Long before Xue You had killed the spider king, Long Chen had made his preparations. He had stealthily crept below the spider’s fangs. His guess was that Xue You would first go to extract the crystal core.

A peak seventh rank Magical Beast’s corpse wasn’t something that just any spatial ring could store. That was especially true with the scales on its back. Those had runes on them that made them natural soul items. They would need spatial rings at least on the soul item level to store them.

But those kinds of spatial rings were exceedingly rare. Soul items were usually only used by soul cultivators, and soul cultivators had their own spiritual spaces for those items. Then they could directly bring them out in battle, and when not in battle, they could nourish them with their souls.

As expected, Long Chen’s guess was right. Xue You went directly to the spider king’s head. Long Chen hid his aura as much as possible and stealthily attacked Xue You from behind.

In order to conceal his killing intent, Long Chen had self-hypnotized himself, making him think that he wasn’t killing someone, but simply stabbing the air. This was Long Chen’s first time being an amateur assassin.

Everything had gone so perfectly. But when the tip of his blade was three inches from Xue You’s back, he failed. Xue You had sensed him.

In that instant when Xue You sensed him, Long Chen didn’t hesitate. His blade was like lightning, piercing into his body. When it stabbed into his chest, he didn’t hold back his power. His energy erupted.

Blood splashed. But what startled Long Chen was that despite him clearly stabbing Xue You, when his blade pierced the body, Xue You’s body had strangely switched with one of the other Corrupt disciples.

The person Long Chen killed in the end was just a rank two Celestial, and the true Xue You had appeared where he had been. He glared at Long Chen with fury and shock.

“Long Chen, you’re not dead!?”

His response was a saber that was still covered in blood. The other Corrupt disciple hastily attacked Long Chen. He knew that Xue You was in an extremely weak state, and he needed to protect him.

Long Chen’s saber instantly exploded upon colliding with the Corrupt expert’s weapon.

That saber had just been an ordinary weapon. Enchanted items innately possessed their own murderous aura. He didn’t know how to reserve that aura like the Bloodkill Hall’s assassins. If he had used such a weapon against someone like Xue You, he would have been sensed immediately.

But in the end, he had still failed. Furthermore, this failure still confused him. He still didn’t know how Xue You had done this.

An ordinary weapon would naturally explode upon colliding with an Enchanted item. The Corrupt expert was startled. He hadn’t expected that Long Chen’s weapon would be this useless. His follow-up moves immediately became useless.

Long Chen had long since expected this result. A lightning spear appeared in his left hand and stabbed toward his enemy’s chest.

When it came to combat experience, even the fierce Corrupt path’s experts couldn’t compare to Long Chen. His speed in adapting and changing moves had reached a supreme level.

Thunder rumbled. Originally, he had thought that his attack would be able to kill his opponent. But the result was different from what he had expected. It only left a large hole in his opponent.

Only then did Long Chen recall that Lei Long and Huo Long had used up all their energy in the cave previously. They had less than a tenth of their power, and the curse on him still hadn’t faded. This attack hadn’t killed his opponent.

Suddenly, Little Snow appeared behind him. A sphere of wind blades smashed into the opening on the Corrupt expert’s chest.

That Corrupt expert didn’t have the slightest ability to resist. He died.

The current Little Snow didn’t have the ability to kill ordinary Celestials, let alone rank two Celestials. But the opportunity had been set up perfectly by Long Chen.

From the explosion of his weapon to switching to a lightning spear to Little Snow’s attack, everything had happened without the slightest hesitation. Long Chen didn’t even need to make a strategy. Everything he had done had happened so instinctively.

The Corrupt expert was blown into a blood mist. In his weakest state, he couldn’t possibly endure Little Snow’s attack.

Long Chen turned to Xue You and indifferently said, “I’m under a curse, and your power has also dropped. Now we can have a fair battle.”

After saying that, Long Chen put Little Snow back into his spiritual space. His opponent was Xue You. Who knew what techniques he still had up his sleeve? He didn’t want Little Snow to be in danger.

A spear appeared in Long Chen’s hand. It was what he had used against that pack of Hidden Ground Gold Spiders. Its weight was not bad. Without a better weapon, this was the best option.

BOOM!

Xue You suddenly took out a pitch-black sword. Long Chen’s spear collided with his sword, causing a powerful explosive sound. Both of them were forced back a dozen steps.

“Hehe, I have the advantage in terms of physical strength, and you have the advantage in terms of weapon. Now we’re on a level playing field. Let’s have a fair fight.” Battle intent surged within Long Chen. Xue You’s black sword was definitely a Treasure item. His wrist was actually a bit numb from that collision.

