Meng Shu thought this as a bolt of azure lightning struck the already defenseless Fifth Elder of the Clear Sky Sect.
"Who is it!" Meng Shu turned his head back angrily, his expression instantly changing upon seeing the newcomer. He asked in surprise:
"L-Lord, that Clear Sky Sect Elder, have you already dealt with him?"
Lin Rong said as he collected the Spirit Tools left behind by the Fifth Elder of the Clear Sky Sect:
"Nonsense! If that old geezer wasn't dead, would he have let me come over?"
"Also, you two as a couple only completed half of this mission; therefore, there's only one Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. You decide who gets it!"
As he spoke, Lin Rong took out the Green Wood Twin Lotus Right Leg Bone, over thirty-three thousand years old, and tossed it to Meng Shu.
Receiving the Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, Meng Shu's earlier regrets instantly vanished like bubbles, replaced by boundless joy.
"One is good, one is good. Fortunately, I made the decision to fight desperately earlier and unleashed that Soul Power consuming attack."
"Otherwise, if Lord had finished dealing with that useless old Clear Sky Sect member and we hadn't even finished off one target, we wouldn't have even received a soul bone as a reward."
Smiling as brightly as a chrysanthemum, Meng Shu carefully put away the soul bone and sat on the ground with his wife Chao Tianxiang to recover their Soul Power.
After distributing the soul bone, Lin Rong went alone to the battlefield shrouded in starlight.
Because it was covered by starlight, the two remaining elders of the Clear Sky Sect were unaware of what was happening outside.
Therefore, when they saw Lin Rong appear, they thought he was being pursued by Old Seven and had come here to seek refuge from this unfathomably powerful old man.
The old butler, Yu Yuan, upon seeing his young master, immediately understood that he was the only one left in the valley whose battle had yet to be concluded.
"These two old fellows from the Clear Sky Sect have also nearly exhausted their Soul Power. Even if they wanted to die together right now, they wouldn't have the ability to do so."
"Now, it's time to end this battle."
With that thought, the ninth star that had been circling him turned into a stream of light and departed, appearing beside his young master to protect him.
Then, it seemed as if bone marrow like starlight flowed within his torso.
The myriad stars in this starry sky responded, and specks of starlight converged to form two drops of azure-blue Star Dew.
This was one of the two great Spirit Tool skills of the Ten Thousand Year Nine-Rank Ginseng King Torso Bone: Star Casting Jade!
The two remaining elders of the Clear Sky Sect were each entangled by four stars, forced to watch as the other unleashed that unknown Spirit Tool skill.
"Star-type Martial Souls, no matter what Soul Skill they use, are always so brilliant and dazzling."
As Lin Rong sighed, these two drops of Star Dew had already pierced through space and struck the bodies of the two Clear Sky Sect elders.
"Huh? This Soul Skill doesn't seem to have any effe—"
At first, the Second Elder and Third Elder were surprised by the effect of the Soul Skill, but before they could even finish their thoughts, they noticed something strange about their bodies.
Both their bodies and their clothes were rapidly turning into a translucent jade, akin to stars.
Seeing this, they hurriedly circulated their Soul Power to resist the petrifying power within their bodies.
However, their Soul Power had already been greatly depleted in the previous battle; at this moment, there was very little Soul Power left within them.
Facing this domineering power that had entered their bodies, this meager amount of Soul Power was utterly incapable of moving it even a fraction.
In the last moment before his consciousness dissipated, the Second Elder had a final thought:
"My life ends like this? Well, as long as the sect still retains a spark of hope."
Afterward, like the Third Elder, he completely turned into a lifelike human jade sculpture.
Star Casting Jade was different from Medusa's Gaze.
The petrification effect caused by Medusa's Gaze could be restored and reversed.
But the jade transformation caused by Star Casting Jade was irreversible.
Even if a Spirit Master or Spirit Beast could withstand the effect of this Soul Skill, the parts of their body that had already turned to jade could only be severed, and then forces similar to limb regeneration would be used to restore the lost flesh and blood.
Therefore, the two Clear Sky Sect elders in front of Lin Rong, who had completely turned into jade sculptures, were confirmed to be dead.
The battle concluded, the old butler retracted his Star Body, and the starlit sky dissipated. The scene within the rocky debris reconnected with the valley.
"Lord!"
Lin Rong was lamenting over the two petrified Spirit Tools when he heard Dugu Bo's voice from above the clouds.
A few seconds later, Dugu Bo descended from the clouds into the valley, came to Lin Rong's side, and asked, rubbing his hands:
"Lord, I have completed the mission perfectly. May I ask if the reward for this mission can be honored now."
"Take it!"
Lin Rong had guessed what Dugu Bo was going to say before he even spoke.
So, before Dugu Bo could finish, he took out the Left Arm Bone, over forty thousand years old, and tossed it to him, then continued his orders:
"Dugu Bo, I've been thinking, your completion of this mission was a bit too easy, so I'm adding another task for you."
"Do you see these two jade sculptures? I want you to deliver them to Tang Yuehua, who is bedridden, without a sound."
"If Tang Yuehua dies from excessive grief, then that would be best. If not, you should know what to do!"
"Remember, this matter must be handled cleanly, leaving no trace that could be linked to us, so as not to arouse suspicion from the royal family."
Jade carvings?
Dugu Bo followed the direction Lin Rong pointed, and two completely transparent white jade carvings came into view.
"Is this petrification? Jade petrification!" Dugu Bo stepped forward to examine them, and couldn't help but be astonished in his heart:
"Damn! They've completely lost their life force, much more potent than my Spirit Bone skill 'Medusa's Gaze'."
After storing the two jade carvings into his Spirit Tool, Dugu Bo replied to Lin Rong:
"I understand. If Tang Yuehua doesn't die from excessive grief, we'll use external force to make it seem like she died from illness."
"This matter is not difficult for me. Please rest assured, my lord. Just wait for the news of Tang Yuehua's death to spread from Heaven Dou City."
"Mm." Lin Rong swayed the two Spirit Tools he had obtained from the Clear Sky Sect's Fourth Elder and Fifth Elder, saying casually:
"Once this matter is handled well, when I have some free time later, I have a huge surprise for you."
The "huge surprise" he spoke of was to take Dugu Bo to the Breaking Clan. After he subdued Yang Wudi, he would have Yang Wudi cure the poison in Dugu Bo's body.
However, this could only be done after he cultivated to level sixty.
To make Yang Wudi wholeheartedly submit, he had to surpass him in martial strength.
Although Lin Rong could defeat him now, Yang Wudi's Soul Breaking Spear possessed a sharpness attribute that happened to counter the banyan roots of the Nine Bend Vine Dragon.
The power of the first stage of Thunder Prison: Heavenly Punishment might not be enough to defeat him, and while the second stage, the True Form of the Thunder Dragon, could achieve it.
Yang Wudi would not allow the True Form of the Thunder Dragon to condense smoothly.
The current banyan roots could not withstand the sharpness of the Soul Breaking Spear in Yang Wudi's hand, and could not protect the True Form of the Thunder Dragon from condensing successfully.
To defeat Yang Wudi, he could only resort to an attrition battle, which would be undignified.
However, with his five-ring cultivation, it was not possible. After he broke through to level sixty and obtained his sixth Spirit Ring, Lin Rong would be confident in defeating Yang Wudi head-on.
At that time, he would give Yang Wudi a few rare medicinal herbs picked from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye, second only to Immortal Grade Medicinal Herbs, and he would be able to subdue him smoothly.
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