Chapter 341: Annihilating a Nascent Soul Cultivator

Chapter 341: Annihilating a Nascent Soul Cultivator

As he suddenly lost access to his spiritual sense and magical powers, Chu Ning's heart sank.

This had only happened to him once before, back on Wuling Island.

"Master, I can't use my magic," White Ling said as she poked her head out of Chu Ning's sleeve, her face filled with confusion and suspicion.

"This feeling is similar to what we experienced on Wuling Island," Chu Ning remarked.

"Could it be that I've ended up back on that island?" he wondered aloud.

With a slight frown, Chu Ning reassured White Ling, "We'll know as soon as we step out and take a look around."

He scanned the cave carefully, and his gaze soon landed on the base of one of the stone pillars.

"Origin Stone!"

Chu Ning approached the pillar and was astonished to find an Origin Stone the size of two clenched fists.

Prior to this, he had acquired quite a few Origin Stones on Wuling Island, but those were formed from beast crystals within demonic beasts.

The largest among them was only the size of a duck egg.

This was the first time he had come across such a massive Origin Stone, and it wasn't even inside a demonic beast.

Filled with curiosity and suspicion, Chu Ning reached out to touch it, sensing no traces of any arrays or traps. Reassured, he began to dig it out with his bare hands.

Although the stones in the cave were hard, to Chu Ning, who had cultivated the second layer of the second volume of the 'Nine Transformations Body Refining Technique,' his physical body was as strong as a magical artifact.

These giant stones were as soft as tofu in his hands.

Easily extracting the Origin Stone, Chu Ning searched the cave once more but found nothing else of interest.

Then, he began to climb up the sloping passage.

As he stepped into the tunnel, Chu Ning felt a force pressing down on him, as if trying to push him back into the cave.

He had to rely on his physical strength to resist and stabilize his body.

"Origin Power!"

Recognizing the nature of this force, Chu Ning's eyes narrowed slightly.

Back in the deep valley of the Beast Mountain Forbidden Zone on Wuling Island, Chu Ning had spent five years there, so he was all too familiar with this power.

Enduring the pressure, Chu Ning continued upward. Although the force was strong, it had little effect on his robust physical body.

If he wanted to, he could even increase his speed by using the Thunder Step or the Shadow Step he had learned on Wuling Island.

However, for now, Chu Ning maintained a normal walking pace.

As he walked, his eyes scanned the surrounding walls and ground, alert for any signs of Origin Stones.

With such a strong presence of Origin Power and the discovery of the Origin Stone in the cave below, there was a good chance of finding more in this area.

Moreover, Origin Stones might not be well-known among the cultivators of the immortal world.

Even if a Nascent Soul cultivator passed by, without the use of spiritual sense or magic to investigate, they might not pay attention to these stones.

Indeed, as Chu Ning had expected, less than 300 zhang into his journey, he spotted another Origin Stone.

This one was not as large as the first, but it was still about the size of a duck egg.

Naturally, Chu Ning dug it up and added it to his collection.

As he continued onward, after traveling about 2,000 zhang, Chu Ning had found a total of five Origin Stones, and he could feel the pressure of the Origin Power intensifying.

It seemed that there was a source of Origin Power up ahead.

Intrigued, Chu Ning quickened his pace.

As he turned a corner, he suddenly came to a halt.

In front of him were three figures struggling to move forward.

Two were in the lead, and one was trailing behind.

The two in front were the Nascent Soul wandering cultivators Chu Ning had seen earlier—a skinny old man and a plump middle-aged cultivator.

And the one bringing up the rear was none other than Shang Song of Chang Kong Hall.

The trio noticed the disturbance behind them and turned around.

The two Nascent Soul wandering cultivators showed no particular reaction, but when Chu Ning and Shang Song locked eyes, they both paused, their expressions filled with surprise.

"Chu Ning?" Shang Song's gaze was heavy with meaning as he studied Chu Ning, his emotions complex.

Ever since their encounter in the inner hall, he had harbored suspicions about Chu Ning.

And now, sensing Shang Song's gaze, a flicker of strangeness crossed Chu Ning's eyes.

Indeed, he had not expected to see Shang Song here.

With all the chaos when the altar had exploded earlier, it had been hard to keep track of things.

Over a dozen Nascent Soul cultivators had rushed into the different arched doorways.

