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Book 2: Chapter 24: A ruse
With a swift flicker, Murong Lin materialised before the group, his blade descending with the third technique of the 《Heaven and Earth Blade Art》:
“Dark Sky style!”
In that fleeting moment, bystanders struggled to comprehend the events transpiring, but the terror etched across the faces of the encircling cultivators was unmistakable.
All those surrounding Murong Lin found themselves engulfed in the effective radius of his third blade, their primordial spirits ensnared within. Within this dark and boundless realm, only their thoughts seemed to persist, but in the very next instant, it was as if their thoughts had never existed.
A wave of terror swept through them.
Yet, Murong Lin remained unaffected, relentless in his assault within the darkness. His figure reappeared behind a robust man, the blade descending upon his neck.
“Pu!” The man’s sizable head was sent soaring into the sky, his lifeless body instantly converted into a blood crystal that Murong Lin stowed within his Bloody Poisonous Insect Acupoint for absorption.
Murong Lin’s blade continued its steady and graceful strikes, landing with deadly precision. It pierced through another opponent’s back, the tip emerging from the man’s chest as life ebbed away, denying his primordial spirit any chance of escape.
This efficiency stemmed from the fusion of Murong Lin’s blade intent, ‘Emotionless’, and his Manifestation form, ‘Evil of lifelessness, lawlessness, and formlessness’, onto his blade.
Escape was futile.
As the darkness dissipated, only a handful of survivors remained on the field. Murong Lin, still clad in green, stood on the sidelines, a subtle smile gracing his tilted head, a blade firmly in hand.
A Cognizance realm expert, initially fearful, now observed Murong Lin with growing glee. Believing that Murong Lin had depleted his spiritual talismans to conjure the earlier darkness, the expert rallied the remaining few.
“Quick! He’s out of spiritual talismans! Everyone, charge!”
As the others started to shake off their fear, some, catching the peculiar expression on Murong Lin’s face, panicked.
“I’m sorry! I don’t want it anymore! I concede!” cried out one in fear.
As they attempted to flee, Murong Lin’s silhouette flickered, materializing before them in a sudden assault.
“Everlasting style!”
A seemingly unending blade light manifested before them, persisting stubbornly as it pierced through their bodies, tearing them apart. In that instant, their souls were extinguished, leaving no opportunity for their primordial spirits to escape.
The expressions of the remaining individuals twisted dramatically, their eyes seemingly ready to bulge out of their sockets. Swiftly, they summoned their Manifestation forms, brandishing weapons and activating spiritual arrays and talismans. Together, they launched a coordinated attack against Murong Lin.
Yet, Murong Lin remained unfazed, his blade swinging effortlessly.
“Catastrophe style!”
In an instant, the figures of those present distorted dramatically, undergoing endless transformations. Their spiritual arrays and talismans were rendered useless before being ruthlessly obliterated. The powerful attack that the leading three had conjured with their Manifestation transformations and Intent Realms collided with Murong Lin’s afterimage.
By the time the dust settled, Murong Lin’s figure had long disappeared.
Murong Lin materialized above them, his blade light descending toward their heads. Fear gripped the group as they hastily unleashed their ultimate techniques to counter the impending attack.
However, under the influence of ‘Evil of lifelessness, lawlessness, and formlessness’, how could Murong Lin’s assault be easily thwarted?
With the exception of one individual who self-destructed his spiritual equipment to propel himself downward, all others had their bodies cleaved in half. ‘Evil of lifelessness, lawlessness, and formlessness’, combined with ‘Emotionless’, instantly corroded their bodies, penetrating through wounds and annihilating them on a spiritual level.
Their demise was swift and brutal, denying their primordial spirits any chance of escape.
The lone survivor fled in terror, burning away at his blood essence as he rushed outward. Panic-stricken, he screamed internally, “What kind of attack is this? Who is he? Who exactly is he!”
Even the other cultivators vying for the spiritual items couldn’t help but notice the astonishing scene, filled with shock and admiration. Murong Lin, despite being outnumbered 20 to 1, displayed unparalleled prowess in the Abhij?ā realm.
