True Martial World - Chapter 1381: Mind Loss Gu

"Your mistress is presently in Martial Numinous Palace?" asked Yi Yun.

Xiaoqing replied, "Madam has been placed under house arrest by those people. As for where she is exactly, even I don't know. However, I do know that the person marrying Madam is named Li Yunshang. I have always had the suspicion that it was Li Yunshang who caused Master Wang to be in his present state."

"Li Yunshang…"

Yi Yun nodded. The memories he obtained from searching Li Yunfeng's soul included Li Yunshang. He originally believed that Wang Mu's wife was a vicious woman and had abandoned her husband to seek out another man; therefore, he did not pay attention to Li Yunshang.

But things were different now. Yi Yun asked Xiaoqing a few more questions, filling the gaps in his understanding.

By the end of their conversation, the entire situation became more apparent to Yi Yun.

Li Yunshang was Li Yunfeng's cousin. There was a huge age gap between them. Furthermore, Li Yunshang was a lot more talented than Li Yunfeng. The two of them were on completely different levels of strength. Li Yunshang was already a candidate to be the Martial Numinous clan's Elder. He was the the most highly-regarded person in the Li family's younger generation.

The Li family was very influential in the Martial Numinous clan. As the Li family had a very unique heritage, they produced many alchemists. The Heaven Refinement Pavilion was actually mainly run by the Li family. For both of these reasons, the Li family controlled a huge amount of resources. Few people in the Martial Numinous clan would dare offend the Li family.

"That Li Jiuxiao is indeed considered quite a figure in the Martial Numinous clan. However, his strength is nothing much. He's only an ordinary Divine Lord. The people involved in Wang Mu's predicament are all from the Li family. It's very likely that the Li family is responsible for his current state."

Yi Yun guessed that the Martial Numinous clan did not know of the Li family's machinations against Wang Mu. It was a secret operation of the Li family's design and only the essential people within the Li family knew of it. Even Li Yunfeng did not know. If he had, Yi Yun would have understood the entire situation when he searched his soul.

After the Li family learned that Wang Mu and his wife had obtained the location of the ancient herbal garden, they secretly disabled Wang Mu and seized his wife. It was all done to usurp the herbal garden for themselves. They did not even include the Martial Numinous clan in their plans.

"I'll take a trip to the Li family first!"

Yi Yun quickly made the decision. He knew from his memories what Wang Mu's wife looked like. Furthermore, the Li family was focused on alchemy, so it had few experts. As long as he was careful, they did not pose much danger.

"Thank you for helping, Young Master."

Upon hearing what Yi Yun said, Xiaoqing's face revealed a look of delight. From the looks of it, Yi Yun was interested in the ancient herbal garden.

If Yi Yun managed to find her mistress, there was a chance that she would be saved as well. Now that Madam Wang's situation was still unclear, Xiaoqing was extremely worried about her.

"It's nothing. I'm doing it for my own interests, too. I happen to need some herbs." Yi Yun did not conceal his intentions. He was capable of heroic deeds but this particular matter was a challenging one. It could even endanger his life. It was impossible for Yi Yun to just sacrifice himself to save others, but it was different when rewards were involved.

"You cannot be found by the Martial Numinous Palace now. Why don't you spend this time with Wang Mu's family?" suggested Yi Yun.

"Okay, thank you very much, Young Master." Xiaoqing was overjoyed as she immediately nodded. Following that, she was sucked into the God Advent Tower that Yi Yun summoned out.

Yi Yun put away the God Advent Tower and looked around. With a flash, he vanished from where he stood. The next instant, he appeared several kilometers away. He walked casually into the main street and joined the crowds.

Yi Yun naturally knew where the Li household was after probing Li Yunfeng's memories. He even had a general idea of how security in the Li household was, as well as where the important members of the Li family lived.

He soon arrived at a spot a few thousand feet away from the Li household. He entered a tea shop, ordered, and slowly drank his tea. He waited until nightfall before he noiselessly crept up to the wall by the Li family's backyard. With a flash, he directly entered the Li household.

A bright moon hung high in the night sky. It draped the ground with a faint layer of silver. However, the bright moon failed to illuminate Yi Yun's shadow.

Yi Yun silently strolled through the Li family's backyard like a intelligent cat. Wherever he passed, space would distort, completely concealing his presence. As such, even when Yi Yun approached the guards, they failed to notice anything.

The strongest person in the Li family was Li Yunshang's father, Li Qijian. He was the patriarch of the Li family.

Yi Yun would dread it if he had to fight Li Qijian but according to Li Yunfeng's memories, Li Qijian had been in seclusion for several years. A person in seclusion was fully focused on cultivation so Yi Yun was not afraid that he would be discovered by him.

Following the layout according to the memories, Yi Yun slowly approached Li Yunshang's residence. He believed that was where he would most likely find Wang Mu's wife.

…

At that moment in the Li household—

Li Jiuxiao's figure landed inside a yard. He was fuming with anger as the aura he released sent quakes throughout the yard. If not for the array formation protecting it, the house might have already collapsed.

The servants in the yard kept silent.

"Uncle, don't be angry over Yunfeng any longer. I'm sad for Yunfeng's passing too."

A somewhat neutral sounding voice was heard as a man in white walked into the yard.

He was none other than Li Yunshang.

He had long hair and he held a jade flute in his hand. His clothes fluttered in the wind, making him look like a distinguished scholar of the mortal world.

Li Jiuxiao sighed. "If Yunfeng had your strength, he would not have suffered such an outcome."

Li Yunshang sighed lightly and said, "It's truly a pity for Yunfeng, Uncle. However, don't let the anger consume you. We still have an important matter to take care of. Once it is done, we will find some herbal treasures that will definitely improve your body. Your strength will be further enhanced. When that time comes, you might even be able to have offspring more excellent than Yunfeng. I believe he will rest in peace in the netherworld, knowing that our family is stronger."

Upon hearing Li Yunshang's words, Li Jiuxiao felt enlivened. Indeed, if they found the ancient herbal garden, his strength could improve once again. In comparison, the loss of a son would be something he could view as an acceptable loss. He could just have another one.

"Are you done with that woman?"

Li Yunshang nodded. "Almost done. I have already fed her a Mind Loss Gu. I can control some of her actions. In a few days, her mind will be completely under my control."

"Alright, that's good…"

Li Jiuxiao drew in a deep breath. His nephew had a myriad of methods at his disposal and he was very vicious. Wang Mu had succumbed to him without even knowing it.

As for Wang Mu's wife, Li Yunshang had used another method. He did not silence her but instead aimed to slowly take control of her mind. He planned on adding her to his harem and slowly using her for dual cultivation.

