Chapter 120: Chapter 118: Delusion-Breaking, Courting Death, Slaughter

A group of Ten Thousand Poison Gang cultivators followed behind the two, marching grandly through the middle of the market and causing the other cultivators to scatter.

Fang Cheng blended into the crowd, watching from a distance.

That Sun Guardian was too busy bowing and scraping, fawning over the man beside him, to even glance in his direction.

The burly man wore ornate robes. His expression was stern, and he wasn’t one for smiling, every movement exuding the unique aura of a superior.

But his cultivation seemed to be only a sliver higher than Sun Guardian’s.

When Fang Cheng returned to his stall, he found the Spirit Wine on the table had vanished. Just as he was wondering what happened, Die’Er chimed in, cheerfully taking credit, "Young Master, we’ve sold out of the Spirit Wine! We sold each jar for fifty Spirit Stones!"

Fang Cheng asked curiously, "I was only gone for a moment... Who bought it all?"

Ye Yan said thoughtfully, "I heard that man is the Vice Gang Leader of the Ten Thousand Poison Gang, the son of the Ten Thousand Poison Taoist. He bought it all in one go."

The image of the man Sun Guardian had been accompanying flashed through Fang Cheng’s mind. He couldn’t help but frown. "Spending three thousand Spirit Stones on sixty jars of Spirit Wine in one go... This person is certainly extravagant."

Ye Yan moved to Fang Cheng’s side and whispered, "Husband, I think that man might have seen through my and Die’Er’s Disguise Technique."

"Is that so?" Fang Cheng’s expression turned cold in an instant. ’If that’s the case, then his motive for buying all the Spirit Wine at once probably isn’t so simple.’

Ye Yan nodded lightly. "I could feel it. His gaze was improper."

Fang Cheng gave a faint smile and said, "Let’s go. We’ll pack up and discuss this back at the Cave Mansion."

Seeing that something was amiss with her Young Master and Young Miss, Die’Er’s smile vanished, and she silently began to pack up the stall.

Sure enough, not long after the three returned to their Cave Mansion, Sun Guardian showed up at their door with over a dozen cultivators.

They had clearly been secretly tailing them!

[At the entrance to the Cave Mansion.]

Fang Cheng looked calmly at Sun Guardian and the burly man behind him. "What can I do for you, Sun Guardian?"

Sun Guardian said coolly, "Mr. Chen, this is the Vice Gang Leader of the Ten Thousand Poison Gang. He has come today hoping to exchange some cultivation insights with your companion."

With that, he took out a small bag of Spirit Stones. "The Vice Gang Leader knows your cultivation is not easy, so he is specially gifting you five hundred Spirit Stones. Why don’t you go out and cultivate for a few days? You can come back in a while."

Behind him, the Vice Gang Leader wore an arrogant expression. He glanced at Fang Cheng, a smug smile playing on his lips.

Fang Cheng accepted the Spirit Stones and smiled freely. "Well, what a fine proposition! Please, come in!"

A hint of mockery appeared in Sun Guardian’s eyes. He nodded, then turned, bowed with a fawning smile, and said, "Vice Gang Leader, please, after you."

The burly man smiled and was about to step forward when he seemed to remember something. He turned to Fang Cheng and said, "Your wife’s Disguise Technique is quite good. If not for my Illusion-Breaking Jade, I would have missed out on such a beauty today."

He then shook his head, laughed heartily, and strode into the Cave Mansion with Sun Guardian close behind.

The other cultivators from the Ten Thousand Poison Gang stood guard at the entrance, motionless.

Fang Cheng also stepped into the Cave Mansion, activated the restrictive spells, and sealed the main door. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

The burly man stopped, turned around with a puzzled expression, and looked at Fang Cheng.

Sun Guardian frowned, displeased. "Why did you come in? The Spirit Stones just now..."

Before he could finish, a blackish-blue hue spread across his face.

The next moment, Sun Guardian’s eyes widened. Without a sound, his life force was extinguished, and he dropped dead on the spot.

The burly man’s expression changed, and he exclaimed, "Poison?!"

Fang Cheng let out a cold laugh as a flash of sword light shot from his sleeve. It streaked like lightning, circling the burly man several times.

