Chapter 696

Chapter 696: A Gentleman’s Revenge

When the Golden Core true master spoke, Wang Chen’s tenure at the Patrol Office began its countdown.

It had been less than two months since his transfer to the Exorcism division!

Under someone’s arrangement, Wang Chen used the one thousand five hundred Immortal merits he had painstakingly saved to redeem the contracts he had signed for his immortal registry.

Additionally, as compensation for being injured on duty, he was assigned a new position.

A very, very leisurely position.

Due to Wang Chen’s serious injuries and the contamination by dark forces, he was not required to report to his new post until he had fully recovered.

Wang Chen harbored no resentment and cooperatively completed the transfer procedures, returning the copper emblem.

He hadn’t even had time to warm up this badge that symbolized his identity as a cultivator!

Yet, Wang Chen felt neither shame nor disappointment.

In fact, this outcome was exactly what he had meticulously planned!

In his previous battle with Liang Cen, Wang Chen could have easily emerged victorious and completed the mission splendidly.

But then what?

Wang Chen would have drawn the attention of a Golden Core true master, who happened to be his superior, and there were numerous ways for this master to make his life difficult.

Realizing he couldn’t allow himself to be manipulated, Wang Chen chose to "give up on himself."

Wang Chen’s injuries were not as severe as they appeared; to deceive Guan Shengping, he not only utilized the Thousand Transformations technique but also applied the Spirit Concealment Technique to effectively control his aura.

Of course, the claw strike he endured was very real!

Otherwise, it would not have been easy to deceive Guan Shengping, this Golden Core true master.

Now, he had succeeded.

Wang Chen returned home and rested for three days.

After ensuring that no one was watching or spying on him, he altered his appearance and quietly left Yongle Immortal City on the morning of the fourth day.

Wang Chen did not intend to flee far away.

But one should finish what they start.

Although he had left the Exorcism division and surrendered his copper emblem, he had kept the talisman sealing a fragment of Liang Cen’s soul hidden in his Xumi Ring.

Liang Cen had originally been a member of the Exorcism division, a seasoned silver emblem cultivator who had established a soul lamp in the Patrol Office.

This special talisman was derived from that fact.

The cultivator handling Wang Chen’s paperwork did not inquire about it, likely because they simply did not care. As long as Liang Cen’s soul fire remained lit, they could easily produce dozens more.

Through this talisman, Wang Chen confirmed that Liang Cen was still alive and had not been slain by the cultivators of the Exorcism division.

He decided to act alone to sever the karmic ties he had with this evil cultivator.

At the same time, it would help cover up any potential oversights!

A gentleman seeks revenge; the sooner, the better.

One hundred miles from the city, Wang Chen summoned the Qing Qian Kun Mirror, utilizing its formidable destructive power to amplify his divine sense. He then employed a talisman to locate his target.

With the enhancement from the Qing Qian Kun Mirror, Wang Chen’s perception surged more than tenfold, enabling him to swiftly pinpoint his target.

Without delay, he mounted his sword and soared into the sky.

This time, Wang Chen traversed a full Three Thousand Miles.

He arrived at a loose cultivator village.

Liang Cen was hiding within!

Wang Chen did not act hastily. He waited patiently outside until nightfall before stealthily infiltrating this self-governed village of loose cultivators.

The village was modest in size, consisting of only a couple of hundred crude yet sturdy earthen houses.

Such places were easily abandoned without a second thought.

Moreover, these villages were a melting pot of characters. Alongside ordinary loose cultivators, they often harbored guilty cultivators, demon cultivators, and even a few evil cultivators who still clung to some shred of humanity.

An unassuming Stone House caught Wang Chen’s attention. Dim, yellowish light seeped through the cracks of a small window, casting a shabby aura over the place.

At this moment, Wang Chen’s hesitation vanished. With a swift motion, he shattered the thick wooden door into countless fragments.

“Liang Cen, your crimes have caught up with you!”

When Wang Chen stormed in, Liang Cen was seated on a bed, tending to his wounds.

Though he had evaded the combined pursuit of three cultivators, he had suffered grievous injuries, nearly losing an arm in the process.

Liang Cen had no choice but to seek refuge in this loose cultivator village.

He intended to recover fully before making his next move.

As the door burst open, a sudden wave of dread washed over Liang Cen. He immediately began forming a spell with his hands.

He was baffled. Despite altering his appearance and meticulously concealing his aura, someone had still tracked him down.

Liang Cen silently vowed to teach this intruder a harsh lesson!

However, a large net descended from above, completely ensnaring him.

Liang Cen was stunned. Before he could react properly, he found himself trapped within the Heavenly Net for Exorcising Evil!

Instinctively, he struggled to break free, clinging to the hope that as long as the green mountains remained, there would always be a chance to rebuild and return.

But to his utter dismay, the net, though seemingly of low quality, was made of an unknown material that rendered his struggles futile. He sank deeper into its grasp.

The most horrifying part was that as he was ensnared, he felt his dark forces being forcibly drained away!

He thrashed wildly, but his efforts were in vain.

“Spare me…”

Realizing his dire predicament, Liang Cen blurted out, “I can tell you of a place rich in resources, including condensing elixir treasures!”

Wang Chen sneered and tightened the rope in his hands.

“Ah!”

The evil cultivator gasped in agony, letting out a cry of defiance as he struggled with all his might.

But the more he struggled, the faster his dark forces were siphoned away.

“I’ll give you spirit stones—many, many spirit stones!”

Even in his final moments, Liang Cen refused to give up, clutching the searing net as he pleaded desperately.

Through the mesh, he caught a glimpse of the true culprit behind his suffering.

“It’s you!”

Liang Cen recognized Wang Chen. Lying on the ground, he let out a bitter laugh. “You’ve come for revenge, haven’t you?”

His face contorted with rage, his eyes brimming with boundless malice!

In response, a brilliant sword light flashed!

Thud!

Though Liang Cen was a formidable opponent, the Heavenly Net for Exorcising Evil rendered him utterly powerless. His fate was sealed without a fight.

【Heavenly Merit +999】

Since Liang Cen had not fully succumbed to evil, Wang Chen gained Heavenly Merit from this encounter.

It was pitiful that Liang Cen never realized that just days after he had left Wang Chen seriously wounded and spitting blood, he was now completely outmatched.

Wang Chen searched the evil cultivator’s body and found two Demonic Tools and a storage bag.

By now, Wang Chen had gained considerable experience. Handling such items no longer posed a challenge.

He tossed the two Demonic Tools into the Life Creation Cauldron, leaving the Little Cauldron to deal with them. As for the storage bag, he didn’t bother opening it. Instead, he damaged it slightly, causing its contents to spill out in an explosive manner.

Wang Chen was fortunate; Liang Cen had not placed any self-destruct restrictions on the storage bag.

Thus, his haul turned out to be quite substantial.

Before departing, Wang Chen offered a final blessing for the unfortunate soul.