282: Perfect "murder"

The streets of Black Market Star never knew peace.

Beneath the colorful neon signs were shadows where undercurrents surged. Every Cultivator hurrying by concealed their true appearance with a cloak or a mask, and the air was filled with a unique blend of vigilance, greed, and bloodlust.

Lin Fan's figure moved through the chaotic crowd.

His steps seemed panicked, even slightly stumbling, perfectly portraying a stray dog desperate to escape after losing everything and offending a monstrous enemy.

However, the placement of his every step and every turn precisely avoided the patrol teams and monitoring Formations hidden in the dark.

This was the optimal path leading to "death" that he had planned out long ago using the intelligence database of the Black Sail Eye.

Finally, he turned into a secluded and dark alleyway.

This was the Black Market Star's famous "Garbage Dump." Towering architectural ruins blocked all light, leaving only a few flickering Rune Lamps emitting a faint green glow.

The end of the alleyway was completely blocked by several figures.

Si Kongya stood at the very front. The expression on his Face, previously twisted by rage, had now turned into the playful cruelty of a cat toying with a mouse.

The Void Refining Realm Elder behind him was like an emotionless stone statue, eyes tightly shut, but the boundless, ocean-like Divine Thought had already completely sealed off this space.

There was no path to the heavens, and no door to the earth.

"Run."

"Why aren't you running now?"

Si Kongya's voice was soft, yet sharp, filled with a morbid pleasure.

He walked toward Lin Fan step by step, savoring the helpless despair of his prey before death.

Lin Fan retreated in "terror," his back hitting the cold wall with a heavy thud. The silver mask on his Face reflected the light of despair under the faint green lamps.

"W-what do you want? This is Black Market Star! Heavenly Star Pavilion won't ignore this!"

His voice carried the perfect degree of trembling and feigned bravado.

"Heavenly Star Pavilion?" Si Kongya burst into laughter as if he had heard the greatest joke. "Here, my Heavenly Charm Sect is the rule!"

His laughter ceased, and his eyes suddenly became incredibly fierce and malicious.

"Now, kneel down, take off that disgusting mask, and hand over everything you have."

"This Young Lord might allow you to die a quick death."

The air in the alleyway seemed to freeze.

The Void Refining Realm Elder slowly opened his eyes, and two beams of killing intent, as if materialized, instantly locked onto Lin Fan's glabella.

The shadow of death had already descended.

Lin Fan's body began to tremble violently.

He looked at Si Kongya approaching step by step, and at the Void Refining Elder ready to strike at any moment. The emotion of "despair" in his eyes peaked at this moment.

Then, he used all his strength to let out a shrill scream.

"You can't kill me!"

"I... I'm telling you, I have someone backing me! If you dare touch a single hair on my head, our family Old Ancestor will absolutely not let your Heavenly Charm Sect off!!"

This desperate shout caused Si Kongya's steps to pause slightly.

Old Ancestor?

Sure enough, this guy had a backer!

How could an unknown Loose Cultivator possibly produce over a billion Top-Grade Spirit Stones?

A hint of apprehension flashed in Si Kongya's eyes.

But the next moment, this apprehension was replaced by an even more intense and frenzied killing intent.

So what if he has a backer?

Today, he had suffered an unprecedented humiliation! He absolutely had to regain his Face!

Moreover, since he had already offended him fatally, he must eradicate the root and eliminate future troubles!

"Old Ancestor?" The smile on Si Kongya's Face became increasingly sinister. "Very well, then this Young Lord is even more determined to kill you!"

He violently waved his hand, issuing the most vicious command to the Elder behind him.

"Sixth Elder, don't let him die, but don't let him live either."

"I want you to use the 'Soul Devouring Secret Art' to grind him and his Divine Soul into the most primitive particles!"

"I want him to be completely erased from this world, without even a chance for Reincarnation!"

Upon hearing this, the Sixth Elder nodded expressionlessly.

Using this Forbidden Secret Art, which specialized in attacking the Divine Soul, against a junior who looked to be at most in the Soul Transformation Realm, was akin to using a Dragon-Slaying Saber to kill a chicken.

But the Young Lord's command was absolute.

Buzz—

An invisible, yet Soul-shaking terrifying fluctuation burst forth from the Sixth Elder.

There were no earth-shattering lights and shadows, no world-destroying might.

