Region Number 23, Corpse Domain
At this time, Ren Ying explained his plans to everyone.
Li Yuxong thought, 'This is a good plan. It might work.'
Immediately, Li Yuxong, Jin Lei, and Ren Ying came to the edge of the formation border. Ren Ying shouted at the enemy: "Are the Thunderous Peak Sect such cowards? Didn't you drink milk when you were born? Come on, remove this formation, and I'll show you what it means to regret being born!"
Similarly, Jin Lei also started cursing them. Li Yuxong just looked at the two of them blankly, not knowing what to say.
At that time, four rank 3 Warriors under Yang Chen grew angry and ran toward them. "Your mouths are sharp! Do you want to be tortured so badly?"
Yang Chen's face changed, and he shouted, "Don't go near them!"
But it was too late. As soon as the four approached, Ren Ying, Li Yuxong, and Jin Lei immediately drew sharp blades and decisively attacked their necks, catching them off guard.
Anger makes one blind. In a battle, blindness is just another word for death.
The four rank 3 Warriors died instantly, without even realizing what had happened.
Yang Chen seethed at their stupidity. "Trash! But it doesn't matter. Your sacrifice won't be in vain—it will help this Corpse Blossom increase its potency."
Li Yuxong looked at him in shock. "You're truly cruel."
Yang Chen looked at him with disdain. Just as he was about to speak, his expression suddenly changed.
He turned in a certain direction and shouted, "Come out!"
"Ge ge ge, you truly have keen senses. But that Corpse Blossom will belong to the Shadow Phoenix Sect now. You can get lost."
Yang Chen gritted his teeth. "Huang Shu. It's you!"
Huang Shu was a slim-looking young man, seventy years old, yet already at peak rank 4. He was also the right-hand man of Huang Weimin.
Huang Shu looked at him in disdain. "Yes, it's me. Now, can you get lost?"
As he spoke, a few more rank 3 Warriors appeared.
Yang Chen shouted, "If you want to fight, then fight! Why waste words?"
Immediately, a battle broke out between them. Li Yuxong was surprised at the sudden turn of events, and as he thought of fleeing, he realized Ren Ying was missing.
Turning around, he saw Ren Ying had already dragged the four corpses toward the Corpse Blossom. He sacrificed them, and the Corpse Blossom fruit immediately emitted a bright light, showing it had matured.
Yang Chen noticed and roared, "You ants dare to steal my treasure?"
Li Yuxong's face changed, but as Yang Chen moved to attack, Huang Shu intercepted him mid-strike.
Huang Shu laughed. "Tsk tsk, Yang Chen, you never expected such a day, did you? A few rank 2 and rank 3 juniors are stealing your treasure right before your eyes, and you can't even stop them."
Yang Chen narrowed his eyes. "Are they with you?"
Huang Shu smiled meaningfully. "What do you think?"
Yang Chen stared coldly. "Do you think you can win it under my nose?" He raised his hand and signaled.
Huang Shu's eyes narrowed as three more rank 3 Thunderous Peak Sect disciples appeared.
He sneered. "Is that all you've got?"
Yang Chen smirked. "They're enough to stop you."
Without further words, Huang Shu resumed his attack. Suddenly, the entire place was filled with battle intent.
"Tiger Fist!""Lightning Strike Lunge!""Starlight Dance!""Mighty Eagle Slash!"
As the fight continued, the battlefield's momentum surged. Even miles away, one could feel the Spiritual Essence fluctuations—if they were skilled enough at sensing.
Meanwhile, the three rank 3 Warriors targeted Ren Ying, Li Yuxong, Jin Lei, and Cao Wei.
Ren Ying shouted, "Leave the left one to me! Handle the rest!"
Li Yuxong was surprised but nodded.
He immediately activated his Spiritual Imprint, Poplar Resilience, drew his sword, and using Sword Step, rushed toward the enemy.
Li Yuxong had only learned two moves: Sword Step and Sword Slash. But precisely because he had so few techniques, he mastered them to the Advance tier early stage.
There are five tiers of mastery over Secret Techniques known to this world: Foundational, Novice, Intermediary, Advance, and Elite.
These can be explained with a simple example—learning to ride a bicycle:
Foundational: Just understanding the basics, like theoretical knowledge of how cycling works.
Novice: Able to perform the technique—like learning to ride for the first time.
Intermediary: Capable of diverse moves—like cycling on roads with traffic.
Advance: Able to create sequences and combinations—like efficiently bypassing vehicles using chained techniques even at extreme speeds.
Elite: Complete mastery—like stunt cyclists who ride on stairs, railings, ropes and more.
Li Yuxong skillfully alternated between Sword Step and Sword Slash to dodge and counterattack.
"Do you only know how to run?" Lei Zhi mocked.
"Be careful—!" A voice sounded in Lei Zhi's ears but it was too late. Suddenly, his face changed, and he groaned. "Ah!"
He looked down—A sword pierced through his back and reappeared at the abdomen stained with blood. Startled, Li Yuxong quickly struck behind Lei Zhi, blocking an incoming attack.
