Chapter 713: Spoils of War: Spirit-Gathering Bowl
Along the winding forest road, beastly roars rose and fell without end, sending a faint unease through the heart.
At the end of the road, a caravan of several dozen people slowly advanced.
Watchful gazes swept ceaselessly over the surroundings, full of vigilance.
Inside one of the jolting carriages, Lin Langtian sat cross‑legged with his eyes tightly closed.
He had maintained that state for three days.
Throughout those three days, golden light had continuously flickered around him, and a growing surge of spiritual power had swelled within his body.
Only on the third day did that powerful spiritual energy begin to gradually subside, and at the same time the golden light around him slowly faded.
An instant later, his tightly shut eyes opened a fraction at a time.
Boom!
As his dark eyes opened, a thunder‑like brilliance flashed within them.
His robe suddenly billowed as if caught in a storm, and a terrifying spiritual ripple burst forth, only to be swiftly reined back in.
Even the astonishing swell of spiritual power vanished back into his body.
Outside, in the Song Clan caravan, no one sensed a thing.
Second‑Grade Supreme.
Within the carriage, Lin Langtian felt the strength coursing through him and could not help the smile that curved his lips.
In just a few days, he had fully healed his injuries, completely converted his yuan power into spiritual power, and ridden that surge to break through to the Second‑Grade Supreme level.
The feeling of such overflowing power stirred a quiet joy in his handsome features. Then, as though recalling something, he stirred his mind.
Boom!
Behind him, space rippled.
Out of that distortion surfaced a vast, pitch‑black ocean.
It was a sea of spiritual power, yet its waters were black as ink, like gathered demonic qi, giving off an eerie allure.
Had the Song Clan guards seen this, they would have been utterly stunned, for that black ocean within the warped space was no ordinary sight.
A Supreme Sea.
It was the inner small world opened only by Supreme experts.
Not only had Lin Langtian completed his conversion to spiritual power, he had also fully opened his Supreme Sea in accordance with the Great Thousand World's cultivation system.
At the center of that sea stood a colossal black silhouette radiating terrifying power—the Supreme Demonic Body.
Feeling the ever more vast tide of spiritual power within his Supreme Sea, satisfaction flickered over Lin Langtian's face.
The difference between grades within the Supreme Realm was truly immense. His power now far surpassed what it had been on the Tianxuan Continent, both in quality and in quantity.
Even without rousing the strength of the Plane Master, he was now confident in taking on a Fifth‑Grade Supreme like Leng Feng.
A trace of self‑assurance shone in his eyes as his gaze drifted outward to the Song guards, their expressions tense and nothing like their usual relaxed mood.
"It seems this Skyfiend Wolf, Huanglie, has quite the fearsome reputation here," he murmured.
After a moment's thought, he shook his head and sank back into meditation, familiarizing himself with his newly risen power.
The wagon rattled along for more than two hours before lurching to a sudden stop.
At that very instant, Lin Langtian's eyes snapped open.
"Awooo!"
Outside, just as the Song Clan caravan was edging past Skyfiend Plains, shadow after massive shadow burst from the trees on either side of the road, sealing it off completely.
Savage muzzles, chilling howls, and icy, blood‑red eyes locked onto every member of the caravan.
"Damn it."
Seeing the giant wolves block the path, Song Jiang's heart sank.
Though these wolves possessed only the strength of high‑level spirit beasts equivalent to the Three‑Sky Stage, their enormous bodies filled the road. A dozen of them together left not even a crack to slip through.
More rustling rose from the surrounding woods.
Countless lesser spirit wolves poured out, swarming in front and behind until the caravan was completely encircled.
"Hehe, and where did this pack of fools think they were going, trying to sneak past right under this king's nose?"
A grating laugh rang out overhead as a gray shadow shot down from the distance, appearing above the wagons in a matter of breaths.
The newcomer was a tall, broad‑shouldered man in gray, a jagged scar slashing down from his chest across his face, lending him a ferocious air.
At the sight of him, Song Jiang and the others paled, even their voices trembling.
"Skyfiend Wolf King… Huanglie."
Looking down on them from above, Huanglie smiled coldly. "You lot know this king's rules, don't you?"
Song Jiang's face twitched. He stepped forward, drawing out a spatial bangle as pain flashed across his features.
"Of course we know. Mighty Wolf King, we're a caravan from the Song Clan of Beiling City. Here are two thousand drops of Supreme Spirit Liquid. Please accept them."
Huanglie lifted a hand and casually reeled in the bangle. After a glance, he grinned. "Not bad. Looks like you've shown some sincerity."
For a First‑Grade Supreme like him, two thousand drops of Supreme Spirit Liquid were far from a meager haul.
At those words, a hint of relief touched Song Jiang's face. "Then may we pass, Wolf King?"
"But of course," Huanglie chuckled. Then he licked his lips and pointed toward Song Yanfei's carriage, an obscene smile tugging at his mouth.
"You can go—but she stays."
Every face in the Song caravan darkened. Even Song Jiang's composure cracked. "What do you mean by that, Wolf King?"
"Heh, girl, there's no need to hide. The scent of a woman carries far, and this king can taste it on the wind.
"And this one… this one is a rare prize. So stop hiding and come out."
With that, a wave of power slammed down.
Bang!
