267: Chapter 267 Mysterious Dojo? Lord of the Broken Soul River

Chu Sheng did not know how long he had been chasing.

At the speed of a Dao Palace Cultivator, traveling several thousand miles in a day was nothing.

The scenery on both banks of the Duanhun River had turned from familiar to strange, and then from strange to eerie.

The river surface grew wider, the fog grew thicker, and even his Divine Sense could not reach the boundaries.

The speed of that figure in the black robe was always a fraction faster than his, and every time he was about to catch up, the figure would summon a batch of Resentful Souls from the riverbed to block him.

Chu Sheng fought while pursuing; his Dao robe was already riddled with holes, and several black corrosive marks remained on his skin.

But he did not stop.

The aura of those two zhu xian swords grew closer, then further away.

It was like a carrot dangling in front of a donkey; he could see it, but he could not reach it.

Chu Sheng cursed in his heart and increased his speed.

The black-robed person suddenly stopped, turned around, and faced Chu Sheng.

There was no expression on that pale face, and Chu Sheng's figure was reflected in the black pupils.

He opened his mouth and said in a hoarse voice: "If you have the ability, follow me."

Then he leaped and dove into the depths of the Duanhun River.

The river water surged for a moment, then returned to calm.

The aura of those two zhu xian swords sank to the riverbed along with his figure.

Chu Sheng stood on the water surface, watching the surging undercurrents beneath his feet, and was silent for a breath.

Then he also leaped inside.

The river water was bone-chillingly cold, but Chu Sheng could not feel it.

He had the protection of the Heavenly Demon Body, and the Dao-Seeking Fortune of the wendao bell flowed slowly within his Dao Palace, isolating the chill of the river water.

Countless Resentful Souls surged from all directions, extending pale arms, trying to grab him.

Chu Sheng slashed through them with his sword, and Devilish Qi surged from his body, forcing those Resentful Souls back.

Like a fish, he dove rapidly into the river water.

The deeper he went, the darker the water became, and the more Resentful Souls there were.

But Chu Sheng's speed did not decrease; instead, it increased.

His gaze was locked tightly on that blurry black figure below, like a shark that had spotted its prey.

To him, the river water was no different from soaking in a hot spring.

With the Heavenly Demon Body, Dao-Seeking Fortune, and the zhu xian sword—a triple layer of protection—the Resentful Souls of the Duanhun River could not get close to him at all.

The black-robed person seemed to have realized how troublesome he was and increased his speed.

He did not know how long he had been sinking when Chu Sheng suddenly felt the surrounding Resentful Souls disperse.

The river water became clear, and the temperature was no longer cold.

A patch of light appeared ahead; it was not sunlight, but a kind of soft radiance, like moonlight spilling onto the water surface.

Chu Sheng emerged from the river water and found himself standing at the entrance of a small town.

The town was not large, spanning a few miles in diameter, with houses made of blue bricks and gray tiles, simple and elegant.

Lanterns hung on both sides of the street, emitting a soft glow.

There were people in the town—no, not people, they were spirit bodies.

They wore various robes; some walked on the street, some traded in shops, and some drank tea in teahouses.

They looked no different from living people, but when Chu Sheng swept them with his Divine Sense, he discovered that their cultivation levels were not low.

The lowest were at the Spirit Sea Realm, and the highest were even at the Palace Building Realm.

But they were all spirit bodies, without a Physical Body.

Chu Sheng frowned.

He thought to himself: "What is this place? How could there be such a town at the bottom of the Duanhun River?"

The figure of the black-robed person was already gone, but the aura of those two zhu xian swords remained, right in the deepest part of the town.

Just as Chu Sheng took a step, a terrifying Divine Sense swept over from the depths of the town.

That Divine Sense was so powerful that it made his Heavenly Demon Body tremble.

Dao Completion Realm.

It was not a newly entered Dao Completion, but the kind of Dao Completion who had lived for who knows how many years, with unfathomable Dao attainment.

Chu Sheng's heart sank.

He stopped, his hand pressing on the hilt of his sword, and did not act rashly.

On the streets of the town, those spirit Body Cultivators scattered, like water being parted.

A figure walked out from the depths of the town.

It was a middle-aged man with a refined and cultured appearance, a jade pendant hanging from his waist.

There was not a trace of Devilish Qi around him, nor any fluctuations of spiritual power; he was just like an ordinary person.

But Chu Sheng's intuition told him that this person was stronger than Ye Gucheng, stronger than the Peak Master of the Tenth Peak, and even rivaled Tangtang.

He walked to Chu Sheng, stopped, and smiled slightly.