Even Li Jiuxiao felt a chill down his back when he saw such relentless schemes. In the future, when Li Yunshang had fully developed his strength and became the Li family's patriarch, it was unknown what was in store for him. Regardless, Li Jiuxiao did not wish to offend his nephew. If he made a wrong move, there might come a time when he ended up succumbing to Li Yunshang's tricks without even knowing it.

Upon realizing this, Li Jiuxiao shook his head and said, "Yunshang, have a rest. I still have some pills to refine so that I can treat that guest…"

As Li Jiuxiao spoke, he began walking to his alchemy lab.

As for Li Yunshang, he returned to his residence. Following that, a woman with an enchanting figure and foxy eyes walked out from a tiny yard.

"Young Master Yunshang, you are finally back."

The woman helped Li Yunshang onto a couch before she knelt down and began taking off his shoes.

Li Yunshang allowed the woman to serve him as he asked, "Any updates on the woman?"

The woman began massaging Li Yunshang's feet with the perfect touch. Every knead was precise and even had a certain nomological charm. Clearly, the woman was an expert as well. She was definitely not a useless flower vase; yet, she was willing to act subservient to Li Yunshang.

"She's been in a daze all day. She just sits there all day. I have no idea what's running through her mind."

"I see." Li Yunshang nodded. The Mind Loss Gu's effects were turning more apparent. In a few days, her mind would fall under his complete control, making her into a perfect sex slave he could use. When that time came, he could use her to cultivate in his 'Pure Bliss Sutra.'

Upon thinking of this, the corners of Li Yunshang's mouth curved up. Wang Mu's wife had a unique bloodline. She was the perfect tool for his cultivation of the Pure Bliss Sutra. Unfortunately, Wang Mu had wasted a perfectly good treasure by taking his wife's primordial Yin. Li Yunshang had long wanted this woman for himself.

Meanwhile, there was no one in the yard. Space began to slightly distort as Yi Yun stood silently there.

He had heard the entire conversation between Li Jiuxiao and Li Yunshang.

"Mind Loss Gu… This Li Yunshang sure is vicious." Yi Yun looked coldly at the spot where Li Yunshang had stood.

However, he would only stir the Li family if he killed him now.

Yi Yun turned to look at where the female servant had walked out from. He would not be surprised if Wang Mu's wife was located inside the small yard.

There were a few guards patrolling the yard's interior. At the same time, there were a few female servants waiting by the door. And he could sense a person inside the building. It was very likely Wang Mu's wife.

"Since I want to access the herbal garden, saving Wang Mu's wife is only right. It's not only for me to gain information, it also allows me to repay the favor to them." Yi Yun had such thoughts as he infiltrated the yard without being detected.

The people in the yard did not discover Yi Yun at all. Soon, Yi Yun came to a spot outside a building. All he needed to do was put Wang Mu's wife into the God Advent Tower and secretly sneak away.

But at that moment, something out of the ordinary happened!

Yi Yun suddenly sensed a cold aura rapidly sweep past the area above the small yard. Following that, the aura rapidly locked onto him!

Yi Yun instantly felt his limbs turn cold.

Who is it!?

Yi Yun had been especially careful in everything he did tonight. Apart from Li Qijian, Yi Yun did not believe that anyone would be capable of discovering him.

Could Li Qijian have exited seclusion?

That's not right!

Yi Yun suddenly sensed that the cold aura was familiar. An image that left him stifled appeared in his mind. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

The aura belonged to… Myriad God Patriarch!!

Yi Yun suddenly recalled that Li Jiuxiao had mentioned that he was refining pills for a guest to treat his injuries. Could the injured guest be Myriad God Patriarch?

True Martial World - Chapter 1380: Concealed Truth

In a blink of an eye, the two Martial Numinous Palace men were dead. Xiaoqing, who was wallowing in despair just a moment ago, just watched as Yi Yun approached her. She could not believe whatever she had just seen.

"There's no need for you to be afraid. I won't harm you. I'm the person they mentioned who killed Li Yunfeng," said Yi Yun as he looked at the pale Xiaoqing.

"Ah? You… you…" Xiaoqing looked at Yi Yun in astonishment. Yi Yun did not fear Xiaoqing leaking news of the murder. After all, he was planning to take her away with him.

Xiaoqing took a long while to calm herself. She obviously knew who Li Yunfeng was. A core disciple of the Martial Numinous clan had been killed by this stranger just like that?

She stood up and bowed at Yi Yun. "Young Master, thank you for saving me. Now you are implicated on my behalf. For you to kill people from the Martial Numinous Palace just like that…"

"It doesn't help to worry about it now since they are already dead. Besides, I have already killed Li Yunfeng. They are nothing compared to him," said Yi Yun nonchalantly.

It was certain that if Xiaoqing were to have been taken away by the duo, she would definitely have ended up in a tragic state. She might've even suffered a fate worse than death. In that context, finishing off the duo so quickly was going too easy on them.

"Young Master, might I ask where Old Master Wang and the rest are?" Xiaoqing probed carefully.

"They are very safe," said Yi Yun.

Yi Yun was rather impressed with Xiaoqing. She had a hard time just earning a living but she continued providing financial assistance to her previous master. Such a faithful and affectionate girl should not be implicated because of his act of murder. Therefore, Yi Yun had not hesitated to help her.

"That's good." Xiaoqing patted her chest lightly and heaved a sigh of relief. For some baffling reason, she chose to believe whatever Yi Yun said. Besides, Yi Yun had easily killed the two from Martial Numinous Palace. He was definitely very powerful. There was no reason for such a powerful person to deceive her.

"Let us leave this place first. I have some questions for you," said Yi Yun. When he killed the duo, he had already released his domain, sealing off two hundred feet around him. It guaranteed that no auras leaked out.

After the incident, there was no way Xiaoqing could return home. When she heard what Yi Yun said, she naturally nodded in agreement.

Minutes after Yi Yun departed with Xiaoqing, a group of people appeared in the remote alley.

Li Jiuxiao broke the space that had been sealed shut by the domain. His eyes gloomily took in the two corpses on the ground. With an angry bellow, a flame immediately leaped forward and enveloped the two corpses.

"Good-for-nothings!" Li Jiuxiao thought angrily.

They had failed the simple errand of capturing a lowly slave.

Worst of all, the murderer that killed Li Yunfeng dared to kill his men right under his nose!

The lowly slave named Xiaoqing was definitely no match for the duo. The only possible culprit was the one who had killed Li Yunfeng.

Li Jiuxiao felt that he would not be able to hold back his rage if the culprit was not captured quickly.

At the same time, Yi Yun had brought Xiaoqing to a remote yard in Martial City.

He used a simple trick to conceal Xiaoqing's aura, so as to temporarily prevent the Martial Numinous Palace from tracking her.

