Chapter Forty-Seven: Blessings of the Simplehearted

The auction had yet to conclude, but the array’s core had already been destroyed. Aside from the single-use teleportation gate that Lan Mei had used to leave, if they couldn’t break the formation, they would have to wait until the defensive array’s spirit stones were completely drained of energy.

Chen Feng ordered the Violet-Eyed Apemen to attack the array, speeding up the depletion of its power. Not only did the two still-standing apemen obey, but even the three who were badly wounded struggled to join. This led Yu Youwei to surmise that these apemen were not her uncle’s friends, but his subordinates.

As the apemen battered the defensive array, the other auction participants who still had strength left also took action. Yu Youwei and Changsheng remained by Ning Mofei’s side, guarding him and not joining the assault, nor did they even check on Ning Guodong’s condition—though both were certain he was beyond saving.

Chen Feng descended from the ruined auction platform, carrying Ning Guodong in his arms. He staggered to a corner of the hall and laid Ning Guodong down beside Yu Youwei, then closed his eyes to begin healing. At that moment, Yu Youwei noticed a fine wound on his forehead, right between his brows—it must have been inflicted by the Soul-Devouring Sword; had it gone any deeper, it would have been fatal.

She shuddered at the thought that the black-robed man who fought everyone alone was merely a puppet avatar of the Soul-Devouring Peak Lord, who was himself under suppression. If the true body, unrestrained, were to appear, how terrifying would his power be? He could probably crush everyone present with a single finger. Startled, Yu Youwei gazed at Ning Mofei, who was still receiving the inheritance of the Soul-Devouring Sword, her eyes burning with envy.

But envy was all she felt; Yu Youwei had no intention of claiming the Soul-Devouring Sword for herself. Originally, she had only wanted to snatch it as a birthday gift for that stubborn boy Ye Wu. Now that Ning Mofei had obtained it, she was happy for him. As for the sword’s sinister reputation and the evil power it was said to contain, she believed that energy itself was neither good nor evil; it all depended on the heart of the one who controlled it.

Chen Feng awoke and, seeing Ning Mofei’s condition, chuckled hoarsely, coughing up blood. “That foolish boy is truly blessed. Such great fortune, and it fell right into his lap. Truly, fortune favors the simple-minded.”

“Uncle, Mofei isn’t foolish—he’s pure-hearted,” Yu Youwei corrected, her brows creasing slightly. “What are your thoughts on today’s events?”

His expression darkened. “The Black Sorcerer’s reappearance means he has amassed considerable power. Even if all the forces of the Eastern Continent were united, I doubt it would be enough to suppress him. This matter is troublesome—Bai Xia must immediately notify his sect. If cultivators from the Central Continent’s main sects intervene, the situation will improve. But after a millennium, I worry that the Central Continent has forgotten the devastation wrought by the Black Sorcerer and won’t take the threat seriously enough. That could spell trouble.”

The Black Sorcerer referred to the followers of the Hall of Nine Netherworlds, who would secretly implant soul seeds in the Niwan Palace of humans or demon beasts using forbidden techniques. Sometimes, it took years or even decades before the victim realized what had happened—only when summoned by the Black Sorcerer did they discover they had become puppets.

Those who had been implanted with a soul seed but hadn’t yet become puppets were called hosts. Some hosts, unwilling to become mindless slaves, would rather end their own lives. Yet even suicide offered no escape—their souls would still be controlled by the Black Sorcerer, unable to enter the cycle of reincarnation.

The Black Sorcerer was hunted jointly by the righteous and heretical sects of the Central Continent’s cultivation world. Unable to remain there, the Lord of Nine Nether Peak fled with his remnants to the Eastern Continent, where he was again beset by the Eastern branches of the Central Continent’s great sects, such as the Immortal Chen Sect. Even the Lord of Nine Nether Peak herself was eventually suppressed in the God-Burying Sea, and for a time, the Black Sorcerers were thought extinct. No one expected them to rise again after a thousand years.

As Chen Feng recounted these events, Ning Mofei had yet to awaken. Yu Youwei glanced at him and asked, “What should we be wary of when fighting the Black Sorcerer?”

“If you sense the Black Sorcerer nearby, either strike a killing blow immediately or flee at once,” Chen Feng warned. “Never think of dueling one fairly. Otherwise, the moment you meet a Black Sorcerer’s gaze, he could already have planted a soul seed in your Niwan Palace. That evil power will turn you into a puppet, make you slaughter your own kin without the slightest resistance.”

“Do you know anything about the Soul-Devouring Sword?” she asked.

“I only know that the Lord of Nine Nether Peak received the sword’s legacy, rose like a comet, and went from a child of a destroyed clan to an unrivaled overlord of the Central Continent in just a few years,” Chen Feng whispered. “Youwei, you must be cautious. If Mofei’s mind is ever controlled by the sword, he’ll become a stranger to us all.”

“The Lord of Nine Nether Peak was blinded by hatred for her clan’s destruction, so it was possible for the sword to dominate her. But Mofei’s nature is pure and childlike. He can master the sword’s power, but it’s unlikely to corrupt his heart and turn him into a demon,” Yu Youwei stated firmly.

Chen Feng only smiled ambiguously, then sent her a message using spiritual sense: “No one must learn that Mofei possesses the Soul-Devouring Sword. If word gets out, not even the elders of his own sect could protect him.”

Yu Youwei, whose cultivation was insufficient to transmit spiritual messages, instead condensed her voice into a line and sent it to Chen Feng’s ear: “Many people here know that Mofei obtained the sword—how can we keep it secret? Do you mean to kill everyone present?”

“I’m not a bloodthirsty killer like the Lord of Nine Nether Peak,” Chen Feng replied, “but if there’s no other way, we may have no choice. The decision is yours. I’ve instructed Da Meng and the others to follow your orders.”

With that, he closed his eyes, indicating he would meditate, leaving the choice in Yu Youwei’s hands.

A trace of helplessness flickered across Yu Youwei’s beautiful face. The matter was grave; she would have to reveal some of her abilities, letting Uncle Chen glimpse her other identity. “Changsheng, guard Mofei,” she whispered, then rose—a wisp of smoke, gliding across the hall with ghostly speed. The other cultivators were too busy assailing the defensive shield to notice her.

Chen Feng’s spiritual sense locked onto Yu Youwei as he watched her move. Wherever she passed, she flicked out tiny pills, each no bigger than a grain of rice. In moments, three thousand of them had formed a grand formation that enveloped the entire auction hall. As the array took shape, the pills burst like roasting beans, creating a faint smoky mist and a formidable barrier. Chen Feng marveled inwardly: This girl truly has some skills!

“Hm? There’s actually a teleportation array here?” Sensing the power of arrays, Yu Youwei discovered another secret beneath the auction platform. Her spiritual sense reached out and found the teleportation gate Lan Mei had used. Though it had disintegrated after a single use, its placement made it clear it was a small teleportation array.

She returned to Chen Feng’s side, caring little for his closed-eyed meditation, and sent her voice to him: “Someone left using a single-use teleportation array beneath the auction platform. Have Da Meng and the others break open the platform. Since we can’t keep the Soul-Devouring Sword a secret, let that person take the blame—say they stole the sword and escaped, then have the Violet-Eyed Apemen smash the platform.”

“There are several powerful cultivators present—I doubt we can fool them,” Chen Feng replied, glancing at the shadowy figures in the mist, not entirely confident.