129: Underground Souls

In the bone forest, Yan Wushuang and Black Rock were locked in a fierce struggle.

The bone forest within a hundred-zhang radius was completely shattered by the shockwaves of their battle.

Both were Body Cultivators; one specialized in metal-attribute Cultivation Techniques, while the other specialized in earth-attribute ones.

For a time, they were evenly matched.

At one point, Yan Wushuang dodged a massive boulder unearthed by Black Rock.

A Peak Core Formation Cultivator from the Qingming Faction quietly emerged from the shadow of the passing boulder.

He suddenly thrust a short-blade Magic Treasure, shimmering with an eerie green poisonous light, toward the back of Yan Wushuang's heart.

This was Black Rock's companion, 'Du Ying,' whose dark-attribute Cultivation Techniques made him exceptionally skilled at stealth and sneak attacks.

Previously, three Bitao Sect Cultivators had already fallen to his poisonous blade's sneak attacks.

“Hmph, a petty trick.”

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Yan Wushuang raised his left hand slightly, and a golden light shield suddenly unfurled.

The surface of the shield was covered in metallic scales; it was the Golden Scale Shield Spell inherent to his Cultivation Technique.

The poisonous blade struck the shield, but far from breaking the defense, it was instead deflected by the scales.

Before the poisonous light could spread, it was completely annihilated by the metal-attribute spiritual power.

“Your stealth is useless before my Divine Sense.”

Yan Wushuang's voice carried a chilling killing intent as he threw a heavy punch at Black Rock ahead without even looking back.

Meanwhile, the Liekong Sword, which had been clashing with the giant axe, suddenly withdrew and then slashed out violently.

This time, a golden Sword Qi dozens of zhang long condensed upon the blade.

The Sword Qi sliced through the air like a physical object, carving a trench several zhang deep into the ground along its path.

“Watch out!”

Black Rock cried out in alarm, wanting to intervene.

But Yan Wushuang's movements were incredibly swift, giving him no time to react.

On the surface, the battle between the two seemed evenly matched.

But Black Rock knew all too well that this direct descendant Nascent Soul from the Bitao Sect had been handling the fight with ease all along.

He had even specifically sent a voice transmission earlier, telling Du Ying to be patient.

He hadn't expected the fellow to be unable to restrain himself the moment he saw an opportunity.

What met him, however, was Yan Wushuang's most ferocious counterattack.

Du Ying's expression changed drastically, but his reaction was also extremely fast; he instantly threw out a black shield to block in front of him while transforming into an afterimage, attempting to flee into the distant shadows.

But the golden Sword Qi sliced straight through his shield Magic Treasure like cutting through tofu, splitting it into two.

The residual power transformed into countless golden threads, catching up to Du Ying's fleeing figure in an instant and binding him tightly.

This was Yan Wushuang's 'Golden Binding Technique,' specifically designed to counter a Cultivator's movement techniques.

Knocking Black Rock back with a punch, Yan Wushuang used the recoil to land, stepping heavily onto Du Ying's back. Golden spiritual power surged from his sole, instantly sealing the Golden Core within the man's body.

He looked up at the grim-faced Black Rock, his tone flat yet carrying an unquestionable authority. “This resource point is not something your Qingming Faction can lay its hands on.”

Before his voice even faded, Yan Wushuang flicked his finger, and the golden threads suddenly tightened.

“Puchi...”

Du Ying's pupils dilated as his body was instantly sliced into dozens of pieces, blood and mangled flesh splattering onto the ground.

His Divine Soul, which had just left his body, didn't even have time to flee before being blasted apart by a casual wave of golden spiritual power from Yan Wushuang.

Black Rock silently recovered his mana, calmly watching the scene unfold.

He didn't speak to stop it, nor did he move to intervene.

Before launching this raid, the Qingming Faction had considered who might come to support Bai Yifan.

The most likely candidate was Yan Wushuang, who had withdrawn from the front lines a while ago.

And the one who appeared today was indeed him!

Black Rock had long heard of Yan Wushuang's style of doing things.

This direct descendant Nascent Soul of the Bitao Sect was not only decisive in killing but also specialized in using Body Refining to clash head-on with powerful enemies.

That was why they had sent him, an earth-attribute Body Cultivator also known for his defense, to pin him down.

