Translator: CinderTL
"As far as I know, those who cultivate the Corpse King's Rebirth Art can only devour the cultivation of those who practice the Corpse King Blood Refinement Art, not the cultivation of others who also cultivate the Corpse King's Rebirth Art," Xu Geng said.
Song Wen remained silent, his gaze fixed on Xue Mei, whose Soul Body was curled up in agony.
"Xue Mei, tell me," he urged.
The excruciating pain of her Soul Body being torn apart was driving Xue Mei to the brink of death. Hearing Song Wen's question, she dared not make any further demands.
"Xu Geng... is right. It's not possible..."
Xue Mei struggled to endure the pain, but before she could finish speaking, she could no longer hold on. Her Soul Body convulsed violently once more.
Song Wen frowned slightly.
He had asked the question because, while devouring Xue Mei's blood essence, he had also absorbed a surge of Spiritual Power. Moreover, the Spiritual Power he had extracted from Xue Mei was purer and more potent than that of others at her cultivation level who practiced the Corpse King Blood Refinement Art.
Neither Xue Mei nor Xu Geng seemed to be lying. However, that didn't necessarily mean their words were true. Xue Mei was merely an outer member of the Divine Blood Gate.
Xu Geng was merely a neglected Primordial Spirit. His true form was wary of him, sending him to the Lower Realm solely to devour him upon his return to the Upper Realm, thereby gaining his memories and learning everything that had transpired below.
It was unlikely that either of them knew the true secrets of the Divine Blood Gate.
Of course, there was another possibility.
Perhaps their words were entirely truthful.
Song Wen's ability to absorb Xue Mei's cultivation was due to his unique constitution.
For a moment, Song Wen couldn't determine which scenario was correct.
He decided to stop dwelling on the matter and changed the subject. "Xue Mei, how do I collect the Black Water of Destruction?"
Having suffered greatly, Xue Mei dared not conceal anything further and answered truthfully. "In my Storage Ring, there's a cyan jade slip containing the method to refine the Black Water of Destruction."
Having obtained the information he sought, Song Wen's soul slowly faded from view, disappearing into the depths of his Sea of Consciousness.
Song Wen retrieved Xue Mei's Storage Ring and found the jade slip she had mentioned. After a brief examination, he unleashed a streak of white-gold flames, consuming Xue Mei's corpse.
As Xue Mei's body turned to ash, a pool of black liquid emerged—the Black Water of Destruction itself.
This substance could corrode all things; ordinary containers couldn't hold it.
Without knowing the method to refine it, it would be incredibly difficult to collect.
If one rashly stored it in a Storage Ring, the ring might shatter, causing all the treasures within to be annihilated by spatial forces.
At this moment, Song Wen naturally didn't have time to truly refine the Black Water of Destruction.
Fortunately, the jade slip contained a simplified method for collecting it.
Song Wen formed a magic seal with his hands, sending one rune pattern after another toward the Black Water of Destruction.
Gradually, the Black Water of Destruction was enveloped in layers of rune patterns, its corrosive power sealed away.
Song Wen retrieved a jade box, collected the Black Water of Destruction, and placed it in an empty storage pouch, hanging it at his waist.
With a flicker, Song Wen vanished from the spot, speeding toward Lan Chen and the others.
However, when he arrived, the three had already disappeared, leaving only faint traces of their auras.
As Song Wen was about to follow the auras to slowly search for them, a figure suddenly flew toward him from afar.
It was Yan Yuyan!
After escaping the Gold-Eating Ant's clutches using the Minor Teleportation Talisman Song Wen had given her, she knew her own weakness made her unable to participate in the battle between Lan Chen and the others. So she had fled hundreds of miles away to watch the fight from a distance.
"Daoist Yan, where are your master, Lan Chen, and Gui Ni?" Song Wen asked.
Yan Yuyan pointed southeast. "Gui Ni was defeated and fled in that direction. My master and Senior Lan Chen went after him."
Song Wen nodded slightly. The direction Yan Yuyan indicated was precisely where the lingering traces of their auras led.
