Translator: CinderTL
Song Wen's expression was grim.
Though he had never met the three figures hovering above Corpse Soul Ravine, he knew their identities well.
They were three Divine Transformation Stage cultivators from the Zhu Family of Westwind City.
In this spiritually barren land, the Zhu Family's power was unmatched, rivaling even the Chen Family of Lotus Square City.
The elder leading the group was Zhu Tianlei, the Zhu Clan's Ancestor and their first Divine Transformation Stage cultivator.
It was under his leadership that the Zhu Clan had risen to prominence, becoming a dominant force in the region.
As a result, Zhu Tianlei commanded absolute authority within the clan, his word law. Few dared to question his decisions.
The remaining man and woman were Zhu Yi and Zhu Zhizhen, both personally groomed by Zhu Tianlei.
The timing of their arrival—just as Song Wen was about to break through—filled him with bitter resentment. He longed to tear them apart and devour their flesh.
But for now, he could only suppress his rage, focus on completing his breakthrough, and settle the score with them later.
Song Wen's mind stirred, and instantly, the cultivation cave filled with a dense array of spirit stones—ten thousand in total, all high-grade.
Crack, crack, crack...
With a series of soft sounds, the spirit stones shattered one by one.
The concentration of Spiritual Qi within the cave surged dramatically, instantly reaching a terrifyingly high level.
The Spiritual Qi materialized into a vibrant, multicolored mist, swirling like a tidal wave, its radiant glow dazzling the senses.
This overwhelming concentration of Spiritual Qi was both exhilarating and oppressive, making even breathing feel heavy.
As Song Wen frantically absorbed the Spiritual Qi, a pang of heartache struck him.
Ten thousand high-grade spirit stones were no small sum. Many Divine Transformation Stage cultivators didn't even possess such wealth. To squander it like this only intensified Song Wen's hatred for Zhu Tianlei and his companions.
As for how to deal with Zhu Tianlei and his group, Song Wen had anticipated such a situation when he chose this secluded location for his seclusion and had already prepared accordingly.
Outside the cultivation cave, at the bottom of Corpse Soul Ravine, Wu Yue paced anxiously.
He had already noticed the three figures hovering above the ravine and recognized their identities.
The three Divine Transformation Stage cultivators from the Zhu Clan had arrived together. Senior Yang Yu would likely struggle to handle them.
If something were to happen to Senior Yang Yu, Wu Yue would inevitably be caught in the crossfire.
Just as he was wondering what to do, the stone gate of Senior Yang Yu's cultivation cave suddenly swung open.
A figure flickered into existence above him.
Squinting, Wu Yue realized it was none other than Senior Yang Yu himself.
Could it be that Senior Yang Yu, realizing he couldn't successfully advance while being besieged by Zhu Tianlei and the others, has voluntarily abandoned his breakthrough? The thought flashed through Wu Yue's mind.
But he quickly realized his guess was wrong.
Though the stone gate had already closed again, preventing Wu Yue from seeing inside the cave, Spiritual Qi continued to converge toward it from all directions. This clearly indicated that Senior Yang Yu was still in seclusion, cultivating.
As for the identity of the person before him, Wu Yue neither knew nor cared to investigate.
With this individual present, they should be able to handle the Zhu Clan trio.
"Senior Yang Yu," Wu Yue said, looking up, "the three above are Divine Transformation Stage cultivators from the Zhu Family of Westwind City. Their strength is extraordinary and they won't be easy to deal with. Though this junior is insignificant, I am willing to lend my meager strength. Is there anything I can assist with?"
Song Wen shook his head slightly, ignoring Wu Yue's offer. Instead, he focused entirely on channeling magic seals into the array disk before him.
Meanwhile, above the ravine, the three Zhu Clan members had already begun their assault.
Each controlled a flying sword, aiming directly at the Corpse Soul Ravine's defensive formation below.
Zhu Tianlei's flying sword struck first, slashing into the formation barrier.
The barrier, thick with corpse qi, proved as fragile as paper against the sword's edge, tearing open instantly and releasing a torrent of corpse qi.
Undeterred, the sword plunged into the inky darkness of the corpse qi, continuing its descent toward the depths of the ravine.
A sharp, metallic clang rang out.
The flying sword had struck something seemingly indestructible, emitting a mournful wail.
Clang, clang.
Two more mournful wails followed, as Zhu Yi and Zhu Zhizhen's flying swords met similar resistance.
A flicker of surprise crossed Zhu Tianlei's eyes. With a wave of his hand, a violent gale erupted.
The gale swept through the ravine, dispersing the corpse qi near the entrance and revealing the scene below.
Another formation barrier, as black as ink and radiating dense corpse qi, materialized before the trio.
Extending from the barrier were nine black chains, also condensed from corpse qi. These chains had deflected their flying swords.
The three immediately realized this was the true defense of the cultivator undergoing breakthrough to the Void Refinement Stage. The fourth-tier defensive formation they had breached earlier had merely been a diversion.
"I underestimated this person," Zhu Tianlei said, his voice hardening. "To maintain focus on the formation while breaking through to the Void Refinement Stage and still block our combined attacks... I want to see how many more attacks he can withstand."
As soon as Zhu Tianlei spoke, his flying sword slashed forward again.
Zhu Yi and Zhu Zhizhen hastily reactivated their own flying swords.
Clang, clang, clang...
The mournful cries of the flying swords echoed incessantly.
Their relentless barrage of attacks was completely blocked by the corpse qi chains, never even touching the barrier, let alone breaching it.
Zhu Tianlei's expression gradually darkened.
"How is this possible?"
"Ancestor," Zhu Zhizhen said hesitantly, "could there be more than one Divine Transformation Stage cultivator inside the canyon? Perhaps others are protecting the one undergoing breakthrough?"
Zhu Tianlei's face grew even more grim at her suggestion.
If Zhu Zhizhen's words were true, they would likely return empty-handed today, having needlessly provoked a formidable enemy.
The formation barrier blocking their path was clearly a top-tier fifth-tier defensive formation. If a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator were controlling it—even one in the early stage—the three of them would struggle to breach it.
Zhu Yi interjected, "In my opinion, there's only one Divine Transformation Stage cultivator in the canyon—the one currently undergoing the breakthrough."
"What makes you say that?" Zhu Tianlei asked urgently, grasping at this like a drowning man clutching a lifeline.
Zhu Yi explained, "If this person truly had a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator guarding them, why would they have lured those Nascent Soul cultivators into the canyon before attacking? The mere presence of a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator would have sent those Nascent Soul cultivators fleeing at the first sign of trouble. Moreover, it would have deterred any other Divine Transformation Stage cultivators observing the area."
"But how do you explain this formation?" Zhu Tianlei countered. "A fifth-rank formation can't withstand our combined assault for this long without someone controlling it."
"I don't know," Zhu Yi admitted. "Perhaps this person possesses some unique secret art."
Zhu Tianlei fell silent, his resolve to retreat already forming in his mind.
If the situation was hopeless, it was better to withdraw early. Once that person advanced to the Void Refinement Stage, escape would become impossible.
At that moment, Zhu Yi continued, "Now that we've already offended him, there's no turning back. We must fight to the death. Otherwise, once he advances to the Void Refinement Stage, our entire Zhu Clan will likely face annihilation."
(End of the Chapter)