The moment the grand formation shattered, Wu Pang knew the plan had utterly failed. The prized bodies of one late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator and over three hundred Golden Core cultivators he had hoped to seize were now beyond reach. While a simmering anger burned within him, this wasn't his primary concern. What consumed him now was Lin Feng—the man who had slain his beloved disciple.
His sole desire was to capture Lin Feng alive to avenge his apprentice. Of course, Lin Feng's possession of numerous rare treasures also stirred his greed, especially the alien flame – a treasure coveted by any cultivator. Seizing Lin Feng's treasures would partially offset the losses from this failed scheme.
Wu Pang paid no heed to the scattering, fleeing cultivators. His target was clear: he shot straight towards Lin Feng. To his surprise, halfway there, he was intercepted by Yu Ping, who surged forward to meet him.
He had expected Yu Ping to flee immediately or seek vengeance against Wu Luosen. That the man came for him instead caused a brief flicker of shock, swiftly replaced by murderous intent. He sneered coldly, "Seeking death!!"
Even before Yu Ping closed the distance, Wu Pang swept his right hand out. A figure materialized before him as if conjured from thin air, radiating an aura of dark, deathly energy—like drawing an artifact from a spatial ring.
Corpse Puppet!!
The strength of this corpse puppet was shockingly on par with Wu Pang himself—also at the eighth layer of Nascent Soul!
Strictly speaking, corpse puppets manipulated by Corpse Refining Sect cultivators originated as the bodies of deceased cultivators—lifeless matter. Yet, through unique refining methods akin to tempering artifacts, they transformed into a peculiar existence straddling the boundary between life and death. Corpse puppets possessed many unique traits, one being that their strength wasn't fixed. Like genuine cultivators, they could advance! Corpse Refining Sect members seeking stronger puppets had two paths: find a more powerful cultivator's body to refine, or employ special methods to enhance an existing puppet. The former was faster and easier, but the latter yielded a puppet that was far more responsive and capable of unleashing greater power.
Wu Pang's puppet had been acquired when he was still a Golden Core cultivator. Back then, the puppet matched his Golden Core strength. Nurtured by him over time, it had advanced alongside him, reaching his current Nascent Soul level.
Clad in dark purple robes, its face deathly pale and corpse-like, one could still discern the middle-aged cultivator it had been 'before death.' For an instant after appearing, it stood as still as a statue. The next moment, as Wu Pang activated a hand seal, two ghostly, azure flames ignited within its previously hollow eyes. A powerful wave of gloomy death energy erupted from its body. It threw its head back with an ear-piercing shriek, kicked off the air, and shot towards Yu Ping like a cannonball!
Yu Ping's expression shifted slightly. Seeing the corpse puppet summoned confirmed beyond doubt that his opponent was indeed from the Corpse Refining Sect. He knew well the danger these puppets posed and dared not be complacent. He halted instantly, simultaneously swinging his right hand. The golden ancient dagger-axe tore through the air like a giant bolt!
The dagger-axe reached the puppet in a blink. Instead of dodging, the puppet abruptly raised its right arm and slammed it against the incoming weapon! A jarring CLANG! rang out as artifact met limb, sparks exploding on impact. The puppet's body seemed forged from metal, capable of resisting Yu Ping's top-grade spirit artifact!
The impact, however, forced the puppet to a halt. Its internal energy churned violently; expressionless, it seemed to be gathering its strength.
Simultaneously, Wu Pang's eyebrow twitched. He glanced sharply to his left. A streak of azure sword light sliced through the air dozens of meters away, heading towards the mountaintop behind him. The figure riding that sword light was unmistakably Lin Feng!
Wu Pang instantly grasped Lin Feng's target: Wu Luosen on the mountain peak. Though puzzled by the move, he refused to let Wu Luosen claim his prey. That would deny him both personal vengeance and Lin Feng's treasures. He immediately waved his right hand, summoning a coppery hammer-shaped artifact before him, poised to intercept Lin Feng.
Yet, in that precise instant, Wu Pang's pupils constricted violently. A sense of alarm jolted him as he snapped his head up. A thick bolt of golden lightning materialized directly above him and crashed down!
"BOOM!!" An earth-shattering explosion roared. The golden lightning struck Wu Pang head-on, engulfing his figure completely. Radiant golden energy rained down like deadly hail, blasting deep craters into the ground below.
