Mudraak let out only a couple of muffled sounds, yet they betrayed an overwhelming self-assurance. For centuries, he had moved through Europe unchallenged; the Church could not touch him, nor could the hostile vampires and werewolves. This immunity had inflated his confidence to its zenith.

He had heard that Eastern cultivators were formidable, but weren't all the truly supreme masters currently confined somewhere, unable to emerge? Moreover, Mudraak was certain that once his experiment succeeded, he would not only achieve genuinely eternal, endless life, but his mastery of black magic would also ascend to a new echelon.

The deeper Mudraak delved into black magic, the more he realized that it was nearly impossible for a human body to completely harness its power. Despite centuries of using his magic to continuously alter his physique, he remained fundamentally within the human scope. If he couldn't cross that threshold, his achievements were destined to be capped here.

Thus, his pursuit was not solely for eternal life; he also craved becoming a truly supreme being, an entity that all others could only look up to.

He glanced at the man seated opposite him. If this Easterner proved sensible, Mudraak wouldn't mind taking him on as a subordinate after his experiment concluded. The visions gleaned from the crystal ball confirmed the man’s formidable cultivation; having such a powerful follower would indirectly underscore Mudraak's own status and prestige.

Mudraak could never have fathomed that Ye Wen, seated across from him, was incapable of accepting any such invitation, as their fundamental philosophies were in violent opposition.

“I’ve always thought I wasn't a good man,” Ye Wen began, “but I certainly won't choose to be a bad one!” He then lifted his right leg and rested it across his left, placing his hands naturally over his lower abdomen. This posture was decidedly disadvantageous for a swift attack. When Mudraak and Liao Tong saw Ye Wen settle into this position, they mistakenly assumed he was about to agree.

However, Ye Wen’s subsequent words quickly informed them that this man was not cut from the same cloth as they were.

“Seeking new paths to pursue longevity—on that, I strongly agree! But the methods you choose…” Ye Wen shrugged his shoulders, “…those I cannot accept!”

The smile frozen on Mudraak’s face cracked, and his gaze toward Ye Wen began to reveal palpable killing intent. Even Liao Tong’s eyes grew colder. The ball of phosphorus fire in his palm burned brighter, and a faint, sorrowful keen of the undead could almost be heard, a sound saturated with boundless resentment that sent shivers down the spine. As the wail intensified, the chill emanating from the phosphorus fire grew overwhelmingly potent.

Ye Wen remained motionless in his relaxed posture, merely lifting his left index finger to point at the phosphorus fire in Liao Tong’s hand. “How many people did you kill to forge this spell?”

Having absorbed countless internet novels, Ye Wen possessed a significant advantage arriving in this era before online fiction truly blossomed. Through extensive information bombardment, he had formed general understandings and inferences about many forms of power. By combining this knowledge with what he currently observed, he could deduce truths startlingly close to reality.

Liao Tong’s ball of fire was steeped in resentment, and ordinary deceased persons could never generate such intense malice. Gathering vengeful spirits wasn't simple, and the most straightforward method was personally slaughtering living beings and sacrificing them to forge vengeful souls.

Liao Tong lifted the phosphorus fire in his hand with pride. Illuminated by the strange light, his already pale face took on an even more sinister and terrifying cast. “So what if I did? They should feel honored to serve as stepping stones on my path to eternal life!”

Hearing this reply, Ye Wen knew this man had likely been thoroughly corrupted by Mudraak’s ideology. At this moment, he was no different from Mudraak—perhaps they could no longer even be called human; they certainly didn't view themselves as such anymore.

“In that case… there’s nothing more to discuss!”

This declaration officially shattered any possibility of negotiation. Mudraak had been muttering under his breath since the start. As Ye Wen finished speaking, the European gentleman vaulted up from the sofa, simultaneously leaping backward to create distance, all while waving a hand. A flash of dark light appeared, and shadowy figures began to writhe and circle around Mudraak.

Ye Wen made no move, instead watching Mudraak complete his preparations with keen interest, before turning his attention back to Liao Tong.

The Necromancer moved even faster. Being a true native of the Eastern Cultivation world, he was far more familiar with its techniques. Unlike Mudraak, he didn't first cast a defensive spell upon himself. Instead, with a sweep of his hand, he flung out three transparent spheres, each roughly the size of an infant's fist.

“A magic treasure!”

The moment the three spheres left his hand, they erupted with fierce electrical luminescence. Though the current was powerful, it perpetually danced only along the surface of the spheres, looking much like a brilliant blue flame had ignited. However, anyone who saw these fist-sized objects would hesitate to underestimate them.

“Hmm? A magic treasure?”

This was actually Ye Wen’s first time witnessing a true magic treasure used by a cultivator. While Zhang Hengguang had previously gifted him a pair of bracelet-style artifacts, Ye Wen had only seen their appearance, not witnessed them in action or gauged their true destructive potential. These three spheres, however, were clearly demonstrating formidable power.

Liao Tong felt a surge of smugness as the three spheres flew toward the trio. These were fine treasures he had acquired long ago from the Artifact Forging Pavilion. While they weren't exceedingly rare in the broader Cultivation world—virtually everyone recognized them—they were unanimously considered among the most practical magic treasures available. Their name was the Electric Fireball!

