Chapter 167

“`

Clang!

The Fire Crow Sword returned to its sheath.

Wang Chen approached the headless corpse and reached out to draw the storage bag into his palm.

He found a copper seal inside it.

Wang Chen hadn’t noticed when Du Yuankui was killed by him that a magic artifact had been thrown out.

Moreover, there was a loose cultivator from the Five Tiger Stockade lurking nearby!

If it weren’t for Wang Chen’s divine soul being far stronger than that of cultivators of the same tier, he might have missed the surveillance from the other party.

He could have been overturned this time!

The stealth abilities of this cultivator were really strong; even with some perception, it was impossible to accurately lock onto their location.

Therefore, Wang Chen simply pretended to be unaware of anything.

First, he collected the other two corpses, then immediately sneaked back to the vicinity.

In terms of stealth, Wang Chen, who had mastered the Stealth Breath Technique to Great Perfection, was second to none among Qi Cultivation cultivators.

He also had plenty of patience.

Sure enough, the mouse came out of its hole.

Kill with one sword!

After getting rid of the potential trouble, Wang Chen placed the loose cultivator’s head into the storage bag.

Then he burned the bodies of the loose cultivator and the two Sunset Peak disciples together into ashes.

He conducted a mass crossing-over ritual to keep them company in the Netherworld, ensuring they wouldn’t be lonely on their journey!

At the same moment, on the first deck of the main cabin of the Cloud Sun Flying Warship.

A Purple Mansion Superior was sitting cross-legged on a cloud bed.

In front of him lay a star disk.

The star disk was dotted with stars, roughly estimated to be four to five hundred in number.

However, these stars were not constant; some would suddenly disappear as if they had never existed.

The Purple Mansion Superior watched indifferently, his eyelids not even twitching once.

Although the stars displayed on the star disk represented hundreds of Sunset Peak disciples,

The extinction of a star meant the death of a disciple!

Yet, no matter how many stars disappeared, the Purple Mansion Superior’s emotions remained utterly still.

After all, other people’s children are in never-ending supply.

For an inner sect branch like Sunset Peak, there were simply too many hopefuls.

If they could select a few true elites through this battle, sacrificing dozens or even hundreds of ordinary disciples would be entirely worth it!

The thoughts of this Purple Mansion Superior reflected this, and the schemes of the higher-ups of the Cloud Sun Sect were even more so!

Half a ‘two hours’ later.

In a concealed mountain cave that had been hastily excavated, Wang Chen began to take stock of today’s gains.

Altogether, he had killed seven cultivators, accumulating a total of 45 Heavenly Merit points.

His total Heavenly Merit points thus rose to 71.

To add another point to Root Bone or Comprehension, he would still need 29 more Heavenly Merit points!

Compared to Human Virtue,

Heavenly Merit, which required killing to obtain, was truly not easy to acquire.

But Wang Chen was quite satisfied.

Besides Heavenly Merit, he also collected five heads that could be exchanged for rewards.

Although Wang Chen only killed three loose cultivators,

He found two more heads in the storage bags of Du Yuankui and others.

That was enough to report back!

He acquired six storage bags, and one was destroyed along with its owner and equipment by the Fire Crow Technique.

The overwhelming power of the Fire Crow Technique at Great Perfection sometimes became a drawback.

From the six storage bags, he extracted more than two thousand spirit stones.

Thirteen magic artifacts.

A pile of various pills and talismans!

Wang Chen couldn’t help but sigh.

Indeed, murder and arson come with a golden belt!

“`

Although the qualities of the magic artifacts, pills, and talismans were mostly not high, put together they amounted to a considerable sum.

Among them, the one who “burst” the best was undoubtedly Du Yuankui.

This guy possessed three magic artifacts, including that copper seal suspected to be a superior magic artifact.

But that copper seal was not the biggest surprise.

The biggest surprise also came from Du Yuankui—Wang Chen found a jade slip in his storage bag.

A cultivation technique jade slip!

This was really almost like winning a lottery.

Because sect disciples normally exchange merit points for cultivation techniques and spells in the Scripture Pavilion, or purchase them from merchants like the Four Seas Commerce Association using Flower Spirit Stones.

Whether through exchange or purchase, everyone would immediately study and condense the Spiritual Light Law Seed on the spot and then go back to slowly comprehend it.

Some cultivation technique jade slips were single-use, shattering after studying.

There were also those that could be used multiple times.

But no matter what kind of cultivation technique jade slip, it was extremely rare for cultivators to carry them on their person.

There was no need for that.

Wang Chen had killed quite a few cultivators, and had picked up more than a dozen storage bags.

Yet this was the first time he had come across a cultivation technique jade slip!

He immediately placed the jade slip on his forehead, infusing mana to induce a response.

As a result, Wang Chen found that this jade slip sealed a body technique named “Shrinking Ground into Inches”.

It was different from the Shadowless Divine Traverse he had mastered.

“Shrinking Ground into Inches” was mainly used for sudden bursts of speed, allowing a swift escape in the face of imminent danger.

Although the distance covered in a single burst was not long, it could be used successively multiple times to escape the pursuit of enemies.

Until one’s mana was exhausted!

This was a rather clever escape technique, one that could perfectly complement the Shadowless Divine Traverse.

Wang Chen couldn’t help but recall the scene when Du Yuankui was fleeing previously; his speed had indeed been quite fast.

Clearly, he had mastered this body technique.

However, Du Yuankui had likely not cultivated “Shrinking Ground into Inches” to a very high level; otherwise, Wang Chen might not have been able to intercept him, even with the Fire Crow Flying Sword.

From this, he surmised that this jade slip sealing the Dharma Technique “Shrinking Ground into Inches” was Du Yuankui’s own fortune.

Only the jade slip was not single-use.

Perhaps Du Yuankui either did not want to benefit others or feared exposing his secret.

That’s why he always carried the jade slip with him.

Now it had fallen into Wang Chen’s hands.

“Shrinking Ground into Inches” was undoubtedly the biggest surprise of the day, but what left Wang Chen speechless was that he also found a magic artifact in Du Yuankui’s storage bag.

More precisely, a set—the Mandarin Duck Mirror!

This set of Mandarin Duck Mirrors was the very one Du Yuankui gave to Wang Chen, to monitor Zhao Huaian.

After Zhao Huaian was persuaded by Wang Chen to leave, Du Yuankui asked for the Mandarin Duck Mirrors back.

Wang Chen had thought that Du Yuankui intended to return the Mandarin Duck Mirrors to Lu Hong.

Now it seemed quite possible that Du Yuankui had been greedy enough to keep them for himself!

With such greed, who else but he should die?

After organizing all the spoils of war, categorizing and storing them properly, Wang Chen picked up the cultivation technique jade slip again and began to condense the Spiritual Light Law Seed of “Shrinking Ground into Inches”.

A moment later, the jade slip in his hand cracked into pieces with a “click” sound!

It was completely destroyed and could no longer be used.

But in Wang Chen’s Sea of Consciousness,

There was now an extra, brilliantly shining law seed!

He simply stayed in the cave, wholeheartedly comprehending the essentials of this body technique.

Until the sky outside gradually darkened, and the sound of the warship’s horn traveled from afar into his ears.

Wang Chen then pushed the large stone blocking the cave entrance.

Summoning his Willow Leaf Flying Boat, he flew in the direction of the sound!

The horn equipped on the Cloud Sun Flying Warship was refined from the giant horn of a Kui Ox, its sound capable of reaching hundreds of miles around, while also conveying simple messages.

The Purple Mansion Superior aboard the warship was calling all disciples to return!

——————

The third update is delivered.