Becoming a Saint Starting with the Chasing Wind Leg Technique

Chapter 188 Killing the Traitor!

As Song Jing displayed his might on the city wall, swiftly slaying seven Refining Realm cultivators and stunning the entire scene, a dark figure, like a startled cat, silently crouched in the bushes at the edge of a dense forest several hundred feet away from the battlefield at the city gate. Only a pair of eyes, filled with horror, fear, resentment, and a hint of barely perceptible greed, were visible as he stared intently at the young man standing with a spear in front of the city gate.

This person is none other than Sheng Huaixu, who has been missing for many days!

He did not, as planned, lead the last of the Zhou family's forces to launch a coordinated attack from within and without when Tu Gang and Liu Wumei launched their final assault.

In fact, he felt uneasy when he learned that Tu Gang and Liu Wumei had decided to launch a strong attack ahead of time without waiting for the main army.

This unease reached its peak after news came that Wu Feng and four other early-stage cultivators had been completely wiped out by a mysterious expert in the south of the city.

"A water-attribute expert wielding a gun—could he be someone secretly sent by Pingtianmen to protect Lu Jiutian? Or—that kid named Song Jing?" Sheng Huaixu was filled with doubt and uncertainty.

He was well aware of Song Jing's potential and had witnessed Song Jing's formidable record of using his mid-stage Bone Forging cultivation to fight against a beginner-stage Body Refining cultivator on the martial arts arena.

But to say that he could silently eliminate five early-stage Refinement Realm cultivators, including Wu Feng, Sheng Huaixu instinctively felt it was impossible. Those were five Refinement Realm cultivators, not five cabbages!

But he was by nature cautious and suspicious, or rather, he valued his life.

His betrayal of Pingtianmen and defection to the Blood Lotus Sect was not due to being persuaded by any righteous cause or benefit, but purely out of fear of death. He was forced to the brink of despair by the Zhou family and the Blood Lotus Sect, who held irrefutable leverage over him, and he felt that not defecting meant certain death.

The kind of person he is best at weighing the pros and cons, and values ​​his own life the most.

Therefore, when Tu Gang and Liu Wumei decided to launch a full-scale attack, Sheng Huaixu played a trick.

Using the excuse of "contacting the remaining forces of the Zhou family to ensure everything goes smoothly," he did not appear on the front lines with Tu and Liu. Instead, he took a few trusted confidants and lay in wait on the flanks, ready to act as the opportunity presented itself.

If Tu Gang and his men successfully breach the city, he will naturally jump out to "reap the rewards" and claim credit; if things go wrong, he will also be able to slip away at the first opportunity.

As it turned out, his "caution" saved his life.

When he quietly crept to the vicinity of the battlefield, he witnessed a scene that terrified him. Song Jing, whom he had once regarded as "a promising junior" and "a disciple of Pingtianmen who needed to be watched a little," slaughtered seven Refining Realm experts, including Tu Gang and Liu Wumei, in a short period of time, as if cutting melons and vegetables!

In particular, the shot that Song Jing fired at Liu Wumei was fast, accurate, and ruthless, carrying a dark and profound yet extremely heavy atmosphere, which made Sheng Huaixu, who was lurking in the shadows, feel a chill run down his spine.

He figured that if he had faced that shot, his fate probably wouldn't have been much better than Liu Wumei's!

"This—how is this possible?!" Sheng Huaixu almost bit his lip until it bled, his mind churning with turmoil.

"How long has it been? This kid was just relying on his strange movements and strong physique to hold off early-stage Refining Realm cultivators on the arena, how come now—now he's killing mid-stage Refining Realm cultivators like chickens?!"

"That spear—that strange, aquamarine true energy—it's it! It's that technique! The 'Mysterious Origin Heavy Water True Skill' of the Pingtian Sect's water veins! How could he have cultivated it to such a level at the Bone Forging Realm?! This power—this quality of true energy—it's simply terrifying!"

