Translator: CinderTL

Though pleased, Song Wen had no intention of letting Wei Gu and Jian Xiao off the hook. Having learned all he needed from them, he prepared to activate the Sea of Consciousness Black Hole.

Sensing his impending doom, Wei Gu hurriedly asked, "You meticulously plotted to pit Jian Xiao against me—all for the Corpse King’s Rebirth Art and that wooden box?"

"Not entirely," Song Wen replied. "The main reason was to devour your cultivation and help me advance to the Body Integration Stage."

"So that’s it!" A flicker of realization flashed in Wei Gu’s eyes.

His mouth parted slightly, as if to say more, but an irresistible suction force from above yanked him skyward.

After Jian Xiao and Wei Gu vanished into the Black Hole, Song Wen turned his gaze to Ye Nan.

"Did you kill Gong Tianzong?" Song Wen asked.

"I lack the strength to kill Gong Tianzong," Ye Nan replied.

"Then how did you escape him?" Song Wen pressed.

"I possess a treasure that can conceal my aura," Ye Nan explained. "I anticipated that the Six Fiends Hall wouldn’t let me escape so easily. After fleeing tens of thousands of miles and realizing they hadn’t pursued me, I activated the treasure and doubled back a thousand miles, hiding in a mountain cave. Sure enough, moments later, Gong Tianzong roared past overhead. Once he was far gone, I emerged from the cave and headed toward the Primordial Qi Death Zone. Later, I heard the distant sounds of battle. Driven by greed, I decided to investigate..."

Ye Nan trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid.

The rest of the story was his encounter with Song Wen, whom he mistakenly believed he had gained a great advantage over, only to be ambushed by the shadow void and meet his demise.

"Where is this treasure you mentioned?" Song Wen asked.

"It’s in my storage ring—a stone statue about two feet tall," Ye Nan replied.

Hearing this, Song Wen’s attention returned to the outside world. He retrieved Ye Nan’s storage ring and found the statue.

The statue depicted a female Buddhist nun seated serenely on a lotus pedestal. Her face radiated peace, her eyes lowered, and a gentle smile curved her lips, conveying compassion and mercy.

Yet, her bare chest clashed jarringly with the solemnity of her sacred posture.

The statue’s craftsmanship was exquisite, capturing every detail with lifelike precision—the folds of her robes, the texture of her skin, all rendered with breathtaking realism.

As Song Wen gazed at the stone statue of the female nun, an inexplicable sense of familiarity washed over him.

With a thought, another statue materialized before him—the Two-Faced Buddha.

Song Wen scrutinized both statues, noting striking similarities:

First, both depicted figures from the Buddhist sect.

Second, both exuded a subtle aura of lewdness, jarringly incongruous with the sect’s pure and solemn nature.

Most importantly, the energy emanating from both statues was remarkably similar. Like a cultivator’s mystic treasures, each unique yet all powered by spiritual power, they pulsed with inherent Spiritual Qi.

"Do you know the origin of that statue?" Song Wen asked within his Sea of Consciousness.

Ye Nan shook his head. "No. I stumbled upon this treasure in an ancient tomb. Unlike ordinary mystic treasures, it cannot be activated with spiritual power. If you release my divine soul, I’ll reveal the activation method."

"Hah!" Song Wen scoffed coldly. "Is it activated with blood essence?"

Ye Nan’s expression froze.

"How did you know?"

Song Wen offered no reply, his form gradually dissolving into nothingness.

Ye Nan suddenly felt an overwhelming suction force engulf him.

"No... Please, spare my life..."

Thirteen years later.

A luxurious restaurant in Great Tan City.

Wang Qiuyue and Bai Wei entered a private room and found Song Wen standing inside. The round table behind him was already laden with fine cuisine.

"Greetings, seniors."

"After disappearing for over a decade, I thought you’d already perished," Wang Qiuyue said mockingly, sizing Song Wen up. "Looks like you successfully broke through to Body Integration and hid away to cultivate."

"I owe this to your assistance, seniors," Song Wen replied.

"At least you still have some conscience."

Wang Qiuyue brushed past Song Wen and sat down at the round table, immediately helping herself to the delicacies.

"Congratulations, Gou Jun," Bai Wei said, gazing at Song Wen with a faint smile. Her eyes curved like crescent moons, shimmering with starlight.

