Aegis of Golden Light!
Jiang Fenghuo summoned one stream of Merit Golden Light. With a flash, one stream formed a golden talisman, blocking the grasping phantom hand. As the talisman trembled, the phantom hand shattered, inch by inch.
And the stream of golden light shielded Jiang Fenghuo, neutralizing the pressure upon him. Feeling his body lighten, he swiftly formed a hand-seal:
Fire Spell!
A ball of fire erupted with a roar. The injured Lin Zhen, too slow to dodge, was engulfed in the flames.
"Master! Save me—"
He cried out, and astonishingly, the flames upon him began to dissipate. At the same moment, Lin Zhen's eyes grew sharp, as if he had become another person. He formed a seal with one hand.
The longsword on the ground levitated, and though it wavered unsteadily, Jiang Fenghuo's eyes filled with horror. He recognized it at once—the Sword Kinesis Art!
A technique only attainable in the Late-stage of Qi Condensation... how could he possibly wield it?
Jiang Fenghuo had no time to ponder. Victory in a life-or-death battle hinged on speed and ruthlessness! He raised his sword and charged toward Lin Zhen. At the same time, his opponent's Sword Kinesis Art activated, sending the longsword streaking toward him.
He blinked, and another stream of golden light vanished from his sea of consciousness. In its place, the Aegis of Golden Light talisman materialized before him, deflecting the incoming blade!
Jiang Fenghuo's own sword pierced Lin Zhen's chest. He didn't forget to twist the tip, sneering, "Your Sword Kinesis Art is impressive. But now, it's mine."
Lin Zhen's lips trembled. "Master, why—" Before he could finish, Jiang Fenghuo's Qi surged through the sword and into Lin Zhen's body, shattering his Dantian.
Jiang Fenghuo pulled his sword free, and Lin Zhen collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
"Hah... hah..."
Panting heavily, Jiang Fenghuo slumped to the ground beside the body, wiping a thick sheen of sweat from his forehead.
That was terrifying. He was nothing like a cultivator of the same realm. Just why was Lin Zhen... so powerful?
With Lin Zhen's death, both the phantom hand and the golden light that had opposed it dissipated. The clearing returned to tranquility, but the stench of blood and burning flesh made Jiang Fenghuo's brow tighten.
But this was still within the sect's grounds. How could he dispose of all the evidence of a fight?
An idea struck him. He summoned the spare, lowest-grade cauldron. After stripping Lin Zhen's body of its jade pendant and ring and placing them in his satchel, he slung the longsword over his own back. Then, he ignited a fire and began the process of refining the human.
A short while later, at the very moment the Benevolence Pill was formed, Jiang Fenghuo seized his chance. He snatched the pill, then tossed in a few low-quality herbs and unleashed his full spiritual power.
Boom!
The conflicting medicinal energies and the runaway flames caused the cauldron to explode instantly. As the fire spread, Jiang Fenghuo shielded himself with his Qi and activated a Godspeed Talisman to retreat to a safe distance.
When the flames had mostly died down, he scanned the area. Aside from the cauldron shards and scorched grass, the intense heat had incinerated everything else.
The body and all traces were gone.
Jiang Fenghuo let out a long sigh of relief. He decided against exchanging the Realm-Breaking Pill for Early-stage Qi Condensation cultivators. He feared it would arouse suspicion and be difficult to explain later. So, he returned directly to Fire Furnace Peak.
Inside his disciple's quarters, Jiang Fenghuo bolted the door and eagerly took out the spoils of his venture.
One Benevolence Pill! It was purer than any he had refined before. As expected of a prodigy with a third-grade spiritual root—the quality of this pill spoke volumes!
Next was a second-rank, mid-grade longsword, which presented a bit of a dilemma.
This sword was not a standard issue. Its rank, second-rank mid-grade, suggested it was a gift from Lin's master, Shen Yunqing. It was a world of difference from the first-rank, low-grade blades used by ant-like outer disciples like himself.
Furthermore, his satchel was not large enough to hold it. Jiang Fenghuo had no choice but to hide the sword in his wardrobe.
The jade pendant I won't take out. It's probably not very useful. Besides, it seems those mighty figures enjoy imbuing a sliver of their consciousness into their disciples' jade pendants. Keeping it in the satchel should block any tracking.
"As for this ring..."
Jiang Fenghuo took out the ring and examined it closely. Its carvings were ancient and exquisite, seeming to hold a miniature landscape painting within them.
His initial assessment: an Interspatial Ring.
Like the jade pendant, it carried risks. But Jiang Fenghuo believed this ring was worth the gamble.
