Of the ten disciples from the Nether Deity Hall, aside from Ma Liang—who had left alone four days earlier—only three remained after these three days.

  Zhou Zihong let out a bitter sigh. She glanced back at the grotesque creatures drawing ever closer, then closed her eyes in despair. Unbidden, Ma Liang’s figure surfaced in her mind.

  “That Ma Liang was always timid as a mouse—afraid of death, shameless beyond measure. No matter how much he was scolded or beaten, he never cared. Junior Sister Tong only sent him to the Netherworld Battlefield because she was fed up with his pestering. If I hadn’t pitied him and saved him several times, he would’ve died long ago. At least he had some conscience… A few days ago he gave me a pill, saying it could preserve one’s youth. Who knows if it was true…”

  With hopelessness filling her heart, her thoughts drifted uncontrollably.

  Suddenly, Senior Brother Yang shouted anxiously, “Ma Liang! Run!”

  Zhou Zihong froze and opened her eyes.

  A young man was flying toward them.

  His features were refined, yet a faint chill hid beneath them. A stain of blood marked his chest.

  “Junior Brother Ma… we cannot escape this time,” Senior Brother Yang sighed bitterly.

  Yun Che swept his gaze over the three but said nothing.

  Behind them, more than ten wandering souls abruptly halted, staring at Yun Che with hesitation.

  Yun Che snorted softly.

  A ripple surged through divine sense.

  “Scram.”

  The wandering souls trembled in terror and instantly scattered, vanishing in all directions.

  Zhou Zihong stared blankly. She could not comprehend why the horrifying creatures had suddenly retreated.

  A ridiculous thought surfaced—

  Were they afraid of Ma Liang?

  She immediately rejected it.

  Yet relief flooded the three survivors.

  Senior Brother Yang quickly urged, “We shouldn’t stay. Let’s reach the teleportation array and leave!”

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  Zhou Zihong nodded and said softly, “Junior Brother Ma, your cultivation is the weakest. Stay close. If those creatures touch you, your soul will scatter instantly.”

  Another disciple, Lin Tao, snapped impatiently, “Stop talking. I’m leaving!” He shot forward.

  Yun Che followed unhurriedly.

  He had saved them partly for his own plans—and partly because Ma Liang’s memories held gratitude toward Zhou Zihong. Having taken Ma Liang’s body, he felt he should repay something.

  Throughout the journey, the three were extremely cautious—even when taking spirit-restoring pills.

  Zhou Zihong handed Yun Che one.

  He stared at it, thinking of his Heavenly Nether Pearl. The Netherworld Source Dew it condensed was the finest restorative medicine.

  But his storage bag—and all his treasures within—had been crushed by Teng Huayuan.

  Yun Che sighed inwardly.

  He could sense the Heavenly Nether Pearl and even the blood-refined flying sword within his soul. But now was not the time to investigate.

  He needed seclusion.

  Across the battlefield, collapse seemed to slow—but that meant nothing.

  Compared to spatial collapse, the wandering souls were far more terrifying.

  Collapse meant sudden disappearance.

  Devouring meant watching your soul consumed while you screamed—your body reduced to a withered husk.

  If given a choice, almost every cultivator would choose collapse over being devoured.

  There were four large teleportation arrays in the Netherworld Battlefield.

  Yun Che had no preference which to use.

  Only those possessing jade tokens could activate them.

  Everyone entering the battlefield received one—not only to resist Nether Gale, but also as a key for return.

  Yun Che did not possess Zhao’s token. Occupying Ma Liang’s body, his best destination was Flame Incineration Nation.

  Another reason he had saved them—he might need to seize a token.

  As for Xu Hao and Ge Yang—

  They had to die.

  Not for Ma Liang.

  But because they knew the real Ma Liang was already dead.

  Silence was survival.

  Through divine sense, Yun Che had mobilized the wandering souls as his eyes and ears.

  Soon news arrived—

  Xu Hao and Ge Yang were dead.

  Their storage bags were on the way.

  A horned wandering soul soon arrived and tossed three storage bags to Yun Che.

  It turned to leave.

  “Stop.”

  The wandering soul trembled and turned back.

  Yun Che studied it carefully.

  It was different.

  Unlike others, its body was chaotic—souls it had devoured had not fully dissolved, leaving layered imprints.

  Its very nature had changed.

  Yun Che sensed something familiar—

  Like the Nascent Soul he had once seen in that dream-space.

  A shared essence.

  He pointed at Lin Tao.

  “Kill him.”

  Lin Tao’s face drained white. “Ma Liang! You dare—”

  The wandering soul did not hesitate.

  It lunged.

  Lin Tao unleashed treasures in panic.

  They were swallowed instantly.

  “No—!”

  In a blink, the wandering soul plunged into him.

  Lin Tao’s body convulsed violently.

  His screams tore through the air.

  Skin shriveled.

  Flesh vanished.

  Moments later—

  A dried corpse floated in silence.

  The wandering soul emerged, licking its lips, staring hungrily at Yun Che.

  Senior Brother Yang’s legs trembled.

  Zhou Zihong covered her mouth in horror.

  They no longer recognized “Ma Liang.”

  Yun Che did not spare the corpse a glance.

  “Follow me,” he ordered.

  The wandering soul hesitated—then obeyed.

  He turned calmly to Zhou Zihong.

  “The teleportation array. We’re here.”

  She nodded stiffly.

  No one dared to ask a single question.

  Ahead, the white light barrier of the array shimmered in the void.