Chapter 75 - 73: The Return

RUMBLE!

A series of thunderous crashes echoed from all around.

It was the sound of great trees falling.

Within a radius of several dozen feet, one great tree after another snapped in half and came crashing to the ground!

The surrounding woods that had obscured the view

were cleared in an instant.

The cyan sword light

had not only succeeded in slicing Old Ghost Song in two,

but its residual power had also struck the trees in the surrounding area of several dozen feet!

The great trees slid down one after another.

The scene looked

absolutely stunning!

And as the surrounding trees that had blocked the light were cleared away,

the light from a nearby bonfire spilled in.

Bathed in this faint firelight, Shen Changchuan saw Old Ghost Song’s body, which had been cut into two pieces—one half standing, the other fallen.

It was completely withered, like a mummy that had lost all its Vitality.

He couldn’t be any more dead.

Shen Changchuan, his face as white as paper,

finally let out a long sigh of relief.

That blast of Cyan Wood Sword Light had not just cut him in half at the waist,

but had also completely destroyed the Vitality within his body.

This was what had caused the two halves of his corpse to become like dead wood.

In this state,

even an Immortal would be helpless to save him.

Shen Changchuan didn’t think there was any way the old ghost could still be alive.

His Heart Spirit finally relaxed.

He took a few deep breaths.

As he relaxed, his internal Cultivation Technique completed several Circulations.

Shen Changchuan’s once-empty Dantian Meridians finally had a bit more Magical Power.

The weakness that had left his hands and feet powerless lessened somewhat.

’My Magical Power was completely depleted. If the Cyan Essence Purifying Spirit Pill hadn’t expanded my Dantian Meridians, if I had been just a hair short... I’m afraid I would have been the one to die in this vicious fight!’

Feeling the weakness from his body being almost completely devoid of Magical Power, Shen Changchuan recalled everything he had just experienced in the battle.

A wave of lingering fear couldn’t help but rise in his heart.

In this battle,

he had truly used every trick up his sleeve.

With an added dose of luck, he had barely managed to kill his opponent.

But if he had to do it all over again,

Shen Changchuan wasn’t sure he could win.

’That old ghost’s power was just too terrifying!’

’If it weren’t for the fact that the Bronze Jar from Patriarch Wu was so effective, and that Old Ghost Song underestimated me and recklessly fell into the trap set by the Bronze Jar, I probably wouldn’t have stood a chance of winning!’

’That level of power was frankly a bit absurd.’

’Speaking of which, is that the normal level of strength for a Qi Introduction Seventh Layer Cultivator? Or was it because Old Ghost Song was a veteran Tribulation Cultivator with far greater combat power than an ordinary Qi Introduction Seventh Layer Cultivator that he nearly beat me to a point where I couldn’t fight back at all?’

After a dozen or so breaths,

some color gradually returned to Shen Changchuan’s pale face.

While recovering his Magical Power,

he couldn’t help but ponder inwardly.

But he soon shook his head.

’Forget it.’

’What’s the point of thinking so much? No matter what the truth is, in the vast Immortal Cultivation Realm, I’m still just a slightly larger ant.’

’Old Ghost Song was strong, but above him, there are still masters at the Qi Introduction Eighth Layer and Qi Introduction Ninth Layer.’

’Even if I was lucky enough to beat Old Ghost Song, I’m still in the lower-middle tier. There are still so many threats in this world!’

’The most important thing right now is to hurry back and properly digest the gains from this trip!’

At this thought,

Shen Changchuan wasted no more time.

He stood up, walked a few steps to where the Bronze Jar had been knocked away, and picked it up.

The Bronze Jar was now completely dim.

Its surface was simple and flawless, looking like an ordinary jar with no magical properties whatsoever.

There was no trace of the power it had shown earlier when it suppressed the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer’s Old Ghost Song.

’Good, it’s not damaged... I wonder what the origin of this jar is. If it weren’t for it, even with the Cyan Wood Sword Light, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have even had a chance to use it...’

’Speaking of which, I think Old Ghost Song mentioned they were going to deal with the Wu Family Collection. I wonder how that’s going. I hope they’re alright.’

Thinking of Patriarch Wu Yuanzhi of the Wu Family, who had given him the Bronze Jar, Shen Changchuan couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

The Wu Family’s power was too great; facing that level of pressure was somewhat suffocating for him.

Moreover, that "warning" he had received last time had left him feeling a bit uncomfortable.

But this time, he was fortunate to have the Bronze Jar.

In a way, it had saved his life.

This left Shen Changchuan with complicated feelings.

Of course,

if this life-saving debt meant he should repay the favor tenfold and immediately turn back to rescue the Wu Family Collection or something,

that was naturally impossible.

A clash of that magnitude was far too dangerous; the slightest misstep could get him killed.

As he was now, he wasn’t qualified to get involved.

’Great chaos is coming. It’s best to leave first!’

Having made his decision,

Shen Changchuan quickly searched Old Ghost Song’s body, taking his Storage Bag and the staff he held in his hand.

After confirming nothing was left behind,

he squeezed out a bit of Magical Power, cast the Fireball Technique, and burned the body to ashes.

Immediately after,

he called to the others, and they quickly cleaned up the area,

leaving under the cover of night.

The commotion from this battle had not been small.

No one could be sure if it would attract someone looking to scavenge.

And with what Old Ghost Song said about attacking the Wu Family Collection... it was best to leave first.

...

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, five days had passed.

Traveling light, the group encountered no mishaps along the way and returned safely to Dawan Village.

Gazing at the familiar village, the river, and the rolling, harvested fields,

Shen Changchuan couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief.

A sense of security settled in his heart.

Somehow,

at some unknown point in time,

this Dawan Village,

had become like a home to him, bringing him a rare sense of peace.

It was a feeling

he had never once experienced back at the Shen Family Mansion in Tian Nan City.

Home is where the heart is...

This phrase flashed through Shen Changchuan’s mind.

When the party arrived at the entrance to Dawan Village, Han Qinhu was already there with some men to greet them.

Shen Changchuan paid it little mind and directly asked him about what had happened in the village during his absence.

Fortunately, there was no bad news.

The village was as it had always been,

peaceful and stable.

It had not suffered any enemy attacks,

and the Gale Falcon that Shen Changchuan had been most worried about before leaving had not appeared either.

This made Shen Changchuan nod, his heart relaxing a little.

Although Shen Changchuan had reaped huge, unexpected rewards from this trip, in comparison, the harvest from toiling in the fields seemed to yield fewer Spirit Stones.

But the former was a windfall,

while the latter was a stable stream of income—his very foundation.

Winning a few hundred thousand in the lottery

doesn’t mean you can just quit your job that pays five thousand a month.

Especially since the Spirit Field cultivation in Dawan Village, following his reforms, was already showing signs of increased income and a very bright future,

Shen Changchuan naturally didn’t want any accidents to happen.