Translator: CinderTL
Song Wen looked down on the Bao Clan, but he dared not underestimate the Six Fiends Hall in the slightest.
After Wei Gu's death, the Six Fiends Hall had remained dormant for a long period. Recently, however, they had suddenly resurfaced, stirring up trouble.
First, they invited Gu Huang to refine corpses for them, and then they tasked Bao Tianming with gathering Corpse Dao spiritual materials and human blood essence.
These were only the incidents Song Wen had stumbled upon.
In the shadows, the Six Fiends Hall had undoubtedly been orchestrating countless other schemes.
Song Wen had reason to believe that during their two decades of dormancy, something significant must have occurred within the Six Fiends Hall, emboldening their new hall master, Gong Tianzong, to stir up such chaos.
He feared that the Six Fiends Hall had planted hidden traps within Anmu City, which was why he refused to conduct the trade there, lest he walk into their trap.
In truth, even the figure sitting before Bao Tianming was merely a Cosmic Transformation Incarnation. Song Wen's true body remained hidden in a tree hollow thousands of miles away.
Of course, Bao Tianming remained unaware of this.
Having suffered greatly at Song Wen's hands these past few days, he dared not disobey his instructions. Clutching the jade slip, he sent a reply that was almost verbatim what Song Wen had dictated.
Fellow Daoist Feng Chang, several Divine Transformation Stage disciples from the Spirit Jade Palace have arrived in the city recently, clamoring about slaying demons and purging evil all day. To avoid unnecessary complications, I believe it would be best to conduct our trade outside the city. I will await your esteemed presence two hundred miles south of the city.
Fellow Daoist Bao, are you truly so shaken by a few juniors from the Spirit Jade Palace? Where are they? Tell me, and I'll eliminate them myself. Feng Chang's reply dripped with contempt and impatience.
These juniors are no threat, but killing them—or even letting them discover any trace of our dealings—might attract the attention of the Spirit Jade Palace's old monsters. Caution is advised, Bao Tianming replied.
Fine, we'll do it your way. Meet me outside the city for the exchange.
After reading Feng Chang's final message, Bao Tianming turned an inquiring gaze toward Song Wen.
"Leave the cave and find a secluded mountain peak to wait for him," the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation instructed.
"Yes!" Bao Tianming responded, slowly backing away.
The injuries Song Wen had inflicted—his flesh mangled and bones shattered—had mostly healed, and his spiritual power flowed freely once more. Yet the blood sea essence from the Blood Sea Seal still coursed through his veins, his life hanging by Song Wen's whim.
"Remember this: attempt any trickery, and many members of the Bao Clan will die with you! Perhaps even the entire clan!" The Cosmic Transformation Incarnation's voice echoed in his mind.
Bao Tianming trembled slightly, unable to bear another glance at the figure on the Blue Stone.
Leaving the cave, he flew over several mountain peaks before landing on a summit a dozen miles away.
He instinctively glanced back at the cave's location, but it seemed a concealment formation had been activated, rendering it undetectable.
Standing on the peak, Bao Tianming waited for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn before Feng Chang finally arrived.
However, Feng Chang wasn't alone. He walked slightly behind and to the left of a tall, gaunt man, clearly deferring to the latter's authority.
The gaunt man had prominent cheekbones and deep-set eyes. Clad in a gray robe, his aura was unfathomably profound.
At least a Body Integration Stage cultivator!
The thought flashed through Bao Tianming's mind.
Suddenly, he felt as if he had grasped a lifeline. But upon reflection, he realized that if this man discovered Bao Tianming had set up an ambush, his death would likely be swifter and more gruesome.
What kindness could be expected from corpse cultivators of the Six Fiends Hall?
Even if Bao Tianming was working for them, he was merely a disposable pawn in their eyes.
A bitter taste rose in Bao Tianming's mouth.
Caught between a wolf and a tiger!
His death seemed inevitable.
A single misstep could even implicate the entire Bao Clan...
"Fellow Daoist Bao, I apologize for keeping you waiting," Feng Chang's voice suddenly cut through his thoughts.
Bao Tianming forced a smile.
