It seemed necessary to visit Big Snow Mountain later to celebrate with his mother and, incidentally, to emphasize the necessity of 'utterly eradicating evil.'
In the forest, flames surged.
Wu Wang still stood with his hands clasped behind his back, but he had moved to stand behind Ling Xiaolan, who lay prone on the ground. He was closely observing the two intense battles erupting in the forest.
In Wu Wang's understanding, aside from Central Mountain and the Human Domain, an overall balance was maintained among the Nine Wildernesses of the Great Wilderness. His mother, Cang Xue, bore the responsibility of guarding the Northern Wilderness and was its foremost powerhouse. Eliminating a Cultivator from the Human Domain at the Ascending Immortal Realm from a great distance would be no problem for her. Otherwise, the Northern Wilderness would have long been invaded by the large family clans of the Eastern and Western Wildernesses.
However, the lightning bolt that had just descended with extreme speed merely caused Grandma Yin to vomit blood. It destroyed her foundation for achieving immortality, severely injured her Primordial Spirit, severed half her Nascent Soul, and sealed the precious treasures she carried. This forcibly caused her combat power to plummet, leaving her suppressed by Ji Mo, who had brought out all his treasures.
Mother, oh Mother, can't we just kill her outright? Wu Wang sighed inwardly. He looked down at Ling Xiaolan, extended his left hand towards the wound on her back, and slowly began healing her by channeling the power of the Stars.
This way, he could maintain the fullness of his own 'Divine' essence and remain in the optimal... observational state.
Look to the left!
A roar shook the heavens; the beast's shadow was phantasmal!
General Xiong San's robust body stood as immovable as Mount Tai. The bloody aura emanating from him was like vivid flames, and his bulging muscles seemed like the armor of a war god. He appeared motionless, yet he was poised to strike at any moment.
The black shadow, over six meters tall, darted rapidly around him, the ugly head of a toad faintly visible. Its claws left streaks in their wake, as if they could tear Heaven and Earth asunder!
General Xiong San's short axe was coated with a layer of blood-red flame. Each time the claws approached, he could anticipate the move, either swinging his axe or shifting his position. He seemed to be defending passively, yet he subtly blocked the ferocious beast's path to the water pool.
This beast definitely has a problem. One by one, Wu Wang's suspicions were confirmed, his expression remaining leisurely.
In truth, what interested him most in tonight's fierce battle was this very beast. A very serious interest, the purest curiosity.
When Wu Wang first heard the details of this ferocious beast from Ji Mo, he had been skeptical. Forget the Northern Wilderness, even in the entire Great Wilderness, apart from those great ferocious beasts that had attained a level akin to an Innate God, the vast majority followed the principle: 'I've grown stronger, and so has my ego.' A humanoid Ten-Thousand-Year Ferocious Beast, six to nine meters tall? If it possessed the strength of a Ten-Thousand-Year Ferocious Beast while retaining such a relatively small stature, its destructive power would be a catastrophe for the various clans of the Northern Wilderness.
Watching the battle between this beast and General Xiong San, Wu Wang quickly felt relieved, yet other doubts surfaced.
First, the beast's strength wasn't terrifying, barely at the level of a five or six-thousand-year ferocious beast. Although fast, its attack methods were simple, and General Xiong San could handle it completely. However, this beast was considered the nemesis of spiritual cultivators; it was reasonable that the ambushed party from the Human Domain could not withstand it.
Second, this beast lacked the typical 'aura' of an ordinary ferocious beast. This was the main reason it could rampage through the Bloody Soil Forest without alarming the local Ten-Thousand-Year Ferocious Beasts. Its scent was rather complex, even carrying a hint of the Human race's odor... This point was actually more worthy of attention.
Suddenly, a streak of bloodlight flashed, and an arrow of blood spurted from General Xiong San's right shoulder.
With a furious roar, the General slammed both short axes into the ground. His right arm shot out, his hand gripping the air, and then, eerily, it seized a scaly ankle!
