"If I could, I would rather not know your esteemed name."
Chu Lingwei's voice dripped with sarcasm. To achieve his great Dao on the blood of his own kin, he was truly shameless.
"Who are you to Lan Xingning?" Kunwu roared with laughter. In his eyes, Chu Lingwei was as weak as an ant.
Considering the two treasures she held, he overlooked her impertinence.
"Senior, you've been here all this time, do you wish to obtain the Phoenix Clan's Sacred Tree?" Chu Lingwei asked, deflecting the question. This man was determined to have her; he wouldn't be patient enough for pleasantries.
She needed to get her most desired answer within a limited time.
"Indeed, you are from the Phoenix Clan."
Kunwu appraised Chu Lingwei from head to toe. A cultivator of the Huatian Realm, young and impulsive, he held her in utter contempt.
"Senior, don't you know that the Phoenix Clan's Sacred Tree is now with the Leng family?" Chu Lingwei kept coaxing. She wanted to tell Kunwu that even if he killed all the Phoenix Clan members, he wouldn't get the Sacred Tree.
"Who said I wanted the Sacred Tree?"
Kunwu's eyes glinted with mockery. "Do you truly believe your cultivation is enough to kill me?"
"Senior can consider this my dying struggle." Chu Lingwei's heart raced. This man was not playing by the rules. No matter what bait she threw, he wouldn't take it.
"Hahaha."
Kunwu burst into laughter at her words. This little girl was quite amusing.
"Given that you've offered me two treasures, I shall let you die understanding why." A powerful light suddenly flashed in Kunwu's eyes, nearly forcing Chu Lingwei to her knees.
"I don't want the Sacred Tree, I only want its spiritual energy. Only potent spiritual energy can propel me to the Dominator Realm, allow me to leave the Profound Sky Continent, and become a god."
Kunwu raised his head, his hands reaching upwards as if embracing the heavens. His voice was laced with madness. "And I will be the first cultivator in ten thousand years to ascend. The entire Profound Sky Continent will prostrate themselves as they send me off."
As expected, the purpose was the same.
Chu Lingwei sighed softly. "Senior, do you not know that the Sacred Tree has withered and holds little spiritual energy left?"
Kunwu suddenly turned, a cruel, bloodthirsty smile on his lips. "As long as I kill you Phoenix Clan cultivators and use your blood to offer sacrifices to it, it will revive."
"You truly are naive."
Chu Lingwei was enraged by his words.
It seemed this battle was unavoidable.
"Junior, hand over the two treasures, and I shall spare your life." Kunwu's oppressive aura surged towards Chu Lingwei, who immediately summoned her bronze ancient sword to block it.
"Divine artifact."
Seeing the bronze ancient sword in Chu Lingwei's hand, greed flickered in Kunwu's eyes. This young girl was truly his lucky star, bringing him so many good things just as he was about to break through.
"Senior, is this lake the formation you've set up?" Chu Lingwei remained silent, using the opportunity to ask about the lake beneath their feet.
"No."
Kunwu's mind was consumed by the bronze ancient sword in Chu Lingwei's hand. With this divine artifact, he would be invincible in the God Realm after ascending. "Little girl, hand over the divine artifact you hold."
"If I give it to you, what benefit will I receive?" Chu Lingwei had already begun silently chanting incantations. In this battle, she had to capture Kunwu while he was off guard.
Otherwise, she might truly perish here.
"Benefit? How about I take you to ascend?" Kunwu's eyes were filled with madness. Such a look sent a tremor through Chu Lingwei's heart, and she immediately formed a bold guess.
"Alas, Senior, you have been deceived."
"What?!"
This was the first time Kunwu had heard such an outrageous statement. He paused in surprise.
"Senior, didn't that person tell you? You might not be able to break through to the Dominator Realm, let alone ascend."
Chu Lingwei suppressed her racing heart, speaking each word deliberately. The bronze ancient sword in her hand was already channeling spiritual energy. If Kunwu attacked her now, she was confident she could withstand his first move.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Kunwu was furious. The surrounding mountains crumbled, giant rocks flew, and strong winds howled, revealing the extent of Kunwu's anger to Chu Lingwei.
"I am not spouting nonsense. Senior, do you truly not feel anything?"
The more enraged he became, the calmer Chu Lingwei grew.
"You have been afflicted with Soul Devour in your body. There is no way for you to break through." Kunwu's face contorted in shock, a voice echoing relentlessly in his mind.
"Who are you?" An immense pressure surged towards Chu Lingwei. The bronze ancient sword glowed red, forcefully repelling Kunwu's oppressive aura.
"Senior, look. I, a cultivator of the Huatian Realm, can block your attack. Does this not prove my words are true?" Chu Lingwei gazed at the barrier set up by Huan Mao, which was already glowing with spiritual light beneath Kunwu. The formation was complete. If Kunwu made any move, he would be trapped within it.
Kunwu stared fixedly at Chu Lingwei, disbelieving her words.
"Senior, do you know of the lake in Jingliang Forest?" Chu Lingwei was unsure what Kunwu was thinking, but at this moment, she couldn't let him maintain his own judgment.
"This lake possesses a powerful Soul Devour technique. Any spirit beast or demon cultivator that enters the lake will be controlled like a puppet by the one who set up the formation."
Chu Lingwei's voice was seductive, each word like a musical note, striking Kunwu's mind one by one.
"Senior, is this not also a cage trapping you?"
As Chu Lingwei uttered her final word, the trap formation beneath Kunwu erupted with light. The spiritual energy in his hands already shot towards her. Chu Lingwei raised her bronze ancient sword, channeling her nine layers of spiritual power, and fiercely cleaved towards Kunwu.
"With just your Huatian Realm cultivation, you dare to fight me?" Kunwu was enraged. A mere cultivator dared to try and take his life and disrupt his mind.
"With you as a controlled husk, you still dare to dream of ascending? What a joke."
Chu Lingwei showed no weakness. She loathed this condescending pressure. Flying into the air, the divine power of the bronze ancient sword collided with Kunwu's attack.
The entire Jingliang Forest began to tremble.
"Ah!"
The immense spiritual energy nearly sent Chu Lingwei flying. Fortunately, she had anticipated this and entered her space at that moment. Less than half a breath later, she exited the space, unleashing the Blazing Heaven Mysterious Fire, imbued with spatial power, to engulf Kunwu.
"Weiwei, I'm here to help you!"
Feng Ming flew to Chu Lingwei's side. The eighth-tier Netherflame coiled like a giant dragon, igniting flames around Kunwu.
Huan Mao was not idle either, unleashing various trapping and killing formations. Even a Grand Dominator of the Dominator Realm would find it impossible to break through this array instantly.
And Chu Lingwei needed just a moment to trap him and unleash a barrage of fatal attacks.