Previously, he had been completely manipulated by the black-robed old man without even realizing it, repeatedly falling into his schemes. If not for this mysterious mist shield, he probably wouldn't have escaped this time and would have had his soul devoured by the black-robed old man.

  Now, having fortuitously escaped the crisis, Leo was overjoyed. He didn't have time to ponder the origin of the mist shield; its help in his escape was a gift from heaven, proof that his fate was not to end here. At the same time, Leo harbored intense hatred for the black-robed old man. He immediately began taunting and mocking him, infuriating the old man to the point of incoherent shouts.

  "Brat, don't be so pleased with yourself. Do you think this mere mist shield can stop me? A fool's dream! Fine then, let me show you what I'm capable of."

  The black-robed old man's soul was only about ten feet away from the mist shield. After shouting a few sentences and letting out a cold laugh, he drifted backward several dozen feet.

  Leo's expression changed. He was well aware of the black-robed old man's power. This old monster knew many immortal techniques, especially that golden flying sword, which could split mountains and shatter rocks with ease, effortlessly carving out a cave dwelling. The mist shield before him looked thin and not particularly sturdy. Yet, Leo was helpless in this dangerous situation. Even if he wanted to flee, his speed was no match for the black-robed old man's.

  "Fireball Technique!" Several small fireballs, blazing with flame, materialized as the black-robed old man chanted an incantation, smashing into the mist shield one after another.

  Leo's heart jumped with fright, and he prepared to flee. Suddenly, he noticed that although the small fireballs looked fierce, exploding with loud bangs, the defensive mist shield remained completely unmoved. Immediately, his anxious heart settled back into place. With this experience, he recalled that what he remembered upon waking at the cliff edge wasn't a dream, but an unknown, mysterious place within his own body that his soul had discovered.

  "Old thing, seems your techniques aren't all that impressive either."

  "Don't you get cocky! I have plenty more techniques yet to use!" the black-robed old man's soul shouted. "Golden Spear Technique!"

  Bang! Bang! Bang! Over a dozen golden spearheads shot towards the mist shield, shattering into countless golden fragments upon impact. The nearly transparent mist shield still didn't budge an inch; not even a white mark appeared on it.

  "Wind Blade Storm!"

  "Earth Spike Technique!"

  "Water Arrow Technique!"

  After a series of crackling and popping sounds, the black-robed old man let out a miserable cry, "Ah! Why have I fallen back to the eleventh level of Qi Refinement?!"

  Leo was now completely at ease. He then noticed that the form representing the black-robed old man's soul had dimmed considerably, appearing more transparent than before. So, it turns out that casting techniques in a soul state leads to a decrease in power.

  If this old monster continued like this, he'd probably fall to the first level of Qi Refinement before long. So, Leo moved closer to the mist shield and provoked him, "Old thing, can't hit anymore? Keep going! I'm right here."

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  "You damned brat, don't get so insolent!" The black-robed old man was so angry he felt like his soul was leaving his body. However, having spent his life scheming against other cultivators, he wouldn't be so easily goaded by Leo. He quickly regained his composure and said, "Brat, don't bother trying to provoke me. I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. Do you think I'd fall for your trick?"

  Truly an old fox, Leo cursed inwardly. He couldn't defeat him in a fight, and verbal provocation wasn't working either. How troublesome. Thankfully, the old man couldn't break out, otherwise Leo would really be in a difficult spot.

  "Not falling for it? Fine then. Anyway, you can't hit me. You're stuck here and can't get out, so you might as well stay here for the rest of your life."

  "Do you know what this place is? Is there a method to enter or leave? Tell your master, and we'll let bygones be bygones regarding our previous grudges. Didn't you always want to learn my techniques? I'll teach you everything later," the black-robed old man's eyes flickered, his soul drifting in the air, looking at Leo with a complex expression.

  "Do you think I'm stupid? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. The moment I let you out would probably be my last day."

  Leo snorted coldly. This old fox was cunning and experienced, far beyond what a mere youngster like him could match. Some of his methods were even unimaginable to Leo. After all, apart from cultivating the Primordial Chaos Scripture, Leo knew nothing about immortal techniques. This lucky escape from the other's clutches wasn't due to his own ability, but pure luck. If he gave the black-robed old man another chance, he might not be so fortunate a second time.

  "Can't I swear an oath? Please, let me out!" the black-robed old man pleaded sorrowfully.

  "You can just stay in there for the rest of your life," Leo said with satisfaction. Ignoring him, Leo drifted farther away. He remembered that last time, he seemed to have passed through a barrier, then his consciousness went dark, and he left this place.

  Now, as Leo flew further away and examined the surroundings carefully, he noticed that this barrier actually had a faint blue-green hue. It was circular, like a magnified version of the green fruit. The film-like barrier enclosed a floating piece of land. Upon closer inspection, Leo realized this piece of land bore some resemblance to the terrain of that canyon.

  Leo was somewhat puzzled. He had only eaten a green fruit, yet the situation seemed as if he had swallowed an entire canyon.

  "Hey! Hey! Don't go!" the black-robed old man hurriedly shouted. However, Leo's soul figure had already vanished from sight. The old man could only let out a resentful snort, "Damned brat, enjoy it while you can. Since you can leave, there must be a method to exit. If I find the way out, I'll make you wish you were never born!"

  Hiss------

  A piercing, needle-like pain shot through his entire body, making Leo suck in a sharp breath. This must be the effect of the Soul-Locking Soup the black-robed old man mentioned. Leo opened his eyes. The black-robed old man's physical body stood right in front of him, one hand pressed against his crown. A shiver ran through Leo's heart. Seeing this old face, he felt genuine fear from deep within. However, the withered face, like old tree bark, was now devoid of any vitality.

  This was probably because the black-robed old man's soul hadn't returned to his body, so this was just an empty shell. To be afraid of a body without a consciousness, how pathetic, Leo mocked himself with a wry smile. He moved the black-robed old man's detestable hand away from his head.

  "All your schemes and sinister intentions... who would have thought you'd end up like today." Seeing the black-robed old man standing there like a wooden stake, Leo's courage grew.

  Several small black bags hung from the black-robed old man's waist. Leo remembered these bags seemed to have a storage function. The old man always put things into them and took things out. Thinking that the old man's belongings were likely in these black bags, Leo immediately became excited. The black-robed old man was paranoid, keeping most of his valuables on him; his cave dwelling probably held nothing of worth.

  However, in his recollection, the black-robed old man usually only carried one black bag when coming and going. Now there were four, which was somewhat strange. But more bags meant more items. And now, all these things belonged to him. Leo carefully removed the several black bags.

  There was also a jade gourd at the black-robed old man's waist. Leo knew this was specifically for containing the little green ants, so he naturally took it for himself.

  "Right, and the old thing's golden flying sword," Leo suddenly remembered the scene when the black-robed old man opened his cave dwelling, the small golden sword flying out from his sleeve.

  Impatiently, he turned out the black-robed old man's sleeve pockets, but they were empty, nothing to be found. Somewhat annoyed, Leo searched the old man's entire body but still couldn't find the golden flying sword.

  Had it already been stored in a storage bag? That was the only explanation he could think of. Glancing at the black-robed old man's body, an idea struck him. He pushed the old man's physical body into the wooden barrel containing the Soul-Locking Soup, adding more water to submerge it completely. Since the Soul-Locking Soup couldn't be penetrated by the soul, even if the black-robed old man managed to escape later, he wouldn't be able to return to this body. Consider it payback for the previous treachery!