Chapter 351 : Devour!
Chapter 351: Devour!
“Mutated Spirit Beast!”
As the Azure-Horned Ox unleashed its might and smashed open a massive breach, the Fairy of Rainbow Skirt revealed a shocked expression.
“Senior Lin, save me…”
“Fellow Daoist Lin…”
With this sudden turn of events, it instead gave the others a chance to escape. One after another, they fled in panic amidst the chaos.
Yet even more cultivators were devoured by countless Sinister Spirits, their voices erupting into miserable cries for help.
From the island behind, a piercing and shrill sound rang out, as innumerable Sinister Spirits roared and surged toward the crowd, as though their prey had slipped from their control.
“Go!”
At the moment they broke out, the Azure-Horned Ox was instantly stored back into the Spirit Beast Pouch.
However, just as Lin Chang’an and the Fairy of Rainbow Skirt were speeding away in escape light, their expressions suddenly changed drastically, and they halted mid-flight.
Ahead of them, space suddenly warped and twisted—then a figure stepped out from within.
“Little mice, where do you think you’re running?”
A grating Clanging Metallic Voice echoed.
“Run!”
The cultivators who had scattered earlier, who had just been grateful to Lin Chang’an for opening the breach, now fled without a single one remaining after disaster struck.
Under the grotesque old man’s mocking grin, several Third-rank Sinister Spirit Beast Kings howled as they gave chase.
Lin Chang’an and the Fairy of Rainbow Skirt did not hesitate in the slightest. If they delayed any longer and everyone else was wiped out, the Army of Sinister Spirits would surge again, making the situation even more dangerous.
The Sun-Piercing Divine Sword suddenly emitted blazing flames, transforming into a streak of light that shot forward.
At the same time, the Fire Bead Magical Artifact from the Fairy of Rainbow Skirt’s mouth erupted with overwhelming flames, forming a roaring fire dragon.
“Senior, even if you are a shape-shifted Sinister Spirit Beast King, this is not your true body—how much of your strength can you really display!”
Even as she attacked, the Fairy of Rainbow Skirt continued to warn the opponent, making it clear that the combined strength of the two of them was not weak.
Yet under Attribute Suppression, the grotesque old man grinned viciously as black qi spread out, transforming into ferocious giant serpents.
When they collided with the fire dragon, it was like a Water-Fire Collision, emitting a series of hissing sounds.
However, when the Sun-Piercing Divine Sword pierced into the black mist, a sharp and furious roar resounded.
“A magical artifact forged from Fusang Divine Wood! Today, I will devour the Primordial Spirits of you two human cultivators alive!”
The black mist suddenly exploded, transforming into two black flood dragons that roared as they attacked each of them separately.
“Fight while retreating—draw him to the ambush set by the Sword Attendant!”
Facing such an opponent, Lin Chang’an did not hesitate at all—he had no intention of engaging in a head-on clash here.
With a wave of his hand, nine sword gleams shot forth. After transmitting his voice to the Fairy of Rainbow Skirt, the two of them turned into streaks of light and flew diagonally in opposite directions.
However, the black flood dragons formed from sinister qi were even faster.
Sinister Spirits excelled in escape techniques, and at this moment, the two finally experienced what it felt like to be relentlessly hunted.
“Heh heh… little mice, where are you going to run?”
As the black flood dragons roared in pursuit, waves of piercing sounds came from their mouths.
“Not good—Soul Attack!”
In an instant, a sharp pain struck their Divine Sense. Lin Chang’an groaned, raising his hand as nine Third-rank Mid-grade Fire Dragon Talismans poured out.
Explosions thundered through the air, yet the black flood dragon tore apart the fire dragons viciously and continued its pursuit of Lin Chang’an.
“Heh heh… little mouse, your abilities are not bad. Your Primordial Spirit must be quite delicious.”
That grating voice echoed, faintly stirring fear within the depths of one’s heart.
Sensing something wrong, Lin Chang’an suddenly roared and counterattacked with a Divine Sense Counterattack.
“This old ghost actually masters the Sinister Soul Sect’s soul secret techniques—his words amplify fear within the heart!”
Sinister Spirits were naturally adept in soul techniques, and he had clearly grasped the Bewildering Voice Technique recorded in the Sinister Soul Sect’s inheritance.
Profound Soul Spike
A muffled groan came from within the black mist, followed by a sinister laugh.
