Translator: Cinder Translations
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A night passed quietly.
The next day.
Leaving the inn, Song Wen headed straight for where the airships were docked.
Last night, he had already asked the inn's servant and confirmed that the airship bound for the Corpse Demon Sect would depart at the third quarter of the morning hour.
Walking within the City of Three Corpses, Song Wen noticed many Yan family disciples using their spiritual power to repeatedly scan passing cultivators.
In the cultivation world, casually scanning others with spiritual power was seen as provocative and a highly disrespectful act.
After all, which cultivator didn't have a few secrets they didn't want others to pry into?
The brazen behavior of the Yan family disciples provoked considerable anger among many cultivators. However, seeing the guards of the City of Three Corpses standing beside these Yan family disciples, these cultivators dared not voice their anger.
Song Wen remained calm and continued towards the direction of the airships, paying no attention to the spiritual scans cast by Yan family disciples.
These were already the sixth wave of Yan family members he had encountered since this morning.
He had absolute confidence in his ability to control his body's aura. These Yan family disciples could not possibly recognize him solely based on spiritual scans, especially since his aura had already been completely concealed.
To find Song Wen, someone who had previous contact with him would need to come forward and expose his disguise, which was highly unlikely. There were too many cultivators coming and going in the city, and Yan family disciples couldn't possibly search them all.
Moreover, such actions would only provoke greater resentment among the cultivators. It might even lead to a riot among the city guards, making trouble for the City Lord of Three Corpses.
Song Wen smoothly arrived at the location where he would board the airship.
The airship was ten meters long with three levels of construction.
Since the Corpse Demon Sect wasn't far from the City of Three Corpses, most of the cultivators boarding the airship were at the Qi Refining Initial Stage, with occasionally a few at the Qi Refining Intermediate Stage. After all, cultivators with slightly stronger abilities preferred to travel to the Corpse Demon Sect on their own.
On the road about a hundred meters from the airship, several Yan family disciples were stationed, including Yan Gao and Yan Qiu.
Their eyes and spiritual power scanned the low-level cultivators boarding the airship repeatedly. When they found suspicious individuals, they immediately searched them, acting desperate and extremely aggressive.
At this moment, Song Wen's aura and appearance changed once again.
Since leaving the inn, he had disguised himself as a young wandering cultivator who had just entered the Qi Refining Stage.
Due to the deaths of Yan Feng and the others, the Yan family suspected anyone at the Qi Refining Intermediate Stage. Therefore, they paid little attention to Song Wen, this young cultivator who had just reached the Qi Refining First Stage.
After paying five spirit stones, Song Wen smoothly boarded the airship and secured an independent small room on the lower deck.
The airship departed punctually at the third quarter of the morning hour. The speed of the large airship wasn't fast, and after an hour, it arrived at the Corpse Demon Mountain Market, the same market Song Wen frequented. This place was already within the jurisdiction of the Corpse Demon Sect, and Yan family's strength was insufficient to extend their hands here.
After disembarking from the airship, Song Wen didn't spot any Yan family members in the market, which reassured him.
He headed straight for the pill refining hall.
Elder Shen of the pill refining hall was a Foundation Establishment Late Stage alchemist known for his status, strength, and wealth within the Corpse Demon Sect. It was highly unlikely that he could be bribed by the Yan family.
Yan Family has betrayed the Corpse Demon Sect, colluding with the Nine Palace Sect, stealing the Rainbow Grass. Reporting this matter to Elder Shen, the next step will be to wait for the Yan Family's downfall. Only when the Yan Family is completely destroyed can the threat from them be truly eliminated.
Song Wen wasted no time. He ran all the way and soon arrived at the northwest foot of the mountain, where the pill refining hall was located.
The pill refining hall was still heavily patrolled by disciples to prevent unruly elements from infiltrating.
As the gate of the pill refining hall came into view, Song Wen removed his disguise and his aura changed to a familiar appearance to everyone.
To enter the pill refining hall, he needed both the disciple token and the mission token, both of which retained his aura. If he displayed an aura inconsistent with the tokens, he would not be allowed entry and might even be mistaken for a spy.
As Song Wen walked through the gate of the pill refining hall, someone unexpected appeared before him.
Guo Tao!
Guo Tao stood quietly at the gate, neither entering nor leaving.
Song Wen knew that Guo Tao was waiting for him.
Instantly, Song Wen tensed up. He reminded himself to be extremely careful. He had traversed over two thousand li of escape routes and couldn't afford to stumble at this final step.
He remembered clearly that according to the sect rules, killing an outer disciple required only compensation of 3000 spirit stones.
At this critical moment, if someone told Guo Tao that only 3000 spirit stones were needed to eliminate Song Wen, this significant threat, Song Wen believed Guo Tao would certainly not hesitate to pay up.
The Ghost Head Shield was gripped in his right hand, ready to strike.
The last Flying Escape Talisman was affixed to his chest, ready to activate at any moment to create distance from Guo Tao.
Both Blood Sacrifice Art and Blood Escape Art were also prepared for immediate activation. Song Wen believed that by simultaneously using these two blood-burning secret techniques, his speed should be comparable to that of a cultivator at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining like Guo Tao.
TL Note: I have no idea what is going on with these Cultivation Realms, please bear with it and I will try my best to keep them consistent later on.
Unfortunately, the Haste Talisman had already been used up; otherwise, his chances of escape would be even greater.
The Thunder Talisman wasn't quite suitable for use within the Corpse Demon Sect. Otherwise, he would have a hard time explaining why a disciple of the demonic sect could cultivate the righteous qi of heaven and earth. If used recklessly, it could likely expose his secret. By then, he might be subjected to soul extraction and research by the Corpse Demon Sect's elders.
At the same time, Song Wen had prepared himself. If Guo Tao dared to make a move, he would publicly shout out the Yan Family's secrets, breaking the net when the fish is desperate.
With so many guards outside the pill refining hall, as long as he could withstand one or two moves from Guo Tao, he should be able to be rescued by the guards.
Looking at the extremely tense Song Wen, Guo Tao did not choose to act. Instead, he smiled slightly, making an effort to appear friendly.
At this moment, although Guo Tao could kill Song Wen, the elders of the Corpse Demon Sect were not fools.
Both Guo Tao and Song Wen were sent out to carry out sect missions, and they returned separately. Before reporting on the mission, if Guo Tao killed Song Wen, even a fool would know something was amiss.
The high-level members of the Corpse Demon Sect would definitely thoroughly investigate the Yan Family. By then, the Yan Family's betrayal and secrets would definitely be exposed.
Guo Tao and the high-level Yan Family members had long discussed countermeasures. If Song Wen really returned alive to the sect, Guo Tao would have to find a way to bribe him to buy enough time for the Yan Family.
At that time, the Yan Family wouldn't bet everything on buying off Song Wen. They had already secretly transferred the most talented disciples within the clan, ensuring the preservation of the Yan Family's bloodline.
This included Yan Yiwen, the most talented member of the Yan Family in this generation.
(End of the Chapter)