Chapter 142 Black Crystal Bomb

Moonlight like water streamed down, illuminating the guest room at the Home Inn and falling upon the face of the young man lying on the bed.

He was an ordinary-looking youth in his early twenties, flashing a pair of canine teeth in a grin as he faced the moonlight. This was Lei Xiang, who had just been subjected to the "Heart Stir" technique cast by Qing Xue. At this moment, however, a sharp glint shone in Lei Xiang's eyes, bearing not the slightest trace of being mesmerized. Could Qing Xue's "Heart Stir" have failed?

In truth, there was nothing flawed about "Heart Stir," the closely guarded secret art of the Smiling Teeth organization. It was simply that Lei Xiang's state of mind was far too formidable, causing the effect of the technique to be greatly diminished. Furthermore, Lei Xiang practiced the "Boundless Divine Sea" grand scripture, which allowed him to freely partition his spiritual consciousness. The very instant Lei Xiang felt the anomaly in Qing Xue's smile, he perceived a wisp of icy chill penetrating his mind. Swiftly, he used the "Boundless Divine Sea" to carve out an isolated region, guided that cold wisp into the empty sector, and sealed it away with the Sealing Technique, all while outwardly pretending to remain under Qing Xue's control.

As for the passionate intimacy with Qing Xue just moments ago, that was certainly not the result of his mind being bewitched. Put to the question: with such a peerless beauty held in one's arms, what normal man could possibly act like Liu Xiahui?

Right now, Lei Xiang was not reminiscing about the wonderful sensation he had just experienced. Instead, he was pondering everything that had transpired at the Home Inn—checking in, watching the performance, being chosen by Qing Xue, answering questions under the influence of "Heart Stir," and the transaction. Reviewing the events from start to finish, Lei Xiang found no loopholes, which finally set his mind at ease. He stretched his limbs and drifted off into a comfortable sleep. The intense "battle" with Qing Xue had truly depleted his physical energy, and since there was still a month left before the scheduled transaction, recuperating properly was his top priority.

To his surprise, Lei Xiang slept for three whole days and nights.

When he finally awoke from his pleasant slumber, he found Qing Xue standing right beside the bed. Having shared that intimate skin-to-skin contact, the young woman had grown considerably closer to him. Had Lei Xiang known that Qing Xue's "Heart Stir" could only be cast by a maiden, and that she was still capable of using it now, his jaw would surely have dropped in utter shock. Since Qing Xue remained a virgin, who on earth was the person who had tangled with him in the sheets that night?

"Lei Xiang, you're finally awake. You sleep so much I'm starting to suspect you were reincarnated as a pig."

Lei Xiang bared his little canine teeth in a mischievous grin. "My dear lady, haven't you heard? Scholars on the Boundless Continent have researched and proven that the ancestors of humanity on this continent were none other than omnipotent pigs. At worst, this is just me experiencing a case of atavism, haha."

Qing Xue curled her lips in disdain and chuckled softly, "Stop spewing nonsense. There's still a month left until our appointed time; you should cultivate diligently and focus on refining the Immortal-Shooting Spear further to ensure you can finish the job with a single shot. Here, these are five hundred top-grade spirit stones—half of the deposit, paid according to your request. This should demonstrate the sincere intentions of our Smiling Teeth."

Lei Xiang accepted the pouch of spirit stones, calculating inwardly that this beauty's position within the Smiling Teeth organization couldn't possibly be too low. Otherwise, why would she always be the one stepping forward while Wisdom Tooth was nowhere to be seen? As for Decayed Tooth, who had been locked in a fierce battle with Bosom Friend in the Wuji Sect, his fate remained unknown. In truth, Lei Xiang's greatest concern was Qianqian's escaped primordial spirit. It seemed she had not returned to the Smiling Teeth, otherwise Lei Xiang would have been exposed long ago. Perhaps Qianqian's spirit feared punishment from the Smiling Teeth organization for failing her mission; after all, hadn't Dugu Yixiao fled far away to the Lei Family Fortress precisely to escape punishment back in the day?

While Lei Xiang's thoughts wandered wildly, Qing Xue had already offered her farewells and departed. Left alone in the room, Lei Xiang retrieved the palm-sized Immortal-Shooting Spear and the ninety-nine Immortal-Shooting Spear from his storage pouch. Holding one in each hand, he examined them for a long time before putting them both back. For this operation, Lei Xiang planned to use only the palm-sized Immortal-Shooting Spear. Its range and power fell short of the ninety-nine Immortal-Shooting Spear, but he had no desire to expose his true strength; dealing with the matter using the smaller spear would suffice.

