The Oriole

Wu Ren glanced at Yan Yuyan, who lay severely injured and unable to rise dozens of meters away. He wanted to seize the chance to eliminate her, but lacked the strength to even stand.

The residual sword qi from her finger strike was frantically tearing at his internal organs. If not for his Magic Power protecting his vitals, his organs would have already been shredded into paste.

Moreover, the gaping hole in his right chest was causing a massive loss of vital blood. He swallowed two healing Pills and sat cross-legged, dividing his attention between suppressing the rampant sword qi and staunching the wound on his chest.

Suddenly, two copper-grade Puppet Corpses charged out.

Ordinarily, Wu Ren could have obliterated these two Tier 2 Puppet Corpses with a wave of his hand. Now, however, his strength fell short.

The sudden appearance of the two Puppet Corpses also caught Yan Yuyan's attention. She struggled to stand.

A sudden, heart-rending agony tore through her, forcing her back to the ground. She could only watch helplessly as the two Puppet Corpses closed in.

Fortunately, the two creatures bounded straight toward Wu Ren.

Wu Ren could only muster his remaining Magic Power, slamming a palm toward the first Puppet Corpse as it lunged at him.

"Bang!"

The strike landed squarely on its head. However, due to his grievous injuries, the blow only shattered half of its skull. Without losing its momentum, the creature grabbed Wu Ren's arm and bit down with its half-destroyed jaw.

A sharp pain flared. Just as Wu Ren prepared to unleash a second palm strike, the other Puppet Corpse pounced.

Baring its fangs, it clamped its jaws toward his neck.

Terrified, Wu Ren channeled his Magic Power and swung his other hand at the second Puppet Corpse.

But before the blow could land, Wu Ren's expression warped into sheer horror.

In his desperate bid to draw upon his remaining Magic Power, he had lost control of the violent sword qi inside him. Like beasts freed from a cage, the rampant energies ran entirely amok.

In an instant, his internal organs were minced into a bloody pulp by countless streams of sword qi.

...

Sensing that Wu Ren had completely lost his breath of life, the uninjured Puppet Corpse clambered off his body. With flesh and blood still dangling from its teeth, it turned its hollow gaze toward Yan Yuyan, dozens of meters away.

By now, Yan Yuyan had managed to struggle to her feet. Using her remaining right hand to lean on the Smoke Condensation Sword, she stood with immense difficulty.

Her blood-mangled face was set with unyielding resolve.

"Roar!"

The Puppet Corpse strode forward, charging straight at her.

Before it even reached her, it raised its pitch-black, razor-sharp claws, swiping toward Yan Yuyan's severely mangled left arm.

A flash of cold light tore through the night sky!

The Puppet Corpse was cleaved cleanly in two. Putrid internal organs and black fluids splattered across the ground.

Having expended the last bit of support from her sword, Yan Yuyan collapsed once more.

The remaining Puppet Corpse, missing half its head, looked up at the fallen woman. Despite her state, her face bore the same stubborn tenacity, her eyes locked fiercely onto the creature.

Whether intimidated by her imposing aura or frightened by the cold gleam of the Smoke Condensation Sword, the Puppet Corpse hoisted Wu Ren's body over its shoulder and fled.

...

A short while later, Song Wen took Wu Ren's corpse from the Puppet Corpse and smoothly slipped the Storage Ring from its finger.

Plunging his hand into the gaping hole in the chest, he absorbed Wu Ren's majestic vital blood. Already brimming with qi and blood, Song Wen felt an uncomfortable, bloated sensation in his body.

Wu Ren's soul, which had yet to dissipate, emerged from the remains.

"Junior, to think it was you again. You murdered my direct grandson, and now you dare to destroy my physical vessel!"

"Those below the Golden Core are nothing but ants. The strength of a Golden Core cultivator's soul is far beyond what you insects could ever fathom."

"I will not only perform Body Seizing upon your physical vessel, but I will imprison your soul and refine it into a soul lamp. You will suffer the endless torment of having your soul scorched by hellfire for all eternity!"

Surging with tremendous soul force, Wu Ren's soul rushed into Song Wen's Sea of Consciousness like a crashing tidal wave.

Seeing Wu Ren willingly throw himself into the net, Song Wen simply curled his lip.

"You talk too much."

"You dare disdain this old man..."

Before Wu Ren could finish his threat, a terrifying suction force erupted from Song Wen, violently accelerating the soul's plunge into the Sea of Consciousness.

"What is happening?"

Sensing this invincible, overwhelming pull, a trace of panic crept into Wu Ren's voice.

In the blink of an eye, his soul was dragged into Song Wen's Sea of Consciousness.

A boundless black hole, resembling an abyssal hellscape, manifested before him.

Absolute terror seized Wu Ren's soul. "What is this monstrous thing? How can such a horrifying existence reside in your Sea of Consciousness?"

In that instant, Wu Ren's pride and dignity as a mighty Golden Core cultivator were utterly shattered.

"No! I beg you, spare my soul! I do not want my soul to scatter, forever denied reincarnation!"

"That is no longer up to you," Song Wen's mocking voice echoed through the Sea of Consciousness.

Amidst his horrified pleas, Wu Ren's soul was swallowed by the black hole, erased completely from this world.

...

Song Wen stowed away the Qi-Concealing Spirit-Isolating Array and recalled the Black-armored Gu standing guard on the perimeter. Concealing his aura, he let the churning river currents carry him downstream.

This was no place to linger!

Just a dozen breaths prior, Yan Yuyan had temporarily stabilized her injuries, retrieved her severed arm, and departed.

If she were to summon Orthodox Sect cultivators, even hiding underwater beneath the Qi-Concealing Spirit-Isolating Array would not guarantee his safety. He could not risk the chance that they might scour the riverbed, searching inch by inch.

Song Wen soaked in the river for three days and three nights. Tumbling continuously in the rushing waters left him slightly dizzy and bleary-eyed. However, the current was not particularly fast; he estimated he had only drifted downstream for a little over a thousand miles.

He carefully released the Black-armored Gu. After devouring and digesting Wu Ren's soul, his divine sense had advanced to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, expanding his detection range to three miles.

With the sensory link to the Black-armored Gu, he could monitor all movements within a twelve-mile radius. This level of perception was no weaker than that of some Golden Core cultivators.

Once he confirmed there were no immediate threats, Song Wen breached the water's surface.

He waded out of the river. The sodden clothes clinging to his skin were mildly uncomfortable, so he circulated his spiritual energy. Billowing clouds of vapor rose from his body, and in a flash, his garments were completely dry.

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