"Young Master, can I first meet Old Master and the rest?" whispered Xiaoqing.

Yi Yun nodded. "No problem."

He summoned the God Advent Tower and waved his stretched out hand. Xiaoqing immediately felt a suction.

She was alarmed but she knew that it was a spatial artifact. She did not resist and was sucked into the God Advent Tower.

After a while, she came out of the God Advent Tower. She had a smile on her face but she was crying too.

When she saw Yi Yun, she immediately bowed and thanked him. "Thank you, Young Master Yi. You saved Old Master's entire family…"

"Alright, I have a few questions I would like to ask you," said Yi Yun.

"Young Master, please go ahead," said Xiaoqing.

"How did you end up in your present predicament? Aren't you supposed to be serving Madam Wang? What happened? Did she chase you out as well?" Yi Yun asked directly.

Xiaoqing was taken aback before she shook her head. "No, that's not the case. My Madam did not chase me out…"

With that said, tears began dripping down her face like falling beads.

"Madam has actually been placed under house arrest. I was chased out by the ones who did it. They have switched the female attendants that serve Madam with their people. But instead of service, it is actually more surveillance."

What Xiaoqing said caught Yi Yun by surprise. He originally believed that it was highly probable that the poisoning of Wang Mu was his wife's scheme. If not, why would she be preparing to marry someone else before Wang Mu was even dead?

But now, it seemed that there were some concealed truths behind the matter according to Xiaoqing.

Xiaoqing wiped her tears and continued, "Before I was chased out, Madam secretly told me that she regretted finding the ruin. Life did not have such an opportunity planned for them so the obtaining of such an opportunity would cause their deaths."

"Ruin? What ruin?"asked Yi Yun.

If it was a huge opportunity, it was not difficult to understand Wang Mu's misfortune. Someone had eyed his discovery and wanted it for themselves. Therefore, they secretly poisoned Wang Mu and put his wife under house arrest.

Wang Mu was a perfect example of the saying: no weal without woe.

Xiaoqing hesitated for a moment. In the beginning, she was a little hesitant to tell Yi Yun the secret of the ruin, but on further thought, the ruin had caused Wang Mu to be fatally ill and Wang Mu's wife to enter a life worse than death. She might as well tell Yi Yun.

"From what Madam said, it's an ancient herbal garden. Those people already know its precise location. However, opening it is rather troublesome. They have been constantly forcing Madam to do certain things…" As Xiaoqing recounted, she could not help but weep. She had been adopted by Wang Mu's wife from a young age. Instead of calling it a master-servant relationship, it was more like a mother-daughter relationship.

"As for the exact details of the herbal garden, I do not know anything about it. Only Madam and Mister Wang know," said Xiaoqing.

After she finished, she looked uneasily at Yi Yun.

She had learned from the God Advent Tower that Yi Yun had no relationship with the Wang family. He had killed Li Yunfeng only in passing. If Old Man Wang had not given Yi Yun an Entry Pass, he might not have received Yi Yun's help.

And although the herbal garden was very valuable, Yi Yun might not be willing to fight the Martial Numinous Palace for it.

If Yi Yun did not wish to get involved, it would be hopeless for her mistress.

And indeed, Xiaoqing's worry was not without reason. Yi Yun would not go through so much trouble just to save Wang Mu's wife.

However, the herbal garden was enough to entice Yi Yun greatly.

Ancient herbal garden…

For it to be prefaced with the word ancient, it probably meant that it had existed for tens of millions of years or even more than a hundred million years.

Such a long period of time would typically imply that most of the herbs grown in the herbal garden had withered.

And if it were a withered herbal garden, there was no value to it. There had to be something unique about the herbal garden that ensured that the spirit herbs within were well preserved. What kind of herbs could they be?

If there were truly rare herbs growing in the ancient herbal garden, they would be priceless.

True Martial World - Chapter 1379: Torture Tower

According to Li Yunfeng's memories, Wang Mu's wife apparently treated her female attendants quite well. Even if Wang Mu was about to die, why were they chasing away his wife's personal attendant?

The attitude the Heaven Refinement Pavilion showed towards her was vile. If she had a powerful backer, would she have been reduced to such an abject state?

"What are you waiting for? Shouldn't you be leaving now!?" At that moment, Alchemist Wang noticed that there were other alchemists and customers around. He immediately lowered his voice as he berated her.

Xiaoqing knew that the words of a lowly person like her carried little weight. There was no way for her to change Alchemist Wang's decision. All she could do was walk out of Heaven Refinement Pavilion with her head lowered.

Yi Yun felt his heart stir. He gave a cold glance at the alchemist who was dressed in black-and-white. Following that, he walked out of Heaven Refinement Pavilion as well.

Since it was plain to see that the Heaven Refinement Pavilion was gouging him, he would be foolish to continue with the trade.

When the alchemist saw Yi Yun leave without a word, he was taken aback. Following that, he said coldly, "He sure has a temper. However, he will soon learn that the Martial Numinous clan reigns supreme in Martial City."

He was certain that Yi Yun would quickly realize that it was difficult for him to buy herbs in any of the medicinal clinics in Martial Numinous Palace.

At that moment, Yi Yun was already following Xiaoqing from a good distance away. With Xiaoqing's cultivation level, she would not have noticed him even if he were walking right behind her.

Xiaoqing's eyes were red as she silently focused on getting to her destination. Soon, she left the main street and walked into a small alley.

As a female servant, Xiaoqing stayed in a rather remote place. Her living conditions could not be considered good at all.

The alley crossed through many intersecting alleys. Yi Yun locked his perception on Xiaoqing's location as he followed her without haste.

Suddenly, there was a scream coming from Xiaoqing's direction.

Yi Yun heart stirred as he flashed. In a blink of an eye, he had appeared close to Xiaoqing.

At that moment, Xiaoqing was being surrounded by two men. However, they did not seem to be engaging in any lewd acts. They looked fierce but were only questioning Xiaoqing.

One of them bellowed coldly, "Slut, tell me quickly. Where are Wang Mu and that undying old dad of his, as well as his daughter?!"

Xiaoqing looked at the duo fearfully. Her body huddled towards the corner of the walls as she shook her head with all her might and said, "I really do not know anything… I'm no longer a servant of the Wang household. How would I know where they are…"

"You dare give excuses?" The other, a bald man, said with a scoff. "That Wang Mu is already like a dead wretch. In order to save him and keep him alive, his father and daughter have expended large amounts of Spirit Jade. It's quite a tragedy. As for you, someone who supposedly has nothing to do with them, you have given them financial assistance every month. You've provided them with food and Spirit Jade. Do you think we do not know of that? Yet you dare tell us that you have nothing to do with the Wang household!?"

Xiaoqing's expression turned pale. It turned out that the duo had already investigated all she had done.