Rather than immediately pursuing the fleeing man, Murong Lin opted to collect the corpses before aiming the 《Heart-Hurting Arrow》at the escaping survivor.
Murong Lin’s hands mimicked the act of grabbing a nonexistent bow and arrow and aiming at the fleeing escapee.
Consumed by fear, the escapee found himself unable to activate his Intent realm. When he sensed the impending danger from behind, he resorted to his Manifestation transformation to defend.
However, Murong Lin’s attack was an intangible arrow.
The escapee’s body faltered for an instant before blood spewed from his lips. Sorrow and despair etched across his face, regret seizing his heart, ultimately leading to his instant demise.
In the blink of an eye, Murong Lin approached the lifeless corpse. After ensuring the body was properly taken care of, he seized the blue light that flew to his side.
Witnessing this, those who had been chasing after the sphere promptly retreated, not daring to compete for the item.
On the other side of the chaotic scene, Xiao Dong and Zhou Xuan Tong’s battle had escalated to its zenith.
Despite Zhou Xuan Tong’s higher cultivation, the competition between their Abhij?ās forced both of them backwards.
A complex mix of shock, shame, and anger played across Zhou Xuan Tong’s expression. He, an Abhij?ā realm cultivator, found himself unable to gain the upper hand against Xiao Dong. Moreover, the opponent before him had awakened their Abhij?ā at the mere sixth layer of the Cognizance realm—a potent Devourment Abhij?ā at that.
Zhou Xuan Tong felt his spiritual powers seeping from his body, a consequence of Xiao Dong’s Abhij?ā, ‘Devourment’.
In that moment, he knew without a doubt: that this individual could not be allowed to live!
Prepared to resume his battle with Xiao Dong, Zhou Xuan Tong was taken aback when he observed Xiao Dong hurling toward a purple-coloured spiritual item after their clash. Xiao Dong, too, seemed bewildered, staring at the spiritual item shooting itself toward his chest in a bid to annihilate him. Swiftly, he swiftly activated his power of Devourment to capture it.
With a glance, he identified it. It was the ‘Great Annihilation Fruit’!
Xiao Dong’s expression went through a series of transformations as he glanced at Zhou Xuan Tong, who had the same strange expression, as his own turned into one of mocking.
Simultaneously, Murong Lin arrived at their side. Tossing the ‘Blessed Enigma Cauldron’ toward Xiao Dong, he flew in the same direction, shouting, “Stop!”
Instinctively, Xiao Dong caught the hurled object—the Blessed Enigma Cauldron now in his hands.
His expression became even more dumbfounded as he looked at the higher Sky grade spiritual equipment in his hands and then at the rapidly approaching figure.
Instantly sensing the familiar aura surrounding Murong Lin and recalling the face that had humiliated him at the auction, Xiao Dong viciously shouted, “It was you?”
Unconcerned about Murong Lin’s changed appearance, Xiao Dong’s anger surged. Murong Lin, pretending to recognize Xiao Dong only now, shifted his expression and shouted, “Thief! Return that to me!”
Enraged, Xiao Dong darkened his expression. However, surrounded by Murong Lin and Zhou Xuan Tong, he had no choice but to choose escape. Activating his power of Devourment once more, he unleashed ‘Devourment’, creating a path for himself.
As he ran outside, Xiao Dong shouted, “Just you all wait! I will return this attack tenfold!”
“Quick! Chase him! Kill him!” Zhou Xuan Tong ordered the Zhou clan disciples.
After exchanging glances, the group pursued Xiao Dong. Zhou Xuan Tong, glancing indignantly in the direction of Xiao Dong’s escape, turned back to secure the remaining Barren grade spiritual items.
With few Barren grade items left, only one danced in the sky. Zhou Xuan Tong charged toward it, capturing it and compelling the pursuers to abandon their chase just by his presence alone.
At this point, the number of spiritual items in the sky amounted to no more than a thousand. Murong Lin also retreated after casually securing a higher Sky grade spiritual item. Apart from these items, the vast hall held nothing more of value to him.
Translator’s note
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