Chu Ming shook his head: "Not sure."

Then, he walked into the shadows, his right hand brushed over his face, the bones of his body made a low sound, his figure and appearance changed dramatically, and then he changed into the still-intact clothes of a Blood Vine Castle bandit.

"Chu Royal Attendant, you..." Meng Zhen looked on in shock.

Earlier in that pitch-black mine, he hadn’t realized the astonishing aspect of Chu Ming’s disguise technique. Facing it this time, he could hardly believe his eyes.

In almost the blink of an eye, a different face and body appeared. What kind of disguise method was this?

Then his expression went from shocked to tense, as if he had noticed something.

"Chu Royal Attendant, are you going into the cave?"

"Hmm." Chu Ming lightly nodded and slipped into the darkness.

What secrets were hidden in the Evil’s body? The only way to know was to go down and explore.

"Commander Meng, someone is coming."

The voice sounded in his ear, but Meng Zhen couldn’t see Chu Ming’s figure.

He was about to look around when he saw several figures running towards him in panic not far away.

"Commander Meng!" As Commandant Qiu Li from the West Glory County Imperial Examination Hall saw Meng Zhen, he ran over as if seeing a savior.

Behind him were three others—the Prison Chief Lv Dong from the Jingyan County Criminal Defense Bureau and two Jingyan Guards.

Meng Zhen furrowed his brow, standing silently.

"Commander Meng, the Blood Vine Castle bandits are numerous, we must retreat quickly." Commandant Qiu Li said in a panic.

"Yes, Commander Meng, it’s not safe to stay here too long, we must leave quickly, I know a way out through the back mountain." Lv Dong said anxiously.

Clearly, they didn’t know that the experts of Blood Vine Castle were already wiped out.

"Commander Meng, have you seen Lord Song?" A Jingyan Guard hurriedly asked.

Meng Zhen looked at the four, his tone icy: "Blood Vine Castle has been completely exterminated."

"Completely exterminated?"

"Commander Meng..."

"..."

"..."

Chu Ming stealthily followed Jin Yu while maintaining a distance of about ten meters.

The inside of the cave was pitch black, and as they ventured deeper, the cold aura grew stronger.

In that brief moment, the Sword Gourd Spirit could feel that the ominous aura cluster had become even more strange.

Upon reaching a certain point inside the cave, Jin Yu suddenly stopped.

This place was the closest to where the Evil was located.

Jin Yu extended his right hand, and a gray ring appeared in his palm, which he then blasted against the cave wall.

Boom—

The cave wall collapsed, and the ring blasted a hole.

But this was far from enough; Jin Yu didn’t pause as he continued to condense the ’Ten Rings of Primordial Qi’ to bombard it.

After about half an hour, a gap about the height of a person appeared in the cave wall.

On the other side of the gap was a space like a Black Abyss, from which a bone-chilling aura seeped out.

Jin Yu paused outside the gap and took out a Jade Pendant with his left hand, wisps of Primordial Qi swirling around him, seemingly recovering his Primordial Qi.

That Jade Pendant was the Primordial Qi Jade Pendant Chu Ming had given him.

Before long, Jin Yu put away the Primordial Qi Jade Pendant, unable to hide the excitement on his face.

"Primordial Qi Object, Primordial Artifact material, here I come!"

Muttering, he stepped through the gap.

Primordial Qi Object? Primordial Qi material?

Every move and word of Jin Yu was under Chu Ming’s observation.

He knew what a Primordial Qi Object was, but what was Primordial Qi material?

"Primordial Qi...Qi...or Artifact?"

Chu Ming did not enter the gap; he just hid in the dark and watched.

The space within the gap was where the Evil existed, very small, and he couldn’t get any closer.

With the coverage of the Sword Gourd Spirit, he had no need to enter.

Inside the gap.

Jin Yu held three rings in his right hand, looking both delighted and tense.

After just a few steps, he saw a hazy object.

The obscure object seemed to exude gray light and waves of chill, motionless like a dead thing, yet strangely floating in the air.

Jin Yu was not surprised by this, and the rings in his palm shot out.

Boom—

The Ten Rings of Primordial Qi collided with the Evil, dispersing waves of chill with a slight explosion sound.

