The Extreme Blade pierced through the elder’s back skull, exiting from his forehead,

instantly killing him!

This time, the elder couldn’t transform into a phantom, genuinely falling at Zhou Xun’s hand.

From the start to the end, it was merely over twenty breaths; indeed, it was the fastest combat Zhou Xun had ever concluded.

It truly had the feel of expert combat, where victory and defeat were decided swiftly.

Every time they clashed, it was a killing move; even a slight mistake from one side would result in total annihilation.

The same applied to Zhou Xun; although he seemed to kill the elder effortlessly, it was because of his collaboration with the avatar.

Earlier, when the elder used the Instant Teleportation Technique, had Zhou Xun’s reaction been a bit slower, he might have been the one dead today.

Inner Workshop, Meng Family’s Ancestor’s Cave Mansion.

Just as Zhou Xun made his move, two Core Formation stage ancestors sensed the powerful mana fluctuation.

With their experienced eyes, they naturally recognized the pressure waves from both sides, all at the late-stage Core Formation level.

Initially, they had the mind to maintain the peace within Shuanghe Square against fighting, but that thought evaporated instantly,

for such experts fighting in their Shuanghe Square, let alone maintaining the rules, if not for the family being here, they almost wanted to ready their Flying Spiritual Artifacts and flee.

The Meng Family Grand Elder took out the Mountain Protection Array Manipulation Token without hesitation,

and the Tier Three High-Grade "Wind-Fire Elemental Array" activated instantly, enveloping the entire Inner Workshop in a crimson, semi-transparent light screen,

and as the array rose, a sense of security emerged naturally.

However, the very next moment, this sense of security shattered again,

and what shocked the two Meng Family’s ancestors was that, just as they activated the array and looked instinctively towards the combat site,

they saw Zhou Xun killing the elder with a single strike.

They were aghast,

clearly sensing that the elder had Peak Core Formation cultivation, yet perished within dozens of breaths.

What kind of battle strength is this? Even facing a Nascent Soul Cultivator would be nothing more!

Immediately, they dared not look any further,

fearing that Zhou Xun the killer star would set sights on their Meng Family.

Though protected by a Tier Three High-Grade array, they had no confidence at this moment to withstand Zhou Xun.

Meanwhile, Zhou Xun sensed the probing from the two Meng Family ancestors, and he glanced in the direction they were hiding.

Frightened, the two Meng Family ancestors felt a chill in their hearts, as though they had fallen into an ice cave.

Thankfully, it was just one glance.

Zhou Xun waved his hand, collecting the elder’s corpse and Storage Bag.

Then he swept his Divine Sense inch by inch downwards, finding nothing, and together with the avatar, soared into the sky, transforming into two rays of Spirit Light, disappearing in the distance.

Watching Zhou Xun leave, the two Meng Family ancestors instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Third Uncle, should we report this matter!" Meng Family Second Elder inquired.

"Report?"

"In matters involving such a person, our only choice is to avoid, why should we get involved? Guang Yu, you must understand, seeking profit and avoiding harm is the way for our Noble Families to survive!" the Meng Family Grand Elder explained helplessly.

"I understand, Uncle!"

...

Meanwhile, Zhou Xun had slain the elder and now used his Divine Sense to search below the ruins, ensuring the elder had not hidden treasures in his residence.

Fortunately, apart from some simple daily necessities, there were no other valuable treasures below.

On leaving Shuanghe Square by a thousand miles, Zhou Xun finally summoned the Earth Element Beast.

Sitting cross-legged on the broad back of the Earth Element Beast, Zhou Xun waved his hand to bring out the elder’s corpse, having noticed something amiss when he had stowed it away.

Bringing it out now,

the elder’s formerly hunched figure stretched to about eight feet in height, and his previously grizzled hair had become sleek and shiny.

And on his face, a thin film like a cicada’s wing was attached.

Clearly, the elder had relied on this mask to change identities, and with his death, the lack of mana held it no longer, revealing his true form.

Zhou Xun walked up to him, tearing it down, exposing the elder’s original appearance, unexpectedly a dignified middle-aged man.

