This scene brought a smile to Zhang Kui's heart.

Though not explicitly recorded, this toad should have been left behind when Emperor Qianyuan established the Astronomical Bureau.

This creature can change size, its head transforming into a treasure vault, and can revert to the appearance of a ghostly frog with sharp teeth. Its body is made of refined iron, neither demon nor monster, but more like an object that's become sentient.

Though this Treasure Toad is harmless, its body is very tough. Even a True Man at the Celestial Tribulation Realm couldn't budge it, and it was only now that its hind leg was bitten, rendering it unable to break free.

However, seeing the White Wolf's teeth sparking wildly, its body arched and fur bristling, it seemed like it couldn't hold on for much longer either.

Nearby, under the moonlight, a shapely woman sat on the ruins of a nearby tall building, veiled, swinging a wine gourd, her seductive eyes captivating and soul-stealing.

It was Manzudia.

Hmm... where did Yellow Eyebrow and they go?

Zhang Kui frowned slightly, and then a puff of black smoke emerged, striding forward with a laugh:

"Hey, mutt, if you can't do it, let me handle it."

Mutt?!

The White Wolf's eyes flared with blood-red light, instantly releasing the Treasure Toad, baring its ferocious teeth at Zhang Kui as if to pounce.

"General Bai, that's True Man Zhang."

Behind, Manzudia's voice rang out just in time.

The White Wolf was momentarily stunned, then retracted its aggressive demeanor, casually glanced around, and with a swift movement, jumped back beside Manzudia.

Zhang Kui chuckled, "This dog knows its place."

Manzudia leaped from the ruins, stared at Zhang Kui for a long time, then shook her head slightly.

"I really didn't expect it, within a year, you'd be renowned throughout the world. If I had known sooner, Manzudia would have stuck by your side no matter what."

"Or maybe we would have started fighting earlier."

Zhang Kui jokingly responded with a laugh.

This woman was indeed a beauty, but her words were a mix of truth and lies. The best way to deal with her was not to believe a word she said.

With his Golden Core nourishing spirit, Zhang Kui's divine thoughts swept through and detected the Treasure Toad; it indeed wouldn't run off, burrowed tens of meters underground without moving.

Facing him, Manzudia didn't mind, smiling slightly, "Did Taoist Brother Zhang come to the ruins of the Capital City to subdue this 'Treasure Beast'?"

"Treasure Beast..."

Zhang Kui raised an eyebrow, "Do you know what this is?"

Manzudia replied with a smile, "The Gold Tent Royal Court also has one. No one knows its origin, only that it loves hiding treasures in its belly. The more treasures it hides, the harder it becomes. With the thousand-year collection of the Qian Dynasty, perhaps only a Mahayana Realm cultivator could tame it."

"Interesting indeed..."

Zhang Kui felt delighted and planned to capture the Treasure Toad tonight. After all, it hid so many ancient artifacts, falling into the hands of the evil spirits in any Forbidden Land would become a major problem.

Thinking to this point, Zhang Kui casually waved his hand, and the Lu Li Sword Light burst forth, spinning in a circle before diving into the ground with a swish.

The Treasure Toad could use the Earth Travel Skill, but it wasn't fast. It was immediately caught up by the Flying Sword, scrambling in chaos.

But much to Zhang Kui's frustration, the creature was shrewd, refusing to reveal itself above ground. In a fit of anger, he delivered a strike straight to its behind.

"Gur gur..."

The Treasure Toad cried out as it felt pain.

Zhang Kui was a little surprised; this thing was indeed incredibly tough. The Geng Metal Sword Light, exceedingly sharp, only pierced about a foot, and it quickly returned to its original state.

Since it was so resilient, Zhang Kui decided not to hold back, driving Sword Light after Sword Light, forcing the Treasure Toad to surface.

"Gur gur..."

The Treasure Toad looked reluctant, spitting out a mottled Ancient Bronze Tower.

Zhang Kui chuckled, "You miser, if you want to save your life, you'll need to offer something better."

The Treasure Toad hesitated for a moment, swallowed the Bronze Tower, and spit out a broken Bronze Sword.

"Stop wasting your efforts!"

Zhang Kui shook his head with a smile, "You can't escape tonight. If you refuse to surrender, I'll carve you into eight pieces. Old Zhang means what he says."

The Treasure Toad retracted its head, transmitting an intention.

"Want to negotiate..."

Zhang Kui was taken aback, "What are your terms?"

The massive body of over ten meters high raised, with eight large characters carved on its belly:

"Two in, one out, No loss in death!"

Zhang Kui shook his head with amusement, "Ah, so it was you who set the strange rule in the Inner Treasury... alright, I'll agree to it."

Ancient Artifacts are a matter of individual fate, the more choices, the better.

Seeing Zhang Kui agree, the Treasure Toad sent another intention. According to it, Zhang Kui bit his middle finger, and drew a Blood Talisman on the Toad's head.

The Treasure Toad then trembled, transforming into a small black iron toad jumping into Zhang Kui's hand.

