Chapter 266: Death with Resentment

The dried corpse dissipated without wind, and with its disappearance, the hidden chamber’s full layout was finally revealed to Chen Fei.

Before the corpse had sat, deep claw marks were etched into the stone—clear evidence of the violent state Tongling Zhenren had been in when he took refuge in the tower.

“Unwilling… full of resentment!”

“The path to ascension was monopolized—why should I accept it!”

“Fate? Preordained? I refuse to believe it!”

It was now clear—before his death, Tongling Zhenren had died with a heart full of bitterness and rage. This was likely the root of why his lingering soul became so violent and unstable.

Now that his remnant soul had been completely erased by the Void Heaven Cauldron, Tongling Zhenren truly ceased to exist in this world.

At that moment, Chen Fei felt a mysterious connection resonate between him and the Tongling Tower.

The chamber trembled slightly, and a glowing orb emerged before him.

Chen Fei extended his hand and touched it. In response, the Tongling Tower shook, and with a flash of light, he reappeared within the secret realm of Tiandang Mountain.

The familiar landscape greeted him—the withered ancient battlefield. The crumbling ruins and cities he had seen before were now gone.

“So this… is the power of the Spirit Sigil?” Chen Fei muttered.

He opened his palm. In its center, the Tongling Tower had shrunk to a tiny miniature, rotating gently in his hand.

With a flick of his wrist, he stored it away.

Though strange and dangerous, this journey had yielded immense rewards.

No wonder these forbidden zones attracted so many cultivators. If one was lucky enough, their strength could skyrocket overnight.

Of course, for most… they merely became walking corpses inside the tower.

Not far away, chaos was erupting.

Wang Feng clutched his chest, blood pouring through his fingers. But he had no time to address his injury.

Behind him, Liu Shan sneered, his body encased in demonic armor. With a long blade in hand, he casually sliced down fleeing cultivators like prey—relishing the slaughter.

It was like a hunter tormenting his catch, delighting in their fear.

“Senior Brother Wang! What now?!”

“We can’t keep running—we’ll all die!”

The disciples’ panicked voices filled the air.

Wang Feng’s face was pale, but seeing their fear, his own heart sank even deeper.

As a core disciple of Tianqing Holy Land, he had his pride. Even if they were at a disadvantage in this secret realm, he had firmly believed that he could stop the demonic cultivators.

But clearly—he had overestimated himself.

“Liu Shan has been transformed by demonic armor. He now possesses peak Yuan Realm strength—and with that armor, killing him is nearly impossible!” Wang Feng took a deep breath, urgency flashing in his eyes.

They were now trapped in a desperate situation.

What made it worse was the terrain—flat and barren. There was no place to hide. All they could do was run—becoming laughingstock prey for the enemy.

“Wang Feng! Who would’ve thought you’d fall like this!” Liu Shan’s hateful voice echoed.

His demonic armor had altered his appearance to the point that acquaintances might not recognize him—but toward those he hated, like Wang Feng, his resentment only grew stronger.

And aside from Chen Fei, Wang Feng was the one he hated the most.

It was true: when enemies meet, emotions explode.

Liu Shan, empowered by his demonic armor, had already wounded Wang Feng—and now he was chasing them down like a predator, increasing their psychological torment.

Faced with this impossible crisis, Wang Feng made his decision.

He pulled a dark red pill from his robes.

“Everyone, I’ll hold back Liu Shan. Whether you can escape or not… will depend on yourselves,” Wang Feng said, eyes calm but filled with resolve.

They had no way to escape this pursuit. Better to fight.

Asking someone else to make the sacrifice was unfair—this was something he had to do himself.

“Senior Brother Wang!” the others called out, their eyes filled with heaviness.

Wang Feng didn’t hesitate. He swallowed the pill immediately.

The Severance Pill—a unique creation of Tianqing Holy Land. Its effect was simple: it would burn all of the user’s potential and forcibly restore them to peak combat state—even on the brink of death.

But its side effects were brutal.

Of all who had taken the pill since its creation, fewer than five had survived. And those who did… lost their cultivation completely.

For a cultivator, that was no different than death.

But as the pill took effect, Wang Feng’s face flushed red, and the horrifying wound on his chest visibly healed. A powerful force surged from within him.

Wang Feng took a moment to feel the changes and then smiled.

“Everyone… forgive my incompetence. I’ve brought you into this danger.”

His gaze swept across the disciples around him.

They sighed inwardly.

To be fair, the demonic cultivators were far stronger than they had expected—especially Liu Shan, who now seemed practically invincible.

Even if it hadn’t been Wang Feng leading them, the outcome might not have been much different.

Wang Feng smiled freely and clasped his hands in farewell.

“From here on, may fate favor you. I go on ahead.”

With those words, he gripped his sword, gave it a flick, and turned to face Liu Shan head-on.

Liu Shan’s eyes lit up with cruel glee.

“Still trying to resist? How naïve!” he sneered.

Wang Feng’s arm twitched, and the sword shimmered with sharp light.

“How will I know if I don’t try?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you die easily,” Liu Shan licked his lips with bloodlust, raising his blade. Black flames burst from it.

“Demonic Rift Slash!”

His sword became a black firestorm, sweeping toward Wang Feng.

Wang Feng remained calm, his hand seals changing quickly.

He pointed at Liu Shan and shouted: “Explode!”

The moment the word was spoken, Liu Shan’s armor detonated—a series of muffled explosions ringing out from all over his body.