C22 In a Blink of an Eye the Situation Had Reversed

Cornered with no escape, he resolved to fight with all his might.

"Quick!" Soong Yuan roared at Qian Ji, "Give me all your Enhancement, now!"

Qian Ji had no better options.

His fate was sealed.

He could either continue to resist the Thunder-shape Arrow, which would deplete his Fire Essence in about ten breaths, resulting in his death, or he could transfer his Enhancement to Soong Yuan. Even if they couldn't kill Vicious Thunder Grandma, inflicting even a minor wound would be worth it.

Qian Ji made his decision.

With a resounding explosion, he burst forth like a fiery blossom at its peak. A torrent of fire poured down, striking Soong Yuan's left arm, weaving into him in a relentless stream. In a flash, Soong Yuan was in excruciating pain, as if a space had been burned into the depths of his palm. Then, the flames withdrew, settling into that newly created space.

As the pain subsided, Soong Yuan felt a tremendous power coursing through his left palm.

"Die."

Soong Yuan raised his left hand, aimed at Vicious Thunder Grandma, and unleashed a torrent of fire...

"Child's play."

Vicious Thunder Grandma sneered, effortlessly deflecting the attack with a flick of her hand. The lightning she summoned enveloped the flames, diverting them harmlessly to the side, where they exploded against the ground. She remained untouched.

In contrast, a bolt of lightning she hurled at Soong Yuan hit him instantly, blasting him into the wall and embedding him there, forming the shape of a large 'big' character.

The skeletal, phantom-like Vicious Thunder Grandma moved closer, eyeing Soong Yuan coldly. "It seems your mind contains some valuable secrets."

"Absolutely not," Soong Yuan quickly denied.

"We'll see about that," she replied dryly. With a concentrated gaze, Vicious Thunder Grandma's consciousness forcefully delved into Soong Yuan's mind.

Frozen and mentally clouded, Soong Yuan was immobilized. He was completely at her mercy.

"This one's as good as dead," Qian Xiaoruo sighed from afar.

The atmosphere was unsettling.

Qian Ji, having become one with the Fire Essence, had granted his Enhancement to Soong Yuan, sacrificing himself to the flames.

Meanwhile, Qian Xiaoruo was helplessly trapped under the Thunder Tribulation Cloud.

Soong Yuan hung on the wall like a mural, his eyes tightly closed, his expression blank.

Vicious Thunder Grandma let out a chilling laugh, as though she had discovered a hidden gem.

Indeed, as her divine sense delved into Soong Yuan's sea of consciousness, she immediately spotted three extraordinary entities suspended within—exceptionally pure, supremely concentrated, and astonishingly lightweight. Her divine sense clung to them, meticulously identifying their essence...

"These are actually three orbs of Innate Divine Thought. Haha," Vicious Thunder Grandma understood. "The formidable threat I perceived before comes from these. However, this lad possesses no cultivation, no divine sense of his own. His thoughts are elementary, lacking any trace of the strength characteristic of divine sense. Therefore, he's incapable of breaking through the Telekinesis Membrane encasing the divine thoughts. Naturally, he's unable to activate the Innate Divine Thoughts."

"They are all mine now." Vicious Thunder Grandma's divine sense ruthlessly ripped apart the Telekinesis Membrane, intent on dragging each orb of Innate Divine Thought into her own sea of consciousness...

The forceful invasion of Vicious Thunder Grandma's divine sense had left Soong Yuan in a dazed stupor, but he was suddenly startled into clarity. His mind became sharply focused, and he could vividly perceive the orb of Innate Divine Thought. The torrential force of the divine thought surged like an impending flood, a tremendous energy subject to Soong Yuan's single thought.

"Kill!"

Soong Yuan's eyes snapped open, glaring at Vicious Thunder Grandma with rage. With a resounding boom, under his command, the Innate Divine Thought hurtled into Vicious Thunder Grandma's sea of consciousness, raging like a devastating flood, destroying everything in its path.

Qian Xiaoruo stood dumbfounded, witnessing Vicious Thunder Grandma stumble back, clutching her head and wailing in torment. In a frenzy, she bashed her head against the wall, boring a hole, then fell to the ground in hysterics. Sitting up, she began to laugh with a vacant, foolish grin.

