Chapter 343: More Money, More Brothers

Old Wang had been waiting here for a while, utterly bored. At the moment, he was holding a piece of dried meat in his left hand, chewing on it while absentmindedly staring at the four of them.

Hei Wukai and Long Feixue seemed to be doing quite well; their faces calm, showing no signs of panic. Hei Wukai even had a lazy smile on his face, though what he saw in the illusion remained unclear. As for the other two...

While chewing on the dried meat, Old Wang walked up to Cang Jue and examined her closely.

There was definitely something off about this woman. It was already strange when she let him and Mapeier go in the cave earlier, and her excuse for leaving was so flimsy it was almost painful to hear. During the fight with the Naga, she had subconsciously shielded him multiple times, which only deepened his suspicions... Was this girl some distant relative of his? Or was she a spy from the Holy Sanctuary infiltrating the Nine Gods?

This was not uncommon. The Nine Gods had the three major organizations of Pu, Ye, and Mi, which were well-known to the world. But the Blade Temple was clearly not to be underestimated either—wouldn’t they employ some espionage tactics?

But that didn’t add up either... The Cang Clan was a powerful family, one of the top ten families of the Nine Gods, and deeply trusted by Long Kang. Princess Xue, as the heir of the Cang Clan, was second only to the royal family in the Nine Gods. For someone of such status to be a spy for the Holy Sanctuary? That would be as ridiculous as someone claiming Karida was a spy for the Nine Gods.

Was this girl actually attracted to Wang Feng’s good looks and taken a liking to him?

Old Wang stroked his chin, clicking his tongue and shaking his head. Honestly, when it came to romantic luck, when you didn’t have it, you really wanted it, but when it came in abundance, it could be a real headache...

However, regardless of the reason, Old Wang could at least tell that this girl likely harbored no ill will toward him. The Insect God species was highly sensitive in this regard, and she couldn’t fake it.

As he observed her closely, he noticed that Cang Jue’s complexion, alternating between red and white, gave away her struggle. Her eyes were tightly shut, and large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, soaking her white clothes and clinging to her body, revealing the curves of her petite figure, the slight rise of her...

Cough!

Old Wang composed himself. Don’t look where you shouldn’t... I’m a gentleman, after all!

Cang Jue’s complexion, alternating between red and white, and the sweat dripping from her forehead gave Old Wang a good idea of what kind of illusion she was facing. This extreme cold divine species would suffer more than ordinary ice species when exposed to scorching flames.

As her breathing grew increasingly labored, especially when he sensed her soul power spiraling out of control, Old Wang felt that she was probably nearing her limit.

Wang Feng, still chewing on the half-eaten dried meat, focused his soul power slightly and extended a finger. With a surge of soul power, he swiftly drew a golden circle in front of Cang Jue.

"Returning Soul Technique."

The golden circle flared brightly, illuminating a scene of a volcanic crater and Cang Jue, clutching her staff and hanging from the rocky wall, on the verge of losing consciousness.

Cang Jue was not weak, but her faith and will were in disarray. This was the most taboo thing when it came to soul refinement, which was why she was the first to succumb. While the time outside was short, the soul refinement space had already felt like an eternity. The scorching flames were draining every bit of her strength, destroying the last remnants of her will.

Her family, her strength, her faith—none of it mattered anymore.

She wanted to die but couldn’t, feeling every inch of the pain with excruciating clarity. Cang Jue opened her mouth, trying to take one last breath of freedom. She couldn’t hold on any longer. No one would...

A golden circle appeared within the flames, and a hand reached out...

Was this an illusion?

Cang Jue never thought she would have such a miserable day.

But that strong hand grabbed her arm, and a tremendous force pulled her. She seemed to fall into someone’s embrace, and the scorching heat vanished instantly, replaced only by salvation.

The cold floor had never felt so safe and comfortable to Cang Jue as it did at this moment. She curled up on the ground, her body convulsing for at least ten seconds before she suddenly took a deep breath.

Huff, huff, huff!

Cang Jue gasped for air, greedily inhaling every breath. That sudden golden circle that had appeared on the volcanic rock, that strong hand... There was no doubt someone had saved her. To be able to break through such a powerful illusion from the outside, to interfere or even directly rescue the trapped person—this savior was truly like a god!

Her vision gradually returned, and she could see the surroundings clearly: the staircase extending from the mountain wall, the massive statue of the Naga beside it, and then, she saw Wang Feng, standing there with a calm expression.

Cang Jue was stunned. She turned her head to look around. Aside from Long Feixue and the other three, who were still trapped in their illusions like statues, there seemed to be no one else here.

Was it Wang Feng who had saved her?

In just a moment of astonishment, Cang Jue instead calmed down.

Not only did her facial expression calm down, but so did the conflicted heart within her. What test error? What false saint and teachings? These doubts were utterly laughable. It was Wang Feng who had saved her just now. Without Wang Feng, she would have been a corpse by this point. Everyone had misjudged him; he was the real big boss!

Her grandfather was right. Judging the saint with the eyes of a commoner was utterly ridiculous. The saint possessed the power to save the world and lead the Celestial Master Sect to true glory.

Seeing the girl's expression shift from astonishment to calm in mere seconds, Old Wang smiled. Strike while the iron is hot: "You don't seem surprised that I saved you, and your earlier strange behavior was completely inconsistent with your stance... Who exactly are you? I'll only ask once."

Cang Jue didn't answer right away. She glanced around. Long Feixue, Hei Wukai, and the Holy Sanctuary disciple were all deeply trapped in their illusions and wouldn't wake up anytime soon.

Cang Jue hesitated no longer. She stood up and faced Old Wang.

Old Wang thought she was about to do something, but the next moment, the famously cold and proud princess of the Nine Gods Empire knelt on one knee: "Cang Jue, the sixteenth-generation descendant of the Celestial Master Sect, pays homage to the master!"

To be honest, Old Wang had considered various scenarios before asking this question, even this pie-in-the-sky situation, but based on his experience, it seemed a bit far-fetched. He hadn't expected the heavens to finally open their eyes.

Old Wang kept chewing his jerky, eyeing the kneeling Cang Jue. Tsk tsk, still a bit stubborn.

"I don't recall having a servant like you," Old Wang said coolly from above. "I'm still a young man in my prime. You must be mistaken."

"Master, you... please hear me out!" Cang Jue lifted her head, still adjusting to her identity change. "This has to start from the origin of the Celestial Master Sect..."

The Celestial Master Sect, a hidden force that had plagued the Nine Gods and the League of Blades for countless years. In truth, its predecessor wasn't as mysterious as one might think. The founder of the Celestial Master Sect had been one of the loyal followers of the Supreme Sage Teacher Wang Meng. Before Wang Meng shattered the void, he had predicted that the world would eventually descend into chaos, and all races on the continent would face the threat of extinction. At that time, he would surely return to help humanity fight against the strong enemies.

At the time, a few people had heard this, but everyone thought it was just a casual remark from the teacher. However, this follower had remembered it and taken it as his own responsibility. He founded the Celestial Master Sect and left behind an immortal doctrine. His descendants for generations would always be prepared to return to the side of the Supreme Sage Teacher and aid him in battling the strong enemies.

"Master, do you recall the test I conducted in the dark cave?" Cang Jue's voice was calm and natural. To be honest, what she had doubted before wasn't the doctrine, but mainly Wang Feng himself. However, the hand that reached out to her when she was on the verge of collapse and facing death had erased all her doubts and troubles. In terms of public, Wang Feng's soul was unparalleled. In terms of private, he was also her savior. "Gold represents the quality of a god. The Celestial Master Sect has conducted countless similar tests over the past hundred years, and there have been many talented individuals like Long Feixue and Hei Wukai, but no one's soul could compare to the master's! I firmly believe that the master is our holy lord!"

Old Wang nodded. It seems that some senior had done some good deeds.

A god's soul... Isn't that nonsense? This is a test-specific, perfectly optimized Insect God species. If the attributes of the soul species were represented by a hexagon chart, those so-called god species would at most have two or three attributes reaching the top. But my Insect God species... that's a perfect hexagon soul species, all attributes maxed out.

Cang Jue remained kneeling, not raising her head, her attitude already extremely devout.

Old Wang touched his chin, his eyes darting around a few times. It seems... not bad! Although the words of a beautiful woman like Cang Jue cannot be fully believed, at least half of it can be trusted. After all, with her status as the princess of the Cang Clan, it's impossible for her to design a set of words that could lead to the extermination of her clan just to gain the trust of a Holy Sanctuary disciple like me...

"Get up," Old Wang said, measuring his words. He wanted to test further, so he added, "Come here."

Cang Jue was stunned, but she quickly stood up and walked forward. Unexpectedly, Old Wang's 'salty hand' reached out... It wasn't too excessive, seemingly wanting to touch her face or pinch her chin, but instinctively, a chill immediately enveloped the surroundings, though it was quickly suppressed.

Cang Jue's small hands clenched tightly. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. What was to come would eventually come, though she wasn't ready yet. Her body was slightly stiff and trembling, but the expected hand did not touch her skin.

