Translator: CinderTL
"Given such a massive investment, why doesn't Wen Xuan guard this place personally instead of leaving you four peak divine transformation cultivators in charge?" Ying Wu asked.
"Reporting to the senior, the sect leader has other important matters. He and another body integration stage senior are refining corpse qi in a Corpse Netherland. Moreover, this place's defensive formation is impenetrable even to ordinary body integration stage cultivators..."
The middle-aged male cultivator at the peak of the divine transformation stage didn't finish his sentence, his face showing deep reverence.
Ying Wu had shattered the formation with a single sword strike, clearly no ordinary body integration stage cultivator.
"Regardless of Wen Xuan's motives, with such a significant investment, he won't abandon it easily."
Ying Wu murmured to herself, a smug smile spreading across her face as she spoke loudly again.
"You will depart immediately to inform Wen Xuan that this place has been... claimed by me, Wang Qiuyue. Tell him to bring one hundred catties of Spirit Support Dew and Blood Resentment Sand to exchange for it."
As she finished, she suddenly turned and winked playfully at Song Wen before adding, "And add one hundred catties of Zhenhou's blood essence."
A peculiar expression flashed across Song Wen's face.
So Ying Wu was using a false name after all—and one he knew well.
"This..." The middle-aged male cultivator hesitated, reluctant to move.
"Still not moving!" Ying Wu snapped. "If you refuse, I'll kill you and find someone else to go."
"Senior, please don't be angry. This junior will depart immediately."
With that, the middle-aged cultivator hastily soared into the air, pierced the transparent barrier, and burst through the water's surface. He landed several li away from Song Wen and Ying Wu, bowed to them, and then sped off.
Watching the male cultivator's receding figure, Song Wen sent a mental message to Ying Wu:
"Fellow Daoist Yingwu, sending this man to warn Daoist Wenxuan seems unwise. I know your strength is extraordinary and you fear no one, but what if he brings reinforcements? Wouldn't we be in danger?"
"As long as no Great Ascension Stage cultivator personally intervenes, no one can threaten me, Ying Wu," she replied confidently.
"What if Daoist Wenxuan manages to summon a Great Ascension Stage cultivator?" Song Wen pressed.
Ying Wu's brow furrowed slightly. "The Azure Flame Sect does have a few Great Ascension Stage cultivators, and Daoist Wenxuan might indeed enlist their aid. We must be prepared for this."
She tapped the gray Spirit Beast Pouch at her waist.
Instantly, a monstrous fish several zhang long materialized.
The strange fish was a seventh-tier early stage creature. Though it had the body of a salamander, it possessed six sharp claws resembling those of a praying mantis.
The creature plunged into the water, heading straight for the depths of the cave, and settled onto the transparent barrier.
Its six claws pressed against the barrier like six blades, as if they could pierce it at any moment.
"With this Ghost Pincer Salamander keeping watch here, it's enough. You and I can hide in the shadows. If a Great Ascension Stage cultivator arrives, we'll have to sacrifice the salamander. But if none come, Wen Xuan wouldn't dare make a move. Otherwise, before we kill the salamander, it could destroy most of the Corpse Puppets in the underwater cavern."
With that, Ying Wu winked playfully at Song Wen and turned to leave.
Song Wen followed behind her.
After flying for tens of thousands of miles, Ying Wu suddenly descended, plunging into the water.
At the bottom of the lake, she found a submerged cave and entered it.
After setting up a formation, she turned to Song Wen, who had followed her.
"Don't worry. Though this is only a seventh-tier formation, its concealment is excellent. Even ordinary Great Ascension Stage cultivators won't be able to detect us."
Song Wen nodded slightly. "Excellent! Then we can observe the situation without revealing ourselves."
Wen Xuan arrived sooner than the two had expected.
Just a few hours later, Yingwu, who had been sitting beside Song Wen with her eyes closed in meditation, suddenly opened her eyes.
"Wen Xuan is here!"
A flicker of surprise crossed Song Wen's eyes. "This place is ten thousand li away from that corpse refinement cave. Fellow Daoist, how did you know?"
Yingwu's lips curled into a slight smile. "The Ghost Pincer Salamander informed me."
"Ten thousand li apart? How could you communicate with the Ghost Pincer Salamander?" Song Wen asked, puzzled.
"The Ghost Pincer Salamander has a unique talent for transmitting information through Water Veins," Yingwu explained. "Observe the underwater currents outside the cave carefully; you should notice anomalies in the water's ripples."
Following her advice, Song Wen secretly observed for a while but found nothing.
He couldn't help but marvel inwardly at the diverse supernatural abilities of the demon beasts under Yingwu's control. Shifting his focus, he let go of the matter.
"How many came with Wen Xuan? Are there any Great Ascension Stage cultivators among them?"
"According to the information from the Ghost Pincer Salamander, three arrived in total, all Body Integration Stage cultivators. No Great Ascension Stage cultivators are present."
Having finished speaking, Ying Wu stood up and began forming magic seals with her hands, preparing to dismantle the formation flags.
"Fellow Daoist, wait!" Song Wen urgently called out, stopping her. "What if... there's a Great Ascension Stage cultivator hiding nearby?"
"Ye Hua, you're being overly cautious," Ying Wu replied dismissively. "In Crimson Cloud Province and most of the mystic realm, Great Ascension Stage cultivators are supreme beings, not some stray cats and dogs. Why would they need to hide their presence to deal with two mere Body Integration Stage cultivators like us?"
Song Wen tried to stop her again, but it was too late. A formation flag had already flown from the corner of the cave and landed in Ying Wu's hand.
The entire formation instantly collapsed.
After all the formation flags had been collected, Ying Wu said, "Let's go."
Song Wen could only nod.
If a Great Ascension Stage cultivator truly was present, the spiritual qi fluctuations created by Ying Wu dismantling the formation would have undoubtedly alerted them.
The two walked side by side, slowly flying toward the corpse refinement cave.
When they were less than five thousand li away, Song Wen finally sensed the situation on the other side.
There were indeed only three opponents.
A peak Body Integration Stage elder, a Late Body Integration Stage woman, and a mid Body Integration Stage male cultivator...
Song Wen suddenly realized that the mid Body Integration Stage male cultivator was an old acquaintance of his.
Gu Huang!
Just as Ying Wu said—enemies often cross paths!
Song Wen immediately recalled what Ke Zheng had said over a year ago:
"Gu Huang has gathered two million high-grade spirit stones for a major deal."
Could that major deal be the ten thousand Corpse Puppets in the underwater cave?
"How did Gu Huang end up here?" Ying Wu asked, startled.
Clearly, the Ghost Pincer Salamander's earlier message had not mentioned Gu Huang.
"It seems Gu Huang has a share in those ten thousand Corpse Puppets," Song Wen said.
"That's likely the case," Ying Wu replied with a cold smile. She switched to telepathic communication: "Once we secure what we need, we'll destroy the ten thousand Corpse Puppets in the cave."
(End of the Chapter)
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