Two late Foundation Establishment cultivators and two early-stage ones, aside from the severely injured Huang Liqun, everyone had come.
This was a big enough catch, and fortunately, Song Changsheng had the teeth for it. Otherwise, he could only sit and watch them gloat.
"Once the outcome of today's battle spreads, maybe all those fools will finally think twice before messing with me again."
Standing atop the mountain peak with the wind whipping around him, Song Changsheng murmured to himself.
"Net of Heaven's Restraint!"
The moment Song retreated to the summit, Liu Yunfeng once again deployed the [Net of Heaven's Restraint], sealing off the surrounding airspace.
Song, for his part, slipped into Oscar-winning mode, putting on the perfect act of someone wounded and too weak to resist.
Seeing this, Liu Yunfeng was ecstatic.
"Fellow Daoist Qian, in his current state, even wings couldn't save him. Let's take him together!"
But Qian Ming didn't look pleased at all. Instead, he glanced at Liu Yunfeng and said coolly:
"Your Lieyang Sect issued a kill order on Song Changsheng, promising 100,000 low-grade spirit stones. I was the one who found him first. How exactly will the reward be split?"
Qian Ming was here for the bounty, pure and simple. And if Liu Yunfeng thought he'd swoop in and snatch the reward, well, that wasn't going to happen without a fight.
"Isn't that obvious? The bounty should be split according to contribution," Qi Feiyun answered matter-of-factly.
Liu Yunfeng didn't object; it was clearly what he had in mind, too. If they all fought, naturally, they should all share the spoils. That's common sense, right?
Qian Ming smirked.
"Then I'll leave this to you gentlemen. I'm out."
With that, he stepped back and folded his arms, clearly intending to sit back and watch them fight, ready to pick up the scraps.
"What's the meaning of this, Fellow Daoist Qian?" Liu Yunfeng's face darkened.
"Simple: If you want me to fight with you, then I want the full reward."
"No way! Why should you get everything?" Qi Feiyun snapped. In terms of strength, they were the stronger party.
"Heh. Then I'm afraid I can't help you. Go right ahead, gentlemen," Qian Ming replied with a cold laugh, arms crossed in defiance.
He wasn't afraid of offending the Song clan, and he certainly wasn't afraid of offending the Lieyang Sect. After all, he had nothing to lose.
Worst case? He'd disappear into the Ten Thousand Mountain Range, and nobody could touch him.
Besides, he was confident Liu Yunfeng would cave.
The Lieyang Sect had bent its rules to issue this kill order; it was clear Song Changsheng was critical to them.
And Qian Ming had already tested him in battle. Song might be seriously wounded, but his strength was no joke.
Even with Liu Yunfeng's group, victory was far from guaranteed.
That was why he was so calm. If Liu Yunfeng wanted to kill Song, he had to bring Qian Ming in.
If not, Qian Ming didn't mind being the "mantis stalked by the oriole."
Liu Yunfeng's face flickered with rapidly shifting emotions.
He knew Qian Ming had him by the throat.
If Huang Liqun were healthy, they could reform the Minor Four Symbols Battle Formation and taking down Song would be easy.
But now? He wasn't confident.
Especially with Qian Ming looming like a vulture, he couldn't afford to take any chances.
Of course, he could also try to trap Song until Elder Three and Elder Four arrived. After all, the [Net of Heaven's Restraint] had locked down the area within a hundred-zhang radius.
Once the elders arrived, not only Song Changsheng, but even Qian Ming would have to crawl.
But that would make him look utterly incompetent.
The sect had given him full authority, numerous resources, and what?
He couldn't even take down a single junior?
What would the Sect Master say?
What about the Elder Council?
Was he supposed to explain it all away by saying Song Changsheng was "just too strong"?
What a joke.
No, he had to kill Song before Yu Chengbo and the others arrived.
Only then could he redeem himself and salvage his standing.
Qian Ming had gambled everything on this and won.
He knew Liu Yunfeng was smart. And smart men made smart choices.
"Fine! I agree!"
"Fellow Daoist Qian, if you can kill Song Changsheng, the entire reward is yours. We'll take not a single spirit stone!"
Liu Yunfeng ground his teeth as he spoke. One hundred thousand spirit stones was no small sum, even for them.
"Senior Brother Liu?!" Qi Feiyun cried out in dismay.
"It's settled!" Liu Yunfeng shot him a sharp glare.
"Killing Song Changsheng is what matters most; everything else can wait!"
