Trade and Compromise
"I have no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of Limitless Island, but a junior of mine with whom I have a close relationship is trapped deep in the mine. I would like to ask you to do me a favor and help him get out of there," Song Wen said.
Judging from the current situation, the forced cessation of mining in this Rotten Bone Mine was definitely not due to Netherfire Ants; there must be a deeper reason behind it.
"It seems you did not understand what I said earlier. This is an internal matter of Limitless Island, and it is none of the business of outsiders!"
The man in black's voice gradually turned cold, carrying a faint hint of murderous intent.
However, Song Wen felt no fear whatsoever.
The other party's actions are secretive and covert; they could never possibly be Nascent Soul Cultivator.
With Song Wen's current strength, he can protect himself without fear when facing Golden Core cultivator, as long as he doesn't fall into their traps or formations.
"If you are truly a cultivator from Limitless Island, why are you hiding? Hand over the person I want. Otherwise, by tomorrow morning, the entire Limitless Island will know that a Golden Core cultivator is hiding in the Rotten Bone Ore Vein of Mist-Hidden Island with malicious intent," Song Wen said.
"It seems you're deliberately looking for trouble, fellow Daoist!" the man in black said sternly.
As soon as he finished speaking, the man in black suddenly summoned a flying sword, which pierced straight at Song Wen's face.
The Sword Qi was subtle, like a venomous snake lurking in the grass, its murderous intent hidden.
Song Wen's expression hardened, Origin-Returning Sha Qi suddenly appeared, condensing into a defensive barrier that protected Song Wen's body.
At the same time, three Divine Sense Blade appeared and slashed towards the man in black's brow.
The Origin-Returning Sha Qi blocked the flying sword.
"Soul-Concentrating Spike!"
The man in black let out a gasp, clearly aware of the power of the <Soul-Concentrating Spike>.
He hurriedly summoned a ten-foot-long skeleton of Demon Beast.
This was actually a complete skeleton of Nether Fox. After being specially refined, the skeleton had become a mid-grade defensive soul magic Law Treasure.
The man in black burrowed directly into the skeleton's abdominal cavity, the skeleton emitting a faint white light.
The three Soul-Concentrating Spike, illuminated by the white light, gradually dimmed and eventually dissipated.
Song Wen was slightly surprised that his opponent actually possessed a mid-grade soul defense magic Law Treasure.
A flash of cold light, Void-Breaking Blade shot out.
The man in black activated his flying sword to meet the Void-Breaking Blade.
Within a short span of time, the swords clashed several times, but neither side managed to gain the upper hand.
Seeing that neither the Soul-Concentrating Spike nor the Void-Breaking Blade had worked, Song Wen's mind stirred, and more of the Origin-Returning Sha Qi surged from his body, transforming into a killing python that pounced on the man in black.
The man in black summoned a shield and held it in front of him.
However, the opponent clearly underestimated the sheer power of the Origin-Returning Sha Qi, as well as the Sha Python condensed by the <Baleful Path Ghost Scripture> Cultivation Method. The Sha Python's impact was so strong that it knocked the shield away.
The demonic python paused, showing signs of collapsing.
Before the demonic python could dissipate, it suddenly lashed out with its tail, striking the man in black.
The Law Power shield protecting the man in black collapsed, blood gushed from his mouth, and he plummeted downwards.
At the same time, the hood of the cloak was knocked off, revealing its true appearance.
This person was none other than Chu Qian's father, Chu Lingyun, Late Golden Core Stage elder of the inner sect of Limitless Island.
Song Wen was slightly taken aback. Just as he was about to take advantage of the other party's injury to activate the Void-Breaking Blade and kill him, he saw that Chu Lingyun had a cyan talisman in his hand.
The talisman is broken!
A gust of azure wind swept around Chu Lingyun, and his speed suddenly increased dramatically. His figure became blurred in an instant, and he vanished into the mine pit in the blink of an eye.
Song Wen stared at the deep, dark pit, his expression somewhat gloomy.
There was a formation set up in the deep pit, so he did not rush in rashly.
Chu Lingyun carried more life-saving items than Song Wen had expected.
"It seems the rumors are true. Chu Lingyun and his son are both skilled in business and have made a fortune. That's why he has the capital to buy so many life-saving items," Song Wen thought to himself.
After a moment of contemplation, Song Wen mobilized Law Power to send the sound into the deep pit.
"Fellow Daoist Chu, release the people trapped in the mine. Otherwise, I will spread the word that you are hiding here."
Chu Lingyun must have something in mind about the Rotten Bone Ore Vein and doesn't want outsiders to know, which is why he's acting so secretively.
The fight between the two had already attracted the attention of the two Tang Family cultivators inside the stone house.
To save their lives, the two Tang Family cultivators made no move from beginning to end, so as not to attract the attention of Song Wen and Chu Lingyun.
This means that Chu Lingyun still has a chance to make amends.
As long as two Tang Family cultivators are killed and Song Wen doesn't mention it to outsiders, no one will know what happened here.
"You recognize me?"
Chu Lingyun's voice rang in Song Wen's ears, but no one else could hear a sound.
"I've heard a little about the famous merchant father and son, Chu Lingyun and Chu Qian, from Limitless Island," Song Wen said.
"Alright, I agree. However, you have to let me kill those two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Tang Family first," Chu Lingyun said.
"Okay," Song Wen said.
A beam of sword light shot out from the deep pit and slashed straight toward the stone house several miles away.
A burst of sharp Sword Qi instantly shredded the stone house.
The two Foundation Establishment cultivators inside the stone house were shredded to pieces before they could put up any resistance.
"The person you are looking for is trapped by the Netherfire Ants in a mine shaft fifty miles underground in the southwest corner of the mining area. I cannot intervene to rescue them; please take matters into your own hands and eliminate the Netherfire Ants."
As Chu Lingyun spoke, he deactivated one of the formations inside the pit, allowing Song Wen's Divine Sense to probe into the pit.
However, Song Wen still couldn't find Chu Lingyun's whereabouts. There was more than one array in the deep pit; other arrays were also in operation.
Two Shadow Gu swooped out and flew into the deep pit.
The Shadow Gu darted through the intricate mine shafts, winding its way towards the southwest corner.
As the Shadow Gu ventured deeper into the mine, Netherfire Ants gradually appeared.
The Netherfire Ants is about three inches long, completely black, and has a metallic sheen.
Its tail has a stinger containing a potent poison.
They can spew out eerie blue flames from their mouths, the strength of which is related to their power.
The Netherfire Ants distinguish their kind by scent, so the appearance of the Shadow Gu immediately caught their attention.
They leaped up, opened their sharp jaws, and lunged at the Shadow Gu.
At first, the Netherfire Ants appeared sporadically and were easily dealt with by the Shadow Gu.
As they continued deeper into the area, Netherfire Ants began to appear.
Inside the towering mine shaft, countless Netherfire Ants crawled densely on the rock walls on all four sides.
The Shadow Gu shrank to the size of a washbasin and fought fiercely in the mine. They were surrounded by sharp auras, like invisible blades. Wherever they passed, the Netherfire Ants fell like autumn leaves.
Occasionally, second-tier king ants appear among the Netherfire Ants, but they are no match for the Shadow Gu.
The number of Netherfire Ants began to decline sharply.