THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS
Chapter Sixty-Three — The Bait

Ghost Seven inhaled deeply, forcing himself to calm down.

His cold eyes swept slowly across the battlefield while his brows tightened into a hard knot.

Originally, he never considered reclaiming the Diamond Quicksand particularly difficult.

Especially after following the footprints leading directly into the second region of the mountain range.

Based on his experience, he had already estimated their strength.

Three young cultivators.

One strongest among them probably no higher than seventh-layer Bone Tempering.

In his eyes—

They should have been no harder to crush than insects.

But reality had gone completely wrong.

One of those “insects” turned out to be an elite formation master.

And worse—

A terrifyingly intelligent one.

Now Ghost Seven found himself trapped instead.

As long as those three continued operating the formation together—

Even he could not gain any advantage.

Then suddenly—

Something flashed through his mind.

A strange light appeared in his eyes.

Slowly—

He turned toward Xue Ningxiang.

“You…”

“…are the Xue Clan’s third young miss, aren’t you?”

Xue Ningxiang’s body trembled instantly.

Ghost Seven examined her carefully before smiling faintly.

“The last time I saw you was five years ago.”

“You were still a child then.”

“Who would’ve thought…”

“…you’d grow into such a beautiful young woman so quickly?”

Xue Ningxiang lowered her head immediately.

She did not dare meet those cold eyes directly.

Zhuo Fan frowned sharply.

He instantly understood Ghost Seven’s intentions.

“Old bastard.”

“If you have something to say, say it to me.”

“Don’t threaten a little girl.”

But Ghost Seven ignored him completely.

His gaze never left Xue Ningxiang.

“Ning’er…”

“What exactly are you trying to accomplish?”

“The Xue Clan belongs to Nether Valley’s affiliated families.”

“We’ve always treated your family well.”

“But today…”

Suddenly—

Killing intent flashed openly through his eyes.

Xue Ningxiang’s hands trembled violently.

And the hand seals maintaining the formation loosened unconsciously.

Zhuo Fan’s expression changed immediately.

He understood at once.

Ghost Seven had found the weakest point in their formation.

Psychological warfare.

“Move!”

Zhuo Fan roared instantly.

Boom!

He and Xie Tianyang attacked simultaneously.

Thunder and flame exploded toward Ghost Seven once more.

But this time—

Xue Ningxiang remained frozen completely.

Fear consumed her mind entirely.

Without wind amplification—

The combined power of flame and lightning weakened dramatically.

Ghost Seven sneered coldly.

His demonic whip lashed outward once.

BOOM!

The combined attack shattered instantly.

Meanwhile—

Zhuo Fan and Xie Tianyang both shook violently atop their platforms as blood surged through their chests.

Ghost Seven laughed loudly.

“Exactly.”

“That’s how it should be.”

“Ning’er…”

“…you’re finally thinking clearly.”

He stared at her coldly.

“These two brats can run away whenever they want.”

“But your Xue Clan?”

“They can’t escape Nether Valley.”

Zhuo Fan clenched his teeth tightly.

Then immediately shouted:

“Ning’er, don’t listen to him!”

“He already recognized you.”

“The moment he leaves here…”

“…your entire clan dies anyway.”

Xue Ningxiang trembled violently.

“But if we kill him here…”

“…the Xue Clan still has a chance to survive.”

His eyes sharpened fiercely.

“Remember what I told you earlier?”

“This Wind, Thunder, and Inferno Formation is a complete three-person fifth-grade formation.”

“As long as all three of us combine our strength…”

“…even a Heaven Profound expert won’t leave alive.”

Xue Ningxiang’s trembling slowly stopped.

The fear inside her eyes gradually condensed again.

Into focus.

Into resolve.

Zhuo Fan immediately pressed harder.

“If this old monster escapes…”

“…your Xue Clan is finished.”

BOOM!

Something seemed to explode inside Xue Ningxiang’s mind.

Suddenly—

She lifted her head.

For the first time since meeting her—

Murderous intent appeared openly in her eyes.

“He can’t leave…”

Her voice trembled softly.

“He has to die…”

“…he has to die…”

Then suddenly—

“DIE!”

Boom!

Her hand seals slammed together violently.

At once—

A deafening beast roar erupted from behind her.

A gigantic azure leopard materialized in the storm winds.

Compared to before—

Its aura had increased over tenfold.

