Chapter 59

In the dead of night, the sounds of summer cicadas and frogs echoed back and forth.

Under the cover of darkness, a figure clad in black stealthily approached the boys' dormitory. Finally, he stopped beneath the balcony of Song Shuhang's floor.

"It should be here," the black figure whispered to himself. Then, with a light leap, he soared up to Song Shuhang's balcony with a 'whoosh'.

The second floor of the boys' dormitory was 3.5 meters high, plus a 0.5-meter-high railing, making it a total of 4 meters. The black figure, however, didn't need a running start; he effortlessly leaped up to the balcony from the ground.

This jumping ability, if used for the country, would easily secure a world champion title—jumping 4 meters without a running start. Any level of high jump athlete would shed tears and silently offer their knees upon seeing such a performance.

Of course, the more likely scenario is that the whole world would suspect he had taken drugs or had some advanced technology implanted in his muscles.

The door to the dormitory balcony was a floor-to-ceiling window, simple and elegant.

The black-clad figure first cautiously surveyed the area, ensuring no one was paying attention. Then, he pulled out a thin blade from his waist and inserted it into the gap of the sliding door.

Without any visible action, the lock of the sliding door was picked, his lock-picking skills at full proficiency.

Gently pushing open the door, the black-clad figure entered the room. His movements were as gentle as a cat, making not a single sound throughout the process.

In the bedroom, Song Shuhang lay sprawled out, sleeping soundly.

In the morning, he had helped Senior Medicine Master find a house and refine the body-tempering liquid.

After that, he learned basic boxing techniques and meditation methods, and even got into a fight before returning home. Today's events had drained all his energy.

Now, even if someone slapped him hard, he would find it difficult to wake up.

As a cultivator, Song Shuhang's experience and vigilance were still far from sufficient. He was still a top-notch rookie, needing much more training.

Similarly, as a rookie just starting out, you can't expect him to have the same level of awareness as a seasoned cultivator, who can hear the slightest rustle of the wind while sleeping.

The black-clad figure stared at Song Shuhang for a moment, comparing the photo in his mind with the young man before him, confirming his identity: "It's him, no doubt about it."

The target seemed unaware of his presence, and the infiltration was unexpectedly smooth.

However, the black-clad figure still didn't dare to relax, as the Sect Leader was very cautious about this ordinary young man, Song Shuhang. Before coming, he had been instructed to act according to the situation. If detected, he was to retreat immediately without hesitation!

Therefore, from the moment he entered the room, he was extremely cautious, suppressing his aura and holding his breath.

"Next, where is the Soul-Sealing Ice Pearl?" The black-clad figure's gaze swept over Song Shuhang, his main objective being to retrieve the legendary spirit ghost.

The room wasn't large, so he quickly found his target—the Soul-Sealing Ice Pearl, which contained the spirit ghost, hung around Song Shuhang's neck, completely unguarded.

The black-clad figure was instantly excited.

"This mission is easier than I thought, fantastic," he thought with joy. The target was sleeping so soundly, looking completely unbothered, not at all like a skilled expert. He couldn't understand why the Sect Leader was so wary of this ordinary mortal.

The black-clad figure extended his left hand, reaching for the Soul-Sealing Ice Pearl around Song Shuhang's neck.

At this moment, looking at the still deeply sleeping Song Shuhang, he had a sudden thought.

Just retrieving the spirit ghost... would at most complete the Sect Leader's task and earn some rewards.

But what if he could also bring back Song Shuhang's head?

Perhaps he could seize the opportunity to gain the Sect Leader's favor and obtain deeper cultivation techniques!

Before long, he would be promoted, become a top member of the organization, serve as the Sect Leader's right-hand man, reach the pinnacle of life, and even gain immortality like the Sect Leader. The thought made him a little excited.

The black-clad figure flipped his right hand, and a handleless blade slid out, held between his fingers. His eyes filled with murderous intent, he pressed the blade against Song Shuhang's throat with his right hand while his left hand continued to reach for the pendant chain.

As long as he got the spirit ghost and delivered a fatal blow to the young man, he would have wealth and glory in his hands!

The black-clad figure licked his lips, filled with hopeful anticipation for the future.

Just as his hand was about to touch the pendant...

Suddenly, he felt an inexplicable heaviness in his body, followed by a severe dizziness in his head. It felt as if someone had inserted a stirring stick into his brain and was stirring it violently. The pain was so intense that he almost screamed.

"What's happening?" He clenched his teeth, suppressing the scream.

At the same time, a sense of foreboding washed over him.

Sure enough, the next moment, a heavy and weak feeling surged through his body, accompanied by nausea and the urge to vomit. He couldn't hold onto the blade between his fingers, and it fell to the ground.

"This feeling... did I get poisoned? Damn it, where did the poison come from? When did I get poisoned?" The black-clad figure was greatly alarmed.

Having undergone various brutal training, he immediately realized he had been poisoned, and this poison was extremely powerful. Once it took effect, he couldn't even mobilize the 'blood qi' in his heart, and his body rapidly weakened.

He suddenly looked at Song Shuhang on the bed.

At that moment, he saw Song Shuhang's lips curl up in a sinister smile in his sleep. (A sweet smile?)

Not good!

"I've been tricked!" The black-clad figure made a quick decision and rapidly retreated. Before his body collapsed, he flipped over the balcony and left.

"Ah!" Upon landing, he spat out a mouthful of blood, staining his face mask.

He hurriedly took out several detoxifying pills from his pocket and swallowed them, regardless of whether they would work or not.

However, the dizziness in his head did not ease, and his body's weakness only worsened. When he flipped over the balcony, he felt his legs were unsteady, and he had sustained some internal injuries.

The detoxifying pills were ineffective.

The black-clad figure felt his mind becoming increasingly muddled in the intense pain, like a drunkard who had lost his usual judgment.

No, he must immediately return to the Sect Leader and seek help before the poison fully took effect.

With this thought, he supported his poisoned body and quickly rushed to the 'Sect Leader'.

This was undoubtedly a very wrong decision—if his mind was still clear, he would never have gone to the Sect Leader. This would only expose the Sect Leader's hiding place.

But at this moment, his mind was already a mess, and the instinct for survival made him choose to seek help from the Sect Leader.

...

...

The Sect Leader was temporarily staying at a hotel outside the university town.

He leaned back in his chair, his mind blank, but the image of Medicine Master's sharp, black-ringed eyes kept flashing in his mind. Those terrifying eyes wouldn't leave his thoughts.

Just thinking about those eyes made his body feel weak.

He didn't dare to get close to Medicine Master and couldn't approach Song Shuhang, who was with Medicine Master. He couldn't determine whether Song Shuhang was a 'high-level expert' or an 'ordinary person'.

It wasn't until late at night, when he learned that Song Shuhang and Medicine Master had separated, that he, driven by his desire for the 'spirit ghost', sent a newly trained subordinate to investigate Song Shuhang.

Because he was unsure of Song Shuhang's true strength, he didn't want to send a powerful subordinate, fearing they might be defeated. Training subordinates was not easy and required a lot of resources and time.

"Calculating the time, if the mission was successful, my subordinate should have returned by now," the Sect Leader thought. If it failed, the subordinate would be dead without a trace.

The world of cultivators was far more cruel than the world of ordinary people!

At this moment, there was a knock on the door.

Is the subordinate back?