An Interspatial Ring often held a cultivator's entire fortune. For a prodigy like Lin Zhen, it was bound to be filled with valuables.
Besides, Jiang Fenghuo didn't have an Interspatial Ring yet, which was incredibly inconvenient.
When Jiang Fenghuo sent his Spiritual Sense into the ring, he discovered a space the size of a room! For a Qi Condensation cultivator, possessing a ring with such vast space should have been impossible!
The herbs, beast bones, and various materials inside, in terms of both rarity and quantity, were several times greater than everything he currently owned!
Is this the kind of wealth a prodigy commands? Jiang Fenghuo was stunned. It's unbelievable. I never realized the resource gap between Qi Condensation cultivators could be this immense.
"Excellent. Lin Zhen's ring also has some foundational pills, like Qi-Nourishing Pills, and Purge Toxin Pills—wait."
Jiang Fenghuo spotted a weapon, not of the Righteous Heart Sect or Golden Sword Peak style. It was a long saber, its blade slender and its edge radiating a palpable sharpness. It was clearly a fine weapon—so fine, in fact, that Jiang couldn't even discern its rank!
As Jiang Fenghuo focused more of his Spiritual Sense to get a closer look, an immense pressure erupted instantly. The phantom image of a colossal head formed within the ring's space!
"Boy, you've fallen into my trap! Your body is mine!"
Before Jiang Fenghuo could withdraw his Spiritual Sense, an ancient, eerie, and malevolent voice exploded in his mind!
The phantom head cackled as a vast stream of consciousness surged along Jiang Fenghuo's Spiritual Sense and stormed into his sea of consciousness!
Damn it! He want to seize my body to reborn? Could this be—
While yanking his Spiritual Sense back from the Interspatial Ring, Jiang Fenghuo simultaneously summoned the Merit Golden Light to defend against the consciousness invading his sea of consciousness with its infinite pressure!
The golden light formed a radiant talisman in his sea of consciousness, which transformed into a cage the moment it contacted the invading consciousness, trapping it within.
Jiang Fenghuo's eyes were shut tight, his head throbbing as if it would explode. He gritted his teeth and pushed his Spiritual Sense to probe the thing inside the golden cage.
A withered old man was inside. Jiang Fenghuo's heart went cold. Just as I thought, it's the remnant soul of a mighty figure?!
The remnant soul relentlessly battered the golden cage, but the cage remained unshaken.
The soul roared with resentment, "Why? What is this power? You are merely a lowly Qi Condensation cultivator!"
Jiang Fenghuo projected his thoughts into the cage: "This is the Golden Light Curse my Master left for me! You will never break free!"
Evidently, the remnant soul heard him. Its expression changed. After a few more futile attempts, it ceased its struggle and stood still.
The soul had the appearance of an old man in Daoist robes, with flowing white hair and an ancient face. "Damn you—Who is your Master?"
Jiang Fenghuo feigned composure and sneered, "A heretical cultivator like you is not worthy of knowing my Master's name."
In truth, Jiang Fenghuo was in a bind himself. The Merit Golden Light could only be used for upgrades and protection; it had no power to eliminate this remnant soul. Moreover, based on its past behavior, if the soul stopped attacking him, the golden light's defense would automatically dissipate.
The remnant soul sighed and sat down.
"Heretical cultivator?" He shook his head. "Fine, I concede. Your disposition, young man, is indeed the finest I have ever seen, far better than Lin Zhen's."
"I never expected you to have such means, to possess a treasure left by a so-called powerful Master. No wonder Lin Zhen died at your hands."
Hearing this, Jiang Fenghuo understood completely. The person Lin Zhen was muttering to before he died was this remnant soul. This soul was the "Master" he spoke of!
"Child, release this cage," the remnant soul spoke again. "I will become your Master and guide you. You must understand, it was only through my tutelage that Lin Zhen became the prodigy of your Righteous Heart Sect!"
"In other words, with my guidance, not only will everything in this storage space be yours, but I can also help you become the greatest prodigy in this sect!"
Jiang Fenghuo sneered inwardly. This old bastard tried to possess me just a moment ago, and now he wants to bargain? Nurture me into the sect's prodigy, only to find another chance to seize my body?
The one thing Jiang Fenghuo could not defend against was having his body seized. If that happened, he wouldn't even have the chance to choose to be reborn seven days in the past.
However, the golden cage in his sea of consciousness was already beginning to fade—a sign it was about to disappear.
Jiang Fenghuo's gaze was sharp. He wouldn't believe a single word this creature uttered!
But—the game had just begun.