Chapter 268: Soulwood

“This time is enough for me to take your life!” Jue charged at Lu Fang through gritted teeth, her entire skin turning blood-red as she entered a frenzied state.

It seemed she had made up her mind to kill Lu Fang.

Boom!

As Jue, transformed into a red light, neared Lu Fang, she suddenly struck an invisible wall and was flung backward by a massive energy wave.

With Lu Fang wielding the power of the Demon Heart and unleashing the ancient divine art, the Heavenly and Earthly Momentum, its force far exceeded ordinary comprehension.

He might not have the ability to kill Jue—after all, her transcendent power was unique; even wounded, she could absorb part of her opponent’s energy to recover.

Of course, it was equally difficult for her to kill Lu Fang in this state. With enough time, she might succeed—but she had no time to spare now.

“Interesting!” Jue licked her blood-red lips with a cruel grin, her crimson eyes gleaming as she inhaled deeply, as if imprinting Lu Fang’s scent, saying: “We’ll meet again.”

With those words, her form blurred and vanished into a streak of red light, retreating into Beiyacheng.

Lu Fang cautiously used his transcendent perception to scan the area; once certain she had left, he exhaled deeply—he must have been summoned by the Wuyi Clan’s King.

After all, she had originally told the other three Wuyi Clan Guardians she would swiftly come to their aid—but she never went.

“Marquis Wenguan!”

A familiar voice rang out from the horizon.

Almost before the words had finished echoing.

Shen Kangbo appeared before Lu Fang, glancing up at him in surprise: “Marquis Wenguan, are you alright?”

Lu Fang shook his head, his form shrinking rapidly as he swallowed large gulps of scholarly qi: “Good thing you arrived in time—if not, I’d be dead here.”

Shen Kangbo nodded with a smile: “Actually, when you sent me the message talisman, I was already on my way here. Besides me, a friend is pursuing the fleeing Wuyi Clan King—we’ll talk later.”

“Understood,” Lu Fang replied, warning: “Be careful—the Wuyi Clan King can fuse with those four Guardians; their methods are treacherous.”

“Marquis Wenguan, rest assured—I already know the Wuyi Clan King’s power. My old friend has already encountered him. I must take my leave.” Shen Kangbo vanished from where he stood.

Lu Fang sat down nearby, his body still under the transcendent power—Deceive Heaven and Conceal Earth—its side effects largely neutralized by the scholarly qi.

But since this was his first time wielding the power of the Demon Heart, he needed to carefully sense whether any other side effects remained.

Beside him, Bai Yu hesitated, then chose not to speak, merely standing silently, watching with worry.

Boom!

Thunder cracked across the sky.

Lu Fang opened his eyes, sensing something—he suspected the Ink Brush Realm’s spirit had previously struck his Demon Heart, and now, drawing upon its power, he felt no side effects.

He looked toward the distant sky—another bolt of lightning split the heavens, illuminating Beiyacheng as bright as day. Three figures clashed in the thunder, locked in fierce combat, moving northward toward the city’s outskirts.

Two Half-Sages fighting a severely wounded Wuyi Clan King—and still unable to defeat him? This was absurd.

Only now did Lu Fang feel a chill of dread—if Shen Kangbo hadn’t arrived in time, he would have died, with no chance of survival.

He had seen clearly: all four Wuyi Clan Guardians were intact, fully fused into the King’s body.

Shen Kangbo might win, but truly eliminating the King would not be simple.

“Marquis Wenguan, are you alright?”

At last, Bai Yu spoke cautiously.

“I’m fine,” Lu Fang waved his hand.

Bai Yu spoke urgently: “Marquis Wenguan, could you come back with me? The foreign clans have fled the city—perhaps if we return, we can still find my father.”

“Alright,” Lu Fang agreed.

He had nothing else to do now—going with her wouldn’t hurt.

But the odds were high that Viscount Bai Feng was already dead—the Wuyi Clan King had no reason to spare him.

Seeing Bai Yu’s anxious, hopeful expression, he couldn’t bring himself to say it outright.

Both were cultivators; returning to the Bai estate took little time.

But now, half the Bai estate lay in ruins. The household, shaken by the earlier battle between the Half-Sage and the Wuyi Clan King, was in chaos and panic.

Only when Bai Yu appeared did their spirits begin to stabilize.

“Father! Where are you!” Bai Yu cried, her voice breaking, running through every place her father had once been—some areas silent, others reduced to rubble by the battle.

But for a long time, she found no trace of Bai Feng.

Lu Fang followed behind her, using his transcendent perception to scan—no hidden qi detected. That meant Viscount Bai Feng was likely truly dead.

“Father!” Bai Yu screamed, her composure shattered. She collapsed to the ground, clutching her head and weeping uncontrollably.

Lu Fang sighed helplessly. Perhaps because her name contained the character “Yu,” he cared for her more than he let on—but he said nothing. At this moment, she needed only to weep.

Just then.

Shen Kangbo descended from the sky, bowing to Lu Fang: “Marquis Wenguan, please wait a moment.” He turned to Bai Yu, weeping on the ground: “Your father is not entirely dead.”

He extended his palm, revealing a small wooden fragment, no larger than a thumb: “I’ve captured your father’s soul within the Soulwood. When I go to Luo Sha Nation, I can transform him into a Ghost Cultivator.”

Bai Yu leapt to her feet at once, tear-streaked eyes fixed on Shen Kangbo: “Uncle Shen, is this true?”

“Of course it’s true. Why would I lie to you?” Shen Kangbo smiled.

Bai Yu cried out: “Can I… just see my father’s soul?”

Shen Kangbo shook his head: “It’s not that I won’t let you—my arrival was too late. Your father’s soul is already extremely weak. If he emerges now, he’ll weaken further—and might vanish entirely.”

“Rest assured, my bond with your father runs deep—you’ve surely heard of it from him.”

“Marquis Wenguan is here too. Do you think an elder would deceive you?”

Shen Kangbo reassured her again.

“Then I beg you, Uncle Shen. If there’s anything my Bai family can offer—even our entire fortune—we will give it without hesitation.” Bai Yu bowed deeply to Shen Kangbo.