Chapter 2666: Wang Chuanming Kills for Treasure

Wang Changsheng was barely clothed, with only a small piece of his Golden Silkworm Jade Scale Armor hanging on him. His body was scorched black, and horrific wounds on his left shoulder, arm, and thigh revealed his bones.

His attempt to reach the Integration Stage had rendered two mid-grade defensive Sky-reaching Spirit Treasures, the Heavenly Thunder Transformation Array, one Heavenly Thunder Transformation Talisman, five sets of sixth-tier defensive formations, and numerous low-grade Sky-reaching Spirit Treasures useless. Wang Changsheng himself was also severely wounded.

Relying on Wu Tao's sixth-tier defensive formation and the Earth-Parting Shield, he had withstood fifty-four thunder tribulations. The most challenging were the final nine six-colored divine lightning bolts; he would have had an easier time if they had been five-colored or four-colored. Zhao Yunxiao had given Wang Changsheng a Reflection Crystal, which recorded the experiences and insights of Zhenhai Palace ancestors attempting the Integration Stage. Wang Changsheng had drawn some inspiration from it.

The power of the final nine six-colored divine lightning bolts was immense; otherwise, Wang Changsheng would not have been so severely wounded. Without the Four Seas Azure Wave Array, he would not have lasted until the very end. It was good to have support; relying solely on self-exploration was too difficult. He truly wondered how Heavenly River Sword Master, as a rogue cultivator, had managed to advance to the Mahayana Stage; it was likely due to some major fortuitous encounter.

Integration required the fusion of essence, qi, and spirit with the body, which was just one of the challenges. After overcoming that, there was still the Seventy-Nine Thunder Tribulation. Most cultivators got stuck at the first hurdle, and even those who passed it found the second incredibly difficult to overcome.

Without a word, Wang Ruyan took out a golden porcelain bottle and poured out a pale golden pill; it was precisely a Golden Sandalwood Pill. The Golden Sandalwood Pill was a sixth-tier elixir, known for its excellent healing properties for lightning-induced injuries. Wang Changsheng swallowed it, then walked to a blue formation not far away and sat down cross-legged.

In the center of the formation lay a greenish-golden crystal core, a remnant from a high-grade sixth-tier wood demon. Bai Yuqi had used it to set up the Rejuvenation and Origin Tracing Grand Formation, a healing array. With the Golden Sandalwood Pill and the Rejuvenation and Origin Tracing Grand Formation working in tandem, Wang Changsheng's recovery would be faster.

Wang Ruyan took out a formation plate, shimmering with green light, and infused several incantations into it. A dazzling green light then erupted from the formation, enveloping Wang Changsheng's entire body. Wang Changsheng circulated his energy to heal. His condition was dire; while consuming spiritual medicine for magical power was a quick and crude method, it came with significant side effects. He would need a period of recuperation. Without miraculous elixirs, relying on self-recovery alone would take at least two thousand years. However, the family had collected several ten-thousand-year spiritual medicines, such as Bloodscale Ganoderma, which even raw consumption had some effect. He should fully recover with over a thousand years of recuperation.

Wang Gonghu flew over, his expression filled with excitement.

"Gonghu," Wang Ruyan instructed, "Go back at once and tell Mo Shan, and have Qingcheng bring a substantial gift. He should go to the market to find Martial Uncle Zhao and report this good news. Hopefully, we can exchange it for a Bloodscale Pill." The Bloodscale Pill was a treasured elixir of Zhenhai Palace; with one, Wang Changsheng would recover faster and more completely.

"Yes, Ancestor," Wang Gonghu replied, accepted the order, and departed.

Wang Changsheng was currently very weak; it would be disastrous if an Integration Stage cultivator came to cause trouble. The news had to be kept secret, and it would not be too late to hold a celebration after Wang Changsheng fully recovered. From then on, the Wang family would have an Integration Stage cultivator, thereby gaining significant influence.

The Golden Centipede Mountain Range stretched for a million li, featuring tens of thousands of peaks, both large and small. The spiritual energy here was abundant, and it was home to a vast number of demonic beasts, particularly golden thunder centipedes, from which the mountain range derived its name.

A deafening, earth-shattering roar echoed from deep within the mountain range, causing the ground to shake violently. A ball of blue lightning shot into the sky, engulfing an area several li in radius. Deep within the mountain range, Chen Chu lay prone in a giant, smoking crater. His left arm was gone, and his body reeked of burning flesh. Had it not been for two defensive treasures, he would have perished.

A tall, slender young man in a golden robe stood not far away; it was Wang Chuanming, cleverly disguised. He was not foolish enough to carry out the deed in his true form.

