Translator: CinderTL
P.S: A major plot hole was discovered in the previous chapters. The male lead's name on the flying ark was Ye Hua, while Gou Jun was the name Ye Bing knew. From now on we will use Ye Hua in front of Shi Man and others, and Gou Jun when addressing Ye Bing. My sincere apologies. (Special thanks to fellow reader '摸鱼~~/')
Song Wen noticed Wu Yuan and, seeing he didn't attack, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
If Wu Yuan had attacked at that moment, Song Wen wasn't confident he could have stopped him.
Before long, the canyon loomed ahead of Song Wen.
The canyon stretched a thousand miles wide, a natural chasm cleaving the earth like a celestial divide.
Waves of chilling winds howled from its depths, carrying an inexplicable aura of deathly stillness that inspired awe and dread.
Song Wen arrived above the canyon and, without hesitation, plunged into its depths, his figure swiftly swallowed by the swirling Ghost Qi that filled the air.
No sooner had he vanished than Wu Yuan's figure appeared in his wake.
Wu Yuan gazed down at the pitch-black, bottomless canyon, musing inwardly.
It seems Ye Hua came here for the canyon itself. I won't need to force him in after all, saving me some trouble. But what would a corpse dao cultivator want with this Ghost Qi-saturated canyon? Could he have mastered some Ghost Dao secret art and be seeking rare Ghost Dao spiritual materials here?
Though Wu Yuan harbored doubts, he didn't dwell on them and plunged into the Ghost Qi below.
As he descended, the Ghost Qi grew denser, severely impairing his divine sense. Its range gradually shrank.
Yet Wu Yuan didn't lose track of his target.
The 'Ye Hua' ahead was descending with extreme caution, frequently encountering ghostly creatures.
These were merely low-level ghosts, easily slain by 'Ye Hua'.
After descending nearly a thousand li, Wu Yuan's divine sense range had dwindled to less than thirty li.
He decided to waste no more time and resolved to kill 'Ye Hua' here and now.
With a flick of his wrist, Wu Yuan unleashed a torrent of concentrated Corpse Qi, which coalesced into a black spear and shot toward Song Wen.
Song Wen was startled and hastily summoned a Bronze Ring.
The ring hovered above his head, casting a verdigris-colored light that enveloped his entire body.
The black spear struck the green protective shield.
The shield shattered instantly.
The spear dissipated into a wave of Corpse Qi that surged in all directions.
Engulfed by the Corpse Qi, Song Wen coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body instantly losing control as he was hurled toward the towering cliff face.
Bang!
Song Wen crashed into the cliff face.
The cliff shattered, sending countless rocks tumbling downward.
Badly injured, Song Wen plummeted alongside the debris.
Thud, thud, thud...
Dull thuds echoed as Song Wen and the rubble landed on a protruding platform jutting from the cliff.
The falling rocks buried Song Wen's figure.
A flicker of surprise crossed Wu Yuan's eyes.
Ye Hua had survived his strike, though badly wounded.
It had been a casual blow, yet for a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator like Ye Hua to withstand it was truly unexpected.
Wu Yuan descended onto the platform and with a wave of his hand, an invisible force swept away the rubble, revealing the buried Ye Hua.
"Who are you? Why did you ambush me?" Ye Hua lay sprawled on the ground, too weak to move. Crushed beneath the rocks, he was covered in scrapes and bruises, looking utterly disheveled.
Wu Yuan removed his cloak, revealing his true face.
"Wu Yuan!" Disbelief filled Ye Hua's eyes. "Wu Yuan... Senior, this junior has never offended you. Why did you ambush me?"
"For the sake of the Withered Corpse Bamboo," Wu Yuan said, "I'll let you die knowing the truth. A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure makes him guilty. You carried such a precious artifact without realizing its value, carelessly revealing the Withered Corpse Bamboo to outsiders. You were practically begging for death!"
"You mean... the Corpse Pattern Bamboo? You lied to me!" Ye Hua said, his face contorted with rage.
"Enough," Wu Yuan said. "Now that you know the truth, it's time to send you on your way!"
As he spoke, waves of Corpse Qi surged from Wu Yuan's body like roaring black flames, engulfing him entirely. A chilling aura of deathly intent radiated outward.
"No, you can't kill me!" Ye Hua cried out in terror. "My connection with Elder Shi Man runs deep, and I'm helping Young Master Chi Pei find the Corroding Heart Cold. If anything happens to me, Elder Shi Man will investigate. She's already seen the Withered Corpse Bamboo—it won't take her long to trace it back to you. You won't escape punishment!"
"Hahahaha..."
Wu Yuan threw his head back and roared with laughter, as if he'd heard the most absurd joke imaginable.
"You dare threaten me with Shi Man? How utterly foolish! She's nothing more than a medicinal pill for prolonging life—she holds no sway over me."
"Impossible! Elder Shi Man is a revered elder of the Veiled Moon Hall. How could she be someone else's life-extending pill?" Ye Hua's face twisted with despair.
Wu Yuan said, "Nothing is impossible. Otherwise, why would cultivators who practice the Longevity Technique be considered special compared to those who practice other cultivation techniques? Why can they become outer sect elders at the Divine Transformation Stage, while others must reach the Void Refinement Stage? It's all because the higher-ups of the Divine Blood Gate use them to prolong their own lives. The title of outer sect elder is merely bait to lure them into the trap."
Perhaps feeling victory was assured, Wu Yuan grew more talkative and continued.
"This matter was originally a closely guarded secret of the Veiled Moon Hall. I was completely unaware of it and felt deeply that it was unjust. So, I painstakingly investigated the truth. Hall Master Feng noticed my actions, but instead of punishing me, he revealed the truth. Those who practice the Longevity Technique are all living Spirit Herbs for prolonging life. Only those like Hall Master Feng and myself, who practice the Corpse King Blood Refinement Art, are the true disciples of the Divine Blood Gate. If I ever break through to the Void Refinement Stage, I'll have the chance to join the Divine Blood Gate and become a core disciple like Chi Pei."
Wu Yuan's words carried a hint of arrogance, as if being a disciple of the Divine Blood Gate was a matter of immense honor.
However, before he could finish speaking, a bolt of purplish-gold lightning, like a twisted giant sword, tore through the swirling Ghost Qi and struck directly at Wu Yuan.
"Thunder magic! How could there be a thunder cultivator here?" Wu Yuan's brow furrowed slightly. He sensed a significant threat from the lightning. The overwhelming heavenly might it contained posed a severe counter to him as a corpse cultivator.
The Corpse Qi around Wu Yuan surged violently. Above his head, it gradually coalesced into an inky-black, perpetually swirling vortex. The Corpse Qi vortex erupted from the ground, rapidly extending into the sky.
Boom!
The purplish-gold lightning collided with the Corpse Qi.
The massive Corpse Qi vortex proved utterly fragile against the lightning, tearing apart with ease and scattering in all directions.
(End of the Chapter)
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