Nan Tianxiong descended into a frenzy, roaring with laughter and unleashing his terrifying might. In one go, he hurled fifteen or sixteen low-grade talismans at the swarming gang members who were fleeing in terror, sending the surrounding martial artists tumbling off their mounts before he bolted towards the county town gates.

Bursting out of the county gates, Nan Tianxiong fled for over ten li until he reached a pitch-black stretch of wilderness. Seeing no pursuers behind him, the exhaustion finally overtook him, and he sank to the ground. His entire body was soaked in sweat, every bone and sinew aching dreadfully, and profound weariness etched across his aged face.

But, he had escaped.

Nan Tianxiong let out a sigh of relief, turning back toward the county town with a cold sneer. "Hmph, a pack of scurrying ants and scum. They actually thought they could hold back this immortal master? They ought to look at who I am! Ants like you could never detain me."

He still clutched the last three talismans in his hand.

The thought of having recklessly cast away over ten low-grade talismans in his fit of rage caused Nan Tianxiong intense pangs of regret, his old face wrinkling in distress. These things were precious; even the cheapest one cost at least one low-grade spirit stone. Fortunately, he still held two mid-grade defensive talismans and one mid-grade offensive talisman, each worth at least ten spirit stones apiece. The Nan family was not what it used to be; they could no longer afford such reckless spending.

Nan Tianxiong now even harbored some regret over masterminding the Medicine King Assembly behind the scenes, intending to wipe out the Ten Great Gangs in one fell swoop. The plan had been excessively audacious. The leaders and members of Pingzhou’s Ten Great Gangs were far more difficult to handle than he had anticipated.

Nan Tianxiong folded the final three remaining talismans and carefully tucked them into his robes.

As long as he was alive, there would always be a day for a comeback. He wondered how his nephews, Zhonghao and Zhongjie, were doing now. His immediate priority was to find them and reunite. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he resolved to hunt down and execute the top masters of the Ten Great Gangs one by one, securing the rule of Pingzhou firmly for the Nan Clan. Though slower, this path would be much safer.

As he pondered this, Nan Tianxiong’s heart suddenly jolted. He sensed a pair of cold, piercing eyes fixed upon him from the surrounding darkness, accompanied by a palpable aura of danger. He had experienced this exact sensation twenty years ago during his great battle with the Feng family.

"Who’s there? Lingering in the shadows, show yourself!"

Nan Tianxiong spun around abruptly, roaring in anger, his body tensing tautly. His hand instinctively shot toward the talismans hidden in his robes.

Ye Qin moved using the Wind Control Technique, stealthily shadowing Nan Tianxiong. This time, he had learned his lesson and maintained a safe distance of several dozen zhang, like an old hunter deep in the mountains, rapidly calculating the precise moment to strike.

He had carefully determined that a single Earth Escape Technique would cover the distance and place him directly behind Nan Tianxiong.

Nan Tianxiong’s magical power was almost completely depleted; he could barely conjure any spells, and even his Golden Light Shield had dissipated. Without the shield’s protection, Nan Tianxiong’s defenses were no better than an ordinary man’s—a clean slice across the throat was entirely feasible.

The only cause for concern was the handful of talismans Nan Tianxiong still clutched tightly, whose uses were unknown. These could be activated with only the faintest trace of magical energy. If the first strike failed to kill him instantly, Nan Tianxiong might retaliate by throwing a talisman. Who knew what terrifying spell he might unleash?

Ye Qin considered waiting until Nan Tianxiong settled down to meditate and restore his depleted magic before launching a surprise attack.

However, what Ye Qin never expected was that after escaping the county town and railing against the Ten Great Gangs, Nan Tianxiong would carefully hide the last few precious talismans in his robes.

If he didn't seize this perfect opportunity, Ye Qin felt he would owe himself an apology.

Almost the instant Nan Tianxiong relaxed and tucked the talismans away, Ye Qin instinctively executed the Earth Escape Technique, launching a fatal assault toward him. It was precisely the subtle ripple caused by the Earth Escape Technique that alerted Nan Tianxiong’s spiritual senses.

In an instant, Ye Qin materialized behind Nan Tianxiong, and an icy, cold sliver of light swept around his neck.

Shlick!

Nan Tianxiong tensed his whole body, his right hand still deep in his robes, having only just brushed the talismans. Before he could react further, he felt a chilling leak where his neck was, an icy sensation. Nan Tianxiong choked, raising his left hand to touch the spot—it came away slick with blood. His legs buckled, and he collapsed. In his final conscious moments before falling, he muttered, Has the Nan family truly come to ruin in my hands? So be it; finally, there is release.

