Chapter 148
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Chapter 148: Testing the Sword Energy for the First Time
The northern wind howled, and the earth stretched out in desolation.
Beneath the gloomy sky, Wang Chen piloted the Willow Leaf Flying Boat, gliding close to the ground.
He was now in the outer region, alone, and thus dared not fly too high.
If spotted by Demonic Birds, evil cultivators, or even Evil Spirits,
he would become an easy target.
This was explicitly stated in the "Yunyang Disciple’s Manual for Exploring the Outer Regions"!
Wang Chen’s purpose for this journey was to earn sect contribution points.
His goal was to accumulate one thousand contribution points.
Achieving this would allow him to remain in the inner sect for a year!
Earlier, Wang Chen had selected two tasks in the Elder Teaching Hall.
One was to capture the gray-eyed thieves!
Although the bounty orders related to the gray-eyed thieves had been withdrawn, the Yunyang Sect’s pursuit of its enemies had not ceased; it had simply become an internal long-term mission.
The head of an evil cultivator at the Qi Training level was worth one hundred contribution points, while that of a Purple Palace evil cultivator was worth five thousand contribution points.
There was no time limit!
The other task was also long-term: collecting Evil Energy Pearls.
Evil Energy Pearls were highly valuable materials, useful for both cultivation and weapon refining.
Since the chance of obtaining them from defeated Evil Spirits was extremely low,
even the most common Evil Energy Pearl could fetch several hundred spirit stones at the Four Seas Trading Association.
Wang Chen had previously acquired five Evil Energy Pearls, and his luck in this regard was undoubtedly far above average.
However, he had never realized that Evil Energy Pearls were also task items.
So when he saw the related mission in the Elder Teaching Hall, he accepted it without hesitation.
An Evil Energy Pearl could be exchanged for anywhere from a hundred to several thousand contribution points, depending on its grade!
Compared to the elusive and perilous gray-eyed thieves, this task was clearly more suitable for Wang Chen, who possessed the Exorcising Net.
To accomplish this task, he set his sights on a market town located a hundred miles from the outer mountain gate.
This market town was vast, and Wang Chen had previously scouted it, discovering that many Evil Spirits roamed there.
However, the market town had felt too dangerous to him at that time, so he had fled to the graveyard instead.
Now, Wang Chen’s strength was no longer what it once was!
He decided to investigate the market town once more.
If luck was on his side, and he could hunt for a few Evil Energy Pearls in the outskirts, he could return home and comfortably hibernate for the winter.
With this in mind, Wang Chen infused more magical power into the flying boat and sped toward his destination.
As the sky gradually darkened, he arrived near the market town.
Most low-level Evil Spirits emerge at night, leaving no trace during the day.
Wang Chen stowed his flying boat at the edge of the market town.
He found a secluded spot and began to wait patiently.
Thousands of years ago, numerous cultivators built and governed cities around the Tianyun Mountain range.
Each city was akin to a nation.
They were controlled and managed by the most powerful cultivator families.
A large cultivator city could house tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of cultivators.
Now, most of their territory has vanished into the river of time, leaving behind only desolate ruins.
The market town Wang Chen had his eyes on was mostly overgrown with grass and vines, with only remnants of walls and broken structures visible, silently narrating its former glory.
As night fell, faint flickers of ghostly fire suddenly appeared in the otherwise empty and desolate market town.
The night wind carried sounds from deep within the ruins to Wang Chen’s ears.
They were distant yet close, like someone softly sobbing, or perhaps whispering mischievous laughter, an eerie and enchanting sound!
Yet, such sounds could not shake Wang Chen’s Spirit and Will.
He remained unmoved, continuing to observe the scenes in the market town, searching for the right opportunity.
Evil Spirits are the most unpredictable and strange.
If Wang Chen had not obtained the Heavenly Net for Exorcising Evil, he would not have set his sights on this market town, turning the fearsome Evil Spirits into his hunting targets.
But he was not overconfident; without sufficient certainty, he would not act rashly.
He knew that the danger level in the market town was higher than that of the graveyard!
As a result, Wang Chen kept watch for two full hours.
At the hour of the pig, the night grew darker, and red lanterns began to rise within the market town.
They floated silently in the air, their light illuminating large swathes of the ruins.
Magnificent pavilions and intricately designed buildings, along with streets lined with shops, appeared!