A precious light erupted from the burly man’s body as a Second-Order Body Protection Talisman activated in response!

But in the next instant, two golden glints flew out and landed on the precious light, instantly chewing through the glow created by the Talisman.

Immediately after, a chilling sword light poured in. In the blink of an eye, it severed his arms and legs. The burly man’s large frame collapsed like a crumbling Stone Person, falling to the ground in pieces.

Fang Cheng slowly paced over to the man, looked down at him, and asked slowly, "Do you know how to write the word ’death’?"

The burly man was stunned.

’The Tier Two Talisman I relied on to save my life was shattered in a single move by this unremarkable Young Wanderer before me!’

’His Protective Spiritual Light offered no resistance at all against the Flying Sword... And I, a dignified Late Sensing Stage Body Refining Cultivator with a body tougher than black iron, had my limbs severed so easily.’

’Could he be a Life Talisman Cultivator?! Just playing around in the Mortal World?’

’No wonder he has such a beautiful Female Cultivator with him...’

"Senior, spare my life! This lowly one was blind and failed to see Mount Tai! I have greatly offended you, please forgive me!"

The burly man’s mind raced, and he immediately began to beg for his life.

Fang Cheng said flatly, "It seems you don’t know... Very well, I’ll teach you."

As his voice fell, a sharp sword light pierced the burly man’s Qi Sea, instantly destroying it.

The man let out a mournful howl as the Magical Power in his body fell into chaos and his life force plummeted.

He struggled and cried out, "Don’t kill me! I’m the only son of the Ten Thousand Poison Taoist! If you kill me, you won’t live either!"

Fang Cheng remained noncommittal. With a raise of his hand, both Sun Guardian’s corpse and the burly man floated into the air.

He took the man and the corpse into a secret chamber at the back of the Cave Mansion.

The floor of the secret chamber was sunken, forming a large pit. Inside, five ferocious-looking golden Gu Insects were crawling about, restless and agitated.

Seeing this, the burly man’s face turned deathly pale. He opened his mouth to spout more threats at Fang Cheng, but a flash of sword light flew into his mouth and sliced out his tongue.

Fang Cheng looked at the man and said, "Watch closely."

With that, he tossed Sun Guardian’s corpse into the Gu Pit, followed by the man himself.

The five Vajra Gu immediately scurried over. Three of them latched onto Sun Guardian’s corpse and began to devour its flesh and blood.

The other two latched onto the man’s severed limbs and began to feast.

The man, having lost his four limbs, could only move his neck. His scalp tingled with horror as he watched the scene unfold—his subordinate and his own body being frantically bitten and devoured by a few Gu Insects!

The five Gu Insects seemed like bottomless pits, continuously devouring the flesh and blood until only gleaming white bones remained at the bottom of the pit.

The man was terrified beyond measure. Unable to speak, he could only look up with pleading eyes at Fang Cheng, who stood at the edge of the Gu Pit.

The other man’s expression was calm as he looked down on him, as if observing a lifeless stone.

It was only then that he realized he hadn’t provoked an ordinary person.

But rather—

A single, ice-cold word fell into his mind.

A Demon Cultivator!

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through him.

He looked down at his torso and saw that the five pale-golden Gu Insects had, at some point, crawled onto him and begun to bite.

The man’s eyes looked ready to split from their sockets, veins bulged on his face, and he opened his mouth to let out an agonized roar.

"The Ten Thousand Poison Gang."

Fang Cheng stood with his hands behind his back, quietly watching as the burly man’s life ended in terror and agony, ultimately becoming another pile of white bones.

"I’ll take this deal."

With a wave of his large sleeve, he collected the five Vajra Gu and the man’s storage bag, then turned and left the secret chamber.

Outside the Cave Mansion, the dozen or so Ten Thousand Poison Gang cultivators stood guard at the door, their expressions stern.

Suddenly, the Cave Mansion’s main door opened.

The men turned to look and saw a tall, handsome figure emerge. They couldn’t help but show expressions of confusion and amusement.

But in the next instant, their vision went black. An intense pain wracked their bodies, and in a flash, their lives were extinguished.

...

