Translator: CinderTL
Low-level rogue cultivators in Wu Yuan Market noticed that a piece of news, which seemed unrelated to them, suddenly spread like wildfire throughout the market.
The rumor was that an outsider cultivator had sold a Blood Bodhi to the Treasure Spirit Pavilion.
The reason this news spread was that during the transaction, the Treasure Spirit Pavilion had employed some underhanded tactics, brutally killing the seller.
The rumor originated from the seller's hidden companion, who spread it to attract attention to the Blood Bodhi, thereby bringing disaster upon the Treasure Spirit Pavilion and avenging the seller.
After taking control of Forgotten World Ridge, the Asura Sect renovated Wu Yuan Market to earn Spirit Stones and eventually claimed the market as their private property.
To sell the shops and residences within the market, the Asura Sect imposed order in Wu Yuan Market.
Moreover, Wu Yuan Market was located at the border between the righteous and demonic paths, where treasures and materials from both sides could be found.
As a result, many families and sects set up shops in Wu Yuan Market.
The Treasure Spirit Pavilion was one such shop, established by a Golden Core family from the Nine Palaces Sect's territory.
The shop's manager was a male cultivator at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, named Jiang Zhi.
The most compelling evidence of the rumor's authenticity was that after the rumor spread, the Treasure Spirit Pavilion shut its doors and never reopened.
What outsiders didn't know was that Jiang Zhi closed the shop because the rumors had disrupted its normal operations and threatened his personal safety.
Some unidentified cultivators had appeared in his shop, ostensibly to purchase treasures but actually probing for information about the Blood Bodhi.
Jiang Zhi reported this to the Asura Sect's law enforcement team in Wu Yuan Market, hoping for their protection.
The law enforcement team admitted they were powerless to handle the situation but promised to report it to the sect and request their intervention.
However, there was no response from the Asura Sect.
Thus, Jiang Zhi was forced to close the shop.
At the same time, he sent word back to his family, hoping they could resolve the matter.
As for why he didn't flee?
The reason was that in Wu Yuan Market, the Asura Sect's presence still deterred those with ill intentions from openly committing crimes.
Additionally, the shop was protected by a second-tier defensive formation, which ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn't breach.
Moreover, he had tried to stay at the Asura Sect's cultivator inn within the market but was denied entry.
On this day, at midnight.
Jiang Zhi, who was hiding in the underground chamber behind the shop, suddenly noticed that an Array Disk in front of him shattered into pieces.
Immediately, he suffered a backlash, spitting out a mouthful of blood that splattered onto the fragments of the Array Disk.
Jiang Zhi's eyes widened in shock and fear.
The shattering of the Array Disk didn't just mean the formation had been broken—it also meant the Formation Flags had been destroyed.
Yet, he hadn't detected any abnormalities or heard any disturbances.
This indicated that the intruder had shattered the formation in a single move without making a sound.
How powerful must the intruder be?
Jiang Zhi couldn't even imagine.
Just as he was overwhelmed with terror, a figure crashed through the chamber wall and appeared before him.
The figure was shrouded in darkness, making it impossible for Jiang Zhi to see their face or sense any aura.
"Hand over the Blood Bodhi."
The other party's tone was calm, but Jiang Zhi could sense an undeniable authority in it.
"Esteemed senior, I truly do not possess the Blood Bodhi. The rumors circulating in the market are all false," Jiang Zhi knelt on the ground, pleading with a look of desperation.
He feared that if he answered too slowly, the other party would immediately take action, killing him and seizing his treasures.
"Are you certain you don't have it?"
The newcomer's voice turned icy, sending a chill down Jiang Zhi's spine, causing his body to tremble involuntarily.
Jiang Zhi hurriedly removed his Storage Ring and presented it with both hands.
"Esteemed senior, please inspect it. I swear I am not lying."
The newcomer did not take the Storage Ring, instead speaking indifferently.
"There's no need for such trouble."
As soon as the words fell, Jiang Zhi suddenly felt a terrifying suction force pulling him toward the other party, leaving him no room for resistance. In an instant, he was dragged before the newcomer.
Immediately after, he felt a large hand press down on the top of his head.
A vast surge of soul power poured into his consciousness through the other party's hand.
Jiang Zhi's mind instantly became muddled.
A moment later, the newcomer murmured to himself, "It seems this really is just a rumor. No... this is a trap."
The newcomer's figure abruptly vanished from the chamber, darting toward the exit of the shop.
Suddenly, a dark barrier of a formation rose, blocking his path.
The entire Treasure Spirit Pavilion was enveloped within the barrier.
"Who dares to set a trap for this monk?!"
Fayan realized this was a fourth-grade killing formation.
The other party had clearly come prepared.
Song Wen appeared outside the formation, a look of pleasant surprise on his face.
Song Wen was genuinely surprised. Fayan, overly confident in his own strength, had directly entered the Treasure Spirit Pavilion and fallen into the Black Fiend Dark Prison Formation that Song Wen had prepared in advance.
The plan was proceeding so smoothly that Song Wen could hardly believe it.
Song Wen stood atop the formation barrier, holding a black Array Disk in his hand.
He was in no rush to activate the Black Fiend Dark Prison Formation. Instead, he first set up a third-grade formation—the Soul-Shadow Hidden Spirit Formation—around the perimeter.
This formation was designed to block external vision and Spirit Sense detection, while also providing defensive capabilities to prevent any sneak attacks while he dealt with Fayan.
With his Nascent Soul cultivation and having set up the Soul-Shadow Hidden Spirit Formation multiple times, he completed the formation in an instant, as if it were second nature.
While Song Wen was setting up the formation, Fayan naturally did not sit idly by.
He summoned his Horned Dragon Staff, which suddenly enlarged.
However, due to the limited space within the formation, the staff only grew to a length of ten zhang.
The Horned Dragon Staff traced an arc through the air, the dragon coiled around it seeming to come to life, emitting a series of dragon roars. The staff's shadow, resembling a dragon, whistled through the air as it struck the barrier with tremendous force.
"Boom!"
A loud explosion echoed.
The formation barrier shook violently but did not shatter.
Outside the formation, Song Wen, seeing this, was not alarmed but rather delighted.
Fayan's full-force strike had failed to even shake the Black Fiend Dark Prison Formation. It seemed his injuries were indeed severe, and his strength had greatly diminished.
Song Wen began to activate the Black Fiend Dark Prison Formation with a series of hand seals.
The black formation barrier suddenly radiated a brilliant light, and waves of Corpse Qi surged like a tide, rushing toward Fayan.
Fayan, seeing the Corpse Qi coming at him from all directions, hastily recalled his Horned Dragon Staff.
The staff flew around him, continuously deflecting the incoming Corpse Qi.
Fayan couldn't help but feel a deep sense of resentment in his heart.
If it weren't for the severe injuries inflicted by Gou Jun and the heavy depletion of his Spiritual Power, breaking this formation would have been as easy as turning over his hand.
If it weren't for the Profound Heaven Defense Talisman being destroyed by Gou Jun, he wouldn't have had to rely solely on the Horned Dragon Staff for defense.
If it weren't for the Sacrifice Ritual being interrupted by Tai He and Hao Kong during his Nirvana, preventing his body from fully recovering, he wouldn't have had to consume a large amount of rare Spirit Herbs to restore his physical form. Consequently, he wouldn't have been so desperate for healing resources, and he wouldn't have fallen into such a perilous situation over a single Blood Bodhi.
If it weren't for Xiao Chan and Mi Hai being so stingy, unwilling to provide him with fourth-grade Spirit Herbs, he wouldn't have been so desperately short of healing elixirs.
(End of the Chapter)
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