Sheng Huaixu, after all, came from Pingtianmen. Although he was only an ordinary inner disciple, he still had a broad perspective. He recognized the foundation of Song Jing's martial arts, and it was precisely because of this that he felt even more disbelief and a deep-seated fear.

"Monster—this is a monster!" He felt a chill run through him, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his back. He knew very well that Song Jing, with such strength and potential, and who was so distant from him, would mercilessly grind him to dust once he discovered him!

"If I had known this would happen—if I had known that Song Jing was such a monster, I—would I have betrayed him in the first place!" A strong sense of regret gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.

He chose to betray them for two reasons: first, he was coerced by the Zhou family with their leverage; second, he felt that Pingtianmen was too far away to help in the immediate crisis, and Lu Jiutian and others were in dire need of protection. Even if Song Jing was a genius, he still needed time to grow. He thought that by joining the Blood Lotus Sect, he might be able to make a future and even have the opportunity to eliminate this potential threat through the Blood Lotus Sect.

But now—looking at the still-warm corpses of Tu Gang, Liu Wumei, and others on the ground, and then at that young man bathed in the morning light, like a god of war, Sheng Huaixu felt that his betrayal was utterly foolish!

This is hardly the kind of genius who needs time to grow.

This is clearly a ferocious beast from the primordial era, its fangs already bared!

"It's over—it's all over—Tu Gang and Liu Wumei are both dead, the Blood Lotus Sect's operation has completely failed—the Tenth Elder will definitely not let me go after he finds out—" Fear overwhelmed him like a tidal wave, making him tremble uncontrollably.

He could even imagine the rage of the ruthless and bloodthirsty Tenth Elder, Li Wuxie, upon learning the news, and the tragic end he would face.

However, just as he was almost consumed by fear and was about to turn and run away at all costs, his eyes suddenly narrowed when he glanced at Liu Wumei's headless corpse and the inconspicuous, blood-stained gray cloth bag at her waist.

That cloth bag—he recognized it! It was Liu Wumei's "Hundred-Storage Bag," a personal treasure trove of her most precious items. Although it wasn't very spacious, it was excellent at concealing them.

Liu Wumei once boasted to him that it contained his most precious poison formulas, secret manuals for hidden weapon techniques, and—the refining method and some finished products of the Blood Lotus Secret Pill!

"Blood Lotus Secret Pill!" Sheng Huaixu's heart began to pound uncontrollably, a burning greed instantly overwhelming his fear.

He had personally witnessed and even consumed the Blood Lotus Secret Pill!

Although it was only the lowest-grade "Blood Fiend Pill," it still significantly improved his cultivation, which had stagnated for many years!

What Liu Wumei possesses is an even higher-level Blood Lotus Secret Pill, refined from the essence blood of a Refining Realm martial artist!

Its medicinal effects are more than ten times stronger than the Blood Fiend Pill! More importantly, there's the method of refining it! If one could obtain it—

"If—if only I could obtain the refining method, and then find a way to collect the materials, and refine enough Blood Lotus Secret Pills—"

With my accumulated power, four or five pills, no, perhaps only two or three, would be enough for me to break through my current bottleneck, enter the late stage of Refining, and even touch the threshold of perfection! Sheng Huaixu's breathing became heavy, and his eyes flashed with a crazy light.

Late stage of Refining!

That's a world of difference from the mid-stage!

He had personally witnessed how the heavily injured Chen Yanzhou, with his late-stage Refining Realm cultivation, overpowered Tu Gang and Liu Wumei, both mid-stage Refining Realm cultivators. If they hadn't been ambushed and severely injured, those two would probably have been killed by Chen Yanzhou long ago!

If only I could possess that kind of power —

"At that time, who will I need to fear? Song Jing? No matter how monstrous he is, he is only at the Bone Forging Realm! His total amount of true qi and his endurance are his weaknesses! As long as I reach the later stage, or even the Perfection stage, I can crush him with my realm and wear him down!"