"You guard the entrance to the Profound Yin Cave. Don't let anyone in or out. I'll go help your master and Lan Chen."
With that, Song Wen transformed into a streak of light and shot off.
As if deliberately guiding Song Wen, the remaining traces of Lan Chen and Mo Yexue's auras were remarkably clear. Despite changing directions multiple times, Song Wen easily tracked them.
Perhaps because of Lan Chen and Mo Yexue's obstruction, or because he knew he was no match for Song Wen and feared being cornered and surrounded by the three of them in the Profound Yin Cave, Gui Ni didn't flee there.
After chasing for tens of thousands of miles, intense fluctuations of Spiritual Qi and the sounds of spells clashing echoed from the mountains ahead.
As Song Wen approached, he saw that the combatants were Gui Ni, Lan Chen, and Mo Yexue.
Gui Ni, with the Ant Queen and the Fourth-Tier Peak Ant King at his side, held a clear advantage, pressing Lan Chen and Mo Yexue into a defensive struggle.
But upon closer observation, Song Wen had a different perspective.
Though Lan Chen and Mo Yexue appeared to be on the defensive, forced to parry Gui Ni's relentless attacks, they remained remarkably composed, deflecting each blow with ease.
In contrast, Gui Ni seemed increasingly agitated. His attacks were like a torrential storm, fierce and relentless, yet they failed to inflict even a scratch on Lan Chen and Mo Yexue.
Gui Ni, clearly unwilling to prolong the fight, attempted several times to retreat, but Mo Yexue's natal flying sword blocked his escape each time.
Moreover, the two Late Fourth-Tier Ant Kings under his command had vanished without a trace. Had they been destroyed, or had he recalled them?
As Song Wen closed the distance between himself and the trio, they finally noticed him.
Lan Chen and Mo Yexue were overjoyed.
"Ji Yin, you've finally arrived. Where's Xue Mei?" Mo Yexue asked.
"Xue Mei has been slain," Song Wen replied.
Gui Ni's expression darkened. He could barely manage Lan Chen and Mo Yexue alone. Adding Ji Yin to the equation gave him no chance of victory.
As Gui Ni's mind raced, searching for a way out of this predicament, Song Wen struck.
He activated the Mount Tai Ring, conjuring a Bronze Ring Phantom Shadow that descended upon Gui Ni like a cage.
Though Gui Ni had never witnessed the Phantom Shadow's true power, he knew he couldn't let it get close.
Gui Ni waved the Yin Soul Banner, unleashing a torrent of Ghost Qi.
The Ghost Qi surged like a raging flood, crashing against the Bronze Ring Phantom Shadow.
The phantom, seemingly insubstantial, effortlessly parted the torrent.
Seeing this, Gui Ni hastily threw out his Ghost Head Blade.
This Mid-Grade Magic Treasure was merely a test of the phantom's substance.
Yet the Ghost Head Blade passed right through the Bronze Ring Phantom Shadow as well.
Realizing the phantom's uncanny nature, Gui Ni's heart skipped a beat, his eyes betraying a flicker of panic.
The Bronze Ring Phantom Shadow drew closer, stopping just a few dozen feet above Gui Ni's head. He slapped his Spirit Beast Pouch at his waist, and a Late Fourth-Tier Gold-Eating Ant materialized.
The Ant King bore grievous wounds.
The rear half of its abdomen was missing, the wound eerily smooth, clearly the work of a single sword stroke.
It was undoubtedly Mo Yexue's doing.
Gui Ni enveloped the Ant King in Spiritual Power and hurled it toward the Bronze Ring Phantom Shadow.
The two were now mere inches apart.
Neither the severely wounded Ant King nor Song Wen, who controlled the phantom, could react in time.
The Bronze Ring Phantom Shadow settled over the Ant King's head.
The Ant King froze mid-air, unable to move.
The phantom tightened, its grip crushing the Ant King's hardened exoskeleton.
Its skull compressed under the immense force, the Ant King let out a piercing shriek.
(End of the Chapter)
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