He saw people bustling about on the roads, shopkeepers loudly calling out to attract customers.
It was a scene of bustling activity and excitement.
Yet, this was a sight Wang Chen had never witnessed before!
He immediately activated his master-level Spirit Eye technique.
Through his spiritual sight, the scene of the market town transformed once more.
Gray, white, black, rusty, and blood-colored misty shadows swirled and intertwined, filled with dark and sinister energy!
Wang Chen pondered, unable to recall any related memories.
The types of Evil Spirits were as numerous as the hairs on an ox, as stated in "On Evil Spirits," which only recorded a small fraction.
Moreover, Evil Spirits could devour each other and evolve, and no one could predict what they might ultimately become!
Wang Chen quietly stepped back.
Due to the distance, he could not accurately judge the level of the Evil Spirits in the market town.
But his intuition told him,
this was not a suitable target!
Since the situation was unfeasible, there was no need to waste more time.
“Didi lala~”
Just as Wang Chen withdrew a mile away, the sound of a suona caught his attention.
Following the sound, he saw a welcoming procession appear in the wilderness!
In the distance, a whole team of people in bright red gradually came into view, like red candles just lit in the darkness, their light spreading out in all directions, both real and illusory.
At the front of the procession were six musicians.
They held suonas, shengs, drums, gongs, and cymbals, shaking their heads and swaying exaggeratedly as they played.
A tall, strong white horse adorned with a red flower carried a towering man right behind them.
The groom wore a red robe and a red jeweled crown, with painted cheeks and red lips, exuding a strikingly handsome yet eerie aura.
Behind the groom followed an eight-litter flower palanquin, with burly bearers wearing tall hats!
Accompanying the palanquin were ten maids holding large red lanterns, their figures graceful and poised.
This welcoming procession was heading straight for the market town!
Wang Chen’s eyes suddenly brightened.
It was a ghost groom, a black wandering Evil Spirit!
These Evil Spirits are very rare, and whenever they appear, they always bring a wedding procession with them.
The larger the procession, the stronger its power!
It is said that ghost grooms often appear in the Mortal Realm, choosing mortal women as their brides.
When they marry at night, the "brides" they take away also become Evil Spirits!
Wang Chen did not expect to encounter a ghost groom.
And this level of Evil Spirit was undoubtedly a perfect hunting target for him!
Wang Chen decisively activated his Shadowless Divine Movement, rushing toward the welcoming procession at full speed.
Clang!
As the distance between them shrank to less than a hundred steps, the Fire Crow Sword, fixed to Wang Chen’s back, suddenly unsheathed, flying like an arrow toward the ghost groom on the white horse.
Capture the leader first!
Since he had chosen his target, Wang Chen struck with all his might.
With the sword drawn!
In the instant the Fire Crow Sword exited its sheath, its silver blade shone with a fierce red glow, igniting into roaring flames.
It carried soaring flames like a Fire Crow spreading its wings, drawing a long line of fire in the air, dispelling darkness and malevolence, and crashing down toward the target with lightning speed.
Sword strike!
“Whoa!”
The ghost groom on the horse let out a strange cry, his originally fair and handsome face twisting into a grotesque snarl, as he opened his mouth and spewed out a cloud of black energy to counter the incoming Fire Crow Sword.
This foul energy was extremely sinister, capable of obliterating spiritual light and tainting magical artifacts, making it this Evil Spirit’s ace in the hole!
However, the fiercely charging Fire Crow Sword suddenly dodged the black energy nimbly, sweeping past the white horse from the left before spiraling up around the ghost groom on its back.
Sword swirl!
The blazing flames instantly enveloped the Evil Spirit, and the sharp sword energy ruthlessly sliced through its body!
“Ah~”
The ghost groom let out a heart-wrenching scream, his body melting rapidly like a heated candle, deep wounds appearing all over his body surface.
At this moment, it had completely revealed its true form, displaying its ugly claws and fangs, as streams of black mist poured from its wounds, desperately resisting the flames’ burning.
But in the next moment, the Fire Crow Sword, now flying in the sky, dove down, instantly piercing through the ghost groom’s body that was continuously shrinking, splitting it and the white horse it rode into halves!
Sword drop!
The ghost groom’s severed body twisted violently a few times before transforming into scattered black ashes that floated away.
【Virtue +95】
