Record of a Demon's Cultivation Chapter 1280: A Pathetic Figure

Translator: CinderTL

At the foot of the massive stone pillar, Song Wen, holding the Soul Cleaving Blade, meticulously gathered a drop of Pure Origin Heavenly Dew.

This momentous occasion marked the eighth drop he had acquired from this particular pillar, bringing his accumulated total to twenty-one drops.

Based on the two sets of breakthrough insights he had obtained for the Body Integration Stage, he had already surpassed the minimum prerequisite of twenty drops. Naturally, possessing an additional three to five drops as a contingency for unforeseen events would be prudent.

"Gou Jun, how dare you attempt to deceive me!" Leng Zhi’s furious voice echoed.

She and Xue Cong descended from the heavens, their eyes burning with rage. Previously, Song Wen’s ascent had led them to believe the upper sections of the pillar remained untouched. In their haste to secure any potential treasures, they had rushed ahead.

However, aside from a few minor indentations left by Song Wen where he had collected the Pure Origin Heavenly Dew, their search yielded nothing.

"I never claimed there was Pure Origin Heavenly Dew up there," Song Wen responded with a disarming smile.

Having achieved his primary goal, Song Wen’s spirits were exceptionally high.

"Surrender the Pure Origin Heavenly Dew. If you refuse, you will not depart this place alive," Leng Zhi stated icily.

A playful smirk played on Song Wen’s lips.

These two were merely insignificant pawns, practically inviting their own demise.

Yet, before he could make a move, another figure rapidly approached.

It was Heng Ziping.

To Song Wen’s surprise, Heng Ziping was approaching from the east.

When the four initially separated, Heng Ziping had headed westward.

"Fellow Daoist Heng, your arrival is most timely," Leng Zhi declared urgently as Heng Ziping appeared. "Gou Jun has acquired seven or eight drops of Pure Origin Heavenly Dew from this stone pillar. Why don’t we, Xue Cong, and you form an alliance to eliminate him, and then we can divide the dew equally amongst ourselves?"

Song Wen’s eyes narrowed, a cold, sharp glint appearing within their depths.

Another individual foolishly seeking destruction had joined the unfolding conflict.

He had not intended to act so aggressively here, but these three were persistently pushing their luck. He was left with no alternative but to eliminate them.

However, the subsequent events deviated significantly from his expectations.

Heng Ziping did not assent to Leng Zhi’s proposition. Instead, he regarded her with discernible amusement.

"Leng Zhi, I informed you long ago that I would never collaborate with you again. I have absolutely no desire to be implicated in one of your schemes," he stated.

Turning his attention towards Song Wen, he added,

"Gou Jun, why don’t we join forces to eliminate both of them? From what I understand, Leng Zhi possesses at least three drops of Pure Origin Heavenly Dew. If we succeed in defeating them, those three drops will be entirely yours. I will not claim a single drop for myself."

Song Wen regarded Heng Ziping with utter astonishment, completely taken aback by this unexpected proposal.

Heng Ziping's apparent animosity towards Leng Zhi was understandable. However, his profound indifference towards the Pure Origin Heavenly Dew held by both Leng Zhi and himself left Song Wen utterly perplexed. What intricate plan could he be devising?

Song Wen was not the sole individual taken aback. Leng Zhi and Xue Cong also wore expressions of sheer disbelief.

"Heng Ziping, are you not even tempted by the Pure Origin Heavenly Dew that Fellow Daoist Gou Jun possesses?" Leng Zhi inquired.

"In comparison to the Pure Origin Heavenly Dew, I would much rather eliminate you," Heng Ziping retorted.

As he uttered these words, a colossal sword, approximately thirty meters in length, materialized before him.

This immense blade sliced through the air, hurtling directly towards Leng Zhi and Xue Cong.

"Xue Cong, hold them off for a brief moment while I prepare the Profound Sky Thunder Art. Although they possess some means of defense, once this technique is unleashed, they are certain to perish under its powerful thunderous magic," Leng Zhi commanded, her face as frigid as ice, her voice unwavering, conveying absolute confidence in her secret art.

The Profound Sky Thunder Art was renowned as the Profound Sky Sect’s most formidable secret technique, regarded as their ultimate and most challenging art to master. Very few disciples had ever achieved success in cultivating it.

