Translator: CinderTL

Song Wen sighed helplessly, his figure blurring as he broke through the lake’s surface and fled once more.

As he sped away, he submerged a portion of his consciousness into his Sea of Consciousness.

Jing Bei and Fu Kaiyu’s divine souls, imprisoned within the Sea of Consciousness, suddenly realized that the one who had taken their lives had appeared before them.

"Who exactly are you? How do you know so many of the Divine Blood Gate’s most closely guarded secrets?" Jing Bei demanded, his gaze fixed on Song Wen’s gradually solidifying form. "You’ve not only mastered the Blood Sea Seal, but you’ve also cultivated the Corpse King’s Rebirth Art and the Nine Great Heavenly Thunder Secret Arts?"

Song Wen replied, "In your current predicament, what good would knowing these things do you?"

"Even in death, I deserve to understand," Jing Bei retorted, his eyes burning with intensity as he glared at Song Wen. "You’ve preserved our divine souls, presumably to extract information from us. Answer my questions truthfully, and I’ll reveal everything you wish to know."

"Very well, then I’ll grant you a clear-eyed death," Song Wen said, his eyebrow arching slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You ask about my origins, no doubt because you resent dying at the hands of a fellow disciple. But you’re mistaken—I’m not a member of the Divine Blood Gate. I’ve simply killed many of your core disciples and seized their secret arts."

"Are you serious?" Jing Bei asked, his gaze skeptical.

"Do you really think I’d lie to you in this situation?" Song Wen retorted.

Jing Bei scrutinized Song Wen for a long moment before finally saying, his tone tinged with frustration, "Your turn to ask."

"Do you possess the Body Integration Stage cultivation technique for the Corpse King’s Rebirth Art?" Song Wen asked.

This was the primary reason he had gone to such lengths to kill Jing Bei after discovering he was a core disciple of the Divine Blood Gate. Song Wen only possessed the cultivation technique up to the Void Refinement Stage. Once he achieved body integration, he would find himself without a primary cultivation technique.

However, Jing Bei’s answer poured cold water on Song Wen’s hopes.

"No. Though I am a core disciple of the Divine Blood Gate, the advanced techniques of the Corpse King’s Rebirth Art are not easily obtained. They require a significant price. As a Peak Void Refinement cultivator, my immediate priority is advancing to body integration. Why would I waste resources acquiring a technique I can’t use yet?"

Hearing this, Song Wen shook his head and changed the subject.

"Then why did you brazenly appear in Great Tan City? As far as I know, the Six Fiends Hall members are hiding in the Primordial Qi Death Zone, too afraid to emerge."

"For the Turbid Spirit Realm," Jing Bei replied.

"The Turbid Spirit Realm?" Song Wen frowned, his face etched with confusion. "The Turbid Spirit Realm is controlled by the three great sects of the Southern Nether Region, and they haven’t allowed anyone to enter yet. What does your appearance in Great Tan City have to do with this?"

Jing Bei replied, "Legend has it that the Pure Origin Heavenly Dew can be found within the Turbid Spirit Realm. I came here seeking it. For demonic cultivators like myself, advancing to the Body Integration Stage is several times more difficult than it is for orthodox cultivators. This Pure Origin Heavenly Dew is the ultimate divine treasure for breaking through the bottleneck of the Body Integration Stage."

A flicker of surprise crossed Song Wen’s eyes.

"Is the Pure Origin Heavenly Dew truly that important?"

"Naturally," Jing Bei affirmed. "Throughout the entire mystic realm, there is likely no other heavenly treasure more perfectly suited for a demonic cultivator’s advancement to body integration. Alas, this item is as rare as it is precious. Since I heard rumors of its existence, I had to seize this opportunity. However, the three great sects only permit their disciples and affiliated clan members to enter the Turbid Spirit Realm. Therefore, I had to approach the Fu Clan, who secretly maintain ties with the Six Fiends Hall, hoping to infiltrate the Turbid Spirit Realm by assuming the identity of a Fu Clan member. My appearance in Great Tan City was merely a test to see if orthodox cultivators could discern my true identity. If the situation proves untenable, I will have no choice but to abandon my plans for the Turbid Spirit Realm. Otherwise, I’ll be trapped like a turtle in a jar."

