Candle Daoist gripped the iron-hot stone scissors tightly, ignoring the searing pain as his hands blackened, burned down to thin layers of flesh clinging to bone.
The black Spirit Rain above intensified, crashing down with thunderous force, each drop piercing his flesh and leaving deep, shallow wounds. In an instant, Candle Daoist was drenched in blood.
Yet he couldn't afford to tend to the countless injuries covering his body. He desperately channeled spiritual energy into the magic tool in his hands.
But his efforts were futile.
Wei Zhong's cultivation base had already reached the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment, his spiritual energy far surpassing that of the Early Foundation Establishment. The Flying Throwing Technique, now fueled by this immense power, was exponentially more potent than before.
The black orb streaked across the sky, a dark line hurtling straight toward Candle Daoist.
The red stone scissors shattered in an instant, collapsing under the overwhelming force and crushing Candle Daoist's body.
The orb's immense power drove both of them deep into the rocky cliff behind, burying them beyond sight.
Boom!
In the dead of night, a massive explosion jolted the Li Clan members awake.
"What was that?"
Li Ren, the Li Clan Leader, emerged from his cultivation trance. As he stepped out of his Immortal's Cave, a subordinate rushed forward to report.
"Clan Leader, the sound came from Black Lake Island."
"Black Lake Island?"
Li Ren immediately recalled the Candle Daoist, who had been draining the Li Family's resources for a decade. Could something have happened to him?
Noticing the Clan Leader's dazed expression, a subordinate prompted, "Clan Leader?"
Snapping out of his reverie, Li Ren instructed, "Send someone to investigate, but don't set foot on the island. Just call out to the Senior from the shore."
The subordinate's face fell. Everyone knew the Senior's brutal temperament; whoever went would likely meet a grim end.
Still, since the Clan Leader had ordered it, someone had to go.
Wei Zhong followed the tunnel carved by the black orb. The Candle Daoist had vanished, or rather, his remains were scattered throughout the passage.
The Storage Pouch is gone too.
The Candle Daoist had been reduced to ashes, so naturally, his Storage Pouch hadn't survived the impact. Its contents had likely been torn to shreds by the collapsing space.
But given Wei Zhong's wealth, this loss was insignificant.
At the tunnel's end, Wei Zhong finally found the black orb embedded deep within the rock.
After digging it out and brushing off the dust, he examined its smooth, flawless surface. Not a single scratch marred its perfect sphere.
He couldn't help but marvel: What kind of treasure is this? How could it withstand such an impact without a trace of damage?
Looking back, he could only see a faint glimmer of light from the distant cave entrance.
The strike nearly pierced the mountain from its waist. This was no ordinary rock; it had been tempered by countless years of spiritual energy, making it exceptionally sturdy.
Qi Refining cultivators required specialized mining magic tools to excavate this mountain's stone. Even with several First-Tier Magic Swords, they couldn't have dug so deep.
Wei Zhong returned to the cave and heard hissing sounds from the outer passage. He walked to the outer chamber and discovered a large swarm of Blood-Eating Bats swirling within.
With a flick of his sleeve, Wei Zhong dispersed the swarm. Among them lay a mangled, two-foot-long corpse—the Blood-Feeding Bat King.
"Dead?"
Wei Zhong approached to investigate. The bat had been dead for some time. The injuries didn't appear to be from external attacks; rather, they resembled death by backlash.
Typically, spirit beasts only died this way when their master was killed. Yet Wei Zhong had fought the Candle Daoist for quite some time. He had wondered why the spirit beast hadn't come to its master's aid. How could it have died?
Wei Zhong recalled his ambush strike, which had shattered the Candle Daoist's heart and internal organs. Normally, a Foundation Establishment cultivator's robust vitality would prevent immediate death, though they couldn't survive long.
But the Daoist had not only survived but merged with his blood body, transforming into a monster and engaging Wei Zhong in fierce combat.
Could it be that the one I fought wasn't the Candle Daoist at all?
A sudden chill ran down Wei Zhong's spine. There was something deeply wrong with the Blood Body Technique.
If the Extracorporeal Incarnation cultivated through this technique wasn't truly one's own, then who was it being nurtured for?
Wei Zhong dared not delve further, immensely grateful he hadn't been foolish enough to practice this technique.
As expected, there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. How could the True Monarch's legacies scattered across the land be so easily obtained?
Some Loose Cultivators still hoped to master the Blood Body Technique and claim the True Monarch's legacy, unaware they were merely weaving wedding garments for others.
Shifting his attention from the slain Blood-Feeding Bat King, Wei Zhong surveyed the surrounding Blood-Eating Bat Swarm.
With the king dead, a new one would typically emerge after a period of infighting within the swarm. For now, he decided to leave the bats undisturbed.
Wei Zhong tidied up the cave interior, erasing all traces of the battle. He even used mountain rocks to fill in the holes created by his Flying Throwing Technique.
Retaining the sole surviving piece of painted paper, Wei Zhong marveled at its craftsmanship. When affixed to a rock wall, it seamlessly transformed into a painting of the stone, indistinguishable from the surrounding rock. It was practically a divine artifact of camouflage.
Its ability to conceal spiritual energy further elevated its value. Wei Zhong examined the peculiar object, but its composition remained a mystery. He eventually stored it within his Grotto-Heaven.
Exiting the cave, they found the Li Family already alerted by the commotion.
In the distance, an elderly Qi Refining cultivator hovered above the lake's surface on a magic sword, daring not to set foot on Black Lake Island.
As his face struggled with indecision, a voice suddenly echoed in his ears:
"Summon your clan's descendant, Li Haowen."
Relief washed over him. He bowed respectfully toward the mountain peak on the island, then turned his Flying Sword and swiftly departed.
Within the Azurewood Sect, Nie Yuansen stood with his back to a young man behind him, asking:
"Zheng Sheng, how is Yuechan doing?"
The young man replied respectfully:
"Hall Master Duan says her Divine Soul is severely damaged and requires nurturing. If this injury cannot be healed, she may never achieve Core Formation in her lifetime."
The young man lifted his head, revealing a handsome face with fair skin and a subtle, indescribable masculine aura between his brows. Anyone who saw him would undoubtedly call him a beautiful man.
This was none other than Yao Zheng Sheng, the Azurewood Sect's foremost True Inheritance disciple, a student of Sect Leader Nie Yuansen. He possessed both Water and Wood Spirit Roots, each of High-Grade quality, far surpassing ordinary cultivators. By now, he had reached the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment realm.
"Ah, who could have imagined the Blood Sea True Monarch's legacy would contain such a trap? You two have truly suffered."
"It was this disciple's failure to protect Junior Sister," Yao Zheng Sheng said, lowering his head, a flicker of guilt crossing his face.
"Don't blame yourself. Who could have foreseen that the token would conceal a remnant soul? It seized the opportunity to invade Chan'er's Extracorporeal Incarnation during its refinement. Had you not discovered it in time, Yuechan would have been devoured and replaced by another."
Nie Yuansen slowly walked to Yao Zheng Sheng's side, patted his shoulder, and said, "Leave Chan'er to me, her father. You need not worry. Recently, the sect has made significant gains in the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range and has gathered the necessary Spirit Medicines for the Dustfall Pill. If the Medicinal Pill is successfully refined, you should begin preparing for Core Formation."
"This disciple will not fail to meet Master's expectations!"