"Strange..."

He muttered and once again condensed a Primordial Qi Ring to attack.

The Evil was like a candle flame; every ring attack slightly weakened it.

But the more Jin Yu attacked, the more uncertain his expression became.

The Evil was formed through Primordial Qi evolution, and ordinary people couldn’t destroy it, but Primordial Techniques could restrain it well.

But this Evil, resiliently enduring over ten Primordial Techniques, was only slightly weakened.

Moreover, an Evil would normally attack living things actively, but this one contradicted norms by taking a passive beating.

"Something’s wrong, there’s definitely something wrong."

While manipulating Primordial Techniques to attack, Jin Yu observed his surroundings.

On the cave wall, blood trickled down like a stream, seemingly pulled by some gravitational force toward the Evil.

Jin Yu sharply caught this scene.

But, after consecutive Primordial Techniques attacks, more than half of the Primordial Qi in his Primordial Qi Mansion had been consumed.

"Blood..."

As soon as he stopped, the Evil’s aura suddenly strengthened again.

"I understand, I understand, this Evil doesn’t need to attack actively. The accumulation of blood from so many corpses outside is the best tonic for it!"

"The flesh and blood of a hundred ordinary living beings can nurture a First-tier Evil, and a thousand creatures can nurture a Second-tier Evil; how many corpses are outside..."

A First-tier Evil equates to the Primordial Qi Introduction Realm, a Second-tier equates to the Primordial Qi Unity Realm.

"No, no! There aren’t a thousand corpses outside, but there are many who practice martial arts!"

Jin Yu’s expression suddenly changed drastically.

"Blood Circulation Realm, Strong Bone Realm, and even Refining Organ Realm!"

His eyes sharply narrowed, as if he had thought of some terrifying matter.

"There’s no time to restore Primordial Qi, I must quickly stop the flow of blood, otherwise this Evil will certainly advance to Tier Three, devouring the entire mine!"

Tier Three equates to the Primordial Qi Liquid Realm existence!

Such an existence would render even the Qi Blood of Refining Organ Realm martial artists ineffective for deterrence.

Unless his senior brother or master personally came, there’d be a chance to suppress it!

Jin Yu leaped, jumping to the flank of the Evil, and then punched towards the flowing blood site, aiming to sever the blood flow.

However, as his punch landed, the previously motionless Evil suddenly changed.

Countless tendrils of cold turned into black mist, roaring like Evil Ghosts devouring Jin Yu.

"Evil Qi! Damn, this Evil has already advanced to an existence comparable to Tier Three Primordial Qi Liquid Realm!"

Only a Tier Three Evil could release Evil Qi to devour humans as flesh and blood.

Fear struck Jin Yu’s heart like terrifying waves crashing against it.

He was just in the late stage of the Primordial Qi Unity Realm, not even at his peak could he defeat a Tier Three Evil, let alone now with most of his Primordial Qi depleted.

Death rushed towards his face along with the Evil Qi!

In great fear, Jin Yu condensed a ring and hurled it at the Evil Qi.

However, the ring was like an egg hitting a rock, having no effect at all.

"I never thought, I, Jin Yu, would fall here."

In an instant, he didn’t know why, but Chu Ming’s image flashed in his mind.

"That boy is a harbinger of doom, mine accidents... ambush... evil spirits!"

Seeing the chilling Evil Qi about to devour him, Jin Yu drained all his Primordial Qi from the Primordial Qi Mansion, condensing one last ring to smash into the oncoming Evil Qi.

Boom——

A deafening explosion resounded.

Huh?

"Did it work?"

The ring actually dispersed the Evil Qi.

"Is the power of a condensed Primordial Technique between life and death this great?"

Jin Yu was both stunned and amazed.

However, before he could catch his breath, several more Evil Qi streams, carrying a chilling aura, rushed in.

Simultaneously, more Evil Qi seeped through the ground cracks, attacking the surface.

"What’s that?" a miner exclaimed in terror, seeing clusters of eerie black mist emerging from the ground.

"Ah——"

Before they could think of escape, the black mist engulfed all the miners present.

Then, the black mist floated towards other places.

