The guards withdrew from the large encampment, but Ye Cangtian paid them no mind, a playful smile gracing his lips.
He finally understood why Hei Wuchang was in such a hurry; he was rushing to support Bai Wuchang.
Alas, it was too late. Bai Wuchang had already been dealt with by him. To ensure no loose ends, he had even taken Bai Wuchang's corpse.
Hence, these guards were merely on a futile mission. Still, it was beneficial, as it reduced some of his current troubles.
In mere moments, all the guards had evacuated the encampment.
Hei Wuchang's gaze fell upon Ye Cangtian once more, and he said fiercely, "Do you know the consequences of detaining me?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian chuckled and replied, "I don't. Perhaps you can enlighten me?"
"I will unleash all my fury upon you, and you shall be torn limb from limb!" Hei Wuchang declared menacingly.
Ye Cangtian laughed at this, saying, "Stop with the empty threats; they are useless! Let's settle this with our fists!"
"Very well! Since you are eager to meet the King of Hell, I shall oblige you!"
Hei Wuchang's expression turned deathly cold. He then produced a mourning stick, almost identical to Bai Wuchang's weapon.
The next moment, Hei Wuchang flashed before Ye Cangtian, and the two instantly erupted into a fierce close-quarters combat.
Clang, clang, clang…
As the close-quarters battle commenced, both sides were largely evenly matched. Ye Cangtian held no significant advantage in their exchanges.
His attacks were tricky and unconventional, but Hei Wuchang was incredibly agile. After a period of combat, Hei Wuchang bore very few wounds.
This was partly due to his superior cultivation, which allowed him to destabilize his opponent through their clashes and gain a slight edge.
However, even with this, Ye Cangtian remained unhurried.
While Hei Wuchang's speed was formidable, to surpass his inherent speed, he would surely need to employ some form of technique.
And any technique utilized would accelerate his spiritual energy consumption.
It could be said that if this stalemate continued, Hei Wuchang would ultimately be defeated.
Hei Wuchang felt extremely frustrated.
In past battles against other formidable opponents, either their strength surpassed his but their speed did not, allowing him to win with speed, or both their strength and speed were inferior to his, leading to their complete domination.
Yet, facing Ye Cangtian, whose speed was almost on par with his own, and whose cultivation was a notch higher, he found himself gradually being worn down.
Most importantly, with his opponent's superior strength, if a killing blow were to be exchanged, he might not be able to withstand it.
The next moment, Hei Wuchang gritted his teeth and produced a banner in his other hand.
This banner was named the "Evil Ghost Banner," measuring over two meters tall. Its entire surface was blood-red, etched with countless vengeful spirits, giving it a terrifying appearance.
What an evil weapon!
Looking at the Evil Ghost Banner, Ye Cangtian's brow furrowed.
Just the mere appearance of the Evil Ghost Banner sent a chill wind surging, as if countless malevolent spirits were howling. One could only wonder how many souls this banner had claimed.
"Ye Cangtian, you are forcing my hand!"
"Today, I shall show you my true power!"
On the other side, Hei Wuchang roared, brandishing the Evil Ghost Banner.
As he swung it, a powerful surge of soul force shot out from between his eyebrows, directly injecting into the Evil Ghost Banner.
Following this, the Evil Ghost Banner began to emit an eerie red glow, and streams of shadowy weapons, like vengeful spirits, lunged towards Ye Cangtian.
In an instant, Ye Cangtian felt his soul being torn at.
However, he felt no significant pain. The countless soul-spirit attacks were like the gnawing of ants, causing no damage to his soul whatsoever.
"Hmph! A soul attack?"
"I didn't expect you to possess such a method of attack, but your assault is too weak!"
Ye Cangtian snorted coldly, and the light from his brow suddenly intensified, revealing his Sky Eye.
The next moment, the countless vengeful spirits trembled and wailed. In a mere instant, all of them shattered.
This was soul resonance.
What!
Witnessing all the vengeful spirits scattered, Hei Wuchang's eyes widened in disbelief once more, filled with profound shock.
