"Senior, it's just up ahead," the white-robed cultivator said respectfully, standing cautiously on his flying sword.
There was no need for him to speak. Song Changsheng had already spotted the cluster of buildings nestled in the mountain hollow ahead. It was a sizable settlement, home to at least tens of thousands.
Song Changsheng descended to the ground and turned to the white-robed cultivator behind him. "What's your name?"
"Your humble servant is Wu Yan," the man replied respectfully.
"Mm. Your task ends here. You can return now. If a fight breaks out, I can't guarantee your safety," Song Changsheng nodded slightly. He rather appreciated this man; gu cultivators were notoriously tricky and hard to guard against, and he didn't want this one to die for nothing.
"I obey. I wish Senior victory in battle," Wu Yan responded, though part of him still wanted to see firsthand who was so ruthless as to be willing to kill over a dozen people without a second thought.
But the strength of the senior before him was unfathomable, and he had made his stance clear: going any further likely meant death. Better to play it safe.
With just a few steps forward, Song Changsheng's figure began to blur until, right before Wu Yan's eyes, he vanished completely.
Of course, a Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn't simply disappear into thin air. In truth, Song Changsheng was using Concealment Technique to suppress his aura and blend seamlessly into the environment.
To someone like Wu Yan, whose cultivation and perception were far inferior, it truly appeared as though Song Changsheng had vanished into thin air.
Before long, Song Changsheng had reached a nearby hill overlooking the mountain hollow.
With just a glance, he gained a rough understanding of the settlement below.
At least seventy to eighty thousand people lived here, a typical mix of mortals and cultivators. This kind of arrangement was common among small cultivation clans, who had limited strength and needed to band together tightly just to survive in the perilous cultivation world.
"Not often you see a Qi Condensation clan with this many mortal family members," he muttered.
The Song Clan itself had a dozen or so subordinate families, some with tens of thousands of people, others with just a few thousand. Even by those standards, this settlement was quite large.
A larger population meant a higher chance of spiritual roots emerging. Based on Song Changsheng's probing, this clan already had nearly a hundred cultivators who had stepped onto the path of cultivation.
Given enough time and a bit of luck, they were almost guaranteed to become a Foundation Establishment clan one day.
"So Feng Wuming has been hiding here all these years? Could he be the one who built all this?" Song Changsheng rubbed his chin, carefully considering his next move.
Before coming here, he had already marked the aura of the person who planted the gu insect using a bug he captured earlier. He had just confirmed through Thousand-Mile Tracking that the culprit was indeed within the mountain hollow below.
The outer defenses of this settlement consisted of only a top-grade Tier-1 defensive formation. To him, it was about as strong as wet paper; he could easily storm in and drag Feng Wuming out by force.
But what gave him pause was the large number of mortals living here. If he chose this place as the battlefield, how many of them would survive?
This was a world where human lives were worth less than grass, but Song Changsheng still couldn't bring himself to cross that line in his heart.
"I'll find a way to lure him out," he decided, ultimately choosing to follow his conscience, even if it meant risking tipping off his enemy.
After some thought, he pulled out a jade bottle from his robes. Inside were the gu insects he had taken from Wu Yan and the others, a squirming, inky-black mass, still very much alive.
Originally, he had kept the gu to track down Feng Wuming. But now, they had unexpectedly become the key to luring him out.
To a gu cultivator, gu insects were an extension of their power. Feng Wuming would be able to sense their presence and even their state of life or death.
However, Song Changsheng had restricted the jade bottle. As long as it remained in place, even at such close range, Feng Wuming wouldn't be able to detect anything.
With a wave of his hand, Song Changsheng lifted the restriction and silently withdrew into the distant mountains.
Meanwhile, in a plain wooden house within the settlement, a pale-faced man in black robes suddenly opened his eyes. Sitting cross-legged on a jade bed, a flicker of confusion passed across his face.
"Why did the aura of those gu insects suddenly reappear?" Feng Wuming narrowed his long, thin eyes. He could sense something off.
Though he frequently used gu on people, he remembered every single insect clearly.
He was certain these newly appeared gu were the Blood Fiend Gu he had planted on a group of rogue cultivators just the day before.
One of those cultivators had spoken disrespectfully to him. With his power, he could've killed them all with a flick of his finger.
But he didn't want to let them die so easily, nor did he want to attract unnecessary attention. So, he decided to use them as vessels to nurture his gu insects.
