Ever since Zhang Laifu had taken up with Shen Yi, its manner of fighting had, more or less, come to be influenced by its master.

In the instant the catfish was split open by the hand-blade—

Zhang Laifu drove its head straight into the body, came out with an inner core between its teeth, and looked up at its master with wide eyes, as though waiting to be praised.

"……"

Shen Yi adjusted his breathing rapidly, forcing down the encroachment of the medicinal toxins.

Even the fingertips hidden inside his sleeve were trembling slightly.

He gave Zhang Laifu a helpless look.

He was, after all, used to swallowing inner cores whole; and though he knew what the dog was — an Anchor-Stone given shape — taking one out of its mouth was something he could not quite get past.

"Back you go."

Shen Yi took the inner core and put it, along with the corpse, into the thumb ring in his sleeve.

Only then did he drop toward the ground.

The flame over his body scattered and faded, pouring into the golden phoenix within him.

He raised his eyes toward the earthen city.

Zhang Laifu had already laid the remaining three water-kin corpses out in a neat row.

A few fights and its methods were coming along.

Then again, considering its realm was close to the fifth layer of Return-to-Void… that was about right, really. It had simply dithered so much before that the contrast was rather stark.

He gathered the three corpses up as well.

Shen Yi set off toward the earthen city.

"Ah…"

The Immortal Maiden Baohua's mouth opened slightly, and she stared blankly at the figure walking toward her.

She had in fact seen a great many powers fight. There was no shortage of elders and senior brothers in the sect whose cultivation far outstripped hers — only, when they worked their techniques, it was generally in a refined and courteous style that stopped short of real harm.

It was the first time she had seen anything as clean and brisk as Shen Yi, or as wholly…