Chapter 658: To Kill or Not to Kill

The Heavenly Court had left countless top-tier Daoist heritages on Earth. Considering a Heavenly Minister's Daoist heritage had already drawn in so many factions and powerful beings, Earth getting exposed would cause an unimaginable scene. Just thinking about it made Wang Sheng feel a thrill run through him.

He had spent two more days dutifully helping Emperor Qinghua "organize" the medicinal garden when the number of cultivators flooding into the outer array suddenly surged. No one knew who created the rumor, but word spread that the middle array only allowed twenty-eight people to enter since it was created according to the positions of the twenty-eight constellations. Moreover, being granted entry supposedly depended on luck and fate.

Countless unaffiliated practitioners were stirred. Many of the small and medium immortal sects that had been hesitating to send their disciples into danger were also roused. Nearly half of the outer array's restrictions had yet to be broken, yet for a time, tens of thousands of cultivators poured in through the various entrances.

The outer region was the most expansive of the three concentric zones, and it housed the highest number of powerful treasures and medicinal herbs. Hence, fierce battles erupted once more around the middle array and near the restrictions that contained various treasures and herb spirits. Chaos spread in every direction.

Watching the scene, Wang Sheng muttered, "So much for elegant cultivators. In the end, they're all willing to die for wealth."

He carefully refined the properties of his Pure Yang True Fire and integrated it more seamlessly with his Pure Yang sword techniques.

Holding the bronze mirror, Yaoyun said, "You'll get used to it once you've seen enough of it."

"There's so many cultivators dying out there. How much death aura will that produce?" Wang Sheng asked.

Unfortunately, Yaoyun could not give a precise answer. She simply explained, "The higher a cultivator's realm, the longer their lifespan and the stronger their vitality. When they fall, more life aura transforms into death aura. Most of the ones entering this place are Heavenly Immortals and True Immortals from across the Eastern Sky Region. If several hundred Heavenly Immortals die, they would produce enough death aura to rival the death of several million mortals."

Wang Sheng stared at the blood-soaked scenes in the mirror, his scalp tingling. Countless cultivators had already perished in the outer array. As more and more people crowded toward the middle layer, the battles ahead would only grow fiercer, with casualties rising accordingly.

Blood, corpses, and remnant souls filled the outer region, yet no trace of death aura could be seen. That was enough to reveal an underlying problem.

"Look! Southwest!" Yaoyun cried out.

Wang Sheng fixed his gaze on the mirror. A blazing tiger sigil flared across the barrier of the middle array, opening a gateway. Three streaks of light shot straight into it.

Some had already broken past the second array!

Wang Sheng leaped to his feet at once. Yaoyun tossed the bronze mirror toward him and transformed into Spiritless, which he grasped firmly in hand. A flash of flame erupted, and a Golden Crow cried piercingly as they shot toward the canopy of the divine tree.

He kept his eyes locked on the mirror as they sped forward. The gateway in the barrier remained open for only about two breaths before closing again, allowing him to relax a little. At the very least, the opening was not permanent.

Even so, seven people had managed to rush into the middle array. They immediately broke into chaotic combat, with no one willing to let the others seize the advantage.

Their battle would not last long. After all, two dark clouds were already drifting toward their location. Before the clouds reached them, they would be forced to retreat to one of the three safe escape routes around them.

The middle region contained far more trap-based restrictions, along with numerous killing and confinement arrays. The treasures and herb spirits within the protective ones did not seem more valuable than those in the outer layer.

Using the dense foliage of the divine tree's canopy as cover, Wang Sheng silently approached the battlefield. He settled cross-legged on a leaf and began drawing in immortal power to form a tribulation cloud.

Having reached the Heavenly Immortal Realm and absorbed the primordial power of Nuwa's descendant, Wang Sheng's six senses now far surpassed those of ordinary Heavenly Immortals. His efficiency in forming tribulation clouds using immortal power had increased severalfold as well.

Before long, a tribulation cloud spanning nearly a thousand meters formed above him. Streams of primal qi surged in from all directions, triggering a chain reaction that rapidly expanded the cloud's mass.

During this time, Wang Sheng had already observed the seven combatants below and singled out the two most formidable and dangerous targets.

They were a pair of martial sisters who specialized in fire-based techniques. The slightly more mature one, who had delicate yellow-toned features, scattered countless talismans to form fire-controlling formations. Her round-faced junior sister wielded a long whip wreathed in flames, using it effortlessly for both close and long-range combat.

"Their control over fire is impressive," Yaoyun remarked.

Wang Sheng locked onto them. The two dark clouds were still pressing closer when two of the seven were gravely wounded. Having firmly gained the upper hand, the martial sisters managed to break away first. They rushed toward a safe path to the side.

The sight made the others abandon any thought of killing or looting. Two seized the remaining escape routes between layers of restrictions. As they retreated, they unleashed Daoist arts behind them, trapping the last three in place.

Moments later, the three beneath the clouds descended into madness. The dark clouds in the middle region didn't just cause hallucinations. Lightning and fire raged inside them, reducing the three to corpses in no time.

The remaining four silently thanked their luck. Their fear of the omnipresent clouds deepened as they split up to explore separately, refusing to relax in the slightest.

At that very moment, another dark cloud drifted down from the canopy and headed straight toward the martial sisters at an alarming speed.