"AH—"
General Xiong San's eyes blazed with fire. His burly body swelled once more, his upper armor bursting apart. His left hand clamped down on the beast's ankle, and he ferociously slammed it downwards!
There it is! Wu Wang mentally noted. The Northern Wilderness's divine skill—Clothes-Ripping Power Boost!
The ground beneath them collapsed instantly. Trees toppled in all directions. A slender beast, sprawling like a lizard, revealed its true form! Captured, it naturally struggled with all its might. But just as its claws dug into the ground, the burly man behind it let out a series of roars. Swinging his arms in a wide arc, he violently yanked it up and smashed it to the other side!
If this ferocious beast could speak, it would probably be cursing up a storm, demanding to know who the real ferocious beast was.
In an instant, the earth quaked and the mountains shook! General Xiong San swung the ferocious beast around, smashing it everywhere, the ground echoing with deep, drum-like thuds.
Wu Wang silently gave a thumbs-up and turned to look towards another part of the forest.
The duel there looked much more 'elegant.' Two figures darted high and low, left and right, exchanging palm shadows, fist images, Sword Qi, and powerful kicks. They threw controllable magic treasures and formed potent hand seals… The variety of techniques was dazzling.
Their battle affected a much wider area. A stray beam of light would explode into a massive fire upon landing. A magnificent stream of Sword Qi shot into the distance, capable of shearing off half a stone mountain's peak.
Look at Brother Ji! The azure blade dances in his palm, one slash parts the heavenly waves. His sword is like a rainbow, his body like the wind, he channels the Dao into techniques to battle the very heavens. Such a figure, robed and ethereal, dueling in the sky, truly embodied Wu Wang's beautiful aspirations for cultivators. It was just…
ROAR!
GRRR...
Three ferocious beasts nearby have already been awakened by you two! That old woman is already covered in blood and severely injured. Can't you quickly finish her off and be done with it! Never mind, I'm just a spectator, after all. I can't very well criticize them righteously.
Wu Wang continued to summon starlight, healing the injuries of the Fairy Immortal lying on the ground.
"Heh, heh heh, HA HA HA HA!"
Laughter suddenly erupted from ahead, starting as a low chuckle and growing increasingly unrestrained.
The 'Wang Lin' whom Grandma Yin had thrown into the forest was slowly sitting up. The horrific wound on his chest was healing at a visible, astonishing rate. Even the fragments of the Golden Core suspended in his lower abdomen turned to powder and dissipated on their own.
Wu Wang remained quite composed, deliberately taking another half-step back behind the prone Fairy Immortal.
Wang Lin's chilly voice sounded, "I never expected that after forty-two years of painstaking forbearance, my efforts would culminate in failure here, in this remote Northern Wilderness. Young Master Xiong, this is our first meeting, and there's something I don't quite understand. How did you discern the anomaly in my Divine Soul?"
Actually, the Crystal Ball had revealed the problem right outside the Royal Court. The soul projections of the Human race are primarily white. Wicked individuals might have some black mixed with the white, but yours was black mixed with white! Can chocolate-flavored dung and dung-flavored chocolate ever be the same? Their very essence is different. Of course, I can't put it so crudely.
Wu Wang said indifferently, "Naturally, it was guidance from the Star God."
"The Star God, is it? She truly does enjoy meddling." Wang Lin had already risen to his feet. His face was slightly elongated by the black scales on his cheeks, and menacing black horns, curving left and right, had appeared on his forehead. His figure floated in the air, strands of black and red aura swirling beneath his feet.
General Xiong San and Ji Mo, fighting on either side, both noticed this development. However, the former was currently entangled with the strange ferocious beast and could not disengage. The latter had already ascended to fight at high altitude, and the magic treasures he hurled towards this spot were desperately blocked by Grandma Yin.