She mustered the courage to open her eyes, only to see Old Wang standing there with a smile, arms crossed, looking at her.

Old Wang was deliberately testing. In this ghostly place, one really couldn't be careless. Perhaps one moment he was the master, and the next he turned into a pig. Unfortunately, judging from the rebellious look in her eyes, the quality of this 'master' was not as good as imagined... Far inferior to junior sister Mapeier.

"Don't be nervous," Old Wang finally said. "Perhaps you've mistaken the person."

Only then did Cang Jue realize that Wang Feng was just testing her. This was really... She bit her lip. "There's no mistake!"

Old Wang shrugged, noncommittal.

The surroundings fell silent. Cang Jue's heart was filled with mixed emotions. She no longer doubted Wang Feng's identity as the holy lord, nor did she doubt that Wang Feng possessed unimaginable, astonishing power. He must be an extremely low-key strongman who had deceived everyone, and he had saved her life. But... for some reason, this guy seemed to have the superpower to instantly make you lose all your goodwill towards him.

Testing with a hand... such a lowly interest. Can't you be more serious, like a true strongman, a true holy lord?

Cang Jue felt a bit stifled. She couldn't help but sneak a glance at Wang Feng, only to be caught by him. Then Old Wang handed her a piece of chewed jerky: "Hungry? Want to try? Aurora flavor!"

Cang Jue's mouth opened slightly, struggling to expel the jumble of symbols '&%……*@#' from her mind. Then, with difficulty, she uttered three words: "No, no need..."

"Don't stand on ceremony," Old Wang enthusiastically shoved the jerky into her hand. "Man is iron, food is steel; skipping a meal makes one weak. Here, take it, I have plenty more!"

Wang Feng wasn't particularly bothered by this sudden gift, especially given the other party's attitude. He knew his status had some use, but it was probably limited. Still, a gift is a gift, and it's not bad to accept it.

Cang Jue's hand holding the jerky trembled slightly. Having grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth, when had she ever eaten jerky that had someone else's saliva on it? It was a dilemma—to eat or not to eat—it felt like she was chewing on something unpleasant, a vein on her forehead twitched incessantly: "I, I..."

Her inner turmoil was interrupted when she noticed Wang Feng's attention had already shifted away from her. Cang Jue was startled to see Old Wang now standing in front of Mapeier.

Mapeier was completely soaked, her arms and calves twitched irregularly, as if in spasm. Her once wide-open eyes were now slightly squinting, her breathing faint.

Old Wang estimated the time, feeling that there was still a bit of time before the soul tempering was completely over. But to have held on this long was a testament to her strong will. Honestly, in this regard, women are no less capable than men. Even a near-perfect powerhouse like Sister Da would be terrified of worms to the point of losing control.

Soul power condensed, and a golden light flashed at Old Wang's fingertips. He then casually drew a circle in front of Mapeier and said, "Open."

...

This was a rather low-level torture chamber, after all, it wasn't targeting any precious Holy Sanctuary officials, just some death warriors trained by the Nine Gods. For these people, the simpler and more brutal the punishment, the clearer and more direct the effect. At the same time, it was also a huge cost-saving measure.

Mapeier, barely breathing, was tied to the torture rack. Her eyes were already quite blurred, and there was hardly any intact skin left on her body.

A ladle of ice water was splashed on her face, bringing her slightly back to consciousness. The black-clad man holding the torture device coldly asked, "This is your last chance. Tell me your answer."

Mapeier's eyes were too swollen to open; she could only half-squint with her right eye. Her lips moved slightly, as if trying to say something, but the sound was too faint to hear.

The black-clad man didn't speak again, coldly wiped the spit off his face, and then pulled out a half-meter-long sharp hook.

In fact, Mapeier no longer cared what the other person took out. Death was now a relief for her. She was about to close her eyes when suddenly, in the dim dungeon, a golden light flashed, illuminating the darkness.

What was that?

Mapeier couldn't help but slightly open her right eye, and then she saw the face she had been longing for over the past three days of torture.

Senior... brother?!

The senior brother's smile was like the omnipotent sunlight. The dark dungeon instantly collapsed, the black-clad man disappeared, and the world was left with only the golden circle of light and the senior brother's large hand reaching out from it. It was an incredibly powerful hand, and the moment it grabbed Mapeier, it gave her an unprecedented sense of security.

Pain and the past were all gone, leaving only sweetness and the future.

By now, Mapeier was completely soaked. The moment her soul returned, she fell backward, but unlike Cang Jue's treatment, Old Wang timely supported her from behind—no, it would be more accurate to say he embraced her.