Song Wen secretly marveled at Jing Bei’s audacity. He also realized that the Pure Origin Heavenly Dew was far more precious and rare than he had imagined.

"As a core disciple of the Divine Blood Gate, you plan to enter the Turbid Spirit Realm alongside orthodox cultivators who are your sworn enemies. Didn’t you prepare any means to protect yourself?" Song Wen asked.

When Song Wen had killed Jing Bei earlier, he had only seen Jing Bei use a single medicinal pill the size of a chicken egg. No other defensive measures were apparent.

Although the pill had temporarily granted Jing Bei the power to overwhelm most Void Refinement Stage cultivators, the Turbid Spirit Realm only allowed Body Integration Stage cultivators to enter. A mere "half-step body integration" level of strength would be utterly insufficient.

Jing Bei replied, "Of course I did. The pill I took earlier was called the Profound Spirit Blood-Burning Pill. It not only temporarily boosts my cultivation level but also allows me to sacrifice my blood essence and flesh to generate the Corpse Luo Poisonous Fiend. Though the amount of this fiend is extremely small and only lasts for a brief moment, it’s enough to obliterate most Void Refinement Stage cultivators."

"Furthermore, my storage ring contains a teleportation talisman and two sixth-tier Earth Evasion Talismans. If used wisely, these could greatly increase my chances of escaping pursuit by Body Integration Stage cultivators. If not for your life-substitution art, which deceived me into believing you had perished and lowered my guard, allowing you to launch a successful sneak attack, you would never have been able to kill me." Jing Bei’s words carried a hint of resentment.

Song Wen’s eyes immediately lit up slightly.

The more life-saving measures Jing Bei possessed, the better—all of these items now belonged to him.

"How many Profound Spirit Blood-Burning Pills do you have?" Song Wen asked.

"Only the one I consumed," Jing Bei replied. "Taking this pill has severe side effects; having more wouldn’t help."

Next, Song Wen inquired about matters related to body integration and the current location of the Six Fiends Hall’s headquarters. He then activated the Sea of Consciousness Black Hole, devouring both their divine souls.

Inside a pavilion in Cloudstream Valley, Song Wen sat cross-legged on the ground, stroking a blood-colored jade slip in his hand.

This jade slip had been obtained from Jing Bei’s storage ring. It contained breakthrough insights for the Body Integration Stage left by numerous predecessors of the Divine Blood Gate, including both successful experiences and cautionary tales of failure.

Compared to the breakthrough insights Bai Wei had given him, the contents of this jade slip held far greater value for Song Wen.

After all, it contained the breakthrough experiences of corpse cultivators, many of whom had cultivated the Corpse King’s Rebirth Art.

After repeatedly reviewing the jade slip, Song Wen gained an increasingly clear understanding of the Pure Origin Heavenly Dew’s miraculous properties.

According to the jade slip, over ninety percent of Divine Blood Gate members who consumed the Pure Origin Heavenly Dew successfully broke through to the next stage.

No wonder Jing Bei had been willing to risk everything to enter the Turbid Spirit Realm.

"It seems I should go see Bai Wei," Song Wen murmured to himself.

Bai Wei had previously warned him that if he wished to enter the Turbid Spirit Realm, he needed to inform her within six months, or he might miss the realm’s opening.

Originally, he had hesitated about entering the Turbid Spirit Realm, but after Jing Bei’s incident, he had finally made up his mind.

If even Jing Bei, a core disciple of the Divine Blood Gate, feared missing the opportunity presented by the Turbid Spirit Realm, Song Wen, as a rogue cultivator with a long lifespan, couldn’t be certain when he might encounter the Pure Origin Heavenly Dew again.

Moreover, with his sixth-grade spiritual root, he likely possessed the worst innate talent among cultivators at his level. To successfully break through, he needed to find the most superior breakthrough spiritual object to compensate for his innate deficiencies.

(End of the Chapter)

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