"I… I did send them some things. That's because Old Master Wang is advanced in his years and Miss Xiao is still young. I could not help but do something on account of our relationship as master and servant of yesteryear. However, I really do not know where they are at present… Did… did something happen to them?" asked Xiaoqing.

"Slut, it looks like you still hold out hope until you are faced with the grim reality. Wang Mu colluded with others to kill Elder Li's beloved son, Young Master Li Yunfeng. Now, they are fleeing to escape punishment. Regardless if you do know anything or not, I'll bring you back to Torture Tower. There, we will naturally know if you speak the truth. There are many punishments in Torture Tower that were specifically created for women. Just a taste of those punishments is a truly memorable experience…" As the bald man said this, he looked at Xiaoqing and his eyes sparkled with a warped and lascivious look.

Upon hearing the words, 'Torture Tower,' Xiaoqing received a jolt. Her entire body shook for she clearly knew what Torture Tower was. People who entered it seldom came out alive. Furthermore, people would receive inhumane torture in there, especially women. They would suffer endless sexual abuse.

"No…you can't bring me to Torture Tower…" Xiaoqing retreated in despair but there was nowhere for her to retreat to.

"Hahaha, do you think you have any say in this matter? It's best you come with us obediently. If not, we will need to give you some private punishments here. There are a few torture techniques from Torture Tower that I have long been eager to try." The other man licked his lips and flashed her a sinister grin.

As the duo approached Xiaoqing with burning killing intent, the bald man that was walking in the back suddenly felt a chill run down his back. He suddenly turned his head and saw a young man standing behind him.

Yi Yun appeared to be a passer-by as he walked over one step at a time.

"Who are you?"

Upon seeing Yi Yun, the bald man's heart skipped a beat. He had not noticed any other people around them. Only when the man got close did he actually realize he was there.

"Halt. We are carrying out the duties of Martial Numinous Palace. It's none of your business so leave quickly," said the man with the cold expression.

Xiaoqing's face was filled with despair. Although a stranger had suddenly appeared, she knew that no one in Martial City would interfere with matters that involved the Martial Numinous clan.

However, Yi Yun did what none of them expected, he continued walking towards them slowly as though he had not heard him.

"Are you deaf?" The bald man frowned as he took out a token and lifted it up. "We are under orders from the Martial Numinous Palace's Elder Li Jiuxiao…"

At that moment, the bald man suddenly saw a blur. Yi Yun, who was more than ten steps away, suddenly appeared in front of him. His hand stretched out as he slapped him brutally in the face.

The slap sent the bald man flying. He turned dizzy as the taste of blood filled his mouth. As for the token, it clanged to the ground.

Pa!

Yi Yun stepped on the token and shattered it instantly!

Only then did Yi Yun glance at the bald man. His expression was no difference from the one a person had when looking at trash on the streets.

The cold man was appalled. The stranger had attacked too quickly. Furthermore, the token was an artifact refined by a refining master. It was extremely solid. How could it be easily shattered with a stomp? The ground was not harder than the token. Logically speaking, the ground should have shattered instead. How did he do it?

"Bro, I don't care who you are. You are in big trouble to attack Martial Numinous clansmen in Martial City!" The cold man retreated rapidly. As he retreated he shouted and reached his hand out to touch his interspatial ring.

But!

With a whoosh, Yi Yun's figure appeared instantly in front of him. He kicked him straight in the chest!

"Wah!" The cold man spewed a mouthful of blood. His chest depressed from the kick as his bones shattered. His organs were reduced to mush yet he was still, unluckily, alive.

Immediately following that, Yi Yun returned to the spot in front of the bald man.

"You… you dare kill people from Martial Numinous Palace…" The bald man looked at Yi Yun in panic.

"So noisy." Yi Yun lifted his foot and stomped down.

With a crack, the bald man's neck broke. He stared with widened eyes as he took his last breath. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

True Martial World - Chapter 1378: Female Attendant

At that moment, the attendant that greeted Yi Yun returned. Following him was another thin and tiny middle-aged alchemist dressed in black and white. He had a sullen expression.

"Sir, I have already inquired for you. Our store has three of the herbs you are looking for: Ghee Fragrance, Snakethroat Grass, and Dragon Bloodworm," said the attendant.

Yi Yun was delighted. He never expected to be able to buy that many rare herbs at one go. He was pleasantly surprised that he could find three strains on sale.

"How much Spirit Jade for these three strains of herbs?" asked Yi Yun.

The attendant smiled and said, "Sir, our Heaven Refinement Pavilion seldom sells its herbs to external parties. Furthermore, our selling price is relatively higher than most."

"How much is it exactly?" asked Yi Yun calmly. In fact, he was already prepared to pay more Spirit Jade when he came to the Martial Numinous clan. The person had only said those things to admonish him.

"It appears you have just come to Martial City. You do not have any labels of other Martial Numinous clan stores either. A warrior such as yourself can cooperate with the Martial Numinous clan. Our Martial Numinous clan recruits all the best elites in the world, so you can choose to sign a contract with us and work for our Heaven Refinement Pavilion. Then, you will be able to purchase herbs at a discount. Furthermore, by working with us, you do not need to leave the sect you hail from," said the alchemist with a smile.

He stretched out his hand and beckoned as a contract appeared out of thin air in front of Yi Yun.

Yi Yun's expression immediately turned cold after he swept his glance over it.

There were way too many restrictions in the contract.

He already knew that the Martial Numinous clan would be extremely stringent towards outsiders. But he never imagined that they would try to directly recruit him as a servant of the Martial Numinous clan.

He had likely noticed that Yi Yun had pretty good strength for a mortal-born and had thoughts of recruiting him.

The alchemist was a member of the Martial Numinous clan and, although he treated Yi Yun politely on the surface, he was actually very arrogant deep down.

When the attendant mentioned that they seldom sold their herbs to external parties, what he meant was that they seldom sold their herbs to mortal-born.

"I have no interest in working for you. For the sake of your business, there is no reason to reject any sales and purchases that come your way. I'm only here to buy herbs." Yi Yun directly rejected the contract.

"In truth I was being considerate of you because it's impossible for you to afford it." The alchemist frowned when he was so immediately rejected. He had been rather cordial but he never expected Yi Yun to reject his kind intentions.

How dare a mortal-born say he was uninterested when the Heaven Refinement Pavilion had taken the initiative to recruit him…

He did not know what pill Yi Yun was planning to refine with the selected herbs. However, one of the items—the Dragon Bloodworm—could be used to refine pills that aided breakthroughs. It was for this reason that the alchemist was interested in recruiting Yi Yun.

Having a first-storey Dao Palace on the brink of a breakthrough was quite a good cultivation level. Unfortunately, he wasn't smart. He did not know that without the backing of the Martial Numinous clan, it was very difficult to survive in Martial City.