Du Ying had once cooperated with Black Rock to covertly kill a Nascent Soul Loose Cultivator from another faction.

His strength was beyond doubt; he was definitely a top-tier expert among those at the Peak Core Formation Stage.

Even Black Rock himself wouldn't dare ignore a full-powered blow from Du Ying.

But today, the poisonous blade that had always been successful couldn't even break through Yan Wushuang's defense.

“Is this the difference between the descendants of the Seven Sects and Loose Cultivators like us?”

Black Rock's gaze turned somewhat somber.

He had entered the Nascent Soul realm in only five hundred years.

Even compared to some children of cultivation families or Disciples of small Sects, he was not inferior.

Yet, facing Yan Wushuang, who had ascended to the Nascent Soul realm several years later than him, he felt so powerless.

Since Du Ying had fallen into Yan Wushuang's hands, it was already a certain-death situation.

There was simply no need to speak up.

As a Loose Cultivator, since he dared to participate in the National War, he must have long been mentally prepared for his death and the end of his path.

Now was not the time for sentimentality.

Black Rock took a deep breath, and the dark brown patterns on his body surface suddenly lit up. He pushed his Black Obsidian Body to its limit, and a jade-like luster appeared on his skin.

Holding the giant axe, he bellowed, “Yan Wushuang, let's fight again!”

Yan Wushuang looked at him, a cold curve hooking the corner of his mouth.

The Liekong Sword flew into his hand. Holding it with both hands, he slashed down fiercely. “Black Rock, if you want to die, I will grant your wish!”

...In a corner of the Wuwang Bone Forest, lightning and Sword Qi intertwined into a chaotic web of light.

Su Ling was wielding the thunder shadow sword. Cyan-blue thunder arcs swirled around the blade, each strike accompanied by a sharp whistle that tore through the air.

The Late-stage Core Formation Cultivator he was fighting wielded an earth-attribute long saber. The blade shimmered with an earthy yellow spiritual light, yet he was forced back repeatedly by the sharpness of the thunder shadow sword.

“Chila!”

A wisp of lightning condensed at Su Ling's fingertip, and an Azure Sky Thunder Finger suddenly shot out.

The pale green thunderbolt, like a venomous snake, passed through the gaps in the saber light, grazing the opponent's shoulder and blasting a small charred pit into the ground.

The Cultivator's expression changed drastically. Just as he was about to retreat, the thunder shadow sword suddenly split into three.

Three sword shadows hovered in a 'Pin' Formation. The moment they formed the Three-Talent Killing Formation, the thunder arcs on the blades surged, condensing into a lightning net that draped toward him.

While locked in combat, Su Ling's Divine Sense was laboriously penetrating toward the ground.

The battles on the surface constantly interfered with his Divine Sense, not to mention the countless layers of rock and bone blocking the way underground.

Searching downward was far more difficult than on the surface.

The Shadow Soul Crystal Mine was originally a gathering place for Wandering Souls. These souls served as both the protection for the perilous land and the source of the mineral vein's creation.

The Bitao Faction had occupied this place for many years, but due to the rules of the National War, they couldn't directly clear out the Wandering Souls.

They could only rely on Formations to withstand the Soul Tides for sustainable harvesting.

In contrast, the Soul-Devouring Spiders, which were a Demon Species near the mineral vein, were not so lucky.

Within a hundred-li radius, any Soul-Devouring Spider detected by a Cultivator's Divine Sense was slaughtered to the last.

Only those hidden in the deepest parts of the earth could likely survive under the cover of the rock layers.

“Found it!”

Su Ling felt a surge of joy as his Divine Sense finally penetrated dozens of zhang of rock layers and touched a cold aura.

Deep underground, countless translucent Wandering Souls were gathered together.

They came in various forms, mostly beast souls, with the occasional remnant souls of human Cultivators appearing.

But whether they were beast or human souls, all were completely devoid of consciousness.

The strongest among them were only at the Peak of Rank 3, and the Soul Power around them was as weak as a candle in the wind.

Even though they had long lost consciousness and were driven only by instinct.

When these Wandering Souls felt the pressure of the four Nascent Soul Cultivators and the chaotic aura of thousands of Core Formation Cultivators fighting on the surface, they actually huddled together and trembled instinctively.