Translator: CinderTL
The Evil Marsh Secret Realm was open for a full month.
However, only a few hours had passed since its opening.
Suddenly, the Black Hole at the center of the vortex erupted with a dazzling azure light.
When the light faded, a female cultivator from the Profound Yin Sect in the middle stage of Golden Core cultivation appeared above the Black Hole.
She was severely injured.
According to her, her luck had been truly terrible. After entering the secret realm, she was randomly teleported to the lair of a group of demon beasts and immediately surrounded by several Third-Tier demon beasts.
Fortunately, her attackers were turtle-like demon beasts, whose attacks and speed were relatively weak, giving her a chance to escape.
The Evil Marsh Secret Realm was filled with hidden dangers, and with her severe injuries, she dared not linger. She was forced to withdraw from the secret realm.
Following her, cultivators began exiting the secret realm one after another for various reasons.
On the tenth day, the Black Hole glowed azure for the fourth time.
This time, two people emerged: Xin Bai and Liu Qi, Song Wen's subordinates.
Both were severely wounded.
Liu Qi had even lost an arm.
"Why are you both so badly injured? Did you find the Seven Lives Mushroom?" Song Wen's voice suddenly echoed in their ears.
They looked up at Song Wen, who stood at the bow of the Giant Flying Ship. They leaped into the air and boarded the ship.
"Your subordinate is incompetent and has failed to fulfill the Sect Leader's trust. We were unable to bring out even a single Seven Lives Mushroom," both men said, their faces flushed with shame as they bowed their heads low.
"Not even one!" Song Wen's expression turned icy.
"Sect Leader," Xin Bai hastily explained, "It's not that we didn't try our best. We had already obtained two Seven Lives Mushrooms, but Chang Yin stole them from us. She not only seized our Storage Rings and gravely injured us, but also forced us to crawl out of the secret realm's exit like dogs."
Both Xin Bai and Liu Qi's faces were etched with resentment and fury.
"Oh? Chang Yin actually humiliated you like that?" Song Wen raised an eyebrow, the gloom on his face gradually lifting.
As long as they had the Seven Lives Mushrooms, it didn't matter who brought them out of the secret realm.
"You two should go heal your wounds," Song Wen said.
"Thank you, Sect Leader."
After bowing, Xin Bai and Liu Qi began meditating to recover.
Not far away, on the Profound Yin Sect's Giant Flying Ship, You'e glanced at Song Wen and his two companions on the Asura Sect's ship before closing her eyes again to continue her cultivation.
She had overheard every word of their conversation, yet she remained completely unfazed.
Three days later, Chang Yin emerged from the Evil Marsh Secret Realm with two Golden Core cultivators from the Profound Yin Sect. She flew directly toward the Asura Sect's ship.
"Senior Yin Shuo," Chang Yin said, a barely concealed smugness on her face, "May I ask if your sect's two Fellow Daoists have returned from the secret realm yet?"
Song Wen stepped out of the Giant Flying Ship. "Young Chang Yin, why ask what you already know?"
Chang Yin replied, "If that's the case, Senior, please fulfill our bet."
Song Wen asked, "How many Seven Lives Mushrooms did you obtain in total?"
"Five, and each one has a medicinal age of over three hundred years," Chang Yin said.
As she spoke, five jade boxes materialized before her.
The boxes opened automatically, each revealing a palm-sized purple mushroom.
Seeing this, a smile spread across Song Wen's face.
"You've won the bet, Young Chang Yin."
With a thought, a hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones appeared before him.
"This is the wager we agreed upon."
As Chang Yin watched the hundred Spirit Stones slowly float toward her, an undeniable air of arrogance crept into her expression.
Even as a Nascent Soul cultivator and the leader of a sect, Song Wen still had to treat her with respect.
The reason she had deliberately provoked Song Wen was this:
The Profound Yin Sect had become the undisputed behemoth of the demonic path. The Nine Palaces Sect, once ranked alongside them as one of the Four Great Demonic Sects, had been forced to retreat and keep a low profile, fearing the wrath of the Profound Yin Sect and potential annihilation.
The Nine Palaces Sect had already abandoned their plans to enter the Evil Marsh Secret Realm. Yet the newly established Asura Sect had dared to participate.
This infuriated Chang Yin.
As Gui Ni's direct disciple, Chang Yin felt it her duty to uphold the interests of the Profound Yin Sect.
Relying on the sect's backing, You'e's presence, and her own considerable strength, she had dared to provoke Song Wen, an Early Stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
Chang Yin pocketed the hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones and declared loudly, "Senior Yin Shuo, you truly keep your word. I bid you farewell."
With that, she turned to return to the Profound Yin Sect's Giant Flying Ship.
"Young friend Chang, wait," Song Wen suddenly called out, stopping her.
"Senior Yin Shuo, what instructions do you have?" Chang Yin asked.
Song Wen replied, "Though our bet has been settled, one matter remains unresolved."
"What matter?" Chang Yin asked.
"In the secret realm, you humiliated my disciples. Shouldn't you offer me an explanation?" Song Wen said.
Chang Yin paused, her expression momentarily stunned.
She instantly realized Song Wen was looking for trouble.
However, Chang Yin felt little concern.
"Senior Yin Shuo, exploring a secret realm is every cultivator for themselves. I've already spared two of your sect's Fellow Daoists out of respect for you. Now, are you asking me for an explanation? Isn't this a case of an elder bullying a junior?"
"Bullying a junior?" Song Wen's face was all smiles. "Isn't the very purpose of cultivation for us cultivators to become powerful, to rise above all things?"
Chang Yin's heart clenched at his words. A powerful sense of danger instantly washed over her.
"Yin Shuo, my master is Gui Ni! If you dare harm me in the slightest, my master will bathe the entire Asura Sect in blood!"
Song Wen's smile grew even brighter.
"Bathe the Asura Sect in blood? Gui Ni would have to be capable of that first."
Chang Yin knew Song Wen was determined to attack her.
She raised her hand and waved. A Black Ghost Banner suddenly materialized before her.
The banner unleashed a surge of Yin Energy, which enveloped Chang Yin. Her form instantly transformed into a streak of black light, shooting toward the Profound Yin Sect's Giant Flying Ship.
Chang Yin's speed was nearly comparable to that of an Early Stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
"Yin Soul Banner?" Song Wen muttered to himself.
He had once obtained the method to craft an Yin Soul Banner and successfully created one. However, the banner he crafted possessed limited power, serving primarily as a dwelling for his ghost servants. This was mainly because his primary cultivation method wasn't a Ghost Dao technique, and he had invested limited resources into it.
"Heavenly Thunder Descent!"
With a soft exhale from Song Wen, dark clouds suddenly gathered over a hundred-mile radius. Bolts of lightning pierced through the clouds, instantly engulfing the entire area in a sea of thunder, leaving Chang Yin with nowhere to hide.
Heavenly Thunder Descent was a Fourth-Tier lightning-based spell. While its display was impressive, it was essentially a wide-area attack with limited damage. It posed little threat to Nascent Soul cultivators, but it was more than sufficient to deal with a peak Golden Core Ghost Dao cultivator.
Chang Yin watched the torrent of lightning cascading down around her. All traces of her earlier arrogance vanished, replaced by sheer terror. Her vaunted Ghost Dao techniques seemed as fragile and illusory as reflections in a mirror before the overwhelming power of the storm.
(End of the Chapter)
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