Their expressions changed drastically. The more mature-looking female cultivator pulled out an eight-trigram disk that scattered streaks of golden light as she led her junior sister through layer after layer of danger. Nevertheless, despite rapidly repositioning themselves, the dark cloud above clung to them relentlessly. Flashes of lightning began to flicker within it.

"Senior Sister, that's the second type of black cloud!"

A trace of wariness appeared in the senior sister's eyes. "If we were only facing lightning techniques, we have many treasures that can defend us and stop them from threatening us. It is rumored that an array spirit is guarding that cloud, though. Even if we join forces, I'm not sure we can match it."

"Even Song Tongpu of the North-River Sword Sect managed to escape on his own. With our teamwork, there is no reason for us to fear that spirit!"

She had just finished speaking when a thunderous explosion erupted overhead. Dozens of lightning bolts twisted into a single streak and slashed down toward them from the edge of the dark cloud.

The older female cultivator sharply cried, "Look out!"

With a swift swing of her hands, she sent out layers of talismans around her, slamming straight to where the lightning descended.

Several dozen nearby restrictions were instantly activated. Primal qi surged violently, fully unleashing her late-stage Heavenly Immortal Realm strength.

The junior sister reacted just as swiftly. Sensing hostile intent locking onto her, she cracked her flaming whip with a sharp snap. It transformed into a blazing fire python that slithered toward the source of the killing intent alongside the talismans.

Ahead, a dazzling sword radiance burst forth. Dozens, even hundreds, of radiant stars appeared in the air as the surroundings dimmed, weakening even the glow of the array barrier.

Night fell, stars rose, and a purple star slowly ascended from the far north, reigning over the others! Within its shimmering starlight, Wang Sheng seemingly danced with his sword in hand. He unleashed waves of sword phantasms, shredding the flames and driving the fire python back with each step.

Finally, he emerged from within the star and used the Seven-Star Footwork. His dark Daoist robe fluttered in the wind. With just a few seemingly casual moves, he had already drawn the two women into his sword formation.

"Is he the array spirit?!" the younger female cried out anxiously as she charged forward.

She yanked her flaming whip with her right hand and flung dozens of flame-wreathed needles with her left. However, the sword phantasms striking at her were mere feints. They shattered upon contact with her whip and barely had any force.

A sense of dread surged in her heart. She immediately turned back to aid her senior sister, only to see that her senior sister had already activated a treasured artifact, unleashing an oval shield of fire around herself. Still, when the sword phantasms exploded outward, cracks swiftly spread across the spiritual treasure.

Panicking, the younger female shouted, "Do not harm my senior sister!"

A piercing sound tore through the air from behind her. She spun around abruptly, but just as she completed the turn, six flying swords pierced through her arms, legs, throat, and chest.

In close combat, getting distracted was the gravest mistake one could make.

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Remaining utterly unmoved, Wang Sheng launched a series of offensives with Spiritless. As three waves of attacks shattered the spiritual treasure, he unhesitatingly stabbed the older female's heart meridian.

At that moment, the dark cloud finally caught up. Countless bolts of lightning crashed down upon the area.

A short while later, amid the blazing flashes of lightning, Wang Sheng stood quietly with Spiritless resting against his back. He gazed at the two heavily wounded women. Watching them barely cling to life, a faint hesitation showed in his eyes.

His heart softened—not because they were women, but because he realized that he was not as ruthless as he had imagined.

They were already gravely injured and had lost any chance of advancing further. They no longer posed any threat to his senior sister or to him. When they entered this place, they had to have been prepared to bear such a fate.

Even so, Wang Sheng did not know whether they were truly evil or merely ordinary cultivators seeking opportunities.

"

I initially thought we should kill everyone who tries to approach the divine tree.

"

Wang Sheng sighed helplessly.

"

Yet leaving them gravely injured is no different from killing them. This place is full of dangers, and someone will surely come to finish them off.

"

Yaoyun softly answered, "

Do what your heart decides, but do not let this affect your Daoist realm.

"

"Fine.

Since I've already gone this far anyway, there is no reason to leave future trouble behind.

"

Wang Sheng raised his left hand and formed a sword finger. Two Flying Clouds shot forward and took out their primordial spirits. Afterward, he contemplated silently.

Spiritless hummed softly, yet he seemingly failed to notice it. He just stood quietly amid the lightning.

Though he could always claim to be acting for his senior sister's sake and strike down anyone who entered this place without restraint, that could not conceal the truth that he had taken lives without any personal grudge.

Human life should never be treated so lightly.

Yet in dangerous places like this, the most prominent law was kill or be killed. Hence, life appeared to be unbearably fragile.

Wang Sheng slowly closed his eyes and murmured, "

Yaoyun, do you think I'll become a slaughterer?

"

Calmly, she replied, "

If you're a slaughterer, then how many cultivators throughout history do you think aren't one?

"

"

I just realized something.

" Wang Sheng laughed bitterly as lightning enveloped him. It carried him up, leaving behind the storage artifacts of the fallen women.

"

What is it?

"

"

I now understand why the youth who once slew dragons eventually became an evil dragon.

"

Yaoyun pondered, then snorted lightly. "

Your views do not align with the norms of the endless space because they're shaped on Earth. Remember, everyone who has come this far has at some point stained their hands with the blood of others.

"

Cultivation does not just mean sitting quietly and comprehending the Dao. It also involves struggle and seizing opportunity. Since ancient times, those who refuse to fight or compete have always suffered the well-known tragedy of a good-hearted man's death. That is all."

Wang Sheng was rendered speechless.

My sword spirit has taught me yet another lesson.