43: Chapter 43 Destroying the Corpse, Covering Up Evidence, and Touching the Body!

Tiannan Mountains, deep inside.

Twilight gathered, and the mist in the forest grew thicker.

Three figures sat down beside a giant boulder. Their spiritual power fluctuated, and their auras were somewhat unstable.

The leader was a middle-aged man with a square face and thick eyebrows like blades. His black robe was stained with several claw marks, and the cuff of his left arm was soaked in blood.

He was Zhou Hong, an Elder of the Tiangang Sect, with a cultivation base at the fifth level of the Void Piercing Realm.

Beside him were two others: one was thin and tall, pale-faced, clutching his chest and coughing incessantly; the other was short and stout, sitting cross-legged on the ground, stuffing a Medicinal Pill into his mouth.

"Damn it!" the short, stout Cultivator cursed. "This job is truly the unluckiest thing in eight lifetimes! We didn't find the Secret Realm, but we've lost quite a few treasures!"

The thin, tall one also complained, "Senior Brother Zhou, we've only been in the mountains for two days, and we've already encountered three Yao Beast kings! Three! Usually, we wouldn't encounter even one in a month. What kind of disaster has happened in these mountains?"

Zhou Hong did not respond. His brows were tightly locked, and his gaze stared deeply into the dense forest in the distance.

He also felt that something was wrong.

He had been to the Tiannan Mountains no less than ten times and knew the distribution of Yao Beasts here perfectly.

The overlord of this area was a Heaven-Rending Tiger King at the third level of the Primal Chaos Realm, ruling over a radius of a thousand miles. Although it had several Yao Beast kings under its command, they each had their own territories and would not easily cross boundaries.

But these past two days—

First, they ran into a furious One-Horned Python King, which chased them for over a hundred miles.

After finally shaking it off, they ran into a Golden-Eyed Ape King, which started attacking without a word.

This afternoon was even more outrageous; an Earth-Splitting Bear King went mad for some reason, charged as soon as it saw them, and almost flattened the short, stout Cultivator into a meat patty with one palm.

Three Yao Beast kings, three different territories, all in a state of fury.

If this were a coincidence, it would be too much of a coincidence.

"Senior Brother Zhou, I have an idea." The short, stout Cultivator leaned in and lowered his voice.

Zhou Hong glanced at him. "Speak."

The short, stout Cultivator chuckled, a glimmer of light flashing in his eyes. "Why must we struggle to the death with those beasts in these deep mountains? We won't be able to find the Secret Realm anytime soon, so why not head to Guangnan City first..."

"Guangnan City?" The thin, tall one's eyes lit up. "You mean those Families?"

"Exactly!" The short, stout Cultivator slapped his thigh. "Those Families in Guangnan City, like the Shen Family, Wang Family, Li Family, their strongest are only at the Dharma Image Realm; they don't even have a Void Piercing Realm Cultivator. But they have been operating on the edge of these Tiannan Mountains for thousands of years, and they have quite a lot of good things in their hands!"

He counted on his fingers. "Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, Cultivation Techniques, Spiritual Plants, mines... which of these isn't pure, easy wealth? If we just loot a few families, this trip won't have been in vain!"

The thin, tall one hesitated. "This... isn't that a bit bad? Guangnan City is one of the thirty-six main cities of the Southern Region, and those Families are reputable Sects. We are from the Tiangang Sect, a prestigious Sect. If word gets out that we are engaging in such robbery..."

"What is there to fear?" The short, stout Cultivator sneered. "With our strength, taking them down is easy. As long as we disguise ourselves, if you and I don't say anything, who will know we are from the Tiangang Sect?"

He paused and lowered his voice. "Senior Brother, think about it. The Shen Family is the top Family in Guangnan City, with a Legacy of eight thousand years; their foundation must be substantial. As long as we take down the Shen Family, won't the other families obediently hand over their resources?"

Zhou Hong pondered silently, light flickering in his eyes.

He was considering the feasibility of this matter.

The Tiangang Sect was one of the top Sects in the Southern Region, with a Asking Dao Realm Old Ancestor sitting in command, tens of thousands of Disciples, and immense prestige.