Most mortal-born that came to Martial City would be all too eager to sign a contract with the Martial Numinous clan and work for it.

"You can buy them directly too. Two Godly Monarch Immortal Annuli and these three herbs are yours." The alchemist scoffed as he said this with a teasing tone.

Yi Yun's expression sank immediately.

They might as well rob him if they were going to price the herbs with Godly Monarch Immortal Annuli.

Those items were at most worth about forty to fifty million mid-grade Spirit Jade, not even half a Godly Monarch Immortal Annulus!

Furthermore, Yi Yun had searched Li Yunfeng's soul. He knew that the Martial Numinous clan had purchased these herbs at a much lower price.

Just because he was mortal-born, the Martial Numinous clan's alchemists would demand an exorbitant price. The alchemist did not believe that Yi Yun could produce two Godly Monarch Immortal Annuli. He had named that price because he was unhappy with Yi Yun's rejection of his offer. He believed that Yi Yun could still change his mind and sign the contract.

Yi Yun's gaze turned heavy. Were it not for him being in Martial Numinous Palace, he would have really considered robbing them of their herbs.

It was impossible for him to buy the herbs with two Godly Monarch Immortal Annuli. However, it was also impossible for him to sign a contract to work for them.

At that moment, the silence was cut by a sudden loud dispute, interrupting whatever was happening on Yi Yun's side.

"I already said it's worth five points!" By the corner, a low-grade alchemist said angrily.

And in front of him, a thin and frail girl said anxiously, "How can it be that little? Alchemist Wang, take a good look again. This Firemoney Grass has three hundred years to it. I went to great effort to snatch it from the mouth of the herb's companion, the Firemoney Beast. I nearly lost my life…"

As she said that, the girl's eyes welled up in tears.

"Heh heh, it is true that this Firemoney Grass is three hundred years old but you did not seal the spirit energy within before slowly plucking it whole. This caused its roots to be damaged and made it lose a lot of its energy. It was also not well preserved, so now it's almost a useless herb," said Alchemist Wang slowly.

"But…" The petite girl hung her head low as she pinched her fingers. With her cultivation level, it was already life-threatening just to pluck the Firemoney Grass. How was it possible for her to do all of that extra stuff?

Yi Yun glanced at the Firemoney Grass and noticed that it was indeed damaged. However, it was an exaggeration to call it useless. He gained a rough idea of how the Martial Numinous clan's points worked when he searched Li Yunfeng's soul.

Five points was equivalent to about five hundred Spirit Jade. It was lower than the price of Firemoney Grass.

"No buts! Hmph! Based on this count, the amount of herbs you have submitted today does not meet the requirements. As punishment, you will have two points deducted! Don't forget, you are contracted to the Martial Numinous clan as a female servant. You currently have no qualifications to serve others. It's already fortunate for you that you haven't been forced to do sordid acts. Instead, all we ask is that you come to our Heaven Refinement Pavilion daily and deliver enough herbs!" said Alchemist Wang impatiently.

"Ah?" The petite girl looked up suddenly and widened her eyes. "Alchemist Wang, how can you do that… You even deducted two of my points. How am I to survive…"

As she said this, tears began dripping down her face.

At that moment, the watching Yi Yun's eyes lit up.

The petite girl looked familiar but he did not believe that he had seen the girl before. He scoured through his memories and found a familiar face from Li Yunfeng's memories.

"She is… the personal attendant of Wang Mu's wife, Xiaoqing."

Back when Yi Yun searched Li Yunfeng's soul, he was informed of the internal structure of the Martial Numinous clan as well as the situation regarding Wang Mu and his wife. With that, he had identified the petite girl.

As the personal attendant of Wang Mu's wife, why was Xiaoqing here? Furthermore, why was she now a herb-picking servant for the Heaven Refinement Pavilion?

True Martial World - Chapter 1377: Martial Numinous Palace

"What? Feng'er's Life Slip has shattered!?"

In a picturesque garden in Martial Numinous Palace, a meditating middle-aged man suddenly opened his eyes.

His eyes looked like those of a wild beast that was about to swallow a person whole. They burned as he stared intently at the broken jade slip in the maidservant's hands. She held her breath, afraid that the middle-aged man would direct his anger at her.

The middle-aged man extended his hand and beckoned. The broken jade slip flew into his hand. It carried a wisp of Li Yunfeng's remnant soul, which caused the jade slip to crack the moment he died. Not only that, but the jade slip had a spiritual connection to Li Yunfeng that allowed one to sense the general location of Li Yunfeng's death. If he was lucky and fast, the murderer might not have left the scene yet.

The middle-aged man looked at the jade slip with a contorted expression. For the Martial Numinous clan with its ancient bloodline, their ability to reproduce was poorer than mortal-borns. Even as people who could live for tens of thousands of years, they had few offspring. The purer the bloodline, the more that was true. For example, Li Yunfeng's father Li Jiuxiao only had eight children. Li Yunfeng was his most outstanding child.

The rage Li Yunfeng's death caused Li Jiuxiao was unimaginable.

And fifteen minutes after Yi Yun had left, Li Jiuxiao arrived in the elderly Wang's residence. However, it was completely empty as far as he could see.

"Ah!"

Li Jiuxiao roared as the entire house was destroyed by Yuan Qi. Amid the destruction, he swept his surroundings with his perception. Yet, he failed to discover anything. It chilled Li Jiuxiao's heart for it meant that his son might have died for nothing!

His son had been killed in Martial City but the murderer was nowhere to be found. The helpless, exasperated feeling drove him mad.

As he looked at the ruins of the house, Li Jiuxiao scanned the area with a gloomy expression. He said to the subordinates behind him, "Immediately investigate! Tell me where this is!"

"Master, there is no need to investigate. This is Wang Mu's residence. Young Master Yunfeng had mentioned earlier that he would be making a trip here. As Wang Mu is no longer a Martial Numinous clan disciple, there were clansmen who planned on repossessing his house. And since Young Master knew Wang Mu, he came here to pay him a visit…" said a subordinate.

"Wang Mu!" Li Jiuxiao's gaze turned cold as he raised his hand to interrupt his subordinate.

Li Jiuxiao naturally knew his son's personality very well. It was impossible that Li Yunfeng meant to pay Wang Mu a pleasant visit. It was more likely that he had come to kick Wang Mu while he was down.

Li Jiuxiao did not care for Li Yunfeng's reason for coming here, but for his son to die here made the matter entirely different. No matter who it was, the person who dared touch Li Yunfeng was to be skinned alive and tortured for a thousand years until death!