"You actually followed me for over three hundred years!" Chen Chu gasped for breath, his face etched with disbelief. He had been extremely cautious, teleporting multiple times and constantly changing his residence, appearance, and cultivation level, yet none of it had been enough to shake off Wang Chuanming.

"From the moment I gained consciousness, my father told me that one must be patient in all endeavors, and opportunity favors the prepared," Wang Chuanming sneered. "Blame yourself for being too greedy." Wang Chuanming sneered. If Chen Chu had simply sold him the item, he would not have resorted to such drastic measures, but Chen Chu's greed had sealed his fate. Not everyone possessed Wang Chuanming's patience to spend over three hundred years pursuing a rogue Soul Transformation cultivator.

"If you do this, aren't you afraid—"

Before Chen Chu could finish, Wang Chuanming interrupted him, "You've committed countless evil deeds and harmed the innocent. I am acting on behalf of heaven; what is there to fear?" With countless instances of murder for treasure, and the destruction of families and sects, numerous Soul Transformation cultivators were wanted by major powers. Wang Chuanming harbored no fear, having long prepared his justification.

As Chen Chu tried to speak further, a golden light materialized out of thin air and struck towards him. Chen Chu quickly cast an incantation, and a dimly glowing blue flying dagger shot out to meet the attack. With a muffled clang, the blue flying dagger was struck away. The golden light then pierced through Chen Chu's protective spiritual aura and directly through his head. As a miniature Nascent Soul barely emerged from the body, a rapid series of whooshing sounds followed, as dense golden lights converged and pierced it. The miniature Nascent Soul then dissolved into specks of spiritual light and vanished.

Wang Chuanming gave Chen Chu no chance, uncertain if he possessed any special escape techniques. While Chen Chu might have known important secrets, this was irrelevant to Wang Chuanming. He understood the priorities: if Chen Chu escaped simply for the sake of uncovering some secrets, the repercussions would be endless. Either don't do it at all, or do it completely.

Wang Chuanming flew over and retrieved a blue storage ring, from which he found the semi-finished item. He incinerated the corpse with a fireball and then departed from the area.

On Tianshu Island, Wang Changsheng was cultivating to heal his injuries, while Wang Ruyan stood guard. Wang Ruyan sensed something, stood up, and flew out from Tianshu Island. Wang Qingcheng and Zhao Yunxiao flew towards her; Wang Qingcheng's expression was respectful, while Zhao Yunxiao's face was stern.

Upon learning that Wang Changsheng had advanced to the Integration Stage, Zhao Yunxiao was half-skeptical. It wasn't that he doubted Wang Qingcheng, but the Bloodscale Pill was extremely precious, coveted by many disciples of the Ascension Faction. He needed to confirm Wang Changsheng's breakthrough before he would produce the elixir.

"This disciple greets Martial Uncle Zhao," Wang Ruyan said, bowing respectfully.

Zhao Yunxiao nodded and said pleasantly, "Take me to see Junior Brother Wang." Since Wang Changsheng had advanced to the Integration Stage, Zhao Yunxiao now had to address him as Junior Brother. Wang Ruyan acknowledged, then quickly led the way.

Soon after, Zhao Yunxiao met Wang Changsheng. Wang Changsheng stood up, his entire body aching.

"Junior Brother Wang, quickly take this Bloodscale Pill to heal," Zhao Yunxiao urged. "Relying on self-recovery is not only slow, but prolonged delay will also affect your future cultivation." Zhao Yunxiao flicked his finger, and a blood-red pill shot out, flying directly towards Wang Changsheng. Wang Changsheng opened his mouth, and the Bloodscale Pill flew in. The elixir melted instantly, and a strong, rich bloody aroma spread throughout his mouth. Soon after, Wang Changsheng felt an unbearable heat and tingling pain spreading throughout his body.

"The Bloodscale Pill is very potent; Junior Brother Wang will need time to heal, so do not disturb him," Zhao Yunxiao explained. "I will have Martial Nephew Huang return to the main altar to exchange for some healing items. Qingcheng, go back with Martial Nephew Huang and bring back more valuable goods. Since Junior Brother Wang has advanced to the Integration Stage, it will be easier to exchange for things, but items still need to be acquired; they won't be given for free. This Bloodscale Pill, however, is my personal gift to Junior Brother Wang."

Zhao Yunxiao spoke slowly, emphasizing that with Wang Changsheng's advancement to the Integration Stage, interactions and exchanges with Zhenhai Palace would become much more equitable. Wang Qingcheng agreed and immediately returned to Qinglian Island to prepare. After a few parting instructions, Zhao Yunxiao departed.