Chapter 246: Chapter 179: The South is Too Quiet
He uncorked the bottle and took several large gulps. As the liquor transformed into Spiritual Power and flowed through his entire body, Song Changsheng’s depleted Dantian finally regained some vitality, and the color returned to his face.
Seeing that he was recovering, much of the worry in Song Yushi’s eyes dissipated. It was only then that she noticed the nearby hill, which had been sliced in two.
Staring at the smooth, even cut, Song Yushi asked in astonishment, "Did you do this?"
Song Changsheng gave a wry smile. "I was testing the power of a new magic. I didn’t expect it to drain all my Spiritual Power in one go."
"What kind of magic is so astonishingly powerful? Even a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivator would struggle to do this, right?" Coming from a Golden Core Family, Song Yushi naturally understood how much power was required to achieve such a feat. It was practically the limit for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
If Song Changsheng had been a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivator, Song Yushi wouldn’t have been so shocked. But he was only a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, which made this feat seem unbelievable.
Even a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivator would find it difficult to withstand such an attack.
Aside from Little Divine Techniques, Song Yushi had never heard of such a powerful magic. But she quickly realized her question was improper and hastily explained, "I was just curious for a moment..."
"It’s fine." Song Changsheng knew what she was trying to say. He waved his hand dismissively but showed no intention of explaining further.
Just then, Song Luzhou also rushed over. Seeing Song Changsheng’s weakened state, he frowned and said, "Kid, how did you end up like this?"
"It’s a long story, but it’s nothing serious. I just overexerted myself. I’m much better now."
Song Luzhou’s suspicious gaze swept over the two of them, but he simply nodded without asking any more questions. Song Changsheng was full of secrets, and the elders like him had long since grown accustomed to it.
The group returned to Vast Mist Peak together. After thanking Song Yushi, Song Changsheng went back to his courtyard to recover his Spiritual Power.
Several ancient hours later, Song Changsheng slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a turbid breath. ’I can’t believe the Inconstant Killing Array actually draws on all my Spiritual Power to unleash one ultimate strike,’ he thought with some lingering fear.
’It’s a good thing I had the foresight to test it first. If I had used it rashly in a real battle with more than one enemy, I would have been done for.’
Song Yushi could only judge the attack’s power based on the destruction it caused, but Song Changsheng had a much clearer understanding. The sheer power contained within the strike he had just unleashed made even him shudder.
He was well aware of his own strength, which was just shy of Foundation Establishment Great Perfection. Yet he had no confidence at all that he could block that attack. Even with the Luwu Bell, his chances wouldn’t be more than ten percent.
In other words, there were basically no Foundation Establishment Cultivators who could withstand that strike.
’The power is impressive, but the cost is just too terrifying. It’s completely a one-shot deal. If this strike kills all my enemies, that’s one thing. If it doesn’t, then I’ll be the one who dies.’
Song Changsheng shook his head. The Inconstant Killing Array was destined to be used only as a final trump card. The higher his Cultivation, or rather, the more Spiritual Power he had in his body, the stronger the might unleashed by this Array would be.
With one strike, it’s either you die or I do!
It was a bit extreme, but it was exactly what Song Changsheng needed right now.
He pushed open his courtyard gate and watched the sun gradually disappear behind the mountains, his heart filled with anxiety.
In that direction, two behemoths were currently at war. Regardless of who won or lost, the entire Daqi Cultivation World was foreseeably headed for turmoil.
Perhaps the turmoil had already begun; it was just that Ling Province was too remote to have been affected yet.
Song Changsheng stood with his hands behind his back, pondering what consequences this turmoil would bring for the Song Clan, and what benefits the clan could reap from it.
With two major sects at war, some powers were bound to decline, while others would seize the opportunity to soar to new heights.
The Song Clan’s next steps needed to be carefully planned.
He had already received a secret report from Song Luyao regarding the Lieyang Sect. In addition to Hex Tai coming out of seclusion, the report also mentioned that the Lieyang Sect’s elite forces had been fully mobilized.
What the Lieyang Sect could think of, Song Changsheng and the others could naturally figure out as well. If not for the fact that the Song Clan had yet to recover its Primordial Qi, this war between the two major sects would have been a rare opportunity for them.