“Little mouse, your Divine Sense is quite strong—you even know soul techniques. It seems I must devour your Primordial Spirit no matter what!”
“Old ghost, if you truly had that strength, you wouldn’t resort to such despicable sneak attacks. If you want to keep me here, your mere Soul Fragment is far from enough.”
Lin Chang’an snorted coldly. Three Sun-Piercing Divine Swords formed a Flame Sword Shield around him, surrounded by Heavenly Sun Spiritual Fire, making the opponent wary.
At the same time, he controlled three additional Sun-Piercing Divine Swords to continuously launch attacks.
This old ghost had first relied on countless Sinister Spirits, then used soul techniques—clearly unwilling to engage head-on. This confirmed Lin Chang’an’s suspicions.
“Heavenly Sun Spiritual Fire—good, very good! If your flying swords were forged from a six-thousand-year Fusang Divine Wood, even my true body would be wary.
But unfortunately, your materials only reached three thousand years—not enough. Let me see how long you can last, little mouse!”
Though it lacked its true body, its Soul Quality was still at the Nascent Soul Realm, so the Heavenly Sun Spiritual Fire only posed some trouble to it.
The black flood dragon roared as waves of Sinister Baleful Qi surged forward, while Lin Chang’an moved sideways, forming hand seals as flame-wreathed flying swords darted rapidly.
“How long I can last?”
A cold glint flashed in Lin Chang’an’s eyes. In a war of attrition, he truly feared nothing.
If not for the concern that the vast Sinister Spirit disaster would drain him, he would have already stopped and released the Wind-Chirp Bird to fight.
“Heh heh… boy, that little girl is injured. Does it hurt your heart? If it does, go save her quickly—otherwise, I’ll gladly accept that delicious Primordial Spirit and blood essence…”
The piercing, soul-shaking voice echoed continuously. Yet Lin Chang’an remained calm, operating the Divine Sense Chapter, clearing his mind completely and remaining unmoved.
Meanwhile, in the distance, explosions erupted—especially one massive blast as a fire dragon exploded, clearly the result of a Magical Artifact Self-destruction.
Yet Lin Chang’an remained unmoved, coldly continuing his rapid escape while fighting the old ghost.
“You really are cold-hearted. But do you know? That little girl, upon hearing you were injured, actually self-destructed her magical artifact. Heh heh…”
At this moment, the shape-shifted Sinister Spirit Beast King was also filled with rage.
It had been trapped for over six hundred years, tormenting the souls of human cultivators for just as long.
During these six centuries, it had learned much from these human cultivators.
Having finally split off this Soul Fragment, it believed that since there was a method to suppress and trap it, there must also be a way to escape.
“Curses upon the people of Bihai Palace! Just you wait—once I break free, I’ll hide deep within the Fog Sea of Tongtian. When you’re nearing death from old age, I’ll come out and exact my revenge!”
Even now, this shape-shifted Sinister Spirit Beast King, who deeply hated Bihai Palace, could not help but reveal fear when mentioning its enemies.
……
This chase and escape continued for a full half an hour.
Until, in the distance over the sea, a reef island appeared, covered by a Fiery Red Formation Barrier.
“Heh heh… little mouse, is this your backup plan? You cannot escape.”
Upon seeing the formation ahead, the Sinister Spirit Beast King did not grow angry—instead, it sneered viciously as endless sinister qi surged forward in a frenzied assault.
It wished for these two little mice to hide inside the formation—then they would be like turtles in a jar.
“Not good!”
The moment the formation relaxed slightly, a streak of black light shot out from the sea. Lin Chang’an shouted urgently, erupting with a powerful defensive shield.
Yet the shield was like thin paper—it was instantly pierced. Sparks scattered from the sword shield, and even the Mana Shield was penetrated.
“Pfft!”
Blood splattered. The black streak was too fast—so fast there was barely any time to react.
“Old ghost!”
Lin Chang’an was both shocked and furious. What a sinister old monster—his grasp of human nature had reached an extreme.
He had deliberately forced them toward the island while secretly setting up a killing move.
At this moment, half of Lin Chang’an’s face was a bloody mess.
“Cunning brat—you managed to dodge the fatal strike. But that little girl wasn’t so lucky.”