Song Yanfei's carriage roof exploded as a lithe figure flashed up, landing on the roof. Her beautiful eyes glinted with ice as she glared at Huanglie.
He caught sight of her face and a red glint flared in his eyes. Throwing back his head, he laughed wildly.
"Haha! This king's nose has never failed. What a catch. It's been years since I've seen such a fine specimen…"
Song Yanfei's pretty features remained frozen, but murderous light flickered in her gaze. Her jade hand tightened, and a blue longsword flashed into her grip. With a burst of light at her feet, she shot toward Huanglie.
"Heh, at your level, without even reaching the Supreme Realm, you think you can slip out of this king's grasp?"
Huanglie only sneered, sweeping his arm. A bolt of gray spiritual power blasted out like lightning, smashing into her sword.
The blade shattered instantly, and Song Yanfei was hurled back, her rosy cheeks draining of color.
It might have looked like only one small step between her realm and his, but the gulf was enormous.
"We're from the Song Clan of Beiling City. If you attack us, the clan head and elders will never let you go!" Song Jiang shouted.
"You think this king cares?" Huanglie laughed coldly. He threw back his head and loosed a howl.
On both sides of the plain, the countless spirit wolves' eyes flared coldly. With a chorus of whistles, they sprang toward the caravan like arrows.
The wave of fur and fangs was like a living calamity.
Many in the caravan blanched at the sight. Still, they tightened their grips on their weapons, ready to sell their lives dearly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The swarm tore forward, but just as the front rank closed to within a few paces of the wagons, their bodies abruptly froze.
A jet‑black lightning bolt erupted, and in the space of a heartbeat, the wolves were charred to black husks and rained down from the sky.
Everyone present—Song Jiang's crew, Song Yanfei, even Huanglie—stared in shock.
The Song guards shared baffled glances, then slowly fell back around Song Yanfei, shields and weapons coming up as they kept wary eyes on the sky.
She lifted a hand to signal them to hold, her gaze sweeping the surroundings. Yet no matter how she looked, she saw no sign of their savior. Her brows drew together.
Were they truly that lucky—to find a hidden expert willing to step in at this moment?
Her eyes drifted, then suddenly, almost of their own accord, came to rest on a certain wagon.
The one where Lin Langtian rode.
Her lashes fluttered, but before she could follow the thought, Huanglie's gaze cut the same way. His voice, cold and tinged with caution, dropped from the air.
"Since you're a Supreme expert, why skulk in the shadows? Or is there something shameful you're hiding?"
To wipe out so many of his underlings in an instant, the newcomer had to be at least his equal.
At Huanglie's words, a coarse‑clad figure stepped lightly from the wagon. For all his simple clothes, nothing could hide his noble, unshakable bearing.
It was, of course, Lin Langtian.
Song Yanfei's lips parted slightly, surprise flickering in her eyes.
He was a Supreme?
Lin Langtian looked up at Huanglie and said calmly, "Leave, or die."
A mere First‑Grade Supreme no longer registered as a threat to him.
For a heartbeat, Huanglie froze. Then his gaze chilled.
So he was a Supreme as well—but what kind of great figure hid himself in a humble caravan?
If he, the Skyfiend Wolf King, slunk away with his tail between his legs after a few threats, how could he ever show his face in the Beast Forest again?
"You dare to threaten this king? You're the one courting death!"
Ice flashed in his eyes. With a stomp, he shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
In an instant, he was on top of Lin Langtian, spiritual power roaring as it coalesced into a snarling wolf's head.
"Die!"
With a vicious shout, Huanglie slammed the construct down. Under such force, even an ordinary First‑Grade Supreme would be gravely injured.
Lin Langtian's expression, however, remained utterly calm. Only when the spiritual wolf was within a pace of him did he finally lift a hand.
Bang!
His seemingly casual palm cut straight through the wolf's head like a blade through paper, shattering it in an instant before slamming into Huanglie's chest and detonating.
Boom!
The impact raised no outward storm, but the spiritual power shrouding Huanglie's body vanished like smoke.
The blunt force tore his chest open in a spray of blood and hurled him to the ground, where he hit with bone‑jarring force and lay unmoving.
A flash of cold killing intent passed through Lin Langtian's eyes. A bolt of lightning snapped from his fingertips, spearing down into Huanglie's prone form.
Bang!
Thunder cracked, and a strangled scream cut the air. In the next moment, the Skyfiend Wolf King's aura winked out completely.
He had killed Huanglie as easily as turning his hand.
Without a word, Lin Langtian flashed to the corpse's side and crouched. A brief search turned up several spatial bangles in his hand.
These were the Great Thousand World's storage tools, but what interested him was what they contained.
Killing and plundering brought a golden belt, as the saying went. His old treasures from the Tianxuan Continent had been lost to the storm; it was time to rebuild his stockpile.
As a local tyrant, Huanglie had no doubt hoarded a small fortune over the years.
Sweeping the interiors with his spiritual sense, Lin Langtian's attention snagged on one particular item.
With a thought, he brought it forth.
It was an ancient, green jade bowl, its material unknown. Complex, blood‑tinted patterns wound across its surface.
At the sight of the bowl, Aunt Ling's voice rang in his mind, tinged with surprise.
"Oh? A Spirit‑Gathering Bowl. It seems your luck is rather good—you've picked up quite a decent spoil of war…"
(END CHAPTER)
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