In their eyes, these families in Guangnan City were indeed nothing.

However, on the other hand, these families could have a Legacy for thousands of years in this area; they might not lack trump cards.

"Senior Brother Zhou, don't worry." The short, stout Cultivator persuaded. "I remember there is a Blood Crow Mountain in the Tiannan Mountains, full of mountain bandits, with several Void Piercing Realm experts. We can just disguise ourselves as people from Blood Crow Mountain; no one will be able to find out."

Zhou Hong's brows were locked, and just as he was about to speak—

"Heh."

A light laugh came from above, carrying a touch of mockery.

All three changed color, looking up abruptly!

On the branch above their heads, a figure in a black robe had appeared at some point.

The black robe fluttered, and a mask covered their face, making it impossible to see their features. But those eyes held a hint of amusement, looking down at them from above.

"Who?!"

Zhou Hong stood up instantly, the spiritual power within his body surging, his Qi locking onto the newcomer.

The short, stout Cultivator and the thin, tall one also sprang up simultaneously, drawing their Magical Artifacts, as if facing a formidable enemy.

They had clearly just had their Divine Thought fully extended, and any movement within a hundred yards could not have escaped their perception, yet they had completely failed to notice when this black-robed person appeared!

The black-robed person did not answer, merely floating down from the tree slowly, landing without a sound.

He scrutinized the three of them, his eyes carrying a hint of coldness.

"From the Tiangang Sect?"

Zhou Hong's pupils constricted, and alarm bells rang in his heart.

This person could appear above their heads without a sound; their strength was definitely not simple!

He suppressed the unease in his heart and cupped his hands. "I am Zhou Hong, an Elder of the Tiangang Sect. May I ask who Your Excellency is?"

The black-robed person did not respond, only saying calmly, "Your Tiangang Sect is truly hypocritical!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the three changed simultaneously.

Zhou Hong's heart sank, and he subconsciously took half a step back, his spiritual power surging, vigilant to the extreme.

The short, stout Cultivator's face turned deathly pale, his lips trembling; his previous arrogance had vanished.

The thin, tall one hid directly behind Zhou Hong, the sword in his hand shaking.

This black-robed person had clearly heard their conversation just now!

To be able to approach to this distance without a sound and not be discovered by them, this person's cultivation—

At the very least, they were at the Peak of the Void Piercing Realm, perhaps even the Primal Chaos Realm!

"Your Excellency, you have misunderstood!" Zhou Hong quickly spoke, wanting to explain, "We were just talking casually, we absolutely had no such intention—"

"Talking casually?" The black-robed person sneered, a flash of mockery in his eyes. "Looting Cultivation families, snatching Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills, seizing Cultivation Techniques and mines, and even thinking of finding an excuse to frame others—is this what your Tiangang Sect does?"

Zhou Hong's face was livid; he knew this matter could not end well today.

He gritted his teeth, his spiritual power erupting within him, releasing his fifth-level Void Piercing Realm aura without reservation!

The short, stout Cultivator and the thin, tall one also reacted, both urging their spiritual power; the three auras connected, faintly forming a small battle formation.

"Your Excellency, we are Disciples of the Tiangang Sect! If you touch us, the Tiangang Sect will absolutely not let this go!" Zhou Hong shouted, his tone harsh but his heart fearful. "Today's matter was a slip of the tongue on our part, but if you insist on taking action, don't blame us for being impolite!"

The black-robed person looked at their stance and suddenly laughed.

"Tiangang Sect?"

He shook his head, his tone indifferent. "How could people from my Blood Rain Pavilion fear you!"

Blood Rain Pavilion? What kind of School was this?

Zhou Hong was somewhat confused.

But before he could think more, the black-robed person took a step, appearing in front of him like a ghost, and struck with a palm!

This palm looked casual, but it carried the power to destroy heaven and earth!

Zhou Hong's pupils shrank; he had no time to react at all!

"Bang!"

The palm print struck his chest solidly!

Zhou Hong flew backward like a kite with a broken string, spraying a mouthful of blood in the air, and slammed heavily into the giant boulder ten yards away!

"Boom!"

The boulder shattered, rocks flew, and dust filled the air!

