Chapter 727 - 188: Is This a Human or an Ancient Fierce Beast?

Chapter 727: Chapter 188: Is This a Human or an Ancient Fierce Beast?

This woman’s cultivation level was naturally no match for the likes of Zhang Tianyu or Princess Zhaohua.

But with her thirteen Fierce Beasts, enhanced by a Secret Technique, she was powerful enough to overwhelm even a peak Bright Heart Realm expert.

The slightest misstep would mean instant death!

It was just her terrible luck to run into him. He possessed the monstrous defense of the third-layer Vajra Undying Body, as well as the supernaturally elusive Ghost Shadow Illusionary Body Step from his Second Limit Break.

Her beast-swarm tactic was easily torn apart in the face of his absolute speed and defense.

In the end, she had underestimated her enemy, daring to get so close.

Chu Fan shook his head slightly.

’If she had stayed at a distance, harassing me with her beasts while launching sneak attacks with her Divine Soul Secret Skill, I wouldn’t have been afraid, but it certainly would have been more of a hassle.’

His gaze fell upon a dark gold bell on the ground—the Soul-Grabbing Bell.

[Item Found: Soul-Grabbing Bell. Refinement requires 30 Spiritual Essence. Refine?]

[Refinement will grant the ’Soul Capturing Skill’.]

"Refine."

Thirty points of Spiritual Essence quietly vanished.

The profound methods and insidious secrets of the Soul Capturing Skill, along with all of Ah Linglong’s insights from her cultivation of the technique, instantly flooded into Chu Fan’s Sea of Consciousness, becoming crystal clear.

At the same time, he fully grasped the terrifying power that was unleashed when the bell was used in tandem with the skill.

’This foolish woman...’

Chu Fan raised an eyebrow, a chill running through him.

The Soul Capturing Skill was an Evil Technique that attacked the soul directly, making it nearly impossible to defend against.

When paired with the specially crafted Soul-Grabbing Bell, its power increased severalfold.

According to Ah Linglong’s memories, this Evil Technique had been a gift from a Demon Dao expert who owed the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect a favor.

The Ten Thousand Beasts Sect then went to great lengths to find the rare materials and commissioned a high-level Artifact Refiner to forge the Soul-Grabbing Bell.

With this treasure and Evil Technique in hand, plus her ability to command thirteen Fierce Beasts, Ah Linglong could be considered formidably powerful and not someone to be taken lightly.

If his Divine Sense hadn’t been tempered multiple times to be far stronger than his peers, and if he hadn’t activated the Spirit Array Map of the Demon Dragon Celestial Spirit Scripture—which provided immense resistance and protection against Divine Soul attacks—those few chimes from the bell just now probably would have left him momentarily paralyzed.

The consequences of that would have been hard to predict.

Chu Fan silently counted himself lucky.

Ah Linglong’s greatest mistake was underestimating his strength and techniques. She had tried to close the distance for a quick kill, only to be cut down by his lightning-fast strike. She didn’t even have the chance to fully activate the Soul Capturing Skill, managing only to shake the Soul-Grabbing Bell a few times.

He placed Ah Linglong’s high-quality longsword and the Ten Thousand Beasts Ring into his Sumeru Ring.

Then, he hung the now-refined Soul-Grabbing Bell from his waist.

With a subsequent wave of his hand, the corpses of the thirteen Fierce Beasts were also stored in his Sumeru Ring.

The pelts, bones, and blood essence of these Fierce Beasts were all excellent materials for Artifact Refining and Pill Refining and could not be wasted.

Once all this was done, Chu Fan acted with a thought.

The Five Elements Cauldron retracted at his command.

The flames on his right hand had already died out, and his sleeve had long ago been burned to cinders.

Chu Fan tore off his tattered robes and changed into a fresh set of practical clothes.

The wilderness fell silent once more, leaving only the mournful sound of the wind whipping past shattered rock.

The Nine Heavens Wind Mastery Scripture began to operate silently. The air currents around Chu Fan seemed to gain a life of their own, no longer acting as resistance but transforming into a force that propelled him, like wings.

As his robes billowed, his figure grew indistinct, eventually dissolving into a nearly invisible wisp of azure smoke. He merged with the howling wind and shot off in the direction Su Wenqin had fled.

His speed was incredible.

The scenery on either side blurred into streaks of color.

The only sound was the sharp whistle of wind tearing past his ears.

He chased for dozens of miles without stopping, the towering mountains and ridges receding swiftly beneath him, but there was no trace of Su Wenqin.

After all, Su Wenqin was a prodigy that the Four Symbols Palace had invested all its resources into training.

As a top-tier Divine Archer, she possessed an almost instinctual talent for concealing her tracks and making a swift escape.

Chu Fan stopped, hovering at the peak of an ancient pine. His gaze swept across the empty mountain forest.

This sealed Profound Origin Secret Realm, though it seemed as vast as the heavens and earth, was in reality just a massive cage.

’No matter where she runs, as long as she’s still inside this Secret Realm, her fate is already sealed.’

’Those who deserve to die... not one of them will escape.’

Chu Fan retracted his gaze, his heart filled with chilling killing intent.

’We’ll meet again sooner or later. The next time we do, it will be time for the reaping.’

He no longer dwelled on Su Wenqin’s whereabouts. His form once again became a streak of light as he headed deeper into the Secret Realm.

As he traveled, his mind worked rapidly, calmly analyzing the intricate chessboard of the current situation.

Dangers lurked everywhere within the Profound Origin Secret Realm.

But the only thing he was truly wary of was the Soul Division of the Zhang Family Ancestor, which had possessed someone.

Still, that wariness was only slight.

Although the Zhang Family Ancestor was cunning, devouring and assimilating all the members of the Zhang Family, Sword Traceless, and the other top prodigies in such a short time would be no easy feat.

Each devouring required time to obliterate the victim’s consciousness.

Otherwise, his own Divine Soul would become impure, and he would inevitably suffer a backlash.

’If I can find Zhang Tianyu first, everything will fall into place.’

A sharp glint flashed in Chu Fan’s eyes.

’Once I find the main target, it doesn’t matter if it’s man or ghost—I’ll just kill them both.’

’And if I can’t find Zhang Tianyu right away...’

’...then I’ll just kill every member of the Zhang Family and the Moon Worship Sect I come across. I’ll kill them all, collect their souls with the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, and turn them into fuel for it.’

The faces of the twenty people who had entered the Secret Realm flashed through Chu Fan’s mind like a revolving lantern.

’The situation is clear, roughly divided into three factions.’

’My own faction has a total of eight people.’

’From the Demon Suppression Bureau, there’s just me and Demon Suppression Captain Xiao Ziye.’

’From Prince Zhennan’s Mansion, there’s Princess Zhaohua and Lin Xiao.’

’Then there are the Wang Family siblings, Wang Yiyi and Wang Yanfeng; the Li Family’s Martial Fool, Li Qingcang; and Ye Jian from the Profound Heart Sword Sect.’

’The enemy, the Moon Worship Sect’s side, is the largest faction.’

’But it’s split into two groups.’

’One group is led by the Zhang Family. Besides the four members including Zhang Tianyu and Zhang Tianhao, it also includes Sword Traceless of Celestial Sword Mountain, Ah Linglong of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, and Hong Mei’er of the Emotional Silk Sect.’