Chapter 119: Chapter 116: Alas, We’re Uncultured

On Wangjiang Mountain, the atmosphere was thick with a subtle, unspeakable awkwardness.

Today was destined to be the day the Xie Family lost all face.

Soon, an elder from the Xie Family camp laughed dryly. "The younger generation these days is truly remarkable! I wonder which family’s Qilin that is. His gains this time are truly the envy of everyone!"

No one replied. Just as the Xie Family elder’s affable expression began to turn cold, a veteran Demon Extermination Envoy from the Lantern Hanging Department finally broke the silence. "Judging by his build alone, it’s impossible to tell which family he’s from. He doesn’t look familiar. However, he must be very young. No older than twenty, at least!" 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

The Xie Family Elder narrowed his eyes slightly. "Oh? And why do you say that, Lord Zhang?"

Demon Extermination Envoy Zhang faintly smiled. "The Lantern Hanging Department has its own unique methods for observing people. We don’t look at faces, only at a person’s aura. What can a simple Human Skin Mask possibly conceal?"

Elder Xie immediately replied, "Is Lord Zhang free in the coming days? Tomorrow is the first of the month. How about this old man pays you a New Year’s visit?"

Demon Extermination Envoy Zhang said, "You’re too kind, Elder Xie. You’re a master approaching the Divinity Transformation realm; there’s no reason for you to personally pay me a visit. Tomorrow, I’m heading to Chongxing Square to eliminate some baleful energy. If you’re free, Elder Xie, you’re welcome to join me."

Elder Xie let out a hearty laugh. "Excellent! Then it’s settled!"

On Wangjiang Mountain, the other cultivators said nothing.

When their eyes occasionally met, they would shake their heads with a silent, mutual understanding.

Back in Illusory Nether City, by the Eternal Pavilion, Song Ciwan had just cleared an area with a Fire Dragon. The other cultivators from the Xie Family’s camp, after a moment of stunned silence, had one of their own suddenly speak up. "With skills as formidable as yours, you can’t be an ordinary cultivator. Why wear a mask and be so furtive?"

Song Ciwan glanced over. It was the same Martial Artist with the long saber who had berated her earlier, accusing her of cutting in.

As Song Ciwan’s gaze fell upon him, he suddenly puffed out his chest, raised his saber slightly, and declared proudly, "I don’t hide who I am. My name is Hao Zhen, a Martial Artist! If you have any honor, state your name!"

Song Ciwan didn’t answer, her gaze simply shifted.

She saw that aberrations were still pouring out endlessly from the Eternal Pavilion, and the ones that had been pinning down Xie Zhang and Xie Yunfeng were now getting to their feet.

As the aberrations rose, the "Xie Zhang" below them also stood up.

The way he rose was bizarre. Not like a normal person flipping over or bending their knees to stand, but instead shooting bolt upright from a prone position. Every one of his joints remained locked and rigid, making the movement jarringly abrupt.

Once standing, his head swiveled to face Song Ciwan.

A deathly pale, rigid face was now revealed to all.

Two streams of bloody tears flowed from beneath "Xie Zhang’s" eyes. He opened his mouth, his lower jaw creaking with a KAKA sound as a monotone sentence emerged. "After more than a decade of delusion, I have obtained eternity today."

His expression, his words—everything about him was unspeakably eerie.

And just as a profound chill crept down everyone’s spines, the "Xie Yunfeng" below him also stood up.

His movements were just as rigid as "Xie Zhang’s." After he stood, his head swiveled with a mechanical KAKA sound. Then, "Xie Yunfeng’s" mouth split open.

Yes, split, not stretched.

He was attempting to grin, as if to laugh, but the actual result was his flesh tearing apart.

Two deep fissures extended from the corners of his mouth, one of them reaching all the way to his earlobe.

Blood flowed from the fissures, the crimson staining the bone beneath his flesh, making it appear even more ghastly and white.

"Xie Yunfeng’s" jawbone moved, and he said with a creak, "After decades of delusion, I have obtained eternity today."

With that, he and "Xie Zhang" exchanged a smile.

Once the father and son had said their piece, they both leaped forward in unison.

Their leap was as swift as a fleeing rabbit.

No, they were faster still.

As fast as a flash of lightning, like a shooting star streaking across the sky. In an instant, "Xie Yunfeng" had bounded in front of Song Ciwan.

From his deeply torn mouth, dozens of fleshy tentacles suddenly erupted, each one tipped with a gaping maw filled with fine, sharp teeth.

All of the mouths lunged, snapping at Song Ciwan.

Song Ciwan was startled but not panicked. The moment she witnessed the father and son, "Xie Zhang" and "Xie Yunfeng," rise to their feet, her vigilance was already at its peak.

"Xie Yunfeng’s" attack was met head-on by a thunderous strike she had long since prepared.

It was a Palm Thunder—a Masterful Skill Level Palm Thunder.

Enhanced by Song Ciwan’s Dao Rune Technique and Strong Rune Technique, its power was on a completely different level from before.

The Palm Thunder was no longer confined to her palm, but exploded into the air like a brilliant firework of crackling lightning, a storm of rampaging electric serpents.

Amidst the dazzling lightning, the writhing fleshy tendrils seemed to be made of mud, instantly blasted into puffs of bloody mist.

The rest of "Xie Yunfeng" was caught in the blast, and he was sent flying backward with a shriek.

In the next moment, "Xie Zhang" lunged forward, colliding squarely with the flying "Xie Yunfeng."

"Xie Zhang" also shrieked as the lightning still clinging to "Xie Yunfeng’s" body arced onto him.

It was a strange reenactment of history, only this time "Xie Yunfeng" had been struck by lightning, not fire. Thus, what was transferred to "Xie Zhang" was lightning, not fire.

The lightning arced between father and son. A moment later, "Xie Zhang" turned into a puff of gray smoke with a final scream.

His soul was utterly obliterated.

A single Primordial Longevity Pearl was left behind.

...

The very air seemed to freeze. In the next moment, "Xie Yunfeng" also turned into a puff of gray smoke with a scream, his last traces vanishing from the world.

Silence fell both inside and outside the Eternal Pavilion, even among the aberrations that had been constantly swarming out.

The next moment, the aberrations suddenly receded.

Then, one of the cultivators who had been with Xie Yunfeng’s faction shouted, "Friend, every grievance has its perpetrator, and we have no quarrel with you! Farewell!"

Before the words had even faded—in fact, just as he finished saying "every grievance has its perpetrator"—wind seemed to sprout from under his feet, and he flew away like a fleeting shadow.

Song Ciwan didn’t stop him, nor did she give chase.

Not just him; the other cultivators, as if waking from a dream, also fled in haste.

Song Ciwan likewise didn’t stop them.

Only Xie Yunxiang finally managed to reach Song Ciwan’s side—indeed, despite how desperately he had been chasing, his low cultivation and average speed meant he was only just arriving now. Though the description of the events around Song Ciwan was long, it had all happened in the blink of an eye.

In that instant, the aberrations had all retreated, and the other cultivators had all fled.

Xie Yunxiang stopped in his tracks, exclaiming in shock, "Brother Xin, your... your Thunder Skill... how is it so powerful?"

Before Song Ciwan could answer, Xie Yunxiang blurted out another question. "There was someone else here just now! He used a Magical Artifact to help Xie Yunfeng! Brother Xin, why didn’t you stop him too?"

Song Ciwan turned to look at him, her eyebrows arching slightly.