…

And at that moment, Li Yunfeng's murderer, Yi Yun, was already outside Martial Numinous Palace. The palace was a city within a city. Surrounding Martial Numinous Palace was a sturdy wall that was a hundred meters tall. It penetrated the clouds with its black metal construction. The walls looked extremely thick and they were engraved with Dao patterns. After thousands of years of augmentation by the Martial Numinous clan's array masters, the Dao patterns were already one with the city walls. The moment they were triggered, the city walls would become strongly fortified.

Martial Numinous clansmen guarded the four sides of the city wall. All of them wore uniform silver battle armor and held spears in hand. They looked spirit-like with the billowing aura of the legendary green dragon. Just the way they stood made outsiders palpitate when they arrived in front of Martial Numinous Palace.

Martial Numinous Palace prohibited flying so Yi Yun walked straight in.

"Entry Pass!"

When Yi Yun approached the city gates, two stocky Martial Numinous clansmen demanded with muffled voices.

Yi Yun showed them his Entry Pass.

"The palace's entry fee is a hundred mid-grade Spirit Jade!"

Yi Yun's brows pricked up. The Martial Numinous clansmen could enter the Martial Numinous Palace for free but demanded an entry fee from outsiders. However, they made it expensive, keeping out poor warriors for they had no way to afford it.

Yi Yun threw out a bag of Spirit Jade and immediately stepped into Martial Numinous Palace.

Although Martial Numinous Palace was called a palace, it was not where the Martial Numinous royalty stayed. Instead, it was where the rest of the Martial Numinous clansmen stayed. It was like a city of its own. There was a three-hundred-foot wide street that greeted any visitor. On both sides of the street were magnificent buildings. They ranged from stores to restaurants. There were many people on the streets. The restaurants also had managers and waiters. However, there were no eunuchs or palatial maids.

After searching through Li Yunfeng's soul, Yi Yun had a general understanding of Martial Numinous Palace's layout. He headed directly to Heaven Refinement Pavilion.

The towering Heaven Refinement Pavilion was exquisitely built, with numerous floors. The entrance had a plaque with the words 'Heaven Refinement' written on it. The calligraphy was written with a potent flair.

The Dao of Alchemy could lead to the heavens. At its most profound levels, one could refine pills that defy and overturn the Heavenly Dao. But that was only a legendary realm. The divine alchemist wanted to refine the Elixir of Resurrection. If he had succeeded, it would have been a first-grade Heaven Refinement pill but unfortunately, he failed.

For Heaven Refinement Pavilion to have the words 'Heaven Refinement' in its name showcased the great confidence of its alchemists.

Just when Yi Yun arrived in front of Heaven Refinement Pavilion, an attendant immediately came to welcome him.

The attendant was dressed in alchemical robes. He was a low-grade alchemist with a Dao Manifestation cultivation level.

Heaven Refinement Pavilion's attendants were all low-grade alchemists, which also spoke volumes about its standards.

"Sir, is there anything I can help you with?" asked the attendant as he walked over.

"I'm here to buy some medicine," said Yi Yun, and then he casually mentioned the few herbs he wanted.

Yi Yun wanted to refine a pill needed for the Dragon Emperor Technique. The pill recipe was the only one of its kind so he was not afraid that these alchemists could make any connection from the few strains of herbs he requested.

The attendant nodded and led Yi Yun into the shop. Following that, he said, "Sir, please wait a moment. I will inquire on your behalf."

"Alright."

Yi Yun began browsing through the shop. The level he was on was likely used for display purposes. He did not see any rare herbs, and most of what he saw were pills refined by Heaven Refinement Pavilion alchemists. Their grades were not that high either.

It was likely that the really good items could only be seen upstairs.

Just as Yi Yun was waiting, a group of people arrived outside.

They were dressed simply and had low cultivation levels.

The moment they arrived at the door, another attendant walked out of Heaven Refinement Pavilion and brought them to a corner inside the store. Following that, an alchemist was invited out. His alchemical achievements and cultivation level were slightly higher than the attendant's but still failed to catch Yi Yun's eye.

The moment the alchemist appeared, these people retrieved bags of items from their interspatial rings.

Yi Yun did not pay much attention to them after taking a glance at them. These people were likely here to deliver the herbs that they had gathered. The herbs they produced were fresh and the alchemists were responsible for evaluating them.

From the looks of it, they were herb pickers from the Heaven Refinement Pavilion. The entire process was something that happened often. Everyone remained silent and only handed their herbs over. If they were there to sell herbs, it was unlikely that they would have such expressions. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

True Martial World - Chapter 1376: Heaven Refinement Pavilion

"Young Master, why… why did you…"

The color in the elder's face drained. He never imagined that Yi Yun would act so ruthlessly and decisively by killing everyone.

Yi Yun did not turn to face the elder but said, "There's no need to panic. I will clean up this mess."

Clean up?

The elder was taken aback. How could the situation be cleaned up when it was in such a dire state?

However, he wasn't too worried about the Martial Numinous clan's revenge. After all, his son's days were numbered and his own life was of no importance. The only thing that truly worried him was his young granddaughter Xiaoxiao. She had limitless possibilities ahead of her. He did not wish for her to die young.

The elder was at a loss as to what to do when he saw Yi Yun suddenly smack the green jar in his hand. A green smoke flew out of the jar, manifesting into a ferocious face that had bared fangs.

"This is…"

The elder's eyelids twitched. The green face was nothing less than a demon.

"Master, what do you need of me?"

"Search his soul," said Yi Yun simply.

Poison Demon cried out as he pounced onto the youth. Although Yi Yun had destroyed his soul sea, scattered memories could still be dredged up before the soul completely dissipated.

And when it came to searching souls, Poison Demon was an expert. The information obtained would be a lot more detailed than if Yi Yun were to do so.

At that moment, the manager-like middle-aged man regained consciousness. When he saw the youth's soul being searched, he was frightened out of his wits.

Yi Yun gave the plump manager a glance and was just about to finish him off when he suddenly noticed that Xiaoxiao was glaring at the plump manager with eyes filled with hate.

Yi Yun's heart stirred. The scene in front of them was a rather bloody one. Yi Yun originally believed that a young lady of about sixteen years of age would turn pale from such a shocking scene yet she was able to take it all in.

An environment influenced a person greatly. Even a weak young lady would have her bloodthirstiness triggered by tragic enough circumstances.

Yi Yun asked Xiaoxiao, "Do you hate him?"

"Yes, they were the ones who harmed my father!"

"Have this." Yi Yun casually swiped his interspatial ring and handed a short sword to Xiaoxiao.

It was a short sword Yi Yun obtained from Cang Wu. As a Supremacy's short sword, it was naturally of very high quality.

"I'm giving this sword to you. You can be the one to kill him."

Xiaoxiao received the sword. Hands trembling, she grabbed the blade, which cut her hands and left blood on the ice-cold blade.

