiccated face quickly blackened and plumped, revitalized before his eyes, while the red tiger wraith shriveled, its struggles weakening, death imminent.

Another Demon-Slaying Blade struck, cleaving the wraith’s head like a melon. Lady Yu shielded herself from the azure light, released the wraith, and darted aside.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for slaying one Red-Pattern Wraith!]

When Han Chong opened his eyes again, he was retreating, a stream of blazing azure flames pouring onto the skeleton ahead.

“Howl!” Lady Yu’s corpse let out a furious, hysterical roar, flying straight for Han Chong!

In that instant, Han Chong divided his attention—slaying the wraith while tracking the skeleton, whose bone knife shattered and chest was wounded.

The outcome matched his expectations: the wraith’s rank was nearly identical to the Black Fish King he had slain before, insufficient for another level-up. Only by killing the green-eyed skeleton as well could he safely ascend.

As long as he advanced, he could gain a new skill point to select an Earth Fiend secret technique and replenish his depleted energy reserves!

There was only one chance, and Han Chong now faced both Lady Yu’s corpse and the green-eyed skeleton. His energy sufficed for a single attack; to ensure success, he unleashed the Flame-Spitting Technique, burning the skeleton.

Han Chong dodged the flaming green-eyed skeleton, which howled and attacked wildly in all directions. Yet it still refused to die!

Han Chong's face darkened; Lady Yu’s corpse was nearly upon him. If caught, he would be drained dry in an instant!

Resolute, he intensified his flames. The skeleton crackled and finally collapsed, motionless.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for slaying one Green-Eyed Skeleton! Entering mid-stage Refining Essence into Qi, level two. Current energy value: 640 points!
Ding! Congratulations, host, you have gained a skill point. You may choose a new skill or upgrade an existing one!]

Han Chong exhaled deeply. This was a dance on the edge of a knife—a gamble with his life. One misstep, and he would perish.

The system advanced quickly at first; spells easily slew demons and ghosts, granting rapid upgrades. But with each subsequent level, he had to slay foes far stronger than himself—a deadly wager every time.

Though monsters abounded in this world, none would simply stand and wait to be killed. Fortunately, today he had advanced further and could choose a new Earth Fiend secret technique.

Han Chong pondered which secret art to select.

Divine Movement: Swift as the wind, running as if flying. The spirit transcends the body, the soul departs! At level one, each breath consumes six energy points.

Clone: The body can split and recombine, creating multiple clones or dividing other objects. At higher mastery, one can split into countless forms! At level one, each breath consumes six energy points.

Invisibility: Allows oneself, others, or objects to vanish and conceal their aura! At level one, each breath consumes six energy points.

Earth Travel: Move freely through earth, burrowing as you wish—a subterranean technique! At level one, each breath consumes six energy points.

All four escape techniques had their merits. Yet with Lady Yu’s corpse in pursuit, and the white jade serpent and pangolin likely harboring deadly grudges ahead, Han Chong was at risk of being ambushed from both sides.

Moreover, Leng Yue’s whereabouts outside remained unknown. Only by mastering Invisibility and luring one beast to swallow another could he break the deadlock!

Invisibility! Confirm!

Clarity flashed through his mind; Han Chong’s body vanished completely. Lady Yu’s corpse, poised to strike, suddenly lost his trail, stunned in place.

Invisibility was indeed the most wondrous of support spells—its uses for scouting and evasion were endless.

“Howl!” Lady Yu let out a low cry, her undeveloped nose twitching as her head swung, faintly sensing Han Chong’s direction.

Smell!

Han Chong tensed, as if doused with icy water—he’d underestimated his foe! While Invisibility concealed his form, it neglected the monsters’ keen senses.

Without hesitation, Han Chong turned and sprinted toward the tomb passage’s entrance.

His flight only locked Lady Yu’s corpse onto his path; she howled fiercely and pursued him at speed.

“Eh? Someone’s coming!” Beneath the thieves’ tunnel, at the tomb’s mouth, Lady White Jade’s slender, serpentine eyes glinted. She sensed a living creature approaching—not the green-eyed skeleton or red tiger wraith’s aura. Could it be that damned constable boy?

Ghostly wails from behind suggested both wraiths were dead. The pangolin followed, sensing Han Chong’s aura, and the two monsters prepared to intercept him, one left, one right.

Imagining the boy’s terror and despair, the monsters felt their excitement mounting.

Yet as they saw Lady Yu’s corpse flying around the tomb’s bend, her claws outstretched, both were startled.

“What’s happening? Where’s the human boy?”

The two monsters exchanged anxious glances, but dared not search further—for if Lady Yu’s corpse attacked, they too would be drained dry!

Suddenly, the monsters felt a swift presence dart past them.

Twenty yards—Han Chong crossed it in three breaths, grabbed the rope, and climbed up, reaching the tunnel’s top in no time.

He dispelled Invisibility, slashed two Demon-Slaying Blades down the tunnel, then leaped outside.

“Fiend, die!” A fierce shout, a flash of sword-light—Han Chong was alarmed!

“Hold! It’s me!” Han Chong cried, eyes wide.

“Han Chong! Impossible!” Leng Yue, her brows arched in fury, hastily diverted her longsword, but still left a half-inch gash in Han Chong’s abdomen.

Blood spurted; Han Chong gasped, staggered back, clutching his stomach, and sat heavily on the ground.

“I-I-I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was you.” Leng Yue dropped her sword, flustered and apologetic.

Meanwhile, two anguished howls erupted from below the thieves’ tunnel.

The white jade serpent and pangolin, both struck by the Demon-Slaying Blades, had fallen down the tunnel, landing just as Lady Yu’s corpse arrived.

In a breath, white light flashed—the white jade serpent darted out, ignoring everything, fleeing the stone house without a backward glance.

Below, the pangolin’s cries and wails persisted.

“Quick, seal the tunnel!” Han Chong moved to the left pile of earth and stone, one hand clutching his wound, the other shoveling debris into the tunnel.

Leng Yue snapped out of her daze and did the same on the right.

The wails faded, replaced by scratching and digging sounds. Han Chong and Leng Yue, tireless, pushed all available earth and stone into the tunnel, only filling it halfway.

In desperation, Han Chong kicked down the stone house, using bricks and rubble for further burial, then signaled Leng Yue to flee in the opposite direction of the serpent.

Reaching the east end of the mountain village, Han Chong collapsed, pressing his bleeding wound.

“It’s all my fault—I didn’t see clearly before I stabbed. I’m sorry.” Leng Yue, face flushed with guilt, patted her chest and produced a medicine bottle and a gauze shirt.

She pulled aside Han Chong’s clothes and sprinkled yellow-red powder onto the wound.

“Hiss! What medicine is this?” The powder stung intensely.

“Yunnan Baiyao.”

“…I told you to leave first. Why were you still at the tunnel entrance?”

Leng Yue tore the shirt into strips, bandaged his wound, and finally stopped the bleeding.

“I just wanted to avenge you,” she murmured in a voice barely audible.

“……”