Chapter 146: Self-Injury

Chapter 146: Self-Injury

And just like that, the Fiend passed away peacefully.

...

Previously...

"Haven't you all heard what I said?"

His voice carried a subtle hint of anger... because he discovered that the three Soul Subjugators hadn't made a move even after hearing the threat. Instead of reaching for treasures, they all stared at him strangely, seemingly treating him with an inexplicable sense of disdain.

"I heard it, I heard it." Monk Pushan waved his hand. "You're getting impatient, aren't you?"

"So why don't you quickly present your treasures!" shouted the Fiend.

In truth, he wasn't particularly inclined to recklessly take lives at this moment, especially given the emphasis on personnel management stressed by the Guider.

However, if these three individuals continued to be so insolent, he wouldn't mind eliminating one as a warning for the other two.

Following that, he saw the three Soul Subjugators opposite of him taking out items.

Fifty-Eighth unsheathed an ancient, plain longsword, while Fifty-Ninth took out a golden ring. Sixtieth, however, took out a finger.

It didn't seem like they were about to offer any treasures.

The Fiend couldn't believe that these three Soul Subjugators had the audacity to defy him; it seemed like they were all new members.

The Fiends sneered coldly. He was ready to teach these new members a lesson.

As soon as he thought about it, he felt an overwhelming pain and feeling of weakness.

Boom!

Someone used the Five Labors and Seven Injuries!

Luo Yao's immortal art took effect first.

The Fiend swayed for a moment. Just as he was about to mobilize his energy to resist, he saw a golden ring flying towards him.

Suddenly, as the ring flew in the wind, it transformed into nine rings!

Bang, bang, bang......

Nine golden rings, layer upon layer, were successively looped around his neck and limbs, tightly binding his entire being.

What is all this?

This clearly wasn't a divine skill that a fourth-realm cultivator should be able to unleash.

It does not resemble the divine skills of diabolical cultivators!

"Mr. Fei, save me!" the Fiend roared loudly.

This Fiend was slightly weaker than the Fiend killed by Chu Liang and the others earlier.

He was only at the first stage of the Realm of the Five Elements and his combat strength primarily relied on the powerful Battle Soul by his side.

Upon realizing that he might not be a match for these three, he instinctively cried out for help, while his body transformed into a shadow, swiftly retreating for more than ten zhang!

The divine skill of becoming transparent was very effective. Instantly, the nine golden rings released by Pushan fell off his body.

Unfortunately, this ethereal form only lasted briefly. In the blink of an eye, the Fiend's body returned to normal while he was still suffering from the curse of the Five Labors and Seven Injuries.

Right after that, the Fiend witnessed a spectacular scene as Ten Thousand Swords soared through the air!

Tens of thousands of glowing swords, each ablaze with crimson flames, slashed through the sky before crashing down in fiery explosions!

Like a meteor shower cascading from the heavens!

It was the combination of Ten Thousand Swords Seal and the Talismanic Sword Seal! The Myriad Talismanic Sword!

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—

Using thousands of fire swords to defeat a diabolical cultivator at the fifth realm might seem excessive.

The next second, they raised the ancient longsword in their hand, and countless swords filled the sky!

The meteoric firestorm reappeared, as myriad flaming swords descended from the sky.

The disciples of the Dark King Sect only realized it at this moment, but unfortunately, it was too late! They were caught off guard and had no time to prepare a counterattack.

They could only scramble to flee in all directions!

Rumble—

Those fiery swords brimmed with so much spiritual energy. When viewed from high above, it seemed like these attacks were intended more for dispersing than for fatal blows.

Aside from one Soul Subjugator who died due to clumsiness, the rest merely scattered beyond the reach of the rain of fire.

Amidst the chaos, they lost sight of each other.

When the Fiend turned around to counterattack, he found that the figure had already disappeared. Despite such a powerful strike, there was not a trace of residual energy left behind.

"This..." He could only exclaim in disbelief. Despite feeling reluctant, he had no choice but to give up.

He turned around and rallied his dispersed subordinates.

Even for a Fiend, being alone in this fog was just too dangerous.

When they dispersed, there were four people. However, upon regrouping, their numbers increased to six. Among them, three terrified and injured Soul Subjugators from another team joined, while one of the original four was killed by the rain of swords.

The Soul Subjugators under his command were also all covered in injuries.

Under the terror of those fiery swords just now, even if they managed to escape by luck, it was impossible for them to emerge unscathed.

"A person in black attacked us moments ago. Our Honorable Fiend fought against him, and we had no choice but to flee. We were pursued relentlessly until we arrived here," explained the three Soul Subjugators.

The Fiend glanced at the Soul Subjugator Tokens of the three individuals and was no longer suspicious. He led the three of them back towards the base. In times of crisis, the more people, the better.

Upon their return to the base, the Southern-Route Guider immediately rose to his feet upon seeing the group, all of whom bore visible injuries.

"What happened this time?" asked the Southern-Route Guider.

The Fiend bowed his head and replied, "Both our teams were attacked by a person in black and we were all injured. That person unleashed the 'Ten Thousand Swords Seal.' The sword qi he displayed was so powerful that he might be a sixth-realm cultivator! I could not protect everyone. Forgive me for my incompetence!"

The Southern-Route Guider examined the wounds on their bodies and the injuries were indeed all caused by sword qi. The strength of the sword qi was evident through their wounds.

Since everyone was already injured, he didn't scold them. Instead he said, "Hurry up and treat your injuries. Don't delay the upcoming mission."

"Keep moving forward, and we'll soon reach the Deep Pool of Dreams."

While everyone sat cross-legged on the ground to recuperate and heal, the Southwestern Guider asked worriedly, "Who could be following and attacking us in this journey?"

"I don't know," the Southern-Route Guider shook his head and said with a resolute and fierce tone. "Even if he's hiding now, he will have to reveal himself before we arrive at the Deep Pool of Dreams. We will see him sooner or later!"

The person in black was none other than Chu Liang.

The three were concerned that the sequential deaths of Fiends would inevitably raise suspicion. To counter this, Chu Liang devised a strategy. He first located another team, ingested an Essence-Concealing Pill, and subsequently launched a surprise attack.

This way, their team would not be the only team that had been attacked and their injuries would seem less suspicious. To make it even less suspicious, Chu Liang went as far as using sword qi to inflict wounds on himself and his other two companions.

They injured themselves!

After these series of actions, they had indeed successfully infiltrated another team without arousing any suspicion.

...

As the team continued their journey, they eventually arrived at the end of the Valley of Bewildering Fog. Here, a vast and immense abyss greeted them, stretching out before them as far as the eye could see.

Rather than descending into the depths, the fog within the abyss surged upward, as if this place was the source of the fog! Endless wails echoed from the bottom of the valley, serving as an indication of the countless lost souls trapped within.

On the opposite side of the abyss, a vast, dazzling curtain of lights, resembling colorful glass in the shimmering light, adorned the landscape. It appeared almost like a mirage. Scenes continuously shifted and changed above it in the high sky, reflecting the images from the opposite side of the abyss.

With lush greenery, a gently flowing stream, and exotic spirit beasts standing quietly, the valley indeed resembled an otherworldly paradise.

The treasures seen by the Guiders on the opposite side must have been reflected through this curtain of light. Chu Liang thought to himself.

The magnificent and mysterious scenes caused everyone to pause in awe.

"Is the Deep Pool of Dreams across?"