344: Chapter 338 Chen Zhiwen's Disappointment

The lamp on the left had a flame that was a pale golden yellow.

Although the flame was small, only the size of a bean.

It burned with extreme stability, emitting an aura as heavy as a mountain.

That was the Soul Lamp of the Moon Gazing Sect's Grand Elder—Xia Modu.

And the lamp on the right.

Its flame was a ghostly purple.

Dreamy and illusory, flickering uncertainly.

That was the Soul Lamp of the Second Grand Elder—Xia Yu.

Xia Zhangxing held his breath.

He widened his eyes, greedily watching these two Soul Lamps that represented the Sect's peak combat power.

He could feel that within those tiny flames resided a terrifying power capable of destroying the heavens and extinguishing the earth.

"Is... is this the Life Fire of the Mid Nascent Soul Stage?"

"It is too beautiful..."

Xia Zhangxing muttered to himself.

Subconsciously, he took two steps forward, wanting to see more clearly.

That awe and longing, originating from the depths of his Soul, made him forget his fear at this moment.

However.

The moment his foot touched the ground.

A sudden change occurred!

That purple Soul Lamp, which had been burning perfectly fine.

Without any warning.

The flame suddenly jumped violently!

Like a candle flame suddenly struck by a gale.

It flickered, brightening and dimming.

Immediately after.

Under Xia Zhangxing's terrified gaze.

That ghostly purple flame seemed to have lost all its fuel.

It dimmed rapidly, at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Shrinking...

Shrinking further...

Until it was completely extinguished!

But it was not over yet!

Following the extinction of the flame.

The bronze lamp, crafted from some unknown, sturdy Materials.

Emitted a teeth-grinding cracking sound from within.

"Crack——"

A crack instantly ran through the entire body of the lamp.

Then.

"Pop!!!"

An extremely crisp explosion echoed through the three-story hall, which was as silent as a grave.

That Soul Lamp, representing Xia Yu's life.

Right before Xia Zhangxing's eyes.

Shattered into countless tiny fragments!

In that instant.

Time seemed to freeze.

The expression on Xia Zhangxing's face shifted from obsession to dullness, and finally to extreme terror.

His body stiffened like a stone.

The precious jade pendant he had been holding in his hand slipped away due to his fingers trembling violently.

"Clang——"

The jade pendant fell onto the green jade floor, making a crisp sound of impact.

But this sound was insignificant compared to the loud noise of the Soul Lamp shattering just moments ago.

Xia Zhangxing's eyes widened, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinpoints.

His lips trembled incessantly; he wanted to scream, but found his throat clogged as if stuffed with cotton, unable to make a sound.

His mind was left completely blank.

And a thought echoing crazily:

"The... the lamp went out?!"

"Grand Elder... Old Ancestor Xia Yu..."

"Fell... fallen?!"

How could this be?

That was a Mid Nascent Soul Stage Old Ancestor!

One of the true Dominators of this sea region!

How could he have died so silently and without a trace?

And he died so thoroughly; even the Soul Lamp exploded, indicating that his Divine Soul was completely destroyed, leaving not even a chance for Reincarnation!

Fear, boundless fear, engulfed him instantly like a tide.

The sea breeze blew gently.

The sound of waves came in waves, lapping against the reefs like an ancient ballad.

The setting sun had half-sunk below the horizon.

The golden-red afterglow spilled over the vast blue waves, dyeing the entire sea region into a magnificent yet desolate painting.

The world was tranquil.

Only a few unknown seabirds circled at a low altitude, emitting a few crisp cries.

"Whoosh——"

A dazzling green ray of light suddenly tore through the sky.

The speed was astonishing.

In the blink of an eye, it descended from the horizon and landed steadily on a deserted beach.

The light faded.

Revealing a slender and upright figure.

Chen Zhiwen was dressed in a green robe, his sleeves fluttering in the wind. Although he had just experienced a thrilling battle, there was not a speck of dust on him.

Only the two people he held in his hand seemed out of place.

Those were two male Cultivators who had long been unconscious.

One was dressed in fine, brocade clothing that was now tattered, his body covered in bloodstains; it was none other than the Wan Family Young Lord, Wan Xingwang.

The other was ugly in appearance with a hunched figure; it was Wan Xingwang's personal servant, Ugly One.

Chen Zhiwen tossed them aside casually.

"Bang, bang" with two muffled thuds.

The two were dumped on the beach like dead dogs, kicking up a cloud of fine sand.

Chen Zhiwen stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Wan Xingwang on the ground with an indifferent gaze.

His eyes were as deep as the sea, without a ripple.

"Xia Yu is dead."

"The Soul Lamp at the Moon Gazing Sect must have already shattered; the news will soon spread across the entire sea region."

"If the Xia Family finds out, they will definitely take action."

He calculated inwardly.

Originally, he had kept these two alive as bargaining chips or as pawns to restrain the Wan Family.