"Hahaha! A wise decision, Fellow Daoist Liu," Qian Ming grinned. This outcome was exactly what he'd anticipated.
Atop the summit, Song Changsheng stared down at them, looking bemused.
Were they overconfident, or just plain stupid?
His head was still firmly on his shoulders, and they were already dividing the reward?
"You all think you've got me cornered… Just wait. I've got a big surprise in store for you."
A cold smirk crept across his face.
As soon as any of them stepped into his Lightning-Attracting Formation, they were as good as dead.
"Rumble…"
At that moment, a low thunderclap rolled in from the horizon.
The sky darkened, and Song Changsheng looked up.
Thick, leaden clouds had silently gathered above the land, forming a heavy, oppressive canopy.
The dark clouds hung oppressively low, seemingly within arm's reach. Threads of lightning danced within them, and it was clear that a torrential downpour was only moments away.
"Heaven is on my side today," Song Changsheng murmured.
"In a thunderstorm like this, my Lightning-Attracting Formation becomes several times more powerful. Add in the Heaven-Shaking Thunder Talisman, and even if Yu Chengbo shows up, he'll be the one on his knees."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Maybe I should wait a little longer… let Yu Chengbo and the rest arrive, then take them all out in one go?"
But in the end, he dismissed the tempting idea.
Mao Wuwei was a top-tier Grade 2 formation master; he might fool Liu Yunfeng and the others, but not Mao Wuwei.
If Mao saw through his plan, it'd be like digging his own grave.
Just then, Liu Yunfeng and the others surrounded him, their spiritual power surging violently, causing the nearby spiritual energy to ripple like waves.
"What, Song Changsheng? You were so good at running, why aren't you running now?" Liu Yunfeng sneered.
Song shot him a mocking glance.
"If I did run, do you think you'd still be laughing?"
Liu Yunfeng's expression darkened.
"Hmph, I'll admit you have some skill. But now the entire airspace around you is sealed. You're like a bird in a cage, no escape. Surrender, and I might give you a quick death!"
"Heh. The Song Clan doesn't know the meaning of surrender. If you want my head, come take it."
With a calm expression, Song Changsheng gripped the Water-Cleaving Spear by his side.
"What an arrogant brat. Die!"
Qian Ming's eyes gleamed. He raised a copper lamp, its wick holding a flickering blue flame. As soon as it appeared, it released a wave of ghostly blue fire, instantly transforming the mountaintop into a sea of flames.
But this fire wasn't hot; it was eerily cold. Yet it burned everything in its path.
Song's eyes lit up in surprise.
"Spirit fire?"
"Didn't expect you to recognize it," Qian Ming said proudly.
Spirit fire was a rare natural treasure highly sought after by fire-element cultivators, alchemists, and blacksmiths alike. Even a small wisp was worth as much as a spirit weapon.
"Formless Sword Formation, activate!"
Qi Feiyun was surrounded by sword qi. Twelve flying swords floated neatly around him, exuding fierce momentum.
Liu Yunfeng summoned his iron ruler once more, positioning it in midair, ready to strike.
They all knew how dangerous Song Changsheng could be, so none of them held back. Everyone came at him with full force from the very start.
But strangely, Song just stood there as if he were dazed or resigned to death. Not even a hint of resistance.
"Beautiful weather today."
His words came out of nowhere.
Qi Feiyun glanced at the heavy clouds and scoffed,
"Yeah, perfect weather for your funeral."
"You're not wrong," Song said, his gaze cold and calm.
"It is perfect for yours, not mine."
Qi Feiyun suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Something was off. A deep sense of dread began to creep into his heart.
"Why are we still talking? Kill him already!" Liu Yunfeng barked.
The iron ruler in the sky instantly turned into a black flash, streaking down toward Song.
"Twenty years ago, my grandfather defeated your sect's Grand Elder. That day, all of you were forced to remember the name Wangyue Song Clan.
And today I will make you remember it once more!"
The Lu Wu Bell materialized above his head, blocking the strike from the iron ruler. Then, Song took a single step forward, and glowing blue runes began to radiate from beneath his feet, rapidly spreading across the mountaintop.
"That's… a formation?!"
Everyone's faces changed.
"Stay calm," Liu Yunfeng said quickly.
"He's just a Grade-2 low-tier formation master. Whatever he laid down can't be much charge in and finish him off!"
But he had no idea…
Those very words were what shoved them all straight into the abyss.
Song Changsheng looked at them and sighed, a trace of regret in his voice.
"If you had turned and fled the moment you saw the formation, maybe just maybe you'd have had a sliver of hope.