According to his plan, these people would have their blood drained by the Blood Fiend Gu within seven days, dying in agony as their skin rotted away.
Yet, not long ago, he had completely lost connection to those insects.
It hadn't seemed like a big deal at the time. He'd assumed those ants had somehow killed themselves, taking the gu with them. He hadn't given it much more thought, just a bit of regret for letting them go in the first place.
The sudden reappearance of the gu insects he had lost connection to instantly put Feng Wuming on high alert.
This was far too unusual. He wouldn't have been surprised if those rogue cultivators had discovered the gu he planted and destroyed them.
But not only were the gu still alive, they had inexplicably appeared this close to his location. Anyone could tell something was wrong, and it was highly likely that whoever was behind it had come specifically for him.
As a gu cultivator hated by all, Feng Wuming had managed to survive this long not just because of his life-saving techniques, but because of his extreme caution.
The person who had captured his gu insects and brought them here clearly had confidence in their strength.
Facing such an opponent head-on would be foolish.
So, Feng Wuming made a snap decision that retreat was the best option!
Just as he stepped out of the wooden hut, he seemed to remember something. He took out a small wooden box and placed it discreetly in a corner before leaving the house.
Moments later, Song Changsheng, who had been monitoring the mountain hollow, sensed something odd. A sickeningly familiar aura was rapidly moving away from him.
"Knew he wouldn't be able to resist."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Song Changsheng's mouth. His strategy to flush the enemy out had worked perfectly. He had anticipated that Feng Wuming would never face him directly, and sure enough, that's exactly what happened.
But he didn't act immediately. Only after Feng Wuming had put some distance between them did Song Changsheng begin his pursuit.
Feng Wuming was fast, but not faster than Song Changsheng. Activating Flickering Shadows, Song Changsheng transformed into a streak of light and gave chase.
In less than a quarter of an hour, Song Changsheng spotted a figure cloaked in black. Sensing the familiar aura from his target, a surge of old hatred instantly rushed to the surface. He roared:
"Feng Wuming! Where do you think you're running? Stop and face your death!"
Feng Wuming, who had been fleeing at top speed, turned his head and nearly fell off his flying sword in fright.
Song Changsheng wasn't wearing a mask, so he immediately recognized him.
The first time he had seen Song Changsheng, the man had been just a nameless Qi Refining cultivator.
Later, after his identity as a gu cultivator was exposed and he was besieged by the Song Clan, he had barely managed to escape. At the time, he had sworn that once he recovered from his injuries, he would return to kill Song Changsheng. He had even gone out of his way to investigate the man's identity.
But a few years later, when he had healed and returned to Lingzhou, what he found chilled him to the bone; the once obscure nobody was now renowned throughout the region.
Bathed in blood, fighting across ten thousand miles. Slaying four Foundation Establishment cultivators in a single battle.
At that point, Feng Wuming had abandoned any thoughts of revenge. Fearing retribution instead, he fled Lingzhou and hid in Xiangzhou.
Who would've thought fate would be so cruel? Despite the astronomical odds, they had crossed paths again.
Feeling the aura behind him growing closer and closer, Feng Wuming was cursing his luck. Though his cultivation was slightly higher than Song Changsheng's, his instincts were screaming that the man was incredibly dangerous.
"What kind of monster is he? How did he grow so powerful, so fast?!"
Grinding his teeth, Feng Wuming shot a furious glare over his shoulder and shouted:
"Song Changsheng! Do you think this old man is afraid of you?!"
"Old dog! If you're not afraid, then stop running and face me! Let's settle this life or death!"
"Arrogant brat!"
Though he shouted back in anger, Feng Wuming had no intention of fighting. Instead, he pushed his speed to the limit, fleeing even faster.
Song Changsheng had never seen a Foundation Establishment cultivator so good at running away. Gritting his teeth, he poured all his strength into the chase.
The pursuit lasted over half an hour before Song Changsheng finally managed to cut him off.
"There's nowhere left to run. Stop struggling, and I'll give you a clean death!"
Song Changsheng stood firm, Soul-Slaying Gourd at his waist, Measuring Heaven Ruler in hand, and Lu Wu Bell floating above his head. His killing intent surged like a tide.
Feng Wuming's face darkened. He could feel that the surrounding space had been completely sealed off by Song Changsheng's aura. There was no avoiding battle now.