But now, the situation had become somewhat delicate.

If he carried these two burdens, it would be easy to expose his tracks and even invite unnecessary trouble.

"Since we have already torn off the mask, there is no need to keep them around."

A cold, sharp glint flashed in Chen Zhiwen's eyes.

He slowly extended his right hand.

His five fingers spread open, black Qi swirling faintly at his fingertips, emitting a chilling aura that made the heart tremble.

That was the extremely domineering Soul Search technique—Heavenly Soul Search Technique!

"Young Lord Wan, I will borrow your memories."

Chen Zhiwen whispered softly.

His palm descended like an eagle's claw, directly gripping Wan Xingwang's crown.

"Hum!"

A domineering Divine Sense force instantly broke through the defenses of Wan Xingwang's Sea of Consciousness.

Like a flood beast, it rampaged wantonly through his palace of memories.

"Ugh... ah..."

Wan Xingwang, who had been in a deep coma, suddenly began to convulse violently.

His facial features twisted to the extreme, as if enduring the pain of being sliced by a thousand knives.

A garbled, wheezing sound came from his throat.

It was a scream of a Soul being ripped apart.

Even in a coma, this intense pain originating from the depths of the Soul was enough to make one wish they were dead.

A moment later.

Two lines of black-red blood flowed slowly from the corners of Wan Xingwang's eyes and nostrils.

His body twitched one last time, then went completely limp.

All aura was gone.

His Sea of Consciousness had been completely shattered; he had become an idiot, not even qualifying as a vegetable.

He was thoroughly dead.

Chen Zhiwen slowly withdrew his palm.

He frowned slightly and shook his hand with disgust, as if something dirty had stained it.

"What a piece of trash."

"In his memories, aside from eating, drinking, and playing, there was only bullying men and oppressing women."

"If not for that good grandfather, this kind of trash would probably struggle even to reach Foundation Establishment."

He shook his head and flicked a cluster of pale white Bone Spirit Cold Fire from his fingertip.

The fire landed on Wan Xingwang's corpse.

There was not a trace of smoke or fire.

In just a few breaths, this Young Lord's husk, which had terrified countless female Cultivators, turned into a pile of fly ash and scattered with the wind.

The very moment Wan Xingwang completely perished.

A sudden change occurred!

"Hum——"

Above the location where Wan Xingwang had been, the space suddenly twisted.

A strange fluctuation spread out.

Immediately after.

An azure eyeball, the size of a millstone, materialized out of thin air!

The eyeball was entirely condensed from spiritual power, crystal clear, yet exuding a chilling sense of voyeurism.

It rotated slowly.

Its pupil reflected the beach, the ocean, and Chen Zhiwen standing below.

It was as if a god above the heavens was coldly watching all of this.

If an ordinary Cultivator saw this scene, they would likely be scared out of their wits.

Thinking they had provoked some incredible powerhouse.

But Chen Zhiwen only glanced at it indifferently, his expression devoid of any panic.

He even carried a hint of disdain.

"Soul Transmission Eye?"

"A petty trick."

He snorted coldly.

This was not a very sophisticated method.

The Soul Tablet of a Core Disciple of a major power is often connected to a High Grade Soul Jade; once they perish, a sliver of Divine Soul stored in that Soul Jade is activated.

Utilizing the laws of heaven and earth, it generates a "Soul Eye" at the place of death.

Transmitting the last scene seen before death back to the Sect.

Thereby identifying the appearance of the murderer.

"What a pity."

A mocking arc curled at the corner of Chen Zhiwen's mouth.

His current appearance was not his true self, but one meticulously disguised through a transformation technique.

What this Soul Eye could record was nothing more than a false face that did not exist.

"If it were a top-tier 'Soul-Chasing Treasure Pearl', which could directly lock onto a living being's original Qi, that would be a bit troublesome."

"But that kind of thing costs as much as a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure; even a Soul Transformation Old Monster might not be willing to give it to their juniors."

"You, Wan Xingwang, don't have that qualification."

Chen Zhiwen no longer paid attention to the blue eyeball that was gradually dissipating.

He crouched down.

From the pile of ashes, he picked up a storage ring shimmering with a ghostly light.

He probed it with his Divine Sense.

"Clatter——"

A large pile of dazzling treasures instantly came into view.

Spirit Stones were piled like mountains, and Medicinal Pills were countless.

There were even a few quite decent Magic Treasures.

"Truly a fat sheep."

Chen Zhiwen nodded with satisfaction.

He did not rush to count the spoils, but sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.

Starting to fully digest the memory fragments obtained from the Soul Search just now.

Although the Heavenly Soul Search Technique was domineering, its side effects were not small.

A large amount of chaotic memories flooded his mind; if not sorted and removed in time, it could easily cause mental disorder.

Time passed second by second.

The sea breeze grew colder.

