Chapter 172: Ironclad

The tip of Wu Tiande’s index finger pierced through the mirror’s surface, causing ripples to spread across its smooth expanse. Transparent, enraged faces emerged from within the mirror, releasing a pale gray mist that swiftly enveloped the entire relay station in mere moments.

The Mirror of Vengeful Souls’ primary effect was its mirror projection. Within the mirrored area, vengeful souls could materialize from the mirror and dematerialize back into it at will.

Wu Tiande, controlling the mirror, could also harness this power for shifting forms and altering realities.

“Two more hours until the carriage from Blackstone City’s inner city arrives; ample time to resolve our troubles.”

Sensing the mirror’s state, Wu Tiande reached his hand into it once again.

This time, as his hand penetrated the mirror, it transformed into a translucent palm similar to the vengeful souls. The reflection within the mirror changed to show the neighboring cultivation room.

Chen Luo sat cross-legged inside, his external brain highly active. Upon entering Blackstone City, he planned to prepare for transitioning his cultivation techniques. Currently, he primarily cultivated the Heart Demon Art while simultaneously studying Xianhe Chengfeng’s immortal crane technique and Bai Su Shijie’s evil cultivation method.

Integrating these techniques required time. Previously, during his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, he had utilized the mummified brain’s assistance to achieve a perfect Dao Foundation. Now, with this rare moment of leisure, Chen Luo naturally sought its help again to organize his future path.

The candle flame flickered within the room.

A pet bird perched near the wall curiously observed him. These pets, trained for Foundation Establishment cultivators’ cultivation rooms, were exceptionally well-behaved to avoid provoking any eccentric masters.

‘There is an enemy.’

‘Evil sorcery and ghostly spells.’

Suddenly, multiple pieces of information surfaced in Chen Luo’s mind, originating from the Core Formation cultivator’s brain and several powerful Foundation Establishment brains.

Buzz!!

Above the cultivation room, a translucent, ghastly white hand materialized, reaching towards him from behind.

Chen Luo swiftly turned, channeling the Soul Technique into his palm, causing his arm to transform into a similar translucent hand. With a swift motion, he grasped the semi-transparent ghostly hand.

With a crack, the translucent arm snapped in two. A piercing scream followed as a distorted, half-transparent face disintegrated into dust.

Suppressing his aura, Chen Luo stood up from the bed and approached the spot where the evil arm had appeared.

“Ghost cultivator,” the Core Formation-stage consciousness provided feedback.

Chen Luo crouched down and retrieved a diamond-shaped mirror fragment, roughly the size of a fingernail, from where the translucent arm had shattered. Sensing its aura, he found it similar to that of the woman he encountered in the Yin Apparition Forest, but significantly weaker.

“A ghost cultivator?” Chen Luo furrowed his brow slightly.

He wondered how this entity had targeted him, but it wasn’t crucial. With the enemy already at his doorstep, he had no intention of engaging in idle talk.

“What goes around comes around.”

Holding the diamond-shaped mirror fragment, a wisp of black mist appeared in Chen Luo’s hand. With a gentle squeeze, the black mist seemed to come alive and plunged directly into the mirror piece.

Having learned cursing evil magic during his five years of secluded cultivation, this presented an ideal opportunity for practice.

In another cultivation room,

The translucent arm swept across, instantly sending the solitary Foundation Establishment cultivator meditating within flying through the air. They spat out a mouthful of blood, struggled briefly on the ground, and then went still.

“I’ve taken out the first one; the second person seems…”

Wu Tiande stared at the mirror, noticing its contents distort abruptly. Strangely, his Mirror of Vengeful Souls failed to display the scene from one particular room.

“What about the second one?” Yue Qingping and Lin Feng turned their attention towards Wu Tiande.

“Be cautious with this—” Before Wu Tiande could finish, his expression abruptly changed. In the next instant, a dense cloud of black mist emerged from the mirror’s surface, swiftly engulfing through his nostrils.

“Ahh!”