It was a power purely aimed at erasing "existence" itself!

Lin Fan's pupils instantly dilated beneath the mask.

It's here!

A high-quality death experience!

He could even feel the indomitable will of the Overlord Saint Body deep within his Divine Soul issuing an instinctive tremor and... craving in the Face of this power!

At this critical moment.

A faint light flashed across Lin Fan's chest.

A Substitute Death Puppet, which he had dug out of the Black Sail treasury and which some unlucky Soul had refined, was instantly activated.

However, this precious Magic Treasure, which was enough to save the life of a Nascent Soul Cultivator outside, couldn't even last a single breath against the "Soul Devouring Secret Art."

Crack!

The Puppet disintegrated directly on the spiritual level, turning into a handful of lifeless wood shavings that scattered on the ground.

The power of the secret art, without the slightest attenuation, instantly enveloped Lin Fan's entire body.

"No—!!!"

Lin Fan let out a final, shrill, and unwilling scream.

His body did not bleed, nor did it sustain wounds.

Instead, like a sand sculpture scattered by the wind, it dissipated inch by inch starting from the feet, turning into countless light particles, and finally, along with the silver mask, returned to nothingness.

Divine Soul annihilated.

Form and spirit utterly extinguished.

It was as if this person had never existed.

Silence returned to the alleyway.

Si Kongya looked at the empty space in front of him and took a deep, satisfying breath, all the pent-up frustration in his chest swept away.

A black Storage Ring fell from the air, hitting the ground with a crisp sound.

It was the only thing left behind after Lin Fan was "erased."

A Guard stepped forward, respectfully picked it up, and presented it to Si Kongya.

Si Kongya took the ring and probed it with his Divine Sense.

The next moment, the smugness on his Face turned into a cold, disdainful sneer.

The ring was empty, containing only a pile of miscellaneous junk and a few hundred pitiful Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

"Pauper."

Si Kongya spat, casually tossing the ring to the Guard beside him.

It seemed that fellow had used all his assets to bid for the realm beacon.

But, it didn't matter anymore.

The person was dead, and the realm beacon was now in his hands.

Most crucially, he had also obtained a Treasure Map leading to the legendary "Ancient Ancestral Wood"!

That was the real prize!

"Let's go!"

Si Kongya waved his hand spiritedly, no longer bothering to stay here for another moment.

"We are going to retrieve what truly belongs to us!"

The group quickly vanished at the other end of the alleyway... In the dark depths of the Universe, in the Netherworld Meteorite Field.

Inside the Top-Tier Attack Ship, shaped like a black sharp sword, there was silence.

In the center of the bridge, on the empty deck, the air suddenly twisted slightly like water ripples.

A figure condensed into form out of thin air.

Black robes, silver mask, completely unharmed.

It was none other than Lin Fan, who had just been "utterly erased."

[Ding! Detected Host died from a Divine Soul annihilation type attack. The method of death was extremely thorough. Death Experience Rating: Perfect!]

[The Overlord Saint Body comprehended the True Meaning of Death and gained a new characteristic: Soul Dao Barrier (Elementary)!]

[Ding! Host successfully misled powerful enemies, causing them to willingly enter a larger vortex, perfectly demonstrating the Essence of the Gou Dao. gou dao points +10,000!]

Lin Fan slowly raised his hand and removed the mask from his Face.

There was no relief of surviving a catastrophe on his Face; instead, he wore a smile of satisfied pleasure.

He could clearly feel an invisible, intangible, yet incredibly tough barrier surrounding his Divine Soul.

This barrier had extremely strong weakening and defensive effects against any Divine Soul-targeting attacks and Charm-Type Spells.

The Heavenly Charm Sect... specializes in Charm Arts and Divine Soul Secret Techniques.

"Your bane has arrived."

Lin Fan muttered to himself.

He walked to the main console and brought up the Star Map.

On the Star Map, a light dot representing Si Kongya's fleet was moving at high speed.

And the direction they were heading was exactly the destination marked on Lin Fan's "Treasure Map."

On the Black Sail Eye's more detailed intelligence layer, that area was marked with a bright red skull symbol, representing extreme danger.

Next to it was a line of small text annotation.

—"Shadow Hall, Seventh Inspection Envoy's jurisdiction."

Lin Fan leaned back in the chair, a playful curve slowly appearing at the corner of his mouth.

A good show was about to begin.