One Earth Escape Technique, one flash of cold steel—Nan Tianxiong was slain instantly, left dead on the ground with his eyes wide open in disbelief, never managing a counterattack.

Ye Qin, successful in his strike, immediately retreated dozens of zhang and melted back into the darkness.

He felt immense relief, yet maintained his cool caution. He did not approach the corpse, choosing instead to maintain distance.

Cultivators differed from mortals; even a fatal wound did not guarantee immediate death. Just like Nan Zhonghao, whose entire chest cavity had been split open by a treasured blade yet still managed a few movements. Nan Tianxiong’s right hand was still buried in his robes; it was unclear what he might have been doing.

After a long pause, the corpse of Nan Tianxiong showed no further signs of life.

Ye Qin now had ample time and patience, waiting nearly half an hour.

Then, a strange phenomenon occurred.

Ye Qin watched in astonishment as a thumb-sized, faint red Nascent Soul carefully squeezed out of Nan Tianxiong’s corpse. It looked around tentatively, swaying slightly as if unaccustomed to floating, then frantically shot away into the void, weaving left and right, vanishing in the dark wilderness in the blink of an eye.

Was that Nan Tianxiong’s Nascent Soul?

Ye Qin stared blankly as the faint red orb of light flew away.

Ye Qin made no attempt to pursue the soul. He knew well that while his Wind Control Technique could cover several zhang in a burst, a Nascent Soul could cross over a li in an instant. His speed simply could not match the soul’s escape velocity through the void.

A Nascent Soul at the second layer of Qi Condensation could not survive long without a physical body. Unless it found a host with spiritual roots for possession, or was sealed within some spiritual object like the old ghost Nan Tianba, it would be corroded by the Yang Sha energy within days, draining all its vital essence until the soul itself was scattered. Moreover, it could not casually possess an ordinary mortal; those without spiritual roots could not endure the massive influx of spiritual energy following possession and would self-detonate, destroying the soul along with them. Although Nan Tianxiong's soul had fled, Ye Qin doubted it had many days left. Therefore, there was no need to chase it.

Seeing even Nan Tianxiong’s Nascent Soul escape, Ye Qin was finally confident the body posed no further threat. He approached the corpse and used his sword tip to gently pry open Nan Tianxiong’s right hand, beginning his search.

He soon retrieved several items from Nan Tianxiong’s robes and the bundle carried on his back.

Three yellow talismans, a cultivation manual titled The Wind Spirit Scripture, a thick tome titled Compendium of Five Element Basic Spells, a copy of the Nan Clan Genealogy, five or six assorted spirit stones, a strange token, and three or four small vials of elixirs.

The three yellow talismans included one "Vajra Talisman," one "Earth Armor Talisman," and one "Wind Arc Talisman," their names clearly written on the paper with colored powders.

The yellow token was made of a hard material of unknown origin. The front was inscribed with "Immortal Traveler’s Pass," and the reverse read, "Martial Kingdom, Pingzhou, Nan Clan." Its exact function was unclear.

Ye Qin knew what a "Traveler’s Pass" (Luyin) was—a form of transit permit required in the counties and prefectures of the Martial Kingdom. In places like Zhuqi County, town guards frequently checked travelers’ passes for suspicious individuals; those without one were barred entry.

But an "Immortal Traveler’s Pass" was something he had never heard of.

The six or seven spirit stones were enough to sustain him for several months. As for the vials of elixirs, their uses were unknown, but they were likely potent medicines for cultivators. He accepted them without hesitation.

What excited Ye Qin the most was the thick volume, Compendium of Five Element Basic Spells. Flipping it open casually, he saw it contained basic spells for the five elements—Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth—plus Wind and Ice, totaling eight systems.

The book included offensive, defensive, and auxiliary spells.

Offensive spells were undoubtedly the most valuable to him. If he could master the offensive techniques within, he would no longer be subject to the coercion of the old ghost Nan Tianba residing in his spiritual sea. This was what he desired most.

Ye Qin collected all these items without reservation. He meticulously searched the body again but found nothing more, which caused him a slight sense of disappointment. The Nan Clan was so poor that even their patriarch did not carry many valuables, falling far short of Ye Qin’s expectations.

Third chapter updated for today. The fourth chapter will be updated tonight at 23:50! Vote for me! .