Mapeier was completely unguarded against Old Wang. At this moment, Old Wang could fully sense the weakness of Mapeier's soul, but he could also feel its purity. The tempering had obviously been greatly beneficial to her. It wasn't a complete rebirth, as she wasn't Hei Wukai or Long Feixue. The tempering was too much of a burden for her soul, but it was definitely a process of being tempered a thousand times.

Old Wang consciously held her tighter. The Heavenly Soul Pearl within him naturally emitted soul power, which could nourish all damaged souls near it. This had been proven when Sister Da was injured. Mapeier obviously felt it too, though she didn't know what it was. She just felt so warm and comfortable in her senior brother's embrace... She felt her consciousness returning, her soul's fatigue recovering at an incredible speed, but she was reluctant to leave her senior brother's embrace, so she simply continued to feign unconsciousness.

Cang Jue stood to the side, staring wide-eyed at Wang Feng holding the beauty.

She had finally witnessed firsthand how Wang Feng effortlessly broke through this ghost-level soul illusion. Such a method was simply unimaginable. She had originally thought the process would be troublesome, but indeed, the legendary Saint Lord's methods were beyond her imagination. But these two...

They really didn't hold back... Cang Jue's eyelids couldn't help but twitch, as the Supreme Sage Teacher was also like this, everything was good, except for that aspect...

Old Wang seemed to read her mind and said with a smile, "If you have something to say, just say it. She's my person, there's nothing that can't be said."

The delicate body in his arms trembled slightly, pressing even closer.

"Master..." Cang Jue was getting used to this address. She felt that serving this Saint Lord would require her to adapt to many things in the future. "What should we do now? My identity..."

She still had some concerns. Wang Feng was one thing, but this woman... It wasn't a matter of trust or distrust. The Celestial Master Sect must remain hidden. If word got out to the Nine Gods, the thousands of people in the Cang Clan might not survive.

"I understand," Wang Feng said, fortunately not pressing her further.

"Once Hei Wukai and Long Feixue come out, you and Mapeier can leave," Old Wang waved his hand. "What lies ahead isn't suitable for either of you. The next level should already be at the Peak of the Ghost Realm. Neither you nor Mapeier would be of much use if you followed further."

"The Peak of the Ghost Realm? The fourth level?" Cang Jue's expression turned serious, though she had already suspected as much.

Wang Feng's words were beyond doubt. Even before deciding to descend to the third level, he had anticipated that this level would be a test of the soul. The fact that it turned out exactly as he predicted only increased Cang Jue's admiration for him. But the problem was...

"If the fourth level is the Peak of the Ghost Realm, wouldn't the fifth level likely have Dragon-level Entities?" She was genuinely concerned now. She could guess that Wang Feng was strong and had hidden depths, but he was still less than twenty years old. No matter how much strength he concealed, being on par with Hei Wukai and Long Feixue was already extraordinary. Even the Supreme Sage Teacher couldn't have faced terrifying Dragon-level Entities at the age of twenty.

Old Wang smiled faintly, not even deigning to respond. He turned his gaze to the statue of the Naga.

He didn't know whether the rumors about that senior's romantic entanglements were true, nor did he care to delve into it. Whether a Dragon-level terror would truly appear on the fifth level was still up for debate. But judging from the nature of this realm, whatever appeared at the end—whether it was a treasure or something else—would undoubtedly be of great benefit to the soul. And that was exactly what he needed.

This was indeed dangerous, but as the saying goes, great wealth has always been sought through great risks. In the past, he had wanted to avoid getting involved in the conflicts of this world, but now that he was already entangled, there was no way to escape. He had to face it head-on.

Old Wang had many advantages—wealth and a lot of brothers!

But he couldn't always rely on his brothers to handle everything. What if they weren't around? Take this situation, for example. Old Hei had already done his part, but they just couldn't meet up. What could you do about that? Besides, he wasn't a three-year-old child. There was no reason to always rely on others for protection. Only by having his own strength could he truly stand tall when it mattered.

Of course, the reason he dared to take such risks was due to the unique nature of this realm. Since it was fundamentally related to the soul, the monsters here should also be soul-related. If that was the case, Old Wang wasn't afraid. If things got too dangerous, he could always run.

Seeing Wang Feng's nonchalant expression, as if he were just going out for a stroll after dinner, Cang Jue fell silent.

She suddenly realized that this man did have a certain air of a strong individual... if only he wasn't chewing on that damn jerky!

She didn't argue further, instead turning her gaze to Long Feixue and Hei Wukai. The expressions on their faces were no longer as relaxed as before. It seemed they had entered the final stage of the soul-refining trial.

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