Chapter 119: The Crumbling Ancient Book

"Haha... haha, you're killing me... is this what you call 'fleeing without a fight'?" Seeing the solemn expressions of the remaining three, coupled with their pathetic, scurrying retreat, Judas laughed so hard he doubled over!

"Brother Tian is so amazing..." Xue Han’s cheerful, chirping voice echoed from his wrist.

Leng Tian exhaled a breath of stale air, calming the surging blood within his veins. "It feels like I’ve found that old spark again!" he sighed, looking down at the three men who had already breathed their last.

"To die by my hand is no dishonor to you; the supreme powerhouse of the past is returning!" Leng Tian’s heart swelled with exhilaration. He was one massive step closer to returning to his peak. Back in the Tianyuan Continent, he had survived countless bloody battles, stepping over the corpses of his foes time and again to finally claim the pinnacle of power!

"Boss, are you planning to wait for their next wave, or are we just going to bolt?" Judas asked, feeling bitter. If it had been allowed to strike earlier, those six would not have escaped, and it would have devoured their spirits right then and there instead of letting three get away.

"Don't you dare get any ideas. If everyone discovers that a Formless Shadow Demon is by my side, even the Chifeng Continent will have no place for me to stand!"

Leng Tian, wrapped in a white-gold beam of light, sped toward the entrance of the Sky-Piercing Tower. "Dead Shadow Demon, I’m warning you: if you dare to act on your own again, I’ll make you wish you were never born!"

Xue Han’s delicate, sharp voice was filled with threats. She was extremely dissatisfied that Judas had acted without Leng Tian’s permission to devour those souls. Even though they both served Leng Tian as their master, she diligently fulfilled her duties as a servant, while this fellow constantly overstepped his bounds—how could she not be furious?

"You dare say that? You used underhanded tactics to plunder my spirit crystals, and I haven't even settled that score with you yet, but here you are pointing fingers at me first! If you’ve got the guts, let’s have a fight to the death right now!"

Knowing he was in the wrong, Judas had to bring up Xue Han seizing its crystals to cover up its own misdeeds. If it let this little girl suppress it, it would surely have no good days ahead!

"Hmph... with your meager skills, you dare to act tough in front of me? Is your skin itching for a beating? Believe it or not, I’ll lock you in a spatial prison and never let you out for the rest of your life!"

Xue Han didn't back down, directly bringing up the shameful fact that Judas had been imprisoned by her. "You... just you wait!" Judas was so angry it couldn't speak. It sat on the blood-red runes, panting heavily, looking like a wronged young bride.

"Heh..." Leng Tian chuckled softly. He hadn't expected the usually arrogant Judas to be so utterly defeated by Xue Han, and it seemed she even held some leverage over it!

Two hours later, covering hundreds of miles with Leng Tian's current speed, a small island appeared ahead. Even from a distance, the fragrance of flowers wafted through the air.

"We’ve actually reached this place..." Leng Tian gazed at the outline of the island coming into view. He had a plan; he had passed this island when he left the exit of the Sky-Piercing Tower, but he hadn't stopped to take a closer look because he was rushing to Fenglan.

"Boss, this island is no ordinary place! Everything is frozen in ice and snow, so why is this island still full of spring? Look, flowers of all colors are blooming everywhere, completely untouched by the cold! How strange, how strange..."

Judas’s eyesight was not much worse than Leng Tian’s, and it could see the scenery on the island from afar.

"Brother Tian, should we stop and take a look? Those flowers are so beautiful!" Xue Tong’s tone was full of anticipation. Beautiful flowers had always been a favorite of women since ancient times; seeing such a scene of blooming flowers in the middle of a vast, snowy domain, any woman would choose to stop and admire them without hesitation.

Leng Tian was also curious. He had only caught a fleeting glimpse of it earlier and hadn't examined it closely.

"Alright, let's take a look. As it happens, I am a bit hungry." Leng Tian agreed to Xue Han’s request. Logically, with his physical toughness, he shouldn't feel hunger, but the previous battle had consumed too much of his stamina. With his stomach empty, it was a natural human reaction—he needed to fill his belly to regain his strength.

"Wow! You're the best, Brother Tian!" Hearing that Leng Tian had agreed to her request, Xue Han was so happy she began to hum a little tune.

"It sounds terrible..." Judas pulled a long, dark face, the three tufts of black hair on its face trembling with its expressions. It mocked her unceremoniously.

"Mind your own business..." Xue Han ignored it completely. Hearing Judas’s mockery, she began to sing a soft, lingering melody.

The song was melodious and long, like the tinkling of a spring or the strumming of heavenly music. It was filled with longing for love and expectation for a better tomorrow. Every lyric touched the heart, expressing a persistent devotion to love in every turn.

Leng Tian felt a slight stirring in his heart, unable to help but think of Huo Wu, who was far away in the Chifeng Continent. The image of Luan Yudie flashed through his mind, and for a moment, he was overcome with the melancholy of lovesickness!