Chen Zhiwen's brows would smooth out at times, and furrow at others.

In the ruins of Wan Xingwang's memories, which were filled with decadent sounds, he kept searching for valuable information.

Wan Xingwang, the eldest grandson of the Wan Family's main branch.

Single Water Spiritual Root, with excellent talent.

But because he was pampered from childhood, he had no ambition and was addicted to wine and women.

It took him a full three hundred years to barely pile his way to the Late Golden Core Stage.

He could be called the epitome of mud that cannot be plastered onto a wall.

"Hmph, aside from playing with women, he had no serious business."

Chen Zhiwen cursed inwardly.

After removing the ninety percent of garbage memories regarding romance and debauchery.

Finally, in an inconspicuous corner, he discovered an unexpected joy.

Chen Zhiwen opened his eyes suddenly.

A sharp glint flashed in his deep eyes.

"So that's it!"

"No wonder this kid carried such heavy treasures on him but never brought them out to fight."

He flipped his palm.

Taking out two heavy jade boxes from Wan Xingwang's storage ring.

Opening them to look.

A piercing chill and a scorching aura rushed at him simultaneously.

In the jade box on the left was an azure Ore the size of a fist, its surface flowing with water-like patterns, exuding extreme cold.

In the jade box on the right was a metal entirely crimson as blood, as if it were still burning, the surrounding air distorting due to the high temperature.

"Fourth Grade High Grade Material—Mystic Ice Soul-Cold Iron."

"Fourth Grade High Grade Material—Crimson Flame Flowing Gold."

Chen Zhiwen's breathing quickened slightly.

Both of these things were excellent main Materials for crafting a Lifebound Treasure!

In the cultivation world, Fourth Grade Materials were already scarce.

Not to mention this kind of High Grade stuff with extreme attributes.

They could fetch an astronomical price at any auction.

"I didn't expect that this was actually something that old ghost Wan Leixiong had him bring to the Artifact Refining Alliance."

Through Wan Xingwang's memories.

Chen Zhiwen learned that in order to cope with the upcoming war, Wan Leixiong wanted to craft a powerful Fourth Grade offensive Magic Treasure.

He specifically had Wan Xingwang bring these two Materials, treasured for many years, to the Artifact Refining Alliance to find an expert to customize it.

He had originally intended to hand them over once he arrived at the Artifact Refining Alliance.

Unfortunately.

Before Wan Xingwang could speak, he was intercepted by Chen Zhiwen.

Later in the battle, because Wan Xingwang feared Chen Zhiwen's strength and harbored a lucky chance to escape, he dared not bring out such heavy treasures to show others.

Fearing that Chen Zhiwen would kill him and steal the treasures.

As a result, in the end, these treasures still fell into Chen Zhiwen's hands.

"Truly, heaven is helping me."

"With these two Materials, my 'Azure Underworld Sword Formation' might be able to add two more main swords."

Chen Zhiwen toyed with the two Ores, unable to put them down.

He carefully sealed the jade boxes and stored them in his own storage ring.

He continued to sort through the memories.

As he dug deeper, Chen Zhiwen's expression gradually sank.

His gaze became increasingly icy.

"Artifact Refining Alliance... Huang Yu..."

He saw a scene in the memories.

It was a secret conversation between Wan Xingwang and the Deputy Alliance Master, Huang Yu, shortly after he arrived at the Artifact Refining Alliance.

In the scene.

The two were talking happily.

Wan Xingwang vaguely mentioned the Materials he brought this time and the type of Magic Treasure he wanted to craft.

Although Huang Yu did not explicitly agree, he showed great interest and even probed about the Wan Family's foundation.

This was not strange.

Businessmen, after all, are profit-driven.

But the problem was.

When Chen Zhiwen had previously asked Huang Yu about the Wan Family's purpose.

Huang Yu had sworn that Wan Xingwang was just passing by and that he did not know his true purpose.

"He is lying."

Chen Zhiwen spat out four words coldly.

His voice carried a chilling coldness.

"This old fox Huang Yu knew long ago that Wan Xingwang was carrying heavy treasures."

"The reason he hid it from me was simply because he feared that once I knew, I would be tempted by the wealth and directly attack Wan Xingwang."

"Thereby dragging the Artifact Refining Alliance into this vortex of trouble, affecting his business."

Chen Zhiwen stood up.

Pacing slowly on the beach.

The waves lapped at the soles of his shoes, but he was completely unaware.

He did not care about Huang Yu's little schemes.

Men die for wealth, birds die for food; this is human nature.

But what he could not tolerate was that, as his subordinate, he dared to hide things from him.

Especially at such a critical moment concerning the overall situation.

"Huang Yu, oh Huang Yu."

"Do you think I am the kind of reckless fool who disregards the big picture?"

Chen Zhiwen shook his head, a trace of disappointment flashing in his eyes.