The Tenth Elder? Hmph, as long as I'm strong enough, there will naturally be a place for me in the Blood Lotus Sect. Perhaps I can even replace Liu Wumei and become the new sect leader! Pingtian Sect? Lu Jiutian? They're barely able to protect themselves; how could they possibly care about a little traitor like me?

One crazy idea after another sprouted and swelled in Sheng Huaixu's mind.

His thirst for power, his fantasy of escaping his current predicament, and his deep-seated jealousy and fear of Song Jing intertwined, leading him to make a bold and dangerous decision.

Taking advantage of the chaos on and off the city walls, with Song Jing looting the corpse, and Chen Yanzhou, He Tianxiong, and others immersed in the joy of victory and the cleanup work, Sheng Huaixu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fear and excitement in his heart, and concealing his aura to the extreme. Like the most agile raccoon, he used the terrain and trees as cover to silently sneak towards the direction of Liu Wumei's corpse.

He moved extremely quickly, his target clearly being the inconspicuous gray "combination bag" at Liu Wumei's waist!

He knew that there was not only the Blood Lotus Secret Pill and its refining method that he had been dreaming of, but also the wealth and poison technique manuals that Liu Wumei had amassed over the years. These were all important assets for his future rise!

"Got it—we have to get it!" Sheng Huaixu's heart was in his throat, his eyes fixed on the blood-stained bag, his fingers trembling slightly with tension and excitement.

He could even imagine himself obtaining the Blood Lotus Secret Pill, finding a secluded place to consume it and break through to the next level, then experiencing a surge in strength, and trampling all those who looked down on him, including Song Jing, under his feet!

Close, closer!

Liu Wumei's corpse was right in front of them, and the gray pouch was within reach!

What he didn't know was that this was a trap deliberately set to lure him in!

However, just as his fingers were about to touch the bag

"Whoosh!"

A barely perceptible whooshing sound. Coming from the side!

Just as Sheng Huaixu's fingers were about to touch the gray "Hundred Pouch" at Liu Wumei's waist, the barely perceptible sound of wind breaking was no different from the shriek of death in his ears!

A chilling killing intent, like an invisible steel needle, instantly locked onto him!

That killing intent was so familiar, so chilling; it was the same aura that had emanated from that gun-wielding boy in the center of the battlefield, the one that had terrified him!

"Not good!" Sheng Huaixu was terrified. Without thinking, and without even bothering to grab the pouch that was right in front of him, he rolled to the side and back in an extremely disheveled manner. At the same time, the long sword at his waist was drawn with a clang and swept backward without looking, trying to block.

"clang!"

A piercing clang of metal rang out, sparks flying everywhere!

Sheng Huaixu felt an indescribable heaviness and penetrating force coming from the sword. His tiger's mouth instantly cracked, and the longsword almost slipped from his hand. The force of the blow made his blood churn, and he staggered back several steps before crashing into a large tree and barely managing to stand.

He looked up in horror and saw a long spear, entirely black with faint five-colored light flowing through it, stuck diagonally in the soil where he had just been standing. The spearhead was still trembling slightly and emitting a low hum.

A gray figure appeared silently beside the spear, like a ghost; it was Song Jing, who was supposed to have left the city!

Song Jing remained calm, but his eyes were as cold as ice. He slowly reached out and drew the Five Elements Dao Spear. The spear tip pointed diagonally at the ground, its dark blue light appearing and disappearing in the morning mist.

He did not immediately give chase, but instead stared indifferently at the disheveled Sheng Huaixu with the look of someone looking at a dead man.

"Uncle-Master Sheng," Song Jing spoke, his voice calm and even, yet carrying a chilling intent that penetrated to the bone, "you've come in such a hurry, are you here to collect the bodies of your comrades, or—are you here to take something you shouldn't have?"

Sheng Huaixu's face was deathly pale, his chest heaving violently, and cold sweat pouring down his forehead. He stared intently at Song Jing, then glanced at Liu Wumei's corpse on the ground and the gray pouch, his last shred of hope shattering completely.

It turns out that Song Jing hadn't gone far at all!

