C15 You Are Courting Death!

No independent cultivator would dare to openly provoke the Swiftstriders, so none would actually consider buying a Swiftstrider female disciple.

Seeing no one respond, Ouyang Zhong scanned the surroundings, dismounted from his beast, and approached the two unconscious Swiftstrider female disciples. He took out a green bamboo tube and touched it to their foreheads, instantly waking them.

One young woman opened her eyes, saw Ouyang Zhong, and immediately exclaimed, "You shameless rogue! How dare you ambush us? The Swiftstriders will make sure you pay for this!"

The other Swiftstrider disciple glared at him with equal fury.

Ouyang Zhong, unfazed, called out to the Tornado Valley independents, "Look at these two young ladies, just fifteen or sixteen, with faces as fresh as flowers and figures that could set the world on fire. If I, Ouyang Zhong, were interested in women, I'd take them both as my concubines. But lucky for you, I'm not. So here's your chance—500 spirit stones each, or both for a 20% discount. Who wants to experience the charm of a Swiftstrider disciple?"

The two Swiftstrider disciples were furious at being priced so cheaply, their eyes practically blazing with anger, yet they were clearly unable to move due to some restraint.

The girl who had previously cursed Ouyang Zhong glared at him fiercely and declared, "I swear, I'll chase you to the ends of the earth and tear you to pieces!"

"Haha..." Ouyang Zhong laughed wildly. "I, Ouyang Zhong, am always carefree. Live for today and let tomorrow take care of itself. Who cares if I die tomorrow?"

"Brother Huo, who is this Ouyang Zhong?" Ho Liao asked Huo Tian, looking at the two female disciples of the Swiftstriders.

"He's a madman, a rogue cultivator at the Spirit Shedding stage. But rumor has it he's close to reaching the True Spirit stage," Huo Tian replied, his eyes fixed on the beast with the horn.

"Isn't he afraid of the Swiftstriders' revenge?" Ho Liao continued.

"He's just a lunatic who doesn't think about consequences," the white-bearded old man chimed in.

Though more rogue cultivators were gathering in Tornado Valley, none dared to speak up. The Swiftstriders were not to be trifled with. Despite Ouyang Zhong's arrogance, if the Swiftstriders truly wanted him dead, a single True Spirit cultivator could end him in an instant.

Seeing no one respond, Ouyang Zhong continued, "Alright, six hundred low-grade spirit stones. Anyone want to take them?"

Silence.

"Fine, since you're all cowards, I won't make it hard for you!" Ouyang Zhong suddenly shouted with a menacing look in his eyes. "I'll just wipe them all out!"

Raising his hand, he was about to strike the Swiftstriders' female disciple.

"Sister, don't be afraid!" The previously silent Swiftstriders' disciple suddenly spoke to her companion beside her, "Sister, don't be afraid, I'm here!"

Suddenly, Ho Liao remembered what his sister often said to him: "Don't be afraid, I'm here!"

Thinking of his sister, a warm feeling spread through his heart, and without hesitation, Ho Liao shouted, "Wait, I'll take it for 600 spirit stones!"

"Oh!" Ouyang Zhong glanced at Ho Liao and said coldly, "I, Ouyang Zhong, stand by my word. I'm not selling now, no matter the price. I'm going to kill these two little pests!"

Truly mad, beyond reason.

"Such senseless slaughter, you're worse than a beast!" Ho Liao retorted without thinking.

"You brat, you dare insult me!" Ouyang Zhong glared at Ho Liao angrily. "Do you know what you're doing? You're courting death!"

"I just want to save them!" Ho Liao replied fearlessly.

"Alright, kid, I'll let you choose how you die. That's merciful enough, isn't it?" Ouyang Zhong sneered. "Not many get to choose their way out."

"They say you're at the peak of Spirit Shedding, and I'm just at the beginning of Soulkeep, but I'm not afraid of you. You might not be able to kill me!" Ho Liao declared boldly.

"Oh!" Ouyang Zhong looked at Ho Liao as if he were a creature from another world. Never before had a novice Soulkeep dared to speak to him like that. His manic energy surged, eyes gleaming with excitement as he said, "If you can play a little game with me, I won't take a single spirit stone, and I'll let you have them all!"

The crowd of onlookers buzzed with excitement, eager for the spectacle. Only Huo Tian, with a somber expression, whispered to Ho Liao, "Don't agree. He's planning to use the Ghost Strike to destroy you."

Ho Liao wasn't familiar with the term "Ghost Strike," but many in the crowd knew it well. It was Ouyang Zhong's prized possession, a top-tier weapon. When used, it released malevolent energy into a person's mind, causing terrifying hallucinations that could escalate and damage the brain. Ultimately, those attacked by the Ghost Strike would suffer a gruesome death as their mind shattered.

Even though Huo Tian didn't explain in detail, the name alone hinted at its terrifying nature. However, Ho Liao remained unfazed, confident in his own abilities.

So, Ho Liao met Ouyang Zhong's gaze, unwavering, and said, "A game with the Ghost Strike, is it?"

"Exactly. Survive one strike from the Ghost Strike, and I won't stop you from saving them!" Ouyang Zhong cackled with a sinister grin.

"Alright, it's a deal!" Ho Liao replied without hesitation.

Everyone around looked at Ho Liao as if he were crazy, while Huo Tian wore an expression of regret. The female disciples of the Swiftstriders seemed both nervous and a bit hopeful.

"Alright then, close your eyes!" Ouyang Zhong said, producing a dark, ominous soul banner out of thin air. The banner caught the wind and expanded rapidly, reaching about 30 feet high and 10 feet wide, causing the other cultivators to quickly back away.

Suddenly, the soul banner enveloped Ho Liao, leaving him with no chance to escape. He felt a pungent, spicy sensation invading his mind through his senses. Instantly, the scenery before him changed. Tornado Valley and its wandering cultivators vanished, replaced by a fiery hellscape filled with the tormented spirits of the dead.

These spirits were gruesome: some had half their heads sliced off, brains exposed, with long strips of scalp dangling from their ears; others had their eyes gouged out, noses cut off, and teeth shattered; some were split in two, desperately trying to hold their insides together with a single hand.

Horrific scenes continuously flashed before Ho Liao's eyes. Any fear he felt would inflict permanent damage on his mind, leading to his eventual demise as his head would explode.

Ho Liao kept telling himself that everything in front of him was just an illusion, and there was no need to be afraid. He remembered what his sister always said: "Don't be scared, little brother. I'm here with you!"

Thinking of her words brought a slight smile to his face. But at that moment, he saw a shriveled head with teeth glowing an eerie green, lunging toward him. He wanted to dodge, but his body was frozen in place. It felt as if the head had slammed into his right ear, tearing it apart with a vicious force!