Chapter 154: It Was Me Who Killed Sheng (4000 Words, Combined Chapters)
After fully taking control of Baiwa City, Ming noticed something very off about one of its exit points.
That particular exit of Baiwa City was like a gateway to hell.
According to what the Golden Body Toad had told him earlier, Baiwa City’s exit was connected to a magic array that altered its position. That must be what happened.
Ming continued observing the area around Baiwa City’s exit.
He saw robed cultivators dragging a man inside and tossing him into the array. Subsequently, these robed cultivators released a monster beast from the rock wall.
The beast roared and resisted, but in the end, it too was thrown into the array.
Ming witnessed these robed cultivators activate the array, attempting to fuse the cultivator with the monster. The fusion failed, and both the human cultivator and the beast turned into blood mist.
Seeing this, Ming frowned deeply, roughly understanding what was going on.
Ming guessed that Black God Sect cultivators had set up an array connecting Baiwa City’s exit.
Once Baiwa City expelled the cultivators within through its light, the array absorbed them all.
Perhaps they were waiting for Baiwa Scroll to mature so they could harvest and take it away.
Maybe among the many cultivators currently in Baiwa City, there were disciples of the Black God Sect lying in wait to seize rare treasures.
“Roooar!”
A Flying Corpse jumped over, gesturing wildly at Ming as if trying to say something.
It looked extremely anxious, almost as if it was on the verge of speaking human language.
“Are you saying… you want me to help rescue someone? Someone at Baiwa City’s exit?” Ming guessed, recalling a woman he had just seen.
She was bound by chains inside the Lava Heart Cave.
The Flying Corpse nodded vigorously.
It was surprising that someone finally understood what it meant.
“Don’t worry, since you’ve helped me, I’ll help you too,” Ming promised.
Though the Flying Corpse had hunted him before, he had also intended to kill it, so they were even.
Now that the Flying Corpse had saved him, he owed it a favor.
Ming scanned the hundreds of cultivators present.
To be honest, Ming found these cultivators quite irritating.
Leaving Wudu, Ming wanted to see the world, to understand what these outside cultivators were truly like—whether they were as ethereal and noble as he imagined.
But so far, these cultivators seemed incredibly selfish, even more extreme than ordinary people, making Ming feel quite uncomfortable.
Not to mention how he obtained Baiwa Secret Realm at great peril while they could leave without effort, which made him even more annoyed.
But could he stop them from leaving? These cultivators staying would only pollute Baiwa City’s environment.
Killing them was out of the question; he had already offended three sects. If he killed now, he might never dare leave Wudu again, and even Wu Kingdom would face significant pressure.
This made Ming feel rather nauseous.
However, Ming now had a way to balance his feelings somewhat.
If they wanted to leave, they should contribute some effort.
Thus, Ming waved his hand, shifting the original passage ten miles away to a streamside.
In the future, residents of Baiwa Secret Realm who reached Dragon Gate Realm would leave from this new exit instead of the Lava Heart Cave.
Ming opened another exit, the one originally linked to the Lava Heart Cave.
Everyone only saw Ming wave his sleeve twice, first creating a distorted portal, then replacing it with another one, without knowing exactly what he did.
Subsequently, under Ming’s thought, beams of light fell from the sky above Baiwa City, shining on everyone.
“Xu Ming. You…”
As everyone panicked, thinking Ming was trying to eliminate them,
Before they could say anything, they disappeared instantly.
Qingwan blinked repeatedly at Ming.
Yu Wen Xi, Miao Feng, and Big White Goose also looked at Ming with confusion.
Ming pinched Qingwan’s cheeks: “I sent them away. Next, I will send you guys out. Once you leave, return directly to your sects. Do not approach Baiwa City.”
“Why?” Qingwan tilted her head.
Ming: “Don’t ask so many questions. Just do as I say.”
“What about you?” Qingwan asked again.
“This Flying Corpse saved me, so I’m returning the favor and resolving a karmic debt,” Ming smiled, “After this is done, I’ll visit you at Heavenly Profound Gate.”
