"Still no token..."

Chu Xuan stored the headless corpse within the tower. The storage bag also fell into his hands.

However, after a thorough search, he found no token inside the storage bag of this disciple from the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace.

He had already slain three Foundation Establishment disciples of the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace.

Yet, not a single token was obtained.

Whose possession was the token in?

Chu Xuan pondered briefly, suspecting that the tokens might be held by the confidants of those three middle-aged men, the Golden Core cultivators.

From his waistband, the voice of Wan Wuying emanated from the transmission jade.

"I still haven't managed to get the token, have you?"

Chu Xuan replied, "I haven't either."

"It seems we must make a move on the Golden Core cultivators."

"They surely have ways to contact the Nascent Soul cultivators. We must act swiftly and decisively, giving them no chance to retaliate."

Neither had made an immediate move against the Golden Core cultivators of the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace.

After all, they were cultivators of the same realm. And from the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace no less. Their strength was undoubtedly formidable.

Should they encounter a tough opponent and fail to subdue them swiftly, they might instead find themselves ensnared in a tight encirclement, complicating matters significantly.

But now, for the sake of the token to the extraterritorial battlefield, they must take the risk!

Wan Wuying spoke softly, "I've spotted a Golden Core cultivator from the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace. Come to me."

Chu Xuan immediately steered the Imperial Sky Mirror, flying low.

Before long, the two of them encountered a Golden Core cultivator from the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace, currently engaged in a fierce battle with a Hundred Refinements Sect's Golden Core cultivator, whose body had been invaded by a fierce spirit.

Judging by the battle, victory seemed imminent.

Wan Wuying said in a deep tone, "I'll serve as the bait, you make the move."

Chu Xuan nodded, "Alright."

Wan Wuying concealed his aura, suppressing it to the mere initial stage of Golden Core, and madly dashed towards the battlefield.

His act was convincing.

As if his mind, too, had been invaded by a fierce spirit.

Chu Xuan secretly scoffed, Wan Wuying's act was so believable—could it be that he had similar experiences before?

With a splash, Han Xiong dispatched the demon-possessed cultivator before him, extracting his soul with a secret technique of the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace.

Upon close inspection, he found nothing unusual and discarded it to the side. Clearly, this man did not harbor the Nascent Soul of Shang Tianjue. He had mistaken his target.

Securing Shang Tianjue's fragmented Nascent Soul would indeed be a significant accomplishment. Han Xiong was merely a trusted cultivator under the third disciple of the Spirit Feather True Master. To that Nascent Soul cultivator, he was but a tool, needing to achieve a great feat to be nurtured further.

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Thus, Han Xiong had been relentlessly pursuing those cultivators whose bodies had been invaded by fierce spirits, sparing none.

"Hmm? Another one?"

Han Xiong turned toward a frenzied cultivator charging at him from a distance and immediately drew his sword to strike.

However, upon contact, he realized something was amiss. The man's eyes suddenly cleared, and with a single-handed seal, he blasted out a rugged ghost claw aiming to capture him!

Simultaneously, Han Xiong felt a murderous intent erupt from behind. He had unwittingly found himself sandwiched between two Golden Core cultivators!

"Heh, two demon cultivators daring to stir the waters?" Han Xiong sneered, his annoyance turning into pleasure.

Did they really think a Golden Core cultivator of the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace was akin to an ordinary one?

Slaying these two Golden Core cultivators and seizing their storage bags would net him a tidy profit.

"Scatter!"

Han Xiong roared, and a burst of meritorious golden light exploded from behind his head. The rugged ghost claw hadn't even fully closed before it was blasted away, dissipating much of its ghostly energy.

The ghost claw that eventually fell was instantly shattered by Han Xiong.

Han Xiong scoffed, "Let's see if you dare kill me!"

Wan Wuying's gaze sharpened.

Meritorious golden light! And so intensely concentrated!

