Translator: CinderTL
The two Corpse Dao male cultivators' mystic treasure Corpse Coffins were blasted away by lightning, leaving them unable to recall the coffins to protect their masters. Facing the women's flying swords, they could only hastily channel their internal corpse qi to conjure thick protective shields of corpse qi.
Song Wen summoned his sun-chasing spear and joined the fray.
Under the combined assault, the two corpse cultivators were eventually overwhelmed. The three female cultivators' flying swords pierced their dantian, shattering their cultivation cores.
Before the women could react, Song Wen swiftly extracted the cultivators' souls from their bodies, trapping them with two strands of Thunderlight, preventing their escape.
Song Wen flew forward, clasped his hands in a respectful bow, and addressed the three women.
"Thank you for your assistance in slaying these two. You have helped me avenge a blood sea of hatred."
With that, Song Wen unleashed two bursts of raging flames, incinerating the corpses into ashes.
He then telekinetically retrieved the cultivators' storage rings and tossed them to the three women.
"I'll take their divine souls back with me. The storage rings are yours."
As the storage rings floated toward them, the eldest-looking of the three women stepped forward. She caught the rings with her spiritual power but didn't store them away, letting them hover quietly before her.
"This fellow daoist looks unfamiliar. May I ask your name?"
Song Wen replied, "I am Lei Yue. May I inquire about the names of you three fellow daoists?"
The woman said, "My name is Che Jing. These two are my junior sisters, Liu Shanshan and Xu Mengyu."
Liu Shanshan was the other mid-stage Divine Transformation female cultivator besides Che Jing.
Xu Mengyu was the early-stage Divine Transformation female cultivator.
After the introductions, Che Jing pointed to the two divine souls beside Song Wen and asked, "Do you have a grudge against them?"
Song Wen glanced at the two divine souls, his gaze gradually hardening with hatred.
He pointed at one of the souls and said, "This man slaughtered my master."
Che Jing said, "According to my knowledge, these two are cultivators from the Divine Blood Gate, named Qiu Shan and Zhu Hui respectively. There's no 'Jiang Yushan' among them. Are you sure you haven't mistaken him?"
"My blood feud with this man is irreconcilable! How could I possibly be mistaken?" Song Wen insisted, pointing at the soul again. "Jiang Yushan was an alias he used."
Che Jing didn't press the matter further and continued.
"Fellow Daoist, you saved our lives. We feel unworthy to accept these two storage rings. Please, take them back."
"Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand," Song Wen replied. "I've been hunting this man for years, never finding a chance for revenge. Today, my long-awaited vengeance was achieved, thanks entirely to you three. I will forever remember your kindness. Please, accept these storage rings."
Seeing Song Wen's sincerity, Che Jing stopped refusing.
"Then we thank you, Fellow Daoist. To be honest, these storage rings contain exactly what we need."
A flicker of suspicion crossed Song Wen's eyes.
He had secretly examined the storage rings earlier and found nothing of particular value. Only the two Corpse-Nourishing Coffins were decent, but those were treasures of the Corpse Dao and, more importantly, the natal magic treasures of their former owners. Even if the three women took them, they would be of little use.
That was why he had insisted on giving the rings to the women, hoping to ingratiate himself with them.
Che Jing, however, acted with straightforward honesty. With a flip of her hand, she produced the corpse of a demon beast—the body of a fifth-tier Nether Fox.
"To find this Nether Fox, the three of us endured countless hardships. We finally managed to kill it, but Qiu Shan and Zhu Hui suddenly appeared, not only stealing the corpse but also attempting to kill us. If you hadn't arrived in time, fellow daoist, we might not have survived."
As she spoke, Che Jing clasped her hands and bowed deeply to Song Wen.
Song Wen quickly replied, "Fellow daoist, there's no need for such formality. We've both benefited from this exchange."
Changing the subject, he asked curiously, "May I ask why you were searching for this Nether Fox?"
During his year-long journey through the underwater tunnel, Song Wen had never encountered a single Nether Fox. This made him realize that their numbers in the Primordial Qi Death Zone were far fewer than he had imagined, far less abundant than in the Misty Ghost Realm of the Lower Realm.
Che Jing explained, "We were completing a mission for our sect. As for why they wanted the Nether Fox, we have no idea."
Song Wen couldn't help but feel intrigued by the sect behind the three women.
Earlier, when Che Jing mentioned the Divine Blood Gate, she showed no reverence, only disdain. This suggested that their sect was exceptionally powerful, possibly even capable of rivaling a behemoth like the Divine Blood Gate.
He didn't directly voice his suspicions. If his guess was correct, the sect behind the three women must be a well-known, large-scale organization. Their strikingly similar attire likely indicated standardized uniforms issued by their sect.
A rash inquiry would only reveal his complete ignorance of the Immortal Cultivation World, arousing the women's suspicion.
"Do you three have a grudge against the Divine Blood Gate?" Song Wen asked.
"Hmph!"
A disdainful snort echoed from behind Che Jing, coming from the female cultivator named Xu Mengyu.
"Those skulking, sinister fiends of the Divine Blood Gate deserve to be exterminated by all!"
Hearing this, Song Wen's gaze involuntarily fell upon Xu Mengyu.
The woman possessed remarkable beauty, her delicate features resembling those of a maiden in her early twenties.
Earlier, when Song Wen had first revealed himself, only Xu Mengyu had shown a willingness to offer assistance. This suggested a relatively sincere nature, making her more approachable than the other two women, who seemed guarded and deeply calculating.
Moreover, Xu Mengyu's words had provided Song Wen with a valuable piece of information.
Here, the Divine Blood Gate didn't operate with the same impunity as they did on Qicang Island. Instead, they were like rats scurrying through the streets, forced to lurk in the shadows.
"Fellow Daoist Xu speaks truly!" Song Wen declared with righteous indignation, his voice ringing with sincerity. Combined with the aura of uprightness and composure radiating from him, he resembled a righteous hero who loathed evil. "Lei Yue will never coexist with the Divine Blood Gate in this lifetime!"
"I knew from the thunder magic you wielded earlier that you must be a person who despises evil," Xu Mengyu said with a smile, her crescent eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "My intuition rarely fails me."
"Fellow Daoist Xu flatters me," Song Wen replied, shifting the topic. "This isn't a suitable place for conversation. Should we depart as soon as possible? What are your plans, fellow daoists?"
"We're returning to Great Tan City," Xu Mengyu answered.
"I happen to be heading there as well," Song Wen said. "Would you allow me to accompany you?"
Che Jing was about to respond when Xu Mengyu cut her off.
"Of course! Traveling with you will surely make our journey safer. Once we reach Great Tan City, I'll host a grand banquet to repay you for saving my life."
"Then I shall accept your gracious offer," Song Wen said.
Che Jing shook her head slightly, seemingly resigned to her Junior Sister's impulsive decision to invite him along.
"In that case, Fellow Daoist Lei Yue, let's set off immediately," Che Jing said, waving her hand. A Giant Flying Ship materialized before them. She gestured for Song Wen to board.
(End of the Chapter)
⚡ 𝟏𝟒 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 | 𝟖.𝟔𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 | 𝟏𝟒.𝟓𝐌 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 [𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦]