Meng Zhang not only did not step forward to pick up that storage bag, but instead, he faced Xiao Shenqiang and slowly backed away. Ever since he met Xiao Shenqiang, Meng Zhang had activated his Mind Reading Divine Ability, trying to read Xiao Shenqiang's thoughts. The result was not unexpected; he couldn't glean any useful information and didn't know if Xiao Shenqiang harbored ill intentions towards him. There was an insurmountable gap between the early Foundation Building and mid Refining Qi stages. The difference in their Cultivation Base made Meng Zhang's Mind Reading Divine Ability futile.
Realizing something was amiss, Meng Zhang relied not on his innate Divine Ability but on his life experiences and an unbiased mind. In the world of cultivation, he never hesitated to assume the worst of others.
He came across a severely injured senior cultivator during his journey—a dying expert who entrusted all his wealth to Meng Zhang, leaving behind only a daughter unaccounted for. Such a scenario was all too familiar. To his surprise, Meng Zhang encountered this stroke of luck.
In the deceitful world of cultivation, Meng Zhang knew he couldn't harbor any illusions. Instead of immediately picking up the storage bag that conveniently fell in front of him, he decided to leave the place. Under these circumstances, he shouldn't hold any wishful thinking. Even if he misjudged the situation, it was better to retreat and observe from a distance. There might not be any gains, and even if there were, there might not be a chance to touch them.
Watching Meng Zhang retreat, Xiao Shenqiang's amiable smile vanished, and his face turned grim. "I initially thought you'd come to me willingly, saving me some effort and sparing your body from damage," he said, pointing a finger at Meng Zhang. A green true qi shot from his hand, attempting to seize Meng Zhang's body.
While retreating, Meng Zhang had already prepared for the worst. Xiao Shenqiang's words revealed his intent—to take over Meng Zhang's body.
At the same time, Xiao Shenqiang had already taken out his ultimate trump card from the storage bag. A fist-sized, pure white sphere was thrown by Meng Zhang. The sphere and Xiao Shenqiang's true qi collided directly in the air. After a soft sound, the green true qi seemed to freeze in the air, and its chilling aura continued to extend towards Xiao Shenqiang's body.
"Frigid Yin Thunder, what connection do you have with Liu Family?" Xiao Shenqiang roared angrily as he was affected by the freezing poison.
Meng Zhang didn't answer. Since he had already taken action, there was no room for hesitation. Another Frigid Yin Thunder was thrown directly at Xiao Shenqiang.
Already heavily injured, Xiao Shenqiang's previous attack was interrupted by Meng Zhang's Frigid Yin Thunder. The icy poison spread along the true qi he released, rendering him immobile and unable to react.
Before Xiao Shenqiang's body, the Frigid Yin Thunder seemed to encounter an invisible barrier and exploded, causing a frosty, invisible wall to appear. The wall quickly cracked and shattered. The bone-piercing chill left Xiao Shenqiang almost devoid of sensation, and his protective magic tool was broken, leaving him defenseless.
Meng Zhang threw the last Frigid Yin Thunder.
It exploded on Xiao Shenqiang, turning his body into an ice sculpture. These three Frigid Yin Thunders, capable of harming Foundation Building stage cultivators, put an end to Xiao Shenqiang's life and saved Meng Zhang.
Meng Zhang felt a hidden sense of relief. He was glad he had been cautious and, back in the black market, had decisively purchased this stolen item. Generally, early Foundation Building cultivators couldn't possess the ability to take over others' bodies, and even mid Foundation Building cultivators had a low success rate. At least late Foundation Building cultivators had a certain chance of success.
It was indeed unfortunate for Xiao Shenqiang. As a senior elder of Twin Success Valley, he ended up in this situation because of a trace of greed. Recklessly venturing into a sand monster's lair, he was ambushed halfway by a General-grade sand monster with Earth Escaping Talent. He was not only separated from his companions but also severely injured and unable to move. Helpless and awaiting death, he finally encountered Meng Zhang.
Due to some past experiences, Xiao Shenqiang, despite being only at the early stage of Foundation Building, dared to make a last-ditch attempt at taking over Meng Zhang. Unexpectedly, Meng Zhang was so cautious and had methods capable of harming Foundation Building stage cultivators.
Knowing he had caused trouble for himself, Meng Zhang used his Deception Breaking Eye to carefully examine the surroundings, including underground and above. Fortunately, there were no onlookers, so he should be able to keep this secret. He didn't touch Xiao Shenqiang's body and instead picked up the storage bag from the ground.
As expected, Xiao Shenqiang's wealth was significant. It contained an expensive Ten-Direction Storage Bag. Meng Zhang didn't plan to take anything from it but intended to use the items inside to divert attention. The storage bag wasn't sealed with any restrictions and could easily be opened.
Inside were two Second Rank magic tools, more than ten bottles of pills, numerous talismans, and various odds and ends. An item caught Meng Zhang's attention—a transparent and weightless light gauze.
This was a spirit tool. How could that old man Xiao Shenqiang possess a spirit tool?
As the name implied, a spirit tool could only be controlled by one's soul, making it a special magic tool. When a Cultivator controlled a spirit tool with their soul, it could display various miraculous effects. Ordinary cultivators had no means of obtaining a spirit tool, nor did they have the need to use one, especially in a barren place like the Endless Sea of Sand where spirit tools were extremely rare.
The materials for forging spirit tools were exceptionally scarce, and only a few Ghost Cultivators possessed the means to create them. If Meng Zhang hadn't acquired much knowledge from the Trial Grounds, he probably wouldn't recognize this spirit tool.
Initially, he had no intention of keeping any items from the storage bag for caution's sake, but upon seeing this spirit tool, he felt tempted. Not out of greed but because this spirit tool could be of great use to him.
After careful consideration, Meng Zhang decided it was best to leave the area first. From Xiao Shenqiang's storage bag, he took out a Fireball Talisman and threw it towards Xiao Shenqiang's corpse. A loud explosion rang out, and Meng Zhang's figure disappeared into the distance.
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