But now? You've already missed your only chance."
"Quit bluffing!"
Liu Yunfeng and the others didn't retreat; instead, they pressed forward, unleashing a barrage of spells and spirit weapons.
But none of it got through. The Lu Wu Bell held firm, blocking all their attacks.
"It's time."
Song looked up at the thunder serpents writhing within the clouds and activated his Lightning-Attracting Formation to its full extent.
"RUMBLE"
The formation resonated with the clouds above, and in an instant, the sky was torn apart by thunder.
Blinding bolts of lightning came crashing down like divine wrath, and the entire mountain was swallowed by storm and fury.
"Heaven-Shaking Thunder Talisman!"
The talisman in Song's hand ignited, releasing an overwhelming, oppressive aura.
Suddenly, a swirling vortex appeared above Liu Yunfeng and the others, lightning crackled and surged within it, destruction brewing in every pulse.
"A Grade-3 talisman?!" Liu Yunfeng's face turned ashen.
He never imagined Song had been holding onto a trump card like this and using it in the worst possible moment for them.
This talisman's power exceeded anything he'd ever seen.
All thoughts of orders and missions were gone. He immediately withdrew the Net of Heaven's Restraint and summoned every single defensive talisman and artifact he had; he just wanted to survive.
Qian Ming's face looked like he'd swallowed dung, full of regret and self-loathing.
"Why… why the hell did I get involved in this mess?!"
"It's over," Song Changsheng whispered.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the terrifying vortex came to a halt along with the breathing and heartbeats of Liu Yunfeng and the others.
"BOOM!"
Blinding golden bolts of lightning burst forth from the vortex, lighting up the once-dark world with an overwhelming brilliance.
As the devastating golden lightning rained down, Liu Yunfeng felt as if the very blood in his veins had stopped flowing.
"BOOM !"
The first bolt struck the Net of Heaven's Restraint, momentarily holding back the assault, but the spiritual light on the top-grade spirit artifact dimmed instantly.
Seeing this, Liu Yunfeng felt a chill run down his bones.
"Even a top-grade spirit artifact can't withstand it?"
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
More bolts followed in relentless succession like divine wrath descending to erase the world.
The first to fall was the lecherous cultivator, the weakest among them, and with no protective artifacts. He was instantly reduced to ash, body and soul obliterated by the lightning.
Next came Qi Feiyun. His Formless Sword Formation shattered the moment it touched the lightning. All twelve flying swords exploded into fragments, scattering like dying stars.
"No!"
His final scream of despair echoed as he was disintegrated, leaving nothing behind.
"Song Changsheng! Even as a ghost, I'll never let you go!!"
Qian Ming's copper lantern shattered under the bombardment. The once-notorious rogue cultivator was erased from existence by the heavenly wrath.
In the blink of an eye, three Foundation Establishment cultivators had been annihilated.
Liu Yunfeng's face turned ashen. The cries of the dead still rang in his ears, and he knew… his turn had come.
In the next instant, all the lightning converged into a single, devastating strike.
The already-dimmed Net of Heaven's Restraint was torn open.
Then came the iron ruler, shattered.
Then, all the defensive artifacts on Liu Yunfeng's body ripped apart one by one.
Like a divine blade, the golden lightning smashed through everything in its path, along with every shred of hope Liu Yunfeng had clung to.
The final bolt reflected in Liu Yunfeng's pupils, growing larger until it swallowed him whole.
...
Fifteen minutes later, the land was quiet once more.
And finally, after so long… the long-brewing rainstorm began to fall upon the scorched earth that had been ravaged by thunder.
"Cough cough"
Song Changsheng crawled out from beneath the Lu Wu Bell, battered and bruised.
Though he'd been outside the blast radius, the residual force alone had nearly torn him apart.
The small mountaintop had been shaved down by more than ten zhang (30+ meters) by the lightning. It was now even lower than before, and for years to come, no grass would grow on its scarred surface.
Liu Yunfeng and the rest had been utterly obliterated, not even leaving behind corpses. Their storage pouches were vaporized along with them, causing Song Changsheng's heart to bleed.
The Net of Heaven's Restraint had been torn in half. If it could still be repaired back to even low-grade spirit artifact quality, it would be a blessing.
The iron ruler was severely damaged, and no one knew how much five-elemental essence it would take to restore its power.
Qian Ming's copper lantern was destroyed as well.
Thankfully, a single spark of the spirit fire survived.
Gathering up these "scraps," Song Changsheng felt his heart physically ache.
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