"Now's my chance."

Soong Yuan wriggled free with some effort, but as someone with Body Refining Grade One Level Three, he was not to be confined by mere bricks. He jumped down, closed in quickly, and threw a punch. Deprived of her protective lightning, Vicious Thunder Grandma, like a torn sack, was propelled three meters by Soong Yuan's fist, landing hard and lifeless.

At the same time, the Thunder Tribulation Cloud, no longer under the control of Vicious Thunder Grandma, dissipated into nothingness. Qian Xiaoruo was released, once again free.

"What just happened?"

Qian Xiaoruo was in disbelief. Soong Yuan, a man with no cultivation whatsoever, had managed to defeat Vicious Thunder Grandma, a formidable adversary at the Thought Dividing Stage. Even as a witness, she found it hard to believe.

Soong Yuan couldn't possibly disclose the truth: the three spheres of Innate Divine Thought, each wrapped in a Telekinesis Membrane. Vicious Thunder Grandma's Divine Thought had torn one of these membranes, inadvertently assisting Soong Yuan. His intention perfectly aligned to guide that sphere of Innate Divine Thought to attack Vicious Thunder Grandma, destroying her consciousness and driving her insane, which allowed Soong Yuan to finish her with a single punch.

Soong Yuan observed Qian Xiaoruo, pondering how to respond evasively. Suddenly, she slumped to the ground.

"Outside, outside," Soong Yuan murmured as he approached and checked her. She was still breathing, merely unconscious, probably from being trapped by the Thunder Tribulation Cloud for too long, draining her Vital Spirit.

Soong Yuan smirked to himself, "Looks like I'm in charge now."

He quickly searched both Qian Xiaoruo and Vicious Thunder Grandma, finding two interspatial bags. After activating the Universe Crystal Ball, he confirmed the Universe Compass was indeed in Qian Xiaoruo's bag. He finally felt at ease.

The item I've dreamt of acquiring was now mine.

He then conducted an extensive search. Soong Yuan had previously asked Qian Ji for details, which were provided in full. Soong Yuan now knew exactly where the Blazing Fire Sect's three legacy treasures were hidden and how to open the secret chamber.

Not only that, he also found Qian Ji's private hoard of 100,000 Spirit Stones and more than a hundred Cultivation Method Jade Slips. With everything he needed in hand, he departed.

The following day, Multicolored City was rocked by shock and anxiety among tens of thousands of cultivators.

The Blazing Fire Sect had been slaughtered, the Yin Corpse destroyed, and the body of Vicious Thunder Grandma lay unclaimed. The mystery of what had transpired only heightened the fear. Conveniently, a day had passed since Qian Ji had activated the City Protecting Magic Array, which had now run out of Spirit Stones and ceased to function. The Teleportation Magic Arrays were once again operational, prompting many cultivators to leave immediately.

Even those who had come specifically for the Boiling Spring sensed the danger and realized it was too risky for their liking, opting to withdraw quickly.

Within half a day, Multicolored City had grown noticeably quieter.

The inns throughout the city were empty.

The inn where Hsiao Yan was staying was no different, with very few guests around. On his floor, only his room and the one next door were occupied.

Soong Yuan was in Hsiao Yan's room.

In the next room lay Qian Xiaoruo, still unconscious on the bed.

"How do you plan to deal with her?" Hsiao Yan inquired, gesturing toward the room next door.

"I was considering killing her. It would have been easy to make it look like Vicious Thunder Grandma did it in the Blazing Fire Sect's Quiet Room, especially since she's dead and can't deny it," Soong Yuan mused, scratching his head. "But then, it felt too... simple to just kill her like that."

"Too easy on her?" Hsiao Yan questioned, confused. "Are you thinking of exacting some harsh revenge before killing her? Soong Yuan, what's your real intention? You brought her here, and... you're not thinking of taking advantage of her while she's unconscious, are you?"

Soong Yuan stopped to think for a moment, then replied with a sly smile, "I haven't ruled it out."

"Hmph, I despise you," Hsiao Yan retorted, glaring at Soong Yuan with disdain.