"This scoundrel, I was actually deceived by a Gathered Essence Realm cultivator?" Blood Spirit Sovereign absorbed the fragment of his soul, as if he had re-experienced the dream.
A dignified Blood Spirit Sovereign, deceived by a mere mortal?
"Mortal beings are indeed full of tricks, hard to ascend the Dao!" Blood Spirit Sovereign snorted coldly; if he had been defeated by someone of the same realm, he wouldn't be this angry.
However, Blood Spirit Sovereign was also puzzled as to why his soul power had been plundered.
Logically speaking, with the Nightmare Evasion Technique, even if he failed to deceive, the soul power should have returned.
Even Chen Shijie had not caused him to lose soul power.
Now, he had lost more than half?
If everyone were like Zhao Xing, he wouldn't be able to use the Nightmare Evasion Technique anymore; he would be directly drained.
Thus, Blood Spirit Sovereign was particularly eager to know the reason behind this.
Suppressing the anger in his heart, Blood Spirit Sovereign patiently watched the dream experience.
"Mm?" Blood Spirit Sovereign's gaze suddenly sharpened. At the moment the dream ended, he distinctly felt that this entry into the dream was entirely different from others.
"The Three Spirits converged; he entered the dream voluntarily?"
"In other words, this dream was controlled by him from the very beginning...?"
Blood Spirit Sovereign was momentarily taken aback.
Entering the dream voluntarily was exceedingly difficult.
No cultivator could guarantee that they could control their dreams once they fell asleep.
Even if one's life soul was strong, if they could not achieve 'Three Spirits Convergence,' they could not enter the dream voluntarily.
"To enter the dream voluntarily is already difficult; to control the dream is even more challenging."
"The life soul must not only sense the Heavenly Soul and Earthly Soul but also influence them to a certain extent."
"But how could he, with such a low realm, accomplish this?"
Blood Spirit Sovereign furrowed his brows tightly, feeling that this matter was peculiar.
He carefully reviewed the dream again.
Blood Spirit Sovereign ignored Zhao Xing's antics, focusing on every detail.
The more he watched, the more serious his expression became.
"Not only has he cultivated the life soul, but he also possesses an extremely advanced secret technique, along with high-level soul treasures for protection!"
"This method..." Blood Spirit Sovereign felt a vague familiarity.
He was a genuine disciple of the Heavenly Profound Sect, but since the end of the sect era, his main body had mostly been in slumber, waiting for revival, leaving only a fragment of his soul in the Mysterious Heaven Sect for sustenance.
Blood Spirit Sovereign had lived long enough; he was a true disciple of the Heavenly Profound Sect even before the establishment of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and he had seen much. He vaguely felt that the secret technique Zhao Xing was using was familiar.
"This dream weaving technique seems like something I have seen before..." Blood Spirit Sovereign quickly searched his memories, but the recollection was too distant; it had been over ten thousand years since the sect era!
"Mm? Could this be the Dream God Sect's ultimate technique, Great Dream Chronicle?"
A possibility suddenly flashed through his mind, causing Blood Spirit Sovereign's brow to twitch.
The Dream God Sect was a top-tier sect from the ancient sect era.
It was said that there were only ten sects that could be called 'Divine Sects' during the glorious sect era.
Later, the Dream God Sect declined, experiencing splits and upheavals, becoming known as the Nightmare Sect, yet even so, its power remained terrifying.
During the sect era, it was at the pinnacle, and in the Fortune Dynasty era, the Dream God Sect became the state religion of the Great Li Dynasty, dominating a Fortune Dynasty.
While the Great Zhou had seventy-two academies affiliated with various sects, the Great Li had only the Dream God Sect.
"How could he possess the Great Dream Chronicle? Wasn't this ultimate technique long lost?"
"Is he a descendant of the Dream God Sect? Or a powerful figure from the Dream God Sect... reincarnated?"
The thought flashed through his mind, startling Blood Spirit Sovereign. There were many ways for outland sects to wait for the revival of spiritual energy.
The Heavenly Profound Sect chose to sleep and hide, with most of the sect's members in slumber, only a few awakening periodically to observe worldly changes, waiting for the day of spiritual energy revival.
However, there were also more advanced methods, such as reincarnation in the mortal realm.
To be able to reincarnate, one would undoubtedly exhibit extraordinary talent after rebirth.
In different eras, one could rise to a high position, even leading the direction of the times.
The advantage of this was that if spiritual energy revived, one could seize the opportunity!
"Could it be that Zhao Xing is a reincarnated powerful figure from the Dream God Sect?" Blood Spirit Sovereign shivered, startled by his own thought.
