Xuanqing Guard

Chapter 266: Chapter 266: Disposal

"Whew!"

Shen Hao let out a long breath as he watched the man be absorbed into that massive cloud sword.

Nie Yun, at Primordial Core Realm Perfection, had only dared to tough it out with a Dark Cloud Sword the size of a zhang across, but this mass, though a White Cloud Sword, was several times bigger. Based on the cloud sword’s strength rules, such a giant cloud sword’s power was also several times that of Primordial Core Realm Perfection.

So, Shen Hao silently chanted in his heart: Rest in peace.

And the fact was pretty much as Shen Hao had expected. Even though that person still had an array garrisoning his body, the cloud sword didn’t care at all, passing straight through the array and making contact, absorbing him the moment it touched.

Shen Hao couldn’t imagine how horrifying it must be inside a cloud sword three zhang across; from outside, he saw bursts of golden light flashing, two figures flickering inside—it was clearly an illusionary cloud sword. In less than twenty breaths, the cloud sword slowly started drifting upward again, with no more flashes of golden light inside.

Only after the sword floated away, a broken corpse was left behind on the spot.

Dead. The one who had been shouting moments ago about making Shen Hao suffer was now utterly and completely dead. His whole body riddled with bloody holes—obviously stabbed through by the Cloud Sword Incarnation. His eyes open, face twisted in a grimace of disbelief; clearly, he’d never imagined he’d die like this—probably died furious, feeling endlessly humiliated.

The man was dead, and even his soul ended up inside Shen Hao’s belly.

But as for the storage bag and those tempting objects left on the body, Shen Hao maintained restraint, forcefully suppressing his urge for greed.

This is corpse wealth that must not be taken!

If it were just some ordinary guy, fine. But this man—even though Shen Hao didn’t know his name—when he spoke of Nie Yun earlier, he’d called him "drunkard" with a casual tone, so they likely knew each other. With this cultivation, soul strength over thirty percent higher than normal, this guy’s talent was definitely impressive, and his position in the Celestial Toad Sect likely wasn’t low.

If someone from Xuanqing Guard went missing or died, they’d dig three feet deep to find the truth. For a master of a sect to disappear for no reason? There’s no way they’d let it go. They’ll definitely investigate, and if Shen Hao took this corpse’s property in this situation, there’s no way he could keep it secret.

Leave the body alone—then where did the man’s things go? Anyone from a sect coming in afterward would figure it out quickly. This place isn’t exactly big; there’s nowhere to hide.

Dispose of the corpse? Burn or bury? No way to cover it up either. Even if the sects didn’t know what was inside the Sword Emperor’s Tomb, they’d certainly be tracking their people. If they checked upward, there’s no way Shen Hao could escape.

Even if, a million to one, Shen Hao could deal with the body flawlessly—so what? They can’t find the person, but clearly, the killer is here in the Cloud Sword Domain. If they want to wrongly kill everyone here for revenge, who’s going to stop them? To get someone like Shen Hao—a nobody—killed off secretly as payback, they wouldn’t even need to alert Xuanqing Guard. All too easy.

Not touching that batch of loot is the best choice. Shen Hao quickly came up with a set of explanations and strategies in his heart, confident he could clear himself of suspicion.

Not laying a finger on the corpse, Shen Hao filled in the hole he’d dug earlier, covered it with a thin layer of earth, and then built a simple earthen stove on top—looking as if nothing had ever happened. And by then, dusk was just setting in.

Shen Hao cooked a big pot of rice, ate some himself, and used the rest to keep feeding those still trapped in the illusion realm, according to urgency of need.

Actually, by now some of the people’s bodies couldn’t hold out any longer—collapsing to the ground, barely breathing. These were all ordinary soldiers. Shen Hao knew that by tomorrow, these ordinary soldiers would start dying of hunger and thirst.

When the big pot of rice was finished, Shen Hao looked up at the sky—it was still hazy, gray. Inside the Cloud Sword Domain, there was no day or night, just a constant bizarre dim glow.

Even though Shen Hao seemed relaxed at this moment, inwardly he was constantly on edge. Nie Yun’s predicted time had already come; more cultivators would definitely be coming from all directions, not just the one who’d shown up just now.

Sure enough, as soon as Shen Hao finished cleaning up his pots and bowls, he heard voices behind him—not just one, but three people this time.

Three people—two men and a woman. ƒгeewebnovёl.com

These three, despite activating magical artifact defense upon entry, were clearly less equipped than the Celestial Toad Sect man from before. Their magical artifacts couldn’t withstand the illusion realm’s erosion; the moment they entered, they were pulled into the illusion by the Cloud Sword Domain.

Shen Hao pursed his lips, didn’t avoid them, but didn’t approach either. He just observed the three carefully.

The two men looked about thirty, similar heights. One wore a sky-blue long robe, dressed like a scholar; the other was in bright red, dressed like a warrior.

As for the woman, she wore a snow-white long dress, looked sultry and seductive, and there was an obvious air of charm skill about her. Just a glance from her alluring eyes felt as if they had hooks.

All three wore sect emblems; Shen Hao recognized them: the scholar-looking one was from Chang Baifeng, the warrior from the Red Flame Sect, and the seductive woman from the Valley of Love Flowers.

These three sects were all based in Jingxi Territory, but compared to Gui Mountain Cultivation Institute and Celestial Toad Sect, they were far inferior—at most, only second or third-tier minor sects.

Even so, the aura from each was strong, with the most powerful being that warrior from Red Flame Sect—not weaker than Nie Yun in presence.

Moments later, the Red Flame Sect cultivator was the first to break free from the illusion, frowning slightly but otherwise fine—clearly feeling that soul-rending force at the moment of escaping the illusion.

Then, a flicker of realization flashed across his face, and he smiled toward his two companions.

The second to emerge was the scholar from Chang Baifeng. But the instant he exited, the soul-tearing force of the Cloud Sword Domain struck him hard—his face changed drastically, his mouth opened to say something, but before he could utter a word, his soul shattered. He died instantly, soul dispersed completely.

Sure enough, in the Cloud Sword Domain, cultivation isn’t the number one factor for survival—soul strength is.

The last to come out was the woman; though she was the slowest, as soon as she broke free, she did not die like the Chang Baifeng man. She only frowned slightly before enduring that lethal, sinister move.

Three arrived; as soon as they entered, one died.

The two survivors exchanged a look, their eyes finally landing on the corpse on the ground.

The white-clothed woman covered her mouth and laughed softly, "Master Xiao, we seem to have come to quite the remarkable place. That illusion we just faced must have been a test, right? If your soul strength isn’t enough, you’ll end up dying as pathetically as this Lin guy, won’t you?"

"We’re currently inside a domain. Though it doesn’t look like it’s completely separated from heaven and earth, it does have its own rules. Lin Hai just had bad luck this time—really a frustrating way to die."

It was obvious the three knew each other, but the two who survived didn’t show even the slightest sorrow for the one who’d died.