Chu Ning had been focused on grabbing the shooting globes of light and hadn't paid attention to which cultivator had entered which passage.

He certainly hadn't anticipated that it would be Shang Song.

Chu Ning stopped in his tracks and spoke in a calm tone, his expression unchanged, "Senior Shang, I didn't expect to find you here as well."

Despite the presence of three Nascent Soul cultivators ahead of him, Chu Ning remained remarkably composed.

In this place, where spiritual sense and magic were useless, even Nascent Soul cultivators couldn't fully utilize their strength.

On the other hand, Chu Ning, with his exceptional physical cultivation, could do a lot of things if he wanted to.

Shang Song, unaware of this, hadn't seen how Chu Ning had been effortlessly withstanding the pressure of the Origin Power as he walked.

Hearing Chu Ning's words, Shang Song turned to face him and said, "I didn't expect you to choose this passage, and your arrival was so quick.

I'm surprised that neither Dantaisong nor Libailin managed to kill you in the hall.

It seems that what Libailin said is true—you're not an ordinary Golden Core late-stage cultivator."

Chu Ning's response to Shang Song's words was a smile.

"If I'm not mistaken, Senior Shang, you were probably planning to interrogate me about how I entered the Great Abyss as soon as we got out of here.

Perhaps you would have even made a move on me right now if not for the fact that spiritual sense and magic are unusable here."

Shang Song merely smiled in response, choosing not to reply.

Seeing this, Chu Ning didn't press the matter further. Instead, he turned to the other two Nascent Soul wandering cultivators and asked, "Seniors, the Iceland Xiancheng treats us wandering cultivators with such oppression. I wonder if the two of you can help uphold justice."

Seeing their reaction, Chu Ning nodded slightly.

"It seems that once I, a mere Golden Core wandering cultivator, leave the Great Abyss, my fate will be sealed. Oh well!"

With that, Chu Ning continued walking forward.

The three Nascent Soul cultivators found Chu Ning's behavior puzzling, but soon they realized something was amiss.

"Why...?"

Shang Song stared at Chu Ning, who was striding towards him with ease despite the pressure of the Origin Power. His eyes widened slightly.

Chu Ning smiled at Shang Song.

"It seems that Senior Shang, despite being a Nascent Soul cultivator, has a rather mediocre body refinement cultivation."

Shang Song's eyes narrowed at Chu Ning's words.

"Body refinement? Are you a body cultivator?"

He quickly recovered and asked, "Chu fellow cultivator, you've stayed in our Iceland Xiancheng for many years, and both the Xiancheng and Frostfall Pavilion have treated you well.

If you don't wish to disclose how you entered the Great Abyss, I won't press you."

"Is that so? I doubt you would say the same once we leave this place, Senior Shang. Haven't you always suspected me of entering the Divine Spring Pond?

How could Chang Kong Hall not question me about this?"

Thunder Step!

As his words landed, Chu Ning flashed towards Shang Song, his right hand lashing out.

Sky Piercing Fist! Essence Gathering Slash! Soul Shattering Strike!

He unleashed a punch infused with the four secret arts of the Nine Transformations Body Refining Technique, aiming directly at Shang Song!

"Chu Ning, how dare you!"

Shang Song shouted, backing away as fast as he could.

Even though he couldn't use his spiritual sense or magical powers, his instincts as a Nascent Soul cultivator remained sharp.

Just from the force of Chu Ning's punch, he could tell that Chu Ning's body refinement cultivation was extraordinary, and such a blow could easily take his life.

However, neither his shout nor his retreat seemed to deter Chu Ning.

Knowing that Chang Kong Hall would cause him trouble sooner or later, Chu Ning decided to take care of one problem at a time.

After all, once they left this place, the restrictions of the Origin Power would be lifted.

Even if the giant turtle could intervene, it could only do so a couple of times.

"You..."

"Bang!"

Before the plump cultivator could finish his sentence, Chu Ning's heavy punch landed on Shang Song.

A muffled groan escaped Shang Song's lips as he was sent flying by the force of the punch.

But due to the suppression of the Origin Power, he only flew less than a zhang before crashing heavily to the ground.

"Bang!"

Following the impact, the Nascent Soul cultivator lay motionless on the ground.

Just then, a tiny figure seemed to be trying to escape from Shang Song's head.

It looked exactly like Shang Song.

"Nascent Soul!"

Chu Ning immediately recognized that the tiny figure was Shang Song's Nascent Soul.