It could only be achieved by saving tens of thousands of mortals! No wonder Han Xiong was undaunted by their ambush. Demonic cultivators dreaded such individuals the most.

Cloaked in merit, as impenetrable as a turtle's shell, they were unbiteable. Demonic cultivators' attacks, laden with yin qi, ghost qi, and evil qi, were all scattered by merit. Their power was reduced to merely sixty or seventy percent.

Even more lethal was the karmic backlash involved in killing such a person. The more merit one possessed, the greater the retribution for their death!

Long ago, on the Mystic Azure Star, mortals compiled the "Three Character Classic" to enlighten children.

The day the scripture was completed, the heavens sent a soul-cleansing golden rain. Golden blossoms fell chaotically, and dragons and phoenixes appeared auspiciously. Such marvels swarmed forth.

Even the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace were shaken.

Later, two major sects, blinded by their interests, clashed fiercely, their conflict eventually engulfing the town where these mortals resided.

The meritorious mortal, caught in the crossfire, tragically perished.

The Golden Core cultivator responsible for the mortal's death was instantly consumed by a mysteriously emerging earthly fire tribulation.

That same day, a heavenly thunder tribulation descended, reducing the Nascent Soul ancestors of the two sects to ashes!

Since then, many cultivators of Mystic Azure Star realized a fundamental truth.

Merit is immensely powerful!

Before attempting to harm those endowed with merit, it is wise to consider whether one can withstand the karmic backlash.

Wan Wuying, witnessing the golden light of merit, immediately thought of retreating.

Over the years, he had slain numerous cultivators and mortals, accumulating a heavy burden of negative karma.

He dared not test his limits any further.

He looked towards Chu Xuan, who had even earned the nickname of a ruthless Old Devil.

His demonic practices had advanced rapidly over the years, surely involving the slaughter of countless innocents.

His karmic debt was undoubtedly no less than Wan Wuying's.

Chu Xuan, too, would surely hesitate to strike.

"Let's retreat..."

Wan Wuying transmitted his thoughts.

"I can handle it," Chu Xuan responded without hesitation, his fist thundering through the air.

Han Xiong had not expected that, even after displaying such potent meritorious light, his opponent would recklessly charge forward.

"Seeking death," Han Xiong scoffed, uttering a low shout as a shield of golden light, brimming with merit, appeared around him.

At the same time, two magic treasures, one on each side, lunged towards Chu Xuan in a lethal assault!

Boom!

Chu Xuan's fist struck down. In an instant, it sent two magic treasures flying, both showing cracks and losing their luster.

Han Xiong's expression subtly changed.

A physical body shattering low-grade magic treasures! This man was undoubtedly a body cultivator!

Yet, with such merit within him, he should be able to withstand this strike. He didn't flinch...

But then, a crisp crack resounded.

Han Xiong's head was obliterated on the spot.

The golden light of merit instantly turned a ghastly red, surging into Chu Xuan like a fierce ghost.

Wan Wuying watched in pity.

It was unnecessary. The karmic backlash from killing this man—you couldn't possibly handle it.

It seemed that his former junior brother was about to perish.

However, to his astonishment, Chu Xuan seemed unbothered, casually storing Han Xiong's headless body in the Corpse Nurturing Tower.

He stood still, examining the storage bag he picked up.

Moments later, he exclaimed in surprise, "There are tokens! A full ten tokens!"

Wan Wuying stared at Chu Xuan in shock, as if seeing him for the first time.

"You don't feel the karmic backlash?" Wan Wuying couldn't help but ask.

Chu Xuan shook his head, "No, I don't feel anything. Was this man's merit significant? It seemed rather ordinary to me."

Wan Wuying replied, "...He must have saved at least ten thousand mortals to accumulate such merit! We demonic cultivators struggle to withstand such severe karmic backlash."

Chu Xuan chuckled, "Actually, I also cultivate merit, just a bit more than him."

Wan Wuying rolled his eyes, "…Do I look like a fool to you?"