Cultivating merit? Why don't you go save all the suffering people in the world?

Chu Xuan knew that Wan Wuying would never believe his words. He had just said it casually.

However, the karmic backlash from killing Han Xiong was indeed trivial to him. He couldn't even feel a hint of it.

Of course, for Wan Wuying, such a backlash would be terrifying. Perhaps it was this very act that had crossed the line, ultimately inviting the punishment of the human race's heavenly dao.

Wan Wuying said solemnly, "...Are you really alright? Don't force yourself."

Chu Xuan smiled and nodded, "I'm very well."

Seeing no signs of distress, Wan Wuying nodded, "Then let's hurry and leave. Having slain a Golden Core from the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace, we'll likely face retaliation soon."

The two swiftly flew close to the ground and soon vanished.

Elsewhere.

Spirit Feather True Master looked at the Nascent Soul fragments brought by his subordinates, his expression growing uglier.

"This isn't right, only a part of this is Shang Tianjue's Nascent Soul; these are not his qi! These belong to other Nascent Soul cultivators! That cunning boy had planned it all along, prepared another Nascent Soul! With the two Nascent Souls mixed together, it's even harder to find...This damned thing."

Spirit Feather True Master, unusually, lost his composure. He couldn't help but grind his teeth in frustration. His three disciples were dumbfounded.

"Ah? It's not Shang Tianjue's Nascent Soul?! Whose Nascent Soul is it then?"

Spirit Feather True Master, exasperated, snapped, "You ask me, who do I ask?"

The three disciples just scratched their heads.

A few hours later, all disciples of the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace returned, handing over the scattered Nascent Soul fragments to Spirit Feather True Master.

"Only two-thirds are here; the remaining third has escaped."

Spirit Feather True Master's gaze was icy cold, "Third disciple, you stay here and dig three feet into the ground if you must, but find me Shang Tianjue's remaining Nascent Soul! If you can't find it, don't bother returning to the Feather Transformation Island!"

The third disciple sighed inwardly, but could only nod in agreement.

A sudden spark of insight flashed in Spirit Feather True Master's mind, and his expression dramatically changed. Throughout the day, something had felt amiss, yet he couldn't pinpoint the source. At that moment, he finally understood.

Shang Xingchen!

Shang Tianjue's half-brother, Shang Xingchen, had not appeared yet. Knowing he was outmatched, Shang Tianjue had still shown up, employing every tactic to delay time—likely to aid Shang Xingchen!

What could Shang Xingchen rely on that could threaten the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace? It was… that thing!

This realization was why Spirit Feather True Master's expression had altered so drastically. Thinking this, he immediately set off for the central continent.

He needed to return to Feather Transformation Island quickly!

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That thing… that thing must not be lost!

"Master…"

The eldest disciple began to speak.

The third disciple frowned, "Master…?"

The second disciple whispered, "Could Master be worried that Shang Tianjue's delay was to buy time for Shang Xingchen? That's impossible; though they are half-brothers, they have always been rivals. Shang Tianjue has nearly killed Shang Xingchen several times!"

Spirit Feather True Master was about to respond when suddenly, a rift tore open in the distant sky.

An immensely terrifying aura descended abruptly.

This presence, as soon as it appeared, swept across the entire Mystic Azure Star. All beings, whether human or beast, trembled uncontrollably.

Spirit Feather True Master's three disciples felt it, and so did Chu Xuan and Wan Wuying, who were fleeing far away. Even Spirit Feather True Master, a Deity Transformation cultivator, was filled with fear and astonishment.

"What is happening?"

This question echoed in everyone's minds.

Chu Xuan looked towards the sky. He saw a gigantic hand reaching through the rift. A blue lotus slowly rose from somewhere below, settling into the palm of that enormous hand.

The blue lotus was suffused with a verdant divine light, and a single glance at it cleared the mind, suggesting it was an extraordinary spiritual entity.

Following this, a majestic voice resonated.

"The Feather Transformation Heaven Palace concealed the primordial spirit object, the Turbid World Blue Lotus. Spirit Feather Daoist knowingly committed this crime, and thus must be punished!"

The gigantic hand slammed down fiercely.

Overwhelmed with fear, Spirit Feather True Master did not hesitate to use the essence of his Nascent Soul to teleport instantly. In the blink of an eye, he had moved thousands of zhang away. Even as he fled, he cried out, "Emissary, hear my explanation! I..."

But before he could finish, the giant hand thunderously crashed down.

In an instant, Spirit Feather True Master was smashed deep into the earth. The mountain beneath him became a colossal crater. Surrounding rivers surged violently towards it, quickly forming a massive lake at the site.

A severe earthquake radiated in all directions, yet it didn't spread far, as if skillfully contained within a specific range.

As for Spirit Feather True Master, his physical body and Nascent Soul were instantly vaporized and annihilated. Everything inside his storage bag was also obliterated. Nothing was left behind.

Chu Xuan and Wan Wuying watched this scene unfold with utter shock resonating within them.

Wan Wuying exclaimed in amazement, "What... what level of power does it take to act like this? To annihilate a Deity Transformation stage cultivator with a single palm, vaporizing both body and soul on the spot, even an Astral Projection stage cultivator couldn't achieve that, right?"

Chu Xuan was speechless. He only felt how fierce the display of power was.

However, after a brief moment of shock, he quickly regained his composure. There was no need to aim too high.

He hadn't even reached the step of transforming his Core into a Soul. How could he contemplate even higher realms?

The only thing he regretted was the loss of Spirit Feather True Master's storage bag.

Ah. Why crush it? Give me a chance to have a look at it.

"The primordial spirit object... the Turbid World Blue Lotus? Although I'm not sure what that is, it must be valuable to the Reincarnation Divine Church. Spirit Feather True Master's hoarding of this treasure invited disaster. Shang Tianjue delayed here; could it have been Shang Xingchen who exposed this?"

Chu Xuan pondered deeply.

Just as this thought surfaced, that majestic voice once again echoed through Mystic Azure.

"Shang Xingchen presents the Turbid World Blue Lotus and has made great contributions; he may enter the extraterritorial battlefield and receive rewards. Those in possession of the battlefield tokens are to follow the summons within a month to enter the extraterritorial battlefield! Make no mistake!"

Suddenly, a streak of gray light shot through the sky.

A figure ascended towards the heavens along the gray light and quickly disappeared from sight.

It must have been Shang Xingchen, as mentioned by the voice.

Wan Wuying burst into laughter, "It really was Shang Xingchen! Tsk, tsk, tsk, those two brothers, one delaying time and the other seeking the spiritual object, really dealt a heavy blow to the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace!"

He laughed joyously, completely forgetting that he himself was bodiless, a plight caused by Shang Tianjue.

Wan Wuying added, "I heard that the disciples of the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace who got the slots have already entered the extraterritorial battlefield. Heh, probably the other fifth-level cultivation sects will start targeting the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace too!"

Chu Xuan nodded in agreement.

After this incident, it would be difficult for the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace to rise again.

"There's one month left; we should quickly sell off the extra tokens. The final profit should be split between us sixty-forty, given that you killed that Golden Core cultivator from the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace and bore the karmic backlash," Wan Wuying whispered.

Chu Xuan coughed lightly, "Senior brother, since I bore the brunt of the karmic force, I think a seventy-thirty split would be more appropriate."

Wan Wuying looked at him, speechless for a long while, before finally saying, "…Alright."