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Translator: CinderTL
After shattering the entire soul lamp pavilion, Song Wen proceeded to the Myriad Sun Sect's Treasure Vault.
The Treasure Vault was built at the foot of a mountain, its entrance guarded by several Void Refinement Stage cultivators.
Song Wen easily dispatched the guards, but the vault's defensive formation proved exceptionally resilient.
It took considerable effort to forcibly breach the formation.
Finally inside, Song Wen discovered that the vault's treasures consisted primarily of Ghost Dao spiritual materials.
Accepting all without reservation, he swept everything away.
Next, he flew toward the Myriad Sun Sect's mountain gate.
Though the sect remained unaware of the deaths of its four Body Integration Stage cultivators, the chaos Song Wen had caused at the soul lamp pavilion and Treasure Vault, combined with the absence of the four Ancestors, had plunged the entire sect into turmoil.
Even the mountain gate's barrier had mysteriously vanished.
Ignoring the Myriad Sun Sect disciples scurrying about like headless flies, Song Wen strode directly through the gate and swiftly departed.
Upon returning to the agreed-upon meeting place with Rong Shao, the two Corpse Coffins containing the bodies of Jiang Ling'er and Lao Jian were gone.
Finding no sign of Rong Shao, Song Wen remained unperturbed. He casually settled cross-legged atop a large boulder on a mountain peak.
He waited for three days.
At noon, the sun blazed high in the sky.
Rong Shao's figure finally appeared on the distant horizon.
Even from afar, a smile spread across his face.
"Fellow Daoist Gu Huang, you've accomplished something truly earth-shattering! All four Body Integration Stage cultivators of the Myriad Sun Sect have been slain, leaving the sect leaderless and vulnerable to its many enemies. It has been completely erased from the Immortal Cultivation World," Rong Shao transmitted telepathically.
"How did you find out?" Song Wen asked.
"The news has already spread throughout the entire Northern Region. The Lin Clan is conducting a full-scale investigation to find the true culprit," Rong Shao replied.
He then pressed, "Where is Jiang Ling'er?"
"I've secured her in a safe location," Song Wen answered. "Were you able to retrieve Kong Ling's Communication Jade Slip?"
Rong Shao nodded slightly and handed Song Wen a jade slip.
"This Communication Jade Slip was obtained from a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator under the Lin Clan's Talisman Hall. I've already eliminated him. Fellow Daoist, exercise caution when using this jade slip to avoid drawing unwanted attention."
"Thank you for the warning, fellow daoist," Song Wen said, accepting the jade slip as his body slowly levitated into the air. "To prevent any unforeseen complications, I'll depart immediately for Tianshan City to discuss the trade with Kong Ling."
With those words, Song Wen transformed into a streak of light and shot toward Tianshan City.
Tianshan City.
In a secret chamber of a cultivator inn, Song Wen held Kong Ling's Communication Jade Slip and initiated a transmission.
[Fellow Daoist Kong Ling, I apologize for this intrusion and hope you won't take offense.]
The reply came swiftly, Kong Ling's tone seething with fury.
[You have quite the audacity! You killed a member of my Lin Clan and still dare to contact me?!]
[Fellow Daoist Kong, why the anger? You're not even a member of the Lin Clan. What concern is it of yours if one of them dies?] Song Wen's voice remained calm, as if killing a Lin Clan member were a trivial matter.
[If it were any other Lin Clan member, I wouldn't care. But Lin Yuankai was a junior I valued. To have him die so mysteriously—I cannot let this go!] Kong Ling roared.
Song Wen immediately understood: the 'Lin Yuankai' Kong Ling mentioned must be the Lin Clan's Divine Transformation Stage cultivator who had died at Rong Shao's hands.
[Fellow Daoist, you certainly have a strong sense of loyalty. However, compared to Lin Yuankai's death, I have someone here who might interest you even more,] Song Wen said.
[Who?] Kong Ling demanded. [Have you killed other cultivators from my Talisman Hall as well?]
[Not so. I have a living person here, an old acquaintance of yours, Fellow Daoist Kong. I imagine you'd be interested in seeing her again,] Song Wen said.
[Stop playing games! Who exactly are you talking about?] Kong Ling demanded.
[Jiang Ling'er,] Song Wen replied.
"She...? How did she fall into your hands? Unless... you were the one who destroyed the Myriad Sun Sect?" Kong Ling's voice carried a hint of shock and suspicion.
"Precisely," Song Wen confirmed.
The message vanished like a stone sinking into the sea. After a long silence, Song Wen received no reply.
Unperturbed, Song Wen waited patiently.
More than half an hour passed before Kong Ling finally responded.
"Jiang Ling'er and I have no connection anymore," Kong Ling's tone carried a trace of melancholy and regret.
Hearing this, Song Wen's brow furrowed slightly.
He couldn't immediately discern whether Kong Ling truly didn't care about Jiang Ling'er's fate, or whether he suspected Song Wen had ulterior motives and was deliberately feigning indifference to gain the upper hand in future negotiations, projecting an image of being invulnerable and unthreatened.
"Heh heh heh... what a pity. Such a beautiful woman, even after being imprisoned and tormented by Lao Jian for a thousand years, still clung to her devotion to you. I had intended to eliminate her, but even as death approached, she called out your name, declaring she had no regrets in this life, only lamenting fate's cruelty in denying her eternal companionship with you. She wished for a reunion with you in the next life."
"Seeing her unwavering devotion, I hesitated to kill her and decided to propose a trade to you. Little did I know that Jiang Ling'er had placed her trust in the wrong person. Fellow Daoist, do you perhaps disdain her for no longer being a virgin?"
"Silence your slanderous tongue!" Kong Ling roared. "Would I ever despise her for that? Her parents forced her into Lao Jian's clutches against her will. Those heartless wretches have already paid for their sins with their lives at my hand. I had planned to storm the Myriad Sun Sect one day and personally execute Lao Jian, but you beat me to it."
"Oh?" Song Wen's tone was mocking. "So, you still harbor some affection for her? Then would you be willing to save her life?"
Kong Ling fell silent once more.
This made Song Wen realize that while Kong Ling harbored deep hatred for Jiang Ling'er's parents and Lao Jian, his feelings for Jiang Ling'er herself were far more complex.
Perhaps a millennium of time had eroded his former affection, or perhaps he simply didn't know how to face this old acquaintance, whose life had been so cruelly twisted by fate.
[What do you want from me?] Kong Ling finally asked, unable to abandon Jiang Ling'er.
[Four Purifying Fire Talismans,] Song Wen replied.
[That's impossible! The Lin Clan's control over the Purifying Fire Talisman is extremely strict. Even as the Hall Master of the Talisman Hall, I cannot easily access them,] Kong Ling said.
If you can't access the finished talismans, fellow daoist, you can craft them yourself, Song Wen countered. You were promoted to Hall Master of the Talisman Hall despite being only at the Early Body Integration Stage. This clearly demonstrates your exceptional talent in the talismans dao. Surely, crafting a mere Purifying Fire Talisman would be no challenge for you.
[Crafting the talismans isn't difficult for me, but the required spiritual materials are rare and difficult to gather,] Kong Ling said.
[That's your problem, fellow daoist. If you want to save Jiang Ling'er, exchange four Purifying Fire Talismans for her life,] Song Wen said, his tone hardening.
(End of the Chapter)
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