C656 The Poison of the Soul

“Boom...”

A blood-red lotus suddenly exploded, and the surrounding air became even more saturated with the metallic scent of blood.

“Ah...”

Suddenly, someone let out a strange cry, clutching their face as they rolled on the ground. Their hands and face were visibly rotting, turning into a putrid liquid...

The blood mist was toxic!

Everyone was shocked and ran in a panic, but it was too late. Except for Lee Minglang, who had already known the danger and had put up a protective shield, the other guards were more or less affected by the blood mist. As the mist seeped into their bodies, it turned their own blood into poison, slowly corroding their flesh from the inside out!

“Lord, save me...”

Many guards lay on the ground, crying out for help, but Lee Minglang didn’t spare them a glance. He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts, wondering if it was time for him to make a run for it. Woo Zhengyang’s strength was beyond what he had imagined. He charged forward recklessly, shattering the blood lotus...

While everyone else was affected, Woo Zhengyang seemed unfazed, continuing to charge at the Blood Lotus Priest with his sword. Lee Minglang knew the priest’s power, but Woo Zhengyang’s reckless actions were even more intimidating...

He deeply regretted letting greed cloud his judgment and getting involved in this mess. But now, it was too late to say anything. He wanted to run, but feared that if Blood Mist emerged victorious, his whole family would suffer. The only option left was to fight with everything he had.

Lee Minglang drew his weapon, ready to lend a hand to Blood Lotus. However, as soon as he unsheathed it, it was clear he wouldn't need it. The battle was already over.

After the Blood Lotus shattered, a dragon-shaped aura appeared on Woo Zhengyang's right arm. This aura, combined with the blade's energy, roared forward toward Blood Lotus.

Blood Lotus was still in shock from Woo Zhengyang's direct assault that shattered his strongest defense. Seeing the roaring dragon aura and blade energy coming at him, he instinctively raised a blood-red shield. But his Blood Lotus, his strongest move, had already been broken by Zhengyang's physical strength alone. The shield was no match for the even more powerful dragon aura and blade energy.

"Crack..."

That was the sound of the shield breaking. It was also the sound of Blood Lotus being split in two.

Silence!

The cries of the soldiers around him faded into silence for Lee Minglang, leaving his mind blank. An expert at the Shape Gathering Stage had been taken down with a single strike. Was there even a need for him to step in?

Woo Zhengyang shook his head slightly, disappointed as he looked at the blood mist surrounding the sacred body. This battle was far too easy, lacking any real challenge. Although his physical training was only at the early Inner Stage, equivalent to the Shape Gathering Stage of energy cultivation, he didn't consider most Shape Gathering Stage cultivators worth his attention.

The Great Completion Stage of "Dragon Countering Nine Steps" was most powerful due to its dragon-shaped energy. Initially, Woo Zhengyang struggled to manifest this dragon-shaped energy. The journey to the ancestral land was fraught with danger but proved to be an invaluable training experience. Although his cultivation level remained unchanged, his combat power had doubled.

This highlights the difference between mere cultivation and real-world training. Cultivation improves one's level, while training enhances combat ability. Moreover, what Woo Zhengyang experienced was not ordinary training but life-and-death trials that many couldn't even imagine. Mastering the dragon-shaped energy was just one of his advancements.

Leaping over the dragon's gate transforms a fish into a dragon! The journey to the ancestral land was like passing through this gate. By the end of it, whether it was Woo Zhengyang, Lee Yuanye, or Yun'er in the black robe, they might not have acquired any tangible treasures, but they gained something far more valuable.

But... where are they now? Woo Zhengyang couldn't help but think about those he fought alongside.

Picking up the Hidden Heaven Bag offered by the Blood Lotus, Woo Zhengyang walked toward Lee Minglang.

"Clang..."

Seeing Woo Zhengyang approach, Lee Minglang dropped his weapon, his legs trembling as he fell to his knees.

"Young Master Woo, it was a moment of confusion on my part. I know I deserve to die a thousand times over, and I have no complaints. I just beg you to spare the lives of the hundreds in my family."

...

In the darkness, a figure soared into the sky above Bright Sun City, riding a sword into the night...

Lee Minglang was dead. Those who attempted to harm Woo Zhengyang, whether they were guards or members of the Lee family, were all gone. As for the rest of the Lee family, Woo Zhengyang left them untouched.

Woo Zhengyang understood the principle of eliminating threats completely, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to do it. His journey to the ancestral land had given him a deeper understanding of this world. He had slain countless divine and devil pets and didn't wish to be so ruthless with his own kind.

Perhaps the Lee family would hold a grudge against him, and maybe one day someone would seek revenge. Woo Zhengyang accepted that. He believed his path was one they couldn't follow, and even if they did, wouldn't that just be another motivation to keep moving forward?

Riding the flying sword, the cool breeze brushed his face as he gazed at the starry night sky, feeling utterly at peace.

This is how a normal world should be—without constant cleansing rains and endless battles with divine or devilish creatures. Traveling to Hibernation Dragon City on the gentle breeze of a mythical creature would take at least two or three days, but Woo Zhengyang couldn't wait that long. He couldn't afford to hide his ability to fly with a sword any longer.

Flying with a sword is much faster and doesn't require following a specific route; you can fly straight, cutting the travel time by more than half. Deep down, Woo Zhengyang preferred not to reveal his sword-flying ability, as it involved many complications. But now, he had no choice and could only hope that no one would notice him along the way.

At night, most people wouldn't be out, and even if someone did notice, unless they were an expert at the Shape Gathering Stage, they'd only see a shadow passing by.

After leaving Bright Sun City, Woo Zhengyang took out three Hidden Heaven Bags, which were his protection for this journey. With his current wealth, he didn't think much of the bags from Lee Minglang and Yuwen Qianyuan. However, there was something in Yuwen Qianyuan's bag that caught his attention.

With a thought, a thumb-sized jade bottle appeared in Woo Zhengyang's hand. Inside was a drop of what Lee Minglang and his group called "Soul Poison." The tea Woo Zhengyang drank had a drop of this substance. According to them, it's incredibly potent; just a tiny amount can turn an ordinary person into an idiot. Even a cultivator with strong Soul Energy can't withstand its power—at best, it causes chaos in the mind, and at worst, it shatters the soul...