Ghost Seven’s face changed instantly.

Only now did he realize something horrifying—

Earlier—

Even while Zhuo Fan and Xie Tianyang were fighting seriously—

Xue Ningxiang had never actually used her full strength.

Because deep down—

She had never truly wanted to kill anyone.

But now—

Everything changed.

To protect her family—

She had become genuinely murderous.

And the formation’s true power finally erupted completely.

The azure leopard lunged forward violently.

At the same time—

Zhuo Fan and Xie Tianyang exchanged knowing smiles.

Then both unleashed their own attacks simultaneously.

Flames.

Lightning.

Wind.

All three elemental forces merged together perfectly.

And this time—

The resulting pressure became utterly catastrophic.

Even the surrounding space distorted slightly beneath the terrifying force.

Ghost Seven’s pupils contracted violently.

For the first time tonight—

True fear appeared on his face.

Boom!

He whipped the demonic artifact desperately against the incoming attack.

But this time—

The explosion shook the entire second region of the mountain range.

Mountains trembled.

The earth cracked.

Even distant fourth-grade spirit beasts fled wildly in panic.

Ghost Seven was blasted backward over thirty meters through the air.

His robes burned.

His beard blackened.

Blood sprayed continuously from his mouth.

And this time—

The destructive flame and lightning energy had already invaded his organs directly.

One more strike.

At most one more.

And he would die.

Ghost Seven panted heavily while staring toward the three young monsters ahead of him.

Especially Xue Ningxiang.

He never imagined the greatest threat tonight would become the girl he initially considered weakest.

“Old bastard’s almost finished!”

Zhuo Fan shouted immediately.

“Prepare the final strike!”

But suddenly—

Something changed.

The azure leopard charged forward again wildly—

Without waiting for coordination.

Zhuo Fan’s expression changed instantly.

He turned sharply toward Xue Ningxiang.

Her eyes looked almost crazed now.

“He has to die…”

“…he has to die…”

She continued muttering repeatedly while forming hand seals nonstop.

Not good.

The earlier psychological shock had pushed her too far.

The fear for her family combined with murderous determination had thrown her into a half-mad state.

Although it unleashed all her power—

It also destroyed their coordination completely.

Ghost Seven noticed immediately.

And suddenly laughed.

Without hesitation, he rushed directly toward Xue Ningxiang.

The isolated wind-element attacks no longer threatened him significantly.

His whip shattered the azure leopard instantly.

“Not good!”

Zhuo Fan shouted.

“Tianyang, support Ning’er!”

Boom!

He and Xie Tianyang attacked desperately again.

But without proper synchronization—

The formation lost its true essence completely.

Ghost Seven ignored the scattered elemental attacks entirely.

His body flashed.

And instantly—

He appeared before Xue Ningxiang.

Her eyes remained unfocused as she continued forming seals unconsciously.

Ghost Seven sneered coldly.

Then grabbed her throat directly and lifted her into the air.

Xue Ningxiang gasped painfully as her hand seals finally stopped.

“This crazy little girl…”

Ghost Seven panted coldly.

“You almost killed this old man.”

“If you still weren’t useful…”

“…I’d crush your throat immediately.”

“Ning’er!”

Zhuo Fan and Xie Tianyang both stood instantly.

Ghost Seven glanced toward them mockingly.

“What are you shouting for?”

“I’ll deal with both of you soon enough.”

Xue Ningxiang coughed weakly while tears streamed down her face.

Then she looked toward Zhuo Fan desperately.

“Kill him…”

“…don’t let him hurt my father…”

Ghost Seven laughed viciously.

“What a devoted daughter.”

“Unfortunately…”

“…these two little brats can’t kill me anymore.”

“And once this old man returns…”

“…your Xue Clan won’t leave behind even chickens or dogs.”

Xue Ningxiang cried silently.

Xie Tianyang suddenly stepped forward furiously.

“Ghost Seven!”

“You’re a Nether Valley elder!”

“And now you’re threatening a helpless girl?”

“Aren’t you ashamed?”

Ghost Seven burst into laughter.

“Ashamed?”

“In the Demon Path…”

“…that word doesn’t exist.”

Then suddenly—

He looked toward Zhuo Fan approvingly.

“Brat…”

“You really suit this old man’s temperament.”

“With just a few words, you turned this girl into a killing machine.”