[In Netherworld Valley, a fine autumn rain fell, and a bone-chilling cold filled the air.]

The Ten Thousand Poison Gang’s headquarters was located in the area of Netherworld Valley with the most abundant Spiritual Qi. Looking from afar, one could see a towering, majestic palace built into a steep cliff face, seemingly suspended in the air.

On the rock walls flanking the palace were several hundred-zhang-tall Rock Inscriptions, all depicting ferocious and malevolent poisonous beasts. They looked so lifelike that they struck fear into the hearts of all who saw them.

Six Ten Thousand Poison Gang cultivators stood guard before the palace, waiting idly for their shift to end.

Just then, an Escape Light flew in from the valley, arriving before the palace in the blink of an eye.

The guards on duty immediately snapped to attention, looking warily at the newcomer.

They saw a man dressed in the uniform of the Ten Thousand Poison Gang, a Token hanging from his waist. With a cold and arrogant expression, he haughtily descended from his Escape Light.

The guards approached, a look of confusion on their faces as they found the man’s face unfamiliar.

The newcomer barked coldly, "By order of the Vice Gang Leader, I have an urgent matter to report to the Gang Leader himself! Open the array at once!"

The guards exchanged hesitant glances. One of them said, "You look rather unfamiliar, fellow Daoist. May I ask your esteemed name and which hall you belong to?"

The newcomer sneered, "You are not worthy of knowing my name. This is the Vice Gang Leader’s personal Token. Verify it quickly, and don’t waste any time."

With that, he casually tossed over an Identity Token.

The guard hurriedly caught it and examined it closely, realizing it was indeed the Vice Gang Leader’s command token!

’In all of Netherworld Valley, who would dare forge this token?’

’Besides, forging it is as difficult as crafting a Tier One Top Grade Magical Artifact. What ordinary Loose Cultivator would have the skill and resources for that?’

A thought struck the guard, and he asked tentatively, "So you’re one of the Hidden Guards, my lord!"

The newcomer said nothing, only giving a cold sneer, his expression seeming to say, ’If you delay the Vice Gang Leader’s important business, you’ll face the consequences.’

Seeing this, the guard immediately put on a fawning smile and presented the Vice Gang Leader’s token with both hands. "My lord, please don’t be offended. We were just asking a few routine questions. Please, take your Token back."

The newcomer took the Token and said flatly, "It’s good to be strict."

Cold sweat beaded on the guard’s face. He bowed and scraped, saying, "It is we who were blind. Please wait a moment, my lord, we’ll open the array right away."

As he spoke, he took out an Array Flag from his storage bag and waved it at the palace entrance.

The Ten Thousand Poison Gang’s defensive formation was a Tier Two Array, requiring cultivators on both the inside and outside to cast a spell simultaneously to open the gate.

At that moment, a spiritual light flashed before the main hall. A burly man in battle armor walked out from the gate and stood inside the array. He swept a cold gaze outside and asked, "Who goes there?"

The guard on duty immediately replied, "It’s one of the Vice Gang Leader’s Hidden Guards! We’ve verified his Identity Token, there’s no problem! Open the array quickly, don’t delay the Vice Gang Leader’s important business!"

The burly man looked suspicious, but a sweep of his Divine Sense revealed the newcomer’s cultivation to be ordinary, so he paid it no mind.

’Perhaps he’s a new Hidden Guard recruited by the Vice Gang Leader?’

’The Vice Gang Leader has always been unpredictable, and the gang members were long used to his occasional eccentricities.’

He took out an Array Flag and waved it at the array. The barrier of light covering the palace entrance split open.

The newcomer walked through the opening with composure, entering the main hall.

The guards outside all breathed a sigh of relief. They straightened up and resumed their duties seriously.

The palace gate closed.

The newcomer stopped and looked at the large man. "Where is the Gang Leader?"

The large man, suspecting nothing, replied in a deep voice, "The Paradise Pool. When you get there, have someone announce you. He doesn’t like to be disturbed while cultivating."

"Thank you," the newcomer said with a smile.

Suddenly, the large man’s gaze froze. A blackish-blue aura spread across his face, and his expression twisted into a grimace.

The next moment, his body slowly crumpled to the ground, his life force completely gone.

...