With the clan’s resources, as long as they were willing to make the investment, it wasn’t impossible to earn three thousand Merit points. That would give Song Xianming a much better chance of breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm.
At this thought, Song Changsheng looked back toward the Vast Summit. Song Xianming had been in seclusion for over half a year; by his calculations, he should be coming out soon.
’Sigh, if only I could spare enough people, I’d dare to gamble for the clan’s future. But alas, we are too weak and isolated,’ Song Changsheng lamented inwardly.
He had considered joining the fray single-handedly, but thankfully, he wasn’t that foolish. The battlefields between the two sects were teeming with masters. Going in without support would be nothing short of suicide.
’First, we must prepare. Then, we’ll wait and see how things unfold.’
The war between the two major sects had only just begun, and the situation was still unclear. For now, all the Song Clan could do was wait.
Others might not know, but he was crystal clear on the matter: Xia Qingxue’s ambush had nothing to do with the Celestial Vein Sect. It was the Blood Demon who had framed them.
Although Song Changsheng didn’t know why the Golden Crow Sect had gone to war with the Celestial Vein Sect in the end, he knew this outcome was exactly what the Blood Demon wanted to see.
Now that their goal had been achieved, the Blood Demon’s subsequent schemes would likely be revealed soon. This made Song Changsheng uneasy.
After all, traces of Blood Demon activity had already been discovered in Ling Province, and on more than one occasion.
They had to prepare as soon as possible.
With this in mind, Song Changsheng headed straight for the Minor Affairs Hall to find Song Xianyun and share his concerns.
The two of them conferred for a while and ultimately decided to temporarily consolidate the clan’s influence and send out patrols to the Moon Viewing Mountain Range to check for any abnormalities.
For now, this was all they could do.
——————
In a dim and cavernous hall, the Blood Demon Sect Leader, Soul Slayer, sat high upon his throne, his fingers tapping a rhythmic beat against the armrest.
FLAP FLAP FLAP
A crow flapped its wings and flew in through the window, landing on Soul Slayer’s forearm. Its scarlet eyes emanated a demonic light.
"The plan is proceeding very smoothly. The Celestial Vein Sect has already lost two Purple Mansion cultivators in this time. There is no longer any room for reconciliation between them." A hoarse voice issued from the crow’s beak, sounding exceptionally chilling in the empty hall.
"Excellent. Although that failure, Blood Princess, let Xia Qingxue escape, it’s a minor issue. That old fool Su Ding finally couldn’t hold back after all." A faint smile appeared on Soul Slayer’s face, as if he could already see the day the Daqi Cultivation World would be turned into a Purgatory.
"Don’t celebrate too early. Xia Qingxue is still alive. If Su Ding is truly allowed to complete that final step, the mission the Saint Master entrusted to us will be a failure!" the Blood-Eyed Crow said coldly.
"Rest assured, someone will find a way to take care of her."
Soul Slayer spoke lightly, as if Xia Qingxue’s life were already in the palm of his hand for him to do with as he pleased.
"What great plan do you have?" the Blood-Eyed Crow asked, puzzled.
"That’s not your concern. What we need to consider now is how to make the two major sects bleed a little more," Soul Slayer said, glancing at it.
"Should we have Mie and the others make their move?"
"Not yet. Let them continue their dog-eat-dog fight for a while. Not enough people have died yet. Once they’re in a complete killing frenzy, we can notify the branches in each province to act according to the plan."
The Blood-Eyed Crow was noncommittal, merely saying in a cold tone, "And don’t forget about Luoxia City. They are not as simple as they appear on the surface."
"If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten about them. They are indeed a troublesome bunch. If I’m not mistaken, Soulless should be there as well, right? The Blood Bat King cub is very important to us. We must find a chance to get it back."
"What do you plan to do?"
Soul Slayer stood up and said flatly, "The south has been a little too quiet lately. Let’s give them something to do. Also, notify Blood Princess and have her find a way to track down Soulless."
The Blood-Eyed Crow’s eyes grew even more demonic. It didn’t reply, simply flapping its wings and flying out the window...
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