Or rather, he had calculated that someone would try to take advantage of these corpses, especially the treasures on Liu Wumei's body, and deliberately waited here to catch them!

"You—you found out about me a long time ago?" Sheng Huaixu's voice was dry, filled with barely concealed fear.

He prided himself on his excellent stealth skills and had taken advantage of the chaos to sneak in, so how could he have been discovered so quickly?

Song Jing did not answer, but a cold smile appeared on his lips.

After leaving the city gate, he did indeed intend to head straight for Hantan Ravine.

But as he passed through the woods on the outskirts of the battlefield, thanks to his enhanced perception far surpassing others of his level, granted by his minor mastery of the "Mysterious Origin Heavy Water True Skill," and his meticulous control over the surrounding environment's energy, bestowed by the "Heaven Rewards Diligence" talent, he keenly detected a faint, yet incongruous, aura of a living being, one that carried greed and anxiety.

Although the aura was well concealed, in an environment filled with corpses and blood, especially for Song Jing, who had just experienced a bloody massacre and was in a highly alert state, it was as conspicuous as a firefly in the dark.

He immediately realized that someone was lurking nearby, and it was very likely that they were a stragglers from the Blood Lotus Cult, or perhaps someone with ulterior motives.

He immediately changed direction, silently circled back, concealed his presence, and hid in the shadows.

Sure enough, they saw Sheng Huaixu sneakily reaching for Liu Wumei's corpse.

The greed, fear, resentment, and the determined, desperate look in the other person's eyes were all captured by Song Jing.

"It really is you, Sheng Huaixu." Song Jing spoke slowly, the tip of his spear slightly raised, locking onto Sheng Huaixu. "No, perhaps I should call you now—a lackey of the Blood Lotus Sect?"

Sheng Huaixu's body trembled, and the last trace of color drained from his face.

He knew that his biggest secret had been exposed.

In the face of Song Jing, any sophistry would seem pale and powerless.

"Song—Song Jing," Sheng Huaixu forced himself to calm down, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace, attempting a final struggle, "You—you listen to my explanation, I was forced! It was the Zhou family! It was the Blood Lotus Sect! They had something on me, threatening to kill my whole family if I didn't comply! I had no choice!"

He was so emotional and his acting was superb that an ordinary person might actually be fooled.

But Song Jing's eyes remained unwavering, filled only with icy killing intent. "Forced? So you aided and abetted the wicked, colluding with foreign enemies, harming your own comrades, and attempting to kill tens of thousands of people in Tianshui City? If I hadn't returned in time, Commandant Chen, Lord He, and countless innocent people in the city would likely already be dead beneath your blades!"

"I—" Sheng Huaixu stammered, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a ruthless glint. He knew that there was absolutely no chance of a peaceful resolution to what had happened today. Song Jing would never let this traitor get away with it!

"Song Jing! Don't push your luck!" Sheng Huaixu suddenly straightened his back and roared, his voice trembling with fear. "I'm a mid-stage Refining Realm cultivator! Even if your techniques are strange and you were able to kill Tu Gang and Liu Wumei, you must have suffered immense exhaustion and internal injuries! If it really came down to a fight, the outcome would be uncertain! Let me go, and I promise to live in anonymity and never appear before you again! Otherwise—a fight to the death would do you no good!"

As he spoke, he secretly mobilized his inner energy, and a faint blood-red light emanated from his longsword. It was a heretical sword technique he had been taught after joining the Blood Lotus Sect. It was powerful, but it required the use of blood and qi to activate, which would damage his foundation.

At this moment, in order to survive, he couldn't care less about anything else.

"A fight to the death?" Song Jing laughed, but there was no warmth in his smile, only endless mockery. "You think you can take this?"

Before he could finish speaking, Song Jing made his move!

There was no earth-shattering momentum, only an extremely fast gray afterimage!

Like the wind that blends into the morning mist, it is silent yet arrives in an instant!

Nine Shadow Steps Complete!