Xiaoxiao took a deep breath as she put all her strength into plunging the sword into the plump manager's chest.

"Puah!"

The sword penetrated his body as his eyes went wide. After convulsing a few times, he took his last breath.

Xiaoxiao drew out the sword as she panted heavily. The strike seemed to have enervated her strength.

Yi Yun gave an approving nod. In this world where strength reigned supreme, such fierceness made it easier to survive. A frail and kind girl could survive if she had a powerful background; if not, she would only end in tragedy.

At that moment, Yi Yun could not help but size up Xiaoxiao carefully. He was surprised to discover that the girl's constitution was not bad. Furthermore, she had a unique bloodline in her.

Oh?

Yi Yun was puzzled. According to the elder's recount, Wang Mu was of ordinary birth. The elder was also a mortal-born through and through. They did not seem to have any special bloodlines. Could the girl's bloodline come from her mother?

What sort of person was Wang Mu's wife?

Regardless, the girl named Xiaoxiao showed potential for practicing martial arts when it came to her talent and character. If she were to join a sect, she was bound to develop her toughness into martial strength.

"The items in this ring are yours to keep."

Yi Yun casually produced an interspatial ring and handed it to Xiaoxiao. The items in it were some spoils of war he had received. They were of no use to him but would give a young girl that was just entering the path of martial arts tremendous help.

"Young Master, this…" Xiaoxiao looked at the interspatial ring. She had cultivated as a child with Wang Mu. She had cultivated to the most basic stage, enough to probe the items in the interspatial ring. She could sense that the items Yi Yun had given her were extremely precious.

"These are some things to help you build up your foundation. In the future, your growth will depend on yourself. Your father might not awaken, after all."

When Yi Yun finished saying that, Poison Demon was done searching the soul and passed the information to Yi Yun.

The dead youth's name was Li Yunfeng. In his fragmented memories, Poison Demon found quite a bit of information about the Martial Numinous clan.

"Oh? This Li Yunfeng's father Li Jiuxiao is actually a top alchemist in the Martial Numinous clan…"

Yi Yun was quite surprised. Li Yunfeng had quite a stunning background. His father held a high post in the Martial Numinous clan and controlled a lot of the clan's resources. That was actually why Li Yunfeng had such a cultivation level at such a young age, his father had provided him a large number of resources. Unfortunately, he had crossed Yi Yun who was on a completely different level.

The Martial Numinous clan's alchemical methods were considered above average. The pills the clan's alchemists produced alone were insufficient to meet the Martial Numinous clan's demands. Therefore, the Martial Numinous clan needed to trade pills with external factions.

Internally, the Martial Numinous clan had a place known as the Heaven Refinement Pavilion. It sold all sorts of treasured herbs. According to Li Yunfeng's memories, it housed many herbs that Yi Yun was interested in.

As such, Yi Yun decided that he had to visit the Heaven Refinement Pavilion at once.

Having thought through this, Yi Yun flicked his finger, sending a few fireballs out. He incinerated the five corpses and the ashes scattered into the wind.

Following that, a tiny pagoda appeared in Yi Yun's hand. "Do not resist. Enter it directly. Once I settle this whole matter, I will bring you out of the city and settle you down in a safe area."

As Yi Yun spoke, the tiny pagoda expanded rapidly. The elder and Xiaoxiao felt a suction. The elder was quite knowledgeable and immediately knew that it was an abode-type artifact. He did not resist it and was sucked into the God Advent Tower.

Following that, Yi Yun fed Wang Mu a pill that temporarily sealed his vitality. He placed Wang Mu into the God Advent Tower for he could not treat Wang Mu at this time.

After finishing all of this, Yi Yun's appearance changed once again. His body became thinner as his appearance became more ordinary. He looked like the average man on the street and his cultivation level was once again reduced to the first-storey Dao Palace.

After that, Yi Yun transformed into a wisp of blue smoke, vanishing from the house.

Even if the Martial Numinous clan reacted quickly, it would be very difficult for them to pin the blame on him.

And at that moment, in Martial Numinous Palace, a white Life Slip cracked sharply and broke into two. The female attendants who were in charge of watching the Life Slips turned pale instantly.

True Martial World - Chapter 1375: It's the choice you made

"Old Sir, please take off your son's shirt. Let me give it a try."

When the elder heard Yi Yun's words, his eyes welled with agitated tears. He quickly took off his son's shirt while Xiaoxiao rushed to prepare a basin of warm water.

Just as Yi Yun was about to feel Wang Mu's pulse in a bid to fill Wang Mu's dantian with Yuan Qi, he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps coming from a distance. Immediately following that—

"Peng!"

The side yard's door was kicked open. The wooden door was unable to withstand the force and was nearly sent flying off its hinges.

A middle-aged man that looked like the manager of a store strode into the yard. Standing beside him was a handsome white-dressed youth with a paper fan in hand. Behind the two of them were three strongmen.

"Old Man Wang, why the hell are you still here?"

As the middle-aged man spoke, he made his way into the room. Without a need for him to say a word, the strongman beside him kicked open the room's door.

"You!"

The elder's heart sank when he saw the youth suddenly barge in. He never expected that trouble would appear just as Yi Yun was about to save his son.

"Oh? This nearly dead son of yours is still alive? I told you a long time ago that this house has been left to me. I have been very kind to let you stay here this long. I don't care if your son dies but don't let him die in my house. It's bad luck!"

After the middle-aged man said that, he noticed Yi Yun. He glanced at him and asked, "Who are you?"

Yi Yun put Wang Mu's wrist down. As he looked at the slightly plump manager, he swept with his perception and saw that his cultivation level was very ordinary. He was no one of importance.

Instead, it was the youth who was following behind him that seemed to be of some worth. Of course, that was only in comparison to his peers. Next to Yi Yun, he was nothing.

However, the youth did have some unique characteristics that attracted Yi Yun's attention. The aura in his dantian was somewhat different. There was an extremely dense aura within it that seemed to project onto the youth's skin. It formed a tattoo that resembled elephant tusks on his chest.

"Martial Numinous…"

Yi Yun had previously read a briefing on the Martial Numinous clan that was written on the Nine Li Magus Empire's map. The tattoo was known as Martial Numinous, a symbol of the Martial Numinous clan. The clansmen with purer bloodlines would have more mystical tattoos.

Be it the Sinkhole or the 12 Empyrean Heavens, there had been many races that spread from the ancient times. For example, Old Snake and Snake Girl belonged to a race that could trace its roots to a declined ancient mystic race.

As for the Martial Numinous clan, it was an ancient race that had been in existence for hundreds of millions of years. Their clansmen had a very strong sense of racial superiority.