Recalling the old man’s former appearance, Zhou Xun realized that even with his Divine Sense, he had not discerned anything odd.

If not for the Divination Technique, which indicated that the Dragon Blood Holy Fruit was on this person, Zhou Xun would have believed him to be merely a Talisman Master, troubled in the First-Layer Foundation Establishment for years.

Zhou Xun held the cicada wing-like mask in his hand, examining it closely,

"Is this... the Thousand Faces?"

Zhou Xun was astonished; the mask’s appearance was identical to the Thousand Faces Mask adhered to the avatar’s face.

However, when Zhou Xun infused his Divine Sense into it, he understood its real utility.

It differed somewhat from Zhou Xun’s Thousand Faces.

This mask could change identity, but only one, unlike Zhou Xun’s Thousand Faces, which allowed three.

The most peculiar was its ability to manipulate Void Power.

Equivalent to having Nascent Soul Cultivator powers in advance.

Recalling the elder’s ghostly body technique, the truth finally dawned on him: it stemmed from this mask’s function.

Hence, Zhou Xun utilized his Divine Sense to envelop and refine it.

Just as Zhou Xun’s main body was about to wear it, an idea struck as he pressed it on the avatar’s face instead.

As it adhered, a peculiar scene unfolded.

The mask mysteriously integrated into it, merging with Zhou Xun’s Thousand Faces into one.

"Could it be, this mask shares the same origin as my Thousand Faces!" Zhou Xun exclaimed joyfully.

He proceeded to investigate the "new Thousand Faces."

This Thousand Faces, not only increased the number of identities to four but also added the function of manipulating Void Power.

This meant that with the mask alone, without the Purple Sky True Thunder Array, Zhou Xun could perform the Instant Teleportation Technique.

"Unexpectedly, there’s such a gain, this trip was worth it!"

Zhou Xun continued to examine the spoils acquired from the elder,

next was the Black Blade.

This blade, handle included, was about a foot long, wholly dull and matte, seemingly ordinary.

Taking out Tier Three Spirit Iron, he made a slight cut; the Spirit Iron was instantly sliced a corner, akin to the Extreme Blade, an extremely sharp Magical Treasure, seemingly imbued with Geng Metal.

Zhou Xun instantly had an idea; he planned to merge the Black Blade with Zhou Xun’s Extreme Blade, reforging the Extreme Blade.

Next, Zhou Xun took out the elder’s Storage Bag, emptying it out.

A dozen or so broken Dao Robes, Palace Skirts, many still bearing bloodstains.

Evidently, the elder was a Tribulation Cultivator, from these Magic Robes alone, at least a dozen fellows had met their demise by his hand.

Recalling the elder’s body technique and black blade, Zhou Xun instantly understood how this man could have slain so many fellows.

"For four years, the Meng Family lost two Core Formation members, a Tributor, and a family Elder; it seems linked to this person!"

Continuing to tally, six Magical Treasure items appeared, strangely, only two hundred or so High-Grade Spirit Stones were in possession, incongruent with his identity as a Peak Core Formation Tribulation Cultivator.

But when Zhou Xun saw the three boxes, he instantly understood.

Clearly, these were meant for acquiring top-grade treasures!

The boxes were one large and two small,

each sealed with Tier Three Spirit-Sealing Talismans.

Zhou Xun first grabbed a fist-sized, jade-textured box.

With a flick of his finger, he removed the sealing talisman, and the box opened automatically, emitting a burst of pure Spiritual Qi,

Merely a sniff, and Zhou Xun felt his blood and Qi surge.

Peering into the box,

a heart-shaped, crimson blood-like fruit lay quietly inside.

Seeing this, Zhou Xun was overjoyed,

it was precisely his mission goal, one of the four main ingredients for the Nascent Soul Pill, the "Dragon Blood Holy Fruit!"

Complemented by the Profound Cold Ice Marrow Liquid Zhou Xun had previously obtained, he now had two Nascent Soul Pill materials.

And that was just one of the three boxes; Zhou Xun eagerly looked towards the other two boxes next.