Xue Cong, clearly cognizant of the technique's formidable reputation, showed a clear brightening of his expression.

"Fellow Daoist Leng, please proceed with your preparations. However, I insist on personally ending Gou Jun’s life."

A defensive shield materialized before Xue Cong, expanding to several meters in height to provide ample protection. Simultaneously, he conjured a long saber and charged forward aggressively to confront the approaching colossal sword.

To his left, Leng Zhi remained suspended in mid-air, rapidly weaving intricate hand seals. Faint wisps of Thunderlight gradually emanated from her body, intensifying until they completely enveloped her being.

In the ensuing moment, the blinding Thunderlight pierced the heavens and vanished into the vast expanse.

Clang!

The enormous sword and the long saber met with a violent collision.

The saber, much like a delicate leaf caught in an autumn gale, was unceremoniously flung backward.

"Hahaha..." Heng Ziping’s laughter, bordering on maniacal, reverberated through the air. "Just as I had foreseen! Xue Cong, you utter fool, Leng Zhi has betrayed you once more!"

Xue Cong’s face contorted in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief and a dawning flicker of regret.

Heng Ziping's pronouncement had proven accurate!

"Fellow Daoist Gou Jun, why hesitate?" Heng Ziping prodded. "If the Pure Origin Heavenly Dew is what you seek, then Leng Zhi must be apprehended by your own hand."

Song Wen, considering the situation, gave a slight shake of his head. He decided against eliminating Heng Ziping for the moment, reasoning that the man might prove useful later.

With a sudden burst of speed, Song Wen gave chase to Leng Zhi.

Leng Zhi was employing the Profound Thunder Nine Heavens Escape Technique.

While this formidable secret art offered incredible velocity, its significant drawback was the lingering traces of residual lightning energy it left behind. Under the unwavering gaze of the Dreamfloat True Eye, any hope of escape for her was utterly extinguished.

Song Wen doggedly followed the faint trail, his pursuit eventually leading him to the base of the Gang Qi Waterfall.

Yet, Leng Zhi was nowhere to be found.

The residual lightning energy had completely dissipated in this immediate vicinity.

Still, Song Wen harbored no doubt that Leng Zhi had not plunged into the Gang Qi Waterfall.

The torrent of water cascaded downwards, plunging into the two immense caverns situated below.

A cultivator at the Void Refinement Stage would find it impossible to breach the gale's formidable barrier and escape the chasm's depths.

It was evident that Leng Zhi had attempted to utilize the waterfall as an escape route but had ultimately failed.

Song Wen reactivated the Dreamfloat True Eye, his senses extending to survey the surrounding area. Although the lightning energy had vanished, faint traces of spiritual power still lingered, offering a discernible path forward.

However, this subtle spiritual power aura was significantly less conspicuous than the overt energy of the lightning.

Song Wen continued to track Leng Zhi westward for tens of thousands of miles, his journey culminating at the precipice of the abyss, his path abruptly halted by a sheer stone wall.

Judging from the faint traces of spiritual power that persisted, Leng Zhi had altered her course once more, fleeing along the precipice.

As Song Wen pressed onward, a peculiar observation began to dawn on him.

The expanse at the bottom of the abyss was considerably vaster than the area surrounding the entrance far above.

Leng Zhi herself had once remarked that circumscribing the abyss entrance would encompass a distance of approximately four hundred thousand miles.

Yet, after traversing the stone wall for a considerable three to four hundred thousand miles, Song Wen found himself not back at the base of the Gang Qi Waterfall, but rather sensing he had reached the diametrically opposed extremity of the abyss floor.

Leng Zhi had not adhered to the wall's edge; instead, she had veered back towards the central region during her flight.

Finally, Song Wen managed to intercept her beside a colossal stone pillar.

This particular pillar stood distinct from the two he had previously encountered.

Driven by her unwavering ambition, Leng Zhi was in the process of ascending the pillar, her focus clearly fixed on discovering the Pure Origin Heavenly Dew.

A fleeting expression of surprise crossed her features as Song Wen materialized before her.

"Gou Jun, you have indeed managed to track me to this remote location."

However, the initial surprise rapidly dissipated, supplanted by a glare filled with unadulterated venom.

"Gou Jun, you've come alone? Do you truly believe I am such easy prey? Even in my current state, dispatching a rogue cultivator such as yourself presents no significant challenge."