"Impossible." In an instant, Blood Spirit Sovereign shook his head, denying this speculation, "If it were true, how could I easily see through it?"
Zhao Xing was so weak now; if he could be easily seen through... he would easily be killed, his soul scattered.
"It is likely a coincidence, perhaps he has obtained some part of the Dream God Sect's inheritance; this possibility is greater," Blood Spirit Sovereign thought to himself.
With this thought, a hint of greed surfaced in Blood Spirit Sovereign's eyes: "Dream God Sect inheritance... Zhao Xing, I will remember you."
At that moment.
"Rumble~"
The blood pool suddenly boiled, interrupting Blood Spirit Sovereign's reverie.
He looked up to see a middle-aged man holding a crescent blade, clad in silver armor, with a stern expression, floating over.
The surrounding red light membrane shattered, repelled by the golden light of the armored figure.
"East Lake Marquis?" Upon seeing this golden-armored warrior, Blood Spirit Sovereign immediately understood that he had wasted some time on Zhao Xing's matter.
As a result, East Lake Marquis, the lord of Grain City, had come looking for him.
"What kind of monster are you!" East Lake Marquis glared at Blood Spirit Sovereign, his brows furrowing.
"Young man from East Lake," Blood Spirit Sovereign smiled, "By age, you should address me as senior."
"Monster, you have committed such heinous acts; you deserve to die a thousand deaths!" East Lake Marquis glared at the blood pool, unable to contain his anger, the golden light flickering incessantly.
"Hmph, you consume offerings from the mortal realm; I also consume offerings from the mortal realm," Blood Spirit Sovereign said indifferently, "Just in different ways."
With a flick of his purple sleeve, a mass of red light flew out from the blood pool, thrown towards East Lake Marquis: "Look, this is the favorite of the yin souls; do you wish to try it?"
Blood Spirit Sovereign tempted, "I am generous; I will give you a great gift!"
"Die!" East Lake Marquis swung his crescent blade, the golden light flashing, instantly slashing the blood masses to pieces.
"Chi chi~" As the blood masses were destroyed, the golden light on the crescent blade dimmed slightly.
"Poor tool," Blood Spirit Sovereign looked at East Lake Marquis with pity, "In life, you were a dog of the Great Zhou; in death, you must still be bound by it. Though your soul endures, you cannot be free; how tragic!"
"Kill!" The golden armor of East Lake Marquis shone brightly, and the crescent blade rushed towards Blood Spirit Sovereign.
"Rise, Sacred Blood Spirit!" Blood Spirit Sovereign waved his sleeve.
"Rumble rumble~" The liquid in the blood pool was completely drained, condensing into nine blood shadows above the altar. These blood shadows seemed to be composed of blood, with tiny heads rolling within.
As they appeared, they emitted piercing cries and lunged at East Lake Marquis.
Blood Spirit Sovereign's fragment of soul retreated deep into the altar.
He could not be delayed by East Lake Marquis; the longer he was held up, the less likely this fragment of soul would escape.
"This fragment of soul can handle the yin spirits sustained by a county-level Temple of Divinity, but it cannot deal with a prefecture-level one." Blood Spirit Sovereign passed through the soil, swiftly drifting through the night, retreating along a predetermined route.
In a dilapidated factory, in a small fenced yard, Zhao Xing ordered a second-tier Binding Scarecrow to search for corpses.
"Chi chi~"
When the Binding Scarecrow touched Wu Mei, the blood on it immediately began to sizzle, and soon the entire corpse began to self-corrupt.
"Thud~" The Binding Scarecrow was corroded and could no longer maintain the scarecrow technique, collapsing to the ground and turning into a pile of vines and withered branches.
"Searching for corpses in the Mysterious Heaven Sect is troublesome," Zhao Xing complained, "Even in death, they won't let you search properly."
He did not send out another scarecrow but quietly waited for Wu Mei's corpse to corrode.
If any valuable treasures remained, they could be preserved even in this corrosion.
If nothing was left, it would prove that what she had on her was not worth much.
"I wonder if she was a hall master or a vice hall master? If she was a hall master, she should have brought some treasures along with the Blood Spirit Needle," Zhao Xing quietly observed. Of course, it was also possible that she left her treasures in a 'safe house' along the retreat route.
As the corpse self-corroded, a piece of paper depicting a purple robe appeared on Wu Mei's exposed belly.
Then, half of a jade pendant was revealed from her chest.
The surface melted. Next was the interior.
In her stomach, a blood-red pearl emerged, containing a dense aura of malevolence, though this malevolence was mixed with some other substances.
Soon, Wu Mei was left with only a skeleton, with no flesh remaining.
As for her soul?
It resided on the paper depicting the figure in the purple robe.