In normal circumstances, when a Nascent Soul cultivator's physical body was destroyed, there was still a chance for the Nascent Soul to escape and survive.

However, perhaps due to the suppression of the Origin Power, Shang Song's Nascent Soul seemed unable to break free from his body.

Chu Ning approached Shang Song's motionless body and, without hesitation, extended his finger and tapped it on the fallen cultivator's head.

Void Finger!

Having cultivated for many years in the Northern Cold Region, Chu Ning had mastered the various secret arts of the Nine Transformations Body Refining Technique, including the Void Finger, which he had infused with the power of the Soul Shattering Strike!

The Soul Shattering Strike, with its ability to disrupt spiritual senses, took advantage of spatial power and penetrated Shang Song's skull, striking directly at his Nascent Soul.

"Ah!"

A faint cry, similar to Shang Song's, escaped the Nascent Soul before it disappeared without a trace.

The skinny old man and the plump middle-aged cultivator, who had been watching from a distance, had their faces drained of color at the sight before them.

Shang Song was a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, but in this strange place where spiritual sense and magic were useless, he had fallen to a mere late-stage Golden Core cultivator like Chu Ning, his body and Nascent Soul destroyed with just a punch and a finger strike.

What made their faces twist in discomfort even more was that Chu Ning was now turning his gaze towards them.

"Fellow cultivator Chu," the skinny old man spoke up, his tone respectful. "We have no affiliation with Chang Kong Hall, and we certainly wouldn't side with them against you.

The two of us chose not to join those major forces because we dislike their ways.

We have no grudges with you, fellow cultivator..."

"But you saw me kill Shang Song!" Chu Ning interrupted, his voice calm but carrying a hint of deadly intent.

The skinny old man's expression changed as he detected the underlying threat in Chu Ning's words.

The plump middle-aged cultivator's round face quickly took on a flattering smile as he said, "Fellow cultivator Chu, rest assured, we will never reveal what happened here to anyone.

If you don't trust us, I can swear an oath on my heart demon."

Chu Ning shook his head, his eyes fixed on the two cultivators as he said, "I only trust dead men!"

"Fellow cultivator Shang!" The plump middle-aged cultivator suddenly raised his hand and shouted towards Chu Ning's back.

Chu Ning paid no heed and, in a flash of movement, charged towards the two cultivators using his Thunder Step.

"Hmm?"

Just then, Chu Ning sensed that the plump cultivator had thrown something in his direction, which landed in front of him.

Instinctively, he halted his steps, and a golden light shone from his body as he activated his Undying Golden Body.

"Bang!"

At that moment, a faint explosion sounded beneath his feet.

Immediately after, a cloud of black mist surged forward, enveloping Chu Ning.

Seeing this, the plump cultivator let out a malicious laugh.

"Rest assured, Brother Luo. I knew beforehand that there would be a passage in the Great Abyss where spiritual sense and magic are useless.

So, I specifically asked someone to refine this Yin Soul Pearl and kept it outside my storage bag.

Once this pearl shatters, evil spirits will appear, and no matter how powerful his body refinement is, he won't be able to resist!"

"As expected of Brother Zhu, always so thorough in your preparations.

The two of them looked at Chu Ning, and the brief sense of relief on their faces gradually faded.

"Chi! Chi!"

As the black mist came into contact with the immortal golden body's protective barrier around Chu Ning, it emitted a series of ear-piercing sounds.

Faintly, there seemed to be countless wailing spirits within.

"Ghosts?"

At this moment, Chu Ning also realized what was happening, and his heart relaxed.

His Undying Golden Body had a special suppressing effect on these evil ghosts and spirits.

With that, he channeled all his power into the Undying Golden Body, and before long, the black mist dissipated entirely.

Then, Chu Ning saw the plump middle-aged cultivator's face, filled with utter astonishment.

"How is this possible? You're just a body cultivator, how can you even resist the Yin Soul Pearl?"

The middle-aged cultivator exclaimed in disbelief.

Beside him, the skinny old man's face also wore an extremely ugly expression.

Having witnessed Chu Ning's capabilities, he knew that their lives were likely forfeit today.

The skinny old man took a deep breath and glanced at Chu Ning, his body shimmering with golden light.

Suddenly, he raised his hand, and a golden needle flew out.

However, it wasn't aimed at Chu Ning but at the plump middle-aged cultivator beside him.

