"Brother Weiyun, does this old man's brain-digging performance meet with everyone's approval?"
The Black-Clad Leader brought his five blood-dripping fingers close to his half-open mouth.
Then, a curved, pointed tongue extended out, curling to lick clean the fishy liquid.
"Death is no pity!"
"Sin, sin! To act with such cruelty—retribution will come one day!"
Feng Ling watched with a cold, expressionless gaze, while Withered Leaf Ape, Elder Lingchen, and the others seethed with shock and fury.
The poisoned disciples trembled, staring at that figure like death incarnate.
A trace of fear showed in their eyes!
They had long heard that every evil spirit master was ruthless and killed without hesitation.
Now it seemed the rumors were true!
"Withered Leaf Ape, don't lecture this old man on principles! Whether retribution comes later, this old man doesn't know, but you lot will get yours today..."
He gave a subtle signal. The black-clad men surrounding the three of Feng Ling understood at once and began gathering their strength, waiting for the Black-Clad Leader's command to attack.
"Brother Weiyun, do you still stand by what you said?"
"Naturally!" Having received Feng Ling's promise, Withered Leaf Ape felt his heart ease.
He had feared his efforts would go unrewarded, ending in nothing but wasted labor!
"Sect Master, big brother, you two be careful!" Their side's situation was not looking good, and Elder Lingchen gave a low, solemn reminder.
Watching the three of them murmuring quietly, the Black-Clad Leader made no move to stop them, likely feeling victory was already assured, and said mockingly, "Done talking? If you're done, then let the massacre beg—"
"Wait!"
Before the Black-Clad Leader could finish the word "begin," Feng Ling cut him off.
The black-clad men who had gathered their strength and prepared to move felt stifled. When they saw their leader raise a hand to stop them, they nearly choked on their own breath!
"Before the killing begins, the three of us old men request permission to take our seats again!"
When Feng Ling finished speaking, everyone—including Withered Leaf Ape and Elder Lingchen—froze. No one knew what scheme Feng Ling was cooking up!
The Black-Clad Leader's brow furrowed, his face full of doubt, thinking to himself: could he want to die a well-fed ghost?
Regardless of whether the evil spirit masters agreed, Feng Ling walked to the only remaining banquet table nearby.
Withered Leaf Ape and Ling Chen followed, puzzled.
The black-clad men encircling them shifted position as well, afraid the three might flee.
Withered Leaf Ape, Ling Chen, and Feng Ling stood around a large round table, facing one another in a triangle. Their positions looked casual, but not one could be off by the slightest degree!
By now, the food had gone cold, like the hearts of those present...
"Come, Brother Withered Leaf! All the dishes on the left are yours! Second Brother Chen, you take the dishes on the right!" Feng Ling said with a bright smile.
His withered hands gripped the chopsticks and trembled as he secretly gestured toward the two people diagonally across from him, indicating the dishes.
Hearing this, the Black-Clad Leader frowned, while the other two's old eyes lit up at once!
"Bang!!" Suddenly a crisp cracking sound rang out, a cloud of white smoke spreading, and in that same instant, the three of Feng Ling had already struck out with a shout!
"No good! Hold your breath!"
The Black-Clad Leader roared in shock and fury, leaping to meet the figure charging at him.
Hearing this, the black-clad men, their formation somewhat thrown into disarray, immediately held their breath and took the appropriate measures to meet the attack.
Meanwhile, dozens of disciples closed in on the black-clad men surrounding them and engaged them in close combat.
Though weakened, the disciples teamed up two or three against each opponent and managed to hold the line.
Both sides suffered casualties!
Amid the chaotic battlefield, the sounds of fierce fighting rang out everywhere.
Within the Corrosive Black Aura, withered leaves drifted through the air as Withered Leaf Ape clashed with the Black-Clad Leader again. Neither could gain the upper hand!
Elder Lingchen fought the black-clad Xu Laosan. Both were Sixth-Revolution Ghost Spirit Masters, and neither could overpower the other.