Wang Lin looked up at Wu Wang. The moonlight fell upon his sullen face, making him look… surprisingly handsome.
The strange creature, neither human nor beast, sneered, "I have no intention of provoking your Northern Wilderness clan. Return Ling Xiaolan to me, and I can spare your life."
Wu Wang carefully mulled over the meaning of these words, a sudden realization dawning on him. "Could it be… you genuinely have feelings for Fairy Ling?"
"Shut up! What do you know!" Wang Lin's face contorted with ferocity. "Don't think I can't touch you just because this is the Northern Wilderness! I simply wish to avoid unnecessary complications! Give her back to me!"
"It seems my previous deduction was somewhat flawed. Your motives involve both emotional and physiological needs."
"You shut up!" Wang Lin suddenly raised his hand, pointing at Wu Wang. His arm was already covered in fine, pitch-black scales, looking utterly horrifying.
Wu Wang's smile slowly faded, his expression turning cold. "What I'm more curious about now is what exactly you and that ferocious beast over there are."
"Thing? Very well. Now I have no choice but to kill you. Otherwise, it would disturb my Dao Heart and jeopardize my path to immortality!" Wang Lin's body trembled slightly, his eyes slowly turning blood-red. A porcelain bottle flew out from the Storage Bag at his waist. The bottle exploded in mid-air, revealing a single drop of fresh blood, which sped towards Wang Lin's open mouth…
CRACK!
A bolt of lightning suddenly descended. It wasn't very powerful, but it struck the droplet of blood with pinpoint accuracy. The blood droplet was quite peculiar; it was knocked away yet remained intact, not scattering.
Looking at Wu Wang, his right hand was raised, index finger and thumb forming a 'handgun' gesture. He pointed at the blood droplet, and tiny bolts of lightning materialized out of thin air, striking it repeatedly, sending it flying chaotically.
Would it kill you to just pinch the bottle and bring it to your mouth? If I don't seize an opportunity like this, I'd be letting down the drill sergeant from my past life who taught me how to smoke, get perms, and even use the office water cooler for hotpot!
Wang Lin was completely stunned. He let out a low growl and was about to pounce on the blood droplet when Wu Wang suddenly shouted, "Mother!"
Having just secretly witnessed Grandma Yin's tragic end, Wang Lin immediately crossed his hands above his head. His body reacted instinctively, leaping several zhang to the side! But no starlight gathered in the sky.
Wu Wang casually remarked, "She's fine." Wang Lin's vision went dark; he nearly fainted from rage.
Due to this delay, the droplet of blood was struck by several more small lightning bolts and fell to the ground. It immediately dispersed, transforming into strands of blood-red aura. These strands intertwined, forming the phantom image of a ferocious beast in the forest!
It had the form of an ox and a tiger, with two pairs of intersecting horns on its forehead. Its fur was like sharp blades, and its wings, formed of black smoke, seethed with an ominous aura. Though just a phantom, merely the power contained within a single drop of blood, it exuded an incredibly intense pressure!
Within a fifty-kilometer radius, the Ten-Thousand-Year Ferocious Beasts that had been awakened suddenly fell silent, not making a sound. And as the phantom beast before Wu Wang threw back its head in a silent roar, a visible shockwave rippled outwards. Those few Ten-Thousand-Year Ferocious Beasts turned tail and fled without the slightest hesitation!
At this moment, Wu Wang's expression was solemn. A light flickered in his eyes, and a drop of cold sweat trickled down his forehead. It was none other than the Evil God, Qiong Qi! He had seen traces of this phantom and heard its legends in more than one set of Sheepskin Scrolls!
Wang Lin roared, "You destroyed the Essence Blood my father bestowed upon me! Xiong!"
"Silence!" Wu Wang bellowed. The Crystal Ball that had appeared in his hand at some unknown moment shattered, releasing endless starlight. Wang Lin's roar was cut off abruptly.