That wasn’t from Xue You, but from that sword. In terms of weapon, Long Chen was actually at an immense disadvantage.

Long Chen was truly startled inside. Xue You was incredibly powerful. His trump cards came out one after another. If he was in his peak state, then that Treasure item would be able to release even greater power. If he was capable of truly activating a Treasure item, then perhaps he would be able to kill Long Chen.

Xue You didn’t say anything. His black sword danced in the air as he fought an intense battle with Long Chen. Both of them had profound combat experience.

Xue You was clearly an expert in using a sword. His sword attacked and defended as he pleased. He possessed thousands of sword forms for offense and defense, and his sword arts were extremely refined.

But Long Chen’s spear also danced in the air. Although Long Chen didn’t normally use a spear, he knew this kind of long weapon was suited to attacking. As power was more important, he didn’t bother using so many fancy techniques. He competed purely in power.

But Long Chen was startled to find that Xue You’s strength, technique, and experience had all reached the point where he could find no weaknesses. He was definitely an expert forged through slaughter.

BOOM!

Long Chen smashed the spear into Xue You’s sword. The ground shook intensely, and dust flew into the air. A lightning and a flame dragon suddenly flew out.

Seeing that Long Chen could still use this technique now, Xue You was horrified. He hastily spat blood onto his sword. A black barrier appeared around him.

Just as Xue You went all-out blocking the two huge dragons, they vanished. Xue You’s expression changed, and he hastily dodged to the side.

A spear pierced his back, leaving behind a bloody hole.

Originally, Long Chen had intended on killing him with this blow. Leaving him alive would bring trouble to the people by his side. Xue You was just too powerful.

Those two dragons had just been a feint. They were too weak to menace Xue You at this time. But Xue You hadn’t realized that fast enough, and thinking that Long Chen had still had such a trump card, he had fallen for it. The last bit of his exhausted essence blood had been squeezed out.

Using the cover of the two dragons, Long Chen had activated the Netherworld Ghost Steps to appear behind Xue You.

If he was in his peak state, Xue You would have managed to easily block it. But his physical strength had greatly fallen, and his spiritual perception had also blurred. Long Chen’s sneak attack had succeeded.

But even if it was a success, Xue You’s body was extremely strange. The power of Long Chen’s spear was actually greatly weakened upon entering Xue You’s body.

It was like ignited gunpowder was suddenly put out with water. Otherwise, Xue You would be a corpse now.

But even so, there was now a large hole in Xue You’s back. Not much blood flowed out, as he was almost out of blood.

“Despicable.” Xue You looked from the injury to Long Chen. The only thing in his eyes was killing intent.

“Despicable? When this word comes from your mouth, don’t you find it satirical? What qualifications do you have to say that? You, someone with great status, actually took advantage of when I was cursed to fight me. In a competition of technique, you lost, and in your fury, you tried to use a magical art to kill me. Although you’re in a weakened state now, so am I. Our power is about the same. Furthermore, you are holding a Treasure item. For me to use some tactics is considered despicable? Hehe, previously I thought you were a genius. Now I realize you’re an idiot.”

Long Chen pointed his spear at Xue You, battle intent overflowing from him. He shot toward him.

Although Long Chen was under a curse and tired to death, he still forced himself to continue. He knew this was his best opportunity to kill Xue You. If he didn’t kill him, he would have to worry in the future.

BOOM!

Xue You’s sword slashed onto Long Chen’s spear. Xue You was blown back dozens of meters. He suddenly spat blood upon his sword once more.

That sword began to buzz. Long Chen tightly clenched his spear, ready for an attack. There was definitely something strange with that sword.

“Count yourself lucky today, Long Chen. I don’t have enough essence blood now, and my spiritual yuan is exhausted. Otherwise, I would have many techniques available to kill you. You wouldn’t even be able to last ten moves. But you’ll only be lucky this once. Next time, I’ll personally cut off your head!” After saying that, Xue You suddenly formed a hand seal, and that black sword actually shot off into the distance, carrying him along.

Long Chen couldn’t help being stunned. Xue You truly had many trump cards. He sighed. In the end, he still let him get away. It really was dejecting.

But he didn’t have that much time to feel regret. He hastily put the spider king’s corpse into the primal chaos space.

He then went through the battlefield, picking up the Corrupt experts’ weapons and spatial rings. Then he quickly left. This definitely wasn’t a good place to stay too long.