"Whoosh~"
Before Zhao Xing could take a closer look, the paper spontaneously ignited, turning into a wisp of smoke.
Then, a faint, piercing scream echoed.
"The soul has scattered," Zhao Xing shook his head.
For someone like Wu Mei from an outland sect, with a low rank, she could not exist with a soul in the Great Zhou.
Once dead and without protection, the outcome was soul scattering.
"I would never become a spy, especially not for sect factions. Soul scattering means no chance to transition into a yin spirit," Zhao Xing thought silently.
"Crack~" After the paper burned, the half of the jade pendant could no longer withstand it and shattered into two pieces.
"The Mysterious Hidden Jade Pendant, combined with the yin spirit protection of the Mysterious Heaven Sect, allows one to conceal themselves. Once the yin spirit protection disappears, the Mysterious Hidden Jade Pendant becomes useless."
Zhao Xing looked and saw that no more items appeared on Wu Mei's skeletal remains, nor did any changes occur. He then ordered the second scarecrow to collect the treasures.
"Fourth-tier Blood Malevolence Pearl."
After the scarecrow retrieved it, Zhao Xing stared at it from two meters away.
"Roar!"
Within the Blood Malevolence Pearl, the phantom of a golden lion emerged, stimulating Zhao Xing's life soul.
It gave him an impulse to swallow the Blood Malevolence Pearl.
"The fourth-tier Blood Malevolence Pearl is obtained by killing a sixth-grade exotic beast and extracting a drop of its essence blood, merging it within."
"Then, by mixing the malevolence with the essence blood of the exotic beast and hiding the Blood Malevolence Pearl within one's body, one can unleash extraordinary close-combat strength and gain malevolence protection."
"However, there are pros and cons; one must constantly endure the will of the exotic beast, and periodically expel it to purge the malevolence, unless the user's will can completely subdue the will of the exotic beast."
"Sell it." Zhao Xing decided the fate of this pearl.
Using it himself would be too troublesome; it was meant for martial artists. For a cultivator of Agricultural Affairs Bureau to use a fourth-tier Blood Malevolence Pearl, they would likely need to be at least an eighth-grade cultivator.
"The Blood Malevolence Pearl and Blood Spirit Needle are worth quite a bit. After buying the Enlightening Painting, I am already quite poor; this can be considered a return of blood... Dao friend, you died well," Zhao Xing murmured, "If there is a next life, we will come to kill you again."
"Boom!"
Suddenly, an explosion echoed from afar, briefly illuminating the night.
Zhao Xing looked towards the direction of the explosion and then saw a familiar golden light flash by.
"It’s Long Xiao’s Divine Sky Sword Technique; is this the Metal Element Sword Technique?" Zhao Xing was quite familiar with this 'old superior.' His Divine Sky Sword Technique was derived from a fragmentary sword technique found in an ancient tomb, which he later refined into his own version through continuous research in swordsmanship.
This move was now much weaker than the later perfected sword techniques, but in this situation, it was more than sufficient. After all, a martial artist is a martial artist, and a sword cultivator is a sword cultivator.
"It’s about time to end this." Zhao Xing glanced at the almanac; at this moment, the Calamity Avoidance Almanac had already dropped to a minor calamity level. "But it seems East Lake Marquis has not yet returned."
Standing in the courtyard, Zhao Xing used his bright eyes technique to retract his gaze, and he saw several figures darting past from another direction.
"Is that Li Chengfeng?"
As the light flickered, Zhao Xing saw Li Chengfeng emerge from the courtyard, accompanied by a shadow.
When the explosion sounded, Chen Deshun and Li Chengfeng both turned to look at the source of the explosion.
Li Chengfeng and Chen Deshun also saw Zhao Xing in the courtyard, as well as Wu Mei outside the courtyard.
"What?!" Chen Deshun was instantly shocked upon seeing the skeleton. "Did he kill Wu Mei? Or was it someone else?"
Zhao Xing sensed a reaction from his life soul upon seeing Chen Deshun, and through causal soul perception, he immediately connected him to the rice farmer from the Niu Family Courtyard.
"Li Chengfeng, has he been deceived or controlled?" Zhao Xing frowned; although he did not like this 'gentleman.'
At this moment, Zhao Xing still shouted, "Li Chengfeng! Retreat!"
The fierce yin wind rushed towards Chen Deshun, while as it approached Li Chengfeng's back, it transformed into a gentle breeze, attempting to shake his soul to awaken him.
After the yin wind passed, it immediately turned into a yang wind, pulling Li Chengfeng towards another courtyard.
"Zhao, Zhao Xing..." Li Chengfeng turned his head, blood spots appearing on his forehead, with a small needle embedded three inches into his Tianling point.
