Chapter 47: Go hang yourself

Lu Chen's words fell, and the violent killing aura within Su Qian's body slowly dissipated; her expression gradually returned to normal.

"Mm." Su Qian replied; after her expression returned to calm, she seemed to gain a bit more smile.

The two elders and Gu Xiangxiang watched this scene, somewhat dazed.

Just moments ago she still looked like she wanted to live or die, yet Lu Chen calmed her with a single sentence.

"Could she really believe Lu Chen has this ability?"

Du Gu Ming naturally didn't believe Lu Chen's words; he quickly reacted, preparing to strike Lu Chen fatally while Su Qian withdrew her hand.

"I'd like to see what method you have to deal with me."

Naturally, Elder Mu Yun shares the same thought.

Pellet Embryo Realm cultivators struggle to withstand a single strike from a Condensed Spirit cultivator, let alone kill them.

But just as Du Gu Ming vanished and appeared before Lu Chen to kill him on the spot, his vision suddenly went dark.

Immediately, he felt a strange sensation from deep within his sea of consciousness.

"What is this?" Du Gu Ming stopped, supporting his head with one hand, looking pained.

Lu Chen stood calmly in place, expression indifferent.

At that moment he used the system-reversed pulling technique to implant a seal deep into the opponent's sea of consciousness.

Although the opponent's soul is far stronger than his, the pulling technique grows stronger the stronger the opponent's soul.

"This is the sect's pulling technique! Impossible! How could your soul be stronger than mine?"

As an elder of the Nine Abyss Sect, Du Gu Ming is extremely familiar with the soul-pulling technique.

Moreover, he also knows this demonic skill, having used it on many cultivators, and fully understands its effects and limits.

"Impossible! You actually can use the pulling technique to imprint a seal in my sea of consciousness!"

Du Gu Ming panicked; he fully understood what it meant for the mind and soul to be pulled.

But he had no recourse.

Unless a heavenly powerful being appears, otherwise it will all be futile.

"Hiss..." As the pulling technique gradually took effect, Lu Chen's face showed a hint of pain.

Although the system reversed its side effects, the pulling technique still costs ninety percent of one's soul power.

At that instant he felt his soul being sucked away, instantly becoming powerless.

He drew a deep breath, slightly recovered his spirit, then shifted his gaze to Du Gu Ming, whose eyes had lost all luster.

"Go, kill Wang Lan, then hang yourself."

His voice was flat as water.

During the grand competition, although the other side intentionally targeted him, afterward he spared Wang Lan's life.

Since the other side repeatedly attacked him, he had no reason to show mercy.

Upon hearing Lu Chen's order, Du Gu Ming terrifyingly discovered his body moving uncontrollably on its own.

He watched himself approach Wang Lan and strike him to powder with a palm.

Afterwards, he watched himself take out a soul-devouring pearl, place it in midair, and use a demonic tool to hang himself.

As his soul left his body, he watched his soul drift toward the soul-devouring pearl, being devoured and forever dissipating between heaven and earth.

"......"

"......."

Silence, the surroundings deathly quiet.

Mu Yun, Su Qian, and Gu Xiangxiang, watching Du Gu Ming's actions, all felt a lingering fear.

Watching Du Gu Ming completely vanish, Lu Chen turned his gaze to Mu Yun.

Actually, he now had no other trump cards to counter Mu Yun.

But he must feign calm, otherwise the other side might attack him.

"Elder Mu, I hope today's matter will not be spread abroad."

Mu Yun's expression solemn; he clearly knows the cost of the pulling technique and that Lu Chen is currently very weak, but he has no intention of attacking him.

From beginning to end, he came only for the contents of that storage bag.

Noticing Lu Chen hadn't placed his status too high, he breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew the killing aura barrier he had released.

"I originally came for what Du Gu Ming promised; now that I have it, there's nothing more for me to do."

Mu Yun gave a hehe smile, glanced at Su Qian, then vanished at the horizon.

Watching the departing Mu Yun, Lu Chen's expression grew complex.

"The cost of the pulling technique is too great; likely in the short term I cannot recover to my peak."

"The Heavenly Demon Sect is so dangerous; I have no confidence."

If there is no means to restore the soul, using the pulling technique again would take several years.

During this period, his strength will greatly diminish.

"Looks like I should also pay more attention to ancient treasures that restore the soul."

He landed on the grass and picked up the storage bags of Du Gu Ming and Wang Lan from their corpses.

Du Gu Ming's storage bag surely contains only treasures.

Wang Lan also possessed some cultivation arts that Lu Chen had long coveted.

This can be considered as him not actively seeking, but others actively delivering it to him.

He did not inventory the treasures, but instead returned to high altitude and came before Su Qian and Gu Xiangxiang.

"You two aren't injured, are they?" Lu Chen asked concernedly.

"No."

"No."

The same answer, but he saw that the two women before him had different expressions.

Su Qian smiled, showing an expression of "I believe you".

Gu Xiangxiang, however, felt mainly admiration, though a hint of fear lurked within.

"It's fine, let's continue on our way."

"Mm-hmm."

The two nodded and quickly continued onward, riding their swords toward the Heavenly Demon Sect.

Along the way, Gu Xiangxiang became much quieter.

Sensing her oddness, Lu Chen stepped forward to comfort her with a few words.

"If you have any questions, just ask me; I'll answer everything I know."

Lu Chen cared deeply for his senior martial sister who had helped him, and would certainly not act as he had just done toward Du Gu Ming.

"'Really?' Gu Xiangxiang, after all, had not grown up in the Demonic Sect's territory, so her heart remained relatively pure."

"'Mm.' Lu Chen gave a slight nod."

"What is your relationship with your master?"

"'Master and servant.' Lu Chen did not hide it, openly admitting."

Hearing that, and combining it with what had just happened to Du Gu Ming, Gu Xiangxiang roughly guessed the whole story between the two.

She then asked two related simple questions, and indeed the answers were the same.

"'You're a bit scary...' These words came from Gu Xiangxiang's heart."

Hearing her say that, Lu Chen was momentarily stunned.

Yeah, I seem to be becoming more and more like a demonic cultivator.

But this is unavoidable.

Being in the Demonic Sect's territory, he is not invincible, so he can only try to compromise as much as possible.

When the day comes that he is invincible in the world, it won't be too late to be himself again.

"'Do you regret choosing me as your partner for the grand competition?' Lu Chen smiled lightly."

"'No regret.' Gu Xiangxiang answered extremely quickly."

It's not because she fears Lu Chen, but because she trusts him.

She believes that, even though he is in the Demonic Sect, he will retain a trace of rationality like her.