The piercing voice echoed. Without hesitation, Lin Chang’an tilted his escape light backward while forming hand seals. The Sun-Piercing Divine Sword counterattacked rapidly as he flew into the formation.
At the same time, a blood-stained figure also fled into the formation.
The Fairy of Rainbow Skirt’s face was pale, her chest pierced through. Blackened blood stained her body as she forced out a faint smile before her gaze dimmed and her eyes closed weakly.
Her body fell from the sky.
This time, she had truly fallen.
Who would have expected to encounter such an opponent? Though she was at the Late Core Formation stage, her strength was not weak—but the opponent countered her in every aspect.
Her only fire-attribute magical artifact capable of restraining the enemy was of too low a grade and had been forced into self-destruction.
Otherwise, she would not have been reduced to such a miserable state.
“Fellow Daoist!”
Lin Chang’an caught her and inspected her injuries, discovering that she was gravely wounded, and a Poison Corrosion Power was spreading through her body.
The sneak attack artifact from earlier had contained deadly poison.
“Master!”
The Sword Attendant hurried over. After entering the formation, Lin Chang’an did not hesitate—he directly released the Azure-Horned Ox.
“Moo!”
It prepared for battle.
Outside the formation, the two black flood dragons merged, gradually forming the grotesque old man once again.
“Heh heh… Heavenfire Grand Formation—not bad. But it cannot stop my Army of Sinister Spirits. Today, I will savor your flesh and Primordial Spirit.”
A greedy laugh echoed as a black cloud appeared in the distance.
Upon closer inspection, it was not a cloud at all—but a dense mass of countless Sinister Spirits surging forward.
Within the formation, Lin Chang’an calmly injected a thread of life-preserving mana into the Fairy of Rainbow Skirt, then began to operate the formation.
“Old ghost, today let’s see whether your Army of Sinister Spirits is greater—or my Spirit Stones are more!”
With a cold shout, high-grade Spirit Stones flew out one after another, embedding themselves into the formation.
In an instant, blazing fire erupted within the formation. A terrifying mass of flames began to gather.
Then, in the next moment, it blasted toward the enemy.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion rang out. Though the enemy managed to evade it, the dense army of Sinister Spirits screamed as a large portion was instantly annihilated.
“Forward!”
Hidden within the Sinister Spirit army, the grotesque old man sneered viciously. These low-rank Sinister Spirits were endless—he had no fear of losses.
In an instant, countless Sinister Spirits, unafraid of death, frantically charged toward the formation.
Inside the formation, Lin Chang’an remained exceptionally calm. The injuries on his body visibly healed at a rate discernible to the naked eye, while his mana rapidly recovered.
……
Amid the dense Sinister Spirit calamity, the grotesque old man greedily devoured the prey he had just captured. When he looked toward the formation and saw this human cultivator, his pupils suddenly shrank.
“Regenerative Body!”
This magical artifact had belonged to a human cultivator of the Sinister Soul Sect and had always been invincible in the past.
“Interesting. Even among demon beasts, such a physique is rare—yet it has appeared in a human cultivator.”
“But if you think you can rely on a mere Regenerative Body to outlast me in a war of attrition—dream on!”
As the shape-shifted grotesque old man roared in anger, the attacks of countless Sinister Spirits grew even more frenzied. Yet the formation burned with raging flames—it was practically the nemesis of Sinister Spirits.
Seeing this scene, the grotesque old man revealed a savage grin. In the next moment, his body transformed into black mist, forming a flood dragon that lunged forward madly.
“Boy, today I will teach you properly what formation mastery is!”
“Boom!”
A breach shattered open in the Formation Barrier. As countless Sinister Spirits howled and surged in, Lin Chang’an inside the formation revealed a cold smile.
“Formation? Let me teach you instead!”
Rise!
At the instant the Heavenfire Grand Formation ruptured, terrifying flames splashed outward, reducing countless Sinister Spirits to ashes.
“Boy! Your Primordial Spirit—I will gladly accept it!”
The destruction of countless Sinister Spirits meant nothing to the grotesque old man. In his greedy gaze, there was only that fleshly body.
Yet just as the black flood dragon attacked—
A phoenix cry suddenly rang out.
“What!”
With a wingspan of nearly thirty meters, the Wind-Chirp Bird let out a piercing cry. Its talons seized the flood dragon formed from sinister qi, and in the next moment, it spewed terrifying flames downward.
