The Chasing Sun Spear gleamed sharply as it thrust straight at Chi Pei's chest.
Though Chi Pei's soul had been wounded and he was in unbearable agony, at the critical juncture between life and death, he did not allow himself to sink completely into the pain. Instead, he struggled to retain a measure of clarity.
A yellow-brown talisman suddenly appeared in his hand.
As a thread of spiritual power flowed into it, the talisman shattered, condensing an earthen-yellow shield around him.
"Clang!"
The Chasing Sun Spear struck the shield, producing a deafening crash.
Shockwaves rolled outward and dust billowed up. The entire Cave began to shake violently, and countless loose rocks rained down.
Ripples spread across the shield's surface. It looked as though it might collapse at any moment, yet it did not shatter. Instead, it was sent flying.
Chi Pei and the shield crashed into the Cave wall, smashing straight through the mountain containing the Cave and flying out into the air beyond it.
Song Wen gave Chi Pei no chance to catch his breath. He pursued at once, pouring all his strength and spiritual power into the Chasing Sun Spear, wielding the spear like a staff as he smashed it down viciously.
The shield shattered at once, turning into scattered motes of spiritual light.
The Chasing Sun Spear continued downward, striking Chi Pei squarely atop the head.
Chi Pei's head burst apart like an overripe watermelon.
Song Wen's gaze sharpened. Not a drop of blood had spilled from the exploded head.
This was still a substitute-death puppet.
Song Wen immediately unleashed his divine sense and searched in all directions. In an instant, he discovered Chi Pei's trail several dozen li to the southeast.
The Life-Substitution Technique could relocate a person anywhere within the range of their divine sense.