Notably, the Sixth-Revolution senior disciple Xue Jiu fought a Fifth-Revolution black-clad man to a standstill despite being poisoned!
A simple redistribution of the dishes let the disadvantaged group seize the initiative. Feng Ling's plan was masterful!
"Bang!!"
"Bang!!" Forceful Qi exploded from Feng Ling's fist. Caught off guard, a Fourth-Revolution Evil Spirit Master suffered a shattered sternum and collapsed with a wail.
The strike landed, but it also exposed his strength. Feng Ling felt no optimism; it confirmed that his cultivation had fallen!
"Old fossil, give up your life..."
Three Fourth-Revolution Evil Spirit Masters shouted and surrounded Feng Ling together.
Feng Ling had scattered Seven-Step Soul-Severing Powder over a wide area, and they had nearly been caught by it. With one of their companions injured, their fury boiled over!
At this moment, though Feng Ling had the strength to contend with a fourth-rank opponent, that was only true in a one-on-one fight.
If three surrounded him, they would overwhelm and suppress him completely!
Full of openings!
Feng Ling watched the three men's faces twist into vicious grins and silently calculated each figure in his mind.
The frequency and position of every footfall appeared clearly in Feng Ling's mind. After analyzing them, he devised several ways to break through!
A gust of wind on the left, a gust on the right, and one more coming straight at him! Three Short Blades slashed in from all sides—it seemed as though retreat was the only option left!
In the blink of an eye, the three evil spirit masters were within arm's reach, their faces icy. They seemed to see Feng Ling hacked to death beneath their blades.
"Aahh—!"
With a scream, the evil spirit master on the left crashed to the ground, still clutching his Short Blade. The other two never saw how Feng Ling moved!
A broken arm?
"Hiss!!" The two remaining evil spirit masters, terrified, surrounded Feng Ling again, but no matter how they swung and hacked, they couldn't even get close to him—as if it had all been rehearsed beforehand like a stage play!
Could Ling Weiyun truly possess such combat strength?
Frustrated and stifled, the two nearly coughed up blood. Feng Ling neutralized every attack.
He either dodged their attacks or redirected their momentum against them, leaving both men humiliated!
Feng Ling's cultivation was inferior to theirs, but he had the Eighth-Rank Ghost Spirit Body to support him. His physical strength was genuinely at the Eighth Revolution!
As such, once Feng Ling closed the distance,
How could the man from before have withstood it?
"Damn it, throw the Ghost-Devouring Poison Mist, quick!"
Unable to win, the two resorted to trickery. Corrosive Black Aura shot from their sleeves toward Feng Ling and swallowed his aged figure whole!
"Haha, old fossil, looks like you took the bait! Today you'll still die at our hands!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, killing a former Eighth-Rank Expert with our own hands—just imagining it is thrilling! Let him savor the agony of ten thousand ants gnawing at his flesh, then we'll finish him with a few more strikes!"
A writhing mass of Black Mist sealed off the three meters of ground before them. The two evil spirit masters wore gleeful, twisted grins and stepped back a few paces.
Their cautious manner suggested that even they feared the Poison Mist before them!
Within the scene of poison mist, sealed off from the outside world.
Feng Ling held his breath and practiced his fist forms. A soft force stirred the Poison Mist and gathered between his hands as they turned the tide.
"Whew—breathing feels so good!"
The Black Mist dispersed. Feng Ling exhaled turbid air, placed his right hand behind his back, and stared calmly at the two frozen, stiff smiles across from him.
"How is this possible!?" The two evil spirit masters could not contain their shock. They stared at the unharmed figure, their eyes filled with disbelief!
"Two green, snot-nosed brats, spouting shameless nonsense! Do you think the two of you can shake this old man?"
His pale hair stirred without wind. Feng Ling tilted his head back in disdain and glanced at them with complete indifference, as if their words meant nothing to him.
Damn it, fooled by this old fossil!