Lin Chang’an did not remain idle either. With the powerful Divine Sense of the Late Core Formation stage, nine Sun-Piercing Divine Swords ignited with terrifying flames.
Giant Sword Technique
In an instant, the nine Sun-Piercing Divine Swords transformed into massive swords and struck toward the black flood dragon.
All of this occurred within the blink of an eye—from the Wind-Chirp Bird’s sudden ambush to Lin Chang’an’s killing move.
“Ah… This is no ordinary Wind-Chirp Bird! It is the Golden Flame Divine Bird!”
A furious roar mixed with a trace of fear rang out. The shape-shifted Sinister Spirit Beast King was enraged beyond measure.
It had not expected to be schemed against by a mere human cultivator.
No matter how strong it was, it was only a Soul Fragment—it was not a true Fourth-rank Nascent Soul powerhouse.
And both the Golden Flame Divine Bird and the Heavenly Sun Spiritual Fire of the Sun-Piercing Divine Sword were natural counters to it.
It had never imagined that a mere human Core Formation cultivator would possess so many methods to restrain it.
“Old ghost, this is only the beginning. Today, you will remain here.”
“Boy, don’t get arrogant!”
With a roar, the black flood dragon suddenly spat out several giant serpents formed from black mist, attacking Lin Chang’an.
Facing this attack, Lin Chang’an tilted backward and retreated swiftly, dodging while calmly forming hand seals.
Instantly, dense Fire-attribute Spiritual Energy filled the air. A formation barrier even larger than the previous one expanded outward.
“Despicable human cultivator!”
Third-rank High-grade Grand Formation · Blood Fiend Scarlet Sun Formation
This was the strongest formation he had mastered so far.
Everything he had done was in preparation for this formation.
Whether it was the Wind-Chirp Bird holding the enemy in place or the nine Sun-Piercing Divine Swords, it was all to stall the opponent.
Otherwise, with the opponent’s terrifying escape speed, it might have escaped before the formation could even be activated.
“Heh heh… boy, I admit I underestimated you. But you also underestimate Nascent Soul cultivators!”
Black mist spread as a cold laugh echoed. In the next moment, the black mist suddenly self-destructed, and the Wind-Chirp Bird cried out in pain as it was blasted and injured.
“Primordial Spirit Possession!”
Seeing this, Lin Chang’an’s expression changed drastically.
This shape-shifted Sinister Spirit relied on this very move to control cultivators—it was practically equivalent to body seizure.
“Heh heh… boy, I’m very curious—how will your Primordial Spirit taste when devoured, one that possesses a Regenerative Body!”
It was too fast—so fast that Lin Chang’an was both shocked and delighted. This old ghost was practically delivering itself as nourishment.
Having experienced it once before, what he feared least now was this kind of Primordial Spirit invasion similar to body seizure.
What shocked him was that he truly could not dodge it—how could a Sinister Spirit’s escape technique be this fast?
Profound Soul Spike
“Heh heh… boy, although I am only a Soul Fragment and my Divine Sense has not reached the Nascent Soul Realm, it is still far beyond your mere Core Formation—”
Buzz!
Within the depths of his Sea of Consciousness, the invading shape-shifted Sinister Spirit Beast King suddenly fell silent.
It stared in disbelief at the Mysterious Sky Immortal Vine with only three leaves before it.
“It’s you!”
The vine emitted a cyan life aura, yet this powerful Soul Fragment was completely restrained, as if it had encountered its natural nemesis—unable to move at all.
This familiar aura reminded it of the previous time—when a human cultivator had devoured a strand of its Divine Sense.
“No! Boy, your strength is not bad—let’s make a deal. You must want to form the Nascent Soul, right? And the Nascent Soul inheritance on the Sinister Soul Sect island.
I promise—if we cooperate, the relics of the two Nascent Soul cultivators on that island will go to you first…”
In terror, it roared repeatedly. This Soul Fragment it had painstakingly split off was crucial to its plan to escape.
“No———!”
The remnant soul of the shape-shifted Sinister Spirit Beast King was immobilized, as if bound by some law of rules, and could only watch helplessly as it was devoured.
A final cry of pain and terror echoed at the soul level—then abruptly ceased.
Immediately afterward, memories spanning over a thousand years began flashing within the Sea of Consciousness.
