It had two handles, no feet, and was etched with simple patterns on its surface, standing silently before Xiao Gao.

"This... what is this thing?"

This was the item that old Wu Pan had bestowed upon this fool? No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't see anything special about it!

Xiao Gao looked up in confusion, meeting Feng Zikang's playful smile.

"Hey! Fool, you aren't messing with me, are you?" Xiao Gao's face fell.

Feng Zikang shook his head. "When Martial Uncle Wu bestowed this jade urn upon me, he told a story..."

"A story?"

Hope flared in Xiao Gao's heart again. Perhaps such a high-grade item was connected to some legendary tale, and one had to hear the story to grasp its method of use?

"It speaks of ancient times, an era where cruel officials held sway and the populace suffered grievously."

Xiao Gao pursed his lips. To him, the common people were mere ants; their suffering had nothing to do with him. Nevertheless, for the sake of the magical artifact, he listened patiently.

"During that time, there was a particularly vicious official in the court. Anyone who fell into his hands was certainly beaten into a confession. Who knew that one day, he too would be accused and brought before another official. The second official, holding the complaint, pondered how to deal with this cruel official to force an immediate confession. After much thought with no good idea, he invited the cruel official home for a meal..."

"Midway through the meal, the official suddenly asked the cruel official, saying that lately, suspects were proving uncooperative and unwilling to confess, and he wondered if the gentleman had any good methods?"

"The cruel official laughed heartily, saying that he had recently devised a new method."

"'Use a large urn, heat it until it's scorching hot all around with charcoal fires, and then place the suspect inside. No one can bear it; I dare them not to confess...'"

"The official pondered for a moment, immediately ordered the preparations, and soon a glowing-red urn was brought to the banquet table. The cruel official was greatly amazed and asked the official what he was doing. The official smiled and said, 'Nothing else, merely inviting you into the urn!'"

"The cruel official was terrified, his bladder emptying instantly, and he confessed everything immediately..."

"Hahaha!" Xiao Gao laughed three times. "That cruel official truly is an idiot!"

After laughing, he scratched his head, still not catching on. "Fool, what does this story have to do with this urn?"

Feng Zikang smiled faintly. "Actually, it has nothing to do with it. It's just that what I want to say to you is: Please step into the urn!"

"Miao Yuchun of Scarlet Stone Peak is already waiting inside for you. It will save me the trouble of doing the heavy lifting!"

"What?"

Xiao Gao's expression changed drastically; he stared at Feng Zikang in disbelief.

This story certainly wasn't told by Elder Wu. Even if he had lived for several hundred years, he probably hadn't heard this anecdote originating from another world.

Feng Zikang pointed at the jade urn and chuckled, "I have already refined Miao Yuchun into Baleful Aura True Essence. It's just that his cultivation is shallow, so he couldn't refine much of value. I had to ask my senior brother for help!"

"Fool, you are courting death!"

Even if Xiao Gao's brain was somewhat sluggish from indulging in too many unrestrained gatherings, he understood now that this fool had played him today. Yet, he truly couldn't figure it out—with his current cultivation at the third layer of Qi Induction, how dared he provoke someone like him?

He raised his hand, grasping a long halberd—this was the magical weapon he used. Only then did he realize his surroundings were hazy; he had fallen into a confusion array.

"Hmph, a mere mortal array, how can it trap me? Break for me!"

Xiao Gao's eyes flashed wide open, his body emitting a red glow, and lightning shot from his eyes. The scenery within the illusion shattered, and the Eight Trigrams Confusion Array instantly broke apart!

But Feng Zikang only needed that small window of time. He sneered, gripped his blade, and in a single step, he was right beside Xiao Gao, his blade descending like lightning, aimed straight for the skull.

Shunpo Technique!

Ten zhang of distance, covered in just one step!

"Courting death!"

This fool must have truly had his brain burned out, actually challenging him with a mortal weapon, exposing his entire body wide open. The halberd was long, the blade short; before his blade could reach his neck, Xiao Gao was certain he could stab him dead three times over.

He roared in anger and thrust the long halberd forward toward his chest, poised to impale Feng Zikang right in front of him.

Suddenly, a sound like a great bell, "Clang!" rang out. Boundless golden light erupted around Feng Zikang, accompanied by the sound of chanting sutras, and the illusion of a golden bell manifested behind him!

"Golden Bell Protection!"

Xiao Gao was caught completely off guard. He felt a violent tremor in his weapon; the sharp, long halberd couldn't penetrate.

Feng Zikang spun his body, his blade momentum unbroken. In that rotation, Xiao Gao's head shot skyward!

"No!"

Xiao Gao's soul scattered in terror. His head hit the ground, rolling to the edge of the jade urn, his face fixed in an expression of extreme fear as he begged loudly.

"Junior Brother, spare my life!"

Tears and snot streamed down his face, his eyes filled with desperate entreaty. Those who cultivate the Dao fear death even more, especially since he was completely unprepared for this.

Though severed now, a military cultivator's body is saturated with killing intent, capable of protecting the Tianling (spirit gate). If his body were reattached immediately and he took medicine to mend his meridians, he could still be saved.

At this moment, he naturally pleaded ceaselessly.

"Junior Brother Feng, we are from the same sect. Murdering a fellow disciple is a grave sin! If you let me go, I swear I will not report this to the elders. Please, spare my dog life..."

"I have many spirit stones in my storage pouch; take them all! Just beg you to let me go..."

Feng Zikang slowly squatted down, using the tip of his blade to lift Xiao Gao's head, shaking it slowly. "If I kill you, everything in your storage pouch naturally becomes mine. What benefit is there in that?"

"This..."

"If you were in my position, having gone this far, would you stop now?"

Blood streamed from all seven apertures of Xiao Gao's face; his features were contorted. He finally understood that today was utter despair, and his eyes filled with vicious hatred.

"Fool! You slaughter your sect brothers; may the heavens strike you down! You will surely meet a terrible end!"

"Pah!"

Feng Zikang impatiently flicked the tip of his blade, tossing the head into the urn. Xiao Gao's curses could be heard, gradually fading into silence.

"A scum like you is not worthy to be my fellow disciple."

"Besides, taking your good wishes, I have already met a terrible end twice... I stopped being afraid of such things long ago!"

He tossed Xiao Gao's headless corpse into the urn as well, shaking his head coldly. "In the end, I still have to do the dirty work myself. I told you to step into the urn, yet you wouldn't comply obediently. Truly foolish!"

He collected Xiao Gao's storage pouch and the long halberd, then tucked the jade urn away, intending to refine it using secret demonic arts. Although the Eight Trigrams Array map was damaged, he cleaned up meticulously, leaving no trace.

Although Feng Zikang was only at the third layer of Qi Induction, driven by his demonic cultivation methods, complemented by General Lu's residual insights on the military path, and aided by perfectly timed defensive armor enchantments, slaying Xiao Gao at the fifth layer of Qi Induction was as easy as killing a dog!

Only now did he begin to savor the taste of power, feeling exhilarated as he threw his head back and roared at the sky.

And in the near future, he would be even stronger!

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