"Senior Bai is too kind. Please, take a seat," Song Wen urged.

Bai Wei nodded and stepped toward the table, adding, "Now that you’ve reached the Body Integration Stage, there’s no need to call us ’seniors’ anymore. We can treat each other as equals."

"Bai Wei is right," Wang Qiuyue said, her words slightly slurred as she drained a cup of spirit wine.

"Then let’s proceed as you both suggest," Song Wen replied.

The three settled into their seats, picked up their chopsticks, and began to savor the delicacies and sip the Fine Nectar.

Wang Qiuyue seemed particularly fond of the food, her chopsticks dancing like nimble butterflies among the various dishes.

Before they knew it, three rounds of dishes had been cleared, and five rounds of wine had been consumed.

"Gou Jun, what exactly happened the day Jian Xiao and the others attacked the Six Fiends Hall?" Wang Qiuyue asked, setting down her chopsticks with a hint of reluctance as she surveyed the empty plates.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, are you still hungry?" Song Wen asked. "Shall I have the servants bring more?"

"No need," Wang Qiuyue replied. "These dishes have little Spiritual Qi; their flavor is merely passable. Eating more would be pointless."

Song Wen smiled faintly and steered the conversation toward more serious matters.

"Actually... I don’t know much myself. Jian Xiao and the others launched their attack on the Six Fiends Hall, but Wei Gu sowed discord with a few well-chosen words, causing Ying Wu, Fan Kang, and Xuan Feng to abandon the assault. Afterward, Wei Gu pursued Jian Xiao, while Gong Tianzong chased after Ye Nan. Beyond that, I’m unclear on the details."

"So you were there at the scene. You’re quite skilled; none of those Body Integration Stage cultivators noticed you. But I suspect you’re holding back something. News from Myriad Swords Pavilion confirms Jian Xiao’s death. As for Six Fiends Hall, while we don’t know the fates of Wei Gu and Gong Tianzong, the entire sect has relocated, suggesting something major occurred."

Wang Qiuyue paused, lifting her gaze to meet Song Wen’s with a meaningful look.

"Could it be... Jian Xiao and Wei Gu were both critically injured, and you simply seized the opportunity? You mentioned before that Six Fiends Hall possessed treasures that could help you advance to the Body Integration Stage. Only such a scenario could explain how you achieved your current cultivation level!"

Song Wen’s eyebrow twitched slightly. Wang Qiuyue’s deduction was remarkably astute, perfectly aligning with the truth.

However, Song Wen hadn’t anticipated Six Fiends Hall vanishing again after Wei Gu’s death.

This development would undoubtedly infuriate Ying Wu and Fan Kang.

The promises Wei Gu had made to them had now become empty illusions.

Before Song Wen could respond, Wang Qiuyue continued.

"Rest assured, I have no interest in uncovering your secrets, nor do I care who killed Jian Xiao. His death brings me nothing but joy. I simply want to know what treasures were contained within the wooden box Wei Gu retrieved from the Immortal’s Tomb all those years ago."

Song Wen hesitated briefly before waving his hand.

Instantly, a jade slip materialized and floated toward Wang Qiuyue.

Wang Qiuyue caught the jade slip and examined it, her brow furrowing slightly. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"How could it be the Divine Blood Gate’s Nine Great Heavenly Thunder Secret Art?"

Song Wen replied, "The master of the Immortal’s Tomb had deep ties to the Divine Blood Gate. It’s hardly surprising he possessed the Nine Great Heavenly Thunder Secret Art. Fellow Daoist, don’t forget that the other two wooden boxes contained the crafting method for the Undying Blood Sea Yama Emperor Seal and the cultivation technique for the Godslaying Art—both secret arts of the Divine Blood Gate."

His refusal to surrender the Imperial Thunder God’s Sacrifice Platform stemmed from selfish motives. With this platform, he could continuously produce thunder magic prodigies. Song Wen had no desire to see thunder magic experts become commonplace, as this would inevitably diminish his own power.

As for the Nine Great Heavenly Thunder Secret Art, while valuable, it was merely a secret art. Only those with exceptional talent in thunder magic could truly unlock its full potential.

(End of the Chapter)

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