Old An's suggestion stirred something within Li Chonglou.
Since the remnant soul was still in his possession, he could use it anytime he wished, though the subsequent arrangements would be troublesome.
However, the quantity wasn't much, certainly less than a tenth of what he had before.
"If all of it is used, how much can be replenished?"
Old An understood what he was referring to and replied directly, "Half a minute is definitely not an issue, but you must replenish it as quickly as possible afterward."
Half a minute.
Li Chonglou pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth. "Then let's use it for now! At worst, I'll owe some blood crystals."
After all, they were part of his team. The Daoists wouldn't turn against him over a few blood crystals. Moreover, if they could achieve merit this time, they might not even need to repay them!
Having made up his mind, Li Chonglou's attention returned to the unfamiliar Hei Zi.
Yes, the moment the man exuded spiritual energy, Li Chonglou recognized his Hei Zi identity. The biggest difference between Hei Zi and humans lay in this spiritual energy.
In human terms, it was generally called inner strength, but the aura released was fundamentally different from a Hei Zi's spiritual energy. To put it bluntly, a Hei Zi's inner strength was more pure, the spiritual energy aura more concentrated, and closer to the spiritual energy in the air.
As for humans, it was processed by their own bodies, presenting a different aura.
It was impossible to say which was better or worse; both had their own advantages and disadvantages.
Fortunately, the awakened seven-layered stone golem did not pursue them into the forest. After the two escaped about a hundred meters away, the golem gave up the chase.
Still shaken, A Wen quickly hid in a patch of dense grass. Feeling the pressure of the pursuit disappear from behind him, he breathed a deep sigh of relief.
"Damn, is that guy crazy? He even dared to provoke a rock beast?"
Only now did he realize he had been used as a scapegoat by Li Chonglou, and his killing intent towards Li Chonglou intensified.
However, in the next instant, a deathly aura struck him from behind.
Damn it!
A Wen instantly understood. Ignoring whether the rock beast would pursue, his six-layered aura erupted, instantly forming an invisible spiritual energy shield behind him.
It must be that guy! A mere five-layered individual dared to learn sneak attacks from others?
A nameless rage flared up. A Wen was even prepared to withstand this blow and then let this frog in a well of a human understand the difference between the sixth and fifth layers!
The black greatsword was too conspicuous and could easily expose his identity, so Li Chonglou hadn't brought it out this time, leaving it as a backup for Kulinan.
What greeted A Wen was Li Chonglou's fist.
Mountain Collapse!
His left foot stomped heavily onto the ground, using his waist to generate force, concentrating all his strength into his right fist, and then unleashing it with irresistible power against A Wen's spiritual energy defense.
The scene he had anticipated—steadily blocking the attack and then launching a fierce counterattack—did not materialize. The moment his fist met the defensive shield, the invisible shield shattered like glass.
Li Chonglou's fist, with its destructive force, landed directly on A Wen's back amidst the latter's astonished gaze.
Bang!
A Wen's entire body was sent flying forward, and several large trees, as thick as several people could embrace, were snapped in half as if made of paper. He only stopped when he collided with a protruding rock.
Bang!
The tremendous sound even reached the ears of the other Hei Zi hidden in the grass behind them.
"Found him so quickly?"
The middle-aged man, previously referred to as the boss,'s expression lit up. As long as no wind was leaked, this operation could be considered a perfect success.
The expressions of the others were similar. After all, A Wen possessed six-layered strength, while the newcomer who was temporarily added only had fifth-layered strength. Anyone with even a little thought could figure out who caused such a commotion.
"It seems we can close the net. Prepare to descend!"
The middle-aged man was waiting for this moment. If this newcomer wasn't found, then even if the operation failed, he couldn't afford to be exposed.
He dared not gamble that if the newcomer wasn't found, it was either because they died to the alien beasts, or they sensed something was wrong and fled. If it was the latter, then any further action would finally alert the humans!
In that case, the informant would basically be exposed!
The failure of the operation was merely missing a good opportunity, but the exposure of the informant was fatal to them.
However, someone still spoke up, "Boss, aren't we waiting for A Wen?"
The middle-aged man waved his hand directly. "No more waiting. Can't he handle a mere five-layered fellow? There's a human saying: delay breeds trouble. If those guys kill the mother beast first and take our Heavenly Soul Grass, then all our efforts will be in vain!"
Several people nodded and ceased speaking.
Several figures then rushed towards the entrance of the beast's den below the valley.
However, they never imagined that their teammate was currently being stomped on the ground by Li Chonglou.
"Impossible, aren't you at the fifth layer?"
A Wen looked at the figure he had been observing for days with a look of terror.
With just one punch, he not only broke through his spiritual energy defense but also shattered his internal meridians! At this moment, let alone fighting back, even standing up would be difficult!
Li Chonglou, wearing a white mask, had ice-cold eyes and said calmly, "You have two options: one, I ask, you answer. Two, death."
He applied a little more pressure with his foot. A Wen's internal organs were compressed, and a mouthful of blood gushed out, dimming his eyes slightly.
In the previous punch, Li Chonglou had shown no restraint, aiming for a swift resolution.
Under the terror of death, the Hei Zi before him was surprisingly obedient. For the next minute, he answered all of Li Chonglou's questions without hesitation.
Informant, Hei Zi's layout, Heavenly Soul Grass—these pieces of information, when connected, allowed Li Chonglou to understand the entire sequence of events.
"Aren't you afraid of being punished by your superiors even if I let you go, after saying all this?"
Li Chonglou looked at the Hei Zi before him with some confusion. He had only intended to inquire about their numbers and strength, but he hadn't expected to uncover such a major scoop.
A Wen shook his head. "No. As long as you let me go, I'll only receive a minor punishment upon my return. Besides, my superiors may not necessarily know it was me who spoke."
That seemed reasonable enough.
But did he believe it?
As a flicker of a strange expression crossed A Wen's eyes, Li Chonglou's palm suddenly drew an illusion in the air, and to the latter's astonished gaze, it pierced directly through his heart.
Decisive! Ruthless!
A Wen did not understand what had gone wrong until the moment of his death.
What he didn't know was that in Li Chonglou's heart, Hei Zi and humans were natural enemies, regardless of personal interests or grudges. What peace could there be with a species that constantly sought to annex humanity?