Translator: CinderTL

Song Wen’s fingers traced the jade slip containing the breakthrough insights, his mind racing like lightning.

It now seemed clear that Bai Wei’s invitation to the Turbid Spirit Realm was genuine, without malicious intent.

He desperately needed the Pure Origin Heavenly Dew.

For someone like him—a practitioner of the demonic path with only a mid-grade spirit root—this substance was of paramount importance.

However, the journey to the Turbid Spirit Realm would undoubtedly be fraught with peril, far beyond the dangers of the realm itself.

The Turbid Spirit Realm allowed entry to cultivators at the Body Integration Stage and below. The three great sects would inevitably send their own Body Integration Stage experts. If his identity as a demonic cultivator were exposed, he would instantly become a target, hunted by all.

Moreover, the three great sects would undoubtedly station guards at the realm’s entrance. Even if he successfully obtained the Pure Origin Heavenly Dew and emerged from the Turbid Spirit Realm with the treasure, escaping these sentinels would be another formidable challenge.

Avoiding the Turbid Spirit Realm would eliminate these risks entirely.

Yet, according to the breakthrough insights, the Pure Origin Heavenly Dew was exceedingly rare—a treasure that could only be encountered by chance, never sought out.

As Song Wen pondered, his divine sense delved into his storage ring, inventorying his life-saving items.

Substitute Puppets: thirty-two Cosmic Transformation Incarnations: two Fifth-tier Earth Evasion Talismans: two Minor Teleportation Talismans: twenty-eight * One Profound Thunder Nine Heavens Talisman

These should be sufficient to ensure his survival while exploring the secret realm. If they proved insufficient to extricate him from danger, he would likely be trapped in an inescapable predicament where no amount of life-saving items would avail him.

After prolonged deliberation, Song Wen remained undecided. He rose abruptly, left the pavilion, and soared into the sky, heading toward Great Tan City.

Upon entering Great Tan City, he first visited several shops to purchase a variety of spiritual objects. He then proceeded to the area where rogue cultivators had set up stalls, his gaze sweeping across the stall owners until it settled on a female cultivator selling formations.

Though her appearance was unremarkable, she possessed a unique aura. Standing motionless before her stall, she resembled a deep, still pool, undisturbed by the slightest ripple.

Song Wen glanced at the female cultivator once before shifting his attention elsewhere. He continued walking past her stall, blending into the bustling crowd.

As the sun dipped below the western horizon, evening descended.

The female cultivator packed up her stall, soared into the sky, and headed west, swiftly leaving the city behind and venturing into the vast wilderness.

After flying tens of thousands of miles, she suddenly halted, her gaze sharpening as she scanned the undulating mountain range to her left.

"Who’s there? Show yourself!"

Before her words had fully echoed, nine formation flags materialized around her, swirling in a protective orbit. As their rotation accelerated, they gradually coalesced into a golden barrier, shielding her within.

At that moment, a figure emerged from the distant mountains, gliding steadily toward her until he hovered about a mile away.

The female cultivator watched him warily, refraining from rash action. She couldn’t discern his cultivation level, suggesting it far surpassed her own.

"Who are you, sir? Why are you blocking my path?"

The newcomer was none other than Song Wen, his expression serene, a gentle smile gracing his lips.

"I’m not blocking your path, little friend. I’ve been following you all the way from Great Tan City."

The female cultivator’s heart tightened, her expression growing even more grave.

Just then, Song Wen continued, "Don’t be alarmed, little friend. I mean you no harm. I simply wish to ask for your assistance with something."

"What instructions do you have for me, Senior?" The female cultivator remained vigilant, retrieving another array disk and holding it ready.

"I wish to request your assistance in setting up a formation, little friend," Song Wen said.

"Thank you for your consideration, Senior," the female cultivator replied. "However... my understanding of formations is shallow. I fear I am not up to such a task."