His opponent had immediately recognized it as a soul attack and so effortlessly shattered it without sustaining any damage. This could only mean one thing.
That Ye Cangtian had not only cultivated soul techniques but also possessed a soul cultivation far surpassing his own.
Damn it! What kind of luck did he have to possess knowledge of soul attacks!
Hei Wuchang roared inwardly. Soul techniques were legendary arts within the Three Great Ruins, exceptionally rare and difficult to come by!
He himself considered it immense fortune to be able to cultivate such a method, as if his ancestral graves were emitting auspicious smoke.
Yet, for Ye Cangtian to also possess such a technique left him utterly bewildered. How much destiny would one need to have for such a thing!
"Hei Wuchang, is this all the offensive capability you possess?"
"If so, I will be very disappointed!"
Looking at the silent but increasingly grim Hei Wuchang, Ye Cangtian smiled faintly.
"Why are you yapping! I will not disappoint you!"
Hei Wuchang snapped back to attention, glaring fiercely at Ye Cangtian before roaring, "Yan Luo!"
With just these two words, the dispersed legion of vengeful spirits instantly coalesced.
They did not attack Ye Cangtian again but instead rushed towards the Evil Ghost Banner.
The next moment, the Evil Ghost Banner blazed, stirring up waves of eerie storms. As the strange tempest subsided, a spectral figure appeared before Ye Cangtian.
It was a disheveled head, roaring incessantly at Ye Cangtian before charging towards him.
Hmph!
Soul Piercer!
Ye Cangtian snorted, his Sky Eye once again glowing brightly. A beam of light shot out, directly piercing the center of the spectral head's brow.
Ah!
As the head dissipated, Hei Wuchang suddenly clutched his head and cried out, falling to the ground and writhing in agony.
That terrifying spectral head was his soul force manifested through the Evil Ghost Banner.
Now that the head was destroyed, his soul had suffered a severe backlash.
On the other side, Ye Cangtian watched Hei Wuchang coldly, disdainfully remarking, "Foolish. Did your elders not teach you not to attack those with stronger souls than yours?"
Hei Wuchang did not respond, still rolling on the ground in pain.
After a long while, he finally stopped, but his gaze had become much more vacant, and he appeared listless and weak.
When he looked towards Ye Cangtian again, Ye Cangtian had already taken down the dozen or so corpses he had hung and had also rescued Xiao Feng.
"Ye Cangtian, I refuse to accept this!"
"Hei and Bai Wuchang are one entity. If Kong Ling had not separated us, you would never have been able to defeat me!"
"If you have the guts, let me go, and we can arrange another time. Hei and Bai Wuchang will be sure to keep our appointment!"
Hei Wuchang glared at Ye Cangtian with resentment, roaring. To be killed by the opponent in such a manner was truly vexing.
"Firstly, I do not have the time to play games with you any longer!"
"Secondly, you will not have the chance to see Bai Wuchang again. Of course, you can see him after you die!"
"Therefore, you shall accompany him below today!"
Saying this, Ye Cangtian, wielding his scythe of death, approached Hei Wuchang step by step.
What!
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Hei Wuchang strained to widen his eyes in disbelief, "You said Bai Wuchang is dead? Impossible..."
Hei Wuchang was aware that Bai Wuchang was tracking Po Xiao.
In Hei Wuchang's estimation, it would not be so easy for Po Xiao to kill Bai Wuchang.
However, before he could finish speaking, his words trailed off, as he suddenly recalled something.
Why would Ye Cangtian know that Bai Wuchang was dead?
Thinking this, he looked at Ye Cangtian again and gritted out, "You've joined forces with Po Xiao?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian smiled slightly. He did not reply but instead produced a golden mask and held it up to his face.
"You! You..."
Looking at the golden mask, Hei Wuchang's eyes widened. The golden mask had been activated, which meant Ye Cangtian was its owner.
And he had never imagined that Ye Cangtian was actually Po Xiao!
If this were the case, it was entirely possible that he was the one who killed Bai Wuchang!
For a moment, he fell into a daze, finding it truly difficult to believe!