“If we weren’t enemies today…”

“…I’d definitely take you as my disciple.”

Zhuo Fan’s eyes slowly narrowed.

Cold.

Emotionless.

“You hurt my people.”

“So today…”

“…you die.”

“Tianyang.”

His voice lowered slightly.

“Prepare the final strike.”

Xie Tianyang froze.

“But Ning’er—”

“Ning’er…”

Zhuo Fan interrupted quietly.

“…would agree.”

For the first time—

His voice sounded strangely heavy.

Xie Tianyang trembled slightly.

Then looked toward Xue Ningxiang.

Even now—

Despite her tears—

She still nodded weakly toward them.

If Ghost Seven survived—

The Xue Clan would be exterminated completely.

This was the only choice left.

Xie Tianyang gritted his teeth violently.

Then roared.

Boom!

A gigantic Lightning Dragon exploded forward instantly.

At the same time—

The Fire Phoenix behind Zhuo Fan screamed skyward once more.

Both ultimate attacks charged directly toward Ghost Seven.

This was their strongest attack possible now.

But Ghost Seven only sneered.

“Hmph.”

“This old man already understands your formation.”

“Without wind support…”

“…lightning and fire alone can’t kill me.”

Xie Tianyang clenched his fists tightly in frustration.

Were they really about to fail?

After sacrificing everything?

But suddenly—

Zhuo Fan smiled.

A terrifying smile.

“Who said…”

“…we don’t have wind?”

Ghost Seven’s expression froze instantly.

Then—

BOOM!

A massive tornado erupted directly around him without warning.

An azure prison of compressed storm winds trapped him completely inside.

And at that exact moment—

The Lightning Dragon and Fire Phoenix arrived simultaneously.

BOOM!!!

The tornado amplified both attacks to horrifying levels instantly.

Flame.

Lightning.

Storm.

Everything exploded together inside the wind prison violently.

The resulting destruction surpassed even the earlier three-person combined attack several times over.

This time—

Ghost Seven had nowhere left to escape.

Far away—

Xie Tianyang stared blankly.

“How…”

“How is there still wind?”

Zhuo Fan smiled calmly.

“From the beginning…”

“…I lied.”

He glanced sideways toward Xie Tianyang.

“I told both of you this fifth-grade formation required three people to operate.”

“That was only to deceive Ghost Seven.”

Silence.

Xie Tianyang’s eyes widened slowly.

Zhuo Fan continued calmly:

“The formation never actually needed three people.”

“I could always control it alone.”

“You two only existed…”

“…to sell the illusion.”

His gaze sharpened slightly.

“Ghost Seven is too intelligent.”

“If I fought him directly myself…”

“…winning wasn’t guaranteed.”

“So I gave him a weakness to exploit instead.”

“And naturally…”

“…he targeted the weakest person in our group.”

“Ning’er.”

Xie Tianyang suddenly felt cold all over.

“You mean…”

“…from the beginning…”

“…you planned for Ning’er to become bait?”

“Of course.”

Zhuo Fan answered casually.

“You suggested abandoning her earlier too.”

“I simply used the burden more efficiently.”

Xie Tianyang stared at him in disbelief.

“But your promise to her…”

“You said you’d take her safely out of the city…”

Zhuo Fan shrugged indifferently.

“Taking her corpse out…”

“…still counts.”

Silence.

A freezing chill crawled down Xie Tianyang’s spine.

For over a month, he thought he had gradually understood Zhuo Fan.

But now—

The man standing before him suddenly felt terrifyingly unfamiliar.

Cold.

Calculating.

Merciless beyond imagination.

Even Xie Tianyang—

A seventh-layer Bone Tempering genius from Sword Marquis Manor—

Felt genuine fear rising in his chest.

Then suddenly—

Laughter exploded from inside the storm of destruction.

Zhuo Fan’s smile vanished instantly.

His pupils contracted sharply.

And slowly—

He turned back toward the collapsing elemental vortex.

[End of Chapter Sixty-Three]

 

Chapter Sixty-Four — Seven Apertures Ghost Linglong

“Hahahahaha…”

“Boy…”

“You truly suit this old man’s tastes.”

Ghost Seven’s savage laughter echoed through the shattered battlefield as the storm of flame and lightning exploded apart violently.

Boom!

