Chapter 122: Eerie

"If that person truly understood the profound mysteries of the Primordial Yin-Yang Energy, they would never have let it sit until now."

"Furthermore, what kind of fool would waste a supreme treasure, one that caused countless people in the ancient era to fight to the death, on these common wild beasts?" Yi An took a deep breath, feeling as though he had finally grasped the truth of the matter.

However, now was not the time to dwell on such things. The most pressing priority was to locate the person behind the scenes as quickly as possible, lest they act out of desperation and commit further atrocities by squandering such a priceless gift. That thread of Primordial Yin-Yang Energy was diminishing with every passing moment; it could not withstand such reckless destruction.

Yi An continued his search, the radius of his investigation narrowing. The culprit would soon have nowhere left to hide. Suddenly, an unexpected change occurred. A gust of eerie, chilling wind swept toward him, carrying an intensely frigid aura.

"Finally, no more room to run?" Yi An’s expression darkened, and he prepared himself for battle.

The opponent’s arrival was aggressive. Yi An could sense a murderous intent hanging in the air; the person behind this clearly harbored no goodwill and was likely determined to fight to the bitter end. In truth, the current situation was unexpected. Who could have imagined that the treasure he had been obsessing over actually had an owner? More strangely, the identity of this person was shrouded in mystery. Not only were they unaffected by the toxic miasma, but they also lived here, suggesting they possessed some method to ward it off. Yet, their actions remained suspicious, filled with ominous signs.

"My friend, why not show yourself? There is no need for hostility the moment we meet. Perhaps we could reach a mutually beneficial agreement," Yi An said, looking toward the source of the chilling wind. He could not tell what method the person was using to conceal their form, as they seemed to have vanished without a trace.

However, this concealment actually put him at ease; it betrayed the opponent's lack of confidence and confirmed his earlier suspicions.

After Yi An finished speaking, the wind did not subside but instead grew more sinister. Nearby shrubs were snapped by the force of the gale, and the trees shuddered violently. The wind drew closer, becoming increasingly distinct.

"What is there for us to discuss? I had already made concessions and issued repeated warnings, yet you persisted, pushing me into a corner. Since that is how it is, let us settle this with our own strength!"

At that moment, a bizarre, cold, and shrill voice, as if emanating from the depths of the Nine Serenities, echoed through the air.

"What a joke!"

"This is an ownerless land. Where I go is my business; what does it have to do with you?"

"Look at you, hiding in the shadows from the very beginning, too cowardly to show your true face."

"Beyond that, you have toyed with me time and again. What is your motive?"

Hearing the creature’s roar, Yi An’s eyes flickered. It seemed the opponent was beyond reasoning. If they refused to negotiate, he had no choice but to use force. In truth, when he first realized the Primordial Yin-Yang Energy had an owner, he had considered retreating. But seeing the reckless way the energy was being wasted on trivial beasts, he had hoped to propose a trade. Since the energy was being squandered, he might as well exchange it for something useful. But now, it was clear that the opponent would not stop, and if words failed, force was the only remaining path.

Hearing Yi An’s questioning, the voice let out a long, mocking laugh.

"So many useless words. Does one need a reason to kill?"

"It is you who are ignorant of the situation."

"I intended to let you go, but you insisted on seeking your own death."

"Furthermore, you were one step away from ruining my grand design."

"I cannot leave you alive. No matter what, you will die today."

"Enough talk. Why waste your breath? Save your words for when you descend into the Nine Serenities and meet the King of Hell."

Yi An frowned, his expression finally shifting. By the sound of it, he had been wrong—the opponent had not attacked earlier due to hidden reasons, not a lack of power.

Fortunately, Yi An did not fear them. Against such malevolent entities, it was better to act than to speak; the former was always more effective.

Feeling a prickle of danger on his back, he saw a spectral shadow riding the chilling wind, lunging straight toward him.

Within that shadow, a pair of ink-green eyes stared at him, filled with a bloodthirsty, eerie intensity as the surrounding wind enveloped him.

The next moment, Yi An’s palms, infused with a surge of powerful internal energy, struck out. A visible blast of energy flashed and collided with the shadow. Feeling a searing heat against his palms, Yi An’s pupils constricted. From the mysterious shadow, several beams of ghostly blue light erupted, sweeping toward him with a ferocity that seemed capable of incinerating all things.

Yet, it was to no avail. Protected by the Ten Thousand Dragon Armor, which repelled all evil and was impervious to all arts, the beams of light dissipated before they even touched his body.

"This entity is no simple matter..." Yi An frowned.

Though he had broken the attack with ease, he did not feel relaxed. The flames had been immensely powerful; had it not been for the extraordinary defense of the Ten Thousand Dragon Armor, he would have been reduced to ashes in an instant.

Yi An dared not delay; time brought uncertainty, and he had no idea what other strange tricks this entity might possess. It was a pity his own cultivation was still shallow, and he had yet to master any profound techniques, otherwise, he would not be so passive.

That said, he realized that while this creature was bizarre, it seemed to lack formal cultivation, relying entirely on innate abilities.

It was too strange.

Regardless, he would capture the creature first and study it later.

The spectral shadow, for its part, was not feeling any better. Those ghostly blue flames were its signature move, one it took great pride in, yet they had failed to cause even the slightest harm to its opponent. It was beyond belief.

Seeing Yi An’s palms closing in, the shadow lost its earlier composure. For a moment, it did not know how to strike back.