Translator: CinderTL
With a thought from Song Wen, the Soul Cleaving Blade, which had been hovering nearby, shot forth like a bolt of lightning, aiming directly at Qingming Sanren.
Qingming Sanren, who had been examining his storage pouch, suddenly tensed, frantically activating his shield once more.
Clang!
Before the shield could fully activate, the Soul Cleaving Blade struck it, the metallic clash echoing like thunder from the Nine Heavens.
Qingming Sanren felt an overwhelming force crash down upon him.
The spiritual power he had poured into the shield shattered instantly, like fragile glass.
The shield spun out of control, slamming into him.
Pfft!
The impact sent Qingming Sanren flying backward, blood spurting from his mouth.
Several arm-thick, blood-colored tentacles pierced through the air, wrapping around his limbs and torso before he could even hit the ground.
Panic seized Qingming Sanren as he desperately channeled his spiritual power, struggling to break free from the tentacles' grip.
The tentacles, thick as pythons, coiled tightly around him, immobilizing his limbs and emitting a foul, putrid stench that seeped into his meridians. Wherever the stench spread, his spiritual power instantly froze.
The writhing tentacles dragged Qingming Sanren before Song Wen.
"Fellow Daoist, we've never met before! Why this sudden ambush?" Qingming Sanren cried out, his voice frantic.
Song Wen remained silent. His right hand transformed into a black-green claw, which he plunged into Qingming Sanren's chest.
The claw sank into the flesh, twisted slightly, and then yanked outward, tearing out the still-beating heart.
"Aaaah..." Qingming Sanren screamed in agony.
Song Wen frowned slightly, as if the scream irritated him.
Instantly, one of the tentacles coiling around Qingming Sanren extended upward, crawling onto his face. The tentacle then dissolved into a pool of blood, completely engulfing Qingming Sanren's head.
The scream abruptly ceased, and silence fell.
Song Wen's frown relaxed.
Suddenly, a cold glint flashed—the Soul Cleaving Blade materialized beside the heart.
The Soul Cleaving Blade's formidable power remained concealed as it slowly traced across the heart, peeling away layer after layer until it finally revealed a walnut-sized ball of flesh.
"Is this the Void Demon Egg? Why is it so small?" Song Wen asked, puzzled.
"Void is a collective term encompassing numerous races with vast individual differences," the shadow void explained. "The size of Void Demon Eggs varies accordingly." It continued, "Master, please open your Sea of Consciousness and allow me to extend my tentacle."
Song Wen complied.
Immediately, a tentacle emerged from Song Wen's head, curling around the walnut-sized ball of flesh.
The tentacle began to phase into a void state, and the ball of flesh followed suit.
The void-phased tentacle, still holding the ball of flesh, slowly retracted into Song Wen's head.
Within the Sea of Consciousness, the shadow void opened its mouth and swallowed the ball of flesh, a flicker of delight flashing in its narrow eyes.
Meanwhile, Song Wen reached down and yanked a cloth pouch from Qingming Sanren's waist, forcibly erasing the divine soul imprint on it.
Instantly, a dark shadow shot out of the pouch and landed beside Song Wen—the Nether Fox.
The Nether Fox was completely unharmed, brimming with vitality.
"Master, you've come to save me!"
The Nether Fox's voice was crisp and melodious, brimming with ecstatic joy.
Its five tails swished incessantly, brushing against Song Wen's body.
Song Wen shook his head dismissively, but the fluffy tails continued to sway before him. With a wave of his hand, a surge of air erupted from his palm, sending the Nether Fox flying back several meters.
"It seems you've found a new master and are living quite well. Perhaps I shouldn't have bothered rescuing you."
The Nether Fox's eyes darted around, and its limbs slowly bent as it knelt to the ground.
"Master, you see through everything. I remain utterly loyal to you—there is no new master."
It raised a front paw, pointed at Qingming Sanren, and continued, "That human suddenly appeared, trying to capture me. I fought with all my might, but the difference in our strength was too great, and I was eventually captured. Yet even then, my loyalty to you never wavered."
Song Wen glanced at the Nether Fox's perfectly smooth and glossy fur, then curled his lip.
It looked nothing like it had been through a fierce battle.
He guessed that the moment Qingming Sanren appeared, the Nether Fox had probably surrendered immediately.
Song Wen ignored the Nether Fox and turned his gaze to Qingming Sanren.
Besides the Nether Fox, Qingming Sanren had also stolen four Gu insects.
However, after searching him thoroughly, Song Wen found no trace of any containers for the Gu.
Without any visible action from Song Wen, the blood covering Qingming Sanren's head slowly receded, revealing his face.
Though his heart was missing, Qingming Sanren, as a Void Refinement Stage cultivator, possessed a formidable physique. His life force remained intact, though he appeared weakened.
"Who are you? Why did you attack me?" Qingming Sanren asked, his voice strained. Earlier, the blood covering his head had blocked his senses and divine sense, leaving him unaware of the events unfolding outside.
Song Wen sneered. "You raided my cultivation cave, stole my spirit beast and Gu insects, and framed the Li Clan of Qingyi City. It was only a little over a month ago—have you already forgotten, fellow daoist?"
Qingming Sanren's eyes widened, his pupils filled with terror.
"How... how did you find me?"
"Where are my Gu insects?" Song Wen demanded sharply.
"In my right sleeve," Qingming Sanren replied. "There's a gu cauldron there."
Upon hearing this, Song Wen didn't reach for the gu cauldron. Instead, he flicked his finger, sending a surge of spiritual power that shattered Qingming Sanren's sleeve.
As the tattered fabric fluttered to the ground, a fist-sized cauldron tumbled out with a clang.
Song Wen unleashed another burst of spiritual power, sending the cauldron's lid flying off.
Immediately, four sesame seed-sized Gu were revealed, their bodies motionless, trapped in a deathlike slumber.
Song Wen's expression turned icy as he glared coldly at Qingming Sanren.
"You deserve to die!"
Before the words had fully left his lips, the Soul Cleaving Blade darted forward, slashing repeatedly across Qingming Sanren's body, carving away strips of flesh with each strike.
Qingming Sanren choked out inhuman roars, his bloodshot eyes bulging from their sockets as he fixed his gaze on Song Wen's impassive face.
"Even in death, I won't let you have your way."
The nascent soul in Qingming Sanren's dantian suddenly surged with violent energy.
"Trying to self-destruct? Dream on," Song Wen scoffed.
A tentacle coiled around Qingming Sanren's body suddenly pierced through his abdomen, crushing both his dantian and the nascent soul within.
(End of the Chapter)
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