The Wind, Thunder, and Inferno Formation collapsed completely.

The elemental vortex disintegrated into countless sparks and fragments before revealing Ghost Seven standing at the center—

Still alive.

Blood covered his entire body.

Hundreds of wounds tore across his flesh, some deep enough to expose bone directly. Burn marks blackened entire sections of skin while streams of blood continued pouring downward endlessly.

But despite his horrific injuries—

He was smiling.

Laughing almost maniacally.

And in his hands—

No longer one demonic whip.

But two.

The twin black-and-white chains spiraled around his body like living serpents, forming a rotating defensive vortex that had barely protected his vital points from total annihilation.

Without those chains—

He would already be ash.

Zhuo Fan’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“A second demonic artifact…”

Ghost Seven grinned coldly.

“No.”

“This was always one artifact.”

The two chains merged together instantly into a single spiraling whip of black and white.

“Fourth-grade demonic artifact…”

“…Yin-Yang Twin Serpent Chains.”

His eyes gleamed darkly.

“Normally I only use the Yang Chain.”

“The Yin Chain…”

“…appears only when I truly intend to kill.”

He laughed softly.

“And today…”

“…you little monsters forced me to reveal it just to survive.”

Even Heaven Profound experts, he claimed, rarely lived long enough to witness the second chain.

Zhuo Fan clenched his jaw silently.

This old monster truly deserved the title Seven Apertures Ghost Linglong.

Cautious beyond reason.

Even while suffering catastrophic injuries earlier—

He still refused revealing his true trump card.

Ghost Seven coughed violently.

Another mouthful of burning blood splattered across the ground.

Yet his eyes never left Zhuo Fan.

“Boy…”

“This old man has schemed against countless enemies throughout my life.”

“But today…”

“…I almost died to you.”

His voice lowered slowly.

“And terrifying little monsters like you…”

“…are something even I fear.”

Zhuo Fan’s expression remained calm.

But internally—

He was already recalculating everything.

Ghost Seven’s injuries were severe.

Extremely severe.

If this dragged on longer—

The old monster might genuinely collapse.

But at the same time—

Their own formation had already exhausted itself.

And Xue Ningxiang remained unconscious beside the battlefield.

Neither side possessed much left.

Then suddenly—

Ghost Seven attacked.

Boom!

The white Yang Chain lashed toward Zhuo Fan instantly.

At the same time—

The black Yin Chain shot toward Xie Tianyang.

“You little bastards already used every trick you have.”

“This battle…”

“…is over.”

But at that exact instant—

Zhuo Fan smiled.

A vicious smile.

“Who told you…”

“…I’m finished?”

His hand seals shifted violently.

Suddenly—

A streak of crimson light erupted from Xue Ningxiang’s unconscious body.

Ghost Seven’s pupils contracted instantly.

The Blood Infant.

The true killing move.

Only now did Ghost Seven finally understand everything.

Xue Ningxiang had never merely been bait for the formation itself.

She was bait for this final assassination.

Because while Ghost Seven focused entirely on suppressing the formation earlier—

The Blood Infant had secretly hidden itself inside Xue Ningxiang’s body.

And now—

At this close distance—

There was no possible way to dodge.

Even Ghost Seven felt genuine admiration at this point.

This terrifying little monster truly calculated everything.

Everything.

The Blood Infant shot directly toward Ghost Seven’s back like a streak of living blood.

Too close.

Too fast.

Impossible to avoid.

Zhuo Fan finally relaxed slightly.

Victory.

At last—

Victory belonged to him.

But suddenly—

WHOOOSH!

The Yang Chain pierced straight through Zhuo Fan’s chest.

Blood exploded from his mouth instantly.

His eyes widened violently.

No hesitation.

No interruption.

Ghost Seven’s attack never stopped.

At the same time—

The Blood Infant suddenly froze midair.

A silver flash pierced directly through its tiny body.

A dagger.

A silver dagger hidden beneath Ghost Seven’s sleeve.

Third-grade demonic artifact—

Fish Intestine Spike.

The Blood Infant convulsed weakly before collapsing toward the ground.

And instantly—

Zhuo Fan coughed another massive mouthful of blood mixed with shattered organ fragments.

Because the Blood Infant was linked directly to his soul.

Once it suffered severe damage—

So did he.

“How…”

Zhuo Fan stared blankly forward.

Impossible.