After putting the spear away, he casually produced a Heaven-Crystal Pellet. With a wave of his hand through the air, three delicate smelting furnaces materialized and floated before him. He tossed the white Heaven-Crystal Pellet into one of the furnaces, flipped his hands to summon dozens of storage pouches, and guided them with secret incantations so their openings faced downward, spilling various materials into the smelting vessels. Twirling his hands in a spiritual seal, he exhaled a stream of dark cyan alchemy fire that instantly engulfed and swallowed the smelting furnaces.

One month later, a vigorous and spirited Lei Xiang stood upon the deck of a multi-storied vessel, toying with a black pellet in his palm. This was the Heaven-Crystal Pellet he had spent over a month refining. It was his sole black Heaven-Crystal Pellet, prepared specifically for this operation. Not only had he incorporated materials plundered from the Immortal Ape Sect, but he had also broken convention by mixing in the black crystals acquired from the Blood-Severing Space, naturally boosting its destructive power by more than fold. Lei Xiang was confident that this pellet would secure a kill with a single shot.

Four figures stood at the bow of the ship: one woman and three men. The woman was, of course, Qing Xue. The other two men were unfamiliar to Lei Xiang, but according to Qing Xue's introduction, they were rogue cultivators of high standing invited by the Smiling Teeth. One of them, a red-haired man whose cultivation base approached the Nascent Soul stage, had unremarkable features except for his hair, which blazed like burning charcoal; his Daoist title was the Crimson-Red Dweller. The other was a bald man in his thirties named Gulu, whose cultivation was comparable to Lei Xiang's at the late Golden Core stage. Could they really rely solely on these three to subdue that fierce beast?

Qing Xue's expression was grave, almost solemn, as she detailed the beast's characteristics and the intricate plan for the mission. "This beast is known as the Myriad-Transforming Trace. Its defining trait is its astonishing speed. If a single strike fails, it can transform into myriad forms to escape, and no one has ever been able to track its whereabouts—hence the name Myriad-Transforming Trace. We have already pinpointed its movements; it will appear in a certain sea region in a week's time. Our plan is for the three of you to lie in ambush there. Mister Gulu will be responsible for setting up the sealing grand array. Once the beast enters the array, Mister Gulu and Daoist Crimson-Red will attack and capture it together, while Fellow Daoist Lei will keep watch with the Immortal-Shooting Spear. Capturing it alive is preferred, of course. If the beast attempts to escape, Fellow Daoist Lei is to kill it with the Immortal-Shooting Spear. Finally, I will collect its inner core, and the mission will be crowned a complete success."

Qing Xue gave a light cough, produced a cyan jade slip, and handed it to the three men. "Please examine this, gentlemen. It contains the recorded image of this beast, which you may study. Lastly, on behalf of the Smiling Teeth headquarters, I declare that whether dead or alive, as long as the Myriad-Transforming Trace is captured, our transaction will be successfully concluded. The rewards promised to each of you will not be short by a single fraction, and additional spirit stones will be presented upon the completion of the task."

Lei Xiang and the others pressed the jade slips against their foreheads one by one. As their spiritual consciousness permeated inside, they witnessed a series of hazy scenes. In a deep gray ocean, a soft-bodied creature about a zhang in length swam joyfully. Its entire body was snow-white, covered in soft, white fur. The perspective shifted to a deep, emerald-green pool where a plump, three-headed sea elephant was fleeing at high speed. Suddenly, a white flash of light caused the creature to instantly appear right before the sea elephant. Expanding rapidly like a blown-up balloon, it swallowed the sea elephant whole before the beast's three massive heads could even snap shut. The pool water turned faintly red before settling back into tranquility; the Myriad-Transforming Trace had resumed its original size, leaving not even a scrap of the sea elephant's bones behind.

The red-haired Crimson-Red Dweller slapped his thigh. "This fellow is as slippery as an eel. It looks rather troublesome to capture. However, I will act according to the plan. If we still fail, do not blame me; I shall still demand the compensation I am owed."

Qing Xue smiled and nodded. "What Master says is entirely correct. Our plan has been thoroughly deliberated. If we still fail despite following this plan, what was promised to everyone will still be delivered. As long as you act according to the plan, it shall be regarded as a success."

Hearing this, the Crimson-Red Dweller said no more. But Lei Xiang suddenly stepped forward and said, "Lady Qing Xue, you forgot to tell us: just what tier of fierce beast is this Myriad-Transforming Trace? Leaving aside whether we can catch it or not, can our personal safety be guaranteed?"