Translator: CinderTL
Jin Xun wore a faint smile, radiating an air of confidence. He was certain the two before him wouldn't refuse his offer. Every Divine Transformation Stage cultivator seeking to refine the Void Union Primordial Breakthrough Pill knew the rarity of Purple Spirit Ginseng and Celestial Star Grass. They would seize any glimmer of hope with desperate fervor.
"Fellow cultivators, what do you say?" Jin Xun asked, his tone calm and self-assured.
Ye Bing didn't answer, instead turning her gaze to Song Wen. In her heart, she was deeply tempted. She had spent decades searching for the Spirit Herbs needed to refine the Void Union Primordial Breakthrough Pill, squandering countless spirit stones and braving countless dangers. Yet she had still failed to obtain Purple Spirit Ginseng and Celestial Star Grass. Her eyes, fixed on Song Wen, were filled with anticipation and inquiry.
Song Wen wore a gentle smile, but his eyes held a hint of scrutiny. "Fellow Daoist Jin Xun, I must admit, your proposal is indeed tempting. However, how can you guarantee that after obtaining the Purple Spirit Ginseng and Celestial Star Grass, you'll hand over our shares to Fellow Daoist Li Yue and me, rather than secretly informing the Jin Family and taking our lives?"
Jin Xun let out a cold laugh, his voice tinged with self-mockery.
"The Jin Family abandoned me long ago. If they learn of this, do you think I'll ever get my hands on the Purple Spirit Ginseng and Celestial Star Grass? I know their ways better than you do. They'll inevitably seize the Spirit Herbs under the guise of 'family interests,' using them to nurture those they deem 'geniuses.' As for me? I'll get a few empty words of praise, having toiled in vain for others' benefit."
Song Wen listened in silence, his expression thoughtful. His right hand continued to stroke a ring on his finger.
Jin Xun's gaze sharpened slightly as he noticed the ring in Song Wen's palm.
It was his storage ring.
"Master Mi Hai, if you have concerns, why not hold onto my storage ring until I obtain the Spirit Herbs? We can exchange them then. The ring contains my life's treasures, worth a fortune, and includes many Spirit Herbs for refining the Void Union Primordial Breakthrough Pill."
Jin Xun was offering his storage ring as collateral, a gesture of sincerity.
Given the value of the treasures within, Jin Xun would never part with it lightly.
Yet Song Wen neither accepted nor rejected the proposal. Instead, he abruptly changed the subject.
"Fellow Daoist Jin Xun, you came here at Fellow Daoist Li Yue's invitation for this trade. Did you inform anyone else about this?"
Jin Xun was slightly surprised by Song Wen's sudden change of topic, but he didn't dwell on it. He assumed Song Wen was still worried he might report this matter to the Jin Family.
"Great Master, you worry too much," Jin Xun said. "I feared word might leak out, jeopardizing our chances of obtaining the Spirit Herb from Yun Xinghai, so I haven't told anyone. I can swear a heavenly dao oath to this—there's not a shred of falsehood in my words."
"Oh, is that so?" A strange smile flickered across Song Wen's face.
"Naturally!"
As Jin Xun spoke, his expression turned solemn. He began channeling his divine soul, preparing to swear the oath.
Song Wen and Ye Bing watched him expectantly.
Seeing this, Jin Xun's confidence surged. He was just one step away from completely winning their trust.
He raised his voice and declared, "Heavenly Dao above, I, Jin Xun, swear upon my divine soul..."
His words abruptly ceased.
A cold glint had flashed before Mi Hai, a spear over three meters long hurtling straight toward Jin Xun's lower dantian.
Jin Xun's face twisted in terror. He tried to react, but it was too late.
The distance between him and Song Wen was already short. Moreover, he had been completely focused on channeling his divine soul for the oath. By the time he realized the danger, the spearhead was less than a meter away.
Pfft!
The sun-chasing spear pierced through Jin Xun's still-forming Mana Shield, piercing his abdomen and exiting through his back, leaving a trail of crimson blood blossoms that drifted through the air.
Jin Xun's dantian shattered instantly, his spiritual power gushing out like a dam bursting, surging wildly through the gaping hole.
Along with the torrent of spiritual power, a three-inch-tall nascent soul erupted from the wound.
Though the nascent soul had narrowly escaped death, the Nether Corpse Purgatory Formation left it with nowhere to flee. It hovered helplessly in mid-air, terrified and disoriented.
"Mi Hai... you... you..."
Jin Xun tried to confront Song Wen, stammering for a long moment, but found himself unable to voice any accusation. The pair had lured him here precisely to kill him and seize his treasures. Moreover, they had never promised to spare him.
"Don't you still want the Purple Spirit Ginseng and Celestial Star Grass?" Jin Xun finally managed to ask.
"Of course I want them," Song Wen replied coldly, a hint of disdain in his voice. "But I don't need your help to obtain them."
As he spoke, a surging blood sea erupted beneath his feet, rapidly engulfing Jin Xun's corpse and nascent soul.
"Mi Hai, spare my life! I can still get you the Purple Spirit Ginseng and Celestial Star Grass!" Jin Xun's nascent soul cried out frantically as it retreated in a desperate attempt to escape.
The formation barrier's range was limited, and Jin Xun was quickly forced into a corner with no escape. His nascent soul, like a small boat on a stormy sea, was finally swallowed by the surging blood sea.
"Gou Jun, why would you do this?" Ye Bing asked, her voice tinged with disbelief as she stared at Song Wen.
"From what I know, Jin Xun used living people to nurture his natal flying sword, employing extremely cruel methods that led to the tragic deaths of countless innocent rogue cultivators. His crimes are heinous, and everyone has the right to execute him!" Song Wen declared, his face radiating righteous indignation.
Ye Bing had never approved of Jin Xun's execution. Hearing Song Wen's absurd explanation only ignited a surge of inexplicable anger within her.
"According to intelligence I gathered in Phoenix Feather City, everything Jin Xun said was true. He even handed you his storage ring. What more could you possibly want?"
Song Wen remained composed, his voice calm as he replied, "Immortal Maiden, please don't be angry. There's no need to lose your temper over a mere Jin Xun. To prove he hadn't revealed his deal with me at Azure Oak Lake to outsiders, he willingly swore a heavenly dao oath. However, he never swore directly regarding handing over the Spirit Herb to us after his transaction with Yun Xinghai. Has the Immortal Maiden considered why?"
Ye Bing's body stiffened slightly, the anger on her face gradually fading, replaced by deep contemplation.
"Are you saying Jin Xun never intended to give us the Spirit Herbs? But he spent decades collecting them, and they're all in the storage ring you possess. Even if he obtains the Purple Spirit Ginseng and Celestial Star Grass, he can't refine the Void Union Primordial Breakthrough Pill without the other ingredients. To reclaim the storage ring, he'd inevitably need the Jin Family's support. But they've already abandoned him, so he can't possibly report this matter to them. The Jin Family would never allow the Purple Spirit Ginseng and Celestial Star Grass to remain in his hands. What's the point of his actions?"
Song Wen shook his head slightly. "Immortal Maiden, Jin Xun doesn't necessarily need the Jin Family's help to reclaim the storage ring. Don't forget Yun Xinghai. As a Void Refinement Stage cultivator, dealing with us would be child's play for him."
"Yun Xinghai?" Ye Bing remained skeptical. "Why would Yun Xinghai be manipulated by Jin Xun?"
(End of the Chapter)
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