Chapter 88: The Death of Song Xinghai
Chapter 88: Chapter 88: The Death of Song Xinghai
"You’re actually not dead? But so what? You think you can break my defenses with these pathetic tricks? You’re completely overestimating yourself. Now, taste my Cyan Wood Divine Thunder!"
Song Xinghai was startled, but he quickly sneered in disdain.
His opponent’s assault was powerful and would soon shatter all his defenses. However, he was confident he could kill him before that happened.
As he spoke, he moved to crush the Thunder Talisman in his hand.
But just then, a white beetle suddenly appeared and bit down hard on the back of his hand.
"AH!"
This was Zhang Chi’s Phantom Beetle. Caught off guard, Song Xinghai cried out in pain. He failed to activate the Cyan Wood Thunder Talisman, and his grip slackened, sending the Spirit Talisman tumbling to the ground.
Clearly, even though the Phantom Beetle wasn’t a combat specialist, it was still a Tier Two Low Grade Spirit Insect. It had been lying in wait on Song Xinghai the entire time, so this was effectively a strike from within. The bite wasn’t fatal, but it was excruciatingly painful.
Worse yet, Zhang Chi realized his usual attacks were too slow. In a flash of inspiration, he took out the Demon Snake Spine, which was wreathed in Demonic Qi, and used it as a long whip, lashing it viciously at his opponent.
BOOM!
The next moment, just as his opponent shook off the beetle and before he could retrieve the Cyan Wood Thunder Talisman, the whip strike produced a tremendous CRACK against his Protective Light Shield, which shattered into a rain of radiant motes.
Zhang Chi’s Demon Snake Spine whip and his other attacks rained down on his opponent like a torrential storm.
The light from his opponent’s Little Umbrella, Magic Robe, and Vajra Talisman was instantly corrupted by the dense Demonic Qi emanating from the spine. Seizing the opportunity, the rest of Zhang Chi’s attacks shattered them.
SPURT!
Song Xinghai was sent flying backward, once again heavily injured and vomiting blood.
Before he even hit the ground, Zhang Chi darted forward. With a flick of the whip, he slammed his opponent into the dirt and swiftly snatched his Storage Bag, Spirit Talismans, and corrupted Magical Artifacts.
"Don’t kill me! My grandfather will never let you get away with this. He placed a tracking mark on me—if you kill me, he’ll know! What’s more, if I die, a final failsafe he left behind will activate, and you’ll die too!"
Song Xinghai was utterly horrified and hastily begged for his life.
He was clever. Fearing he wouldn’t have time to finish speaking, he used the Sound Transmission Technique to deliver his plea.
CRACK!
But Zhang Chi only sneered. With a wave of his hand, a flash of Sword Light instantly sent his opponent’s head flying.
"NO—!"
He never dreamed Zhang Chi would be so merciless. His eyes, wide with despair, fury, and disbelief, remained open in death.
However, the instant he died, a cyan hairpin in his hair suddenly shattered. It transformed into a ten-foot-long cyan Wind Blade that shot toward Zhang Chi with incredible speed.
The cyan Wind Blade was as fast as lightning and impossibly sharp. Before it even reached him, the hair on Zhang Chi’s body stood on end. He was overcome by an unprecedented sense of mortal danger.
Zhang Chi knew at once that this was his opponent’s other hidden ace. Its Mighty Power was undoubtedly at the Foundation Establishment Level—perhaps even many times stronger than Chen Bufan’s Lifebound Sword Qi or that Black Ball Magical Artifact from earlier.
But Zhang Chi didn’t panic in the slightest. At the critical moment, the Black Coffin materialized before him, blocking the Wind Blade like a solid wall.
The next moment, the Black Coffin shuddered and was knocked back over a hundred feet. The Wind Blade continued on, carving a deep trench in the ground.
Yet the surface of the Black Coffin was completely unscathed. Zhang Chi, who had been behind it, was merely shaken by the impact, his internal energy and blood roiling slightly.
’Whew, he was tough to kill. Good thing the Black Coffin really can be used as a shield—and an extremely effective one at that!’
Zhang Chi leaped to his feet, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
’He had planned for this all along.’
’If his opponent had a trump card like a Sword Talisman, he’d use the Array to defend. If that failed, he’d use the Black Coffin.’
’It seemed his two plans had worked perfectly, blocking two of the enemy’s deadliest attacks.’