Resisting this torrent of fragmented memories and filtering useful information from it caused Lin Chang’an to reveal a pained expression.
Perhaps because the opponent was at the level of a Fourth-rank Nascent Soul entity, the memories were too vast and chaotic. Lin Chang’an struggled to extract useful fragments.
Meanwhile, the Wind-Chirp Bird cried out, guarding Lin Chang’an at the formation core, while the Sword Attendant and the Azure-Horned Ox cooperated with the formation to eliminate the countless Sinister Spirits trapped within.
……
In the beginning, the memories were muddled fragments.
From the moment it gained intelligence, this shape-shifted Sinister Spirit Beast King had been a rare Sinister Spirit born within an Extreme Yin Spiritual Vein.
Over a thousand years, from its initial instinctive cultivation by devouring sinister qi, to its first taste of devouring human cultivators and demon beasts’ Primordial Spirits and blood essence—its greed became uncontrollable.
Step by step, it grew into a ferocious Fourth-rank shape-shifted Sinister Spirit Beast King.
Then, during a Beast Tide attacking human cultivators, it seized the opportunity to join in.
But two peerlessly elegant figures appeared.
Their cold, indifferent gazes—like how it looked upon prey—filled it with fury.
Yet what followed was overwhelming suppression.
Its invincible escape speed and Sinister Spirit body were completely crushed.
In the end, a seemingly gentle human female cultivator—whose smile resembled that of a devil—stepped on it, trampling its dignity while mocking it.
She sealed its Divine Sense, planted restrictions within its soul, and when it awoke again in a dazed state, it was already on the Sinister Soul Sect island.
Then, a mere Core Formation human ant sneered at it, forming hand seals to activate the restriction left by that woman—burning its soul—and even fed it a Heavenly Green Fruit.
What followed was the catastrophe of the Sinister Soul Sect…
……
After an unknown amount of time, as the Mysterious Sky Immortal Vine glowed faintly, Lin Chang’an suddenly woke up.
His entire body was soaked, and a trace of lingering fear remained in his eyes.
“That was close… I nearly lost myself within those memories.”
At the same time, the vine’s glow dimmed slightly, making him realize that probing beyond his limits also burdened both himself and the vine.
Even though the opponent was only a Soul Fragment with Core Formation-level power, its Soul Quality far exceeded that of a Core Formation cultivator.
If not for the awakening effect of his Life-bound Spirit Plant, he would have fallen into it.
“This Sinister Spirit Beast King can be considered a natural spirit entity… I didn’t expect its fate to be so tragic.”
A Fourth-rank Late-stage shape-shifted Sinister Spirit Beast King—an overlord within the depths of the Fog Sea of Tongtian—had been suppressed like this.
And over six hundred years of suppression, its memories had often been chaotic.
“No wonder many of its memories were fragmented and incomplete… it must be the aftereffects of the restriction from that Palace Master Xingyue.”
Through these memories, Lin Chang’an gained a deeper understanding of the methods of Nascent Soul cultivators—enough to send a chill down his spine.
At the same time, he also learned of the Sinister Spirit Beast King’s plan.
Its soul had suffered irreversible damage, its cultivation falling to the mid Fourth-rank.
In its pain and rage, it found a secret method within the Sinister Soul Sect inheritance—
to split its soul, similar to the second Nascent Soul technique of human cultivators.
Then, through this Soul Fragment, it searched among human cultivators for a way to break free.
“Indeed… those who can reach the Nascent Soul Realm—whether human, demon beast, or even Sinister Spirit—are all cunning old foxes.”
As the Soul Fragment dissipated, countless Sinister Spirits outside the formation let out ghostly wails before scattering and fleeing.
“Next, clear out the Sinister Spirits within the formation—then leave this cursed place as soon as possible.”
……
Ghost Domain, Sinister Soul Sect Spirit Island.
At the moment the Soul Fragment was destroyed, a shrill howl erupted from the dark hall at the island’s center.
“Who was it! Who ruined my great plan!”
In the darkness, the grotesque old man opened his eyes, filled with venomous rage.
“Just you wait! I refuse to believe you can outlive me!”
With unwilling roars, his immense lifespan as a Sinister Spirit became his only support.
“I cannot afford another failure. I must split off another Soul Fragment, hide and lie low, and wait for that place of the human cultivators to open.