"Fellow Daoist Feng Chang, you're too kind. May I ask who this senior is?"
Feng Chang ignored his question, stepping past the tall, gaunt man to stand before Bao Tianming.
"Fellow Daoist Bao, where is the item?"
Feng Chang's attitude reminded Bao Tianming once again that in the eyes of these Body Integration Stage cultivators—or those of even higher cultivation—a Void Refinement Stage cultivator like himself was nothing more than an ant.
The tall, gaunt man hadn't even bothered to reveal his name.
Bao Tianming suddenly recalled that the man who had coerced him had also never disclosed his identity.
Bao Tianming retrieved a storage ring from his sleeve and handed it to Feng Chang.
"Everything is inside."
Feng Chang accepted the ring but made no attempt to examine it. Instead, he turned to face the tall, gaunt man, bowed slightly, and held the storage ring above his head with both hands.
The storage ring floated into the air and drifted toward the tall, gaunt man.
After a brief inspection, the man nodded slightly to Feng Chang.
Seeing this, Feng Chang turned back to Bao Tianming, produced a storage pouch, and handed it to him.
"Fellow Daoist Bao, here are the 100,000 high-grade spirit stones we agreed upon."
Bao Tianming didn't bother to inspect the storage pouch before tucking it into his robes.
"Fellow Daoist Feng Chang, are there any other spiritual materials you need me to gather?"
"Not for now. If I need anything in the future, I'll be sure to trouble you again, Fellow Daoist Bao."
With that, Feng Chang returned to the side of the tall, gaunt man.
The two then soared into the sky, quickly disappearing into the distant horizon.
Suddenly, Bao Tianming felt a sharp pain in his chest. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground.
Immediately afterward, the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation darted out of the cave, grabbed the unconscious Bao Tianming, and sped away into the distance.
Thousands of miles away, Song Wen stood atop a tree, his expression shifting between dark and uncertain.
He recognized the tall, gaunt man from earlier as Gong Tianzong.
A scholar who has been away for three days should be regarded with new eyes.
Song Wen sensed no trace of corpse dao aura emanating from Gong Tianzong. Instead, he detected a balanced and harmonious energy. Moreover, Gong Tianzong's cultivation level had deepened significantly since their last encounter, seemingly having advanced to the Late Body Integration Stage.
It seems Gong Tianzong has switched to cultivating the Corpse King's Rebirth Art and rapidly enhanced his cultivation by devouring the spiritual power of others, Song Wen mused inwardly.
In the cultivation world, there exists an ironclad rule:
Whenever one switches cultivation techniques, their cultivation level will invariably regress to the early stage of their current major realm.
For example, Gong Tianzong, who had previously reached the mid Body Integration Stage, would have reverted to the Early Body Integration Stage upon changing his cultivation technique.
Gong Tianzong, now at the Late Body Integration Stage, could only advance by devouring the spiritual power of cultivators who practiced the Corpse King Blood Refinement Art.
However, Song Wen had slain numerous Six Fiends Hall disciples, including Wei Gu, giving him some insight into the sect.
The Six Fiends Hall's manpower was limited. Even if Gong Tianzong devoured the spiritual power of every member, it wouldn't be enough to propel him from the Early to the Late Body Integration Stage.
Moreover, where did Gong Tianzong obtain the Corpse King's Rebirth Art in the first place?
Without the approval of the Divine Blood Gate's higher-ups, Gong Tianzong wouldn't dare cultivate the technique, even if he possessed it.
"It seems the Divine Blood Gate has dispatched another core disciple! Their cultivation level must surpass Gong Tianzong's current Late Body Integration Stage, possibly even reaching the Great Ascension realm," Song Wen murmured to himself.
This realization deterred him from directly confronting Gong Tianzong, fearing the newcomer might follow Gong Tianzong to Anmu City.
(End of the Chapter)
---------------------------
📖 You are reading [294] Chapters behind.
🔥 Read up to Chapter [1680] now, only on 𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝕞.
📚 Read upto [12,000+] Chapters on Site with [9,900+] Free Chapters!
🚫 Also get FREE lifetime ad-free and join the giveaway by joining our Discord!
---------------------------