Translator: CinderTL
Gou Jun Island.
A pavilion atop a mountain peak.
Ye Bing waved her hand, erecting a barrier to prevent eavesdropping, then removed her conical hat, revealing a face of peerless beauty, yet as cold as ice.
Her eyes, like deep night skies, burned with anger as she glared intently at Song Wen.
Song Wen seemed oblivious to Ye Bing's displeasure, his face alight only with the joy of reunion.
"Twenty years have passed since we last met, Immortal Maiden. Your beauty has only grown more radiant, like the Nine Heavens Profound Maiden descending to the mortal realm—a peerless vision. In these years, whenever I thought of you, all the world's beauty seemed to pale in comparison..."
"Enough!" Ye Bing interrupted sharply, cutting through Song Wen's flowery words. "You promised me you would return within a few years. Why did you vanish for twenty? If you had delayed any longer, I might have left this place entirely."
"Ah!" Song Wen sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness. "I longed to return sooner and reunite with you, Immortal Maiden. Alas, my journey was fraught with peril, a constant dance with death. Though I survived by sheer luck, I suffered grievous wounds and was forced into seclusion to heal. As soon as I recovered, I rushed here to see you."
Ye Bing's gaze remained skeptical as she scanned Song Wen.
"Were you truly so gravely injured?"
"How could I deceive you, Immortal Maiden?" Song Wen replied with an earnest expression.
Ye Bing stared at Song Wen, as if suddenly recalling something. The frost on her face melted away, replaced by a hint of melancholy.
"Regardless of why you returned late, it no longer matters. Our plan has likely been stillborn."
"Why?" Song Wen asked, puzzled.
"Jin Xun has successfully obtained the Earthfrost Vine," Ye Bing explained. "We can no longer use it as bait to lure him out."
"Is the information reliable?" Song Wen pressed.
"Absolutely reliable," Ye Bing affirmed. "I extracted it from Jin Xiuqi himself."
"He hasn't started refining the Void Union Primordial Breakthrough Pill yet, has he?" Song Wen asked.
"Probably not," Ye Bing replied, her tone lacking certainty.
Song Wen pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Immortal Maiden, there's no need to worry. I have another method to draw Jin Xun out. In fact, his acquisition of the Earthfrost Vine is actually a good thing. We can now obtain it directly from him."
Ye Bing's expression remained skeptical.
"What other method do you have to lure him out?"
Song Wen explained, "Remember when you feigned interest in purchasing Jin Xun's Azure Scale Wood? His condition was either a thousand-year-old Earthfrost Vine or a spirit grass capable of extending lifespan by at least a century. The fact that he equated the Earthfrost Vine with such a longevity spirit grass proves that these longevity-enhancing elixirs are equally crucial to him. We can no longer use the Earthfrost Vine as bait, but we can still use the Longevity Spirit Herb as an excuse."
"A Longevity Spirit Herb?" Ye Bing hesitated, clearly skeptical of Song Wen's plan. "In the Qicang Domain, Spirit Herbs that extend lifespan by over a century are exceedingly rare. Jin Xun is naturally cautious; he's unlikely to believe our claims so easily."
Song Wen smiled faintly, his tone calm. "Immortal Maiden, what if I truly possessed something capable of extending lifespan by a century?"
Ye Bing's expression brightened, and she asked urgently, "Do you have a Longevity Spirit Herb?"
Song Wen shook his head, but the smile on his face remained. "While I don't have a Longevity Spirit Herb, I do possess a Longevity-Enhancing Formation."
"How much lifespan can it extend?" Ye Bing pressed.
Song Wen held up three fingers. "Three Sexagenary Cycles." TL/N: 180 years.
"Is that true?" Ye Bing asked, her skepticism ingrained.
Song Wen's expression darkened slightly, a hint of melancholy in his voice. "I had thought we had reached a tacit understanding, Immortal Maiden. It seems you still don't trust me."