Of course, while both defensive measures were effective, they had their limits.
They worked in this situation, but they wouldn’t be enough against a true Foundation Establishment Powerhouse.
Even if he hid inside the Black Coffin or the Array, a Foundation Establishment Powerhouse would have countless ways to finish him off.
Fortunately, he hadn’t been facing a true Foundation Establishment Powerhouse.
By now, Song Xinghai was truly dead, but a soft white light emerged from the shattered hairpin and landed on Zhang Chi.
It was useless for Zhang Chi to try and dodge or block it.
This was the very tracking mark Song Xinghai had spoken of.
But Zhang Chi remained completely calm.
’He knew that hairpin was similar to the Jade Talisman from the first Sect assessment. The white light was the Soul Tracking Technique.’
’The only difference was that the Sect’s Jade Talisman had not only been inscribed with the Soul Tracking Technique but also integrated the effect of a Tier One Middle Grade Vajra Talisman.’
’This hairpin, on the other hand, was inscribed with the Soul Tracking Technique and had a Wind Blade Spell from a Foundation Establishment Powerhouse sealed within it.’
’He had already mastered the Soul Tracking Technique and could even create Soul Tracking Talismans himself, so he understood exactly how it worked.’
’When this Soul Tracking Talisman or Technique is used, a portion of the dying cultivator’s Divine Soul transforms into light, which then marks and conceals itself within the killer’s body.’
’This mark had a time limit, however. It would dissipate on its own after about a year, and it couldn’t be sensed over great distances.’
’More importantly, his Jade Pendant could absorb the mark as if it were a negative status effect—a fact he’d only discovered after his Talisman Making skills improved.’
That was why he hadn’t feared his opponent’s threat.
And sure enough, the next moment, just as the Soul Tracking Technique attached itself to him, the Jade Pendant stirred slightly and absorbed its influence.
Afterward, Zhang Chi quickly put away the Black Coffin, the Corpse Puppet, the Array Flags, and all his other spoils. Then, he raised his hand and cast the Fire Bomb Technique.
BOOM!
A ball of fire shot out and erupted into a raging inferno, incinerating Song Xinghai’s remains in the blink of an eye.
WHOOSH!
Then, Zhang Chi cast the Blood Escape Technique again, transforming into a streak of blood-red light and vanishing into the distance in an instant.
"Who? Who killed Xinghai?! I’ll kill you!"
Deep within the Cangwu Sect, a furious roar suddenly echoed, shaking the mountains and sending birds and beasts scattering in terror.
Immediately after, a dazzling streak of Escape Light shot toward the place where Song Xinghai had been killed, moving with incredible speed.
Within the Escape Light was a young cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Peak, his aura immensely powerful. It was none other than Song Youdao of the Song Family.
He reached the scene in moments, but he was too late. All he found was a scene of utter devastation.
"Damn it! Who could it have been?!"
He immediately formed a hand seal and cast the Soul Tracking Technique, but he found nothing.
The only thing he could confirm was that his grandson was dead, and that his killer appeared to be a Demonic Foundation Establishment cultivator.
This was because traces of Demonic Qi and Corpse Evil still lingered at the scene.
To be able to kill Song Xinghai—who had numerous Protective Measures and was quite powerful in his own right—without leaving so much as a drop of their own blood, the assailant had to be a Foundation Establishment Powerhouse.
"What’s going on?"
"Someone dared to kill an Inner Sect Disciple of our Cangwu Sect? Investigate! We must get to the bottom of this!"
Soon, it wasn’t just the Song Family. High-ranking members of the Cangwu Sect and even the Foundation Establishment Cultivators stationed in White Cloud Marketplace were alerted. They all transformed into streaks of Escape Light and rushed to the scene.
Unfortunately, despite the number of powerful individuals who gathered, no new clues could be found.
The only thing they could "determine" was that Song Xinghai must have flaunted his wealth at the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower auction, which led to him being tracked and killed by a Demon Cultivator.
Of course, the killer might not have been a mere Tribulation Cultivator. It could have been an enemy of the Song Family who had been targeting Song Xinghai for some time.
’Whew, I’m finally back!’
Meanwhile, Zhang Chi had already returned safely to the Sect’s Earth Fire Hall. By taking a deliberate detour, he had avoided running into Song Youdao and the others.