The Wind and Thunder Leg Technique has broken its limits! The combination of the two techniques results in a speed far exceeding Sheng Huaixu's imagination!

Sheng Huaixu only felt a blur before his eyes, and Song Jing's figure had already disappeared. A chilling killing intent came from the left!

He was terrified. Without thinking, he thrust his blood-red longsword to the left with all his might. The sword wind howled, carrying a bloody and sinister aura.

However, the sword missed its mark!

Song Jing's figure appeared to his right like a ghost, and the Five Elements Dao Spear was like a poisonous dragon emerging from its cave, carrying a strange force that was as heavy as a mountain yet as agile as water, and stabbed straight at Sheng Huaixu's right rib!

Before the gun even arrived, the sharp gust of wind from it already made his skin sting.

"So fast!" Sheng Huaixu was terrified. In a hurry, he twisted his body and parried with his sword while retreating rapidly.

"clang!"

The spear and sword clashed again, producing a piercing explosion. Sheng Huaixu felt an overwhelming, unstoppable force emanating from the spear, even stronger than the previous strike!

His blood was already churning, and now he felt a tightness in his chest and a sweet taste in his throat. He almost spat out a mouthful of blood, and was so shaken that he staggered backward again, his back slamming heavily against another large tree, causing the leaves to fall in a rustling sound.

"First move." Song Jing's icy voice rang in his ears, and his figure, like a leech, drew closer once more. His spear transformed into a sky full of spear shadows, like a torrential downpour, covering all of his vital points!

"Mysterious Water Gun Barrage!"

Sheng Huaixu was terrified and desperately activated his blood-red sword technique, unleashing a burst of blood-red sword light in an attempt to defend himself.

"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"

A dense, rain-like clashing of metal filled the air. Sheng Huaixu felt as if he were in the midst of a raging storm, surrounded by heavy spear shadows. Each strike contained the immense power to shatter stone, and a chilling, heavy true energy continuously seeped into his body through his longsword, freezing his blood and qi to the point of almost freezing. His arms were numb and painful, and his tiger's mouth was already dripping with blood.

"Second move, third move—" Song Jing's voice was like a death knell, and his spear thrusts became increasingly rapid and heavy!

Sheng Huaixu's swordsmanship was known for its unpredictability and speed, not its strength. Now, facing Song Jing's swordsmanship, which combined strength and speed...

Faced with such terrifying and unpredictable marksmanship, his defenses were riddled with flaws.

His speed, which he was so proud of, was like child's play in front of Song Jing; the strange changes in his swordsmanship appeared pale and powerless in the face of Song Jing's heavy, condensed, yet infinitely varied spear techniques.

"No! Impossible! How can he still have so much energy left?! Is his true energy inexhaustible?!" Sheng Huaixu screamed wildly in his heart, fear engulfing him like a cold tide. He had thought that Song Jing must have exhausted himself by killing seven Refining Realm cultivators, especially two mid-stage ones, and might even be seriously injured. He thought that if he fought desperately, he might still have a sliver of hope.

But reality cruelly told him that Song Jing in front of him was not only unharmed in battle, but was also becoming more and more courageous and his momentum was unstoppable!

"The fourth move!"

A fierce glint flashed in Song Jing's eyes, and his spear stance suddenly changed, transforming from a myriad of spear shadows into a simple thrust. It was unadorned yet as fast as lightning and as heavy as a mountain. The tip of the spear was covered with a deep blue light, accompanied by the faint sound of wind and thunder.

"Wildfire Spear Technique - A Single Spark!"

This shot had blocked all of Sheng Huaixu's escape routes, forcing him to take the hit head-on!

Sheng Huaixu let out a desperate roar, pouring all the remaining true energy in his body, and even burning some of his blood and qi, into his longsword. The blood-red sword light shone brightly, carrying a tragic aura, as it met the deadly spear!

"The third collision of the spear and sword unleashed an even more powerful burst of energy than the previous two! The withered branches and leaves on the surrounding ground were swept away, revealing black soil."

