Chương 139: Chapter 28: Shadowed

Reyn let out a cold snort, his hand sweeping out to claim Jin Jupeng's corpse in its entirety. With a sharp flick of his wrist, the cone-shaped magic treasure flew into his palm before being tucked into his storage bag. As for the tree-branch-like treasure Jin Jupeng had wielded, it offered a flicker of resistance now that its master was dead, but Reyn's overwhelming grip forced it into a jade box, where it was promptly sealed.

"Hmm?" Reyn's brow furrowed slightly. Though Jin Jupeng had been obliterated, the demonic entity suppressed beneath the Heaven-Turning Seal had not dissipated. Instead, its aura was withered, bearing the marks of a devastating blow to its core essence. Sensing Reyn's gaze, the creature's eyes filled with sheer terror. It nodded frantically, its posture one of desperate supplication.

"If you submit to my seal, I shall grant you a sliver of life. Otherwise, I will scatter your essence into nothingness, erasing you from this world forever," Reyn declared, his voice heavy with cold authority. The demon, possessing no small amount of intelligence, bobbed its head in rapid agreement. Satisfied, Reyn gestured, weaving a series of restrictive seals that drew the creature into a jade vial. He looked up just as the Shura Secret Bone finished refining Jin Jupeng's Primordial Soul.

Stowing the bone away, Reyn's eyes swept over a seemingly empty patch of air with a subtle, knowing glint. With a final snort, he transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the distance. Moments later, the Ghost Crone's figure slowly materialized amidst a ripple in the air. Her expression was grim, her eyes still clouded with lingering shock.

"Who exactly is this man? That final divine ability... why did it bear such a terrifying resemblance to the Ultimate Dao Fiend Finger, the supreme technique of the Ultimate Fiend Hall?"

"Furthermore, his cultivation is utterly bizarre. At first glance, he appears to be in the Qi Condensation stage, yet he exudes the pressure of a Late Foundation Establishment cultivator. And in battle? He erupts with the power of a Mid-stage Golden Core expert! Such a thing is unheard of!"

"It is fortunate I was cautious enough not to strike. Had I engaged him, it is uncertain whose life would have ended this day," the Ghost Crone muttered, a trace of relief flickering in her gaze. She looked toward the direction Reyn had fled, hesitated for a breath, and then turned to bolt in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, in a secluded chamber within the Treasure Tower of Heavenly Law City, the mysterious black-robed cultivator stood up abruptly.

Two beams of divine light shot from his eyes, seemingly piercing through the very fabric of space to witness a distant scene.

"That Jin Jupeng was actually slaughtered in a single exchange, his Primordial Soul unable to even attempt an escape! That final technique is far too familiar. Could he be a disciple of the Ultimate Fiend Hall? Regardless, it is a blessing I did not involve myself today, or I would have surely invited endless trouble." With those words, the secret room fell back into a heavy, absolute silence.

"So, it was him!" Mo Shuaishao's face shifted between shades of doubt and realization. After a long silence, a cold, predatory smirk touched his lips.

"Hmph! You might deceive the others, but you cannot fool me. To forcibly ignite your Divine Sense and mana to slay a Golden Core cultivator in one blow... the backlash within your body must be catastrophic. I wager not even ten percent of your power remains! If I can seize this opportunity to end him, the harvest will be beyond imagination!" Mo Shuaishao stared toward the horizon where Reyn had disappeared. With a chilling laugh, he carefully tucked a silver mouse into his Spirit-Beast Bag.

In a flash of light, he began his pursuit. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. As for the cultivators from Beihai City who had rushed to the scene, they stood frozen, paralyzed by the sudden and violent conclusion of the duel. Jin Jupeng, a man whose infamy struck fear into the hearts of fellow Golden Core experts, had been decimated by a young man in the blink of an eye. This man must have been suppressing his true cultivation all along!

