Chapter 60

"Come in." The Sect Master gave a low, stern command.

However, there was only a 'thud' from outside the door, followed by silence.

The Sect Master frowned, reached out, and pulled a short blade from his coat. Then, he cautiously approached the door and peered through the peephole.

Outside the door, he saw the subordinate he had sent out leaning against it, motionless. There was no one else behind him.

Did it work?

However, the Sect Master felt a sense of unease. He quickly opened the door, his muscles tense, ready for battle.

As soon as the door opened, the subordinate who had been leaning against it suddenly fell toward him.

The Sect Master reached out and dragged him into the room.

He then carefully examined the area outside the door, confirming that no one else was there.

"What happened?" He looked at the subordinate in his hands and asked sternly.

As soon as he spoke, the Sect Master felt a weight in his hands. The subordinate twitched and then collapsed limply to the ground.

The Sect Master immediately pressed his hand on the subordinate's wrist, but the pulse had stopped, and the vital energy and blood had dissipated—completely dead? Without even a word!

He frowned and examined the subordinate's body.

There was no sign of injury or struggle, only a bloody face mask.

The Sect Master carefully used the short blade to lift the mask, revealing the subordinate's blue face, eyes wide with bloodshot veins, and a mouth oozing foul blood.

The blood had a foul smell. When the Sect Master accidentally inhaled it, he suddenly felt dizzy.

"It's poison!"

The subordinate had died from a powerful poison, one that had fused with his blood, turning it into toxic blood. Even the mere smell of the toxic blood was poisonous.

The Sect Master hurriedly took an antidote pill and circulated his true qi to expel the toxins.

If the secondary toxins were this powerful, how terrifying must the original poison be?

"That Song Shuhang is indeed no ordinary person."

Damn it, the information about him being a 'freshman at Jiangnan University,' 'an 18-year-old boy,' and 'having parents and a gentle personality' were all false.

Especially that 'gentle personality'—how could someone who uses such a powerful poison be gentle?

All this information was just a cover for Song Shuhang. It was clear that he was undergoing a trial in the mortal world!

Damn, why does he have to make the trial so realistic? It's really frustrating.

"Damn it, I can't expel this poison!" The Sect Master gritted his teeth. The toxins had taken root in his body, making them difficult to remove. To completely expel the toxins, he would need to go into seclusion.

But he didn't have the time.

This foolish subordinate, after being poisoned, still managed to make it here. What a useless teammate, leading the enemy right to him!

Song Shuhang might already be following his subordinate's trail.

He couldn't stay here any longer!

The Sect Master quickly gathered his belongings.

Before leaving, he sprinkled some corpse-dissolving liquid on his subordinate's body to destroy the evidence.

After finishing, he covered his nose and mouth and leaped out of the hotel window, disappearing into the night.

The plan had changed. Once the toxins were expelled, he would have to find another way to meet this 'Senior Song' and obtain the spirit ghost from him.

The night... was still long.

In the night, some people were happy, some were troubled, and some were worried... the myriad facets of life!

******

June 6th, 5:00 AM.

Song Shuhang opened his eyes, feeling refreshed.

As soon as he opened his eyes, his brows furrowed.

After the body tempering, his sense of smell was much sharper than that of an ordinary person. A faint, lingering blood smell filled the air.

Moreover, the bedroom door was open—during June, Song Shuhang and his three roommates would never leave the bedroom door open while sleeping. This was the season when mosquitoes were most active, and no one would leave the door open unless they were willing to be bitten.

"Did Tubo and the others come back?" Song Shuhang wondered.

But looking around, he saw no sign of his roommates.

Through the bedroom, he could see that the sliding door to the rooftop was also open.

"Was there a burglar?" Song Shuhang's heart tightened. Burglaries in the male dorms were not uncommon, especially on the second floor, which was a favorite target.

Not good! Song Shuhang leaped out of bed, realizing he had been too complacent. His storage cabinet contained the ingredients for twenty-one 'body tempering liquid' formulas, which were priceless.

If these ingredients were stolen, he would be devastated.

As he got up, Shuhang's eyes fixed on the floor—there was a handleless blade. It was extremely sharp and gleamed with a cold light.

It was a thin, handleless knife, likely used between the fingers or with other tools. Using such a blade required skill and technique, and only an expert could handle it. This was not a blade for cutting fruit; it was a deadly weapon that could kill without leaving a trace.

A burglar wouldn't need or have the skill to use such a specialized weapon.

Combined with the lingering blood smell... the intruder was not a burglar!

If not for wealth, then for life?

Who was the target?

Who else... there was only one person in the dorm. His three roommates were ordinary college students, unlikely to attract assassins.

A life-threatening situation.

In an instant, Song Shuhang's heart raced.

He picked up the blade, and a flood of thoughts rushed into his mind, making it hard to calm down.

Thinking about how someone had tried to kill him while he slept like a pig, he felt a chill. Although he didn't know why the attacker didn't finish him off, he had been on the brink of death!

Even though he had started cultivating, just two days ago he was still an ordinary college student. Encountering someone trying to kill him, it was impossible to remain as calm as a seasoned cultivator!

However, Song Shuhang only allowed himself to be disoriented for three breaths before silently reciting the *True Self Meditation Sutra* to calm himself down.

"Since I chose to become a cultivator, I am no longer afraid of death." Song Shuhang opened his eyes, his resolve stronger.

As he spoke these words, solidifying his resolve as a cultivator, the *True Self Meditation Sutra* advanced, and the 'True Self' in his consciousness emitted a transcendent aura. This was the 'True Self' recognizing that he was no longer an ordinary person but a cultivator!

When he opened his eyes again, Song Shuhang gently pressed his hand to his heart.

His heartbeat... was still a bit fast, but it wasn't out of fear.

It was a feeling of excitement from deep within.

The attempt on his life, the possibility of facing death, made him feel... intrigued!

Even though he was the target. But this kind of scenario, which wouldn't happen in the world of ordinary college students, truly made him feel entertained and excited.

For a moment, Song Shuhang wondered if something in his brain was off.

"If the person really wanted to take my life, they might be connected to the one who gathered information about me at school the day before yesterday."

Song Shuhang pondered, playing with the handleless blade between his fingers, which moved like a dancing butterfly.

When he learned from Zhuge Yue that someone was gathering information about him, he had considered the identity of the person.

"Outsiders can be ruled out. They are just ordinary students living in a law-abiding society. They wouldn't hire a killer over a minor conflict—otherwise, the world would have been unified long ago."

"Also, the person following behind the Alchemist is unlikely. Most of those following the Alchemist have some request. Only an extremely deranged person would think of kidnapping me to threaten the Alchemist, but the probability is too low."

"Besides... there's only the incident with Soft Feather." Song Shuhang pulled out the pendant and looked at the 'Soul Sealing Ice Pearl.'

The ice pearl emitted a cool aura, making his mind more agile and creative.

In the incident with Soft Feather, there was one thing that now caught Song Shuhang's attention!