Yin Shuo's pupils constricted slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. Gou Jun is actually a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator! For more chapters visıt 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⚑𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⚑𝙣𝙚𝙩 How could I have failed to notice this before? A dignified mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, yet he had disguised himself as a Golden Core cultivator and infiltrated the sect with clearly malicious intentions. However, Yin Shuo didn't believe Gou Jun posed much of a threat to him. Even with Yuan Hao's interference, a single mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would struggle to overcome him. With a wave of his hand, Yin Shuo summoned a peak Fourth-Tier Corpse Puppet, which immediately lunged toward Song Wen. Song Wen's mind stirred, and two Corpse-Nourishing Coffins materialized before him. Two guttural roars echoed as Corpse Puppets leaped from each coffin. Yin Shuo's expression darkened. The two Corpse Puppets Gou Jun had unleashed were also at the peak of the Fourth-Tier! The three Corpse Puppets collided violently. Yin Shuo's puppet, outnumbered two to one, quickly found itself at a disadvantage. Overwhelmed by Song Wen's two puppets, all three plummeted toward the sea below. With no further obstacles in his path, Song Wen surged forward like a whirlwind, closing the distance to Yin Shuo. Simultaneously, a crimson Blood Sea erupted from beneath his feet, spreading with astonishing speed toward Yin Shuo. Watching the tidal wave of blood surge toward him, Yin Shuo's expression grew increasingly grim. Yin Shuo sensed a formidable threat emanating from the Blood Sea. He shot skyward, instantly rising dozens of meters to distance himself from the surging crimson tide. A circular flying wheel materialized before him. The weapon, nearly two meters in diameter, was rimmed with razor-sharp spikes. The moment it appeared, the wheel began spinning at blinding speed, its passage tearing through the air with a deafening roar. Like an arrow released from a taut bow, it hurtled toward Song Wen with lightning speed. Caught off guard by Yin Shuo's sudden assault, Song Wen seemed unable to react. Before he could even raise his defenses, the flying wheel struck, tearing him apart into a cloud of bloody mist. Yet Yin Shuo showed no satisfaction. Instead, his brow furrowed even deeper. The figure he had just destroyed was merely a Blood Dao clone. At that moment, the Blood Sea below churned violently. Gou Jun's figure emerged from the depths, then surged upward to confront Yin Shuo. A torrent of Corpse Qi erupted from Yin Shuo's body, blasting downward toward Song Wen. He summoned the flying wheel back to his hand and launched it at his opponent. Song Wen raised his hand, unleashing a barrage of lightning that struck the descending Corpse Qi. The Corpse Qi met the lightning like frost to sunlight, dissolving instantly. Yin Shuo's eyes widened in disbelief. "He cultivates both righteous and demonic arts!" he realized. Gou Jun had been cultivating the Corpse King's Rebirth Art. He had obtained this cultivation technique from Bie Chou and even had him refine Life Returning Pills, hoping to use them to switch to this art. However, Bie Chou had deceived him, causing his attempt to switch cultivation paths to fail. After prolonged study, Gou Jun also discovered flaws within the technique itself. At that moment, Yin Shuo grew increasingly wary of Song Wen. Abandoning his duel with Yuan Hao, Yin Shuo summoned his Natal Magic Treasure—the Blood Coffin, which was already locked in a stalemate with the Xuan Yin Heavy Water—and hurled it toward Song Wen. Just then, Yin Shuo abruptly realized that the lightning bolt, having shattered the Corpse Qi, continued its trajectory toward him. Though the lightning's power had waned, it no longer posed a significant threat. However, trailing behind the lightning were nine transparent, razor-sharp blades—the Focused Spirit Stab! Song Wen had launched this attack with unwavering resolve. The nine Focused Spirit Stabs were now less than a hundred feet from Yin Shuo. At such close range, even with his High-Grade Soul Defense Magical Item, Yin Shuo wouldn't have time to activate it. Yet, contrary to Song Wen's expectations, Yin Shuo didn't summon his soul defense artifact. Instead, a grayish-white talisman suddenly appeared in his hand. The talisman shattered instantly, conjuring a faint white Mana Shield that