Having deployed his treasures, Liao Tong began summoning his larger magic. He was confident that even if these three Electric Fireballs couldn’t instantly kill the opponents, they would certainly cause chaos, buying him the necessary moment to execute further plans.

But in the very next second, he witnessed a truly bizarre sight. The sudden shift in the situation was so jarring that he froze, forgetting to react as he stood there dumbfounded.

The three Electric Fireballs, crackling with current and firelight, hung suspended in mid-air, unable to advance an inch. Electricity surged across them, and the firelight flared wildly, yet the three artifacts remained stubbornly fixed in place. The woman among the three opponents, the one whose features were exquisitely delicate, had risen to her feet. Her adorable pink short-sleeved T-shirt trembled slightly, as if something was being subtly released from within her.

While Liao Tong was trying to decipher what force was neutralizing his treasures, he suddenly felt a strange, peculiar pressure pin him in place. Not only was his body immobilized, but the spiritual energy and magic within him were also suppressed. The ball of cyan phosphorus fire in his palm shuddered violently, almost extinguishing itself.

“What is this?”

He didn’t know, but Ye Wen did: Hua Yi was manifesting her Heavenly Demon Aura. Previously, Hua Yi had not mastered the Heavenly Demon Aura to the point where she could wield it with such effortless control—able to retract, shift, press, or confine at will. But now…

Although Hua Yi hadn't reached the pinnacle of this technique, she possessed a foundation of immense power. Driving this divine art purely through sheer force of cultivation was utterly effortless for her.

As Liao Tong remained astonished, he noticed a thin cyan ray of light suddenly shoot forth from the brow of the other woman seated on the sofa. Following this, a faintly green, shimmering longsword materialized, hovering above her forehead. This sight caused Liao Tong’s astonishment to escalate into true horror. “A Sword Cultivator?!”

Generally speaking, cultivators pursued eternal life, not raw combat prowess. Artifacts or lightning arts were merely means of self-preservation developed over their long lifespans. Because cultivators were inherently protective of their lives, many schools emphasized defensive artifacts and spells. Offense was usually delivered from afar with a thunderous blast or reliance on offensive magic items for the decisive strike.

Among all the schools of cultivation, the Sword Immortal lineage was recognized as possessing the greatest combat capability—they were reputed to be the cultivators with the highest killing power! This was because the magic tools of the Sword Immortal path were exclusively longswords, and the primary function of a longsword is to kill. Thus, if cultivators engaged in a minor dispute, they might argue, or even fight, only to part ways by noon and return home.

But conflict with a Sword Cultivator rarely ended without severe injury or death. This wasn't due to a volatile temper among Sword Cultivators; rather, the very nature of their cultivation arts dictated that their initial attack was often intended to be fatal.

Seeing the three-foot-long blade, glowing with cyan light, emerge above Ning Ru Xue’s brow, Liao Tong finally understood why these three people were so brazenly confident in turning hostile against him and Mudraak.

“Mudraak, be careful! These are the Sword Cultivators, the strongest in combat among the Eastern (cultivators)!”

After issuing the warning, Liao Tong channeled all his spiritual energy, attempting to break free from this bizarre restraint so he could fully focus on defending against the impending flying sword. However, Ning Ru Xue granted him no such opportunity. The woman seated on the sofa finally opened her eyes after a moment of quiet concentration, and the three-foot sword suddenly erupted with brilliant cyan light, blinding to behold.

The longsword then vibrated sharply before vanishing. Before Liao Tong could even try to locate the cyan blade, he felt a piercing pain in his chest. The spiritual energy and magical essence within him were rapidly draining away. What terrified him more was the sudden feeling that the countless vengeful spirits he had so meticulously controlled were slipping from his grasp. Countless spirits burst forth from the phosphorus fire in his palm, snapping and gnashing at him. With every bite, he felt an agonizing pain rising from the deepest core of his being.

“Aaaahhh—!”

“Damn it, Liao has been backlashed by his own spirits!”

Nurturing and controlling a massive horde of vengeful spirits could grant a Necromancer immense combat strength, but if that Necromancer lost control, those spirits would completely devour his soul, shattering it into countless fragments, wiping him from existence.

At this moment, Mudraak finally noticed the streak of cyan light that had pierced straight through Liao Tong. The light curved in the air and returned to hover above the head of the woman, but the brilliance emanating from the blade and the way it pointed menacingly at him—like a viper flicking its tongue—placed immense pressure upon him.

“How… how powerful are these people? Liao didn't even put up a fight?”

Mudraak had maintained a safe distance from the beginning, so Hua Yi’s Heavenly Demon Aura had failed to affect him. He was unaware that the reason for Liao Tong’s swift demise was twofold: Ning Ru Xue’s sword was both blindingly fast and impossibly sharp, and Liao Tong had already been trapped by the Heavenly Demon Aura, with his power partially suppressed, making him vulnerable to Ning Ru Xue's single blow.

