188: Chapter 187 Appearance

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"

Wang Lin's face was pale with rage, and his newly grown arm was trembling slightly.

He felt like a fool, being led around in circles by Chen Zilong without even being able to touch the man's shadow.

Tian Yin's expression was also so dark it looked as if it could drip water.

His confidence in his "Bone-Clinging Shadow" began to waver, but more than that, he felt a surge of humiliated fury at being toyed with.

He stared at the mountain range below, which appeared increasingly deep and unpredictable in the twilight. A fierce light flashed in his eyes as he gritted his teeth and said:

"Old Wang, it seems a normal search is useless. This kid is hiding deeper than a rat!"

He paused, his voice turning ruthless:

"Since he refuses to come out... then we'll force him out! Level this entire mountain for me! Let's see how much longer he can hide!"

Hearing this, Wang Lin was taken aback at first, then he began to grin hideously:

"Good idea! Let's do exactly that!"

"Everyone, hear my command! There's no need to search anymore!"

"Use your spells and magical treasures to blast this mountain range, inch by inch!"

"I want to see just how long he can keep cowering!"

Once the order was given, the dozen or so Wang family Golden Core Cultivators no longer had any reservations.

They flew into mid-air, each summoning flying swords and magical treasures or performing hand seals. For a moment, multi-colored spiritual lights lit up the sky above the mountain range—fireballs, ice spikes, wind blades, thunderclaps...

Various low-level spells poured down like a torrential rain, striking the seemingly peaceful forests and rocks below!

"Boom! Rumble—!"

Explosions rang out one after another, unending.

Trees were blasted to splinters, rocks shattered, and dust filled the air. The once silent mountainside instantly turned into a battlefield shrouded in thick smoke.

The terrified cries of wild beasts echoed everywhere as birds took flight in panic, a scene of impending doom.

While the outside was being bombarded and the earth shook, deep within the mountain...

Inside that simple stone chamber, the dense purple mist surrounding Chen Zilong was slowly receding.

He sat cross-legged with his eyes tightly shut, but his entire aura had undergone a world-shaking transformation.

The previous sense of faint murkiness and weakness caused by his damaged primordial spirit had completely vanished, replaced by a sense of harmony, fullness, and unfathomable depth.

Inside his Dantian, that golden Nascent Soul had grown several times larger and more solid. It sat upon a lotus pedestal with a solemn and dignified appearance, while Buddhist light, lightning arcs, and demonic qi circulated around it unceasingly, achieving an unprecedented harmony and balance.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, his primordial spirit shone with brilliant golden light, without a single crack remaining. It was even more condensed and powerful than before the injury!

Nascent Soul Early Stage!

After ten long years, he had finally fully restored his former cultivation!

No, it wasn't just a restoration.

After this process of destruction and rebirth, his primordial spirit had healed after enduring hardships, and his foundation seemed even more solid than before. His understanding and control of the three cultivation methods also seemed to have reached a higher level.

However, before he could carefully experience this long-lost powerful strength, a violent tremor and a muffled "rumbling" sound came from the rock ceiling above. Small stones fell pattering down, and the entire stone chamber shook.

Clearly, the simple Restrictions he had set up were about to collapse under the continuous external bombardment.

Chen Zilong frowned slightly and slowly opened his eyes.

A sharp light flashed in his eyes like a bolt of lightning in a dark room, before returning to a state of profound calm.

He released his divine sense, which spread outward like an invisible tide, instantly penetrating the rock layers.

The scenery within a radius of dozens of miles was immediately and clearly reflected in his "mind's eye."

In mid-air, the dozen or so Wang family Golden Core Cultivators were working hard at "demolition," and further away were those two old acquaintances emitting Spirit Transformation auras, scanning the area below with cold gazes—Wang Lin and Tian Yin.

"Heh, they really are like lingering ghosts." Chen Zilong let out a cold laugh, understanding the situation instantly.

He was hiding here to refine pills and break through, yet the enemy was able to find him so accurately and launch a massive bombardment; clearly, something had been planted on him.

Previously, his injuries hadn't healed and his mind was entirely focused on alchemy and recovery, so he hadn't noticed.

He immediately performed internal inspection, his divine sense acting like a precision comb, searching inch by inch from head to toe, skin to marrow, and meridians to Dantian.

Finally, near his shoulder blade, in an extremely hidden spot that almost blended in with his own spiritual energy fluctuations, he discovered a tiny, extremely faint mark of foreign energy carrying a chilling, evil aura.

This mark was like a shadow clinging to the bone. If his primordial spirit hadn't fully recovered, greatly increasing his divine sense's sensitivity, and if he hadn't been looking for it specifically, he never would have found it.

"A maggot on the bone... the underhanded tricks of the Xuan Yin Sect."

Chen Zilong's gaze turned cold. With a thought, the supreme Yang lightning power of the Nine Heavens Thunder Control True Canon and the pure Buddhist light of the Vajra Demon Subduing Scripture surged toward that mark simultaneously.

Supreme Yang counters yin-evil, and Buddhist light purifies filth. That chilling mark was like snow exposed to a blazing sun; it didn't even have time to struggle before it was instantly melted away, leaving no trace behind.

Having removed the hidden danger, Chen Zilong's gaze swept over the Vajra Puppet standing nearby like an iron tower.

Its crimson eye sockets remained vigilant, seemingly oblivious to the bombardment overhead.

"One Nascent Soul Middle Stage body cultivator puppet, one Nascent Soul Early Stage, and one Nascent Soul Middle Stage..."

Chen Zilong calculated quickly in his mind, "Vajra can stall Wang Lin; that shouldn't be much of a problem."

"As for the remaining Tian Yin... he just underwent Possession. His cultivation seems to have recovered, but his foundation is actually unstable. He's the softest target."

"I'll concentrate my strength first and take one out with thunderous momentum; then the rest will be easy."

His plan decided, he no longer hid.

With a thought, the rocks at the entrance of the stone chamber parted like flowing water.

He rose to his full height and took a step forward. His figure appeared in the middle of the mountain hollow that had been ravaged by the bombardment.

The Vajra Puppet followed close behind, its heavy footsteps striking the ground with a dull "thud" that sent nearby pebbles jumping.

Chen Zilong looked up at the two figures in mid-air who had suddenly frozen upon his appearance.

A half-smile appeared on his face. His voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly pierced through the echoes of the explosions to reach everyone's ears:

"Yo, you two old geezers, doing some demolition work here? Looking for your daddy? Something on your minds?"

In mid-air, Wang Lin and Tian Yin were stunned to see Chen Zilong suddenly appear, but then their faces simultaneously erupted with wild joy and bone-deep malice!

After searching for so long and bombarding for so long, this damned little brat finally decided to come out!

However, their joy didn't even last a breath before it was forcefully suppressed by the tall, silent figure beside Chen Zilong, which exuded a heart-palpitating metallic texture and an oppressive aura.

"A Spirit Transformation Realm... puppet?!"

Wang Lin's pupils constricted as he stared fixedly at the Vajra Puppet.

From that steel body, he felt a wave of pure and violent physical strength no less than his own!

This thing was definitely a tough nut to crack!

Tian Yin's expression also became extremely solemn.

He had been reborn through Possession, and although he had recovered his Nascent Soul Early Stage spiritual energy cultivation...

...his physical strength and combat experience still required time to re-integrate.

Facing a cultivator of the same rank already required caution.

Let alone when the opponent had such a strange and powerful puppet assisting them!