Wu Wang took half a step forward, his right hand sweeping backward. Ling Xiaolan's figure, enveloped in a sphere of starlight, floated towards the other side of the water pool.
Rich power of the Stars surged around Wu Wang, with numerous Crystal Balls hovering beside him.
[Self-Created Fixed Casting • Star Thunder Technique].
He drew inspiration from the talisman techniques of the Human Domain. By infusing the power of the Stars into Crystal Balls as carriers and applying various restrictions, he had mastered the simple art of embedding the Praying Star Technique within them. This breakthrough came after sacrificing over six hundred Crystal Balls. The advantage of this method was that it didn't require too much mental effort to simultaneously cast as many Praying Star Techniques as there were Crystal Balls.
Disadvantage: Expensive.
Wu Wang pointed forward, and sixteen Crystal Balls shot out. With his cry of "Praise the Star God!" the sixteen Praying Star Techniques contained within were instantly activated!
Praying Star Technique • Star Flame! Praying Star Technique • Trailing Shadows! Praying Star Technique • Thousand Ice Arrows! Praying Star Technique • Big Ice Marsh! Praying Star Technique • Six-Star Dance! Praying Star Technique • Hundred-Mile Ice Spiral…
In an instant, the forest blazed with a dazzling light, illuminating the world as if it were day. Wang Lin's figure thrashed and roared amidst the starlight. The fine scales on his body rapidly shattered, and streaks of fresh blood spurted from his wounds.
By the time the starlight began to fade, Wang Lin lay within an Ice Crystal, his limbs mangled, his flesh a ruin.
But a deep chanting suddenly arose from the sky. Wang Lin's eyes—widened and still radiating divine light—reflected the figure floating serenely above.
Wu Wang had appeared in the sky at some unknown point. A pair of Light Wings condensed from starlight spread behind him. He stood upon a snowflake-like hexagram, his left hand raised before him with thumbs gently touching. His right palm faced Wang Lin's mangled body, his expression devoid of sorrow or joy.
"In the name of the Star God, I cleanse the world of all evil."
Praying Star Forbidden Technique • Star Cleanse.
HUMMM—
As if the night sky itself trembled, a beam of light descended from the depths of the Stars. Its diameter exceeded thirty meters, instantly engulfing Wang Lin's broken body.
In the distance, Ji Mo, carrying Grandma Yin's corpse, gaped in shock. He struggled to discern if the figure in the sky was indeed that seemingly harmless Young Master of the clan.
"Brother Xiong, you… you are so incredibly formidable!"
By the water pool, Ling Xiaolan had somehow managed to struggle into a sitting position. Enduring the severe pain in her back, she looked up at the slowly descending figure.
Was it him who saved me? Ling Xiaolan pursed her lips slightly. Although she knew she should feel grateful, she couldn't help but tremble, instinctively checking her body for any signs of having been touched by others. Soon, her face turned deathly pale as she looked at the faint marks on her wrist, left there when Grandma Yin had grabbed her. Behind her veil, her lips pressed tightly together.
She… was tainted…
"Young Master! HA HA HA! Beautiful!"
Several hearty laughs echoed from the nearby forest. A dark shadow flew from a distance and crashed at the edge of the water pool, landing not far from Ling Xiaolan. Foul blood splattered. Ling Xiaolan, severely injured and having just awakened, could hardly move…
Foul blood splattered onto her veil, her forehead, her neck…
What landed before her was a massive toad head, cleanly severed by a sharp blade and covered in wounds.
General Xiong San emerged, laughing boisterously, two axes in hand. His robust body exuded a strong scent of blood, and he paid no mind to the wounds ripped across his flesh. Why was he assigned to protect the Young Master year-round? For no other reason than that he was the mightiest warrior of the Bear Hug Clan, second only to its chieftain!
"You!" Ling Xiaolan's lips quivered. She looked down again at the toad head before her. Her eyes rolled back, and she slumped backward, fainting dead away.
She… was sullied…