Chapter 866

Chapter 866: Silent Cloud

“Control!”

Wang Chen commanded softly, his right palm descending with authority.

Hundreds of steps away in the forest, a cultivator who was fleeing at high speed suddenly froze as if struck by lightning, his body stiffening instantly, losing balance, and collapsing onto the ground strewn with fallen leaves.

Control is a supernatural ability that cultivators of Golden Core level or higher can master, akin to the Body Freezing Technique, utilizing one’s oppressive force to intimidate and create binding or suppressive effects.

Unlike mere oppressive force, control targets a single individual, allowing for a much greater and more precise range of effect.

This is the ultimate skill of high-level Qi Training cultivators against lower-level ones.

For a Golden Core cultivator, the more substantial their dan power, the more potent their control becomes.

Although this move can be countered, the unfortunate Purple Palace cultivator clearly lacked the ability to do so and fell victim right then and there.

Reduced to fish on a chopping block!

Wang Chen extended his palm with fingers pointed, and the Longyuan Sword circling high above instantly dove down, severing the other’s head in an instant.

【Heavenly Merit +500】

Perched atop a towering tree, Wang Chen surveyed his surroundings. Within the range of his divine sense, he could no longer detect any surviving "prey."

Wang Chen exhaled and summoned his Cultivation Panel to take a look.

【Heavenly Merit (Fate Alteration): 11200】

Thanks to the splendid performance he had delivered in the City of Nine Hells, he had caught nearly twenty "fish," gaining over ten thousand Heavenly Merit.

Although a few had escaped him, it was still quite impressive!

Buzz~

A flash of light darted past, and the Longyuan Sword flew back to Wang Chen’s front, vibrating with excitement.

As a weapon of great lethality, only through battles and killings could it grow swiftly, revealing even greater sharpness and destructive power!

Wang Chen believed that with a few more encounters like this, the Longyuan Sword would inevitably give birth to a true Cauldron Spirit.

He smiled slightly, directing his keen gaze toward the southeast, and shouted in a deep voice, “This fellow traveler, may I ask if you have seen enough?”

As soon as Wang Chen finished speaking, a tall figure suddenly appeared in the air several miles away.

It was a female cultivator dressed in a long gown, elegant and graceful, a Kun Cultivator!

This female cultivator possessed a dignified beauty, with a gaze that exuded authority, carrying a long sword on her back and holding a dust brush, resembling a celestial being.

Due to her great distance, Wang Chen had only just now become aware of her presence.

However, the threat she posed was far greater than that from the previous mob!

Wang Chen’s vigilance reached its peak.

“Lingyou Jingyun, I greet you, fellow traveler.”

The Golden Core Kun Cultivator bowed from afar, speaking in a deep voice, “Fellow traveler, your actions seem somewhat lacking in fairness, don’t you think?”

As a dignified Golden Core true master, using tricks to hunt Purple Palace cultivators was undoubtedly beneath her status!

“Ah, so it is Fellow Traveler Jingyun.”

Wang Chen smiled and said, “If people do not provoke me, I will not provoke them. If they harbor no greed, how could they invite such a calamity upon themselves?”

“You should be grateful to me for helping to cleanse the scum from your Lingyou Immortal City!”

He felt no remorse for killing those Purple Palace cultivators, for not a single one of them was virtuous!

Wang Chen was acting in the name of justice; what was there to be ashamed of?

True Master Jingyun remained silent.

She was well aware that these individuals had brought their fate upon themselves and deserved no pity.

However, as the guardian true master of Lingyou Immortal City, Wang Chen’s actions seemed disrespectful and could be interpreted as a slight against her!

In an instant, countless thoughts raced through the mind of this Golden Core Kun cultivator.

Wang Chen’s Golden Core aura was remarkably vibrant; it was evident that he had only recently undergone Golden Core condensation, yet the potency of his dan power far surpassed that of an ordinary initial stage Golden Core cultivator.

True Master Jingyun suspected that Wang Chen had formed a top-grade Golden Core!

With a top-grade Golden Core, as long as his foundation remained intact, the likelihood of breaking the Golden Core and condensing the Yuan Ying was not guaranteed, but it was highly probable.

Even transforming into a spirit was within reach!

If Wang Chen were merely an ordinary initial stage Golden Core cultivator, Jingyun would have certainly taught him a harsh lesson, ensuring he understood that Lingyou Immortal City was not to be trifled with, and that the guardian true master was no pushover.

But faced with a top-grade Golden Core, Jingyun hesitated.

Unless she could eliminate Wang Chen in one decisive move, any enmity between them would pose a significant threat. If he later succeeded in breaking his Golden Core and condensing the Yuan Ying, how could she possibly withstand his retaliation?

Most importantly, was it worth offending a promising new Golden Core cultivator over a few despicable Purple Palace cultivators?

After much deliberation, True Master Jingyun sighed and said, “You’re right.”

She then shifted her tone, “Fellow traveler, though our Lingyou is modest, it boasts unique geographical advantages. If you are willing, you could serve as a Golden Core elder and enjoy the privileges of a senior!”

Wang Chen was taken aback by her sudden change in attitude and couldn’t help but feel both amused and awkward. “Thank you for your generous offer, but I am accustomed to a life of wandering freedom, so I must respectfully decline.”

“Very well.”

True Master Jingyun waved her dust brush with a hint of regret and said, “Then we shall meet again.”

As soon as her words faded, her figure transformed into a streak of light, swiftly heading toward Lingyou Immortal City.

Quite decisive indeed!

Wang Chen watched her disappear and stroked his chin.

This True Master Jingyun was intriguing. He had initially hoped to exchange a few moves with her to gauge the abilities of cultivators at his level.

However, since she clearly had no intention of fighting, he decided not to force the matter.

He flicked his robe sleeve, releasing a dozen wooden figurines.

These wooden figures expanded several times upon landing, moving with remarkable agility as they hopped forward, swinging their arms.

They quickly cleared the area, gathering all the equipment and valuables from the Purple Palace cultivators Wang Chen had slain, and presented everything to him.

Even a small gain is still a gain; having something is better than nothing.

His previous savings had nearly been depleted, and he intended to continue “feeding” the teleportation formation at the bottom of the pool, so he needed to find ways to increase his resources and cut expenses.

Naturally, he couldn’t let these spoils go to waste.

To his surprise, the wooden figurines created with the Spirit Finger brought him some unexpected joy.

They collected around thirty to forty storage bags, filled with a variety of items: spirit stones, talismans, spirit tools, elixirs, and more—everything one could imagine!

A single Purple Palace cultivator might not possess much wealth; otherwise, they wouldn’t resort to banditry.

But the combined loot from twenty Purple Palace cultivators amounted to a considerable fortune.

Wang Chen was too lazy to sort through everything individually. He brought all the items back to the nameless small valley and entrusted them to Su Ziling for organization and categorization.

He then retreated to the hidden chamber, opened his Xumi Ring, and began pouring spirit stones into the ritual basin.

Wang Chen refused to believe he couldn’t satisfy this teleportation formation. He was determined to uncover its teleportation markers.

He poured spirit stones worth over a million into the basin, and the ritual basin absorbed every last one without hesitation.

The glow of the teleportation formation brightened slightly, and it rewarded Wang Chen with fragments of information.

After a brief analysis, Wang Chen deduced that it was likely the method for controlling the teleportation array.

Unfortunately, the information was still incomplete!