The woman known as the Immortal-Slayer Bandit—trained in a mysterious Buddhist killing art—had stepped out alone to intercept Fang Han. To demand the Brahma Luminous Boat so brazenly, so casually, spoke to both arrogance and dreadful confidence.
Ordinarily, if she had come by herself, Fang Han wouldn't have needed any help. Between the Blood Night King, the Five Emperors Demon Arts (now able to form a complete Five-Element cycle), and the Yellow-Springs Diagram—its Abyssal Gate now open—slaying a Golden Core expert wasn't "easy," but it was absolutely doable.
Yet Fang Han didn't strike.
He simply watched her in silence.
Because this woman wasn't acting like someone who came alone. And someone ranked second among the Forty Sea Bandits was not the kind of fool who would stroll into danger without preparation.
He swept his divine sense outward—but sensed nothing.
And precisely because he sensed nothing, an icy dread slid down his spine.
"Hahahahahaha!"
After a long silence, Fang Han suddenly burst into laughter.
"So the great Immortal-Slayer Bandit has reduced herself to robbing a nobody like me? If this spreads, won't the world laugh itself sick? So—you knew I bought the Brahma Luminous Boat. That means I never escaped your surveillance from the very beginning."
"Of course I knew."
The woman rose gracefully from the ancient tree, lotus petals forming beneath her feet with each step. "I also know you can mass-produce Nascent Infant Pills—pills far superior to Taiyi Sect's version. That you buy treasures without restraint. That you defeated Meng Shaobai, heir of the Unborn Sword Sect's deadliest lineage."
She smiled, lightly amused.
"And that your Yuhua Sect seems fond of devouring its own geniuses—but somehow produces new monsters like you one after another. I must admit, I'm jealous."
She looked him up and down, clearly aware of all his secrets.
Fang Han only chuckled. He had expected this much. After distributing pills in Yuhua Sect, defeating Taiyi's Six True Disciples, killing the Seven-Leaf Demon Lord, and humiliating Wan Luo in front of countless witnesses—he was a walking beacon. No disguise would stay perfect forever.
"So," she continued, "you also know we're members of the Forty Sea Bandits."
She wagged a slim finger. "Originally, Young Lord Ling hired us only to kill you once. Since you escaped, we could've dropped it. But since you carry the Yellow-Springs Diagram—a genuine imperial decree from the ancient Yellow-Springs Emperor—how could we not come?"
Fang Han's voice chilled.
"Enough talking. Whatever traps you've laid—bring them out. One blade, one kill. If you're alone, you die today."
"Giggle… giggle… Why would I come alone?" She floated higher, lotus petals blooming beneath her like a throne. "And you aren't alone either. You have Elder Gu Meng from Heavenly Dao Pavilion, Fairy Lianyun from Linglong Paradise, and the Starborn Kid—the next master of the Star Cluster Sect. You carry three Dao-artifacts, though only two can still fight. The Yellow-Springs Diagram is damaged."
She smiled sweetly.
"Have I said anything incorrect?"
Three beams of light shot from Fang Han's body—Gu Meng, Lianyun, and the Starborn Kid, all appearing openly.
Fang Han's expression darkened. He had hidden them to ambush the assassins—yet the enemy knew everything. Their infiltration went so deep they even had information from Heavenly Dao Pavilion.
Fortunately, they had no idea the Abyssal Gate had awakened inside the Diagram. That was his one hidden card.
If he couldn't kill them all—he could escape.
"Elder Gu Meng," the bandit woman said lightly, "you are a step from the Longevity Realm. There's no need to stain yourself with this mess."
A Divine Ability Ninth-Level master wasn't someone to provoke casually.
Gu Meng exhaled slowly.
"Heavenly Dao Pavilion conducts business with integrity. Even devils and emperors trust our neutrality. I promised to protect Fang Han today—I will not retreat. Do not force me to act."
"Admirable." She clapped softly. "In that case—Ghost Emperor, come forth."
A gesture.
Wooo… woooo…
Ghostly howls erupted as the ground split open. A storm of resentful spirits spun upward, merging into a throne of wailing souls. Upon it sat a middle-aged man in hemp robes, skin pale as bone, long nails gleaming like sword blades. White ghost-fire flickered inside empty eyes.
Fang Han's mind tightened.
A Ghost Emperor.
Yan's voice hissed from the Diagram:
"That's him—Yin Wuchang! A former elder of Yellow-Springs Demon Sect! He dares call himself 'Emperor'? Without enough Forgetting-Emotion Water, he'll never reach the Longevity Realm. His own ghosts will devour him. But for now—he's terrifying. A Divine Ability Tenth-Level master. Be careful!"
So the Yellow-Springs Sect had finally come.
Fang Han had known this day would arrive. Anyone carrying the Yellow-Springs Diagram would eventually draw the attention of the fragmented but still formidable demonic empire.
The Ghost Emperor did not even glance at Fang Han. He simply flicked his sleeve—and a pitch-black token shot toward Gu Meng.
"The Great Dao Token…" Gu Meng's face drained of color.
He bowed, voice filled with shame.
"Fang Han… I cannot help you today. Our deal is void. All the pills you gave me—I return."
A flood of pills shot back toward Fang Han. Then, without hesitation, Gu Meng transformed into a streak of lightning and vanished.
The Ghost Emperor let him go without a word.
That alone spoke volumes.
"Go!"
Fang Han seized the instant Gu Meng fled. His body split into thousands of afterimages as he unleashed True-Form Phantom Art and Serpent-Sparrow Spirit Steps, merging himself into the fleeing current.
Fairy Lianyun darted after him—she, too, refused to stay.
"Leave?"
The Ghost Emperor's voice drifted like an echo from the deepest abyss.
His hand closed.
A wall of pale ghost-fire erupted, swallowing Fang Han whole. The flames weren't hot—they were frigid, devouring flesh and soul alike.
"Netherworld Ghostflame!" Yan cried.
"This cold-fire devours soul essence instantly! Fire-type spells will only feed it!"
"Blood Night King!"
Fang Han abandoned fire entirely and swung the blood-forged blade. But the ghost-flames wrapped around it, hissing, smothering its radiance.
Starborn reacted instantly.
"Star-Zen!"
The Day-Moon Five-Star Bracelet spun wildly, releasing a sea of astral light that forced open a gap in the ghost-fire. Being a pure-yang Dao-artifact, its cleansing radiance shoved back the demonic cold-flames where brute force could not.
The Ghost Emperor's power was monstrous—yet the battle had only just begun.