Ren Ying smiled. "No need to thank me."
A chill ran down Li Yuxong's spine. "So… this was your plan?"
Ren Ying didn't reply. Instead, he went to help Cao Wei and Jin Lei.
A Few Moments Earlier
"Let me handle the left one!" Ren Ying had shouted, and everyone agreed.
But why did Ren Ying choose him? That man was the slowest among them. Ren Ying first provoked him, then ran circles, forcing him into pursuit.
When he noticed Li Yuxong's opponent relax his guard, Ren Ying suddenly changed direction and struck Lei Zhi instead.
The man shouted in alarm, but it was too late—the sword pierced Lei Zhi clean through, killing him instantly. Meanwhile, Li Yuxong sensed Ren Ying's opponent's incoming attack and blocked them on his behalf.
Present Time
Li Yuxong said slowly. "You don't have to kill them!"
For Li Yuxong, it was the first time witnessing the harsh reality of Cultivation World.
Ren Ying glanced at him deeply and said meaningfully. "Mercy is a luxury. In the world of cultivation, in the battle of life and death, hesitation is the fastest path to a grave. Always remember this!"
With one enemy down, the rest quickly fell. On the other side, the larger battle was also nearing its end.
Huang Shu had the advantage, and Yang Chen was already at his limit. He shouted, "Capture those three! Don't let them take the Corpse Blossom!"
But Ren Ying had already uprooted the entire Corpse Blossom, taking even its roots. As the enemies rushed, he shouted: "Let's run in different directions and meet at that place!"
At that moment, Cao Wei removed the formation and helped them get away!
Li Yuxong and the others immediately understood—they had already decided on a meeting point before entering the Corpse Domain.
At that moment, a bloody stench spread as Huang Shu killed Yang Chen and blasted his body apart.
He roared, "Chase them!"
Li Yuxong suddenly thought of the bloody cave he had mistaken earlier for the Corpse Domain. He changed direction and ran toward it.
Taking several detours and using Sword Step, he soon reached the cave. Seeing no one behind him, he entered.
Inside, the stench of blood was overwhelming. Forcing down the discomfort, he pushed deeper until he discovered a boiling blood pond.
He suddenly remembered a rumor he had heard two months ago."Is this the Bloodfiend Spring? They say it can solidify a Warrior's foundation!"
Excited, Li Yuxong stripped off his clothes and stepped into the pond.
What he didn't know was that a young man was watching from behind a large rock.
"Everything went according to plan. Now, all I have to do is release the mist and ensure everything proceeds smoothly," Guo Peng muttered, his eyes deep.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed. Shocked, Guo Peng turned, but when he saw the newcomer, he immediately grew humble.
"Everything is fine here, young master."
Ren Ying nodded. "Good. Make sure everything goes well, then return to the Moonlight Faction. I'll see you rewarded with great merit."
Guo Peng's face lit up. "Yes!"
Ren Ying cast one last deep glance at the blood pond before leaving the cave—where Huang Shu and the others were already waiting.
"Is everything going according to plan?" Huang Shu asked.
Ren Ying nodded, then asked, "What about Jin Lei and Cao Wei?"
Huang Shu smirked. "Oh, those two companions of yours? I didn't want any risks, so I eliminated them. Why? Still have feelings for them?"
Ren Ying narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
Region Number 15(Between Dragon Spirit Faction and Shadow Phoenix Faction)
A bird landed on the shoulder of a young girl. She untied a tiny letter from its legs and read it.
Wang Xueyao frowned. "Did he really die? He was only rank 2—it isn't impossible. In front of absolute strength, schemes are useless. But… why does my intuition tell me something's off?"
She thought through the possibilities. "It's impossible for him to trick those young masters and cooperate with them. If not for my soul's strength, able to perceive even the slightest changes in movement and emotion, I too would have fallen for his bluff that day. His existence isn't valued by any young masters. He doesn't need to fake his death. Even the Spirit Dragon Clan's pursuit isn't a serious threat. So… if he's alive, then all his schemes must be to get rid of the competition for Inheritance. He wants to weaken all those factions!"
She knows that he can't possibly scheme to get rid of her. He should have enough self-awareness!
Moonlight Faction
A young girl in white robes meditated on a rock near a lake. At this time, a ninety-year-old man approached respectfully.
"Saintess."
Tang Liuyue opened her eyes and smiled. "Uncle Zhi."
Xu Zhi nodded. "Ren Ying has sent the Corpse Blossom."
Tang Liuyue's face bloomed with joy. "I told you, Brother Ren would succeed!"
Xu Zhi nodded gravely. "Although he succeeded, we must be careful. His background is unclear. He may be a spy from another faction."
Tang Liuyue pouted. "Uncle Zhi, he's not a spy. He saved my life."
Xu Zhi sighed. "I know, I know. But I worry for your sake. Don't be deceived."
Tang Liuyue smiled softly. "I know, Uncle Zhi. I'm not a child anymore."