Wu Tiande screamed as he flew violently against the ceiling, then crashed back down to the floor. Blood gushed simultaneously from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

“Cursed evil magic!” Lin Feng jumped to his feet, his face grave. Nearby, Yue Qingping mirrored his concern. Dealing with curse-wielding evil cultivators was notoriously challenging; once targeted, even mundane activities like eating or sleeping became fraught with danger, as any momentary lapse in vigilance could invite a deadly curse.

“It’s that cultivator from the first carriage.”

“To possess such formidable divine soul strength along with proficient cursing techniques, we seem to have stumbled upon significant trouble.”

As they spoke, Lin Feng’s expression suddenly shifted.

He quickly grabbed Yue Qingping beside him, darting aside just in time. Simultaneously, with a flick of his hand, a blood-red banesoul soared out from his palm.

This banesoul, meticulously refined by Lin Feng, was capable of repelling a single attack from an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The crimson banesoul burst through the door but fell silent within seconds.

Boom!

With a deafening explosion, the cultivation room’s door burst open. A black silhouette charged inside, enveloped by fierce malevolent qi, resembling a savage beast on the rampage.

Caught off guard due to the backlash from his failed evil spell, Wu Tiande was instantly grabbed by the neck.

A sickening crack echoed, and he met his demise right there.

The formidable physical cultivator Wu Tiande crumpled like brittle bamboo under this assailant’s grip, his neck snapping effortlessly.

Physical cultivator? Not an arcane cultivator using evil spells?!

Lin Feng and Yue Qingping’s expressions drastically changed.

Wu Tiande was no obscure figure; among the Foundation Establishment solo cultivators in Blackstone City, his fearsome reputation preceded him. He was renowned for mastering Blood Fiend Body Refinement Techniques, boasting the ability to intercept tier-2 magical items barehanded. After meticulously searching, they had carefully chosen such a powerful ally. Witnessing him crushed as easily as a chick left them utterly stunned.

Having snapped Wu Tiande’s neck, the intruder twisted further, brutally wrenching his head clean off.

Then, with a flick of their hand, a small flame emerged from their palm.

As soon as the flame left his hand, it rapidly changed color and exploded with a loud ‘boom,’ engulfing the entire cultivation room in scorching heat waves.

Caught off guard, Yue Qingping, being closest to the blast, found herself facing not just a brutal physical cultivator but also an arcane one within seconds. Before she could even retract her defensive artifacts meant for physical combat, they were consumed by flames. The intense inferno charred half of her body, while raging magical energy surged through her qi vessels, effortlessly breaking all her defenses.

She was completely outmatched.

The flames spread rapidly, igniting everything in the cultivation room. The Faux Landscape Spring Water evaporated instantly, turning into steam that further increased the room’s temperature. Nearby pet birds’ feathers singed, falling to the ground with a tantalizing aroma of roasted meat.

“Senior Brother, save me!” Terror filled Yue Qingping’s face, reminiscent of the day when the Sow Demon Sect annihilated her clan. She had believed reaching Foundation Establishment would shield her from such dangers, but now realized how deep the waters ran in the cultivation world; Foundation Establishment alone was far from sufficient.

She couldn’t comprehend how a routine test had attracted such a madman, who unleashed lethal attacks right from the start, leaving no chance for survival.

It was merely a test! Don’t you understand?

Isn’t this just supposed to be a test?

“Go!”

At a critical moment, Lin Feng grabbed Yue Qingping’s clothing and produced a brown soul banner.

With a swift wave, eight gray-brown banesouls emerged from the banner, instantly dispersing the surrounding flames. Without hesitation, he propelled both himself and Yue Qingping away from danger.

Trying to escape?

As if I’d let you slip away with your mind intact!

Chen Luo swiftly followed, determined to eradicate any potential threats after engaging. The trio ascended together; now they shall descend as one. Unity is paramount for a family.

Outside the cave, Lin Feng casually tossed Yue Qingping aside and unfurled his soul banner simultaneously.