"It’s not bad, I suppose..." Judas muttered, though it was secretly infected by Xue Han’s singing. However, it couldn't help but continue to say things it didn't mean: "Such good lyrics, coming from your mouth, it’s simply a waste..."

Listening to Xue Han’s singing, Leng Tian turned his thoughts away from his longing. So much time had passed, yet no experts had pursued them; he found this very puzzling. Could they have been scared off by him? That didn't make sense; how could the formidable Bi Hai Qiong Tian possibly take him lightly?

Lost in thought, he arrived above the island. Smelling the fragrant scent of flowers, he looked down. The island was small, only about a dozen miles in circumference, but it was filled with flowers and the chirping of birds—a scene of spring in the middle of winter.

There was only one small town on the island. The streets were sparsely populated but bustling with activity, lined with shops and many small street vendors.

Leng Tian’s gaze swept past the town. All around it were low hills covered in colorful flowers, with fruit trees interspersed among them, their branches heavy with fruit that looked appetizing.

Xue Han finished her song, her tone sounding a bit shy. "Brother Tian, did I sing well?"

"It was beautiful. It is the most wonderful singing I have ever heard," Leng Tian praised sincerely.

Hearing Leng Tian’s praise, she felt sweet inside and was overjoyed. Realizing they had reached the island, she urged Leng Tian to land.

Judas had already flown ahead and reached the island.

Leng Tian drifted down outside the town. Looking at the narrow stone street, he could see the end of it at a glance, and he began to walk into the town.

As he entered, Leng Tian suddenly felt that the temperature was vastly different from the outside world. Outside the island, the biting wind pierced to the bone, but on this island, separated by only a thin line, it was incredibly warm. Even the sunlight felt cozy, shining on his body with great comfort.

Just as he was walking, a voice drifted into his ears: "Heavy snow flies across the sky, blanketing the vast waves for ten thousand miles, even the walls of my courtyard are buried deep in snow! What a poem... what a poem..."

Leng Tian was astonished, wondering who this was. The man was spouting nonsense and yet had the nerve to praise his own poem!

"Eh... young man, you must be new here! Welcome to Changchun Island!"

The owner of the voice came around from behind and stood before Leng Tian. Upon seeing his face, the man let out a soft exclamation, then grinned from ear to ear.

Leng Tian saw a blur before him, revealing a dirty, disheveled man. His clothes were so filthy their original color was unrecognizable, covered in what might have been grease or mud. His hair was a tangled mess, and as he shook his head, dust flew everywhere, accompanied by an unpleasant odor that assaulted Leng Tian's nose.

"Cough, cough..." Leng Tian choked on the smell and couldn't help but cough. He held his breath and said, "My friend, how long has it been since you last took a bath?"

"Aha... I remember now where I’ve seen you! You’re that Formless Shadow Demon being hunted by all the major powers! Haha... I’ve struck gold... I’ve hit the jackpot..."

Leng Tian was speechless. Seeing the frantic, manic expression on the disheveled man's face, a thought occurred to him, and he let his spiritual sense sweep over the man. "Just a mortal, not a shred of cultivation!"

His spiritual sense confirmed that the man was just an ordinary person with no cultivation at all. Leng Tian was surprised; the man's movement earlier had been incredibly fast, impossible for an ordinary person to achieve.

"Something's wrong..." Leng Tian felt a shiver. He realized this might be a master with cultivation far beyond his own, someone who had hidden their strength so well that his spiritual sense couldn't detect it.

But his spiritual sense had clearly penetrated the man's dantian, and it was completely chaotic, showing no signs of cultivation at all. How could he explain this? And the man had recognized him at a glance—could he be a peerless expert from some faction waiting here to capture him?

"Hehe... young man, I see you have excellent bone structure. You are a top-tier talent for martial arts. I have a heaven-defying technique here. If you can treat me to a delicious meal, I’ll give it to you for free!"

As the disheveled man spoke, he pulled a thin, filth-covered book from his dirty chest. The book was tattered and falling apart, its yellowed color looking ancient. As he pulled it out, paper scraps were falling off; it felt as if a little more pressure would cause it to crumble into dust.

Leng Tian watched with tension, fearing that the ancient book in the man’s hand would turn to powder at the slightest breeze.

"Boss, I have a feeling this person is dangerous. You’d better be careful, don't let him catch you off guard!" Judas said cautiously.

"Brother Tian, this guy is too dirty, stay away from him. What heaven-defying technique? It’s just a pile of rotten, useless paper!" Xue Han said with a spoiled, disgusted tone.

"Young man, as for you being the Shadow Demon, I won't expose you! See this? This is my heaven-defying technique. As long as you provide a sumptuous meal, it’s yours!"

Leng Tian considered for a moment. Enduring the waves of nauseating stench, he smiled slightly. "It’s just a meal; I can afford that. As for this book..."

Looking at the yellowed ancient book, which was even dirtier than the man himself, he lost all interest. He said apologetically, "You should keep the book and gift it to someone else."