"Song Changsheng, must you be so ruthless? Leave no room for survival?" Feng Wuming glared at him, while his hand hidden beneath his sleeve secretly released a dozen carefully cultivated gu insects.
"Enough talk. Die!"
Song Changsheng's body surged with power as spiritual energy exploded outward, all pouring into the Measuring Heaven Ruler, which he then swung straight at Feng Wuming's head.
Whoosh!
Feng Wuming's figure flickered and retreated instantly, widening the distance. With a wave of his sleeve, he cast out a cloud of black smoke.
Gu cultivators were infamous for their strange tricks. Though the smoke didn't look especially dangerous, Song Changsheng didn't dare take any chances. Activating Flickering Shadows, he dodged swiftly, avoiding even the slightest contact.
Taking a closer look, he realized it wasn't smoke at all, it was a swarm of minuscule black beetles. No doubt, another one of Feng Wuming's sinister gu creations.
Getting caught in that would end badly.
"Whatever you throw at me, I'll burn it all to ash!"
The Soul-Slaying Gourd floated into the air and spat out a ball of eerie blue flames. The instant it touched the "black smoke," a chorus of crackles and pops rang out, as a pungent, burnt stench filled the air.
"Spirit fire?!"
Feng Wuming's expression changed drastically. Spiritual fire was the natural nemesis of gu insects; no matter how many there were, they were powerless before it.
Fortunately, he hadn't placed all his hopes on those insects. They were just a distraction meant to confuse Song Changsheng. His real trump card was the dozen or so gu insects he had released at the very beginning.
While dodging Song Changsheng's attacks, he secretly controlled the gu insects, looking for a chance to invade Song Changsheng's body.
Just as he thought he'd found the perfect opening, Song Changsheng suddenly sneered, "Knowing your methods in advance, did you think I wouldn't be prepared?"
Feng Wuming's heart trembled, panic spreading across his pale face.
In the next instant, a layer of golden light surged across Song Changsheng's body. All the gu insects lunging at him immediately shrieked sharply as if they had run into their natural predator.
"Tier Two High-Grade Golden Light Talisman."
Though the Golden Light Talisman was primarily a defensive charm, the golden radiance it emitted was pure yang energy, firm and overpowering, making it highly effective against gu insects.
Song Changsheng had originally bought it in Luoxia City to prepare for the Qiantian Secret Realm. He hadn't expected it would prove so useful now.
"Heh… I'm guessing these are the strongest gu insects you have?"
A cold smirk curled on Song Changsheng's lips as he swung his Measuring Heaven Ruler, instantly detonating all the gu insects.
"Pfft"
Those gu insects had been nurtured with Feng Wuming's blood essence and were connected to his life force. Their destruction inflicted severe backlash, blood sprayed from his mouth, and his aura withered. He nearly plummeted from the sky.
"If you've got any other tricks, now's the time to use them or you won't get another chance." Song Changsheng held his Measuring Heaven Ruler, killing intent radiating so strongly it was nearly tangible.
"Heh… Song Changsheng… I admit it… Provoking you was the biggest mistake of my life. But even if I die, I'll make sure you suffer too!"
A crazed, resolute light shone in Feng Wuming's eyes as a centipede-like insect crawled out from his mouth.
"Hahaha! Song Changsheng, let's go to hell together!" Feng Wuming's face twisted in madness as he crushed the insect in his hand.
BOOM
Feng Wuming's body instantly exploded.
"Self-detonation?"
Song Changsheng's expression changed. He immediately activated the Lu Wu Bell to shield himself.
A massive shockwave slammed into the bell. Song Changsheng felt the world spin around him before he was sent crashing into a nearby hill.
Fortunately, the Lu Wu Bell had absorbed most of the force, and Song Changsheng only sustained minor injuries.
Retracting the bell, he soared into the air on his sword. Looking down, he saw that not even a trace of Feng Wuming remained, only a wrecked landscape below.
"He even destroyed his life-bound gu…"
Song Changsheng frowned slightly. Something felt off.
"Wait…"
He quickly took out the jade vial where he kept the captured gu insects. To his surprise, they were still lively and jumping around.
"Damn it… could that have been a clone? No… he must've used another technique."
Song Changsheng furrowed his brow, deep in thought. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him.
Without hesitation, he flew toward the ravine from earlier…
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