The corners of Song Wen’s lips curled into a sinister sneer, his smile transforming into a chilling expression.

"Let me offer you some advice, little friend: do not underestimate yourself! The formation before you would likely crumble under a single casual strike from me."

Sensing the icy aura emanating from Song Wen, a flicker of panic flashed in the female cultivator’s eyes.

But she quickly regained her composure, casually channeling a wisp of spiritual power. The golden barrier vanished instantly, followed by the disappearance of the nine formation flags and the array disk in her hand.

The female cultivator clasped her hands in a fist salute, bowing slightly.

"What kind of formation does Senior require me to set up? I will do my utmost to assist."

Song Wen nodded in satisfaction, his voice softening.

"Follow me."

With that, he turned and began walking away.

The female cultivator had no choice but to follow.

The pair soon vanished into the deepening twilight.

As they flew onward, the female cultivator grew increasingly alarmed. The surrounding Spiritual Qi grew thinner with each passing moment.

She couldn’t help but wonder where this mysterious figure was taking her.

After flying for about two hours, Song Wen finally stopped above a barren desert, devoid of even a single blade of grass.

The Spiritual Qi here was extremely thin, almost nonexistent.

Suddenly, a surge of black corpse qi erupted from Song Wen’s body.

The corpse qi churned and coalesced into a massive corpse python, which plunged toward the ground below.

The earth, as fragile as tofu dregs, was easily torn apart by the Fiend Python, revealing a thirty-meter-wide cavern.

The corpse python burrowed deep into the earth, descending over fifty kilometers before suddenly expanding outward in all directions.

The solid rock was instantly crushed by the corpse qi, slowly giving way.

Moments later, the corpse qi retreated back into Song Wen’s body, leaving behind a vertical shaft fifty kilometers deep, at the bottom of which lay a vast underground cavern over three kilometers wide.

Song Wen descended along the shaft.

The female cultivator watched the shaft swallow Song Wen, her heart pounding with terror.

He’s a corpse cultivator!

This journey is likely to end in disaster.

She glanced around, but dared not flee. Her only option was to follow Song Wen into the shaft.

Upon reaching the underground cavern and seeing the female cultivator enter, Song Wen retrieved a sixth-tier defensive formation and a sixth-tier concealment formation, setting them up immediately.

As the two formations erected their respective barriers, Song Wen flipped his palm and unleashed a palm strike toward the ceiling.

A dark cyan palm print shot forth, piercing through the automatically splitting gaps in the two barriers. It surged upward through the vertical tunnel, ultimately slamming into the rock wall near the tunnel’s apex.

Rumble!

The earth trembled violently as the rock wall collapsed with a deafening roar. Countless boulders cascaded down, crashing onto the already-closed barriers.

As the rubble piled higher and higher, the entire vertical tunnel was buried. From above, no trace of the mortal-made tunnel remained.

"Little friend, may I ask your name?" Song Wen inquired.

"Junior Kang Ling," the female cultivator replied. She had abandoned all other thoughts, now focused solely on ensuring Song Wen kept his word. She hoped that after successfully deploying the formation, he would allow her to leave.

"And what sect or school do you hail from, little friend?" Song Wen pressed.

"Junior is merely a rogue cultivator, unaffiliated with any sect or school," Kang Ling answered.

"Then where did you acquire your mastery of formations?" Song Wen persisted.

"Junior has always been fascinated by formations," Kang Ling explained. "I later stumbled upon a Formation Inheritance and comprehended it through self-study."

A knowing glint flashed in Song Wen’s eyes.

He had long suspected Kang Ling’s true identity. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have forcibly abducted her here.

During his observation in Great Tan City, Song Wen had noticed that despite her late Divine Transformation stage cultivation, she was selling fifth-tier high-grade formations. This demonstrated exceptional talent.

Such a prodigy, if backed by a family or sect, would likely not be personally hawking wares in the market.

(End of the Chapter)

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