Chapter 27: The Dark Night Shura

Lin Jiufeng had always been cautious, accustomed to biding his time in the mortal world and slowly growing stronger.

But he soon realized that the Dimensional Battlefield was entirely different. Events unfolded one after another, leaving him no choice but to hasten his growth.

If he wanted to rescue the Sword God, Emperor Liu, he had to break through to the Thirteenth Restriction as quickly as possible—Soul Tendrils.

This realm focused on refining the Primordial Spirit, allowing it to split into countless thought fragments. As long as these fragments remained, his consciousness would never fade, and his soul would be eternal.

Each of these fragments could absorb spiritual energy and comprehend the Grand Dao, exponentially increasing his cultivation speed.

However, reaching this stage was no easy feat.

Lin Jiufeng had only recently stepped into the Mid-Twelfth Restriction: Eternal Overlord.

To reach the Thirteenth Restriction, he had to surpass Late-Twelfth Restriction, then Peak-Twelfth Restriction, before finally breaking through.

For others, this process would take centuries—perhaps even millennia. But for Lin Jiufeng, a shortcut existed.

Because he had already surpassed the lifespan limit of the Eternal Overlord realm.

Upon breaking through the Twelfth Restriction, his lifespan extended to 129,600 years—a full cosmic cycle!

A terrifying concept.

Upon reaching the Mid-Twelfth Restriction, his lifespan soared to 150,000 years.

He had already pushed the limits of the Eternal Overlord stage and was on the verge of shattering them entirely.

Thus, he had no need for slow accumulation or prolonged meditation—he only needed one thing: Energy.

Vast amounts of energy.

Robbing the Rich

Divine Source was the key.

Lin Jiufeng had obtained 200,000 jin of Divine Source from killing the Little Shura King, but he had given it all to the Sacred Beast Qilin for cultivation.

This meant he needed to find another way to amass resources.

And so, he devised a simple plan—plundering the wealthy elites of the Hundred Clans.

Since he was impersonating the Nightshade Prince, any resentment from his actions would be directed at the Nightshade Clan, not him.

His targets?

Not the young kings—those were too powerful for now.

Instead, he would focus on the genius elites just below them—talented figures who had failed to claim the throne of their race but were still influential and well-resourced.

Unlike the poor, these elites hoarded Divine Source in abundance.

And plundering one wealthy elite was far more efficient than robbing thousands of ordinary cultivators.

Target: Dark Night Shura

"Who's our first target?" The Sacred Beast Qilin asked via sound transmission.

At this moment, Qilin had transformed into a long sword in Lin Jiufeng's grasp, completely unnoticeable to outsiders.

"Our first target is Dark Night Shura," Lin Jiufeng said calmly.

"He's not as talented as the Little Shura King, but he's been the right-hand man of the Shura King since childhood. Completely loyal. Because of this, he has received numerous rewards over the years."

This information came from the Little Shura King's memories, which Lin Jiufeng had absorbed.

Although the Little Shura King was devoted to the Shura King, his ambition and reputation made him unlikable, so he rarely received any valuable resources.

But Dark Night Shura was different—he was a trusted confidant.

"And where is he now?" Qilin inquired.

Lin Jiufeng smirked.

"We'll just grab a Shura clansman and ask."

An Unfortunate Reunion

With a swift movement, Lin Jiufeng flew ahead and soon spotted a lone Shura clansman.

An old acquaintance.

It was the same Shura he had interrogated earlier!

The moment this Shura saw Lin Jiufeng approaching, his face turned deathly pale.

Thud!

He dropped to his knees, trembling.

"Nightshade Lord, I swear on my life, I didn't leak a single word! Please have mercy!" he wailed, sobbing uncontrollably.

Lin Jiufeng was amused but remained expressionless.

"I know you didn't."

"Tell me—where is Dark Night Shura?"

The Shura gulped and immediately spilled the truth.

"He's 3,000 miles north of here! He's leading our search for the Human Sword God!"

Without hesitation, the Shura sold out his own people.

He even added, "The Shura King isn't there—he left for Moon Celestial Maiden's banquet. Dark Night Shura is completely alone!"

Lin Jiufeng was satisfied.

"Good information."

With a wave of his hand, he let the Shura go.

The poor wretch fled in terror, desperate to escape Lin Jiufeng's presence.

Qilin chuckled.

"This is a golden opportunity!"

Lin Jiufeng nodded.

With the Shura King away, Dark Night Shura was vulnerable—this was the perfect time to strike.

Still, Lin Jiufeng found it amusing that Moon Celestial Maiden had so quickly turned to Nightshade King after losing her Nightshade Prince 'follower.'

Shaking his head, he focused on the mission.

He activated his Void Steps, vanishing into the night.

Ambushing Dark Night Shura

Within moments, Lin Jiufeng arrived at a secluded mountain range.

Dark Night Shura had flattened the mountain peak, constructing several wooden lodges, where he commanded his forces to search for Emperor Liu.

A cautious man.

Despite being absorbed in his work, Dark Night Shura immediately sensed an approaching presence.

Looking up, he saw Lin Jiufeng—disguised as the Nightshade Prince—descending from the sky.

"Nightshade Lord?" he greeted, puzzled. "To what do I owe this visit?"

Lin Jiufeng, unbothered, walked forward confidently.

"I came to borrow something from you."

Dark Night Shura frowned.

"I travel light—I have nothing worth borrowing."

Lin Jiufeng stopped just before him and declared coldly—

"I want to borrow your head."

Dark Night Shura's pupils shrank. Danger!

He immediately tried to retreat.

Too late.

The long sword in Lin Jiufeng's hand had already been preparing for three seconds.

In that instant, space compressed, sealing Dark Night Shura in place.

Qilin's innate divine ability had activated—Spatial Lockdown.

Lin Jiufeng had long since mastered the perfect timing for this move.

As soon as the ability took effect, he struck without hesitation.

The space around Dark Night Shura trembled violently as he struggled in vain.

Then, Lin Jiufeng slashed downward.

"LIFE PAINTING SCROLL!"

A cold glint flashed.

The hunt had begun.