Qingwan clutched Ming’s robe: “Then I’ll go with you, and we’ll return together to Heavenly Profound Gate.”
“No, you can’t come,” Ming refused outright.
“You’re definitely planning to do something dangerous behind my back,” Qingwan pouted, “I’m going with you!”
“Be obedient,” Ming said helplessly.
“Not gonna happen,” Qingwan replied.
Ming chuckled, “Even if you don’t listen, you still have to.”
Under Ming’s thought, several beams of white light shone on Qingwan, Yu Wen Xi, Miao Feng, and Heavenly Black Goose.
Before they could react, they disappeared, heading toward the safe exit.
“Let’s go,” Ming said to the Flying Corpse.
The Flying Corpse nodded enthusiastically.
White light enveloped Ming and the Flying Corpse.
When Ming and the Flying Corpse arrived at the Lava Heart Cave, the entire cave was already in chaos.
These cultivators like Xia Donghua thought Ming was trying to eliminate them.
Instead, after the white light, they found themselves outside Baiwa Secret Realm.
But before they could celebrate, they noticed numerous black-robed cultivators glaring at them, attacking without hesitation.
Xia Donghua and others naturally wouldn’t sit idly by.
Thus, without fully understanding the situation, they immediately clashed, plunging the entire Lava Heart Cave into chaos.
Especially when some sect disciples discovered relics of their comrades, realizing these individuals had killed their brothers, they became enraged, determined to avenge them.
Upon arriving, Ming and the Flying Corpse flew straight toward the bound woman.
They landed in front of her.
Zhao Qionman slowly opened her eyes.
Looking at the Flying Corpse and the unfamiliar man before her, Zhao Qionman revealed a look of relief, as if she had finally relaxed.
Zhao Qionman knew that Little Jump had succeeded, and Baiwa Scroll had chosen its master.
Otherwise, Little Jump wouldn’t have followed this man out, nor would the array she created continue harming others, accumulating sins.
“Do you know Sheng?” Ming asked the bound woman, believing that the task Sheng entrusted to him must involve her.
The woman nodded: “Yes, he was my husband.”
Ming: “…”
Her weary eyes looked at Ming: “Young sir, do you know my husband?”
Ming also nodded: “Yes, eight years ago, it was me who killed Sheng.”
“…” Listening to Ming’s words, the woman fell silent, lowering her eyelids.
“Thank you.” After a moment, Zhao Qionman raised her head and expressed gratitude.
Ming didn’t understand: “I killed your husband, yet you thank me?”
Zhao Qionman shook her head: “If it weren’t for you, my husband wouldn’t have been freed eight years ago. So, I thank you for sparing him those troubles later on and preventing him from violating his conscience.”
“Similarly, I thank you.”
“If it weren’t for you, the array I built would have continued harming others.”
Ming looked at this emaciated woman, surprised by her clear sense of right and wrong: “How should I save you?”
The chains binding Zhao Qionman were made of Heavenly Profound Iron, and Ming only had a peachwood sword, incapable of cutting through them.
“You don’t need to save me. Death is actually a kind of liberation for me. I hope you can…”
“Such a lively scene.”
Before Zhao Qionman finished her sentence, a deep voice echoed through.
The spiritual pressure in the voice caused Ming and others’ Dao hearts to sound alarms.
Everyone looked towards the cave entrance blocked by Black God Sect disciples, where a man emerged.
Qi Hui calmly observed everything happening in the cave, including the destroyed array in the center of the Lava Heart Cave.
Even without anyone informing him, Qi Hui knew what had happened.
It seemed the people he sent to Baiwa Secret Realm to seize treasures hadn’t succeeded.
“Leader.”
A cultivator approached Qi Hui, whispering something and pointing towards Ming’s direction.
“Oh?” Qi Hui curiously looked at Ming, “Didn’t expect it to be you who obtained Baiwa Secret Realm. Are you interested in joining our Black God Sect?”