A slight smile played on Ye Wen’s lips; he was pleased with the performance of his two companions. It seemed Hua Yi and Ning Ru Xue had been diligently adapting to his current level of power, and perhaps spending so much time together had even fostered a subtle sense of teamwork.

“Oh dear, I hope they don't team up to take me on later?”

Ye Wen was in the mood to entertain such tangential thoughts. If Mudraak knew what was occupying the man’s mind, seeing himself so completely disregarded, perhaps he would be enraged enough to throw down a gauntlet.

Mudraak, meanwhile, was frantically chanting, his hands weaving intricate patterns in the air, seemingly sketching out some diagram. Ye Wen couldn't discern its nature immediately, but he had no intention of granting the man the time he needed.

The thought materialized, and the Zixiao Sword manifested atop Ye Wen’s shoulder. The instant it appeared, it unleashed a torrent of fierce purple sword qi. The resulting air current from the blast caused the chanting Mudraak to choke on his breath, momentarily breaking the obscure incantation.

“What terrifying presence…”

It wasn’t just Mudraak who was startled; Ye Wen himself was slightly taken aback. The Zixiao Sword’s debut seemed unusually spectacular; such a phenomenon had never occurred before. Not only did it release qi, but the sword also trembled lightly, emitting a clear, ringing dragon’s roar. Ye Wen vaguely sensed that his Zixiao Sword had undergone yet another transformation.

“I made a slight alteration when condensing the Zixiao Sword just now; I didn't expect it to turn out like this. I wonder what its power is like now!”

With a thought, Ye Wen felt a flash of purple light from his shoulder, which immediately dissipated. His Zixiao Sword remained quietly suspended by his shoulder—everything looked the same, yet Ye Wen had perceived every change that had taken place.

Mudraak stared blankly at Ye Wen, a look of utter disbelief on his face. He had already estimated Ye Wen’s strength to be considerable, but he never imagined this Eastern man possessed such a profound level of attainment.

The dark magical power enveloping his body began to dissipate uncontrollably. Mudraak could feel his very substance slowly collapsing.

“Damn you, I will not let you have the last word!”

Mudraak, already fading from life, erupted with every ounce of magical power he possessed, using his remaining existence as the catalyst for the final dark spell of his life!

“I curse you! I curse you to never see the sky or the earth! I curse you to hear no sound! I curse you…”

“So much pointless chatter…” Ye Wen, who had been studying the subtle changes in his Zixiao Sword, was interrupted by Mudraak’s furious shouting. He raised his left hand, and a burst of purple sword qi exploded outward. This net of qi utterly annihilated the still-roaring Mudraak, shattering him into fragments that then, due to the influence of the dark magic, turned entirely to ash.

But that wasn't the end. The cluster of black energy refused to disperse; instead, it gathered into a single mass. Faintly visible within the blackness was a glowing six-pointed star. After swirling briefly, this mass of black energy shot directly toward Ye Wen.

“Hmm? What is this? Could it be…”

Ye Wen frowned, casually activating his White Cloud Smoke Strength and unleashing a palm strike from the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms. A giant dragon formed of white mist surged from his hand, opening its maw to bite at the darkness. But something uncanny happened: the darkness seemed to be something that didn't exist, passing straight through the white cloud dragon. In Ye Wen’s astonished gaze, it landed atop his head and vanished.

“Senior Brother!”

Ning Ru Xue, seated nearby, had reacted just as quickly, but her own palm strike failed to connect with the black smoke. Just like the cloud dragon, she watched helplessly as the black vapor passed right through her palm, as if touching nothing at all.

“Senior Brother, are you alright?” Ning Ru Xue shook the stunned, immobile Ye Wen, deeply concerned. She peered over his head, searching for any injury, but found nothing other than a black hexagram now imprinted on his forehead.

Hua Yi examined him from head to toe and echoed Ning Ru Xue’s findings. “It seems this hexagram is the key…”

As she spoke, Ye Wen, who had been sitting stiffly, suddenly gave a short laugh and told the two women, “It’s nothing. Although this strange energy is difficult to deal with, it won't defeat me. I have already managed to neutralize a portion of it using the power of the Primordial Chaos Mirror technique!”

Ye Wen was not speaking falsely. Since being struck by the black energy, his vision had darkened, and all sound vanished from his ears. Baffled, he recalled Mudraak’s final, fragmented curses.

‘Good thing I stopped him from finishing, or I might have lost more than just these two senses…’ He mused, ‘Wait, this feels a bit like the Heavenly Dance Infinite Wheel?’ While thinking, Ye Wen directed his internal True Qi.

While the black energy appeared formless and ephemeral from the outside, barely casting a shadow, once it began affecting Ye Wen’s body, its true nature was revealed: a dense, black, and malevolent energy mass lodged inside his skull, actively interfering with his sight and hearing.

Now that the origin was known and its location identified, breaking it should have been simple. However, Ye Wen unexpectedly discovered that this mass of black energy offered him some benefit. Therefore, after neutralizing just enough to restore his hearing, he halted the process.

“This strange black energy is highly beneficial to me; perhaps it can even strengthen my Zixiao Sword, which has changed again…” he replied casually, rising to his feet with his eyes closed. “For a while, I suppose I’ll have to function as a blind man…”