Humiliated into fury, the two evil spirit masters bared vicious expressions and snarled, "Arrogant! You're nothing but a toothless old tiger! Don't get cocky..."
"Hmph hmph, old fossil, hurry up and die! The two of us brothers will send you down to reunite with your family..."
Feng Ling watched the two charge at him in blind rage. He drew his right hand forward from behind his back; everything remained under his control!
"Bang!!" A crisp sound rang out, jolting the two hot-blooded, reckless young men awake.
"Ah—it's a trap!" The two of them abruptly forced their charging forms to a halt, terrified, trying to retreat—but alas, it was already too late!
Black Mist swallowed their retreating forms at great speed. Then shrieks rose from within it, each one bone-chilling!
Before long, the screams grew fainter and fainter, the black mist dispersed, and two corpses, corroded into a mass of holes, appeared before Feng Ling's eyes.
Others in the surrounding melee who happened to notice this scene felt a chill run down their spines at the gruesome sight, silently breaking into a cold sweat on Feng Ling's behalf.
They had brought this ruin upon themselves!
Using his life token, Feng Ling absorbed the Ghost Spirit Bodies of the two Fourth-Revolution enemies. They barely equaled three Third-Revolution bodies, and another trace of the Formless Ghost Spirit Body appeared within the life token.
Feng Ling's combat strength rose again, and he advanced to the third transformation! Yet he felt no joy as he looked at the two twisted, blackened corpses.
Feng Ling's heart was flooded with relief—had it not been for that flash of inspiration, drawing on the subtle guiding principles of Taiji Fist, he himself might well have ended up in the very same state!
"Damn you! Blackwater Tu, so it was you all along..."
Suddenly, a shout of shock and fury burst from Withered Leaf Ape's mouth, drawing everyone's attention.
They stopped fighting in unspoken agreement and warily watched their opponents.
Withered Leaf Ape gripped a piece of black cloth and stumbled backward, his face grim. Elder Lingchen rushed over when the fighting stopped and caught him.
"Hahaha, Withered-Leaf Sect Master, it's been a while!" The Black-Clad Leader laughed theatrically, showing no fear now that his identity was exposed.
Blackwater Tu, around fifty years old,
a Seventh-Revolution Ghost Spirit Master and the current Sect Master of the Blackwater Sect! His signature move—the Blackwater Claw!
"Old butcher, I thought you were fierce-tempered but fundamentally upright. I never imagined you were an Evil Spirit Master!" Elder Lingchen's face filled with fury.
He shouted, "The Sect Master of a righteous sect consorts with demonic heretics!"
"Since you're the leader of the evil spirit masters, then this group of black-clad men is..."
A chill rose in Withered Leaf Ape's heart as he realized the terrifying answer.
"Old friend, there's no need for such anger. If your Withered Leaf Sect is willing to submit and join my banner, I will take good care of you. If not, none of you will leave here alive!"
The distraction had already left Withered Leaf Ape and Elder Lingchen with serious injuries.
Unconcerned by any tricks, Blackwater Tu waved his hand. The masked men tore the black cloth from their faces in unison, confirming Withered Leaf Ape's suspicion.
Disciples of the Blackwater Sect!
Everyone stared at those unfamiliar yet familiar faces in horror.
Their full exposure deepened everyone's shock and fury. First, with the Sect Master exposed, they no longer needed to maintain the pretense;
Second, and most important, the Evil Spirit Masters had resolved to kill everyone. Otherwise, they would not have torn away even their last shred of cover!
"With so many Evil Spirit Master Disciples, if my guess is correct, does that mean your entire Blackwater Sect consists of Evil Spirit Masters?"
Feng Ling suddenly spoke up, his tone flat, uttering a line that sent chills down everyone's spine just from the thought of it.
An entire sect made up of Evil Spirit Masters!
What did that even mean...
If someone were to visit alone, unaccompanied,
then the result would be...
Every time one breaks free of the shell, it is a new birth...
Amid all the chaos and troubles of this world, may the Sage offer everyone a Pure Land of the Soul.