Zhou Hong lay paralyzed in the ruins, his chest collapsed, ribs broken, blood gushing, his aura withered to the extreme.

One palm!

Only one palm!

Zhou Hong, at the fifth level of the Void Piercing Realm, had been beaten half-dead!

The short, stout Cultivator and the thin, tall one were pale as paper, their whole bodies trembling.

"Run! Run quickly!"

The short, stout Cultivator let out a shrill scream and turned to flee!

The thin, tall one did not fall behind, desperately urging his spiritual power, sprinting in another direction!

The black-robed person didn't even look at them.

He just raised his hand and clenched it gently.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two blood mists exploded simultaneously!

The short, stout Cultivator and the thin, tall one didn't even have time to scream before their entire bodies exploded into a mist of blood, leaving no corpse behind!

Instant kill!

Zhou Hong lay paralyzed in the ruins, watching this scene, his eyes full of despair.

He struggled desperately to climb up, only to find that most of the bones in his body were shattered; he couldn't move at all.

"You... who exactly are you?!"

His voice was hoarse, filled with fear.

The black-robed person walked up to him, looking down at him.

Beneath the mask, those eyes were terrifyingly cold.

"How many people did your Tiangang Sect send into the mountains? What are you doing in the Tiannan Mountains?"

Zhou Hong trembled all over, gritting his teeth and saying nothing.

The black-robed person was not in a hurry, merely raising his foot and stepping lightly on his left hand.

"Crack!"

The sound of bones shattering was clearly audible.

"Ah—!!!"

Zhou Hong let out a shrill scream, veins bulging on his forehead, cold sweat pouring like rain.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!"

He shouted hoarsely, his voice trembling. "We sent three batches of people in total! Three people per batch! We entered the mountains from three different directions, looking for the entrance to a Great Emperors Secret Realm!"

"Great Emperors Secret Realm?" The black-robed person raised an eyebrow, a flicker of strangeness in his eyes.

"Yes! Sixty years ago, a Great Emperors Secret Realm appeared in the Central Region, and our Sect's Old Ancestor once went in to explore it. But the Secret Realm was unstable at the time and only a small part was opened. Now the Secret Realm is about to appear again, and the entrance is deep in the Tiannan Mountains!"

Zhou Hong panted heavily, finishing in one breath, afraid that if he spoke too slowly, he would get another kick.

The black-robed person fell silent.

A Great Emperors Secret Realm?

A Great Emperors Secret Realm had actually appeared in the Southern Region?!

But he was only surprised for a moment before he stopped paying attention.

In a Great Emperors Secret Realm, most who enter are at the Asking Dao Realm or even the Saint Realm; for Cultivators below the Asking Dao Realm, entering is no different from being cannon fodder.

And their Shen Family had no one above the Asking Dao Realm; this Great Emperors Secret Realm had nothing to do with their Shen Family.

The black-robed person looked down at Zhou Hong, a flash of coldness in his eyes.

He raised his hand, spiritual power surging in his palm.

Zhou Hong's pupils constricted. "No! You cannot kill me! I am an Elder of the Tiangang Sect! If you kill me, the Tiangang Sect will definitely—"

"Pfft!"

The palm wind fell, and the head flew off.

Zhou Hong's eyes were wide open, his face still holding terror and unwillingness.

Blood gushed, staining the rubble beneath him.

The black-robed person stood with his hands at his sides, looking down at the three corpses on the ground without the slightest ripple in his eyes.

He first looted all the treasures on the three of them, then waved his hand, and a wave of spiritual power swept out, turning the three corpses, along with the bloodstains, into fine powder.

The mountain wind blew past, leaving nothing behind.

The black-robed person removed his mask, revealing a familiar face.

It was Shen Yuanhe.

He looked back at the depths of the Tiannan Mountains, his brows slightly furrowed.

"The Yao Beast kings in the depths of the mountains have been rioting recently; could it be because the Great Emperors Secret Realm is about to appear?"

"Forget it, never mind that, I need to hurry up and find some Yao Beast kings to practice with!"

Thinking of the scene where he would shake his tiger body and give Shen Yuanshan a big shock in a while, he immediately laughed out loud.

"Third Brother, I've won for sure!"