Several breaths later, the light dissipated, revealing an orange energy shield. Within it, Wu Pang stood unharmed, though his face was grim. A sweep of his divine sense confirmed Lin Feng had already reached the mountaintop. He snapped his furious gaze back towards Yu Ping, the one who had just blocked him, murderous intent radiating like a physical force. "Very well! Since you wish to die, I shall oblige!!"
Before the words fully faded, he pointed forward. The hammer artifact beside him blazed with orange light, hurtling towards Yu Ping like a missile. At the same instant, the corpse puppet shrieked again, becoming a blur as it charged Yu Ping!
...
Elsewhere, Lin Feng, standing atop a spare upper-grade spirit artifact flying sword, had already soared from the quicksand pit below to the mountain peak. Wu Luosen stood just fifty meters ahead.
Wu Luosen was now enveloped by swirling wraiths. Nearly half of the thousand-plus wraiths from the grand formation had been destroyed, but hundreds still remained. They shrieked and darted erratically, creating a terrifying spectacle. Wu Luosen had naturally spotted Lin Feng charging towards him. Initially stunned—he had fully expected Lin Feng to flee after breaking the formation and was prepared to give chase—he was momentarily taken aback by this suicidal approach. Recovering swiftly, naked killing intent flared in his eyes. He bared his teeth in a vicious grin. "Truly overestimating yourself! DIE!!"
His hands flew through seals before slamming down onto the Wraith Banner before him. A torrent of black energy surged out, coalescing in the blink of an eye into a ten-meter-tall wraith. A powerful aura radiated outwards—unmistakably at the mid-stage Nascent Soul level!
This was Wu Luosen's most potent wraith, the Master Soul of his Wraith Banner. When setting up the Soul Snatching Formation earlier, he hadn't deployed this Master Soul, believing the thousand Golden Core wraiths would suffice. Had he included it, Lin Feng and the others would have faced a far grimmer struggle.
A heartbeat after the Master Soul appeared, visible ripples of gray energy erupted from it, forming a colossal vortex. It sucked in the hundreds of Golden Core-level wraiths swirling around Wu Luosen. As if subjected to immense gravitational pull, they vanished into the Master Soul's form in an instant!
Instantly, the Master Soul's aura surged insanely! It leapt from mid-stage Nascent Soul directly to the late stage—specifically, the eighth layer!
This transformation occurred within mere breaths. Before Wu Luosen stood only this single, gargantuan wraith exuding a terrifying presence. With a cruel laugh, he pointed at Lin Feng. The Master Soul shrieked piercingly and lunged forward!
...
Simultaneously, apart from Yu Ping and Lin Feng, the over two hundred cultivators in the quicksand pit had also sprung into action. However, the battle between the two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators in the sky, and even the fight between Wu Luosen and Lin Feng on the mountain, were far beyond their ability—or courage—to intervene. Following Yu Ping's earlier instructions, they scattered and began their escape.
In their hearts, most believed Yu Ping and Lin Feng were sacrificing themselves to buy them time to flee. They felt profound gratitude and admiration, mixed with deep shame at their own lack of power and courage. Yet, staying meant certain death. Clenching their teeth, they poured all their energy into fleeing into the distance.
Some soared away on flying swords; others, fearing the visibility of flight, chose to escape overland. Within moments, the quicksand pit stood empty.
Deep within the shadowy forest, Yu Youtian stood perched on a branch of a towering ancient tree, gazing towards the two battlefields erupting several kilometers away. A slight frown creased his brow. He didn't doubt their ultimate victory; his concern was how long it would take to conclude the fights.
Streaks of sword light occasionally flashed across the distant sky. Yu Youtian made no move to intercept the fleeing cultivators. At this stage, killing one or two was meaningless. More importantly, he wished to remain concealed. Even if he disdained Golden Core cultivators, attracting a mob would be perilous. He was confident that as long as he didn't reveal himself, no one could detect his presence, even passing close by.
Yu Youtian didn't expect this confidence to be shattered so soon...
"Hmm?!" Yu Youtian, intently watching the distant clash between Wu Pang and Yu Ping, suddenly paled. He sensed a divine sense locking onto him. Startled, he whirled around towards a spot dozens of meters to his right.
From behind a large tree, a figure slowly emerged, staring coldly at him.
It was none other than Lei Yan!!