Within that place, there must be something that can help me escape…”
His hoarse and sharp voice echoed within the decaying hall as the black-robed old man slowly closed his eyes.
Splitting his soul destabilized his aura—but in order to escape, he had no choice but to use such a self-destructive method.
……
Celestial Spring Peak
“Fellow Daoist Lin, many thanks.”
The Fairy of Rainbow Skirt clutched her chest, where a faint pain still lingered, her brows slightly furrowed. Although she did not know what had happened earlier—
she knew that this Fellow Daoist Lin had saved her.
When she awoke, she had been lying in his arms, and he had been using his mana to treat her injuries.
“Fairy of Rainbow Skirt, you are too polite. If your cultivation method and divine abilities had not been restrained, the two of us would not have ended up in such a miserable state.”
Lin Chang’an also pretended to have survived a disaster, speaking with a tone of relief.
He had just returned to Celestial Spring Peak and had already reported everything that had happened to the cultivators of Bihai Palace.
As for the Sinister Spirit Beast King in the Ghost Domain, it was best left to professionals to handle.
“If not for Fellow Daoist Lin’s assistance, even if I had survived by chance, my Golden Core would likely have been corrupted.”
This time, the Fairy of Rainbow Skirt spoke with genuine gratitude.
She knew better than anyone how vicious the power contained in that black streak attack had been.
It was not merely poison—it also contained dense ghostly qi that eroded vitality and corroded the Golden Core.
If it had not been treated in time, once the Golden Core was corroded, the path forward would have been cut off.
Just as she was about to say more, two streaks of escape light appeared in the distance—it was Liu Ruyu and Xu Lingfeng from Xuanyin Pavilion.
The Fairy of Rainbow Skirt suppressed what she wanted to say and lightly nodded toward Lin Chang’an.
“This matter is of great importance. Let us leave everything to Bihai Palace.”
Although she still had many things she wished to say, seeing her sect members arrive to escort her, she could only sigh softly.
“Sect Master!”
“Senior Sister!”
When Liu Ruyu and Xu Lingfeng landed and saw the pale-faced Fairy of Rainbow Skirt clutching her chest, they both cried out in alarm.
“Enough. This time, we must thank Fellow Daoist Lin.”
Facing the two of them, she maintained her authority as Sect Master, nodding calmly. At the same time, this matter was too significant—
before Bihai Palace handled it, she did not wish for it to spread.
“Many thanks, Elder Lin.”
Liu Ruyu was the most grateful, repeatedly cupping her hands toward Lin Chang’an.
Xu Lingfeng, however, revealed a complicated expression—he had not expected that it would be Lin Chang’an who saved his senior sister.
“Fairy of Rainbow Skirt, you are too serious. In adversity, you did not abandon me—how could I be someone who forgets kindness?”
Facing her, Lin Chang’an also felt a favorable impression.
“Fellow Daoist Lin, if you have time in the future, you may come visit Mystic Sound Peak.”
Before leaving, the Fairy of Rainbow Skirt rarely lifted her hand to brush her hair aside. From her Storage Pouch, she took out a jade pendant and, with a gentle smile, personally handed it to Lin Chang’an.
This scene caused Liu Ruyu to widen her eyes—had their Sect Master finally figured things out?
Xu Lingfeng wanted to speak but hesitated, opening his mouth yet saying nothing.
After all, Lin Chang’an had just saved his senior sister—if he spoke rashly, it would be improper.
Lin Chang’an simply smiled and nodded, not thinking much of the jade pendant, and accepted it with cupped hands.
Seeing him accept it, the Fairy of Rainbow Skirt’s still somewhat pale face revealed a faint smile.
Only through shared adversity could one see true intentions.
If she had died, the greatest beneficiary would undoubtedly have been Lin Chang’an.
“Farewell.”
Afterward, escorted by the two, she left Celestial Spring Peak and headed toward the sect of Xuanyin Pavilion.
……
“Sect Master, with your cultivation and divine abilities, what exactly did you encounter that could injure you so severely?”
After leaving Celestial Spring Peak, Liu Ruyu could no longer suppress her curiosity and asked.
“Yes, Senior Sister—Elder Lin’s cultivation is inferior to yours, yet he seemed almost uninjured!”
Xu Lingfeng also voiced his doubts.
Sitting atop the green eagle bird, the Fairy of Rainbow Skirt seemed to recall something. A rare brilliance flickered in her eyes as she shook her head.