Upon seeing the plump manager target Yi Yun, the elder's heart tightened. This group of people acted overbearingly and were completely unreasonable. He was afraid that Yi Yun would be implicated so he hurriedly went forward and said, "This young master is a guest of my tea shop. I invited him here to diagnose my son."

"What? Diagnose? Hahaha!" The plump manager roared with laughter. "Your son is already a cripple and lingering on his last breath. Yet, you still think he can be saved? Are you trying to make me die from laughing?"

The youth beside the plump manager sized up Yi Yun before looking back at Wang Mu's father. He chuckled and said, "Are you Wang Mu's father? You look like an elderly farmer. Wang Mu's talent was so good but his father is a useless piece of old junk. What a pity."

The youth's tone was extremely biting. It was merciless mockery. In fact, he was an inner-sect disciple of the Martial Numinous clan. He had a strong background and, with his status, he thought nothing of Wang Mu's house. The person that wanted Wang Mu's house was the fat manager. As for the youth, he was only here to see Wang Mu in an abject state.

Back when Wang Mu entered the Martial Numinous clan, he had astounding talent and was highly appreciated by one of the clan's Elders. He gave Wang Mu many resources, incurring the envy of the other young disciples. For that, this youth had come specially here just to see Wang Mu in his half-dead state.

"Haha, someone of low birth naturally has limited knowledge. It's laughable that he even sought a good-for-nothing mortal-born traveler to Martial City in hopes of healing his son."

The term 'mortal-born' was the way the Martial Numinous clan addressed ordinary humans. Yi Yun previously learned that Martial City's Martial Numinous clan was xenophobic; therefore, he was not surprised by the youth's remarks.

In response, he smiled faintly and slowly raised his hand.

"Pa!"

With a crisp sound, Yi Yun struck out as fast as lightning. The plump manager felt his vision blur before he felt an intense pain from his face. His entire body was sent flying as he spun in midair like a top.

"Peng!"

The plump manager crashed into the ground as his mouth bubbled with blood. He had even spewed out seven or eight bloodied teeth. Yi Yun's slap had nearly destroyed half his face. He was even blinded in his right eye.

"Ah…Ah…"

The plump manager cried out in pain. He looked viciously at Yi Yun in disbelief. He never expected a mortal-blood to strike him directly in Martial City!

"Young Master, you shouldn't do that!"

The elder turned anxious when he saw the situation play out. He never expected Yi Yun to be this rash. Although the plump manager had a low cultivation level, he was still a member of the Martial Numinous clan. The youth also looked like a genius of the Martial Numinous clan. Beating them up would lead to unimaginable circumstances. Although Yi Yun had considerable strength, it seemed impossible for him to take on the Martial Numinous clan.

"You are truly heedless of consequences." Despite seeing him slap the plump manager to near death, the youth with the paper fan did not look at Yi Yun with anger but with pity. To him, the plump manager was only one of his many inconsequential underlings. "A mortal-born that just came to Martial City does not know who it belongs to. Do you know how you could be killed for that? Perhaps the level of misery is something you can't even imagine…"

Just as the youth finished saying that—

"Pa!"

Another slap was delivered by Yi Yun at a speed ten times faster than the first. The youth's look of pity had yet to change before the right side of his face was struck!

An identical attack that did not even differ in the target spot happened. The youth cried out tragically and, like the plump manager, spun more than a dozen times in midair. He crashed heavily to the ground and the right side of his face was completely covered in blood!

Yi Yun had made this blow worse than one he gave to the plump manager. Not only was the right half of the youth's face a mangled mass of blood and flesh, even his bone could be seen. All his teeth, save for a few molars on the left side of his mouth, had fallen off.

However, this youth had some resistance after all. Although he had been beaten into such a tragic state, he remained conscious. His hair was disheveled as he nearly went mad.

"Little…bastard, how dare you hit me! Do you know who I am? Kill him! Kill him!"

The youth pointed at Yi Yun as the three strongmen behind him charged forward. They cooperated very well. One of them aimed at Yi Yun's head, the other at Yi Yun's heart, and the last one aimed at Yi Yun's dantian.

The three attacked from three different directions, aiming at Yi Yun's three major vital spots. Their attacks were striking to kill.

But following that, Yi Yun's figure instantly vanished.

An azure-blue sword tore through the void, slicing a trajectory of death.

"Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!"

The three trajectories penetrated the trio's chests. They found themselves unable to breathe as ice began forming on their skin, turning them into ice sculptures!

"What…"

The youth was terrified instantly. His subordinates had yet to die for they still had some vitality in them. However, none of them could move.

Furthermore, Yi Yun had done all of this in a blink of an eye. Why did this happen? Why was a random mortal-born punk he spontaneously encountered so powerful?

And at that moment, the youth felt his neck turn cold. A sword was aimed at his throat like an ice snake.

The youth's breathing stagnated at that instant. This was the first time he was held hostage under a sword. Although he was afraid, he was not completely shocked out of his wits. His rationale told him that the mortal-born in front of him was probably not daring enough to kill him.

Yi Yun held Mirage Snow and said, "Sign a soul contract with me. If not, this day next year will be the day of your death anniversary."

A soul contract?

Upon hearing this, the youth heaved a sigh of relief. He knew why Yi Yun wanted a soul contract signed. He was afraid of killing him and also afraid that news would leak. By signing a soul contract, the secret could be kept under wraps. However, how could he assent to Yi Yun's wishes?

He sneered and said, "What a joke. An inferior mortal-born actually dares an attempt to enslave me. Do you know who I am!? Your strength is only a result of you cultivating longer. You probably have some mystic technique that retains your youthful looks. You are merely an ant to the Martial Numinous clan. You best release me now or I will extract your soul and let you die a tragic and painful death…"

"Is that so? I was planning on letting you live. Since you have chosen death, I'll grant it to you."

With that said, Yi Yun lifted his hand once again.

"You! What are you doing!?"

The youth was given a fright as he felt extreme danger. "Wait… wait…"

"It's the choice you made."

With that said, Yi Yun struck down heavily with his palm.

"Pa!"

There was a loud explosion as Yi Yun's palm smacked the left side of the youth's face. However, this strike did not mangle his face like before. Instead, his body trembled suddenly and his eyes instantly glazed over, losing all light in them. Yi Yun's slap had shattered the youth's soul sea!

At the same time, a mere thought from Yi Yun caused the three ice sculptures behind the youth to shatter. They felt to the ground as pools of water. The three strongmen that had been frozen were obliterated as a result. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

Following that, Yi Yun casually took out a green jar from his interspatial ring.

Although Myriad God Patriarch was in the city, as long as he did not openly confront others and only caused tiny waves, Yi Yun could remain undetected as long as he left no evidence. No matter how imaginative Myriad God Patriarch was, there was no way he would link this matter to him.