Chapter 18: The Original Body’s Hatred

Song Dianlai was a cultivator, after all. If someone ambushed him, unless that person’s cultivation was far higher than his own, the fluctuation of spiritual power would inevitably trigger his divine sense. But this time, the people ambushing him were using life-bound artifacts.

Unlike other magic artifacts, although life-bound artifacts also had the word “artifact” in their name, they required very little spiritual power to use and were not detected by divine sense. Unless one’s cultivation was several major realms higher, it was very difficult to notice an attack from a life-bound artifact before it got close.

This was also why he had first used a life-bound artifact to form a bald eagle and test things out. If the one occupying Nameless Valley truly was a Golden Core Perfected One, then his attitude would have to change.

He had never imagined that one day, he would actually be attacked by a group of Qi Refining mortals using life-bound artifacts!

Spiritual power was barren in the Easternmost Continent. There were hardly even any cultivators, making it even harder for Song Dianlai to encounter an opponent. Over these years in the Easternmost Continent, he had not even had the chance to fight with spells, so even he himself had not realized that his reactions were no longer as sharp as they had once been. As a result, when he realized he was under attack from life-bound artifacts, he did not even manage to open a barrier to protect himself at the first moment. By the time he acted, it was already too late.

First, a large net dropped over him. Then a steelyard weight smashed one of his eyes swollen. Humiliated and enraged, he tore free of the net and was just about to form a seal and cast a spell when a gust of broom wind swept past. The hand seal he had practiced thousands upon thousands of times suddenly went wrong. His spell failed, delaying him by another few breaths. And in that fleeting instant, a piece of white cloth landed on him, and the buckle of his trouser belt suddenly vanished.

Song Dianlai’s expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly grabbed his trousers. At that moment, stones, blades, and flour all came greeting him at once. These things were not life-bound artifacts and could not break through the protective spiritual light around his body, but they still made him a sorry mess from head to toe. The next instant, a rope wrapped around both his legs and yanked down hard. At the same time, a cloud of poison mist choked him until his head spun and his vision blurred. This entire chain of combined attacks caught Song Dianlai completely off guard and actually dragged him down from the sky by brute force.

With a bang, this lofty Foundation Establishment cultivator crashed into the sand. His hair and face were white with flour, and his fine robes were in disarray, rolled all over with sand and dirt.

In all the decades since Song Dianlai had reached Foundation Establishment, he had never been in such a sorry state.

He was so furious his whole body trembled. His divine sense naturally reflected the figures of those menial workers. “How dare you, you wretches!”

Although Song Dianlai had been made a complete mess by the sudden attack from a group of menial workers, the difference between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining was like heaven and earth. After all the menial workers’ maneuvers, they had only left him with a few superficial injuries. But to Song Dianlai, who cared deeply about his dignity, this was no different from a monstrous humiliation.

Unable to contain his rage, he flung out several talismans with a wave of his hand, sending them shooting toward the menial workers without even thinking.

Those talismans faintly radiated golden light. Wherever they passed, sand flew and stones scattered, their power astonishing. If they truly struck solid ground, not only the menial workers, but even the mountain beneath their feet would be cut in half. And the talismans were extremely fast. The menial workers had no way to dodge.

Reflections of the talismans flying toward them had already appeared in the eyes of Guo Qianshan and the others. Some had yet to react. Some had already revealed fear. Some still looked stern and resolute, preparing to face the enemy…

But just as those talismans were about to fall, a barrier suddenly opened. The talismans struck the barrier with a series of bangs, stirring only faint ripples.

Chi Yixuan had thrown out the seal magic artifact in time to open the barrier. Seeing that his points were safe and sound, he let out a slight breath of relief. Immediately after, however, a violent irritation surged up from his chest, impossible to suppress.

Chi Yixuan was actually rather protective of his own, especially now that these people were all his points. When their cultivation improved, they would even return points to him, making them seem all the more precious.

Besides, his little points had only played a tiny prank. Song Dianlai had actually wanted to kill them! Truly vicious!

[Please do not be angry. Think about the Tyrant Blade Sect behind him.]

That was true. Right now, Zhaoge could not afford to offend an immortal gate filled with powerful experts like the Tyrant Blade Sect.

Chi Yixuan tried to suppress the agitation in his heart. He landed in front of Song Dianlai, intending to reason with him.

But Song Dianlai did not buy it. He pointed furiously at the people in the valley and said, “These mortals actually dared to attack a cultivator. This is truly treasonous beyond measure! If they are not all put to death, my Tyrant Blade Sect will never let this matter rest! And those human sacrifices clinging to life in the valley are all accomplices as well. They should all be put to death!”

Song Dianlai did not think these people had been acting under Chi Yixuan’s orders. After all, if a cultivator truly wanted to kill someone, there was no need to have a group of mortals help. If Chi Yixuan had truly intended it, he would have acted just now.

Therefore, his tone was aggressive. “Fellow Daoist, these human sacrifices should have been offered to the Sea of Suffering Path in the first place. Surviving for these few extra days is already their good fortune. They truly should not be left in this world to taint the purity of the Longevity Realm!”

The people in the valley had long since been startled by the commotion. Now, hearing a cultivator like Song Dianlai speak with such certainty about putting them to death, they all revealed expressions of fear.

An old woman hugged her granddaughter and trembled uncontrollably. They had already been numb before. It was Zhaoge that had given them a new life. Their days had finally gained something to hope for. Zhaoge was finally about to give them an identity. They had thought things were already getting better. Who would have known they still could not escape this fate?

She hugged her granddaughter, tears streaming down her face. “Little girl, Grandma won’t get to see you grow up…”

A pair of sisters leaned tightly against each other. Even if they died, they would die together.

A woman blankly covered the belly that had yet to show, her face filled with misery…

More people stared blankly at the “homes” they had managed for the past few days, their eyes revealing longing and regret. They had been wrong. They were only slaves. How could they dare expect a lofty cultivator to truly pity them? At the slightest disturbance, they would once again be livestock offered up in sacrifice.

As for the menial workers, only after dragging Song Dianlai down from the sky did they realize the situation was not what they had imagined. Realizing they had dragged their employer down, ruined their employer’s proper business, the menial workers were both panicked and worried. Would their employer still forgive them? In front of a cultivator, would their employer still protect them?

This brief silence was endlessly long. Just as everyone in the valley fell into despair, they heard a voice ring out, firm and forceful.

“No.”

Song Dianlai’s eyes widened. He heard Chi Yixuan say coldly, “This is my nation. My people. I will not allow anyone to kill them.”

Song Dianlai was just about to say that his fellow Daoist had gone mad. On what basis did these antlike mortals deserve that? Yet after meeting Chi Yixuan’s icy face for a moment, another face suddenly surfaced in his memory. His eyes widened, and terror split across his face like spiderweb cracks. “You… you’re He Nianyuan!”

Chi Yixuan had originally thought that the original body being sold as a human sacrifice was an accident. But at this moment, Song Dianlai’s words struck his mind like lightning, and realization dawned on him. So the hatred of the original body’s entire family was inseparably connected to the Tyrant Blade Sect!

“In that case, you can go die!”

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