“This matter is of great importance. I will explain it after we return. Also, from now on, Fellow Daoist Lin is someone we can absolutely trust within the sect.”
Seeing how completely his senior sister trusted Lin Chang’an, Xu Lingfeng widened his eyes.
Just one shared life-and-death experience—and it had reached this level?
Yet as the Fairy of Rainbow Skirt gazed at the increasingly closer Mystic Sound Peak, fragments of earlier scenes flashed through her mind.
It was far more than a simple shared ordeal.
Her treasures, as well as the condition within her body—this Fellow Daoist Lin likely already knew.
Under such temptation, how many people could truly restrain themselves?
Just the treasures within her Storage Pouch alone would incite the greed of countless Core Formation cultivators.
“Master… these past years have truly been exhausting.”
Her gaze turned distant—who could understand her weariness?
Since becoming a Core Formation cultivator as a prodigy, she had shouldered the rise and fall of the sect.
She had watched helplessly as it declined—junior brothers and sisters falling one after another, the sect forced to leave the Yue Kingdom.
All the way to the Beast Sea Abyss, dealing with various factions while the sect teetered on the brink.
Along this path, she had carried too much.
She had no regrets—but she was truly exhausted.
In these past hundred years, this was the first time she had felt peace.
On the way back, in her hazy state, she saw the man before her protecting her chest while treating her injuries—
for the first time, she let go of her burdens and was able to sleep peacefully.
Unfortunately—
Regaining clarity, she sighed softly and looked back toward the direction of Celestial Spring Peak.
Her path was bound to the sect—this was her choice, one she accepted without regret.
And Lin Chang’an had his own path to walk.
“Nascent Soul! As long as I reach the Nascent Soul Realm, nothing will be able to stop me!”
Her eyes now shone with determination.
Meanwhile, Lin Chang’an was back at Celestial Spring Peak, counting his spoils.
……
Celestial Spring Peak, pavilion
Lin Chang’an and the Wind-Chirp Bird widened their eyes as they examined the Storage Pouch of the shape-shifted old ghost.
As for the Storage Pouches of other cultivators or damaged magical artifacts, he did not even bother looking at them.
“Master, hurry and open it! This is the Storage Pouch of a shape-shifted Sinister Spirit Beast King!”
The treasure-obsessed Wind-Chirp Bird could no longer contain its excitement.
Even the injuries from the previous battle could not suppress its obsession with treasures.
However, when the pouch was opened, its expression changed from anticipation to shock—and then to anger.
“Master, we’ve been tricked! What kind of pauper is this!”
Inside the pouch were only a little over two hundred high-grade Spirit Stones, some black stones, and three pitch-black drill-like objects.
Nothing else.
Compared to the furious Wind-Chirp Bird, Lin Chang’an held the three drill-like objects and revealed a smile.
“Enough. Sinister Spirits naturally corrode magical artifacts—most of the treasures on that island were likely already eroded over the years.
Moreover, that old demon was extremely arrogant. Ordinary magical artifacts would not interest him.”
“These three objects are Fourth-rank Yin Nether Essence Iron—top-tier materials even for refining Fourth-rank magical artifacts.”
Just these three alone were enough to compensate for all his previous losses.
The other black stones were low-grade Yin Nether Stones that had not yet been fully refined.
“Such materials—even without being refined into magical artifacts—already possess such power. Truly rare.”
Sinister Spirits were different from cultivators and could not refine artifacts—they could only use such crude methods.
As for the treasures looted by the Sinister Spirit Beast King, they had long since been devoured during the Ghost Domain outbreak.
Moreover, this Soul Fragment had only recently split off—naturally, its Storage Pouch was practically empty.
This was why Lin Chang’an had gained so little—what a waste.
“The Ghost Domain… the Sinister Spirit Beast King… now it depends on how Bihai Palace handles it.”
After putting everything away, Lin Chang’an’s expression turned serious.
A storm was coming.
For now, he would focus on steady cultivation for a period of time.
Today’s chapter is a large combined chapter—requesting monthly votes.
It seems these recent chapters aren’t to everyone’s liking—perhaps because they are battle-heavy. Today’s large chapter concludes this segment.
If fellow Daoists have any suggestions, feel free to mention them. If there’s anything useful, the author might just borrow it—hehe.