With that, Song Wen produced a blank jade slip, inscribed some characters into it, and handed it to Ye Bing. "Immortal Maiden, please take a look."
Ye Bing accepted the jade slip and examined it. A flicker of astonishment crossed her eyes.
"This... it actually extends lifespan by plundering the life force of cultivators practicing the Longevity Technique? That's... undeniably cruel."
Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she continued, "If the Veiled Moon Hall is recruiting Divine Transformation Stage cultivators who practice the Longevity Technique, could they have ulterior motives? Countless cultivators practice the Longevity Technique, especially rogue cultivators. Could they all be Longevity Spirit Herbs for the Veiled Moon Hall and the Divine Blood Gate?"
The jade slip Song Wen had given Ye Bing contained the formation method for a fourth-tier Devouring Soul Array, capable of extending one's lifespan by three Sexagenary Cycles.
However, Song Wen hadn't provided the original jade slip; instead, he had copied it from memory, resulting in incomplete instructions.
"The Longevity Technique may seem like an ordinary cultivation technique, but it's actually deeply entangled in complex matters. Immortal Maiden, it's best not to delve too deeply into this matter or spread word of it. Doing so would only invite trouble. Our immediate priority is to lure out Jin Xun."
Ye Bing gave Song Wen a long, searching look. She realized how little she truly knew about the man before her.
He had always been shrouded in mystery; she didn't even know his real name.
"With this Devouring Soul Array, luring out Jin Xun shouldn't be difficult, assuming he's truly desperate for Longevity Spirit Herbs. Once we've lured him out, how do you plan to deal with him?" Ye Bing asked.
Song Wen replied, "Naturally, we'll activate the formation, leaving him no escape."
"Do you have a suitable formation?" Ye Bing asked.
Song Wen nodded. "Once Jin Xun is trapped in the formation, he won't escape alive."
"Where do you plan to set up the formation?" Ye Bing inquired.
"This island seems ideal," Song Wen replied. "The Spiritual Qi here is moderate—neither too sparse nor too dense. With only rogue cultivators in the vicinity, it's perfect for our operation."
Places with abundant Spiritual Qi are often occupied by major powers or high-tier cultivators, while areas with excessively sparse Spiritual Qi might arouse Jin Xun's suspicion.
Moreover, this location is millions of miles from Phoenix Feather City, making it difficult for Jin Xun to call for reinforcements from the Jin Family after the ambush.
Therefore, Azure Oak Lake was considered an excellent ambush site.
"Very well, we'll proceed as you suggest." Ye Bing put away the jade slip and turned to gaze in the direction of Phoenix Feather City, her eyes sharpening. "Wait here for a moment. I'll return to my cultivation cave to prepare before setting out for Phoenix Feather City to contact Jin Xun. You remain here."
Song Wen readily agreed. "Understood."
Ye Bing stepped out of the pavilion, her figure slowly rising into the air as she prepared to head east.
"Immortal Maiden, where are you planning to go?" Song Wen asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.
"Back to my cultivation cave," Ye Bing replied.
"Isn't your cultivation cave on this island?" Song Wen inquired.
"No, it's not on this island," Ye Bing clarified. "It's on a small island two thousand miles to the east."
A flicker of realization flashed in Song Wen's eyes.
He immediately understood why Ye Bing had appeared behind him when he arrived above this island.
He had traveled from east to west, while Ye Bing's cultivation cave lay to the east.
He had inadvertently passed near her cave, catching her attention.
Ye Bing had seen the black cloak he wore before, and given his brief stop on the island, deducing his identity had been a simple matter.
Compared to their first encounter, Ye Bing had grown considerably more cautious.
Back then, when he proposed trading Jiang Chao's divine soul, she had fearlessly ventured alone to the agreed-upon meeting place, completely disregarding any potential dangers—a display of remarkable audacity.
Now, however, she had learned the art of "crossing the sea by stealth."
(End of the Chapter)
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