The middle-aged cultivator had no time to react as the golden needle pierced directly through his throat.

One could vaguely see a thin silken thread attached to the needle, tightly wrapped around the cultivator's neck.

The next moment, as the skinny old man pulled the thread, it rapidly contracted.

"Kacha!"

Accompanied by the sound of shattering bones, the middle-aged cultivator's neck broke with a twist of the skinny old man's hand.

His head separated from his body and fell to the ground.

A soft thud echoed.

Seeing this, Chu Ning was slightly surprised.

He hadn't sensed any fluctuation of magical power, and in fact, it was impossible to use magic power in this place.

The skinny old man seemed to be using some sort of hidden weapon similar to those used by mortal warriors.

However, his skill and precision surprised Chu Ning.

Although the middle-aged cultivator's head was now separated from his body, his Nascent Soul hadn't been destroyed.

Just like with Shang Song earlier, a tiny figure appeared in his head, trying to escape but unable to break free.

However, the cultivator's curses echoed loudly.

"You bastard Luo, how dare you ambush me! I'll never forgive you, even in death!"

The skinny old man paid no heed to the other's curses.

Instead, he looked up, his gaze calm as he faced Chu Ning.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, please use your secret art to destroy his Nascent Soul."

Chu Ning didn't make any move, his gaze fixed on the skinny old man as he said, "Give me a reason."

The skinny old man, surnamed Luo, kept his face calm and replied without hesitation, "There is a passage in the Great Abyss where spiritual sense and magic are useless. This information has been circulating beforehand, so I also prepared some means to deal with it.

Before I started cultivating, I practiced some mortal martial arts and became skilled in using hidden weapons.

However, compared to your body refinement techniques, Fellow Daoist, my skills are insignificant."

Chu Ning shook his head and said, "That's not what I meant. Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you after you've done this."

"I know a great secret about this realm, one that concerns the advancement of Nascent Soul cultivators and their breakthrough to ascension.

If you spare my life, Fellow Daoist, I'm willing to share this secret with you once we get out."

The skinny old man pointed to the middle-aged cultivator on the ground as he spoke.

"I believe you wouldn't want others to know about this secret as well?"

Upon hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Chu Ning's face.

"But once we're out, won't it be easy for a Nascent Soul cultivator like you to deal with me, a mere Golden Core cultivator?"

"How can I make you trust me, Fellow Daoist Chu?" The skinny old man, Mr. Luo, looked at Chu Ning, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Why don't I tell you part of the secret first? This matter may be related to the destruction of the Great Void Sect. Back then, numerous late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators gathered in the Northern Cold Region to discuss the breakthrough and ascension of Nascent Soul cultivators..."

As he spoke, Mr. Luo paused, not continuing further.

However, Chu Ning laughed lightly.

"Are you talking about the event that took place tens of thousands of years ago, where cultivators from the Tianmu Continent and other regions gathered in the Northern Cold Region?"

"How do you know about that?" Mr. Luo's face was filled with shock.

"Not only do I know, but I also know quite a bit about it," Chu Ning glanced at him and asked, "Then, do you know why those cultivators gathered in the Northern Cold Region?"

"Why?" Mr. Luo asked eagerly upon hearing Chu Ning's question.

And from his reaction, Chu Ning knew that the old man's knowledge was limited.

"Probably to find their deaths!"

As his words landed, Chu Ning's figure flashed, and he rushed towards the skinny old man.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, please spare my life. I won't tell anyone about this..."

"I've said it before, I only trust dead men!"

As his voice trailed off, Chu Ning's figure had already appeared beside the old man.

The skinny old man tried to use the same trick he had employed against the middle-aged cultivator, but his actions were insignificant in Chu Ning's eyes.

With a flick of his finger, Chu Ning shattered the golden needle, and in the next moment, his right fist heavily slammed into the skinny old man's body.

The Sky Piercing Fist unleashed, directly obliterating the Nascent Soul cultivator!

"Well done!"

The plump middle-aged cultivator's Nascent Soul, still attached to the severed head, laughed maniacally.

However, this action did nothing to appease Chu Ning.

With two Void Fingers and a Essence Gathering Slash, Chu Ning destroyed both of their Nascent Souls!

In just a short while, the three Nascent Soul cultivators, despite their formidable cultivation, were powerless to resist and perished at Chu Ning's hands.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end