"Congratulations, Taoist Brother Zhang, on subduing the Treasure Beast."

Beside him, Manzudia immediately smiled in congratulations. She was not envious; if these ordinary Ancient Artifacts were useful, how could the human race of the Ghost Rong Kingdom be so miserable?

Zhang Kui nodded, feeling a sense of melancholy.

The blood talisman had just recognized its owner, dispelling an ancient aura. It turned out the Treasure Toad stayed here, waiting for Emperor Qianyuan.

Zhang Kui shook his head slightly, then stared at Manzudia, his expression gradually becoming serious, "Alright, let's get to business. Where are those bastards Yellow Eyebrow and the others?"

Manzudia was taken aback, sensing something was off, and cautiously asked, "What business does Taoist Brother Zhang have with them?"

Zhang Kui snorted, not hiding anything, and recounted the whole story.

"I can't believe they did such a thing."

Hatred flickered in Manzudia's eyes, then he smiled bitterly, "But you asked the wrong person, Taoist brother. We each hold half of the map, our strengths are even, and we're on guard against each other. We probably won't meet before Mid-Autumn."

"Mid-Autumn... three days left..."

Zhang Kui frowned slightly, "One more question, why are you still here?"

Manzudia hesitated for a moment,

"It's no secret. Although the Underworld can be accessed with the Divine Strange Pearl, it can only be entered at specific locations. Why do you think those evil spirits guard their territories?"

"I see..."

Zhang Kui was suddenly enlightened.

Manzudia nodded and continued,

"This Haojing City was originally the Great Qi Capital. They found the Divine Corpse here. The map refers only to this place, and the entrance is in the former Longqing Square."

"No wonder..."

Zhang Kui suddenly remembered the information obtained by Huo Yu with Double Pupils through illusion skills when they caught that half-demon lurking in the Ministry of Justice: Mid-Autumn Longqing.

Just as Zhang Kui was about to continue asking, he was suddenly startled and turned his head to look south.

Manzudia's face also changed dramatically, and the White Wolf's fur stood on end, trembling.

They saw a spread of Yin Qi black fog accompanied by eerie hoofbeats, with a violent aura surging to the sky, the moonlight overshadowed, and the world plunged into darkness.

Inside the Secret Realm of the Capital, many wandering people from the Jianghu were so terrified that their courage broke, and they fled in a panic.

"Taoist Brother Zhang, we must leave this place quickly!"

Manzudia's voice trembled a bit, reminding him of those terrors once seen in the Grassland Blood Sea.

"It's too late..."

Zhang Kui said in a deep voice, his face expressionless.

A Mahayana Realm master controls the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, having locked onto everyone as soon as he arrived, with most of the malicious intent focused on him.

"It's you..."

A sky-covering voice echoed all around, and then a giant black shadow emerged from the black fog.

Manzudia, in the Grain Avoidance Realm, couldn't see anything and was so frightened by the shadow that he collapsed completely.

But Zhang Kui could clearly see the Left Vanguard covered in black hair, with a fierce face, standing on a bronze station vehicle, baring its fangs aggressively staring at him.

The massive shadow in the black fog was his phantom, wielding a giant hammer, muscles bulging.

"Why are you here... Those people were sent by you!"

The Left Vanguard obviously misunderstood something.

Zhang Kui wasn't surprised; after all, he had slain a half-step Mahayana evil spirit and was in Jiangzhou, not recognizing the General's Tomb back then.

However, instead of staying cautious of himself, they focused all their energy on internal rivals.

"It has nothing to do with me."

Zhang Kui said blandly with an expressionless face.

"Courting death!"

Apparently enraged by Zhang Kui's attitude, the Left Vanguard's eyes instantly ignited with a soaring blood flame. That phantom raised a giant hammer and smashed it down.

The heavens and earth seemed to merge, with black fog surging as if the sky had suddenly collapsed, a mountain-sized giant hammer phantom appeared, wrapped in fiery red flames, crashing down like a meteor.

The ground instantly burst with airwaves and dust, Zhang Kui's Taoist robe fluttered, teeth clenched with a flash of ferocity in his eyes.

Clang!

Golden light radiated, and a hundred-meter long Lu Li Sword phantom suddenly appeared, meeting the giant hammer in the sky.

Boom!

A visible shock wave scattered far and wide.

The ground of the Capital ruins sank half a foot abruptly, centered on Zhang Kui, forming a hundred-meter diameter circular pit.

Zhang Kui spat out a mouthful of blood, his arms holding the Sword Technique trembling continuously, yet he grinned through clenched teeth.

"This is truly Mahayana, what power!"

On the eastern mountain of the Capital outskirts, Elder Huayan and Li Qing, who were discussing matters, changed expressions and rushed out, standing on the mountaintop gazing.

They saw where the Capital once was, the rolling black fog forming sinister clouds. Above the clouds, a gigantic golden sword and a blood-flamed giant hammer clashed, the evil light and sword qi roaring like thunder.

Though clearly suppressed, he still held firm and didn't retreat...

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