"Snap!"

A teeth-grinding cracking sound rang out, and the longsword in Sheng Huaixu's hand, which could be considered quite fine, could not withstand the terrifying power of the Five Elements Dao Spear and the erosion of the Xuan Yuan Heavy Water True Qi, and broke in two!

The gun's momentum hadn't subsided; with an unwavering determination, it pierced fiercely into Sheng Huaixu's chest!

"Pfft!"

The spear tip pierced through his back, leaving behind a spray of tragically beautiful blood.

Sheng Huaixu's movements suddenly froze. He looked down in disbelief at the spear embedded in his chest, then slowly looked up at Song Jing, who stood holding the spear with a cold expression. His eyes were filled with boundless fear, resentment, regret, and a deep sense of bewilderment.

"The—the fifth move—" His lips moved, but no complete sound came out; only blood and foam continued to gush out. He couldn't understand how he, a dignified mid-stage Refining Realm cultivator, could—how could he not even withstand five moves from his opponent?

Just how terrifying is Song Jing's strength? Could it be that he didn't use his full power when he killed Tu Gang and Liu Wumei?

"Heh—heh—" He wanted to ask, but couldn't bring himself to say it. His life force drained away rapidly with the blood, and his vision began to blur.

In the instant before his consciousness sank completely into darkness, he seemed to see himself becoming a glorious outer elder of the Pingtian Sect, to break through to the late stage of the Refining Realm and be revered by others, to trample Song Jing under his feet—but all of that vanished like bubbles.

It shattered like a shadow.

"So—I was—the—clown—" The last thought flashed through Sheng Huaixu's mind, and the light in his eyes dimmed completely. His head drooped limply, and he breathed his last.

In the mid-stage of the Refining Realm, Sheng Huaixu, a traitor to the Pingtian Gate, died!

Five moves to kill!

Song Jing expressionlessly drew his spear, leaving a trail of blood. Sheng Huaixu's body slumped to the ground, his face still bearing the lingering horror and despair of his dying moments.

"Clean house." Song Jing muttered to himself, flicking the blood off the tip of his spear, his gaze shifting to Liu Wumei's corpse on the ground, and the gray pouch.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward and picked up the pouch. He subtly probed it with his true energy, a look of understanding on his face. Sure enough, the pouch was made of a special material, possessing a weak ability to isolate one's aura. The interior was small, but contained several items: a scroll made of some kind of tough animal hide, inscribed with strange, blood-red characters; two small jade bottles made of the same material as the previous jade box, seemingly containing pills; several booklets; some bottles and jars; and a small amount of gold and silver.

Song Jing didn't examine it closely and simply put the pouch away. This place was not safe to stay in for long. Although the smell of blood and the commotion from the fight were concealed by the trees and the distance, there was no guarantee that it wouldn't attract other people.

He took one last look at the corpses lying scattered on the ground, especially those of Tu Gang, Liu Wumei, and Sheng Huaixu.

These people, whether notorious cult leaders or shameless traitors who betrayed their sects, have all fallen victim to his gun.

His soul also became a stepping stone on his path of martial arts.

"The law of the jungle prevails; it's nothing more than that." Song Jing remained calm and unperturbed, feeling no psychological burden whatsoever at the thought of killing these people.

In this world, being merciful to your enemies is being cruel to yourself.

Without further delay, he flashed into the forest like a ghost, speeding towards the direction of the Cold Pool Ravine.

The two Blood Lotus Secret Pills in his arms, along with the animal hide scroll he had just obtained that might contain the method for refining evil pills, all faintly emitted a scorching aura, as if urging him to quickly carry out the long-awaited breakthrough.

Sheng Huaixu's body lay quietly in the forest clearing, gradually growing cold.

Perhaps soon they will be devoured by wild beasts, or, once discovered, their bodies will be left to rot in the wilderness as evidence of their treason.

His dreams of the Blood Lotus Elixir and his ambition for power ultimately vanished with the passing of his life.