Lifting the lid off the water vat.

Xu Taiping stood up, holding Lin Buyu in his arms.

His gaze swept across the courtyard.

The remains of an unnamed demonic cultivator were on the east side of the courtyard, while Duan Tianya, who had once been a male Flying Zombie, was on the west side, holding the female Flying Zombie and smiling at him.

The demonic cultivator was busy reshaping his body with demonic energy, while Duan Tianya watched him with a grin, cradling the female Flying Zombie.

Although the fierce battle between the nameless demonic cultivator and the old man had ended at least the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the slashes in the courtyard and the pervasive aura of destruction bore witness to the terrifying nature of the recent fight.

The arrival of Xu Taiping made the unnamed demonic cultivator’s expression turn grave in an instant.

Because up until that moment, he had failed to detect Xu Taiping’s presence.

“Kid, you looking to meddle in affairs that don’t concern you?”

While hastening the repair of his body, the demonic cultivator threatened Xu Taiping with a chilling tone, deliberately releasing the oppressive malice unique to demonic cultivators.

An ordinary person, faced with such malice, might have already been stricken with fear.

But for Xu Taiping, who had once experienced the malice of the Spring Tiger saber, this was nothing.

“Self-preservation, that’s all,” Xu Taiping replied calmly.

Now that Duan Tianya had revealed his presence, if this demonic cultivator didn’t die, he would undoubtedly be the next to fall.

“Um, could you put your master down? I’ve got something to take care of,” he then quietly asked Lin Buyu’s robe.

Initially, when he had lifted the lid off the vat, he intended to lay Lin Buyu on the ground, but the robe wouldn’t allow it, trapping him and Lin Buyu together.

Upon hearing Xu Taiping’s request, the robe suddenly wrapped around Lin Buyu, making a “rip” sound as it slid onto Xu Taiping’s back.

Switching from carrying her in his arms to on his back.

That would do.

Xu Taiping nodded somewhat helplessly.

Then, with one hand on the hilt of his Spring Tiger saber at his waist and the other secretly hidden in his sleeve, he stepped toward the unnamed demonic cultivator.

“Kid, do you know who I am?”

Seeing Xu Taiping ignore his threats, the demonic cultivator’s tone grew even colder.

“I don’t want to know,” Xu Taiping shook his head and continued to step forward.

He seemed relaxed, but in reality, he was under great pressure. Each step he took was carefully measured in his mind, well aware that even though the demonic cultivator’s body was destroyed, he might still possess some techniques Xu Taiping had never seen before.

“Hmph,” the demonic cultivator snorted coldly, irritation flashing in his eyes.

His annoyance wasn’t with Xu Taiping’s response, but with Xu Taiping’s caution.

Those seemingly casual steps were actually calculated to stay out of his line of sight, making it impossible for him to find any flaws.

“Ever heard of the Nine Mansions?”

The demonic cultivator then asked Xu Taiping.

Upon hearing the term “Nine Mansions,” Xu Taiping’s brow furrowed slightly, as he had come across this name more than once in the Qingxuan Sect’s archives.

The Nine Mansions was one of the largest demonic cultivator forces in this world, and one of the main reasons the cultivation world established the Nine Mansions was to counter them.

However, what concerned Xu Taiping more was that Suchan had joined the Nine Mansions after defecting from the Qingxuan Sect and was rumored to have become the leader of the Seven Demons of the Nine Mansions.

“Since you know of the Nine Mansions, you should understand the consequences of offending them, right? Any cultivator who opposes the Nine Mansions, even if they flee to the ends of the earth, will be found by us. And when that time comes, not only you but also those around you will be implicated,” the demonic cultivator said, seeing Xu Taiping’s expression soften, and continued to threaten.

“Have you seen Suchan?” Xu Taiping ignored the demonic cultivator’s threats and asked instead.

Hearing the name “Suchan,” the demonic cultivator’s pupils shrank, and then he said coldly:

“The name of the Demon Lord is not something you can casually invoke.”

“So Senior Brother Suchan really is with the Nine Mansions,” Xu Taiping said, somewhat taken aback.

He had only asked casually and didn’t expect to actually learn of Suchan’s whereabouts.

Realizing his slip of the tongue, the demonic cultivator’s eyes filled with murderous intent:

“I’ll give you one last chance. Behead that old man, and I’ll overlook this matter. If you’re willing to join the Nine Mansions, I can even recommend you.”

“Not interested,” Xu Taiping shook his head, then stopped walking and gripped the hilt of his Spring Tiger saber tightly.

With a “swoosh,” the Spring Tiger saber was drawn from its sheath, and he slashed at the demonic cultivator.

Seeing this, the demonic cultivator’s lips curled up.

Then, a mass of flesh beside his head suddenly condensed into a black claw, reaching out to grab Xu Taiping’s chest.

But with a “bang!” Xu Taiping, holding the Spring Tiger saber, shattered into a mist and dissipated.

The next second, Xu Taiping’s true form appeared behind the demonic cultivator, and with a “whoosh,” he exhaled a breath of chilling cold air at him.

“Crack, crack, crack…”

As the sound of ice crystals forming echoed, the demonic cultivator’s newly reformed head, along with the surrounding flesh, was frozen solid.

“Boom!” Immediately after, Xu Taiping’s Bull Horn Mountain Crasher smashed down on the demonic cultivator’s head.

But at that moment, a surge of demonic energy pierced through the ice, forming a claw that shot towards Xu Taiping’s fist.

However, the claw had barely extended when Xu Taiping turned his fist into a palm and then a finger, pointing straight at the demonic claw.

With a “boom,” the claw, formed from condensed demonic energy, was pierced by the sharp wind from Xu Taiping’s fingertip and exploded.

“Is this your trump card?”

But just then, the demonic cultivator’s head, previously frozen, suddenly thawed, transforming into a talon-shaped blood light and clawing at Xu Taiping once more.