Malevolent qi swept across the entire mountain cave, transforming the previously sealed area by the Mirror of Vengeful Souls into shades of gray-brown. Eight roaming banesouls circled around him menacingly.

“Senior Brother, kill him! You must kill him!” Yue Qingping roared furiously, having narrowly escaped death. Half her body was scorched, and her internal spiritual energy was utterly chaotic. Recovering from such severe injuries would take at least fifty years—a devastating setback for an early Foundation Establishment cultivator, effectively ruining her Dao path.

Lin Feng’s expression remained icy, paying no heed to Yue Qingping behind him.

Now fully composed, he unfurled his soul banner, unleashing the aura of a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment powerhouse. Caught off guard earlier by Chen Luo’s peculiar technique, Lin Feng had momentarily faltered. With some distance regained, he could now exploit the advantages of his arcane cultivation. Holding the soul banner, he feared no equal-rank enemy, especially since Chen Luo was only at early Foundation Establishment, a realm below him.

As the soul banner exerted its influence, the entire atmosphere within the mountain cave surged towards it.

Buzz!

Just as Chen Luo emerged, he spotted a banesoul charging directly at him. Without hesitation, he unleashed a punch, generating a circular shockwave powered by the Iron Body Art, instantly shattering the approaching banesoul.

However, in the next instant, the banesoul that had been pulverized ‘reanimated.’

So long as the soul banner persisted, the banesouls would not perish!

This was Lin Feng’s ultimate trump card, derived from his master Yin Ghost Ancestor’s most potent divine ability. Acquiring this divine ability had required immense effort, involving the fusion of his master into the soul banner.

Currently, the main soul within his banner was none other than his master, Yin Ghost Ancestor.

Having crushed one banesoul, Chen Luo’s gaze shifted, focusing on the soul banner held by Lin Feng.

The three banesouls once again circled around Lin Feng, resembling wandering spirits with menacing expressions. With their elongated forms stretching over three meters, they flew and emitted ear-piercing shrieks that threatened to harm one’s divine soul.

Clang!

As Chen Luo took just one step forward, a translucent banesoul emerged from beneath the stone, its sharp claws raking across his back with a metallic sound.

“A spiritual robe?” Lin Feng’s expression shifted; he hadn’t anticipated such resilience from this opponent. Not only was Chen Luo a physical cultivation practitioner, but he also wore a protective spiritual robe. How fearful of death must he be?

Chen Luo didn’t hesitate either, swiftly crushing another three banesouls. However, as soon as these banesouls perished here, they quickly regenerated near the soul banner.

“Go kill them and replenish soul power.”

Observing the diminishing strength of the soul banner, Lin Feng’s face darkened. He rapidly retreated, maintaining a fixed distance from Chen Luo, while expanding the power of the soul banner once more. Two banesouls abruptly turned and rushed out of the mountain cave.

The commotion inside had already alerted the Qi Refinement cultivators outside.

Seeing the banesouls emerge, the group of Qi Refinement cultivators who were seeking shelter from the snow scattered in all directions, fleeing desperately down the mountain, exhausting their spiritual energy in panic.

Descending at high speed conserved spiritual energy.

However, compared to the speed of banesouls, their movements were painfully slow. In a single sweep, more than half perished instantly.

“I won’t accept this…”

The solo cultivator at the cave entrance, who had hoped to apprentice under a Foundation Establishment powerhouse, was pierced through the chest by a roaming banesoul. His body rapidly withered before his eyes. Never did he imagine that his ambitions would end abruptly, dying inexplicably from the aftermath of a battle between Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Unaware, the Foundation Establishment cultivators inadvertently caused his demise amidst their clash.

His lifeless form crumpled onto the ground, quickly merging with the snow and ice, silent forevermore.

This fate befell not just him but nearly all twenty-plus Qi Refinement cultivators caught in the crossfire. To Foundation Establishment cultivators, those in the Qi Refinement Realm were akin to ants, easily dispatched with a mere gesture.