Just as the evil-glowing edge of the great axe was about to kiss the back of Luo Lianxin's head, she suddenly shifted, moving like a nimble swallow, turning gracefully in mid-air to evade the lethal strike.

"Drat it all!"

She landed steadily, shaking her head with a sigh.

"Can this truly be fate? The Ghost God General is destined to manifest only after three days, and even spurring its appearance now with the Spirit Guiding Formation has only yielded this incomplete thing!"

The spectral entity behind her shrieked, swinging the colossal axe with the force of wind and thunder.

This ghoul stood nearly two zhang tall, utterly black, wielding a massive axe in both hands, an iron helmet crowning its head, its gaze a bloody red—infinitely more formidable and imposing than any ordinary Ghost General.

Luo Lianxin paid it no mind, finding it rather disappointing.

With a gentle wave of her hand, two streaks of silver light shot from her sleeve. A mere light graze across the spectral creature was enough to cleave the massive thing into four pieces!

With a thunderous collapse, the entity disintegrated, leaving a faint blue, ethereal orb hovering in the air. Luo Lianxin beckoned, drawing the orb towards her. She caught it and squeezed it lightly between her fingers; with a sharp chuff, it crumbled into dust.

"This Soul Fire Origin Core is so impure and tainted—absolute trash!"

Luo Lianxin clapped her hands in disappointment, then finally turned her gaze toward Feng Zikang.

"You have bad luck, truly, to miss the manifestation of the Ghost God General. In three days, Liang Si'an from Sunset Peak will bring his fellow disciples to slay it. They will certainly seal the General's Tomb. It will be impossible for you to get another slice of the pie. With your current cultivation, you should hurry back to the Small Bamboo Grove and enter seclusion!"

Since her objective for this trip had failed, Luo Lianxin lingered no longer. She didn't even spare a backward glance toward the Spirit Guiding Formation before turning and sweeping away.

Only after she was far gone did Feng Zikang hear her voice echo faintly near his ear again.

"Remember! You absolutely must not breathe a word about meeting me!"

"Three days from now? Liang Si'an?"

The encounter with the mysterious girl was merely a brief interlude, but Feng Zikang had gleaned a crucial piece of intelligence from it.

The Ghost God General would emerge in three days, and Liang Si'an was already preparing to seize the Soul Fire Origin Core. The timing of the Ghost God General's emergence was undoubtedly calculated with the help of high masters within the Sect, but Liang Si'an, having only recently reached the Foundation Establishment stage, was rushing to claim the Core. This suggested he was desperate to forge his Natal Artifact, likely because he sensed his own status was unstable.

Although Liang Si'an was the first among the third generation of disciples to achieve Foundation Establishment, his position was far from unshakeable. His natural talent was not necessarily the best among that generation either; he merely benefited from having an unparalleled master, which secured his place as the premier disciple of the third generation.

Had General Lu not met with misfortune, after refining himself for a century or two, Liang Si'an would have smoothly condensed his Core, and the leadership of the Military School on Dragon-Tiger Mountain would inevitably have passed to him.

But General Lu failed his tribulation, instantly rendering Liang Si'an an inner sect disciple without a patron. It was inevitable that some would begin to stir, attempting to shake his standing.

The only way to suppress these surging newcomers was to demonstrate undeniable strength.

Thus, Liang Si'an ignored his unstable foundation and rushed to seize the Soul Fire Origin Core, hoping to forge his Natal Artifact before other disciples reached Foundation Establishment, thereby solidifying his position.

Clearly, many people did not wish him success. Even Luo Lianxin, though her words hinted at an unwillingness to openly antagonize Liang Si'an's faction, held no good intentions by coming here to seek out the Ghost God General.

If her Spirit Guiding had succeeded, she would have secretly annihilated the Ghost God General today, ensuring Liang Si'an's plans for three days hence would fall through. At that point, the Water Moon Pavilion could simply feign ignorance, and he would have no recourse to confront them.

"Heh heh, now that is interesting news..."

Feng Zikang smiled, rising to his feet. The matter here was concluded, and his injuries had mostly stabilized. It was time to return to the Small Bamboo Grove.

Two days later, night, Small Bamboo Grove.

Huo Zhongguang rubbed his hands together, staring at the white jade urn Feng Zikang presented, his eyes practically blazing, yet he repeatedly demurred.

"How can I accept this? This is something Senior Uncle Ye prepared for you; how could I possibly take advantage of you, old brother?"

"Why be so formal, Senior Brother Huo? My cultivation is limited; I cannot absorb that much of this Killing Intent Essence. Rather than letting it scatter to waste, it's better to gift it to a good friend..."

This was the fifth day since Feng Zikang and Huo Zhongguang had made their agreement. The sky had not yet darkened, and Huo Zhongguang, anxious for the Foundation Establishment secret art, had hurried over.

Seeing his impatience, Feng Zikang did not press the matter. He solemnly recited an incantation for him, claiming it was passed down by Ye Tiansheng, used for absorbing naturally condensed Killing True Essence. This solidified Killing Intent, imbued with countless vital energies, would, upon inhalation, naturally boost one's power—it might even lead to an immediate breakthrough in realm.

"Killing Intent can solidify naturally?"

Huo Zhongguang was profoundly amazed. He knew that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth could sometimes condense into physical form, becoming rare and invaluable treasures that could grant immediate immortality to mortals. But that Killing Intent could also condense into a tangible form was something he had never heard of.

"My master spent ages pondering the secret behind this. One day, he suddenly understood the principle: Killing Intent is like water vapor. With the guidance of the right treasure, it can naturally condense into tangible Killing Energy, just like dew collecting." He continued, "He buried the jade urn deep underground where the Killing Intent was densest, waiting for decades to finally gather these few urns of Condensed Killing Dew..."

"Then how can this old brother accept it?"

This item was invaluable, and Huo Zhongguang simply couldn't believe Feng Zikang intended to gift it to him outright. However, he was currently just a menial service disciple. Feng Zikang, despite his low cultivation, was protected by a good master, meaning he had no reason to need favors from Huo Zhongguang. All of Huo Zhongguang's possessions likely weren't worth this single urn of Condensed Killing Dew.

What was his intention?

Could it be... Huo Zhongguang cleverly guessed at an explanation: Perhaps this Condensed Killing Dew had never been tested, and its efficacy was unknown. Senior Uncle Ye must have instructed him to find someone whose cultivation was similar enough to attempt a breakthrough into Foundation Establishment to serve as a test subject. Though Dragon-Tiger Mountain was vast, there weren't many suitable candidates—Huo Zhongguang happened to be one.

He struggled to find a path to Foundation Establishment, lacked any backing, and if something went wrong, no one would hold Feng Zikang and his master accountable.

A cunning scheme! Huo Zhongguang chuckled inwardly, but still held fast to the jade urn.

Even if there was only a sliver of a chance, he couldn't let it go.

If his Dao foundation could not be established, he was ultimately just a mortal! Even as a test subject, he at least had a chance to try!

Feng Zikang smiled warmly. While he couldn't know the full extent of Huo Zhongguang's thoughts, he could guess most of them. This greedy senior brother, even if suspicious, absolutely could not resist the temptation of Foundation Establishment. This bait would surely be swallowed!