Once the Blood Infant entered Ghost Seven’s body, he should have instantly lost control of the Yang Chain.

That attack should never have landed.

Which meant only one possibility remained.

Ghost Seven had anticipated the Blood Infant beforehand.

The old monster slowly pulled the Fish Intestine Spike back into his sleeve mechanism calmly.

“You really thought…”

“…this old man wouldn’t prepare for a hidden assassination method?”

Blood continued dripping from his wounds endlessly.

But his expression remained cold and steady.

The Blood Infant twitched weakly on the ground before finally going still completely.

Zhuo Fan collapsed onto one knee instantly.

His life force began weakening rapidly.

Xie Tianyang tried rushing forward with his sword—

But the black Yin Chain smashed directly into his chest.

Boom!

Blood sprayed from his mouth as he crashed unconscious immediately.

Thankfully his spirit armor protected him.

Otherwise that strike alone would have killed him instantly.

Now—

Only Zhuo Fan remained conscious.

Ghost Seven slowly walked toward him step by step.

Cold.

Calm.

Like death itself approaching.

“Boy…”

“You really are extraordinary.”

“You almost killed this old man today.”

“Your schemes…”

“…even I find terrifying.”

He stopped directly before Zhuo Fan.

“If you lived another twenty years…”

“…you’d become a true Demon Path overlord.”

“Perhaps even the empire’s greatest strategist…”

“…Zhuge Changfeng himself…”

“…would eventually lose to you.”

Then his eyes darkened completely.

“But unfortunately…”

“…I’m afraid.”

“And monsters that frighten me…”

“…must die young.”

Slowly—

Ghost Seven raised one hand toward Zhuo Fan’s head.

“In terms of scheming…”

“…we were evenly matched.”

“But in the end…”

“…my cultivation was higher.”

“And before absolute power…”

“…all schemes become meaningless.”

The killing palm descended slowly.

Zhuo Fan clenched his teeth tightly.

Unwilling.

Furious.

But powerless.

In the end—

The loser was always the loser.

No excuses mattered.

Slowly—

He closed his eyes.

Then suddenly—

ROOOOAAAAAR!!!

A monstrous beast roar exploded across the entire mountain range.

The sound shook heaven and earth themselves.

At the exact moment Ghost Seven’s palm hovered inches above Zhuo Fan’s skull—

A scorching heat wave swept across the battlefield instantly.

Every tree touched by the wave withered black immediately.

Life vanished in an instant.

Ghost Seven froze completely.

His killing palm stopped midair.

Slowly—

He turned toward the distant third region of the mountain range.

And for the first time tonight—

True horror appeared on his face.

“Why…”

“…is that monster here?”

Without another word—

Ghost Seven immediately abandoned everything.

Even the Diamond Quicksand.

He vanished into the distance instantly like a fleeing ghost.

Moments later—

The sky darkened.

A gigantic shadow passed overhead.

An enormous bird-like beast descended from the clouds themselves, so large it blotted out the sky completely.

Its wings burned with azure flames.

Every flap scattered countless sparks downward.

And wherever those sparks landed—

Everything burned into nothingness instantly.

Forests.

Stone.

Spirit beasts.

All reduced to ash.

Even fourth-grade spirit beasts died instantly beneath those flames.

The monstrous creature crossed the battlefield in a single pass.

And afterward—

Nothing remained except blackened ruin.

Then silence returned once more.

Zhuo Fan.

Xie Tianyang.

Xue Ningxiang.

All three lay unconscious inside the dead black forest for an unknown amount of time.

Because of the Breath Concealment Pills, even passing spirit beasts assumed they were already corpses.

None approached them further.

Eventually—

Cough…

A faint coughing sound broke the silence.

Xue Ningxiang slowly opened her eyes.

And immediately froze in horror.

The beautiful forest from earlier had completely vanished.

Everything surrounding her—

Burned black.

Dead.

Destroyed.

“What…”

Her voice trembled softly.

“What happened here?”

Then suddenly—

Her expression changed.

“Big Brother Zhuo!”

She immediately searched frantically through the ruined battlefield.

Soon—

She found him.

Collapsed motionless across the charred ground.

Blood pooled beneath his body endlessly.

And even now—

Fresh blood still continued flowing slowly from his mouth.

At this rate—

He would die very soon.

[End of Chapter Sixty-Four]