At the entrance of the mine, Meng Zhen looked anxious, with Qiu Li, the Commandant of the West Glory County Imperial Examination Hall, and Lv Dong, the Prison Chief of Jingyan County Criminal Defense Bureau, speaking beside him.

"Commander Meng, have the bloodthirsty bandits of Blood Vine Castle really been completely eliminated?"

"Commander Meng, maybe we should hide in the cave."

Meng Zhen, annoyed, turned a cold glance at the two, scolding sharply: "Get lost!"

The two immediately felt a chill down their spines, that look just now showed that the Commander truly had murderous intent.

Qiu Li and Lv Dong dared not stay, preparing to leave.

Suddenly, black mist spilled from the cave and the ground, accompanied by a chilling aura rushing in.

Huh?

Meng Zhen’s expression changed instantly, quickly dodging the black mist.

Qiu Li and Lv Dong were momentarily stunned, seemingly unaware of what the black mist was.

The next instant.

"Evil! It’s the Evil!" Lv Dong shouted in terror.

"Evil?!"

Both were instantly panic-stricken, exerting all their strength to flee.

However, the black mist, as if possessing thought, swirled like a gale, sweeping gravel to engulf the two.

The two hadn’t managed to escape a few meters before being completely enveloped by the black mist.

"Ah——"

"Save me! Save me!"

Two heart-wrenching screams, followed by eerie silence.

Meng Zhen’s hair stood on end, staring intently at the black mist.

The black mist, after consuming the two, paused momentarily before attacking further afield, not targeting Meng Zhen.

"Help..."

"The evil! The evil has resurrected!"

"Run quickly!"

Screams filled the air.

...

Meanwhile, in the underground mine.

Jin Yu watched the dispersed Evil Qi, initially dazed, then overjoyed.

The confidence this strike brought was astounding; he confidently reached out his right hand, manipulated the Primordial Qi... concentrated the ring...

Couldn’t condense it!

The palm of his right hand was empty.

Jin Yu’s face changed dramatically.

"The Primordial Qi is exhausted!"

With the Primordial Qi Mansion depleted, he couldn’t condense a ring at all.

Fear of death swept over him once more, this time even more desperate.

"I, Jin Yu, was discovered by my master to have a Primordial Qi talent at the age of ten, sensed Primordial Qi within half a year to become a Primordial Qi Warrior, then progressed rapidly, mastering Primordial Techniques within a year..."

Knowing he was doomed, Jin Yu murmured words of unwillingness at an incredible speed.

"Senior Sister, I haven’t confessed my feelings to you yet..."

"Master, the evil you left behind years ago has claimed your disciple’s life..."

Tears glittered at Jin Yu’s eyes, reflecting the ferocious Evil Qi.

Evil Qi hovered above, coldness piercing to the bone.

He closed his eyes, seemingly resigning to fate.

What else could he do but resign?

Could his master suddenly descend and save him?

Bang bang bang——

Just as he was in utter despair, a series of booms echoed beside his ears.

What was happening?

Jin Yu squinted, opening a slit to peek ahead.

"The Evil Qi... why was it dispersed again?"

His instincts made him look down at his right hand, finding no Primordial Qi ring, and the Primordial Qi Mansion was still empty.

Suddenly, a shadow flashed by, continuously projecting ’Primordial Qi Rings’ at the evil spirit from the shadow’s direction.

"Master?!"

Jin Yu blurted out.

One ring, two rings, three rings... ten rings...

A total of ten rings!

Ten Rings of Primordial Qi, only his master could wield it!

Master?

Chu Ming, hidden in the darkness, smiled subtly, ignoring Jin Yu, emerged from the shadows again to unleash ’Ten Rings of Primordial Qi’ against the evil spirit.

After probing twice, he had confirmed, he could handle this evil spirit.

Bang bang bang——

The Evil Qi that had been extending outward was either dispersed or retracted by the evil.

The Ten Rings of Primordial Qi thundered repeatedly, the Primordial Qi seemingly inexhaustible.

Jin Yu’s eyes widened, his bald head occasionally reflecting dazzling light.

"Master is indeed a Primordial Qi Lake Realm expert, this mere Tier Three Evil dares to scare me, seeking death!"