"Little friend, why do you trespass into my domain?" His voice was gentle, like a spring breeze brushing against one's face.

Chu Sheng looked into his eyes; those eyes were calm, like a pool of stagnant water.

But he did not know what was hidden beneath that stagnant water.

Chu Sheng cupped his hands in a salute, neither humble nor overbearing.

"I am Chu Sheng, an Elder of the Wendao Palace. A thief stole my Magic Treasure and fled here. I pursued the thief to this place, with no intention to offend; I ask for your understanding, Senior."

The middle-aged man shook his head, his tone firm: "Impossible. My domain never harbors thieves. Little friend, I fear you have pursued in the wrong direction."

Chu Sheng said: "I saw with my own eyes that the thief dove into the riverbed, and the aura of those two swords is also here. If you do not believe me, Senior, you may allow me to go in and search."

The middle-aged man's smile faded slightly.

"Little friend, my domain is not a place anyone can search just because they want to. In consideration of the difficulty of your cultivation, I will not hold you accountable for the crime of trespassing. You may return."

Chu Sheng did not move.

He stood there, looking into the middle-aged man's eyes, and said word by word.

"Senior, those two swords are my Lifebound Treasure, and they are a matter of life and death. If I cannot retrieve them today, I will not leave."

The middle-aged man's gaze turned cold.

The surrounding spirit Body Cultivators retreated, like fallen leaves scattered by the wind.

The atmosphere froze.

Chu Sheng knew that this battle was unavoidable.

Two of his four swords of zhuxian were missing, and the power of his sword formation was greatly reduced.

But he still had his Heavenly Demon Body, the wendao bell, and Fuyao Ninety Thousand Miles.

Although he was only at the Late Stage of the Yun Shen Realm, with all his buffs stacked, his combat power was not inferior to an ordinary Dao Completion Realm expert.

He wanted to see if there was a gap between himself and a true Dao Completion expert? Or rather, how big that gap really was.

"Senior... please forgive me."

He took a step forward.

The middle-aged man also took a step forward.

Their gazes collided in mid-air, like two invisible swords clashing.

On the streets of the town, those spirit Body Cultivators held their breath; no one dared to make a sound.

Even the Resentful Souls at the bottom of the river quieted down, as if waiting for something.

Chu Sheng gripped the two zhu xian swords in his hands tightly.

The dark red patterns on the swords lit up, like red-hot iron.

His aura was climbing: Yunshen Late Stage, Yunshen Peak, Dao Completion...

It did not reach Dao Completion, but it was infinitely close.

The middle-aged man frowned slightly.

He seemed not to have expected that a Yun Shen Realm Cultivator could erupt with such a powerful aura.

But he did not retreat.

He raised his right hand, pressed his index and middle fingers together, and pointed at Chu Sheng.

An invisible force shot out from his fingertips, as fast as lightning, heading straight for Chu Sheng's glabella.

Chu Sheng did not dodge; he held a zhu xian sword horizontally in front of him, and his Sword Qi transformed into a barrier.

That force collided with the barrier, emitting a dull, thunderous roar.

Chu Sheng retreated three steps, his tiger's mouth numb.

The middle-aged man did not budge an inch.

But the calmness in his eyes held a hint of gravity.

"Little friend, your cultivation is not beneath that of Dao Completion," he said.

Chu Sheng did not speak.

He crossed the two zhu xian swords in front of him, and his Sword Qi surged, the dark golden light illuminating the entire town.

Those spirit Body Cultivators exclaimed and scrambled to hide inside the houses.

The middle-aged man's robes were whipped by the Sword Qi, making a hunting sound, but his figure remained motionless.

He looked at Chu Sheng, and there was something more in his gaze.

It was not hostility, but curiosity.

"I have lived for three thousand years and have seen countless Prodigies. You are the first one I have seen like you."

Chu Sheng said: "You flatter me, Senior. I still ask that you return those two swords."

The middle-aged man shook his head: "I have said it, I do not have them."

Chu Sheng did not waste any more words.

He made his move.

The two zhu xian swords transformed into two streams of dark golden light, one to the left and one to the right, slashing toward the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man raised his hand, and a soft glow appeared in his palm, blocking the two sword lights.

The sword lights collided with the glow, emitting a harsh, grating sound.

Cracks appeared in the ground of the town, and fissures appeared on the walls of the houses.

The middle-aged man frowned and increased his power.

The glow flared brightly, repelling the two sword lights back.

Chu Sheng caught the swords and retreated a few steps.

He was not discouraged and attacked again.

This time, he mobilized the power of his Heavenly Demon Body.