Li Chengfeng looked at Zhao Xing with an incredibly complex expression, filled with fear, surprise, and regret.
Of course, Zhao Xing only saw the pain in his expression.
"Hmph!" Chen Deshun grabbed Li Chengfeng's shoulder, the malevolence dispelling the yin wind, and then in a swirl, they quickly disappeared into the night.
"He has been controlled by the Blood Spirit Needle," Zhao Xing shook his head; he wasn't acting out of kindness.
Helping out was just a favor for Old Chen.
This plan was led by Old Chen; if Li Chengfeng were captured, the credit would likely be greatly reduced.
But that was all; in such a chaotic situation, self-preservation was the priority.
Li Chengfeng and Chen Deshun vanished.
Zhao Xing also grew vigilant, retreating behind the protective scarecrow, and used ropes to bind his legs within the door.
At the same time, he ordered the scarecrow he had created: Before dawn, prevent me from leaving the courtyard.
This command was also given to the little wildcat.
"Being cautious is never a bad thing," Zhao Xing wrapped the vines around his legs layer by layer, surrounded himself with scarecrows, and then reignited the everlasting lamp, quietly waiting for dawn on the steps.
About a quarter of an hour after Wu Mei's death, Chen Deshun and Li Chengfeng appeared and then disappeared.
Another quarter of an hour passed.
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out from outside the courtyard: "It’s over, come out."
Zhao Xing stood up and saw Chen Shijie’s figure appear outside the fence.
It’s over?
Zhao Xing breathed a sigh of relief, standing up from the steps: "Is Lord Chen alright? Where is my teacher?"
Chen Shijie nodded: "This official is fine; the main leaders of the Mysterious Heaven Sect have all been eliminated."
"However, some have escaped. Most of the soldiers are pursuing them. I fear it would be wise for the Agricultural Affairs Bureau's officials to withdraw in case there are any remnants left."
Just as Zhao Xing had just untied the bindings of the vines, upon hearing this, his expression stiffened, and he stopped.
"What? Do you not trust this official?"
Zhao Xing closed his eyes, slowly retreated, and sealed his hearing, wrapping himself in yin wind, retreating to the table.
He reached out with his hand.
Indeed, the everlasting lamp had already extinguished.
'Chen Shijie' looked over in surprise, and a voice echoed in Zhao Xing’s mind: "Where did I reveal a flaw?"
"The real Chen Shijie would never refer to himself as 'this official' in a private setting," Zhao Xing observed that closing his five senses was ineffective, and opened his eyes again, "You really have some audacity, coming here without leaving. You are not afraid of East Lake Marquis, nor are you afraid of the Nanyang County King?"
Zhao Xing was also somewhat surprised; he did not expect that the fragment of soul from the Mysterious Heaven Sect would personally come to him.
Logically speaking, the first phase of the Nightmare Evasion Technique had passed, the second phase of capturing people had also passed; it should have been time for the third phase when everyone would flee.
But unexpectedly, there was suddenly another round of the first and second phases.
What exactly went wrong?
"East Lake Marquis has been entangled by me," 'Chen Shijie' said lightly, "However, this fragment of mine cannot escape either. As you said, I am not afraid of East Lake Marquis, but I fear that Nanyang County King."
"I did not expect him to have such influence, truly inviting him. Since I cannot escape, I might as well not leave and come to see you."
Zhao Xing replied, "I am just a small official; what do you want to see me for? Hurry and run; how do you know if you can escape without trying?"
"Hahaha." Blood Spirit Sovereign couldn't help but laugh; he saw that Zhao Xing was afraid.
Fear is good, fear is good.
Just as he was about to say something more, a golden light suddenly came from afar, followed by a loud shout: "Zhao Xing, do not open the door!"
Blood Spirit Sovereign took one last look at Zhao Xing: "Dao friend, until we meet again."
Buzz~
Then, flames began to erupt from Blood Spirit Sovereign's body as he voluntarily disintegrated, self-destructing this fragment of soul.
At this moment, the real Chen Shijie had already arrived, and East Lake Marquis had returned to the statue in the room.
Swish~
Chen Shijie jumped into Zhao Xing's courtyard.
He had been invited before, so he could enter freely, which also proved that the Chen Shijie before him was the real Chen Shijie.
"How are you?" Chen Shijie asked.
"I'm fine," Zhao Xing shook his head, "What happened just now?"
"It was Blood Spirit Sovereign," Chen Shijie simply stated, "But it’s all over now."
Zhao Xing nodded.
He couldn't help but recall Blood Spirit Sovereign's last words.
Dao friend? What does this mean?
(End of Chapter)