Translator: CinderTL
Bang, bang, bang...
The sound of torrential rain pelting banana leaves echoed continuously.
Countless black needles bombarded a black umbrella.
The needles shattered into wisps of black smoke, vanishing without a trace.
Yet the black umbrella remained steadfast, unwavering.
Song Wen stood beneath it, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Shi Lei, Kang Shi, after all your scheming to lure me here, is this all you've got?"
As he spoke, a spear materialized, piercing through the air.
Kang Shi's eyes widened in terror.
He was only ten zhang away from Song Wen, and the unknown poison coursing through his veins had crippled his spiritual power, leaving him weak and helpless.
The spear was clearly a low-grade spirit treasure.
In his weakened state, he stood no chance against its strike.
Facing imminent death, Kang Shi refused to surrender.
He hastily summoned a shield and poured every ounce of his remaining spiritual power into it, desperately clinging to a sliver of hope.
But the sluggish flow of spiritual power rendered the shield inert, lifeless.
Just as Kang Shi was about to despair, he realized the spear wasn't aimed at him at all. Instead, it hurtled toward the dense forest below.
He immediately understood what his opponent intended.
"Ah... ah... ah..."
Five desperate screams echoed from different locations within the dense forest below.
In the next instant, the sky full of black needles vanished, and the dark barrier shattered.
The sun-chasing spear returned through the air, followed by five corpses with their dantian crushed. Each corpse was bound by a Restriction, imprisoning their souls.
"Kang Shi, do you have any other tricks up your sleeve?" Song Wen asked calmly.
Kang Shi had no tricks left. Poisoned and with his formation breached, only fear and despair remained in his eyes.
"Fellow... fellow daoist, spare me! This matter..."
Kang Shi stammered, but as he spoke, his eyes suddenly lit up as if grasping at a lifeline.
He frantically raised his hand, pointing at Shi Lei beside him.
"I was seduced by Shi Lei into ambushing you, fellow daoist. It was all Shi Lei's plan, I had nothing to do with it! Shi Lei said you were a newcomer to Great Tan City, a stranger from another land. Even if we killed you, no one would investigate. I was momentarily blinded by greed and believed his lies, committing this grave error. I beg you, fellow daoist, to see through this deception and spare this dog's life!"
"Shi Lei's words aren't entirely wrong," Song Wen replied. "However, it seems you've run out of tricks. Prepare to die!"
The sun-chasing spear flashed with a cold light, hurtling straight toward Kang Shi.
Kang Shi hastily raised his shield to defend, but his spiritual power flowed sluggishly, preventing him from unleashing the shield's true power.
The spear easily knocked the shield aside, then pierced through Kang Shi's dantian.
Song Wen flicked his hand, sending a wisp of spiritual power to seal Kang Shi's divine soul within his corpse.
Then, he turned his gaze toward Shi Lei.
Shi Lei was also poisoned, his condition even worse than Kang Shi's.
Witnessing Kang Shi's gruesome death, his legs buckled, and he collapsed onto the deck.
"Yun Xu, you can't kill me!" Shi Lei pleaded, his voice trembling with fear.
"Oh? Why not?" Song Wen asked, his expression curious.
"I am a registered disciple of Yin Tianzong, an elder of the Spirit Jade Palace," Shi Lei explained. "He promised that once I reached the Divine Transformation Stage, he would accept me as a true disciple and bring me into the Spirit Jade Palace."
"Yin Tianzong?" Song Wen frowned, unfamiliar with the name. "Tell me more about this person. Perhaps I'll spare your life."
Upon hearing this, Shi Lei hurriedly replied, "My master has been with the Spirit Jade Palace since childhood, cultivating for over a thousand years. He has now reached the peak of the Divine Transformation Stage and could advance to the Void Refinement Stage at any moment. Moreover, he is highly regarded by the Spirit Jade Palace Master..."
Shi Lei continued to elaborate tirelessly. Meanwhile, on a mountain peak two thousand miles away, stood another Song Wen—his true form.
When Shi Lei invited him to the exchange conference, Song Wen had already taken precautions. He had specifically purchased Dark Orchid Wood in Great Tan City and crafted two Cosmic Transformation Incarnations.
Additionally, he had concocted a poison called Bone-Corroding Fragrance, which could temporarily immobilize Divine Transformation Stage cultivators. The formula had come from Chi Qi, but the poison had been of little use to Song Wen himself. Thus, he had only begun refining it today.
After hearing about Yin Tianzong from Shi Lei, Song Wen pondered briefly before disguising himself, reverting to his Lei Yue persona.
With a swift movement, he flew toward the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation.
"Fellow Daoist Yun Xu," Song Wen said as he flew through the air, "since he's a registered disciple of the Spirit Jade Palace, it's inappropriate for us to handle him ourselves. I have some history with Senior Bai Wei of the Spirit Jade Palace. How about handing him over to me? I'll take him back to the Spirit Jade Palace and let them decide his fate."
Shi Lei's eyes widened as he saw Song Wen rapidly approaching.
He had never imagined that someone was hiding behind "Yun Xu." What cunning! he thought. Kang Shi and the others didn't die in vain.
At the same time, a flicker of hope ignited in his eyes. Finally, a chance to survive.
The Cosmic Transformation Incarnation replied, "Since Fellow Daoist Lei Yue has spoken, we'll follow your suggestion. Though we've only known each other briefly, we've become fast friends. Your willingness to risk everything to accompany me on this journey is a debt I, Yun Xu, will repay."
"Then I thank Fellow Daoist Yun Xu," Song Wen replied with a smile.
Shi Lei, realizing he was truly spared, burst into tears of gratitude.
"Thank you both, Seniors! This junior will never forget your kindness."
Before he could finish speaking, a violent gust of wind swept over him, instantly engulfing him.
Shi Lei felt the world spin wildly, his mind dissolving into chaos as if the gale had shattered every thought.
Darkness descended, and he fainted, his body tossed about by the wind in mid-air.
Song Wen frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and confirmed that neither he nor the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation had revealed any demonic techniques or aura. A satisfied smile immediately spread across his face.
After sweeping the battlefield, he swiftly departed with Shi Lei.
(End of the Chapter)
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