enveloped Yin Shuo's body. The nine Focused Spirit Stabs struck the translucent barrier. To his astonishment, the seemingly flimsy shield completely blocked all nine Focused Spirit Stabs without showing the slightest sign of cracking. Song Wen was taken aback, having never encountered such a situation before. The power of even a High-Grade Soul Defense Magical Item couldn't compare to the effectiveness of this single talisman. He suddenly understood why Xing Wenyao had never used the Focused Spirit Stab in the recent battles between the human and demon races. It was likely that every Nascent Soul cultivator in the Human Race possessed at least one such talisman. Using the Focused Spirit Stab against them would be futile, only wasting precious Spirit Sense. Spirit Sense, the "Spirit" component of Essence, Qi, and Spirit, was vital. Severe depletion could lead to mental fatigue, making it difficult to control Mystic Treasures with precision—a fatal weakness in combat. His sure-hit strike had failed, and Song Wen couldn't hide the panic creeping across his face. He hastily activated the Blood Sea beneath him, summoning a crimson wave that surged to his left. Ten miles away, Yin Shuo's Natal Magic Treasure, the Blood-Colored Corpse Coffin, was hurtling toward him, shrouded in a torrent of Corpse Qi. Simultaneously, a ten-zhang-tall shield materialized to his right. A hundred zhang away, Yin Shuo's spiked flying wheel spun rapidly as it approached. The flying wheel slashed horizontally against Song Wen's shield, its jagged edges grinding relentlessly against the metal with a grating, metallic screech. Gritting his teeth, Song Wen channeled every ounce of his Spiritual Power into the shield, desperately trying to withstand the relentless assault. But the flying wheel's power was overwhelming. Each strike felt like a sledgehammer blow to his chest, shaking his internal organs and causing his blood to surge violently. Song Wen spat out a mouthful of blood, his resolve shattered. He was hurled backward, shield and all, by the relentless force. Severely injured and with his Spiritual Power disrupted, Song Wen lost control of the Blood Sea, failing to halt the advance of the Blood-Colored Corpse Coffin. The coffin slammed into him, and Song Wen was instantly torn to shreds by the Corpse Qi swirling around it. Having eliminated one "Gou Jun," Yin Shuo breathed a slight sigh of relief. But without pausing, he immediately propelled the Blood-Colored Corpse Coffin onward to the left. With Song Wen gone, Yuan Hao now faced no obstruction as the Xuan Yin Heavy Water surged toward him. Just then, Yin Shuo sensed a figure flashing behind him, a short blade poised to strike his back. It was none other than the supposedly dead "Gou Jun." Yin Shuo's face paled. A primal terror, born from the depths of his soul, gripped him as he sensed the blade. Gou Jun stood mere inches away. Yin Shuo had no time to activate his defensive Mystic Treasure; he could only channel all his Spiritual Power to reinforce the Mana Shield enveloping his body. But no matter how desperately he poured Spiritual Power into the barrier, it proved as fragile as paper before the short blade, shattering instantly upon contact. The blade pierced through the Mana Shield and plunged into Yin Shuo's back. A terrifying golden radiance erupted, instantly shredding his internal organs. Sensing his life force rapidly draining away, Yin Shuo's soul fled his Sea of Consciousness and surged toward his Dantian, desperate to rouse his Nascent Soul and break free. But Song Wen had anticipated this. A Soul-Binding Technique descended, imprisoning Yin Shuo's soul within his skull. Then, Song Wen's Storage Ring emitted a faint azure glow, and Yin Shuo's corpse vanished without a trace. Though it takes time to describe, the entire sequence—from Song Wen's sudden attack to Yin Shuo's demise—unfolded in the span of only two or three breaths. Song Wen hadn't intended to reveal his Life Substitution Art, but the Focused Spirit Stab had fallen short of its intended effect. To secure a swift victory, he had no other choice. With Yin Shuo dead, every eye from both the human and demon races converged on Song Wen. The intensity of their ongoing skirmishes immediately waned. Yuan Hao also recalled his Xuan Yin Heavy Water, fearing he might accidentally harm Song Wen, their "great hero." 📖Read (RDC) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c1100. [+2] 🔑Early Access at $5. 💥Translated (6) Series, (4.1K+) Chapters, (5.8M+) Words.