This thought echoed simultaneously in the minds of everyone present. Those who had harbored thoughts of looting or profiting from the chaos felt a sudden, icy dread wash over them, their backs drenched in cold sweat. Watching Reyn's silhouette vanish into the horizon, the gathered cultivators dispersed like a panicked swarm, fleeing toward Heavenly Law City. Driven by their wagging tongues, the day's events were destined to sweep across the entire Huizhou region with the ferocity of a wildfire.

Within his streak of light, Reyn pushed the Demon Flash Escape to its absolute limit, his speed reaching a terrifying crescendo. In a mere breath of time, he had covered a hundred li, successfully distancing himself from the prying Divine Sense of any Golden Core pursuers. Suddenly, the radiance collapsed inward, revealing Reyn's gaunt, bloodless face. His gaze, dark and heavy with calculation, swept across the surrounding terrain. It eventually locked onto a nondescript hillside.

With a flick of his wrist, he summoned the cone-shaped artifact, which bored a cave several zhang deep into the earth with effortless precision. He moved swiftly, weaving restrictive seals across the entrance. After a moment's hesitation, he retrieved a jade bottle from his storage bag and tossed it forward. The bottle dissolved into the restrictions, vanishing behind a ripple of watery light that masked the cave's existence. Stepping into the cool shadows of the cavern, Reyn sat cross-legged.

He produced a single grain of White Jade Dragon-Whiskers Rice and swallowed it whole. He immediately began refining its potent life essence, transforming it into a steady stream of mana that flooded his depleted meridians. Isolated and vulnerable, he could no longer afford to hoard such a precious treasure; survival demanded its consumption. Nearly half an hour passed before a streak of light cut through the sky, decelerating directly above the hillside to reveal a solitary figure.

Mo Shuaishao's eyes were narrowed in suspicion, his expression brooding as he surveyed the landscape.

"Strange," he muttered under his breath.

"The Spirit-Seeking Mouse was leading the way. Even with that man's freakish speed, he shouldn't have been able to break the lock. Why has his aura vanished so completely here?"

"Does he possess a treasure capable of shielding his presence? No... if he had such a thing, he wouldn't have waited until now to use it. He must be suppressing his aura to heal!" His eyes flared with a feverish heat.

"It seems his situation is dire, or he wouldn't be so desperate to enter seclusion here." Mo Shuaishao reached into his storage bag and retrieved the Spirit-Seeking Mouse, alongside a hazelnut-sized fruit. The creature chirped with delight, clutching the treat and devouring it in a few greedy bites. It then leaped into the air, its twitching nose catching a scent before it dived toward the ground below. Mo Shuaishao's face lit up with predatory glee as he followed.

"Is he truly here?" Seeing the mouse scratching and squeaking at a specific patch of earth, he returned it to his spirit-beast bag. He then produced a High-grade Water Needle Art talisman, infused it with a thread of mana, and cast it downward. The talisman erupted, manifesting thousands upon thousands of crystalline water needles that rained down in a wide, lethal arc.

"Found you!" While the needles carved tiny pits into the soil elsewhere, they struck a shimmering barrier at one specific point, shattering into harmless mist. Mo Shuaishao stared at the slowly manifesting cave entrance, his caution warring with his greed. The memory of Reyn's instantaneous slaughter of Jin Jupeng weighed heavily on his mind. Yet, fortune favored the bold. Gritting his teeth, he slapped his forehead, summoning a scimitar-shaped top-grade spirit tool!

"Go!" he barked. The curved blade erupted in a blinding radiance, hacking down toward the cave entrance with savage force. The power of a top-grade spirit tool was formidable, especially when wielded by a cultivator at the Peak of Early Foundation Establishment. Under the onslaught, the cave's restrictions flared with desperate brilliance, only to dim rapidly within seconds. Boom! Boom! After three consecutive, earth-shaking strikes, the barrier let out a soft, watery pop and disintegrated entirely.

Gripping his artifact with white-knuckled intensity, Mo Shuaishao crept into the darkness of the cave. Suddenly, Reyn's eyes snapped open.

"Which junior dares disturb me?" he thundered, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Begone at once, or I shall show no mercy!"