Ming laughed: “You must be dreaming.”
“That’s truly unfortunate.” Qi Hui shook his head, “Then, you will all have to die here.”
Qi Hui waved his hand: “Attack! No need to capture alive, just kill them all.”
Following Qi Hui’s order, no one held back anymore.
Initially, the Black God Sect cultivators hadn’t used lethal force, mainly because they thought the leader wanted to capture these cultivators alive.
After all, these cultivators were excellent experimental materials.
But now that the leader had spoken, they no longer needed any reservations.
Qi Hui stepped closer to Ming.
Feeling the spiritual energy emanating from Qi Hui, Ming focused his mind.
This cultivator might have already reached the late stage of the Golden Core Realm.
“He’s called Qi Hui, the leader of Black God Sect’s branch. He once entered the Nascent Soul Stage, but recently suffered injuries in a great battle. His current realm should only be the mid-stage of Golden Core Realm,” Zhao Qionman informed Ming.
“There should be Golden Core Realm beast entities in Baiwa Secret Realm. You can have them assist you.”
Ming smiled and shook his head: “Baiwa Scroll isn’t with me.”
“Eh?” Zhao Qionman was startled.
The Baiwa Scroll isn’t with you?
Then how are you going to defeat him?
Since you managed to enter Baiwa City, your realm should only be Sea Observing Realm, right?” Hurry up and leave! You’re merely at the Sea Observing Realm, you’re no match for him!”
Zhao Qionman shouted at Ming.
Sea Observing Realm is two major realms away from Golden Core Realm! How could this young man possibly be a match for Qi Hui?” “Sorry to disappoint you,” Ming turned back and smiled at Zhao Qionman, “Actually, I haven’t even reached the Sea Observing Realm. I’ve just barely reached the Cavern Realm.”
Zhao Qionman: “???”
Just as Zhao Qionman doubted if she had heard wrong,
A gust of wind blew past her face, and the young man disappeared before her eyes, delivering a punch towards Qi Hui’s chest.
“A martial artist?” Both Zhao Qionman and Qi Hui were surprised simultaneously.
Caught off guard by the sudden punch, Qi Hui had no choice but to block with his hands.
“Dong!”
Qi Hui’s palm barely intercepted the punch.
The tremendous force from Ming’s punch pushed Qi Hui back ten meters.
When Qi Hui steadied himself, he looked at his right hand—his entire arm bones were shattered, hanging limply.
Ming wouldn’t give his enemy a chance to breathe.
Now, Ming wasn’t just back at his peak physical condition; he had also entered the Cavern Realm, and after using the “Shen Zhen” technique, his understanding of martial arts had deepened further.
This was Ming’s most spirited moment. Even against a Golden Core Realm opponent, he was confident he could crush him with one punch!
After enduring that punch, Qi Hui realized this wasn’t an ordinary martial artist. His strength and body resilience were excessive.
Qi Hui created distance, swallowed a pill, and his broken arm instantly healed.
Qi Hui chanted a spell, and bone spikes emerged from the ground.
Ming leaped up, quickly increasing the distance, and delivered another punch towards Qi Hui.
A thick bone shield formed in front of Qi Hui.
“Pang!”
Ming shattered a large hole in the bone shield.
Qi Hui hovered in the air, with two bone wings sprouting from his back.
Flapping his wings, ghostly blue flames burned towards Ming.
Ming casually picked up a longsword, and sharp sword qi split the flames. Then, he emerged from the blue infernal fire and punched Qi Hui’s chest.
Qi Hui was slammed into the rock wall, as if embedded into it.
“Dong!”
Ming kicked towards Qi Hui’s chest, but Qi Hui dodged in time.
Qi Hui raised his hand, summoning a ghost flame palm that descended towards Ming. Ming landed on the ground, stood up slowly, and brushed off the flames.
“Unexpectedly, you’re also a sword cultivator,” Qi Hui sighed, “What a pity, a genius like you will die here.”
